I'm loving all the pictures! So many beautiful plants. If we're not careful we're all going to have huge wish lists!!!

Seil, you read my mind...I was hoping someone would post a picture with poppies...they always make me smile! I looked for one to post earlier in the thread, but I only had a couple of crappy poppy pics. Here's a pic of my beloved Easter lily instead. A gift from the church when my dad died 4 years ago, it has flourished and spread to a nice sized clump now. I look forward to seeing it bloom each year. If this cold winter we are having kills it, I will cry...

This post was edited by pat_bamaZ7 on Fri, Jan 24, 14 at 18:35

This HAS been a nice thread. It's always good to see pictures of roses, even better though to see them growing in gardens amongst other beautiful plants. And some very lovely gardens are featured here.

My poppy contribution.

Beautiful Sidos-House...thanks! I see that the bees love your poppies as much as I do :)
Looked again at my poppy pics, but they were taken on my old cell phone and really are crappy, so I'll spare y'all.

Thanks, Pat. My love for lilies rivals my love for roses and yours looks exquisite. It's amazing what a lily will do when it's happy.

All of the pictures here have been really inspiring!

I'm enjoying all these glimpses from your gardens so much, and getting some inspiration for spring plantings, too.
Kate, that Vanilla Strawberry is yummy like its name. I love the color combination. I only grow plain old yellow Asiatic lilies, so I'm envious of your beauties in all the color shades I like best. The peony is just adorable. You have a real talent in putting together many plants in a most charming cottagy way.
Pat, that last hydrangea you posted is beautiful, too. I like the subtle shading of the soft blues. I think I'm starting to get hydrangea fever. They're sold around here, but I just don't think our alkaline soil and hot, dry, and sunny summers would agree with them. Do hydrangeas prefer acidic soil? Should I give one a try? What do all of you think?
Seil, I love your cheerful poppies, too. I haven't grown them in years. I'm thinking of trying some lavender ones--saw the seed on ebay. Has anyone tried "Lauren's Grape" poppies?
Pat, I do hope your lilies make it through this nasty winter to bring you beauty and good memories this spring.
Sidos, Thanks for another lovely poppy pic. I'm definitely getting those poppy seeds!
Here's a photo of my favorite hibiscus, "Fantasia". Hibiscus do well here, thank heaven. Diane

This is a pic of my Snowball viburnum, the closest thing I have to a hydrangea. Diane

I grow hollyhocks all over the place, and they're all double and in the most amazing color shades. Sometimes I think they are as lovely as roses. Here's one for you to see. Diane

Sidos...I love your poppy. I have never had luck with them, but maybe I should try them again.That is an outstanding picture of your Easter Lily,Pat. I so hope this weather will do no harm. I think lilies add so much to a garden and they easily fit in small places. Unfortunately, I have had a terrible problem with voles. They ate many of my bulbs and I am trying to decide if I will replace them. Some were very special.I am enjoying all these garden shots so much. More snow coming tonight and the high was 11 today! Lesley

I've been trying to get one last pic up, but GW keeps rejecting them--files too big. Here's Ascot with some lavender. Diane

I am having trouble too, posting my pictures from flickr. I never had that problem before.

What joy a garden brings! That is such a pretty hibiscus, Diane. The grow like monsters here. How old is your viburnum? In the picture it looks like it must be gigantic. I would imagine you don't have such a problem with rust on the foliage of your hollyhocks in your climate. They sure are pretty. I've chosen some seed this year that resembles the one you pictured.

Leslie, is that muscadet? I didn't know you had voles! I had some in my garden last winter along with mice. They ate almost all of my Angelique Tulips but didn't touch the lilies.

I tried for many years to grow poppies with no luck. And then one year, I could. My first poppy was Lauren's Grape. It has naturalized in my garden now and they are smaller than they used to be because I don't do a good job of thinning or selecting. I also really like the Angel's Choir mix of shirley poppies from Renee's Seeds.

Another Lauren's Grape.

It gets a little crazy.

