OH MAY flowers

[alsgal119]

Fall blooming cattleyas add brightness to the fast fading colors of fall. The rich colors and intoxicating fragrance add a vibrancy in the sunroom.

#orchids, # indoor gardening, #cattleyas

[alsgal119]

Oriental poppies add exotic beauty to the perennial garden. The depth of color and the paper like texture of the petals are known only to oriental poppies. Their yearly emergence brings much anticipation of their unique beauty. They thrive in a sunny garden. The soil should be rich in organic material and well draining. I prefer to allow the blooms go to seed to ensure a full stand and seedlings that I can share with admiring gardening friends.

[alsgal119]

Visiting an orchid show excites me after a very cold and snowy winter in NE Ohio. It not only gets me to spend more time in the sunroom but gives me the yearning to start outside in the perennial gardens.

[alsgal119]

Shasta daisies offer a simple elegance to any bouquet cut from the perennial garden. There are many varieties. All grow freely after they are established. They vary in height and petal shape. More compact varieties make attractive borders. The taller ones make an excellent background for what is planted in front. They are easily established and make a great plant to share with fellow gardeners.

[alsgal119]

The day lilies afforded vivid color to the perennial gardens this year. Sturdy growth provided lush green background for such rich colors. Once they establish, they require little care in comparison to the beauty they put forth. Dead heading makes the garden look tidy. After blooming, they take a nice rest until fall. I cut the fans back to about a uniform 6-8 inches long. This will help insulate the crown during winter after die back in fall. They do appreciate thinning by dividing every 3-4 years.

[alsgal119]

The dry summer has not diminished the beauty of the perennial gardens. Colors have been vivid and fragrances intoxicating. Daily visitors such as butterflies, hummingbirds and song birds have added to the wonderment of gardening. Such beauty will be the memories sought once the seasons change.

[alsgal119]

There are many newer Echinacea hybrids which brighten the perennial garden. Rich reds, various shades of orange & yellow and white contrast to the well known purple. There have been goldfinches scouting out the coneflowers. They love to feed on the cones once the seeds dry. Often I see them in August & September holding on to the cones swaying in the wind.

[alsgal119]

Day lily ‘Easter Holiday ’ This large flowered day lily has an intoxicating fragrance. Even though it is simply colored, it is a striking addition to the perennial garden.

[acrylicalchemy]

The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.

Pablo Picasso (via acrylicalchemy)

[alsgal119]

Leo loves to oversee any project that I may be working on. Why do kitties like to get in the middle of whatever you are doing? His strong affectionate nature keeps him close to me. I often thank him for rescuing me.

[alsgal119]

More summer beauty.

[alsgal119]

Soon there will be many visitors to my perennial garden. The many coneflowers will beckon the goldfinches. They put on quite a show holding onto the cones while feeding on the seeds swaying in the wind. Large spikes of the Lobelia cardinalis have been attracting hummingbirds. Not only do I have visual enjoyment from the garden but the fragrance of tall Phlox adds to any time spent near the path.

[alsgal119]

'Sabine Bauer' daylily. This is its first year in my front perennial bed. I remember it being a taller plant when I chose its location. Giving it one more year to establish may produce a taller specimen. I am pleased with the flower, a striking color combination and the lovely frilled edge. NE Ohio is the perfect climate for growing perennials.

[just-shower-thoughts]

Being born into your parent’s religion is the first time you agree to terms and conditions without reading them.

[alsgal119]

West Shore Orchid Society Show Strongsville, OH Nothing like an orchid show to excite one with color& fragrance. On a cool, gray day in North Ohio, this show is motivating me to get gardening plans in order for an eventual spring.

[alsgal119]

Even Leo is intoxicated by the fragrance of this fall blooming Cattleya.

[natureisthegreatestartist]

A garden should make you feel you’ve entered privileged space — a place not just set apart but reverberant — and it seems to me that, to achieve this, the gardener must put some kind of twist on the existing landscape, turn its prose into something nearer poetry.

Michael Pollan in Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education (via natureisthegreatestartist)

#quotes #gardens #meditations

(via biodiverseed)