Garden Blogger's Bloom Day on this beautiful autumnal day if full of flowers, but night time temperatures, 45 degrees at 6 am, remind us that autumn can be a very short season. The flower bed above was created after all the perennials, and my beautiful weeping cherry drowned in the rains and garden flooding last fall, and  in the spring. These annuals were just a stopgap while I rethought the space, but I have loved looking at all…

On this Garden Blogger's Bloom Day I went out into the garden in the mist to take my photos. These asters just started blooming on the 'hellstrip.'  A few other plants are  blooming like the coneflower and a pink phlox. The Firelight hydrangea (one of three hydrangeas) is getting pinker every day. Blooming flowers around her include a helenium, Grandpa Ott's morning glory, a delphinium and a pink  honeysuckle. A lot is still going on in the garden.…

It's been quite a year in the garden here in western Massachusetts. A long wet spring has led to a hot dry summer. I dug out our sprinkler and put it to  use. The butterflies and bees have been visiting the cardinal plants which made me happyl The Aesclepius is  right next to the cardinal flowers and they are very  good friends. The daylilies are nearly done in this bed but the rudbeckia and phlox will get us…

I DON'T KNOW WHY THIS DIDN'T GET POSTED ON THE 15th - BUT I'M HERE NOW. The climate is much on my mind as I celebrate Garden Blogger's Bloom Day here in western Massachusetts. Last summer was very wet, and the wet continued this spring. I lost many plants and I am in the process of re-designing (and I use the term loosely) and replanting. The last three weeks have been very hot (high 80's and 90) and…

After long wet and cold months we may finally celebrate the arrival of official spring on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day here in Greenfield, Massachusetts. All of a sudden the budded roses burst into bloom, and before the weekend is over I think even more roses will be blooming. Paprika is  one of the two low growing landscape roses in the garden. Peach Drift is the other. Both were eager to welcome the spring. Siberian irises are blooming here…

I am celebrating Garden Blogger's Bloom Day with special pleasure because the blooms have been reluctant to open because of rain, floods and the cold.  Above is Dicentra eximia or fringed leaf bleeding heart. This grows against the house foundation right by the side door and is one of the first to bloom. I am  sure this is because the foundation on the south side of the house creates a heat sink.  It is very cheering this cold…

Bloom Day! The purple, and gold crocus I planted last year have bloomed!  The gold crocus is just about done, and the purple crocus no longer seem to be attracting the honey bees. I think the bees drank them both dry. This photo has a second purpose - besides showing off the blooms - I wanted a record of where they were coming up so I could plant more this fall. I love scillas - in large swaths.…

On this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day here in western Massachusetts I am ready to celebrate annuals - and others - who have survived the rains of this summer. Look at this sunny nasturtium - a volunteer from last year who swam happily this year through the summer. are always stalwart and shining.  The bees love them and are grateful for their long season. There are a couple of other other potted (nameless) annuals that also keep us cheerful.…

I missed Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in September because we were out of town for a few days. So now I am posting an early view of my garden - or perhaps I am just later. Either way, there was and is, still  color as long as my 'Alma Potchke' aster is in bloom. No frost yet. Boltonia is a wonderful perennial blooming lushly and late in the season. Usually it doesn't need propping, but with all the…

On this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the big event is water and more water. Just to give you the full force you  can see  how deep the water is right in front of the garden shed at the back of the garden. This is the worst spot, and it is the beginning of the lake the garden has become. One of my hose guard wine bottles in ready to float away. Meadow rue has such tiny delicate flowers…