May - Rhododendrons

 Might be Lee's Dark Purple.  This rhodo was first planted by the back steps along with two other ones and a red twig dogwood, and a few perennials.  As the plants grew they became very crowded.  At some time I removed the red twig dogwood.  In 2002 or thereabout, I dug this one out and dragged the whole big wet root ball to behind the old garage and planted it there.  It suffered neglect for many years.  This year after a bit more care and attention it is blooming.  There seems to be something eating its leaves.  I shall have to look into that.

Might be Catawbiense Boursault.  This and the other rhodos mentioned in this post were planted in 1989 or 1990.  As I started to build my yard into a garden they were planted in the clay soil with a lot of peat moss and other soil amendments.  This one is in the bed by the back steps.

 Might be Royal Purple.  This one is also by the back step.  This one and the others mentioned are blooming very nicely this year after an application of rhododendron food and attention to keeping them watered. 

 This is Hyperion.  It has very long branches and lovely big clumps of these flowers.  I is a taller rhodo.  Mine has become more floppy than tall.  I think it suits the attempt at a 'Japanese' look.  It grows in the moss by the deck support post.  There is a little white azalea that grows next to this rhodo in the moss garden.

There is a Cunningham's White and Cunningham's Pink growing on the Pees' side of the house, as well as a little fuschia azalea, a camellia, a rose, a purple jackamania clematis, Japanese Anemones, daylilies, lily of the valley, and some very aggressive violets and ground cover.  The area is about 5 feet wide.  The Pees have fits about any 'tree shit' falling on their 5.5 foot sidewalk which encroaches on my property.  They have trashed the privacy cedar hedge that is along that side of the deck.  I seriously need a survey and a chain link fence along that whole side of my property, as they are constantly coming into my garden and stealing anything that is not locked up, or throwing things into my garden pond, or chopping down my shrubs and plants, messing with my pond pump, and tipping over my garden ornaments.  I have reported this damage to the Police and they are keeping a running file on me. They have investigated some of my complaints and I noticed that old Mrs. Pee is no longer slopping chemical on her sidewalk, driveways and washing it down the storm drains that carry this crap into the Colquitz River that is a salmon habitat stream.  Also they are no longer dumping their garbage in the Park across the street.   My rant for the day!  So, all in all, for as long as I am going to be here before downsizing, I can let that side of my house go.  I never see it, except for the rose and the clematis that are at the front by the boxwood hedge. 

The pinks in the boulevard garden.  Today when I brought in a few flowers for a little bouquet, I cut a few blossoms of a very fragrant pink that grows by the  old sidewalk at the back.  I am going to have to propagate this pink around the edges of my flower beds or wherever I can find space for them. 

 We have a hawk living in the area.  He hunts the song birds, not very successfully.  I am not sure what kind of a hawk it is, but it is not very big.  This is a photo for my eventual "look up Victoria" album, on my web page.

This allium grows in the newly planted area behind the pond, along with self seeding foxgloves, and some Dutch irises.  There is an evergreen behind the bulbs and perennials.  I renovated that side of the pond  recently and it is looking very nice with these taller plants and the evergreen for a backdrop to the water plants.