I love your Columbine Invasion and your poppies and your lupines. I really love that picture by the porch rail.

That is just beautiful! What a green thumb you have!
kay

Thanks for the compliments girls!
Anyone with an idea of pic #4? If it doesn't bloom soon, I'm going to pull it. I don't remember planting it, so I'm guessing it might be a weed.
I know #5 is definitely not a weed, but I forgot what it is!! Here are the pics in question:
Am I A Weed?
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What am I?
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My gardening approach always lends itself to many surprises!
Pray for a season full of sunshine and sprinkled with showers!!
Will post more pics soon!
Jo

BEAUTIFUL! Love all your columbines, this seems to be a good year for them cuz mine are HUGE! I sure need a pink/purple/red one now that I see yours, heh heh! Such pretty irises too! Good job growing that maple from seed, it is pretty healthy looking!

Honestly, I don't know what either is. Sorry.

Your unknown reminds me of a penstemon. I'd guess that the other one is maybe liatris.

I think the first is a weed- maybe ragweed? You can wait until it blooms to find out. I guess liatris too.
Renee

Looks like phlox and liatris.
K.

Every picture is lovely. Columbines are so flirty, aren't they? I just love them. That bright red lily is a knockout. Great photos.

Thanks for the responses.
The big red flower is an amaryllis. I like them to bloom in the spring, so they are kept dormant from Sept-April.
Yes, it is liatris. I now remember moving it last Autumn.
I will look up ragweed to compare to my mystery plant.
I would love to hear from others about how/what they do when you notice volunteers that are in a "not so good" place. I try and move things in the Autumn, but I have some plants that I know will need to be moved before that. For instance, I have a mass of cleome seedlings that popped up in the front of one of my beds. I'm thinking of digging up clumps of them now and relocating. Do you all just pick a cloudy day and relocate? I have a small yard, but a TON of stuff!! I really need to quit my job and make the yard a full time occupation! Unfortunately, my husband does not agree!!

I have an unknown plant coming up in my yard that looks like your #4 too... I'm thinking it's probably a weed too, although phlox did cross my mind, but I'm just going to wait a little while longer and see if it gives me anymore clues. If yours blooms or you figure it out, let me know!! ;)

Very pretty pics! I love columbine and you have some very nice ones.

As to volunteers I don't immediately recognize I usually let them flower, then pull if they are a noxious weed. I move a lot of small volunteers every spring, pot them up, or compost, depends on which plant and how tolerant I feel at the moment. Right now I still have dozens of plants and seedlings I've potted up waiting for their place. However, a lot of lamb's ears, feverfew, shasta, and even a few columbine seedlings have been composted this year as I am seriously editing my garden. I'm also giving away a lot but allowing self-seeding can lead to chaos.

#4 is a weed and once established is difficult to get rid of. I was always yanking out in my flower beds in Oregon.

But I do what you do if I don't recognize a plant. I have to let it grow a little until I decided whether or not it's a keeper.

I have a wild phlox that weeds itself in my yard. I let them grow around the edges by the woods until they bloom. Its a short bloom time like most wild flowers, quite nice, but not something that makes sense in most beds.

Are those columbine really 4-5ft. tall? or is the angle of the photo. They look twice the size of mine - they are beauties!.

They are really 4-5 feet tall!! I can't believe it. Maybe it was the ton of snow and rain we got this year?
Unfortunately, I moved my poor astillbe to the back of the bed last year, figuring the flowers would be taller than the columbine. Well, guess I'll be moving it to the front of the bed this Fall!!
It is buried!!
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I can share some seed, if you are interested. It's probably a "mystery-mix"!!
Jo

Could #4 be verbena bonariensis? It has a square stem.

Lovely pics. Sooo jealous of your columbines! I think mine must need more sun.

Scorpgirl - I would love some seeds of those columbine! I dont get a lot of self seeding on mine. I sow a batch almost every year, so that they keep on coming. They are quickly becoming one of my favorite flowers. You can email me through my members page. - Geof

OK, what steroids are you feeding those columbine?!! Holy cow they are huge and beautiful! I wonder if your astilbe will just muscle its way through the columbine when it's ready to bloom. The columbine foliage is so airy it might be a nice combination when the astilbe is blooming.

I actually switched fertilizers this year. My mom has 1 rose bush and I just couldn't see buying a 20 lb. bag of something labeled "rose food". I found a small bag of Colorburst bloom booster. I took the rest home.
I have to tell you, my mother's flowers look incredible this year. Probably the best I have ever seen them.
I wonder if this food is partly to blame for my columbines getting so huge?
I do have a million buds on my clematis, so who knows?
I think I will use the Colorburst for all my flowering plants, from now on.
Enjoy your week-end everyone!
Jo

Scorpgirl - Thanks for the email offering columbine seed. When I tried to reply, my E-mail was bounced from your account. You must have your settings pretty tight.

Sorry Geof,
I changed my settings.
Give it another shot.
Jo