In the garden....................

All winter, all 7 months of it, I waited.....and waited. Now that I can finally get outside the window of opportunity was small. The mosquito's this year are just terrible. I hate to use sprays on my skin. Those chemicals are absorbed into your body and I prefer to not do that. So, being outside is not as pleasant as it could be. Meanwhile I am taking pictures of some of the flowers. I did do some rearranging too.
First of all I must show you this.......does she look as though she is up to something. I did ask but she just stuck her tongue out at me

In the back garden we had some very big evergreens next to the deck. They have been there for many years. Because the poodles use the deck to potty when the snow is too deep, it gets thrown over onto them. In Spring they bounce back from the huge snow drift and I spray them down to get the dead leaves and what nots off of them. Well this year they looked particularly horrible so I trimmed them back. I put in a bird bath and wood chips. Now it looks nice. Even the rose bush that got lost in the bushes can now bloom happily this year.

Cutting back the evergreens has allowed the bushes in front move themselves into the space and bloom even better.

Eventually I think the space will fill if I don't trim back the other shrubs. I like this new area and so does Tristen. We have the wire fence so that the poodles do not go under the deck. We have creatures that like it under there. Like the skunk who often visits the bird feeder. I think I will try to move more of the dead parts out soon and make the area that the rose is in more accessable. That thing is very thorny and is the most horrible rose in that respect. On the other hand it blooms without fail year after year. It was a long ago Mothers day gift. Its pretty and reliable, you just do not want to have to touch it.
I put wood chips in there so I can rake it as the bird seed that falls there sprout. I love the flowering shrubs

Some of my Iris have bloomed. I bought this one last year because of its leaves, they are striped. After the visit to the Iris farm I am thinking I may get a few different colours. I might just buy from a catalogue in the Fall.



I just love the Dutch Iris, not sure if they are all called that or if its just a common term used for that group.??????


This one is darker,

I have planted some berries. A mistake I think but nowhere to move them to. The bush is getting bigger all the time. I didnt think it through. It likes its spot so will stay for now. Somehow I also have one out front. I have no idea where that one came from.

Other things I grow that are edible are Chives. Well I like those for the flowers more than anything else.

I also have some garlic chives because I loved their flowers. I put those in a pot but they do not look as though they will bloom so not sure I did right by them. The flowering shrubs seem to be the most faithful of bloomers in my garden. I have this one to cover the air conditioner along with a Quince on the other side. The snowballs do very well on the side of the house, just to give Bud the neighbour something to look at.

The Azalia does very well too although it is still small, all of them are still small. When I have success then I stick with what likes it here.

I like this pretty little thing but it really struggles each year.

Some of my roses are in bud. Maybe soon I can show some off, my roses are never much though. I must figure out what they like more than where they are now......Fussy things and they get black spot.

sharing with Make it pretty Monday at the Dedicated House
I am going over to Friendship Friday at Create with Joy
come on over to Fishtail Cottage and join the party there.
I think we can also party at A Dedicated House, anything Blue Friday