This is their second or third spring. Some have returned to bloom better than others. Like the ones on the left side of the walkway are doing great and many of the ones on the right side of the walkway are skinny, spindly foliage with no blooms. Both sides of the walkway get the same kind of tending. Gardening is just a crap shoot so much of the time.
At the end of each day I head home to gardens that get much less tending, often to my dismay. The little Iris cristata don't seem to mind. They are blooming quite well along both sides of all kinds of paths.
Out near the back forty a camassia blooms in the most recent annex to the gardens. There are signs I have slowed Bulbarella's expansion efforts. She has gotten quite enthused about infill in the places where I have been killing off the Silver Lamium, Lamium maculatum, that was taking over the entire mountain top. What had been nothing but lamium before was now bare ground that needed filling.
I turned a corner on the path and there she was. The Yellow Lady Slipper orchid was in bloom. This was a gift from a client. She said take it. I never see it where it is. It needs a better home. Three springs later it has a new third stem and the first bloom.
I think the Lady has settled in. Now if it will just get as big and prolific as the one I saw at the native plant garden in Lake Junaluska.
There are advantages to a less tended garden. The Lady is still a bit on the wild side and might not take to too much tending.
I got a little closer still to the blood red azalea. Just this part of it was distorting the camera lens.
The big rhododendrons don't have the same effect. They are just beginning to open and should be at peak by next Sunday.
There are still quite a number of the deciduous azaleas left to bloom. They have a much more extended range of bloom times while the rhododendrons are more in synch.
It is looking like it will be a good bloom year for the rhododendron. Some years they don't set as many buds. Gardening is just a crap shoot so much of the time.
It is also looking to be a banner year for the bearded iris. Next Sunday the wild cultivated gardens should look spectacular ...... Now if I can just get some more weeds pulled before then.
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6 comments:
I have such mixed luck with the Dutch Iris-just like you-still, when they are happy-thy are so lovely :-)
I can't keep my blue Dutch iris down. They love to multiply, and just finished for the season. That last rhododendron is a winner!
Ray
Love that red azalea. My Lorelei are still blooming. It sure is pretty. Your mtn top.
This spring has been spectacular here. We have had so much rain and cooler than normal weather. All the plants have been coming into bloom slowly and lingering. A nice lingering spring is most appreciated. I don't mind that big red azalea. It is screaming SPRING. The lady certainly looks settled in to her niche. I hope she prospers.
I was just thinking that it was about a year ago that we were all in Asheville for the fling... and oh my, wouldn't we see the flowers on your mountain top if we had gone This Year!
Love the Lady Sliper.
Scott where I have seen the Dutch iris doing really well seems to be full baking sun and some what crappy dry soils.
Swimray that yellow rhododendron isn't to common that I know of. There are three here.
Lola we are still waiting on Lorelei. They are stuff full of buds though so bloom will be quite the show.
Lisa this spring has been fab except for the poor showing of the daffodils.
Carol this year would have been much better for the Flingers. Much Better! One lucky blogger who had to leave on Saturday due to an family emergency and did not get to my place is coming to visit next Sunday. She will see what you should have.
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