What's New in the Garden Today?

Today, I strolled the backyard with my camera. The vines are looking nice. This is called a Virginia Creeper, or parthenocissus quinquefolia. It will turn a wonderful shade of red in the fall. But I don't mind waiting; we just got a start to the gardening season.



This Honeysuckle is on a trellis on the back of the garage. I love the warm yellow color with the contrasting rusty orange. Also known as Woodbine, its botanical name is lonicera periclymenum.



Soon it will be heavy with hummingbird activity. I know they're active already. I've seen a few but I didn't have the camera at that time.



This variety of honeysuckle is called "Harlequin." The leaves are variegated with occasional pink areas and the flowers are cream and pink moving to rose. It's somewhat of a slow-grower in this area, but that makes it a little easier than some vines to manage.



On the fence is a nice climber called variegated porcelain vine or ampelopsis. I prefer "Elegans." And it is just that -- elegant. It, too, will have a splash of pink on the leaves all summer long.



If you look closely, you can see the pink coloring on the new leaves and tendrils.



Where have all the bees gone, you say? They're right here on my meadow sage, or blue salvia, called "May Night." On this salvia nemorosa, I found three different types of bees, all very content to sample its nectar, collecting its pollen as it works.



The first blossoms of my Siberian iris! Soon the red poppy will open next to this gorgeous purple, just in time for Memorial Day as it does every year. How does it know? Does it have a calendar, too? This color scheme reminds me of my Red Hat Society. Hello, ladies.



And last but not least a dwarf Jonathan apple tree. Look, two little apples! Why am I so excited? We have been trying for years, and the rabbits keep eating the trees before they get started. Each year we wrap the trunks and put cages around them to the lowest branches. And each year the snow gets so deep that the rabbits walk across the top, eating what they can reach, destroying the bark. We have two Jonathans and one Red Delicious left. This might be the last effort. So keep your fingers crossed for me. Looks like I need to spray as well as pray, although I was hoping to keep it organic. We'll see.

Gardening is a kind of self-prescribed medicine, good for all ills. Sheryl London