Critter Farm Spring Garden Report #1: Flowers

Warmer weather has returned to Oregon! We had an unbelievably hot and beautiful weekend that lured us all outside to bask and delight in the sun. It's been good for the spirit, good for my smile, and GREAT for the garden!! It is amazing to me how different a garden can look in the sunshine. Have you noticed this? I could hardly take two steps without wanting to stop and take a picture of something that caught my eye. So, do you want to see what's growing and blooming in my garden right now?

Ok! But first....
Let me take you back to December 20, 2008:

And here's Sunday, May 17, 2009. What a difference five months can make:

Spring is, without a doubt, my favorite season now.

Lilacs. I love lilacs more with each passing year. This white one has a scent that is delicate but potent and the blooms are quite different than my other two varieties. These blooms seem much more compact and sturdy:

This guy, though, is putting on quite a show this year, too. The dark purple color is stunning:

This light purple little one is still quite young and is trying awfully hard to keep up with the older, bigger kids in the background:

I decided to turn my former half-wine-barrel-turned-fish-pond into a planter this year. I added a few climbing sweet pea plants and a trellis:

I'm hoping for some incredibly striking blooms and a delightfully spicy scent from this heirloom variety some time in the near future:

If all goes well, I won't forget to water my pretty new barrel planter. This is the second sweat pea variety I planted in my barrel:

The Columbine seems significantly taller than last year:

My shade-loving hostas are growing well despite the direct sunshine that this time of year can bring to this section of the garden:

I've noticed that this bed needs some of my attention. It is filled with a variety of lovely shrubs and bulbs, but things have become quite overgrown and messy looking. Who mixes chives with blueberries and bluebells anyway?:

The peony bush is about to burst into bloom. Giant, gawdy pink blooms will upstage everything else in the garden in a week or so:

The Foxtail Lily's blooms are developing nicely:

Perennial Cornflower, Centaurea Montana:

The Snow in Summer is very happily cascading over the rock wall:

My Clematis loves the country life, it would appear. I've had it in this pot for about five years now and this is the first year it's grown so tall. It's over eight feet tall at this point:

Next up: A tour of the veggies and herbs I've got growing. Or maybe I'll show the fruit first. I just don't know yet. It'll be a surprise, ok?


December 21, 2008:

Bye, bye winter, you JERK.