What we saw on our summer vacation

While we were in Lincoln, NE last week visiting my sister, we went to the Sunken Gardens and the Hamann Rose Garden. Here are a few of the things we saw.

Red Velvet Yarrow - I would love, love, love to get some of this.



Variegated iris:



Bee Balm:



Lady's Mantle (I planted this a couple of years ago in our gardens, and it didn't come back):



Some seriously happy Coral Bells, and a bumblebee doing it's thing on them:





Blooming Hens and Chicks!



Turtle baby statue:



I love old fashioned, white hydrangea:



And, hail - eek!

Rainy, humid update

Blech. Humid and grey. Not the best day to be in the garden for me, but the bugs sure seem to be enjoying it. Some new things blooming:

Rudbeckia - I planted these a few years ago, the second year they were gone, I thought oh, well but no, now they come back each year, in different spots, so I guess they are reseeding themselves.



White Astilbe is looking good. The pink is hidden under the hydrangea and daylilies, I need to mark it somehow so I can move it come fall.



These pink lilies are doing their thing quite nicely:



And here's a colorful wide shot of hydrangea, daylilies, yarrow and rose campion:

Our visitor of late

Weird, right? More white than black. Hmm.

On the verge of blooming

Walking around the gardens tonight I realized that sometimes things on the verge of blooming can be just as beautiful as the full bloom.

Bellflower:



Daisy:



Yarrow:



The one I can never remember the name of, and I need to move because the daylilies are shading and crowding it:



Hydrangea:



Hydrangea from Steve's Oma (finally, it will bloom!):



Astilbe:



Rudbeckia:



And, of course, the rose:

Pretty white blooms

Happy Anniversary to Lisa and Guy! 15 (or 14?) years ago today they got married and gave this Silky Dogwood as wedding favors:



The Snow on the Mountain that we brought with us from Cold Spring is also in bloom (yes, that is Chocolate Mint mixed in there):