Annual peony post

One of the interesting things with keeping the blog is tracking the posts from year to year. For example, last year the peony post was 2 weeks earlier than this year. A demonstration of the difference in each year's weather.

This year Spring has been cool and wet so the blooming flowers are later than last year's hot and dry Spring.

There is a new peony in the garden this year. I don't know where it came from and there are only two stems and each has a pink-toned blossom of the single type peony. Pretty crazy.

Miss America

One of the old fashioned red peony that came with the house

Miss America

A pink sngle type variety. This one just showed up this year

One of the red peonies that came with the house.

Burr Oak at 10 years

The Burr Oak has grown so much that I had to prune off several very large branches. It is exciting to see the backyard changing because the oak tree is getting so tall and broad.

The oak tree is now 10 years old which means the backyard patio project was done 10 years ago.

Ten years ago I was working for IBM and travelling nearly every week. Peonies were blooming this week in June 2019. This year the peonies are close but at least another week before full on.

Check out the Burr Oak from 2011 and from 2013 and when first planted in 2009.

Beauty to counter so much ugly

There has been so much ugliness in the news this week. I wanted to share some of the beauty in my backyard.

Most of these are repeats from years past. That is the beauty of a perennial garden.

I call this my abstract art. These are a type of geranium.

Coleus in the copper tub with morning glories climbing trellis made from lilac suckers.

Star Tiger Lily

Irma's geranium

Just one of the other geranium pots

Spring pots

Went on annual plant shopping excursion to Malmborg's with Martha and Kelly. Decided I would do my pots up this year.

Apple tree pruning

Finally got around to pruning the backyard apple tree. I don't remember if I've ever done a major pruning.

Using old running medals as wind chimes and to try to keep the birds away.

Before

Trimmings

After

A Sure Sign of Winter Coming

When I finally bring the geraniums in means there is no turning back. I won't leave them with their flowers but they just looked so nice.

I've been successfully over wintering these particular geraniums for several years now. I rescued the two pink ones from my neighbor Irma's front steps after she died. She is the one who told me about keeping them over the winter. The people who bought her house have still to this day never removed the dead marigolds that the realtor planted. It has been 10 years maybe!

Garden photos

Gas plant that I stole from the neighbor's house a long time ago.

Miss America

One of the red ones that came with the house.

A light pink one that came with the house.

Wintered-over geraniums

I am late getting the wintered-over geraniums outside. For several years I have put the geraniums, pots and all, in the basement over the winter. It has been very successful.

In the spring I normally put the pots on the porch for a few days or a week to acclimate the plants. This year because it is so late, I'm just going to put them outside though they will be in the shade of the oak tree.

Will have to see if they make it this year. Also, I wintered-over the calla lilies that Martha gave me. They are sprouting so have my fingers crossed that that experiment worked.

Tree peony

The tree peony has started to bloom. I think I need to move this thing. It is getting rather large.

My odd azalea plants

My two azaleas are crazy beautiful again this year. But why do they never grow. They have been this size ever since I got them years and years ago.
The peach colored one is barely 12" tall. The pink one is maybe 2' tall.

Apple blossoms

Decided the apple trim needed trimming if for no other reason that I couldn't walk by it to the rest of the garden. Lots of blossoms this year.

This is the first time I've brought branches in. I might have to do this every year.

Currants

Last fall I pruned the currant bush back to seven branches like it is supposed to be done. The bush is full of little blossoms. Looks like a good crop coming on this year.

Backyard garden

A little bragging... I so enjoy my backyard gardens. Flowers, vegetables, fruit tree and bushes. The morning light really seems to highlight everything a bit.

Harvests

My tomatoes are beginning to ripen! So exciting.

My first multiple strawberry harvest.

Been harvesting raspberries for a few weeks. This is my favorite serving (dark chocolate Klondike bar)

Fresh garden greens for a fresh salad

Spinach, red leaf lettuce and kale freshly picked from the garden. Added fresh oregano and chives also from the garden.

Made a delicious fresh salad with the addition of some olive oil, balsamic vinegar and sea salt.

Also practicing food photography to prepare for Juiced Nutrition marketing and product display.

Calla Lilies

Martha gave me some calla lily bulbs. I have not grown these before. I planted just before Memorial weekend (I think) There is already a blossom! Thank you, Martha.

Raspberry bounty

You may not be able to see it in the photo but there is a bumper crop of raspberries on their way. Barring some catastrophe, I'm seeing more raspberries than ever.

The apple crop is definitely going to be smaller than in previous years but I think the apples will be larger. Some look like they have been sunburned. I hope that does not continue.

middle of the raspberry patch

front of the raspberry patch

sun-kissed Haralred apples

baby apples

Never Tire of the Peonies

I was very fortunate that when I bought my house nearly 25 years ago there were several peony plants. I was not familiar with this beautiful flowering perennial. I don't recall having these or even seeing them when I was growing up.

I learned that the plants do not like to be moved. They will hold off blooming for a year or more once they have been disturbed.

The aroma from the largest plant will often fill the entire backyard. The plants I have now have been in there current locations for well over a decade.

The house came with five different varieties. The dark red is the most prevalent but I also had a white Japanese variety, two different pink ones and a white and pink one. My friends bought another white variety, Miss America, that has been featured separately.

While I was away...

While I was up north for the Memorial Day weekend, the garden burst with color.

The transplanted and thinned Siberian iris are even blooming.

Gas plant

Miss America peony

Miss America peony

perineal geranium

Plant name escapes me

Peonies

Peony