I'm Just Wild About Hairy

 LILIUM MARTAGON
Turk's Cap Lily

This is the flower stock of the Martagon lily taken on the 10th of May, I purchased last year. Quite interesting regarding how hairy looking it is and how horizontal the flower stock had become, like a Sunflower. Wish I had taken a side shot of it.  I'll take a picture when I get home tonight and post it to see how far along it is. Flowers should be white & opening soon. 

The photograph below is today, 14 days later. I counted over 25 flowers on the stock, it will be outstanding when they open. Stay tune for another update.

                               

USDA hardiness zone 3 to zone 8 

Red Lady's Fingers

Anthyllis vulneraria var. coccinea

Very interesting little plant that I purchased last year, love the intense color. Really stands out in the bed. Planted it by the street on the edge of the front garden. I do not remember where I purchased it at (probably Portland Nursery) but it is from Rock Stars. A company that is bringing Alpines to the masses, I have a number of them and having very good luck with them. They are the perfect match to put with sedums and other ground covers.

Also known as Red Kidney Vetch. An easy-to-grow alpine or rock garden plant, this forms a low mound of downy silvery-green leaves, bearing claw-shaped clusters of orangy red pea flowers in early summer. Blooming continues for many weeks, particularly in cool summer regions. Tolerates poor soil and dry locations well, once established. Nice for edging dry and sunny borders, also useful in containers. Plants usually self seed around gently: move seedlings to a new location while small, if desired. Credit to Rock Stars website for the info.

USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 9

Koreana Cone-a-rama

ABIES KOREANA
"SILVER SHOW"
Silver Show is a seedling of Silberlocke

These little cones are on my little Korean Fir that grows in a pot on the patio. It has a total of three, the larger one is about two inches long and will turn purple as they mature. Love the way they stand upright on the branch. The tree itself is only about 2 feet tall and will top out at about 5 to 6 feet which will take about 10-15 years. It was a gift last year for my birthday. 
I love the way the needles curl and show their silver side to all. Kind of like showing off, well the Korean Fir is called the Queen of the Conifers. Hopefully I will plant this somewhere out in the side garden this coming fall or I just might do root trimming and keep it in a pot.

USDA hardiness zone 5 to zone 7

It's Like A Song............

You know the one.........Queen & David Bowie, "Under Pressure". I took these photos yesterday morning, caught off guard by a couple of the plants already in bloom. It seems like there is no time to do other things but to keep up on the photography. Not really but it sounds good!

WISTERIA

RHODODENDRON

PEONY SPECIES

PACIFIC COAST IRIS HYBRID

ENKIANTHUS

PACIFIC COAST IRIS HYBRID

SEDUM

GLADIOLUS TRISTIS

IRIS & ?

CENTAUREA MONTANA

TREE PEONY SPECIES

 IRIS

Chinese Tree Paeonia rockii

A new Chinese tree Peony for the front garden, could not pass it up. Took me about 30 minutes to make up my mind about purchasing it. I do not know why that happened............You have had that feeling where you knew if you did not buy it you would hate yourself later. When I first spotted it, I bent down to see if there was any fragrance which was amazing of sweet and spice. The flower is large about 6" across, gorgeous, and the palest of pink with the dark center. The stamens are a wonderful color of golden yellow and contrast beautifully against the dark center. The tree itself is about 2+ ft. tall and about as wide.  

The peony is named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, the Greek God of medicine and healing. Asclepius became jealous of his pupil; Zeus saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

 

The tree peony Paeonia rockii is indigenous to the Gansu province and surrounding areas in Northwest China. Paeonia rockii is named after the American Botanical adventurer Joseph Rock who introduced it to the West in the 1920s. Since it first came to the attention of American gardeners it has been highly prized and sought after, just as it has been in its native land for centuries. The peony is one of the longest-used flowers in ornamental culture of China. Once established they are drought tolerant and require very little care. 

USDA hardiness zone 3 to zone 9