Finally, something new!

Yes, I'm a terribly blogger. I admit it. But in case anybody is still visiting my sad little blog, anxiously awaiting something, anything new, I'll throw you a bone: some pictures of my garden, which as of mid-June is starting to reach its peak. First, a view of the garden itself:



Here are closeup photos of some of the things that are growing and blooming in my garden. First, you can't beat Asclepias tuberosa for bright orange (although I find that "butterly weed" is not particularly good at attracting butterflies; I rely on butterfly bush for that!):



Lilium regale, like so many perennials in this climate all too short-lived but the fragrance is very nice, especially in the evening, and not overpowering or cloying as with so many lilies; this clump is about 4 years old and has gotten bigger, taller, and produced many more flowers the older it gets:



Of course the asiatic lilies have no fragrance but still brighten the late spring/early summer garden (note the dark-leafed mimosa, a volunteer seedling, in the background):



This cultivar of culinary sage (I forget which one) of culinary sage has never bloomed in 3 years but has the best foliage by far of all the ones I've tried, even in the dead of summer when most others look pretty ragged:



One of my fatsias:



and another fatsia (this is the one that has bloomed the last 2 years in a row; note also the Spigelia marilandica, which for some reason is flopping all over the place this year):



And finally, the hardy palms, planted far too close together and crowding each other out; I will have to move a couple of them next spring:



Despite the mild winter, and a minimum of damage my palms have been slow getting started this year. Here's one of my T. wagnerianus, showing the only foliar damage I have ever seen on this plant (the half-emerged spear didn't pull, but was badly damaged about halfway down although the tips was still green):