Another Walk Through the Garden

The garden changes so quickly this time of year that I thought I'd share another round of wide view photos.  Above you see the 'Royal Raindrops' crabapple trees at their height of bloom, with purple 'Negrita' tulips in front.

By a week later the crab blossoms had faded to this pale pink color, and pink 'Don Quichotte' and 'Renown' tulips were taking over from 'Negrita.'

The view looking south toward the gate features double pink 'Foxtrot' tulips, which have surprised me by reblooming for several years.  I assumed the double tulips wouldn't be good perennials, but they must be happy in this spot with the sandy soil to keep the bulbs dry while dormant in summer.

The same view from a seat on the NW arbor bench is full of pretty spring green.  We really love this new bench, and I find excuses to pop out and enjoy it at least once a day.

The view looking the other direction from the arbor bench features giant 'Victoria' rhubarb leaves and some 'Early Emporer' globe alliums off in the distance.  Yes, 'Early Emperor' really does bloom a few weeks before the other types, so it is a great way to extend allium season.

And here are those alliums from the other direction.  I love the mauve alliums next to the chartreuse 'Sutherland Gold' elderberry shrub, which will grow into a giant backdrop in a few years.  Each week there is more color in the garden as it builds toward the heavy June climax, then settles down to fewer flowers (and less deadheading, hooray) in the heat of summer.  Early fall brings another flush of bloom from the roses and some perennials before the deciduous plants shut down for winter.

'Hall's Purple' honeysuckle continues to climb farther up the swing set, and the honey locusts on either side are finally leafing out.  I really love my 'Shademaster' honey locusts, but I wish they put their leaves out earlier.

The NE corner behind the swing set is starting to look less barren, though of course it will just take a few years for the large shrubs to grow into their spaces.

The east garden is especially colorful right now with more 'Negrita' tulips blooming above creeping phlox.  The 'Katherine Havemeyer' lilacs perfume the air while the white dogwood tree unfolds its blooms above.  Have you noticed how dogwood (Cornus florida) blooms look like little square presents before they unfold their petals?

A few shots from the front reveal that the heaviest tulip display is over, though a few white 'Maureen' tulips still grace the garden.  Soon the lavender 'Walker's Low' catmint and 'Coral Supreme' peonies will take over the show - perhaps by next week, since we have lovely weather in the forecast.

My husband lovingly refers to these tulips as the hard-boiled egg flowers.

Here is a final photo of the pink dogwood tree that has been transplanted twice in the past decade, poor thing.  It has survived and should be very happy once its roots grow into the rich soil under the compost pile on the other side of the fence.