How can you not love Graham Thomas for it's height.

There hasn't been much to post since it has done nothing but rain. One good day and seven days of rain. I feel like I need an ark. I'm heading out to the gardens today. I have few that have reverted to rootstock that I want to move. I'm sure Dr. Huey will give me a good battle too.

My iris bed has been replanted. I love the way it looks with Saliva goes with Social Climber and Dreamweaver goes with Honeysuckle and Honor.

Perfect Moment has bloomed and I love it. Having Perfect Moment, Fire & Ice/Cherry Parfait, and Love all in one corner backed up with Salvia and Liatris looks good to my eye.

The Stella's have popped along with my clematis and are putting on a show. Hopefully better pics later. LOL

A new group has formed at Yahoo for Gardening. It's called Toadlilies

Click to join toadlilies

I spent yesterday in the gardens. I have 13 of them, you'd think I would have more sense than that, but I don't. I did get a ton of stuff done. I was able to re-do all of my foundation plantings. I ripped out more Astilbe and Yarrow than I ever wanted too. I dug out three hostas and broke them up into nine different plants. I alternated a blue and green hostas along the foundation. They make a nice backdrop for the Azaleas and the rhododendrons.

I fought all day with the wood boring bees. I threw in the towel half way through the day and headed to the nursery to get the good stuff. I probably would normally ignore it but now I have to carry an Epi-Pen. I'm allergic to all bugs and just about everything outside. It's pretty funny most mornings as I load up on all the stuff to get out into my gardens.

Well, low and behold sitting on the bench at the nursery was Perfect Moment. You know it went home with me. It's sitting today happy in it's new home right by my sidewalk where my lagger , Diana Princess of Wales went. Diana went home with my SIL along with some other plants. I dug out some Lenten Roses. I've decided I don't care for them. They'll go in the back garden to take up space.

I weeded and sprayed for aphids. I found a few aphids on Social Climber so I hit all 57 bushes. That took awhile with my little two gallon sprayer. I fed the two rhododendrons since they have bloomed. The Azaleas will be soon.

I moved some Primrose, Liatris, and lilies around. I couldn't figure out what I wanted or where for that matter. I potted nine pots of Petunias for the rail baskets on the porch.

I noticed New Dawn has decided to use the Lilac tree as a trellis along with the trellis. I like it, I think I'll let it continue and see what happens. My climbing hydrangea is doing awesome this year.

So today I'll leave you with a pick of Heaven and Earth. It's one of my favorites.

Yesterday I hit one of my local garden centers. I was in search of Perfect Moment. Yes, I know I can mail order it but I like immediate satisfaction. I want to see it, touch it, feel it. More or less I have no patience. LOL Anyway, I walked in and said my usual hellos. I sought out the man in charge. I shot the three names off that I was looking for. He shook his head and said, "I don't recall the names so it's probably not out there." I frowned and told him I had to go to the other place to find them. Then I asked him, why he kept ordering the same ones every year. He told me he forgets what he ordered from the year before. He smiled and said, "In the fall when I order for the here. You're going to come in and help me place the order since you know my stock better than I do. Then I'll order up your three. If they'll give them to me as bare roots and they're all yours." I thought I was going to jump up and down in my spot. I love cultivating these relationships. It never hurts to ask. It didn't hurt that I walked out with a flat and half of Petunias either. I have to plant up my pots for the porch today.

Then someone walked up to me as I was cruising the Petunias and asked me how to stop them from getting leggy. I showed her how to pinch them back. She then told me I was great employee. I told her I didn't work there. LOL

Today I have to split out some plants. Because I'm a lazy gardener and I don't tag. I have a Liatris coming up next to (almost in) my delphi. That's not going to work. I'll have to move it. I'm still waiting for Princess of Wales to do something. It didn't help that I moved it but dang that thing is slow up here.

The Azaleas have popped. The roddy is done for now and is now sprouting new growth everywhere. The lilacs smell like heaven. I really miss the big tree instead of the stick that I have, but Mother Nature gets even with us once and a while.

I need to prune one rose that had cane borers and seal it up with some Elmer's white glue so they come back.

I need to seed, weed, and feed today. Let's hope the weather hold out.

There's nothing like a little Perfume Perfection to make your day!

I did buy one new rose this year. Bewitched an old time favorite. However, we had a hard freeze. I'm hoping I don't lose her. We'll see. I'm on the hunt for three new ones if I can find them. I really want Perfect Moment and Mother's Rose. I'm sure J&P has the market sewed up on the Mother's Rose since I can't find it anywhere. But I really want this rose, I might have to cave and order it from J & P. I'm looking for Southern Belle as well

May 10, 2009- It's Mother's Day- So why did I start this page. Simple, I have a ton of friends who love to garden. They ask questions and I answer them. They want to see pictures and I post them.

Basically, I'm doing it for myself. I forget what I have planted. I don't mark things. My husband weeds for me. Many times my flowers have been victims of his over zealous ambitions. But there is one thing he knows better than touch… My roses. I have over 57 different roses. I will water, weed, feed, fight black spot, and Japanese Beetles for my roses.

Nothing in my gardens are done on a regular schedule like it should be. All chores are usually done on the "Oh Shit Schedule." It's more or less based on the "Oh shit, I have black spot. Oh shit, the beetles are back. Oh, shit look at the weeds." LOL I practice shovel pruning. If I don't like it, it goes. It usually doesn't leave the yard it just gets moved to my nursery garden where all things go that I'm not happy with.

In addition to roses I have a ton of other plants. Mostly perennials and bulbs that dot our little acre. I have four clematises that I love dearly. Two of them were planted by my father and I have nursed them along since 1993. Peonies, Daffodils(or Jonquils to some), Giant Pacific Primroses, Hibiscus, Irises up the wazoo, hostas, and much much more.

I'm fortunate enough to have an apple tree, two pear trees, lilac trees, and a ton of hardwood trees. I have a roddy that kicks butt when in bloom but was damaged from a storm in 2007. A climbing Hydrangea is making its home on an arbor, albeit very slowly. I have lilies everywhere, I love them. I have fairy, oriental, and day.

But, my prize possessions are my roses and the sentimental plants I've planted with or for my parents. The roddy was a gift from us to my mother on Mother's Day. My father planted the Clematis many moons ago. The apple tree was DOA in a bag at a big box store and my mother nursed it along.

So what's blooming in my Garden so far this year? Well, I haven't whipped the camera out yet but I do have some old photos from the last few years. They can be found at the links below. My tulips, Cranapple Iris, Soapwart, Pacific Primrose, Roddy, Apple Tree, Azeleas, and Daffodils are all in bloom.

First up- The beauties from last year- Just Click on the Links-

Brigadoon- Shot 1
Love- Shot 1
Mardi Gras- Shot 1

I'm going to post newer pics as the season goes on. I do have some older shots posted at Web shots. The link takes you too them- Albums

Of course, since this is my first entry I have to post a pick of my all time favorited. Joseph's Coat