Springtime at the Golla Retreat

Originally, I intended to post a smoothie recipe today.

But that's not happening.

Why?

Because it looked like day old guacamole and tasted like crap. Sorry, but I won't do that to y'all. The picture looked pretty, which was why I made it to begin with. But they lied . . . and used a decoy picture. Not nice, people, not nice!

So here a few pictures from my late-blooming garden. We're about 4-6 weeks behind from where we were in the blooming process last year.

I just hope the intense heat keeps away this summer. Here's a picture of my yard when I look out my writing window. Sorry, it's so gloomy, but we had just been rained on and it was cloudy when I took these pictures yesterday morning. As you can see, my roses (along the fence to the right) aren't anywhere close to blooming. I cut them way back this year, so it took them longer to set their buds.

 

 

These are a few of my mini roses that have started blooming. They are alongside the pool deck. I don't remember all the names of my roses, but I think they are. . .

 

Lemon Drop

 Little Sizzler

 Dancing Flame

My clematis

Batik iris (Moonlight Scentsation rose is budded out next to it)

Some cool looking evergreen ground cover that blooms blue flowers. ;-) (next to mini Alberta pine by fireplace)

And various columbines. Alas I don't know the names of these either. The pale lavender and purple ones self-sow, so they are in a different location every year. The pink/maroon one seemed to come back from its rootstock. An astilbe is the purply plant in front and the plague from hell--cinnamon fern--is behind it.

And that's about all that's growing in my yard . . . oh, there is a hosta--Guacamole--in this bottom picture. And if you think I don't have garden pests . . . I do. I just didn't take a picture of my poor Rose of Sharon bush. It had aphids last year, but I found some ladybugs to nosh on them. This year it's been so cool, I haven't seen any ladybugs to collect!

Plus we have gophers and moles we're trying to encourage to visit our neighbor's yards instead of ours. I did plant some garlic chives in the side yard, and I think the gopher didn't like the smell of them. If they stop tunneling there, then I might have to break up the clump and plant it in various locations in the yard!

I hope you have a good weekend, Peeps! It's Mother's Day so do something nice for the woman who incubated you for 9 months before she took care of you for the subsequent 18+ years.

I know what I'm going to do--I have numerous annuals to plant in my bare places and in six pots that decorate my deck.

Later, Peeps!

Rancunculus

Rancunculus (not mine)

Okay, I love that name. Ran-cun-cul-us. It's a fun name. And a beautiful flower. I love the rows and rows of petals.

For years, I've lusted after a rancunculus. I'd only seen them in the gardening catalogs, but I loved the the thickness and depth to the flower petals.

Last April, I finally found and bought five rancunculus at the local Lowes.

And then we had an incredibly hot summer and they died. I was totally bummed. But not too surprised. Many plants are annuals in Oklahoma, either because our winters are too cold, or our summers are too hot. Last summer was way too hot. Surprisingly I only lost one evergreen shrub.

rancunculus to the right of the fireplace

Anyhoo, in January, little green mounds popped up under our weeping blue atlas cedar tree next to our outdoor fireplace.

Rancunculus between spirea (left) and blue cedar atlas (right)

Of course, the yellow ones seem to be the most hardy . . . plus they don't seem to be as attractive to the fuzzy pup as the white one!

yellow rancunculus

And there they are--my rancunculus--Oklahoma perennials. I'm just excited that they decided to come back again . . . now to keep the dog from decapitating them  and playing with the flowers. *sigh*
I'll enjoy them while they bloom, happy to know they are Oklahoma perennials.

Later!

Oh, LOST LEPRECHAUN LOOT and TO GNOME ME IS TO LOVE ME is still free on Amazon thru Sunday! Spread the word and the link! Thanks!