Friday, June 24, 2011

Fleeting Beauty: The garden in the 3rd week of June



My peonies have been open for about a week now. I expected a bumper crop of blooms, but the back row of peonies which you can see along the front of the porch was a not only a bit scrawny and short, it failed to produce any flower buds. I suspect there is an issue with drainage off the porch roof that I will have to address before next winter.



I find peonies easy going and undemanding. Their only character flaw is their short-lived, unrepeated blooms. (Case in point: I have some new deep, red peonies in the back garden that I hoped to photograph and show you, but the flowers withered before I got out to the back garden with the camera.)


These big pompom pink ones are my favourites.


I usually pick most of the blooms and bring them inside to savour. This summer I have been so busy however, that the majority of the flowers have been left for the neighbours and passersby to enjoy.

Opposite the peonies, there is a sea of tiny purple geraniums and yellow Evening Primrose. 


The Evening Primrose was here when we moved into the house. The plant spreads freely, but is easy to rip out when it wanders too far. I have it in both sun and shade. In fall, the leaves turn a beautiful burgundy color.


Snatches of white Fever Few mellow the odd combination of pink, yellow and purple flowers.


I love the dark purple stems of Meadow Sage Salvia nemerosa 'Caradonna'.


A common pink spirea makes the perfect companion for the deep blue flowers of the Meadow Sage.

Another common, but indispensable small shrub is my white Potentilla. I love its tiny leaves and small white flowers.


This is Geranium pratense 'Midnight Reiter' a pretty little geranium with burgundy leaves and purple flowers.


Next week there will be roses to show you. 

I am going to link to Fabulous Friday, Macro Friday and Fertilizer Friday at Tootsie Time. To see other beautiful flowers in bloom, please click the links.

I hope you have a great weekend!

39 comments:

  1. Those are just beautiful. Now I want to grow some.

    Enjoyed these...

    Hope you have a blessed day♥

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  2. Your garden is fabulous!
    I've scrolled down the page to see post after post of beautiful blooms.
    My peonies have long come and gone but they werent' nearly as gorgeous as yours. A cold spell in the middle of blooming wasn't to their liking.
    Lovely blog!
    Carletta's Captures

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  3. Wow! Your peonies are just the pretties flowers. What a beautiful bed they make. The yellow Evening Primrose is so bright and cheery. Much pretties than my pink ones. Have a wonderful weekend!

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  4. Beautiful. Such vibrant colors. I would be torn between leaving them to enjoy and bringing them inside.....

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  5. Peonies are my favorite. Their lovely ruffles and brilliant colors delight.
    Your garden is amazing. You must spend hours on it. Bless you. I hate doing the garden work, but appreciate gardeners such as yourself and their results.

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  6. Absolutely gorgeous garden. Love your color combinations.

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  7. There's so many wonderful and inspiring photos here of pink, purple and yellow combinations. Really liked seeing the evening primrose next to the pink peonies. I'm working on a flower bed right now that uses all these colours and I've been second guessing myself so this was wonderful to see.

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  8. Your garden is so beautiful! It seems odd to me, though, to see peonies in June! They're done here by mid-May. I haven't had much success with evening primrose here, but yours are so pretty, I may have to try again.

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  9. Wow, wow, wow is all I can say Jennifer! Your garden is full of glorious blooms right now and I envy the Peonies, since mine are long since spent and gone. :( Thanks for sharing, can't wait to see your roses. :)

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  10. I absolutely adore peonies! Luckily for the neighbourhood, you have been too busy to pick them! I really like the front bed, so full of colour!

    Please join me in my garden at The Gardening Life.

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  11. Gorgeous! Peonies are my favorite too!
    I love the photo of the front of your house...everything looks so lush.

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  12. That third photograph has me longing for summer ... how beautiful! Your peonies are gorgeous. Now I want more of them :)

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  13. You are right Jennifer, the peonies are here for such a short time, I almost missed taking a photo of them.

    Eileen

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  14. I just love peonies- they are so "ruffly" and look like tissue paper. One of my favs & you captured them so beautifully.

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  15. What great combos you chose to show us. You got great photos of all of them, but I especially like the evening primrose, such a yellow beacon of light. Your garden looks great... a real treat for the neighbors and passersby I would think!

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  16. Your June garden is gorgeous! So blessed to have so many blooms for vases too! Have a great weekend.

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  17. As usual I love the pink ones best they are so beautiful and seeing them has brighten my day.

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  18. Good to see peony again as ours are long gone. You have a pretty selection of color and it is nice you leave some for the neighbors! I pick a lot for inside too and then feel guilty how I scalped the blooms from view. Heck, they can wait for the next flush, I like them inside for the fragrance.

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  19. Our peonies finished blooming this week. How lovely I can enjoy yours!

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  20. Your garden looks like it should be in a magazine. Stunning photos! I like the pink, yellow, purple combination ... I always envy northern gardens this time of year ... Glad I visited your blog!

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  21. Your garden is absolutely stunning! I am sure your neighbors enjoy it as much as you do! Your pom pom peonies are gorgeous! Your house must be filled with vases of wonderful blooms!

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  22. in the salvia world, caradonna is the bomb!

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  23. Stunning peonies, mine are still a few weeks away. Imagine if someone could come up with a repeat bloomer?

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  24. Lovely flowers all, one thing you remind me to do is cut them and bring them indoors....... I am sure I can smell the peonies here......the photos are so beautiful

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  25. You have an incredibly beautiful garden, Jennifer! Your blooms look as though they've been grown in hothouse conditions...I wish I knew your secret...apart from creating all this splendour with three dogs on your property, everything grows in such abundance and it all looks so lush and full! My garden NEVER looks like this!

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  26. It is looking really beautiful Jennifer. The peonies in the white pitcher look fab.

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  27. your garden is stunning!!! I am so glad to have met you! I am a Canadian gardener in Alberta...where are you?
    so..thanks for linking in this week. it is nice to finally get around to say hi and thanks to all the gardeners who patiently grow their flowers and who flaunt with me each week!

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  28. Gorgeously stunning peonies with their beautiful colours and layers of delicate petals like petticoats! Such a lovely garden with varieties of flowering plants...I bet your neighbours really enjoying themselves admiring their beauties!

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  29. What a wonderful June garden!! I love it - all of it. You have done a wonderful job with planting it full and thinking about rhythm and combinations.

    The salvia with the spirea is a really nice combo that I had not thought of... great form contrast.

    These are the weeks that I would love to hold on to for the entire year. Hope you have a few moments just to sit in the garden and enjoy them!

    Julie

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  30. Your garden looks wonderful. That last photo is so beautiful; a little vignette of the flowers you featured in this post. I have always loved peonies. I am determined to make a place for them in my garden soon.

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  31. BEAUTIFUL ! A perfect garden ! I cant' find other words...

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  32. Wow! What a beautiful garden and beautiful photos.

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  33. yes your garden looks envious! I am sure the butterflies are also inviting photographers.

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  34. Your peonies and pictures of them are just magnificent. That is one of the most lush looking gardens I have seeen.

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  35. I wouldn't know a peony from a pony, but I must say they're very bright. Yes, that's the word, bright!

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  36. Your garden is gorgeous Jennifer. Your neighbors must love living next door to you. I also love peonies but don't have nearly as many as you. Ours are also done blooming now. I'm sure your roses will be spectacular too.

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