Everything looks wonderful and healthy

You're doing a lovely job with that garden! I love those columbine. I WS some of them this past winter. Hope they survive and bloom next year. I think they're gorgeous and your photo reinforces that belief. Can't wait to see more of your gardens as summer passes. Thanks for posting.

Very nice! Second year is so much fun, and it just keeps getting better. Your garden looks fantastic. :)

Lynda

Wow. Your 2nd year plants from seeds are doing better than many of my 3 and 4 year old store bought perennials. Amazing.

Thanks...and glad you all enjoyed the show/gallery. I'm blown away by what's blooming and really excited about what's up next. So many things are heavy with buds, it should be quite a show. Today I planted Shasta daisies (WS 2010) in the butterfly bed and California poppy seedlings in the bed on the opposite (north) side of the property. I'm tired, achy, sweaty, sunburned and wish I had a whirlpool to relax in but figure I'd drown as tired as I am tonight.

Mother Nature creates the masterpieces...I just snap photos of them.

What is the name of those beautiful lupines? I want those kind in 2012! I planted my Russell lupines and have to plant my blue lupine plant tomorrow. Love those Siberian Iris(?)Which variety of shasta daisy are you planting? Did you ever send for your Crazy daisy seeds?

Beautiful flowers...you did a great job and made good choices of plants. You obviously have the right idea. Now you can rest on your laurels!!!

It looks great.

Karen

Beautiful! Do you know what variety Siberian Iris it is? I love the blue!

Those are pretty! Congratulations!

pippi21 - I don't know the name of the lupines because I just WS some seeds I got in trades along with ones I harvested myself. As soon as they bloomed I knew you'd want seeds so I put Velcro tape around the stems with a P for pink, R for red and B for blue so I'll know to keep the seeds separated. You know you're welcome to them when seed trading season rolls around. The Shasta daisies are from my neighbor's plant so I don't know the cultivar on those. Never did send for the crazy daisy seeds--ran out of time and energy!

northerner_on - my laurels would collapse if I tried to rest on them right about now!

Karen - thanks!

shady_lady_pa - the iris might be Caesar's Brother but they were a "donation" from a neighbor so I can't be certain. If you want seeds from them, let me know and I'll send you some later this year. If they were easier to divide I'd be glad to send you plants.

I've started a weekly journal to track what blooms when now that things are beginning to produce flowers. I want to know what blooms for the longest time so I can WS lots more of them and which things don't last as long (like peonies) but are so spectacular, they're worth the effort + real estate to grow them. So far I'm really impressed with globeflower/Trollius ledebouri because it has golden orange flowers that are really exquisite. I don't normally like orange but there's something about these that appeals to me plus they're excellent WS candidates--I got like 198% germination and the sprouts are incredibly healthy. They're also a fuss-free perennial that comes up reliably, blooms, goes dormant and repeats the following year. They're drought tolerant, not bothered by any pests or diseases and don't need dividing as near as I can tell. That puts them in the 'What's not to like?' category for me.

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