Best Climbing Roses

These are my two favorite climbing roses even though they are both non-recurrent they are worth the show and both bloom for a long time.

Alchymist is 10-12 feet and is great trained on a fence because they want to sprawl out and the more you bend them sideways the more laterals you will get which produce the blooms. I call the flowers a powder puff, they get fatter as they mature . The color starts out apricot with swirls of pink then mature to pale peachy yellow, just gorgeous with a sweet scent. Also a disease resistant rose. zone 4-9

Constance Spry is a beauty that gets 6-12 feet and has that cabbage rose look and can get as big as a peony bloom. It's great trained up over an arbor or up a wall with support. It's a beautiful medium pink and lightens as it matures and a wonderful myrrh scent. It needs lots of space to roam. zone 5-9

Ceanothus "Julia Phelps"

I bought this in a one gallon pot and it already had one trunk only about 12" high when I bought it two years ago. I kept it pruned into a topiary and now it's about 3' high and 2' wide. It is so cute, one of my favorite evergreens because of the beautiful blue flowers all over it in early summer. Also called California Lilac, it's deer resistant, fragrant and attracts butterflies. It is drought tolerant and likes partial to full sun. Hardy in zones 6-9.  I have made an effort to put some evergreen shrubs in my garden amongst my perennials so I have some winter interest and this is a favorite of mine.

On my Wish list!

This is a Peony called "Bowl of Beauty", it's on my wish list if only my husband would let me take up more lawn. Maybe if I show him this beauty I could convince him. Well at least I can take a photo of it and have it that way. It's as big as my hand outstretched and about 30" tall.

Helenium autumnale "Rotgold"

I really have fun taking photos of my flowers and having the bee is a bonus, he matches the flower perfectly. This one is a sun lover about 3' tall and a mid to late summer bloomer. The blooms are about 2 1/2 " wide. Commonly called sneeze weed.

Tradescantia "Sweet Kate"

This one is so cool, it loves morning sun with afternoon shade. I love the contrast of the bright yellow green leaves and purple flowers, it really stands out in the garden. I am amazed at how long it blooms,at least a couple of months in summer. It made it through our very cold temps as low as 15 degrees last winter too.

Himalayan Blue Poppy and Yellow poppy

My all time favorite flower, it's botanical name is Meconopsis betonicifolia. It's a little tricky to get started, if you have a small plant don't let it bloom the first year until it gets wider and then always dead head the blooms when they are done so it doesn't go to seed and take all the energy away from the plant. If you want it to self seed around just leave one pod to go to seed, that is all you will need. It's favorite location is east facing , morning sun afternoon shade and moist soil but well drained, does not like to sit in water. It's a true blue, my favorite color and rare color. There are other Meconopsis that are beautiful too.

This one is Meconopsis cambrica a beautiful yellow and grows in deep shade and self seeds like crazy. I love it for my north side of the house and if you dead head it ,it blooms for almost all summer and so easy to grow.

Cool Petunia called "Pinstripe"

Look at this cool petunia called "Pinstripe" I found at Lowes. I had to have it, not usually interested in petunias but this one is so cool.

Course I want to know if I can press it too so I will keep you posted on how that turns out. I just love the deep purple and contrasting cream and pink.

Adding annuals to the garden gives me more color for the whole season.

Unusual Ground Covers

Here are a couple of unusual ground covers I love with very cool little flowers which I love to press too. Easy and spread fast and very hardy.

Persicaria (polygonum) affine commonly called Himalayan fleece flower
zones 3-9


and Acaena microphylla.  zones 6-8

Brunnera "Jack Frost" shade loving plant

Here's one of my new favorite shade plants, this is on the north side of the house under the eves and it first gets these forget-me-not flowers then the leaves get bigger and are heart shaped. They look good all season into fall. This one is "Jack Frost". There are many other varieties too!

Easy Perennial and bunny proof too

One of my favorite EASY perennials are all the many varieties of Geraniums. I keep adding more to the garden. This one is Johnsons Blue. Luckily the bunnies don't like them. I have a smorgasborg of plants for them and now I see what they like. They love my pansies, english daisies, ornamental clovers, course, duh, the tall daisies, my garden phlox, pussy toes, black mondo grass but not the Japanese Forest grass (so far). Then when one of the little bunnies was crossing the road as we are pulling out of our driveway and my husband says "do you want me to get him"? as he is driving toward it and I scream and say NO don't hurt it. He's thinking since I have been complaining about all the bunnies have eaten that I want them gone, yikes I just can not do that.