May 23, 2008

Rain, little ducks, azaleas and alliums.

While Atomik is sleeping...

....some other neighbours cats are fishing... what a convenient watching place he found... do you see the red fish under Juniperus tamariscifolia growing at the edge of the pond?



Human kind decided to bike to lake and see what's new. By surprise....

We saw a little ducklings! Mallard ducks have babies!
... and plenty of them! We counted 16. Two are little older - maybe 2-3 days - this is what I think, without too much experience on growing them :) I remember that they grow very fast, so 2-3 days is long time...


Even if the weather is not sunny - it rains since few days almost without stopping - many people, even older ones like to bike, if there is only some time without shower....



On the way back we see that there came time for Crataegus laevigata 'Paul's Scarlet' to bloom. Lovely little tree...


Do you remember this beautiful neighbour's house, that I have showed you late winter? At that time we couldn't see that there is Wisteria growing. Every plant at this property seems to be in the right place - I wish one day I could photographed this garden.... Maybe it could be easier, than I think... Wisteria growing on this house looks just perfect and this gardener knows, that at certain height it needs to grow horizontally.



Back to my garden. Azaleas and alliums are in bloom... also on the right side there is Wisteria that I train to little tree...


Blooming azaleas from the left: pink Homebush, orange Golden Eagle and bicolor cream to red, double Cannon's Double.

Azalea Homebush and right next to it yellow iris is coming.



Almost black iris is coming.... Anticipation is so exciting...


Alliums aflatuense "Purple Sensation" is in its peak :)
Are they not amazing with its perfect spherical shape?


Ajuga reptans looks so lovely and makes bees happy...



Aquilegia Nora Barlow Black and its beauty.


As per request of some readers, I would like to show larger view of my garden.. This one is on the Western side of the house. If you look North, this is what you see.


If you look South - that is the view. The same apple tree from the other side - we walk along the Western bed and you come to the second tree, that is big cherry tree, visible on the picture. There is wheelbarrow standing there with cibora, that I took out of cellar and is hardening in the shadow to get to the pond....
...on the way you pass beautiful shrub Spirea vanhouttei, the amount of little spherical flowers make the branches heavy...



We come to chery tree, where the view to the back garden opens. It looks too spacious at the moment, I am not making any more planting, because one day there will be a porch build, that I am dreaming of... The rest of the garden you will see in next post :) Because we need to stop here and ....

... pinch gone rhododendrons blooms - it is time to deadhead. Rhodos and azaleas should be pinched before July 4th. That is the border date. If you don't pinch, plants put all effort on producing seeds and forming buds for next flowering season. If you pinch, they contcentrate only on growing and blooming - so it grows better and flowering is more profuse.
Pinching is very easy, if you grasp the flower at the proper place, like here... and then with one movement...


The head is gone, sparing new shoots and opening space for them to grow....

15 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

What a busy day you have had. With gas prices mounting here in the States I bet there will be more people out on their bikes that usual. Me being one of them.
It is amazing how much more you see when on a bike too.

I love seeing your overall garden pictures. You garden is so inviting. Just lovely.

Anonymous said...

So nice, I don't pinch my rhododendron..

Strawberry Lane said...

How beautiful, lush green garden, beautiful flowers, ducklings ... what a wonderful delight!

Barbara said...

You garden looks so fresh and lush with all the flowers.I liked to see these pictures! I love the alliums too, they seem to float over the borders like little balls.
Have a sunny weekend, Ewa!
Barbara

Anonymous said...

I do like Alliums very much ! I do not have them in my garden but always admire them in other people's gardens.
I do not deadhead my rododendrons , is it necessary ,they still come in flower every year?

garden girl said...

Aw, those babies are so cute Ewa! I love fuzzy little ducklings. We always have a duck family at the nursery where I work.

Your garden looks just beautiful!

Frances, said...

Hi Ewa, your garden is so very lush and lovely, thanks so much for sharing it with us. I am thrilled to see those azaleas. We also have Cannon's double, it is a favorite, such beautiful colors. We do have many of the same plants, the black iris, ours is Superstition, and the black columbine, Barlow Black. Your grass is a soothing green and the trees and shrubs are well grown and look so healthy. Beautiful!

Frances at Faire Garden

Barbara Jacksier said...

Your photos are breathtaking. And who can resist baby ducks?

me said...

Lovely blog. Spring looks lovely there.

Ewa said...

Lisa,
It was a great chance to get out of house, because it was raining all the time. Biking is great - it gives a wonderful chance to get closer to nature outside of the garden :)

Hannele, welcome - nice to see you again :)

Strawberry Lane, nice to see you around :) ducklings were the nicest surprise :)

Barbara, alliums are so lovely...

zvrk, it is recommended to pinch rhodos and azaleas, as they spare energy on seed production, so they grow and bloom better.

garden girl,
yes, ducklings are sooooo sweet...

Frances, isn't it surprising, that garden planting could be similar despite of the continent :)
As I remember my black iris was not labelled. I bought two at the same time: one is black with navy blue, second black with burgund - this one will not bloom this year.

Barbara,
welcome here and I hope to see you again here :)

Sara, welcome here, thank you for nice words and I hope to see you again...

Anonymous said...

Ewa - thanks very much for the dead heading tip about the rhodo's. Will keep me busy tomorrow!!

Any tips about dead heading pelargonia's??

Katarina said...

Ewa,
your garden is lovely! Thanks for the tour.... And the ducklings...so cute!
/katrina

Ewa said...

David, How are you? still around Warsaw? Deadheading pelargoniums? They have a long stem, that is easy to break :) Try :)

Katarina, ducklings are so cute, that I would like to take them home :( what a girlish wish :)

Teresa said...

The ducklings are SO sweet! Pinching the dead heads of Rhodies is easy but so time consuming. Ours are almost at their end..maybe 2 weeks more of blooms.

Curmudgeon said...

I can't wait to see your yellow and black irises open! I love the ajuga. Ours is very happy in a pot in the shade garden next to the stone wall. The mason bees seem to enjoy it. Your grass is so beautiful. We have a love hate relationship with our grass--mostly hate. But to be fair to the grass, we don't take very good care of it.
--Curmudgeon

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