Last summer's garden, spring, and a moon garden

If any of you are as ready for spring as I am - these photos will give you hope!  Snow has covered our ground for so long, it seems like we'll never see the grass again.  Well, here are a few pictures to remind us that those flowers will be poking through the ground in Wisconsin in about 10 weeks.  I can't wait for a fresh load of mushroom compost to be delivered to top off my gardens.  These days I'm dreaming of the smell of thawing earth,  the rhythmic sound of my sprinkler, followed by lawnmowers humming,  and the scent of freshly cut grass.  It IS coming!

 I made the walking stones by cutting out a circle of sod and pouring in a bucketful of cement.  Then I pressed in a design with pebbles and shells, or "drew" a design in the cement with a stick.  This is a lot easier and faster than forming walking stones in a mold.  Over the years, mine have sunk a bit.  They'll need to be dug up this spring and have a little soil or gravel added underneath.

Black and Blue Salvia

 Fairy Candles (also known as Cimicifuga Racemosa, Black Cohosh, or Black Snakeroot)

 For the past two summers, we've had wrens in this little, beat up birdhouse.  They don't seem to mind that there's a hole in their roof.

 Honeysuckle vine

 Raspberry colored Bee Balm (Monarda)

My trumpet vine that took about 5 years to finally blossom - worth the wait!

And now, a couple flowers I want to add to my garden this summer . . .

RANUNCULUS
I love to paint these and I would really love to grow them.  In particular, I'd like to grow the Tecolote Ranunculus.  They are known for their long, straight stems which will be great in arrangments.  They also have a long vase-life and the shades are described as "mouthwatering"!  I think these may be my new favorite flower!


         

    

And, DAHLIAS.

         

                 

And lastly, I'd like to plant a "Moon Garden" (a special garden designed to be seen at dusk and into the night, usually with all white flowers).  There's nothing like loads of white flowers glowing at dusk.  According to some sources, "night blooming flowers use their light reflecting properties and fragrance to attract insects for pollination.  They reflect the moonlight and advertise their beauty to passing moths and other insects.  Pandorus Sphinx Moths are the primary pollinators of night blooming flowers".   These moths love to hover around my Bee Balm on summer nights - they are quite large and look like hummingbirds!



      

           

        
The night blooming "Cereus" has been dubbed "the queen of the night" by gardeners.


Crinum

White Impatients


Summer Phlox


White Althea



Put them all together and you get a
BEAUTIFUL MOON GARDEN!