The dahlia bulbs that Leon’s friend Gudrun passed to us are flourishing.  I planted them randomly, as many did not have labels.

The challenge with not knowing which cultivars were which meant that some shorter ones ended up in the back and taller ones in the front.  I’ll fix it next year when I’ll move some around.

The enormous Echinops ritro grown from seed many years ago is coming into bloom, to the bee’s delight.

The detail of these flowers is spectacular and intricate.

And the honeybee agrees.

Leon has been gardening in pots this year and they are starting to come into their own.  These are just outside the front door.

One of the rain lilies has been fooled by my overhead watering in the greenhouse and is throwing a spike.  These flowers are delicate in color and constitution…I’ll be lucky in this busy season to catch the flower open.

This Eucomis is blooming in the greenhouse.  The spikes are unruly, but the florets are starry and bright.

This rather blurry photo is of the Coelogyne cristata that I plan to try and sell on Craigslist.   It has grown well, but is shy to bloom.  I suspect it would be happier in a warmer greenhouse.

A clearer picture.

The Clematis seeds are glistening on the vines.