I haven’t been posting as much as I want to – too many other things keep getting in the way. I like to use the blog to remind me of plant-progress from year to year, and so I’m not only failing the people who might be interested; I’m letting down myself, too.

So let’s get back to the garden. It rained off and on all day here, with one memorable hail-shower. It seems to have finally cleared, at nearly 9pm, and I got this as a reward.

Yes, I maxed out the colour saturation. I don’t care.

Caught a bumblebee choosing between raspberry flowers. Had at least four bees in the patch at any one time (between showers) today. Yay!

My azalea has a ‘sport’. It is all white, except for that one branch. Odd. Anyone know why the leaves look so…yucky? I’ve only known azalea in Florida, and they were massive and healthy there. I do have proper feed for it, and I see no obvious pests.

Columbine aka agualegia is blooming, and the hail took out a lot of the blooms before I took these today. These came from seed of the purple and white plant, so it is curious that one is different than the other. No neighbors nearby are growing them. 

Poor lilac. They are in bloom all over right now – not my baby. Might have to repot or put it in my dirt-strip out front. 

Native primrose is doing well! Spotted it in bloom all over the coast of Mayo this week. 

A present from my mother-in-law, isn’t it colourful?

New clematis…Mrs N. Thompson

More new clematis…Pink Fantasy

Pink Fantasy looks funky when not entirely unfurled! There is a third new one but it isn’t blooming yet. These are all waiting on our lazy arses to finish the trellises along the back wall so they can feel real soil, not just pot-dirt. 

Nicotiana from last year is HUGE now. This one is at least 4 ft tall, and so many buds. Can’t wait. 

Rosemary is blooming again. Don’t see how, when it is strangled in dog fur like that!

Whoooo bought some fun garden ornaments this year? Not me – hubby!

He also picked out these flowers, osteospermum, and dug the grass and rocks out to plant them here. Solar kitty is from last year – he glows green!

Isn’t that beautiful?

My favourite is the dragonfly. Hubby has good taste!