This is the second year for this peony plant. It was mislabeled as a 'Bowl of Beauty' so I don't know the name of them. The flowers are doubles and the outer petals are just a slightly darker shade of pink.
I love the Evening Primroses. They were one of the first perennials that I had. The next-door-neighbour at my first home gave me some. I like the way the flowers close up at night. They remind me of big buttercups. They tend to get a little bit scraggly by the time they have finished blooming, but I read recently that you can trim the top third off the tops afterwards to make them look a little neater. I'm going to try that this year.
I planted this 'General McMahon' peony in the fall of 2007, the first year we were here. This is actually the first time it has bloomed and I'm quite delighted with it. The blooms seemed to be unusually slow to open. It's funny how some peonies take longer to get established than others.
This is one of the two hydrangeas I planted in the front bed this spring. It's called 'Twist 'n Shout'. (Great name, eh?) It's supposed to bloom all season and is one that will be pink in alkaline soil and blue in acidic soil. The soil in most of our yard is acidic, because we are surrounded by evergreens. The soil where this is is a nice garden mix though. I didn't know what to expect - but I love the pink!
Our former neighbours came for dinner last summer and brought some small perennials in a basket as a hostess gift. One was these Peachleaf Bellflowers. They have come up wonderfully and are the most beautiful and delicate shade of blue. I've never had these before and they are quite lovely. They are in the bed by the limestone path, against the house.
