let sleeping dragons lie.

On a recent trip out with Bear we saw this statue. A saying of "Let sleeping dragons lie" jumped into my mind and was so important for me to remember on that weekend.  The rest of this post is mainly pictures that are favorites of mine. I am an untrained photographer and my three girls are amazed that Im keeping my fingers and hair out of the frames ....for the most part!

Enjoy. Remember.... walk quietly so as not to wake the dragon.

 Although you walked quietly through the garden if you have any questions or comments, suggestions, words of wisdom then please feel free to let me know. I do answer all comments and visit other bloggers sites.

Kate.

Im joining outdoor wednesday over at A Southern Daydreamer

TGIF.... and "I want to check you for ticks"

Its been a very LONG trying week which me ending up having to go see a doctor and being put on antibiotics because of tick bites!...  I have been so careful and usually shower as soon as going into the house and checking myself. I somehow missed one and even after showering then woke up in the middle of the night to find it and having to remove it!.... I've had that song "I want to check you for ticks" playing through my mind a lot since.

It surprises me how much colour I still have on show here at Frog Hollow considering that I am cutting back so much to delay or prolong blooming out till the last garden tour. I'm mindful to leave enough though to keep the hummingbirds and the butterfly's happy!. I am gone though for an extended weekend to see a PGA tour with the Bear. I guess I will be learning more about golf. Then I'm off to see daughter number one an three from the 16 through 26th in Alberta. We are timing that visit to be able to enjoy the Global fest fireworks competition. Its held in one of the parks that was in my area as a foreman for the City of Calgary and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to reconnect with friends and colleagues who will most likely be there on the different nights.

This is a bed that I don't think I have shown much if at all. Its a bed that had a broken fence and only really ornamental grasses growing to hide the propane tank.

Liatrus started last fall is growing well and actually blooming

Hosts have really taken off in the garden 

So far the "sleeping dragon" has migrated around until I find just the perfect place. Perhaps there isn't a perfect place but a changing place weekly.

Stokes Asters are really taking off and although not an intense colour I love there frilly flowers. The softer blue looks great in the late afternoon light and almost works like a white being situated right across the pond from the Moon garden.

Portulaca has begun to really spread and bloom along the rock wall. I love this colour.

This is part of the new planting along the walk through the big bed and shade garden. Although obviously this is a part where there is adequate sun.

Coreopsis.

front walk way with the ornamental kale really spreading and the sedum taking on its purple colour. Next will be the tall lily's blooming. I'm wondering if the Canna will at all as there isn't any indication of it.

I didn't realize that the focus was on the crocosmia leaves and not on the "Black Knight" butterfly bush. But I wanted to show you how intense and dark the blue is of this variety.

Pink Butterfly bush.

Rose of Sharon 

Carpet roses out on the mound of the Butterfly garden.

Love the contrast here.

My favorite Phlox

This delphinium started out a light blue and faded to next to white. Beautiful against the blue spruce.

Ditch lily's as they are called here in Michigan great you as you turn into our driveway.

Balloon flowers on the other side of the driveway.

I've been crazy busy with clients and have had a successful week in Real Estate

but I'm sure glad its Friday.  I'm off to another local festival this weekend and hope to have time to get to some much needed work in the garden or working on some of the various "secret" projects.

What are you up to this weekend. 

Thanks for stopping by and checking out the progress here in Mermaid at Frog Hollow.

Kate

Daylily days or is that "daze"!

Mermaid at Frog Hollow is a blaze with colour. It would be even more tremendous is I would stop going around and cutting back clumps of different perennials to delay the blooming or prolong it out in to August with the hope that I will have a spectacular show for the garden tour. Today's post is mostly about the day lilys with a few shots I couldn't resist including. Enjoy....

A new addition at Mermaid at Frog Hollow is this 'black lace'  Sambucus. Commonly know as Elderberry or Black Elder. I purchased two and put them at the head of the river and at one side with the idea that they would grow large enough to shelter the mouth of the river as it boils up and pours down the river. Although they are growing nicely and very beautiful I have not as yet realized my desired results.

This is another Phlox that has been allowed to bloom at this time although I'm feeling that perhaps this setting should be cut back so it can be viewed when the garden tour comes through. However, I do need to have somethings blooming for my enjoyment so that battling the over achieving mosquito's and the heat is rewarded at the end of the day or early morning with the abundance of colour and tranquility that my gardens give me.

I've moved the hummingbird to act as a stake for the top heavy lily.

I'm not very keen on this blue fescue but I do like the fact that the blue colour is constant.

Daughter number two likes this lily.. I believe it is because she identify s with it. She also is very freckled!

Doesn't the Colorado Blue spruce have a cooling and calming effect to this setting.

Intense bright colour contrast and textures.

The three sisters are doing wonderfully.. You can't see the runner beans but they are twining their way up the ornamental grass stocks.

I only had the one clump of this variegated ornamental grass so this spring I dug up a couple small shoots and put them at the corner to act as a bit more of a screen before entering actually into the Secret garden. I did dig up the Phlox that was here but obviously some roots came back and I more then welcome them.

And now back to the Day lily  daze...

The "daze" of daylilys is amazing as they are in most beds. although the next three shoots look simular... I believe they are all different species... they have slight different features..

This one has a darker outer edge but not really the ruffling.

This has a far greater ruffling on the edge

a softer more pastel looking specimen although that yellow throat does stand out

This clump is amazing. Each bloom is a good 5 inches across!

I need to move these over to the moon garden to be enjoyed more from the top of the deck.

 Stargazers

Of course since I was given these I have no idea of what the actual species is...

This daylily has some how escaped being moved to the "hot" coloured bed... right now its looking out of place in the pink bed..

some of the white lilys that was planted into the Moon garden

The pastel colour of this lily does brighten a shaded spot at the end of the pond behind the mermaid

I'm thinking that a piece of this clump should be split off and put into the Moon garden

I'm loving the combination of the red lily and the taller yellow lily with the blue of this pottery bird house.

this photo might be deceiving how big the blooms are. I'm guessing a good 5 or 6 inches across.

This photo is going into my favorites...

Hope you enjoyed your walk. If you happen to know the names of some of these please let me know.

Its late but I wanted to show you how the heads on the hydrangeas stand out in the late afternoon as darkness settles in.... Which way do you think this bloom will go...pink or blue?

Even the "pop" of orange in the hanging basket is screaming to be noticed... It was fairly dark out on the deck. I went out with a cup of tea to watch the storm come in.... I love sitting under the covered part of the deck and smelling the clean freshness after the rain. Some how the power of a storm is very invigorating to me. I will often be out weeding as the storm rolls in and continue to weed until my pants are so wet and hanging on me. We needed the rain as several fields of corn were starting to show stress. I have irrigation here to maybe 3/4 of the beds but you just can't beat rain water in a garden.

Have an great week and what ever you are up too....

make it awesome.

Kate

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