Changeable Weather and Gardens

An exquisite heirloom peony.

EAch day recently has brought an almost hourly change of weather.  Sunshine, billowing dark clouds, bursts of rain and wind. The sun comes out and all is warm, but I'm learning to have a warm shirt or sweater handy for when the wind whips up and sun slinks behind the clouds.

Red peony, planted two years ago.

On Tuesday and Wednesday I hurried to the peony/iris garden, kichen shears in hand, to rescue peonies before they could be dashed down with rain and wind.

For my efforts I've had two gorgeous bouquets and two nasty tick bites.

[I believe the ticks are lurking on the billowing leaves of the peonies and leaping in their maddening manner onto my shirt and immediately burrowing under the waistband of my jeans to attach themselves.]

The cool, wet springtime has encouraged Johnny-Jump-Ups in odd places.

The hoped for greenhouse didn't materialize this spring and J. has kept the garage busy with his tractor projects, so no access to the wide south-facing shelves.

Therefore, pots of seedlings and house plants outside for the summer are crowded onto the edges of the front porch.

Grandson D. brought me the dark-leaved begonias when the FFA greenhouse at school closed for the season.  The little plants were crowded into tiny black plastic cells.  They are now happily expanding in roomy pots.

I pricked out some of these seedlings today and potted them on.

Photos of my porch could never feature in a prim house and gardens sort of magazine.

Using the available space to shelter and grow plants is more important than a stylized display.

Pointy leaves and emerging gum balls of the sweet gum tree against the southern sky as rain came in from the north.

J. took this shot of the fuzzy baby peaches.

Another of J.'s photos. Blueberries forming on the plants set out last spring.

We picked strawberries with wind whipping around our necks and the first raindrops spattering.

J.'s photo of strawberries and the rescued flowers.

Lowering skies in mid-afternoon.

Rain, thunder, shimmering green darkness, and finally a rainbow.