Thursday Thirteen Third Edition

My Thursday Thirteen is all about the flowers I’m waiting to see. Actually, the Crocus has made its appearance for the season. These are pictures from previous seasons. It seems that I could only find the beginning of the season on a few of them instead of the full bloom later in the season.

Last year we redid the landscaping in the backyard after we put in the pole barn. Some of the plants I bought from the nursery and have all the information on them, others are gifts from friends’ gardens. I really find a lot of peace and joy working in the garden in the early morning hours. The cooler temperatures with the sun just beginning its’ warming for the day. I find gardening a peaceful, solitary time to spend with my maker, surrounded by His creation.

1. Always a first sign of Spring. I love to see the Crocus pop up in the snow.

2. I received this Wave Petunia last year for Mother's Day and it thrived. It started as a regular hanging basket and in a couple of months it was touching the deck!

3. I think this is a Peony Rachel Ruby Red Double. It grows 30-36" high and spreads 30-36". It blooms for 2-4 weeks starting in late May.

4. Pansies always do well in our zone 5 weather.

5. Last year was the first year I tried a Morning Glory. It was just a little seedling and I waited and waited.. and when it finally got going in July it just took off.

6. I always try to plant Marigolds someplace. They don't require a lot of attention.

7. This picture was taken when we got home from Louisiana last Spring and the Irises were just about spent. I started with a bag full of tubers from my Mom about 20 years ago and every year I give away about a bushel of them! They just love my sandy soil.

8. Still waiting for this Hibiscus, Sweet Caroline to take off. It's supposed to get 4-5' high and spread 36-48". The Hibiscus is a sun loving plant. This variety has pink buds resembling rosebuds and open to light pink. It blooms 8-12 weeks starting July.

9. The Hosta Ultramarine grows 16-20" high and spreads 36-48". It is more of a shade partial shade plant. For about 2-4 weeks in July it has a lavender flower. These do really well if you want to plant them around the base of a tree.

10. This Foxglove, Camelot Lavender only looked this good when I brought it home from the nursery. It can reach 36-42" high and spreads 18-24". It likes sun to partial shade and blooms 2-4 weeks in late June. The lavender flowers have purple spots.

11. This beautiful Peony Gay Paree surprised me last year with a second full blooming! It gets 30-36" high and spreads 30-36". It's creamy white with pink petals and blooms for 2-4 weeks starting May. I love that the peony looks good as a green bush when not in bloom.

12. DayLily, Stella DeOro is another flowering plant that does well in our area. It reaches 16-20" and spreads 18-24". To get the most of the flowers it should get sun to partial shade. It blooms 8-12 weeks starting in July. I have some in a shady area too and get lots of leaves and a few flowers.

13. For the past several years I've done container gardening on my back deck. The idea when I started was that you can have the beauty with the simplicity. No dragging a hose and when I get home from work it was a quick 5 minutes to water everything. I've expanded my gardening, but still enjoy my annuals on the deck.


My list could go way beyond 13! Last year I went crazy in the after season sale. Coral Bells, Bee Balm, Hens & Chicks, Shasta Daisy and Coneflower, oh yeah, some ground cover called Blue Star Creeper. Can't wait to get out there and get some dirt under my fingernails. Just not the sort of girl that wears gloves.

So what flowers do your just love? I know different parts of the country and world have a lot of different varieties.

Be sure to check out other Thursday Thirteen participants.