A Guest and The End of a Long Wait

Good morning from chilly Norway. The sun's turned and I hope it's hotter on the other side. 12° C today, and overcast. But we've still got things happening in the garden.

This charmer disturbed our gardening yesterday:




Thank you, now please leave me alone ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )



We didn't mind at all. It seemed a bit too skinny and too slow, but otherwise a healthy hedgehog. No ticks that we could find either.

Mid-summer (haha, what a joke!) is usually a boring time in the garden, but because of the cold weather we've got more blooms now than in a "normal" year, whatever that might be:




My friend's tree peony ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






My friend's very dark Helleborus ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Oxalis "Ione Hecker" ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Oxalis enneaphylla ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Lewisia nevadensis ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Meconopsis ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )






Aquilegia Barlow-cross ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )





It seems like dear Ulla has forgiven us the rather harsh treatment she got last year. Well, I said I was sorry and didn't mean to, and maybe she listened for a change.



Cypripedium "Ulla Silkens" ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )




And here's this year's pride and joy. It may not look like much but we've waited for it for at least five years, and finally this year it blooms! And with two stems none the less:



Rheum alexandrae ( photo / image / picture from Droopy's Garden )

You'll find more photos in the "My Garden"-section.

 

What an impressive show of flowers today!
Congratulatuins right away on the blooming of your Rheum alexandrae. I know that you are not disappointed...and with the showing of the Ulla Silkens! What an impressive orchid!
Is that Meconopsis light blue, or white? Whatever it is, I'm jelous...
Your friend's Tree Peony turnrd out gorgeous, didn't it. Delecate colours.
And--what about that hedgehog. Ahhhh, what a cute little guy he (or she)is. I think that you are lucky to have them visit you.

Well done, Droopy!

 

I love to see your posts Droopy, there is always something I haven't known about before. The last two are new to me and I like the ones that seems to be growing beside rocks too. Are they in your rock garden?

 

Thanks both for liking the guest and blooms.

Sjoerd, the meconopsis is cream actually, and I can't remember the full name. Typical.

Eileen, it's been cold so I guess the hedgehogs are having problems with finding enough to eat at night. We're quite used to having them around during the day, and we feed them well when we see them. Cold summers aren't unusual and that's when we get visits from them during the day too.

 

Thank you daisybeans. You posted while I was busy answering Sjoerd and eileen.

Yes, the oxalis are in our rock border. They like it there.

 

I love your flowers, Droopy, expecially the oxalis. I don't have any of it and the people at our old house just mow it down. dooley

 

Thank you dooley. I hope you'll get hold of some oxalis of your own soon.

Ehm... Well, I do try very, very hard to not photograph the bug-eaten, scorched or damaged foliage, and I've obviously succeeded. Thanks for the compliment but it's so not the way things are.

The little guest hasn't been in today but probably will visit some time soon. They're opportunists who recognize soft people when they see them.

 

Droopy, I loved all your photos. You never disappoint us! I hope the weather improves for you soon.

 

Thank you Netty, how sweet of you to say so.

Toni, I guess that some of the nice foliage can be attributed to the inclimate weather we're having. Even the bugs are slow movers when it's cold.