End of my season

 I'm angry, sad, FRUSTRATED as hell ... but it looks like the end of the season for me till next year. Wednesday morning at 4 AM is when it started .. I woke up half asleep half awake in the middle of a bloody nightmare. Bolted out of bed and crashed into my solid wood nightstand ...

Long story short ... I fractured my humerus bone , sheering it off under the head of the ball that fits in the socket ... so it will be over three months before I can do a real post.

This is the most painful injury I have ever had and the most frustrating ... the garden is coming into prime and I can't work in it .. is Karma trying to tell me something ?

Hope you all stay well and happy in your own gardens !!!

 It has been so hot and humid these past days that to see a little sun shining on anything was so nice. The days are gray because of weather systems and wildfires. I think we are all hoping things will calm down soon for the earth's sake.  Mean while I try to do what I can in the garden with limited mobility and this wretched knee from hell ? 

When  you take a camera from a cool, dry home to a hot humid garden .. it complains and gives you some rather foggy excuses for photos ? The fence on this side is our neighbor's and she seems set on not repairing it. It is rather discouraging when we are so conscious of keeping ours in good shape. Could this be an episode of that wacky American show Neighborhood Wars" ? LOL

Every gardener needs a few plants that make them smile right ? Hosta "Twist of Lime" does that for me .. there is just something so cute about mini plants, especially hosta for some reason because my Blue Mouse Ears does the same thing for me.

I love a hit of white through out the garden, especially on dull days like these. It just seems to lift the other plants around it as well. Astilbe are a favorite of mine , so I have two of these types on opposite sides of the back garden.

Giant Fleeceflower aka Persicaria polymorpha  is a great architectural plant for height and yes you can prune it to stand nice and tall without flopping flowers. I have two varieties of Dogwood shrubs to pick up that needed "light" in this darker area. Everything looks nice until the BUGS start eating them. 

Sweet Autumn clematis is also another hit of bright white but it can be a monster vine so I really have to prune it back to tame it.

I have steered clear of bee Balm for many years because of powdery mildew driving me mad.

This is "Bee Mine" pink .. it is supposed to be quite resistant but the summer has really just begun so we will see. I don't want to like it too much ... but I think it is too late ?

My big beautiful gold hosta is "Coast to Coast" from the Shadowland series. I like pairing that gold colour with the gold barberry on the other side.

The lighting this day is really poor and doesn't do the garden justice but it still looks fairly good for now from this aspect. I haven't been in the front gardens for ages .. ugh !

The view from the opposite direction for perspective .. I have tried to pack too many trees here and that is going to bit me a few years down the road I am sure. Blue Mouse Ears mini hosta  lives behind the curved stone.

Upper clematis (one I almost ripped out) is Warsaw Nike that "falls on my Japanese maple.. the bottom one that scrambles over Little Lamb hydrangea is Madam Julia Correvon.

The "allyway" garden is blooming ike mad .. the kiwi vine is unbound and reaching to grab both houses. Note to self .. get that pruned !!!

This should be taken in sunlight because that apricot/orange looks so much more vibrant in proper light

Golden Spirit smokebush (training to be a tree) has amazing "flowers" I am so glad to be in awe and curious about plants and animals .. I can't imagine not being this way. I am also so glad my garden provides me with those feelings .. even though "we" may not agree where a plant should be planted at times ? haha

So , I have cut down on pots for the deck.. a lot of my herbs are in the garden now, but I keep the dill , rosemary, and some new lavender on the deck to enjoy them and keep an eye out for caterpillars that I can help from the dill hopefully. I haven't seen any butterflies so far though but fingers crossed !

It has been a while .....

 Fothergilla in later May with it's exceptionally sweet flower buds.

Epimedium "Niveum"  I am always drawn in by these dainty white flowers .

The scent of my Dwarf Korean Lilac tree is beyond description . 

It just makes me so happy to take it all in and enjoy those moments of appreciating my garden.

Mandarin Lights azalea is a shocking orange against all of my other plants, especially my dark dignified Japanese maple .. but I think they get along fine with each other.

Early June and the garden is leaping forward very quickly .. my Chinese Fringe tree in the background has almost finished flowering while the Serviceberry is forming fruit and the birds will be feasting.

The Royal Purple smoke tree looks like it has a ring of petticoats with it's flowers . 

How can you not smile at that thought ? Moulin Rouge Can Can Dancers ?

Goatsbeard was one of the first taller perennials that I fell hard for . I have planted three different varieties of lesser height, but still carry a lot of interesting features .

Eye of the Tiger Dutch iris .. I just wasn't as enthusiastic as I thought I would be for this one.

Allium Christophii was a new one this year and I have to say I'm fascinated by it .. it is like a mathematical equation in plant form ... very striking .

Stand by Me bush clematis , I wish I had taken more photos of the closed flower buds because they are such an impossible almost navy blue .

The other side of the garden, more shade than light but can still carry some intense colours.

Green Lotus peony ... my "wild child" after being rained on.

She cleans up beautifully.

At Last rose is blooming away oblivious to a bit of battering from the sprinkler system thankfully.

She looks amazing all frilled out with a glowing center next to Butterfly Kisses echinacea yet to bloom.

Martagon lily Arabian Knight , these tiny flowers pack a punch with their colouring and designs.

I think I have Fairy Morning next to it and I planted Snowy Morning on the other side of the trellis because I have a weakness for white flowers.

If  you look closely you will see the Martagons to the left side of the Korean Yellow Wax Bells along with the astilbe, hosta, brunnera, perennial geranium .. I have had that patch (wax bells) almost 20 years and I am wondering how much longer it will thrive ?

I guess I will finish this quickie post with Julia Child rose because for some reason her voice is in my head right now talking about the proper way to roast a chicken !

I don't have photos of the front or ally way garden .. some how the back gardens swallowed up all of my attention . Darn !!