Wildflowers

Yesterday, after lunch, we went out to West Coast Tires to get our new tires for the Dodge Lodge.  It was going to take 45 minutes to have the tires put on the van, so I brought along my camera, of course.  The time seemed to fly by and the tires were on the van in no time, it seemed.  The above photo is the ferns and yellow, dandilion like flowers, nature's arrangement.

I don't know what this one is but it looks like a miniature foxglove.

A pretty, delicate little flower.  This one would be welcome in my garden anytime.

Miner's lettuce.  Something I thought grew best in shade, but it was on the mountain side and exposed to full sunshine.

Saxifragia and rock moss.  The saxifragia grows in my front garden and looks great under the dark foliage of the smoke bush.

More Saxifragia, ferns, moss, a big leaf maple, a slender elegant evergreen, grasses, and a part of the road.

I was trying to get a shot of the western bleeding heart that was in bloom, but tiny.  The wind was blowing, so the plants are out of focus.  But look to the top right.  OMG is that a snake?  I asked Pat, if he thought it was a snake or an old bungy cord.  He said it is definitely a snake.  While shooting, I never noticed the snake.  But there it is!
West Coast Tires is in a little cleared area, just off Sooke Road.  They were flooded out  and have since rebuilt their shop.  The area I was shooting in was newly exposed rocks from the excavations.  It is rich in all kinds of local plants.  There were wild strawberries, the western bleeding heart, the miner's lettuce and so many interesting things, once I took the time to look at it. 
We now have our new tires, newly done brakes, thanks to Ray, and we should be ready for our next road trip in the Dodge Lodge, towing the new old Model T, to Pincher Creek, Alta,

Gardening in Summer

This is the Allium against the lime green low growing oregano.  I love this combination.  There is a peony tree with its feet in this patch of oregano.  The peony tree has not bloomed yet.  Next year I hope.

Looking the opposite direction this is the alliums against the smoke bush, with blue globalaria, blue columbines, and the silver sedum.  The Alluims are now finished blooming and the seed head remain for decoration.

This lovely little flower is in front of the hedge next to the sun dial circle.  It has waxy, serrated leaves and the little mauve flowers in sprays.  Ita a very tough plant to survive where it is.  It is one of the original plants in this area.

This is the little rockery at the front, where I replaced the half barrel tub.  The white clump of perennial snap dragons are covered with flowers -- and this was taken on May 18... they are even more full of flowers now.  More on this little rockery later, as a few days ago I did a bit of rearranging things, so that I would have only low growing sedums and sempveriums in the front.

The bronze smoke bush with its under planting of silver saxifragia.. I seem to be calling this a sedum at times.. I believe its a saxifragia.

My best lady slipper was in bloom for a month on the light garden. 

Valerine next to the cedar hedge at the front, on May 18th.

The valerine and the blue california lilac on June 18th.  This valerine is an excellent plant with a long bloom period and interesting leaves.  It is seeding itself around and is quite welcome to do so. 
All of the photos except the last one are from May 18th.