The Backyard: 5/20/2016

I'm back with photos from out back.  It has been cold and wet again, so I haven't been out in the dirt as much.  It's hard to get motivated when you have to bundle up first.

I'll start with the Lady's Mantle.

Can I just say, this right here is EXACTLY why I love this plant.

It is THE best rain drop holder in the land.

The heavy rains beat several things down, and I never got out to get pictures of the rhody before it was past its prime.

It's kinda sad, because this is probably its last year.

It has been slowly dying over the last couple years, and I recently planted an Elderberry at the base of it.

Once that gets goin' good, the rhody will probably get whacked.

So sad.

It was just a tiny baby, and one of the only plants in the backyard, when I first bought the house.

The Autumn Fern over there is finally leafing out good.

The big hardy Fuchsia is just to the left of the rhody.

I've had it for fifteen years now.

Some years it dies all the way back, but others, like this last winter, it's mild enough, so the sucker starts out big and just keeps on goin'.

Speaking of overwintering, check out the Brugmansia.

He spent the winter in the garage.

Graptoveria Debbie spent her winter in the house.

Another Lewisia has just started blooming.

Fence pot.

My Mother's Day pot from my mom.

The potted Eucalyptus that I bought as a teeny tiny baby last year.

A new Salvia.

The tag said 'Orchid Glow', I beg to differ.

One of many Coleus poked in.

I finally bought a Clematis for the base of the Palm.

This one is 'Duchess of Edinburgh'.

Not the most exciting one I could have gone with, but it was big already, and only ten bucks.

It'll be pretty next year when it's covered in flowers, I think.

My poor birdbath planter over there is pretty much buried.

It's hidden unless you're on the path.

I think it'll be okay, though, once the Peony needs to be whacked back.

The sweet little pink rose, here when I bought the house, is just starting to bloom.

I noticed the nasty fly on one of the buds when I was going through the pictures.

Ick.

Another one that I missed taking pictures of in its prime because of the rain...this rose was also here when I bought the house.

At least this one will bloom again.

Keeping with the theme, my mom calls this Grandma's Rose, because it came from my grandma's yard, of course.

She started a piece of it for me last year, so it's only about eight inches tall right now.

BUT, looky, looky.

So stinkin' sweet.

For the last of the rose sharing, here's the spectacular tree rose.

My 'Oshikiri' Clematis is blooming on that same side.

Love, love, love.

Opposite the tree rose is a Mock Orange that my mom also started for me from her yard.

A lavender Phlox is blooming at the base of it.  I think this one came from my grandma's yard.  I have two lavender, one from my grandma's yard, and another from an ex-boyfriend's grandma's yard.   I never remember which is which.

There's a bigger chunk of the same Phlox in the back bed.

I suppose it's plants like this that contribute to people affectionately dubbing my yard as a "grandma garden."  

I do love them.

Another one I love is the Jacob's Ladder, which I shared last week, but it's just so dang pretty right now.

In my deck rearranging frenzy, I ended up moving the big potting bench, that The Dad made me years ago, over to where the kid toy storage bench was.

It's on the far south side of the yard, behind the big tree.

As of now, it has several of my indoor plants on it.

A new Tuberous Begonia is on the bottom shelf.

And last, a plant that I'm loving, but have no idea what it is.

Ha!

Grace shared a piece of it with me last year, so if no one else recognizes it, hopefully she'll chime in.

And there ya go, the latest out back for the week.