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Saturday, May 08, 2010

How nice to see you!

Today Old Country Gardens was officially open for business. The weather was a bit challenging, morning spits of showers, late afternoon was gale like winds but hey, nothing stops gardeners!

It was so nice to see so many long time gardening friends. Today was "men's day", it seems like the guys were out and they were shopping for Hosta and Daylilies!

Vinnie drove over in a truck that makes my heart go pitter patter and loaded the bed up with daylilies... what a guy!

Visitors had to take a whiff of the honeysuckle and just missing at the right corner was a huge lilac bush in full bloom. Wish I had smell-o-vision here for all of you.

I only had a minute to sit but had to sit in that swing and look up at the sky, wasn't it beautiful!

The Vibernum plicatum that I received years ago from my friend Kim has grown to the size of a small tree. It was just a cutting she had layered in her garden and fit easily into my SUV back then.

Some winters the Lysimachia 'Jenny' doesn't return but this year it seems to have loved all the snow cover we had. This photo was actually taken in Kim's garden the other day but mine looks just as nice and across the street my friend Cynthia has a wealth of this lovely plant too.

Right now I'm physically exhausted, this is the first time this season that I spent all day outside. Luckily everybody helps me, Mom does just about everything. One of the men who came to shop dug his own Hostas out of the ground.

The good news? Yes, it was benign and despite some setbacks being in the garden and seeing all my friends again is the best therapy of all.



Tuesday, May 04, 2010

The Mystery Plant

Last weekend while in Chicago I came upon a mystery plant. Now I do have to admit that I don't grow every perennial out there but in most cases I can identify the ones I see while on tour.

This plant intrigued me, needless to say I'd love to try a piece someday.

The flowers remind me a little of Columbines.


The foliage underneath the blooms though doesn't resemble Columbine foliage at all.

There are mass plantings of this lovely plant at Millenium Park in Chicago. I'm guessing that it's a perennial since it was surrounded by other perennials. In this one area it was mixed with Stachys monnieri.

Anybody have any idea what this is?