Seeds and Storms

Coreopsis 'tickseed' 

Have been busy deadheading daisies which are going to seed at a speed that any astronaut would admire, Lol!  Have also had to trim back some of my overgrown perennials. Wow, hard to believe that that could possibly be a problem, but in some cases it is tis year!  Who would have thought that an innocent sounding plant like a Baby's Breath could be so aggressive, but it has grown huge and is falling over on top of gazanias and snowdrops. I hated to chop some of the growth off before it even got the chance to bloom, but...

Mother Nature's nasty wind/ rain storms have something to do with that problem. Many of my tall perennials were lying flat after the last severe thunderstorm we had. And they had just been looking so tall and stately and beautiful the day before... Thankfully most of my delphiniums had hoops around them holding them up, but many of the maltese crosses, which are usually self standing, had been knocked over flat. My helpful husband and I put extra stakes at the edges of my long perennial bed, then ran a string along both sides to try and prop up the columbines, maltese crosses and the odd stray delphinium stem.

Before the storm knocked the plants flat...

We weren't even finished when he looked up at the sky and said, "We have about 6 minutes left before the rain gets here."
Sure enough, the dark clouds were racing towards us and we finished tying everything up just in time for the next storm!

Hollyhocks

The next morning the sun was sparkling on the rain drops on all the greenery in the yard. Everything looked so fresh. My hollyhocks are tall and busting open their blossoms now and my clematises, particularly the General Sikorska, are opening more and more dark blue blossoms every day. So far the Jackmanii hasn't opened any, but they look like they're ready! :)

Early morning, clematises- General Sikorska on left, Jackmanii on right

My roses are looking more fabulous that ever before! I am so pleased with them. They are breath-takingly beautiful; real 'eye-candy'. :)

I had to trim back some of the white potentilla branches which were shadowing my Morden Blush rose. I hate to trim anything off that's blooming and looking good, but it was necessary for the sake of the rose which begged me to do it.

Trimmed back the wild rose bush near the side of the bed, too, to make some light for my poor Lambs Ears. The Lambs Ears looked so great last year, actually bloomed for a change, but this year they have barely grown at all. Too much shade due to everything around it growing so big.  Maybe that wasn't the wisest spot to plant a new ligularia.

New triangular stone bed

After that I cleaned up my new triangular flower bed. One of my tall yellow rocket mix snapdragons had been snapped all right! It had been flowering and full of more buds unfortunately. Had to do a bit of weeding there, too.

I clipped off what was left of the old peony blossoms which is necessary so the plant puts its energy into producing next years buds instead of into making seeds.  My other peonies in my wild bed are growing, but not doing great in the flower department. The daisies have taken over around them, blocking the light and stealing the nutrients.  Only 3 buds are ready to bloom back there, but I look forward to that nevertheless since they are a beautiful dark rose color...  Just like the anticipation of waiting to open your presents under the tree at Christmas! :)

General Sikorska clematis blossom