Thursday, May 26th, 2011

The garden loves this weather.  I gaze at it through the windows that this morning were streaming with rain and see the alium, a lovely glistening purple globe, and the tree peony with its beautiful blooms that only last for a short time, but the common peony is all budded up, and the true scarlet flowers on the Oriental Peony linger on.

I go out to admire them, but once I am bent over my eye sees only the recalcitrant coutch grass and I go  immediately into eradication mode!  Such a saucy grass - when I figure a plant is finally in a neat and beautiful mound up pops the Coutch grass, waving at me from across the pathway, all but thumbing its nose at me.....

The new little Bridal shrub we bought last year is coming to the end of its blooming period, - still small and lovely.  The hawthorn tree, on the other hand, had taken off and is reaching for the sky with its pale pink blooms.

Of course those beautiful but invasive buttercups that arrived with the Oriental Peony fill in all the blank spots in the garden and provide a rug to lay at the feet of the taller plants.

I stop to admire the first of the columbine, and the lovely new white tulip alongside the trailer/cum loom room.

As well as the lone bloom on the little lilac bush that loiters in between the curly willow and the sumac trees.

It quite evidently needs a new home where it can grow like all the rest of the lilacs in the valley.

It is veritably awash in pale mauves, double french and dark royal purples.

It is time to tidy up The Lady Fountain, - give her a sprng scrubbing and start the fountain flowing.

Things are late, - but as lovely as ever.