Wind has been blowing like crazy the last couple days threatening my flowers but most have somehow survived. The Red Charm peony is outstanding with the biggest flowers I've ever seen. It would be nice to get another one or two to place around the garden but sadly, our local peony farm closed last year. I bought other varieties of peonies from a mail order outfit last fall but they aren't performing as well in their first season. The roots had fewer eyes and will probably take a couple extra years to catch up.
The irises are going to be a big job to divide but as they are threatening to overtake the peonies this is the year to do it. This so-called red iris still looks purple to me but I love the orange beards.
And a pretty iris planted last fall.
Work in progress and work to be done
We are extending the fenced yard to include the nice evergreen trees on the west side of the house. Bob is pulling out the existing fence to reuse the posts. Then maybe a little gazebo can be built in the clearing for a sitting area. We need to move some of the veggie beds away from the raspberries so I can mow around the patch to keep suckers under control. They aren't as bad as blackberries but close to it, cropping up in the blueberry, strawberry and asparagus beds. I'm liking the results of the experimental strawberry tower we built last year despite it's being awfully tippy. We'll need to use better wire and line it with something to hold in the soil. I'd also like to remove the never-used sliding door in the family room and put it in the master bedroom where the big window is and where it would be far more useful. Haven't proposed that project to Bob yet, but it's churning in the back of my brain. It's kind of like the Winchester House around here!
