Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day- August 2011

I work a desk job.
By nature, I'm an outside kind of girl, so there are times of the year when it's really tough to be in the office.

One of my coping strategies is to bring a vase in every Monday morning with what was blooming out in the yard.  It's a nice little reminder of what I'm working for.
Sometimes my vase is kinda skimpy, but not so in August!

Rather than go around the yard and photograph every bloom, I thought I'd do a little "one stop shopping" and present to you my entire yard of star performers, all in one vase.

Here's the roll call for today's desktop bouquet:
• Dahlias
• Monarda
• Butterfly Bush
• Yarrow
• Nasturtium
• Chocolate Cosmos
• Nicotiana
• Rudbekia
• Shastas
• Sweet Peas (eat your heart out, Midwest...our crummy summer = the sweet peas are still kicking!)
• Echinacea
• Salpiglossis
• Potentilla
• Lavendar

Be sure to check out what's blooming in other folks' yards over at May Dreams Gardens!


Yours truly-
Tigerlily

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day July 2011

There's so much going on outside!

July is one of those months outside that requires little talk-- just a whole lot of looking & enjoying.
With that in mind, I'll keep my commentary to a minimum and just let you see what's out there.

Here are a few snapshots of what's around the yard for this month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day

The deckpots are postively BURSTING!

This daylily, Vi's Apricot, is one of my most cherished plants, as it's a passalong that I brought home in by suitcase from Annie in Austin (also known as my mom).

The first dahlia of the year!

 And what will August bring?  More dahlias!

Yours truly-

Tigerlily

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May 2011

I owe the garden blogging community a couple of apologies. 

First, I was tardy.  Garden Bloggers Bloom Day was yesterday.  I hate being late.  It's tough, though, when the 15th falls on a weekend, since since the last place you'll find me on a Saturday or Sunday is on my computer.  

I  know, excuses, excuses.

Second, I need to apologize for the lack of diversity my post.  You see, I suffer from an incurable affliction that I succumb to once a year.  It is known as Lilac Blindness.  It's the result of being born & raised in Lombard, Illinois, which, in case you didn't know, is The Lilac Capital of the World.

Yeah, yeah, there's other stuff blooming in the garden right now, but none of that matters.

The lilacs are blooming.

You can take the girl out of Lombard, but you can't take the Lombard out of the girl.

Yours truly-
Tigerlily

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day: April 2011

Today marks the day that I'm one step closer to becoming my mom-- I'm officially joining the ranks as a Garden Blogger with my inaugural Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post for April 2011!

Seattle has been stuck in a pattern of below-normal temps and above-normal rain, so a lot of what's in the garden this April feels behind.

April, so far, feels like the month of Almost.

The leaves of the Japanese Maples have almost opened.

The lilac, who at this time last year was gracing me with sweet bouquets, still has its buds closed tight.

The non-fruiting Kwanzan Cherry is almost there, too.

I just love the way they they look at this stage, when they open out and drop the buds like little pendulums.

The tart cherry tree (variety "CWTH", a.k.a. "came with the house") is also almost there, but definitely behind schedule.  I wonder if this year I'll have pie by the 4th of July?

 

Luckily, the tulips always look great even when they're in the beginning stages.  

This was after the hail storm that we got earlier this week.

All our tulips were brought over from our old rental house in February of 2007.

This one has such nice coloring! 

The evergreen Clematis has had a rough winter, but it's hanging in there, giving us a few more spring blooms that the hummingbirds appreciate.

The Magnolia tree never looks amazing, but the sooner it blooms & leafs out, the sooner we aren't able to see through to the old man's house across the street, where he's undoubtedly standing on his front porch in his underwear & robe.

The white scilla are starting now, too.  They're small, and require kneeling on the ground to get a really good look at them, but it's worth it!

Just when I thought I was through touring the yard, I found this happy sentinel of the Northwest spring tucked in the corner of the house.  These blue scilla are everywhere.

I don't think there's a house in Seattle that doesn't have at least a few!

Yours truly-
Tigerlily