Jewels in your garden

My gardens are, for the most part, more about foliage so flowers are almost like bonuses ? However there are lag times in between the fabulous Spring show and the beginning of the summer to Autumn show. At those times little jewels can appear to keep us in awe with how amazing they can be. Martagon lilies are that hit of colour among all the different shades of greenery.

That hit of "bronze" peeking out with new foliage in that striking tone, I can never have enough of it !

I'm not sure how well this shows up but the flower stalk of Bronze Peacock has loads of ants on it collecting what ever it is they are mad about .. click on picture and you can see better.

That flower stalk reminds me of the way that spirea flowers are constructed .. this time of year all the pollinators are in love with these flowers .. so am I .

I know .. again with the roses .. I just can't seem to help myself when it comes to them.

I was able to catch Gracie for this shot but her sister Willow "leaves the room" , she is camera shy.

Plants in Shadow and Light

 My little gargoyle that keeps watch in the shadows and light.

Some plants in the gardens I have had for years and they still surprise me.

I had no idea .. or perhaps I kept missing it .. that the flowers of Lady's Mantle have a beautiful scent !

Golden oregano is an amazing ground cover ... all from one plant over the years of spreading slowly.

Solomon's Seal is beautiful even without the little flowers. This one is a variegated type so a little hit of white goes a long way.

At Last rose against a very dark background , holds it's own with that gorgeous colour and a few drops of rain.

Morden Sunrise a wild looking rose that blooms all season long .. bright light really accentuates it.

I wonder who of you know what this is ... I will leave it as a mystery for you ! A mix of light and shadow brings out the colours of the foliage.

Spirea is such an all purpose shrub so I have quite a few dotted all over the garden. The pollinators love those flowers so it truly fills a great purpose along with looking pretty even in shadow.

Stand By Me shrub clematis and a bee that is loving it .. this was the first time I remember seeing a bee that just couldn't get enough of these bell flowers. This is definitely bright light. 

Twinkle shrub clematis holds the light interest with it's bright white colour .. eventually you will see it morph with some blue around the bell of the flower.

I have to confess some of the work horse plants .. back bone  plants ? of my garden .. well I forget how pretty they are and how they have filled out garden areas to look more attractive.

They can still surprise me !

The Obsession

 This time of year brings out the plant crazy in me, or it seems to kick it off for the rest of the season. Green Lotus Peony drives me to take way too many photos of it, seeking the "perfect" one. I had a photo published a few years ago in the British newspaper, the Telegraph , in their garden catalog section, front page , which was a thrill . I am sure that type of thing will never happen again so I have to savor it forever? But it still drives me to get that "just right" photo yet again ... here I go !

Bottom left corner is the original plant.

Only three were open at the time I was snapping.

The ants seemed to be happy campers enjoying what ever ants enjoy on peony ?

It was an overcast day when I was taking these photos which helps tone down the bright white of the petals. The pink streaks become more dominate as the flowers age. I planted "All That Jazz" bare root last Autumn and thankfully it has come up with healthy foliage . I know it may be years before I see those flowers and then I will become obsessed yet again !

Update on the girls growing up ... Willy looks like a full grown cat in body size, and Gracie is not far behind. Time is "warping" by me some days , weeks , months ?

I couldn't fix the "red eye" problem darn it !  Willow's blue eyes are remarkably intense . Gracie's trend from gray to light blue. They are both too smart for their own good !