Tuesday, July 08, 2008

Bloomin' Tuesday

Welcome, Bloomin' Tuesdayers!

This week I'm going to share with you my flagstone patio in my backyard and the blooms that surround it. I love this area because it feels like it's tucked away in the backyard and seems a little more secluded and private. In this first photo you can see the peach tree to the side of the patio. This year we don't have any fruit (we had a late freeze), but most years that tree is resplendent with large, juicy, sweet-smelling peaches that add a sweet fragrance to the patio area. The area is bordered by the house on one side and a fence on the other, but I think the private feeling you get from the area is mainly due to the plantings surrounding the patio. Surrounding the patio are day lilies. They start blooming here the end of June and are especially pretty this time of year. I believe the variety I have is called "Renaissance." It has a spider-like blossom of dark crimson, and a splash of yellow at the center that reaches into the petals.
At the back of the patio "Jackmanni" clematis line the fence. I cut these back to about 12 inches every Fall or Spring, so they take awhile to come back every year, but I can count on them being in full swing by the 4th of July. I love clematis. They are such a hardy, reliable bloomer, and they give such fabulous color to any garden!
Also, on the patio I place a few potted plants just to add a little more color and variety.
One of the things I love about this patio is that when I'm out there I can appreciate both the flora and the fauna. We have a bird feeder hanging from the peach tree that attracts some beautiful birds like this one!
I hope you enjoyed this little tour of our patio area! Travel over to Ms. Green Thumb Jean's to sign up to participate in Bloomin' Tuesday and to see other Bloomin' Tuesday posts!