Everything looks great, Cindy. Would you be kind enough to ID the roses? And those gorgeous blue iris?

Kay

Sure the first striped rose is "4th of July" it really is a lovely thing. The big English one is "Eglantyne" and the large climber is one of the Canadian Explorer series. I have both John Cabot and William Baffin and am not exactly sure which is which they are very similar.

I don't know that blue iris!! It is a very old one I got long ago. I love iris and have loads this was an especially good year. The pink one which is very prolific and I have in big masses is "Vanity".

It all looks really lovely. Welcome back.
Cher

WOW!!! Your gardens are absolutely lovely!! Iespecially like your deck area- it is lush, soothing, and clean. What are the mounding shrubs in that area? (One is underneath the Japanese Maple).

Gorgeous, gorgeous, did I say gorgeous :).

Annette

Welcome back.

Everything looks wonderful.

I think I have the 4th of July rose, or one similar. It was here when I bought the house.

Very refreshing to see every thing so green.

Kathy

:). Those are three Japanese maples on the deck photo a taller red one, the thread leaf red to the left and the mounting green is a verdigris thread leaf that is actually planted behind the deck. The two red ones are in circular holes on the deck itself. Those are a spireas in the foreground.

That whole planting worked so well it is ultimate easy care, they are protected back there and it is sort of the NE exposure. We have a big two story room above that lower deck with a big window that looks out to the slope behind the house so it's very pretty from inside. Plus it is ultimate easy care. I have hostas around the maples in the holes on the deck and I do nothing at all to them for maintenance.

There are big hydrangeas further along behind the deck love those, too Annabelle and Oakleaf.

It's so good when things work.

The green verdigris maple was a memory plant from my friends at work after my mother died. It makes me happy that it is happy.

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One more photo. My husband, Rick, showing a fish to our princess shih tzu, Muffin, on the dock by our pond.

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A pond! A dock! A glass of red in the evening!

I am green with envy.

What a slice of heaven! Absolutely gorgeous!

Metaphorically, Cindy, I think you can expect the entire lot of us to show up at the end of your dock any time now, wine glass in hand, taking off our shoes and socks and dangling our feet in the pond.

Kay

You have your own little paradise! It's all very beautiful.

Heavenly!!! Your gardens and entire property is fabulous! I also would love your secret with those glorious African Violets! With all of my gardening success and failures I can not grow a blooming violet! any helpful suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Lesley

Smile. It really is paradise but it is a lot of work. I wish I had about 1/3 of it would be plenty to maintain. I think about how to downsize all the time but the work to downsize is so much work I keep plodding along.

I am really happy with those violets!! Heck I bought them at Walmart and repotted them into the larger blue and white pots using African violet potting mix. I water them about weekly making a best effort to dump in the pot not on the leaves and usually put a couple drops of that violet food you pick up and just drop in.

I think a lot of it is getting them in the right place. They are really happy on that table where they get indirect but a lot of light. They have quit blooming a couple times for a few weeks but come out again in glory.

I love them....so old fashioned.

Kay, whaddaya mean, "metaphorically"? I am ready for a road trip! Anyone else? :-)

Cynthia

I just love garden visitors. I'll chill the white and get a couple bottles of red, tea and cookies something for everybody. :)

Oh my I cant believe how beautiful your gardens are! And your dog is so cute! I just love seeing other peoples gardens. So delightful!
Welcome back!

I know I said it before Cindy, but your house is simply lovely. Your wonderful gardens match it in beauty! You have done a great job. What is the dark burgundy plant in pic #3? Peony of some kind? Your veggies are doing great too. At this point my poor little Tuscan kales are about two inches tall, LOL.

My favorite picture is the second with the light streaming in over your property. It may sound odd, but there is something magical about early morning light on a garden to me!

Thanks for sharing Cindy- and don't be such a stranger 'round these parts! ;-)
CMK

Thanks, Chris. :). I, too love the early morning light when I think the garden and photography are at its best. That is indeed a peony, one of the early hybrids, Buckeye Belle.

So pretty! House and garden and deck! that is a nice area, My husband's family is from Springfield IL but I don't think anyone from the family lives there anymore.
roseberri