Poppies, viburnum, hollyhocks--I love them all! For years I had pink Oriental poppies--but the past couple years, they faded away. I'm really beginning to wonder about my garden--old-timers seem to be fading away these past couple years. Hmmm--. Planted some new Orientals there--more vivid purplish color if I remember correctly, but they didn't bloom their first year. Will be curious to see what they do this coming summer.

About hydrangeas, I think you can grow them. On the macros, the color will be determined by how acidic or alkaline the soil is, which means you would probably have to add some aluminum sulfate to your soil to change the pink ones to blue--but the pinks are lovely too. Other hydrangeas like Annabelle (white) don't have a soil preference that I'm aware of, nor do my paniculatas like Vanilla Strawberry. It's just if you want blue macros that the alkalinity of the soil would be a problem.

Hey, Nana--Ascot is amazing!

Kate

All the different flowers are so beautiful. Diane, love your hibiscus and what a pretty hollyhock! Love the poppies too. Lilies are always special. Everyone's flowers are wonderful!

Diane, Hollyhocks were one of my first lessons in patience as a gardener. I remember planting a six pack of tiny little âÂÂChaterâÂÂs Double Mixâ in my first garden and having to wait patiently until the next summer to see what colors I had. As Sidos-House said, though, they rust terribly here, so I didnâÂÂt plant them again until last year. I planted a single variety that is supposed to be more rust resistant and am waiting patiently to see them bloom this year. Love your lavender, too. IâÂÂve finally given up on growing lavender in the ground hereâ¦planted some in pots last year and will see how that goes. I agree with Kate that you could probably grow hydrangeas. Supposedly, the macrophyllas are more finicky than the paniculata, arborescens, quercifolia, etc, but I donâÂÂt have any issue with the macros as long as they get protection from hot afternoon sun and are kept well watered (water hogs here). There are some smaller macrophylla varieties that would be suitable for large pots where soil amendment to manipulate their bloom color would be easier. I tried for years to grow poppies from seed with no luck. When I finally had one bloom, I realized they may have been coming up all along, and I had been pulling them up thinking they were weedsâ¦they can look quite weedish at first. Mostly have the fern leafed varieties now, so there is no mistaking them, but love all poppies...Sidos, that deep grape color is gorgeous. Lesley and KateâÂÂs lily pics are making me want to add more of those, too. IâÂÂm also a big fan of phloxâ¦from the shade loving woodland phlox to the old pass along summer phlox. Two of my favorites are Peppermint Twist and Laura:

Oh those Lauren's Grape poppies, I love them. I'm going to have to try them. Poppies are a mixed bag of success and failure around here. I have had good luck with the Angel's Choir ones. Hollyhocks do very well here and have no rust, but we have bad winds that hit randomly, usually when some stand of hocks is at its peak. I have shed real tears over the mess the wind can make of them.
I love your phlox, Pat, and what, no mildew? Here, we must do so much extra watering, and I always got mildewed phlox, so I gave up on them. I think they must need plenty of open air.
Here's another hollyhock pic. Diane

Oops, i forgot to thank all of you for the hydrangea advice. If I get my planned projects done or mostly so (lots of holes to be dug by old lady), I think I'll try a hydrangea. I may use a large pot at first, and we'll see what happens. I like both pink and blue so that won't be a problem.
And the Snowball is starting its tenth year and is, indeed, huge. These guys love it here--I had another at my previous home, and it was a monster, too. They are totally NO care. I can't say that about any other big shrub I have. Oh, I forgot. There is one rake up of spent blooms, and that's it.
Here's another hock pic, quite, ahem, rustic thanks to the neighbor's dog run fence. Diane

I don't really have mildew issues with most of my phlox. I think a lot of the newer varieties are more resistant than the older ones. Shasta daisies and the older tall zinnias are the mildew magnets in my garden. Your "rustic" hollyhock shot is beautiful!

I even miss the stray cat who thinks he/she owns our deck furniture. We have to ask permission to sit down, lol. Seriously, I don't have the heart to get the cat to move so I pretty much wait for the nap to be over.

