An Abundance Of Summer Flowers

Two of the four Daylilies I planted last year: Chicago Arnie's Choice on the left and Pink Charm on the right:

And my multicolored Yarrow:

From what I've seen, I've come to believe that the various colors of cultivated Yarrow are grown together and they cross pollinate. That strategy seems to lead to a fascinating array of colors and patterns:

Remember the hardy baby climbing rose I planted beneath the frame which used to hold the farm sign? It is a variety called Darlow's Enigma and has begun to bloom, apparently happy in its new home:

When all the Asiatic Lilies stopped blooming for the year, these two mystery lilies appeared. I don't know what kind they are, but apparently not Asiatic Lilies. They were pretty but didn't last long:

Another of last year's Daylilies, this one called the Frans Hals:

The Rugosa roses have been blooming all summer long, pushing through the fence and filling the air by my back door with their perfume:

And the pale pink hardy rose I planted last year, called Morden Blush, is blooming heavily:

It's relative and neighbor, the Morden Sunrise, is almost as floriferous and twice as colorful:

The newly planted baby rose, called Sevillana, has so many flowers that I worry it won't have enough energy for roots and leaves. The pink and white rose just below it is called Watercolors Home Run:

The Sunflowers have outdone themselves, some of them now over eight feet tall and blooming rather heavily, though the flowers don't show much in this picture. It has certainly been a summer of flowers this year!

It's Flower And Pigeon Season

The white fantail pigeons are having a good summer:

They are looking healthy and acting energetic:

And they've been making nests. Baby pictures should appear in blog posts soon:

The Morden Blush rose was planted last year and is blooming prolifically this year:

The Morden Sunrise started blooming later than its relative, but these flowers are showstoppers:

Both Morden roses are planted next to each other, so they make a striking display:

After dragging the cedar and apple trees into the woods, I went out and bought a clevis for any future towing jobs I may have:

Finally, the Mandarin Honeysuckle formed buds and I was anxious to see the flowers:

When they opened, I was pleased. My mother used to have a honeysuckle bush although I don't think it was the same type. Nonetheless, having this plant brings back memories:

The Ninebark bush dropped all its white flowers, but the remaining bracts were bright red and, I think, prettier than the flowers:

One might easily mistake these for flowers, but they're not:

One of the new baby roses, the Watercolors Home Run, has been blooming regularly already:

Notes From Here And There

The pigeon parents with the cubbyhole nest raised a healthy baby:

The baby did so well that one day I found it on the floor, attempting to begin its adult life. It was, however, being bullied:

I put it back in the nest, but it jumped right back out again. It's doing fine, though, and already indistinguishable from the adult pigeons:

Another pair picked an awful place to nest, crowded under a beam and full of poop:

But so far they've been excellent parents and their two babies are growing rapidly:

Both parents take turns keeping the babies warm and feeding them:

The little hens would like to get outside, but I can't let them because the foxes would eat the hens and the hens would eat my seedlings:

I get a few green and pink eggs each evening:

A friend from choir is an artist and, after visiting the farm, painted this for me to hang on my wall:

The Mock Orange finished its blooming season and began dropping petals so fast that it looked like it had been snowing:

Apparently this bi-colored Iris was the last Iris of the season:

The Morden Sunrise rose began to bloom:

Fabulous Flowers

I cut back the Rugosa roses almost to the ground this spring, and my efforts began to be rewarded with this, the first Rugosa blossom of the year:

The Ninebark buds began to open:

And the giant Iris, which I planted two years ago, blossomed. This was a bi-colored flower, and the small, yellow one behind it is the old fashioned type which came with the farm:

A giant purple Iris, so heavy the stem fell over:

And a giant pink Iris:

And my old fashioned white Peonies started blooming abundantly:

They are having their best year ever:

 The old fashioned rose which I rescued got cut down to the ground this spring and hasn't bloomed yet this year, but its offspring, started by putting a cutting in the ground with a bottle over it, is blooming nicely:

A close-up:

One of the two Morden roses I planted last year is already putting on a show. This is the Morden Blush variety. The other variety is budding, so should bloom soon:

The Mock Orange bush burst into bloom:

I collected some of the flowers in a vase and took them to church. Alas, I learned that Oriental Poppies wilt quickly when cut. Besides the Poppy, I included Peonies, three varieties of Iris, Mock Orange and Ninebark:

Dreams Of Springtime - Part 2

Yesterday I presented my excessive plans for planting seeds this spring, but I've also got roots and plants to put in the ground when it finally warms up. I have six Asiatic Lilies, mixed colors:

Four Day Lilies, Always Afternoon variety:

Four Day Lilies, Daring Dilemma variety:

Four Day Lilies, Eleanor Apps variety:

Six Day Lilies, Frosted Vintage Ruffles variety:

Six Delphiniums, mixed colors:

Four Echinacea, Purpurea variety:

Two Peonies, Coral Sunset variety:

Hardy rose, Carefree Delight:

Super hardy rose, Morden Snowbeauty:

Hardy rose, Watercolors Home Run:

Six Yarrow, mixed colors: