Flowers, Wild and Tended

Here's a glimpse of the purple peonies that are doing so well at the edge of the woods. Two summers ago there was one healthy sized bush with about a dozen blooms. And now look. And this is after I took three clumps to move into my own patches of garden.

My transplants are looking ok, but don't look like they will bloom this year. Probably because I took some of the smaller sized plants figuring I could replant them more easily. My peony that is blooming well is the white one I put in two years ago:

I didn't know it was white though. I had forgotten. The first year it didn't do much. Last year it came up and I thought it was a surprise dahlia. (It never bloomed or I would have seen the difference!) Then this spring when it came up I realized it looked like the other peonies in the woods and finally correctly identified it. And now it's blooming so there is no question. Isn't that touch of pink in the center just lovely?

It just about disappears by the time the bloom opens up fully:

These are just the first two blooms to open. There are lots and lots more to come--it'll be great!

Troy bought me three more packs of peonies this week. I don't have them in the ground yet, but I did weed the garden by the garage this afternoon where I plan to put them. (Filled the wheelbarrow three times with weeds--that's what I get for leaving it so long.)

My widow's tears are doing well this year. They go by another name too, but I can't remember it. What is odd is that I bought purple blossomed plants, and have only ever noticed purple blossoms, but this year some white ones surprised me:

The other thing I've realized is that they close up when the sun's not on them, and in the spot they're in now, that happens at about 2:00. I might have to move them because without the open blooms, they look pretty weedy. (I have enough actual weeds; I don't need flowers that impersonate weeds.)

Troy has put in half of the irrigation system. He can now water the garden proper. The other half will water the grapes and orchard, whenever it gets put in. There wasn't enough water pressure to make the irrigation system work so Troy had to increase the pump's pressure. Good for me, I don't have to turn it back down before I shower--love it!

Troy is out tonight finishing the flashing on the east side of the shop because guess what! We are planning to finish the siding tomorrow. That would be great.

Really great.