Summer Bliss

I don't know about you, but one way for me to unwind after a long day at work is to walk around my garden beds every afternoon ... yes, you heard it right, every single afternoon! ha ha My plants are beginning to show their beauty, so I took pictures of some of 'em that are in bloom.
I am sharing nature's beauty with all my blogger friends
... want to come and walk with me? ;)
All images can be enlarged.

Oriental Poppy - delicate and absolutely beautiful! Some of my poppies, the old-fashioned ones, multiply every year; they re-seed, require little care, but sadly they have a short blooming season. I have 3-4 other varieties but they are not blooming as yet except these.


... another poppy variety, a flaming beauty, don't you think? Oriental poppies do not like their roots being disturbed, so be sure to keep the root ball intact when transplanting.


Iris - looks so exotic and elegant! Irises provide so much joy and beauty for so little effort! I also use the leaves in floral arrangements for dramatic effects. This pic was taken in late spring.


Iris - I love its soft, pastel color. As in my previous post, Irises are available in myriad colors!


Nora Barlow Columbine - double blooms, excellent cut flowers! I adore this variety!


Columbine - another variety.


... and more columbine! he he he


Campanula or Canterbury Bell? - vivid blue bells. I also have the old-fashioned kind but they came and went before I was able to take pictures. ;)


Daylily - a beauty for a day! lol They are called that because each flower is only good for a day. Each stem, though, has several buds which will bloom one after another all through the summer. I love the fringed petals of this one. Hardy, and can withstand drought conditions. They are low maintenance beauties! You can't beat that! ha ha


Wild sweet pea - a real charmer and a favorite in aromatic garden! I like them because each bloom resembles a butterfly. You have to watch them though because they can be invasive. They multiply so fast even if you don't have a green thumb. ;)


Dahlia - there are so many varieties available today. They look as gorgeous in bouquets as they do in garden beds. I love them because the more you cut the flowers, the more they reward you with more blooms. And they bloom from early summer to late fall. Most of my dahlias are not ready to be shown yet.


Dahlia - I haven't tried this yet, but I read somewhere that if you dip the stem ends in boiling water for a second, it will make the blossom last longer in a floral arrangement. huh? ;)


Foxglove - I don't remember planting this one, a "gift" from the birdies, perhaps? ;)
Hummingbirds can't resist them.


And I'm sure you've heard a lot about my peonies. lol What I love about them is that the flowers provide a long-lasting and spectacular display from early to late summer.



There you have it my friends! Hope you enjoyed the walk and ... hope I inspired you to do some gardening too! lol

HAVE A SAFE AND HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY EVERYBODEEEEEE!!!