How is your garden looking today?

If rhododendrons are your thing, there is a Japanese garden near here, at Tatton Park, which has to be seen to believed with its spring show of azaleas and rs. It is stunning.

http://www.tattonpark.org.uk/attractions_gardens.htm

I bought and planted more dwarf evergreen azaleas this year, which have all been successful, but am already looking forward to next spring when they will be in full flow and show. I think azalea is my favourite shrub.

(I hope the above link is not seen as an advertisement: I do not intend it as such)

Yesterday the wind was too strong and blustery to tempt me into grass-cutting activities, but I can't leave it much longer (and it's just as strong here today)

The sad thing about rhododendrons and azaleas is the blooms last for only a short time. They are so spectacular, though. You cherish those few days.

For sure. Though, different bushes have different blooming dates, thank goodness!

Here are a couple of favourites from my garden, pictures taken yesterday. These are not my new plantings, but older-established ones.

Your garden is looking beautiful, McT!

Merci, mon cher.

And that reminds me, instead of sitting at this computer, I should be out there hoeing and weeding.

I had an azalea in the front garden. I thought it was dead as a result of the drought and not being able to water. It seems to have a few new shoots on it now so we can only hope.

I have 10 acres of land a few minutes out of town on which I planted around 1000 trees. Things were looking good until a month or so ago. Many have died. Very very dissapointing for me. Ah well we'll see if we can make firewood from the dead ones.

McT - can't go out in the garden, it's raining.

DP - That's awful weather, all that drought. What do you need firewood for?

Watch This Space

The employee of realjohnboy who took these photos sent them to me at his request to post them for him. Assuming I have no trouble, I'll walk him through the how to's.

This is realjohboy (left) and his groundskeeper in front of the johnboy mansion in old Virginia --














Wow, johnboy, what a terrifying helper you have!

Those are great! Is that a set?

Again, not about my yard and not even about a garden .....

I found a treasure today. Last fall, in a hiking area I've begun to frequent recently with the kids, I saw some dried up old stalks of lady slipper orchid flowers. I brought them back to hunt for them this spring. We found plenty of strappy orchid leaves coming up, wrapped around their stunning flowers buds. We went back today and counted 45 (45!!!) lady slipper plants at various stages of bloom. Wowsa! I didn't know they grew anywhere in that concentration. Guessing that's why the place is conservation land.

This evening I shall plant my tomatoes. I think were safe from any frosts till about October.

You plant tomatoes, and I plant tomatoes....

my backyard today 5/22/07

Check out my new lawn ornaments.



And my new mower.

It has been raining for the last six hours. Not a heavy rain, but a steady rain. First rain, aside from a thunderstorm or so, in a month
Sweet.

Good. We've been lucky with the weather this year so far, having had enough rain and quite a lot of warmth (which came in bits, interspersed with cold spells) and everything is growing apace.

If I get my bedding plants in tomorrow and my grass cut, I'll take & post a picture of my favourite aruncus plant. It's an old dependable, and it seems to like it here.

McTag, When you make your cross-country jaunt, I have a yard that desperately needs you.

booming thunderstorm on top of us right now

the garden looks bright green and wet - like steamed asparagus

Here are two bits of the yard I like right now

I like your style, lilK...