Beauty in the Garden

With all the rain the iris are looking great. This Orris root iris was a present from Jane. The roots are dried and ground to make a fixative for potpourri, but not by me. I like the flowers too much.

The sweet cicely, Myrrhis odorata is beginning to bloom. I have already harvested some leaves to mix with fruit, reducing the need for sugar , but it's the green seeds that I watch for so that I can chop them into fruit salad. The have a delightful licorice flavor that adds a special sweetness. I've tried freezing them for later use , but like so many things they are best fresh.

The first two beautiful blue flax flowers on my Linium perenne are a welcome sight. I can't say enough about this plant. These lovely blue flowers will last one day, but tomorrow and tomorrow... new flowers will appear. The delicate foliage makes for a graceful plant that is gorgeous for a very long time.

Last year Ed transplanted a wild columbine from the woods to the shade garden. This plant is usually delicate with one or two flower stems. Ed's super soil obviously had a big impact on this plant. It's putting on quite a display. It must be happy there.

We were delighted to see a red-bellied woodpecker in the garden this morning. From what we could tell it was a female. The black and white speckled feathers on her back were magnificent. Sorry I couldn't get a picture.

Both Ed and I did some morning weeding. We made some good progress, but as soon as things dried off, Ed tackled the meadow grass with his mower. It's very long and will have to be raked. Thank goodness Ed likes to do it.