Garden Glory

Given that we are all meant to keep within a pretty tight radius, I have really appreciated my garden this year. Whether I've brought flowers indoors or I'm admiring them in their natural habitat (OK, a garden is a woman-made habitat, but you know what I mean). This post is on mom's behalf, as she hasn't been able to enjoy her garden as much this year, given the inability to go to a nursery and stock up.

The above is my favourite bush, a glorious azalea. Paddy has been in the dog house twice for breaking branches of it off. I can see this bush from my home office and I've been waiting all spring for it to bloom.

In the back of this pot is astilbe. I can't remember what's in front, I bought it just for the lovely coloured flowers.

In back is wiegela, in front a succulent native to Australia. I don't remember what it's called.

My lovely irises above. In the pot behind is something my friend Eddis calls wall flower. My plan is to remove it from the pot and let it reach the bushy size it wants to attain--I've seen it in other people's gardens and it gets quite large.

The bright pink flower is a native geranium--one of many common to gardens here. I'm hoding up a columbine, also known as granny's bonnet, because it's natural habit is downward-facing.

Here's a variety of columbine that, adorably, is upward-facing and double-petalled. Love it.

A trough of pansies with a bold purple flower that is visiting from next door. My trough isn't as hearty as I would like due to a certain four-legged creature. It's really a wonder I have gardens at all because Paddy loves to chase a ball, and he often knocks the ball into the border garden and then pounces on it.

Speak of the wee devil.

Above is a primula candelabra, a cousin to the lovely native primrose. Again amazing it has survived Paddy's sprinting about. Behind it to the right, barely visible, is another geranium variety with a small, dark, chocolatey red flower.

This is a relative of forget me not. I have lots of the traditional forget me nots scattered around the garden, providing clouds of sky blue among the greenery. I love this one for its colour and hardiness. I've split two other clumps like this one into five bits to create a border. This one will also be dissected to extend the border.

Here endeth the tour of the back garden. Until something else blooms.

Mid-May