What's Blooming Today

I've been too busy at work to get anything done in the garden except a bit of clean up this week. But it does not need me right now as it continues to come into its own.

The geraniums bloomed yesterday - not the annuals that we call geraniums, but the domesticated "field" geraniums. I brought them from the old house, where they were a great groundcover in a shady area. I have them in a sunnier spot now and they are not as prolific, but I am really liking the way they have filled in. They have also spread themselves around a bit - as flowers tend to do! - and I have a small clump growing among the Pacific daisies. The contrast between the pink geraniums and the silvery foliage is just lovely. I want to move a few more into that bed to encourage that combination.

The evening primrose also bloomed yesterday. It's a lovely pale pink and I think I need more somewhere. And the Japanese iris are blooming, too. They are the lavender and would be prettier is there were some variety of color. I need to get some dark purple and some white to mix in with them.

But the big news is the peonies - they are gorgeous. Last fall I gathered all the plants I had into one spot to make a big bed. I did it partly to fill a corner and partly because I thought it would make a better presentation in a big drift. I was so right. I have mostly pale pink, but one white with a red fleck and one dark pink. I truly do want a "red" plant, so will try to add one this fall. I pinched out the side buds as the peonies grew to get bigger blooms and it really worked - I have many that are 8 - 10 inches across. It's a truly lovely corner. Of course, the Murphy's Law of peonies is that it will pour down rain this weekend and beat them down. It always happens. I brought a big vaseful into the house today so that I can enjoy them. They remind me of Grandmother. She loved them and I always took her a vase for Mother's Day - and they bloomed right on time for me this year.