Sunday's blooms

This week's pictoral update of what's blooming.

 

Tulips

Until I saw this picture, I had never noticed that these tulips had an orangish (sp?) edge to them.  Interesting...

More tulips.

Yes, I love red.  :)

I was taking this picture just for the sake that an old tulip bulb was blooming in the midst of my Annabelle Hydrangea.  When I downloaded the picture, I noticed I also had a visitor.  See the spider on the right?  You can even see his eyes looking at me.

 

Wolf River apple tree.  Lots of blooms this year!  I tried to get a picture of the two bumblebees that were visiting the blossoms without success.  They didn't stay on one flower long enough.  It was interesting to notice though that they were systematic in their moving from one bloom to another.  No willy nilly movement.  I thought that was also interesting.

 

Apple blossoms

The lilac hedge that lines the back of our property.  I love when they are in bloom! 

Baby pie cherries

The hostas aren't blooming, but I love them anyway.  Their foliage is like a bloom.  The variegated varieties are much slower coming up than the plain green ones. 

Veggie and flower progress

The veggie garden as of this past Sunday (Father's Day).  My husband strawed many of the beds for me.  :)

Baby tomatoes...Roma on the left and Viva Italia on the right.  It won't be long now...

Two of my raised beds of tomatoes on the left.  They seem to finally be growing.  This has been such an odd year for weather.  I have noticed that throughout the country, other garden bloggers are reporting the same conditions.  My okra is on the right.  They are bigger than they look in their bed of straw.  They really like the heat, and there just hasn't been a lot of that over a consistent period.  Today is overcast and in the 60's with highs in only the 60's and 70's for the rest of the week and lows in the 50's.  Great weather in my book, but not good for warm weather loving plants.

I am so proud of my yellow crookneck squash on the upper left.  This is seed from my aunt in Alabama again that I have had for a few years and wasn't sure if it would grow.  I am thrilled to see it sprout!  She says that it is the best yellow squash in her opinion.  I am so glad to have a start of another family heirloom.

Ah, the upper right picture.  This has to be the most pathetic stand of beets that I have ever seen.  The rabbits have been feasting on the leaves that are closest to the fence (the back of the picture).  I hope to harvest these soon and get a second crop in.

Lower left...my volunteer dill.  I love the feathery foliage.

Lower right...onions and a bit of my broccoli and peas.  The blue tubes were over the broccoli while they were still small to keep the rabbits from devouring them.

My broccoli and peas.  The peas are growing along with my carrots.

The wild black raspberry bush that I have been feasting on recently.

Also checked in on the red raspberries.  There are a few that are getting some size to them.  I was so happy to find that there was a red one.  Needless to say, I ate it right then and there.  Yum!

In keeping with my "old seed" theme this year, my hyacinth beans have sprouted.  My neighbor would be proud.  :)

I have torn out this wren nest so many times from the bluebird house.  One persistent Momma Wren.  Makes me always think of the book....

Peaches!  Growing nicely....

Hostas that I have growing around the trees on the north side of our yard in the front.  I have a flower bed in the backyard that is very shady.  I am thinking of converting it to a hosta bed.  I don't know why I haven't thought of that before.  That will have to be a next spring job.

On the left is a Glowing Embers hydrangea that has never seemed to look like a glowing ember to me.  It was supposed to be reddish in color.  I have always had pastel pink.  I don't think that this hydrangea is supposed to be influenced by the pH of the soil, but maybe??  My Oakleaf hydrangea is on the right.  It is looking very full this year.

My daylilies will be blooming soon.  Lots of buds.  They will likely need thinned out next year.  I really should think about having a plant sale.

On the right is one of my oriental lillies.  So beautiful!

Chameleon plant is on the left.  It can make a ground cover, but I never allow it that much room.  I really like when the leaves get tints of red to them.

My rouge Sweet Autumn Clematis is threatening to take over my suet feeder.  It hasn't hindered the birds from eating suet.

This is kind of a low key time for the flower gardens.  After such a burst of color in spring, everything just seems green now.  I plan to start more annuals from seed for some additional color next year.