Wednesday Wandering

The new tulips planted last Autumn have not disappointed.  The bulbs were a gift from hubby. For most of our lives together, for one reason or another, we never had much money to give each other gifts on holidays or anniversaries but every once in awhile we found a little money for a surprise gift for no reason. That practice has continued for most of our 48 years together (soon to be 49 years). 

I think the one above is a peony flowered tulip. I can see why! I just love that color! 

Not sure what kind of tulip this one is. It had clusters of flowers. 

This one has black centers and reminds me of poppies. I love the ruffles. 

Oh joy!

The Bleeding Heart has been covered in blooms this year. I meant to take some starts off of this earlier but never got around to it. I'll have to look up if I still can do it. 

I've always called this Bleeding Heart but...

...in an episode of Gardener's World it was also referred to as Lady In The Bath if you look at it this way. Funny! 

I might have missed these Shooting Stars if I didn't know where to look for them. I planted them last year after starting them from seed. I hope they naturalize. 

Most of the lilacs are blooming. I really need to prune the bushes because the flowers are higher up on some of the older bushes. This variegated one used to have dark purple flowers outlined in white. It was hit by lightning and split and started dying. I took a cutting and now I have this one blooming but the flowers are lighter in color. The air is lilac scented and a slight breeze is enough to blow the aroma through the house. 

The Allium is blooming. They are not as big as usual and I don't seem to have as many as usual. I was browsing through a bulb catalog and was amazed by how many different types of allium exist. 

I started Siberian Wallflowers from seed last year and they are back again this year. 

Rabbit or deer ate them down earlier in the year but they came back with a vengeance. 

Aren't they cute? They add a nice dash of color along the pathway in the cottage garden. 

The Lilies of the Valley outside the back door are starting to bloom and they also fill the air with their scent. My father-in-law told me years ago that it was his favorite flower so every time I see them in bloom I think of him. 

The Camassia (Wild Hyacinth or Indian Hyacinth) is starting to bloom. I have a couple of different varieties. Evidently Camassia was a food source for indigenous people and the roasted bulb tastes like a sweet potato. I'm not going to to give that a try unless there is an adult food shortage. It is in the asparagus family. 

The Aquilegia (Columbine or Granny Bonnets) is starting to bloom. I have several different varieties and colors. I fell in love with these many years ago and have grown most of the ones I have from seed. 

The Tree Peonies are in bloom. There are three different types of peonies - herbaceous, tree and intersectional. 

The tree peonies bloom on old wood and last year the deer ate most of the old wood so it was the first time in a long time I had no blooms. I'm thankful I have blooms this year. 

It won't be long before the herbaceous Peonies are in bloom. 

I love my gardens. They are my reason to get up out of bed every day. I can't wait to see what is new each day.  And so it grows...