Oh, how dare you bring a darling kitty into this conversation?

So many beautiful gardens.
Lesmc, I love the smooth bulk of the box hedge against all those flowers.
Kate, that Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea is mouth-watering, and the peony.
Trish.

We are getting snow & the temps are colddddd!
So nice to see all these great garden pics right now...:)

This is a wonderful way to spend and sub zero evening!

Oh, Lesley, I just found this post and your lead-off photo is exactly what I'm hoping to end up with in the garden I am slowly building here at my new home. I have a black decorative fence around my garden and a covered patio, too - and so I can easily picture in my mind how it could be just by looking (and drooling) over your photograph. Thank you for cheering up this week of biting cold and blowing snow!

Annececilia, thank you for your kind words. I have enjoyed all the pictures on this post. I seem to take garden pictures more than rose pictures. I hope to do better this year. I have two garden areas in both corners of our lot. The picture you see is in my older garden. I built the gazebo and the garden went in around it. It is a hodgepodge of plants...mostly roses and clematis. This winter will result in much damage and will bring spring changes! A gardeners work is never done!!! Good luck with your garden. I think pictures help me a lot. Think Spring! lesley This is a picture of the other corner garden!

I just love your garden pics, Lesley. Wish I could stroll through your yard and enjoy!

Kate

I would love to take a stroll through your beautiful garden, too, Lesley, and it's definitely not a hodgepodge of plants. It looks very well thought out by someone with an artistic eye and a green thumb. I love those enormous looking lavender blooms in the left corner of your photo. What rose is that? Please feel free to share more pics of your garden! By the way, your garden area looks very large with so much great hardscape. Am I right about its size (just being nosy)? I've seen a lake, too. Is that on your property? It's beautiful addition to your garden. Diane
Here's a bit of yellow to bring some winter cheer.

Diane...love all the yellow..bright and cheerful.Kate and Diane, I truly wish you both could come and visit my garden. I could use your advise! I have a feeling I am going to loose several roses and plants. Diane, the rose on the left is Sweetness.Guinevere is the white on the right . You can see my other garden in the background with the gazebo. I have two areas in both corners of the yard. I garden on i acre and yes...we are on a lake.

That is a beautiful scene with such a wonderful path that fits so well in its surroundings. And a lake. How serene it looks. I'll bet you have lots of places to have your coffee or tea and take in a view.
You got my attention when you mentioned Sweetness. Yours looks lovely, but the one I tried to grow was awful, and basically grew backward as we say on the forum. I put Sweetness out of its misery, and it went on my "can't recommend this one" list, but obviously it does well in some places for some people. Like the reverse of Julia Child for you, perhaps.Roses are a puzzle. More photos, please, when you have a chance-love them. Thanks again for the photos and this thread. Diane

Wow! Thank you all so much for the wonderful stroll. I've thoroughly enjoyed it.

Here are some red poppies that come back every year. I am seeing small sprouts come up already!
Judith{{gwi:729}}

Alameda...I just sent you mail. I woul d love to trade for
a few of those lovely red poppies. I have the same ones
(some dbls, some singles mixed) in salmon color.

Margaret

Everyone, thanks for the beautiful pictures!

Lesley, I live in lexington. Your roses are beautiful, but how do you keep your foliage looking so disease free? I spray, but BS is still bad at times.

I hate the smog too. One day when the cars are mostly hybrids, maybe we will have the end of it. I wish we could get the cars that Brazil has that run on sugar cane fuel. I would rather buy sugar cane fuel than gasoline and it would be closer to import it.

I am waiting waiting on the first roses and I would love to have that rich green that some of you get. Peonies would be a dream come true here. Hurry up scientists and get a warm weather peony! Good thing I don't have cows out back, or I'd spend all my time petting them!

