A heck of a lot of crazy in my garden!

Asiatic Lily, yellow Missouri Primrose, and a whole lotta purple–Foxglove, Bachelor’s Button, Little Spire Russian Sage, Lychnis, and Nigella–are in bloom.

I “acquired” the primrose and foxglove in the middle of the night from the garden of a nearby monastery that was to be torn down. Foxglove is also called witch’s gloves and dead man’s bells because of its high toxicity from root to flower. Never bring it in the house if you have pets!

The rest of the plants were either transplanted from my mother’s garden or bartered with other gardeners–my favorite ways to get them!

Wine and evening cuttings of Sweet Mock Orange

Zéphirine!

Cut these beautiful stems during a break in Baltimore’s torrential rain. Zéphirine Drouhin roses are fabulous because they are climbing Bourbon roses, which means that their blooming season runs from late spring into fall. What makes this hot pink climbing rose great is that it is amazingly fragrant, thornless, highly disease resistant, and grows well in full sun to partial shade. I’ve been able to cut enough stems for seven huge vases, with plenty of blooms to spare.

Spectacular!

Cut four vases of white lilacs from my garden this evening before heavy rains come in. Last spring I had six lilacs total. This year an embarrassment of riches.

Lilacs a gogo!

Lilacs from my garden are popping up everywhere. Thanks, @easyascake and Gray Antiques and Interiors! Enjoy cocktails!

Finally, Spring!

Some gorgeous blooms just arrived as a surprise from a lovely neighbor’s garden.

Shilshole Bay

March 2018, Discovery Park, Seattle

Flirtatiou

Nothing like colors inspired by nature! I’m choosing a paint color for my dining room using a vase of yellow tulips as inspiration.

According to The Voice of Color Room Painter, the color match is “Flirtatiou” (PPG1212-7). Upload a photo to the site, and they’ll match it for you.

The Old South

For me, Spanish Moss hanging from trees conjures images of the Old South, with all its stereotypes. It brings to mind a time when one race was enslaved, when black families were torn apart, and when many black people lived in fear.

Now our country faces a reckoning in the fight against racism. The battle seems overwhelming, and I look for any hope that people can live in harmony. And it is Spanish Moss, ironically, that provided a great metaphor for hope this week!

Photos taken in Sarasota of Spanish Moss and a Bottlebrush Tree. Spanish Moss most commonly lives in Southern Live Oaks and Bald Cypress.

Turns out that Spanish Moss and the trees on which it grows have a symbiotic relationship. How do they mutually benefit?

Trees such as Bottlebrushes provide a place for moss to hang, allowing it to absorb water from morning condensation and rain. Because Spanish Moss is a bromeliad, it doesn’t send roots into the tree or rely upon its nutrients.

Spanish Moss, in turn, provides shade for branches, protecting them from the hot southern sun. Moss also provides nesting material for birds that eat and disperse seeds of the Bottlebrush.

Can we think of Spanish Moss and Bottlebrush as a metaphor for beings that can live in accord? I think we can!

I’d be a rich woman!

I’m in such need of spring blossoms that I popped into the shop of a local grower today. She had gorgeous blooms. And as I gathered a loose bunch, a bucket of Hellebores caught my eye. Don’t mind saying that I thought three dollars a stem for Hellebores was a little pricey. Just then I remembered that Lenten Roses grow in my own gardens, and I bee lined home to cut some.

Fragrant Hellebore with ‘ Blue Lady ‘ Hellebore thrown in for good measure.

You are looking at an informal arrangement of various Hellebore varieties from my garden. At the going rate of three dollars a stem, this baby would set you back $51.00, and I’d be on my way to being a rich woman!