Party Clothes

Cornus kousa, 'Greensleeves' makes me sing "Put on your dancing shoes", because she's obviously dressed in her party clothes. After 3 years, she still takes my breath away with this display. Every year. There is nothing I don't love about this plant. She develops these gnarly looking fruit that the birds and rodents just love. They're also lovely to look at while they last, which is rarely long.

I'm thinking I should use this image on a pot. I've used Cornus florida, the native flowering dogwood, on bird feeders and other sculptural pieces, but the kousa has very distinctive bracts. A mug or a bowl, I think. Or maybe something non-functional.

 

 

 

The peonies are just starting to bloom, with this white one first to the finish line. This is another favorite. Her smell is divine. I have had so many people ask me about ants on the buds and flowers, but in all the years and places where I've grown peonies, I have never seen ants crawling on them. In Pennsylvania I had armloads of peonies. I had dug them up from a colleague's yard who hated the fact that he had to mow around them. Yes. This was another horticulture professor, but he had no patience for ornamentals. I figure they're just another kind of food, and I'm always good with food. 

This is the first year that my climbing hydrangea has bloomed. It's been establishing itself, and climbing for more than 3 years, so I'm glad to see it.

On the other side of the same arbor, this honeysuckle has started as well. This is a leftover from the previous owners, and I considered completely taking it out, since they can become weeds. I'm glad I didn't. The humming birds love it, and put on quite a show later in the season. It was a bold choice to put the hydrangea and the honey suckle on opposite sides of the same arbor, and I may come to regret that.

The Siberian Iris' are also starting up. I have mostly purples, but a few yellow ones as well. I also have a bed that I dug up last year because it was getting too crowded. I think every single transplanted crown lived, which was a huge surprise to me. It all looked pretty desolate last fall, and I wasn't sure any of it would "take". I shouldn't be so surprised when science and education works. . .

And the season of cut flowers has begun, along with rhubarb harvest, soon to be followed by kale. The Sweet 100 cherry tomatoes have their first little tomatoes, and a lot of blooms. Let the time of anticipation begin. . .