Wow, Betty Boop is putting up a wonderful show. The Victoria California lilac is ultra charming. And a bee brooch to set its blooms off too, now how cute is that!

The Wisteria draped alongside the Scent from Above is also a very wonderful effect as well!

Happy Pre-Memorial Day, Boxo! I'm sure Grandmother will be thrilled with her upcoming bouquet!

Beautiful photos of a beautiful garden. I love the gates, too.

Hey thanks KG :-) I knew you would love that bee. I think I told you there was a Victoria on either side of the swing and things are always buzzing when it's in bloom. It's a sweet vanilla fragrance so that5 is enjoyable as well. Lyda and the wisteria are really stinking up the joint in a good way ;-) The Easies are just starting along with the Abes so I'm, hoping I gots enuff for the gravesides. Plus I have the Scents, the Royal Golds, and the Golden Showers as fillers plus I have tons of Lyda clusters....

Thanks Kathy, I have really been admiring your postings lately and haven't had a chance to comment.

Well, the bee is absolutely wonderful, if only my garden could feed my current bees so that they could be healthy and strong like yours! I finally saw a few, but they are so thin and fragile as if they had been STARVED. And no bumblebees; they may have drowned from the non-stop rains that have been flooding Kansas City.

Boxo, I was spacing out and FORGOT to mention how much I also enjoy the new updated photos of Joseph's Coat too, and ah, the Pearly Gates, too (emblazoned with my favorite color of all-copper) :)

I just can't believe how long your rhodies are lasting too! They are so gorgeous and long-lived. Mine poop out in just a week, SHEESH! I've got such a limping-along garden, lol! Anyway, I'm looking forward to some FANTASTIC BOUQUETS!

Spring was my favorite season in Portland. Your rhododendrons are a major reason. Lovely shot.

Betty Boop is looking oh so refined!

Rhodies. Another reason to move.
Renee

Have a great Holiday Boxofrox! As usual your garden, roses, and plants look great!

KG, Did you see how much pollen was in them saddlebags ? I'm thinking ceanothus honey would be quite tasty ;-)

Iris and Renee, I agree on the rhodies....in a way they're kind of like roses. As long as you have the right one in the right spot they can be awesome but just to plop them anywhere and everywhere because it's the PNW...............NOT!!!!! They can become a bit garrish when they're 20' tall and hot pink and in the front yard :-( My general rule of thumb is either none or only small rhodie/azalea in the front yard and timed sequential bloom everywhere so they don't all come and then have to all be deadheaded at once. My first comes in late March and my last is just starting now.

Jim, Thanks and you have a great holiday as well. I'm kind of excited because both of my new ones.....Sheila's Perfume and Double Delight should bloom for the first time over the 3 day. I'm also going to my nieces to build a custom corner trellis on the end of her deck that will have two Cecille's, a Royal Sunset and a Dream Weaver along with 4 clematis.

Here's a couple more from the sog and the fog...............

Dark Lady

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Jonathan Shaw

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Royal Gold

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Pond to Front

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Oh, goodness, you had me on my side rolling. ROFL! Saddlebags, I didn't notice I was just enamored by the sweet bee's lovely shape and stripes and cute little wings. She is loaded to the max like Calamity Jane! Just like you described, hahaha! What a hard worker she is! She definitely found a cornucopia of feasts in your beautiful flowers.

Your view of the pond just takes my breath away! And so does Royal Gold and Jonathan Shaw! You will have to take photos for me of your nieces Royal Sunset, I'm thinking it's a graft right? since I'm sure you want a fast start to making your niece's garden as colorful as possible in the shortest amount of time. My own-root Royal Sunset is also very new, but since it's so new to my garden, I can tell that it's got a long ways to go before it's ready to bloom.

Your pictures are quite nice. The rhododendrons are always so showy. One item of curiosity is the California lilac. Does it smell like the regular lilacs?

Bustopher,

Thanks and no, they are totally different. Ceanothus (California lilac) has more of a vanilla/honey scent and when they are in full bloom there are hundreds of thousands of blossoms per shrub. I'd compare the bloom size to one of those rootbeer barrel candies ;-) My favorite ceanothus variety is called Julia Phelps. It's bloom is darker and quite stunning.

KG,

Yes they are grafts, they have Palatine tags and are tall 5's. They are well budded now so it shouldn't be too long before they bloom. Niecling wants her privacy back sooner than later so bands were not considered part of the equation. The trellis is going to be of 3/4" cedar @ 6" squares and will also incorporate some bench/planters they bought. I'll take some pics, I'm also thinking her Pretty Jessica is about ready ;-)

whoo-hoo! more roses to drool over! I am looking forward to the photos!

Your roses and gardens are so beautiful. And I have never seen that lovely blue blooming shrub California Lilac. I have never heard of it but its gorgous. Love that blue color.

Thanks Rita :-)

They are quite common out here on the left coast. I will have to get a better picture of it when it is in full bloom. They are quite different. People also love them because they are very drought tolerant, in fact in my PNW garden they get virtually no water other than what falls naturally from the sky. I have a total of 4 of them spread throughout my landscape.