Budding to Bloom

Green Lotus peony , is my only peony at the moment and truthfully it is a very satisfying peony.

A some what wild, and almost ragged looking peony that you can take so many photos of and it will look a little different each time.

It was by pure luck I was able to get this cultivar from a Canadian company that is out of business sadly. That makes it very special to me now.

Every year it has more and more blooms, and it will probably out live me because they have such a long life span.

I can't seem to take a picture without ants, they insist they are photogenic ?
Chionanthus virginicus "Fringe Tree" is magical with the feathery fringe, slightly fragrant.

I think this has to be the male version because it never bears the fruit even though it has the showier flower ..  I would have liked to have seen berries but I will stick with what I know for now.

 Clematis "Twinkle" was my first bush clematis and I thought it would be my only one.

I love the white flowers tinged with blue at the base.

Then by pure accident I suddenly had "Stand By Me" clematis and wow ! what a blue as you can see by just the bud alone it is intense.

Lady's Mantle or Alchemilla is an old stand by for me.

I use it as a path sweeper and in difficult spots .. although it will "tell" you when it is in distress. 

I try not to do that to it, because it is such a wonderful performer.

I never realized until lately that these intricate flowers actually have a slightly spicy scent.

Even before the flower is fully open .. I was amazed .. I hope I'm not wrong and some other gardener will say they have found that too ?

Spirea in flower .. buds, half buds , slightly half flowered ? they look pretty no matter what stage.

Goat's Beard or Aruncus dioicus the native version.

I now have three of these in various stages due to sun values for where they are positioned in the garden.  I also have the kneiffii  cultivar which is smaller and has a more finely cut leaf.

I can't imagine a garden without one of these at least.

Astilbe ... how many choices are there now ? way too many !

So some times I go back to the older varieties such as  Ostrich Plume . 

I like the shape and colour being a little different, even before they are fully blooming.

Warsaw Nike clematis has begun to bloom

It creates a wall on my wall in a way ... it is hard to stay on top of it and keep neat.

It grows like crazy and doubles up on itself so I am constantly in a duel with it, pruners at hand !

Speaking  of light values .. sometimes I just take photos because the light is rather magical.

Especially with water droplets.