I have an edging problem

Currently I have brick pavers that line my garden beds in order to keep the grass out. They are not mortared and fall over all the time. Needless to say, they are a pain in the butt.

But hurray! We are replacing this terribleness with plastic edging. I know, it's not pretty either, but it's easy!

We just have to really pound it into the ground so you can't see it. The hydrangeas and daylillies will hide most of it.

While David was doing that, I planted my first round of pansies.

I didn't go all around the lightpost because it looks like my Niobe clematis made it through the winter! See all the buds? So excited.

New Flower Prints

David found this great set of 25 flower prints from 1948 for us in Brimfield and I am just now getting around to looking through and framing them. The prints are a selection of illustrations from the "Golden Age of Flower Illustration" which extended from the 18th century to the middle of the 19th.

There are so many gorgeous prints in here, I'm not sure which ones to frame.



A few of the rose prints are exceptional and will find a place on our walls... I love this one of a "gallica variegata" rose. You can see all of the little prickles along the stems. Next to each print is a description of the artist. This one is by Henry C. Andrews from his "Rose" volume from 1805.

The below is called "A June Bouquet" by Jean Louis Prevost. I love that I have this very same poppy growing in my garden.

The below print is gorgeous and by the great Pierre Joseph Redoute. You can buy his book of prints on Amazon. I think there are several different books out there but I love "The Complete Book of 169 Redoute Roses". He is known for his work with Empress Josephine and illustrations of her rose garden.

I love the below of "Carolina Pigeons". I'm totally getting into bird photography and soon will have a new lens coming to capture some pretty bird photos. This print is by John James Audubon. OK, I'm very embarrassed to admit that I didn't realize "Audubon" referred to an artist. I have seen the china, flatware and other amazing Audubon designs and didn't make the connection....feeling very dumb.

Love the butterflies in this one!

This one is my favorite I think. Titled "The Provence Rose" by Mary Lawrance. The detailing of the petals and the leaves is amazing. Plus I love that it was Mary Lawrance, a female, who developed the first book of rose drawings in 1799. Now I just have to pick a few to frame....this will be tough!

Finally Home!!

I have never been so excited to get home from a trip! Work in Mexico City went well but I have been gone forever and during my favorite gardening time! I came home to beautiful weather. It's about 65 degrees today and not a cloud in the sky. Here are a few things that I came back to....

My very favorite plant, next to roses.....Bleeding Hearts waking up for Spring. I have them in white and pink. Going to get the new red ones tomorrow when I go to the nursery. You can see the lillies coming up in the background.

A spirea that I can't remember the name of in bloom. My forsythia is still yellow by the way. Everyone else's has almost completely turned green.

Red Twig Variegated Dogwood budding...

Look at the iris bed! I know I've posted a ton of pics about this bed...but I'm so excited to see that it actually worked. This is the worst possible soil next to the barn (I mean, look at the grass in front!) but they seem to be doing great!

I have 2 white peonies in the front garden. They were the very first thing I ever planted and I love to see them coming up every year. You might notice I don't have a lot of mulch in my garden. I've stopped using it. I think it keeps the disease in. I know...that seems silly. But when I don't layer mulch, my garden does better. I can't explain it.

So many new volunteers this year! Last year I planted a huge pink oriental poppy and happy to see that he reseeded this year. Don't know if he will look the same, but waiting to see is half the fun.

Speaking of poppies....I ordered some new poppies online. I absolutely love the huge oriental ones but they are beyond expensive to get here. I wasn't expecting to be gone for work as long as I was so David had to accept my garden deliveries and take care of the new babies for me. He kindly put them in the garage which was very smart since we had a suprise freeze which will kill a poppy in an instant. Three of them are still in trouble. I planted them today. We'll see if they perk up.

I also ordered some daylillies which of course arrived the day after I left. He's so good...he put them in a root pouch for me and set them in the sun!

The David Austen bed is looking so healthy and greened out. If only it would stay so lush. Stay away black-spot!

And....the last thing I came home to. A very scruffy and dirty little girl who was not pleased I was gone so long and ran right up on the couch to tell me so. She's getting a bath today!

Quick post from Mexico City

I'm in Mexico City for work and haven't been able to post for a few days. Lots to do! Hopefully I'll be able to get out and see some of the beautiful sites around here and take more photos. Of course the wonderful bougainvillea is blooming everywhere....

And these great trees that are in Spring bloom with purple flowers. I googled them and I think they are a type of Jacaranda that are native to South America. Wish we had these in the states. They are fantastic! They are blooming all over Mexico.

More to come from Mexico as soon as I have a moment's peace....I've been gone so long traveling, I'm worried about my garden at home!

Sleeping Rose Garden

The other day when David and I went to Colonial Park, we also stopped at the Rudolf W. van der Goot Rose Garden. David found this lovely spot in Somerset, NJ last summer while we were on a bike ride. It was such a fun surprise! We love riding Rails to Trails (I never knew about these until I moved to NJ) and if you follow the D & R Canal Trail which is 29 miles of great bike trail you will run into this rose garden. Not to say that David and I ride the entire 29 miles...good grief. We access at the Somerset entrance and ride until we get tired. I think the most we did was 10 miles.

Anyway, here are just a few shots of what this garden looks like in winter. I love looking at rose gardens while they are sleeping because you can really see the layout.

The garden boasts over 3000 roses and is a really nice large size. Supposedly they only have roses that thrive in NJ, but looking at the list of Hybrid Tea roses, I'm a little sceptical. A few of these should probably only be grown in California, Florida or some other really warm wonderful place.

The below identifier belongs to the rose above. I took this shot because these roses looked unbelievably healthy and to be that greened-out in March?? I think I might need a Lady Elsie May for some background filler.

That's David in the background. We pretty much had the place to ourselves. Just a few other families.

This shot gives you an indication of the size. This is from corner to corner.

A gorgeous Ballerina Polyantha rose.

I took this to check out the branching habit of Fantin Latour, a Centifolia rose. I have a baby one of these in the front garden and looking at this I think I may need to move it.

They have a small test area for Weeks roses. I would love to know what they are testing but sadly, no tags!

David said he might build me an arbor this year. Hurray!! I've always wanted one and it is helpful to have a very handy husband. I took this shot because I love how this climbing rose looks on their arbor in the winter. Want something similar. This is The Garland and they have several of them. I don't know if this climber is still in production...I looked and can't seem to find it.

Beautiful Magnolia in the background.

Since I'm from Arizona I think I need this rose, don't ya think? 

A few days in Las Vegas

I'm in Las Vegas for a bit for work. Weather is beautiful. I'm staying at the new Vdara which so far is very nice. Not my favorite LV hotel, but still nice. Today I walked over to the Bellagio to see what they were displaying in their garden. It was pretty outstanding! The theme is a Spring Celebration.

Large umbrellas turned upside down grace the ceiling.

A working Merry-Go-Round is a feature on the side garden with tulips and hyacinth in front.

My love for poppies continues with this shot under the bridge.

As you approach the garden the hyacinth is almost overpowering. But with all the bodies packed into the garden it was a welcome scent!

I thought these chrysanthemum were fantastic and my favorite part.

Huge sculptural flowers and you can see the gigantic bumble bees. I think the bees are made of flowers as well but I couldn't get close enough to verify.