Snail Spirals

Not a fibery post today, but a flowery one. My yard is so pretty right now, I had to share what's blooming.

First, there's the shrub rose. This was a pretty scrawny trailing bunch of sticks when we moved into the house. It was probably planted the summer before we moved in. Now, two years later, it's about four feet tall and three feet across. Lovely and full and absolutely covered with buds. It's a multifloral type, and each branch ends with a big spray of about 15 or so 3" flowers rather than a single larger flower. I'll have to make sure and get a picture when the big sprays of flowers start opening.



Next is the lavender. Only two species blooming so far, the Lavandula dentata 'Goodwin Creek Gray':



and a Lavandula stoechas cultivar that I don't know the name of, but which is pretty just the same. This was the earliest blooming lavender in the garden.



In bud and yet to bloom are "Munstead," "Jean Davis," "Walvera," and "Grosso" varieties of lavender. I've enjoyed the lavender so much that I started a little lavender nursery so I can take plants with me when we move to La Grande. Not all of these are for me- I'll just take one plant of each variety. A friend said she wished she had a couple lavender plants so I started some for her as well, for a surprise gift.



The fuchsia pots that I planted last year made it through the winter (though they did go dormant and lose all their leaves) and have greened up nicely this spring. The first flower bud just started opening on Monday.



I planted these myself last year, because I didn't want to spend $56 on two baskets of fuchsias. Since they overwintered, that means I am getting $112 worth of fuchsia baskets for $15! This makes me feel perhaps smugger than is strictly necessary.

I planted two new hanging pots this year, again for a total of $15, with Bacopa in them. These started out with three 1" starts in them. That was six weeks ago.



Bacopa grows fast! This plant is nice because it doesn't need to be deadheaded, it just keeps blooming and blooming and blooming....

Next is the Geum borisii that's in the backyard. Nice little mounding plant, with flower stems that get about a foot tall. These have also been blooming for at least six weeks. They'll make a lovely punch of color next to the "Grosso" lavender when it comes into bloom in a week or so. Beautiful clear orange.



I also have some volunteer sunflowers that came up under the bird feeders this year. Thanks birdies! Not blooming yet, but growing like crazy. There are also some feathery-looking plants on the right and in front, that I'm letting grow. I'm not sure what it is- it looks sort of like a cosmos plant, but I wouldn't think cosmos would be in a birdseed mix. It'll be a surprise.



Lastly, Emma and I had a harvest day yesterday. We got some lavender and mint ready to dry. This is "Goodwin Creek Gray" lavender, not quite as fragrant as the "Grosso" but still very nice in tea or a lemon cake.