*First, a Happy Father’s Day to Paul, the best dad two kids could ever wish for!
We had an incredible thunder-lightning-rainstorm last night which left the world very wet and humid this morning. I actually thought it would be great picture taking conditions since it’s pretty overcast. When I thought about what I’d photograph today I was surprised to realize I actually have a bit less blooming than I did a month ago-no more spring blooms, my same containers are still blooming, and it didn’t seem fair to count the perennials I just bought yesterday afternoon and plunked into the ground. My first stop was the pond, but I was shocked to find out that about 2/3 of the water in the pond was gone!! Our best theory is that the filter/fountain had tipped over and the gusts of wind were so strong last night that they just blew all the water from the fountain right out onto the ground. We’ve refilled and so far nothing looks too bad.
The day lilies (stella d’oro?) are such consistent bloomers. We’ll have these yellow blooms all summer long and in the fall I’ll divide them.
This spiderwort has really gotten large since we first planted it next to the pond a couple years ago. We actually planted it much too close to the edge and last year I hacked it apart and moved it and it has done just fine ever since. I’m astonished that these purple flowers are only open for a very short morning period.
The large hostas next to the pond have started to bloom. I’m actually not too crazy about the flowers that hosta produce.
This lovely little pale pink flower surprised me as I’d forgotten that I planted it at the end of last summer. Apparently it’s an evening primrose.
The Shasta daisies are starting to open up.
Here is a coneflower still a ways off from blooming, but it looks neat. I’m excited and puzzled about this because it is a large plant with many potential flowers and it is growing right next to the driveway, where I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have planted one. And yet, the one I know for sure we planted looks puny.
Beautiful white lilies
This petunia is in a container with other pretty plants. I’m liking it so much I wish I’d gotten more petunias!
And finally, here is a container that is planted with portulaca. It doesn’t look so great right now (I’m hoping the portulaca might drape down a bit more), but I’m ever so pleased I’ve finally got something in it. This funky little container is a souvenir of a trip my good friend and I took down south. It was a road trip of exploring and checking out new places (oh the things we ate!) and our ramblings took us into a little garden center somewhere in South Carolina. It was a charming store and this was a wonderful thing to buy for myself because not only is it a nice planter, but it is also a great reminder of our trip!
Hopefully I’ll have some new visitors to my blog today, so I’m going to throw this gardening question out there and perhaps someone can help me out: What do I do with the dead and ratty looking blooms on my iris and peonies? Can I safely cut the tops off of all of them? The limp wet brown petals are really unsightly.
Thanks for dropping by!
So what? Sew buttons! 
What beautiful blooms, even if they’re not as numerous as your May blossoms! And I love the way you garden, how you’re always like, “Wait a sec — did I plant this? I have no idea.” 😀
Your photos are so nice – everything is beautiful. I am envious of your white lillies, they look like Casablancas. I bet they smell gorgeous.
As for your dead blooms, I hope you can cut them off as I did just that to mine on Saturday (at least I started, the rain prevented me from finishing.)
Happy Gardening !
You cut off the dead and ratty old blooms on irises (called scapes) and peonies. They will now look attractive all season. If you don’t, it is ok too but the plant will put energy into growing seeds, when I prefer mine to put energy into growing new foliage. Good luck!
I love the bearded irises so much that it is worth it to me to visit them daily and snap off the spent blossoms so they keep looking stately and gorgeous all the way to the last blossom. There is a little skill involved in snapping off the mushy ones without taking the good ones along, but a few missnaps will help you to get the hang of it. After they stop blooming, you can cut off the stalk at the base and enjoy the swordlike leaves.
Thanks for joining in for bloom day! Indeed, that looks like a ‘Stella D’Oro’ daylily, I have a lot of them because I have dug and divided them several times.
On the peonies and irises, yes, dead-head them. Throw the irises in the compost bin, but throw the peonies away in the trash. Peonies are very susceptible to a disease called botrytis, and so it is better to throw away the spent blooms, in case they have any disease.
Another lovely bloom day at stately Sew Buttons manor! I absolutely love lilies; the day lilies and the white ones are stunning! Also, we had a portulaca one year on a small patio table and it draped all over the sides so wonderfully. I’m keeping my fingers crossed for yours!
Thanks everyone for the nice comments and the deadheading advice. I will get out there tomorrow and get rid of all those ugly brown things!
For gardening advice I’m not very useful, but what a spectacular collection of blooming flowers! I love your evening primrose, and the coneflower is just beautiful! Taking a stroll in your garden must be such a delight! 🙂
Hi again Sarah – thanks for your very good question on my blog! I don’t know why I assumed that anyone would know what baby psalm singing (LOL – direct translation of a Danish word – I must have been tired!) was. I have posted a reply to you in my comments, which I think answers it. And a wonderful day to you too! 😉