I Won This Prize

I attended the Garden Bloggers Fling years ago when it was held here in the Washington DC area, in 2017. The two things I remember fondly are winning this peony in the grand raffle, and how incredibly hot and steamy the wewather was.

This Itoh Peoony is named 'Garden Treasure' and it is that. It was dropped into the side yard garden along with lots of other plants that I had no idea what to do with at the time.

This peony has been remarkably hardy and resilient. It survived the polar vortex, the hot humid summers, has not grown much over the years, but has slowly increased in size and number of blooms every spring. Never having been moved from its location, it seems to like the clay, and the mostly sunny area that gets about 4 hours of shade during the day.

The fragrance to me is nothing like a peony. This has a spicy, sassy smell, which is pleasant when brought in the house as a cut flower. Now, if I can only get a regluar fragrant peony, I will be set.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day
What's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month

Unknown 'black' iris. Looks purple in the camera's eye.

Mountain Laurel 'Sarah'.

Itoh peony 'Garden Treasure'.

Bearded Iris 'Wabash'.

Nicotiana blooming already. It overwinterd and came roaring back quickly.

Bearded Iris 'Quaker Lady', as best as I can tell. It was in the yard when I bought the house 30 years ago.

Bearded Iris 'Frank Adams'. Very prolific.

Head on over to Carol's May Dream Gardens to ogle over other bloom photos from other bloggers.

Maybe More Geraniums

This is the Cranesbill Geranium. I picked it up at a neighborhood plant swap many years ago, with its owner not knowing what it was. (Where else -- plants are free.) She though it was a moss phlox, which is understandable. Both have similar color flowers, and both creep along the ground. I know better. I had a 'Rozanne' variety once, but it was in a spot too shady and left this world.

I don't know the variety of this one, but it sure is a reliable ground coer and spring bloomer. The buds are so small that when you look at it one day you do not notice anything ready to bloom. Then the next day, pop! Flowers!

After it is finished for the spring, it remains quietly there, laid out and protecting the sloping ground from erosion. But hold on. I recently read that if the leaves are sheared off aft its spring flush, more leaves and flowers come back for more blooms. I must try this, but fear it would not work for me, and leave my sloping ground bare.

Multitude of Iris

This iris was picked up at a neighborhood plant swap many years ago, if my memory serves me. (Sometimes it doesn't.) It's been in my garden for more than a decade. Since I did not purchse it, and it wasn't here when I bought the house, it must have come from one of those early plant swaps.

I believe the name is 'Frank Adams', after searching through countless online iris sources for identification. My iris seems to be a pretty good match with what I found. It's form is not frilly like most of the newer varieties, and the colors are not usual. That narrows it down. Frank Adams was developed in the 1930s and seems to fit the bill.

I mention it here because of its tendancy to easily multiply. I have given away countless sections, yet this clump seems to grow exponentially every year to make up for the portions gifted away. I wish my 'black' iris would do that.

I do have another itis that easily multiplies, but that one is a subject for the next post.

Late to the Party

I planted the five amaryllis bulbs in the garden last summer to allow them to regenerate. They all seemd to enjoy the warm weather and remained healthy-looking into fall. No new growth appeaered on any following their intiial flush of leaves after blooming in winter.

I lifted them before the frost came, and left them in the cool dark baseemnt so they could go to sleep. But, they were insomniacs. For months on end the leaves remained green and lush in their new soil-less home. No water, no sunlight, but they looked to be happy and in good condition.

I noticed a little yellowing and wilting of some leaves in January, so I cut them off and with fingers crossed, potted the bulbs. This was really later than I expected to get them into bloom mode. But, four of the five put up flower stalks, and two of them put up two.

This one, 'Mandela' is the newest and the last of the bunch to bloom. Its dark maroon-red flower and somewhat shorter stalks are things I will look forawrd to next year. It would be nice to have them blooming at Christmas, so I think the lesson is to get them out of the garden in September and pot them up in November.