The first cosmos bloomed today.

The first of my beloved cosmos bloomed today.  Hopefully, it is the first of many.

Alex hanging out while I work on back wall of Labyrinth Garden

I have been focused on structural additions to the Labyrinth Garden this year.  The photos of my progress aren’t very pretty but I’m going to include a few for the record.  The photo above is Alex hanging out while I add concrete bricks to reinforce the outer wall of the Labyrinth.  I’ve got four blocks in, only the first one has a cap so far.  This is the bed where I buried so many bulbs earlier this year.  The blocks stacked on top with jute rope at the left are part of the support rigged up to straighten the Bradford Pear tree as it grows. I’ve included a better view of the 4 bricks below.  They will all be capped and potted plants set on top of them by the time the wall is finished.

Back wall of Labyrinth, lining bub bed, 4 bricks in place so far.

Red rose blooms.

My red rose bush next to the chimnea is really blooming well.  I forgot to cut it back in February and didn’t prune it until April, but every branch has a bouquet of roses.

Hollyhock sprig.

I have enjoyed the hollyhock so well in my garden this year.  I had forgotten I had planted them until they started coming up, but they continue to get prettier and prettier as spring rolls by.  They have formed a beautiful semicircle around the oak tree.  I’m not quite sure what has happened to the perennials that usually bloom in this part of the garden.  Perhaps they are taking a rest this year.  It’s nice that the garden is constantly changing, but it is sad when plants I consider “old friends” fail to return.

Hollyhocks gather around an oak

"Good side" of the recycled pot.

Blemished side of strawberry pot

The solution to blemishes is not to throw away the pot, but just turn the blemish to the wall. or install a bushy plant that mostly covers up the pot. I haven’t yet decided what I want to plant in it. 

Late-blooming daffodil

This tiny daffodil bloomed late.  It is white with a center that is green, yellow, and red.  I remember planting the bulbs but cannot find the labels so I don’t know its name.  But it is nice to have daffodils so late in the spring.

Pink climbing roses covering trellis

For a long time I thought these roses were not going to spread very far.  They were given to me by my friend Marilene 2 years ago I think, maybe 3.  They have remained green but have only grown a few feet.  This year, they are growing like wildfire.  I had this little 3-foot trellis to support them, but they are going to have to have much more than that!  The vines are growing across the labyrinth paths.

Sedum in bloom

I first posted a photo of these sedums in July 18, 2009.  Until today, all my sedums and succulents were still behind the back labyrinth bed wall surrounded by bags of leaves.  I have been a bit slow this year in restoring order.  Some of them were in sad shape due to having too much shade.  But this Lemon Coral sedum has grown like wildfire and bloomed yellow, with a couple of  light green Trailing Jade succulents holding their own.  The dark green Miniature Pine Tree succulent that was also in this pot had been transplanted before winter and also survived.

Angel at labyrinth center with her platter of stones from Sedona

This angel has a little platter to hold water or seed.  Most often it was left empty and I always thought it would be fun to fill it with something.  Stones from Mount Baldy near Glorietta NM are buried in the inner ring of the labyrinth and I considered digging them up to put here.  But then I had a better idea.  I was in Sedona AZ last week and selected some pretty stones just to put in here, along with a dragonfly charm and a hummingbird charm.  The large green stone in the back is emerald.  The multicolored stones on either side are bornite.  The turquiose is amazonite.  The three small green stones are Peridot, the light blue crystal is Blue Calcite.  The two royal blue are Azurite.  Then there are several clear time link and window crystals.  They are a wonderful reminder of Sedona’s beauty.

Peach daffodil is unusual, most of mine are yellow.

I found one peach daffodil this year in the Labyrinth Garden.  Most daffodils here are some shade of yellow, but this one was a pretty peach.