In Bloom

There’s lots of color in our yard right now so I thought I’d share some pictures.  I loooooooooove having flowers in bloom, it makes things so cheerful and happy!  It’s the simple things, right?

Starting on the south side of the house, we have two large rose bushes.  They’re single knockouts.  I wish I had doubles but they came with the house so I can’t complain :)  I cut these way back last year, which was a pure joy, let me tell you!  Have I ever mentioned that cutting bushes with lots of thorns is just my favorite pastime??  At least the hard work paid off because this year they are absolutely full of blooms.

In the front, I have several potted plants with a variety of different flowers.  My favorites this year are the rich blue lobelia.  The clouds of flowers trail over the sides of the pots and make everything look cottagey and inviting.

In the back, I have a geranium that’s been with us for almost 5 years.  I just take him inside in the winter and he has life year ‘round.  He has tons of blooms right now…

…and several that are just about to pop.

I have a hard time picking my favorite thing, but the petunias I planted in the planter boxes on our deck steal my heart nearly every day.  They are wave petunias and I am completely sold on them.  I planted these about 3 weeks ago and they’ve more than tripled in size and there are too many blooms to count. I can’t wait for them to spill over the side of the planter boxes.  We’re getting close.  :)

I am pretty darn pumped about the two hydrangea plants in our backyard.  Over the last few years, they haven’t produced many blooms at all.  This is just one photo, but both plants are chocked full of buds that should bloom in the next few weeks!  YIPPEE!  This one is just starting to show her face to the world.  I wonder if it will stay white or go pink.  We shall see!

This purple plant comes back year after year in our backyard.  It’s not lavender, but it looks like it.  Not sure what it is but I like it. :)

And last but not least, this dianthus surprised me this year.  It’s known to be a perennial in warmer climates, but I didn’t expect it to come back after the harsh winter we had.  Luckily we have several little mounds of it in one of the beds in our backyard.  I think I’ll plant more next year because I just adore the vibrant color.

What’s blooming in your world?