Rain, glorious rain...so needed

It has been a very dry spring. We have been watering daily to sustain our plantings. We don't have a sprinkler system so we are struggling with soaker hoses and rotations. We planted many many new plants, and mulched huge areas to try to keep the plantings moist and the weeds under control.   It is as if we are trying to plug a leak in the dam with our fingers. Our waterings are a drop in the bucket of the water needed to make healthy happy plants. So, this rain is very welcome.

The rain did make a difference in the gardens. The Stella D'Oro day lilies we have been planting for the last ten months, have sucessfully transplanted to new locations. We started with two huge pots of pot bound plants that were a gift from a friend. They had decorated her deck for several years and were so pot bound that they could not be split by hand. Each pot had to be wrestled into submission using knives, tugging, pulling and other unorthodox techniques to cause the plants to loosen up. This is what took tne months!  The good news is that the plants have done well. The ones planted in September are in full bloom with beautiful flowers. Those are the lilies shown in the photos here.  Many plantings followed including some planted just about a month ago. Even those are starting to set flower buds. That is a very pleasant surpise and gift. A certain joy! I've planted them along a walkway. When it fills in it will be just beautiful.



There are other things blooming too. Some Sun Drops opened today, even though there was no sun.   They are magnificent in the sun, and in the absence of sun, they were still beautiful. These were planted last year and have filled out nicely over the winter. All the snow we had last winter seems to have helped the growth of the transplanted perennials. I have high hopes for a super bloom of perennials. Many are setting buds as I write and the first bloomers, the Sun Drops are out today.

When working in the garden I put my shovel in and come out with a shovel full of spring bulbs. I had no idea what was in there, though the majority of it seems to be Star of Bethlehem.  This week a big surprise bloomed. I have no idea what it is, though I do think I know where it came from. It was one of the bulbs I disturbed in the ground under the grass...and now it has bloomed. It quite beautiful. It has the leaves of a gladiola. I didnt plant any gladiolas, but here it is. Quite lovely I do say!

 I've done some research and as far as I can guess it is a Byzantine Gladiolus. The color is just fabulous, the form is reminescent of a Gladiola. It has more leaves, and less square inches of petals. The color is just florescent, it sure put a little excitement in the garden this week. Every now and then a plant turns up that is obviously an heirloom plant....like this one. It is amazing to think that these plants just hibernate in the ground until circumstances change and cause it to flourish.Quiet a few Irises have showed up like this, and I sure hope more plants do the same. Here is a photo of the full plant. Oh if you happen to know what this plant is, please leave a comment. I want to know for sure what I have here. Thanks!