Beautiful roses,Kitty. Very envious that you will have roses soon. We are covered in snow with more coming tonight. I do love the peonies. They are the queen of the early spring garden here. For Ky.Rose...I do spray some of the roses in my garden,not all. I use Bayer and spray every 10 days, without fail. This seems to work well. I know many do not approve of fungicides, but I feel they are necessary in this part of the country. I do not use insecticides. If you are ever in Louisville look me up! lesley

Lesley,
Thanks for the invitation to see your garden. How do you prepare your spray material? Do you add a sticker/spreader, pH adjuster or anything to it? I use Banner Max or Bayer and still have BS. Last summer I sprayed sometimes every 5 - 7 days trying to get it under control. Occasionally, I added Mancozeb. Thrips have been awful the last few years, too.

It's so good to browse through this thread again (though a mite painful, considering how awful everything looks right now). We've had two weeks of rainfall and warmer temps, and we do need the rain. But everything is thawed out and so brown, and next week it turns cold and snows again! I'm a little worried about that.
Lesley, your peony is gorgeous and unusual. Please tell us which one it is. I am so glad we can these beautiful flowers. They are our reward for suffering through winter's torture. Diane

For Ky. rose...I mix the Bayer as suggested. I add Montys to the mix and spray away. I do have an occasional leaf of blackspot which I pick off! I have sp`ed the roses that do not respond . Each year can be different, but so far this has worked. Who knows what this year will bring! Diane, the peony is Do Tell. One of my favorites. I don`t grow very many peonies as their season is short here and spring rains drag them down.Winter torture...love that. You are so right! Lesley

Thanks for the info on your stunning peony. Here it's not the rain, but the wind in the spring that damages peonies. I've been known to run out and cut off the entire "crop" of blooms for bouquets when a bad wind is predicted. I love your tulips--I know they have a special name with their pointed petals, a favorite I've never grown. Here's pic of a beloved peony I grow, the old classic, Sarah Bernhardt. Diane

Diane,
Love your Sarah Bernhardt! Mine didn't come back last year for some reason...maybe the dogs dug it up without my knowing or something. She was a favorite, and I miss her. Two of my favorite remaining peonies are beauties, but have unfortunate names.

Whopper (huge, fragrant flowers that are beautiful in all stages)

Bartzella (huge, fragrant flowers of the most beautiful yellow with a reddish eye on a lush plant)

I'm dreaming of this

Unfortunately I have this

{{gwi:1198634}}

Pearlgirl, I didn't get your email......try again and I will check my spam folder - it could have ended up there. I will gladly send you some of the red poppies when they are finished blooming and the seeds dry - just email me and I will mark it on my calendar.
Judith

Thanks you, everyone, for these lovely garden shots. They've warmed my gardening soul.

Molie

I have an assortment of non-rose things squirrelled away in my garden. You can have a peek if you promise not to laugh too hard. First is a group of some short, border lilies that I have in several colors.

Next is one of my two surviving gas plants which finally decided to bloom this year. Notice the veining on the petals.

Just to be different, I tried a few of these Bletilla terrestrial orchids. Here is one showing a flower.

Some of my pet clematises.

Some Tiger Eye Gold rudbeckias that I grew from seed. Each of these pails has three plants in it, but what a show they created.

As long as we are showing peonies, I will add one of my real show-offs of a tree peony. I love it.

I hope you will like these and find them interesting.

Beautiful flowers, bustopher!!! I especially love that peony tree.

Bustopherâ¦wow that peony is outstanding. You have added some real beauties to your garden. Your clematis are lovely. Can you name the dark purple one? I am trying to complete my list for order and that one looks double. It is lovely. So happy you added your extras! lesley

With regards to the tree peony, I doubt that there are very many flowers that create as much a show with one flower as a tree peony in bloom. Each one is so large and delicate that it is almost a mismatch that these two qualities would be found in the same flower.

As to the dark purple clematis, I do not know exactly which one it is. The closest that I can find in the Donahue's Greenhouse and Wayside Gardens catalogs is one called, "Franziska Marie", but I don't think that is this exact variety. I peeked outside to see if I still had the tag visible, but it was not within visual range. So, I am not totally sure what it is. All I do know is that this one is not a very heavy bloomer typically.