Peonies and wild life!

I've gotten behind on posting.  

My peonies are just about done already but I took some pictures of them last week when they were in their glory.

The evening sun provided perfect lighting!

There is something about white peonies that seem

quintessential summer!

My favorite shot...

You can see the salvia is blooming too.  Everything is reaching towards the sun.  My spruce tree has gotten so much larger since I planted the perennials.

I ended up using stakes because the peonies were 

on the ground.

The Max Frei Cranesbill comes back reliably every year.

I sure like this plant.  It provides a great border at next to no maintenance.

The reds that weren't quite open

A bouquet I gathered for my daughter to take home with her.  

A few iris were still blooming along with the Donald Wyman lilacs.  I'm real pleased with them! Third year in and they bloomed like crazy this year!   

There are three of them here...it's all part of my 

plan to make a "green" wall to provide more privacy in this side part of the front yard.

My one Alium that made it.  Not huge this year like last year. The others got nipped by the frosts and it knocked them down.

While I was outside early evening a few days ago I spotted this little fella coming out of the woods.  He was a little worried about the lawnmower action going out out front.

We stared at each other a bit and then he ran towards 

my garden area.

He's just a young one.  I did my best with my iPhone. 

This female turkey seems to have made herself a regular around us lately.

  We get a nice variety of birds here.  I managed to

catch a shot of these Cedar Waxwings that arrived.

I've never seen them here before.  When they flew off

a few more of them were nearby and went with them.

A quick shot with my iPhone again. This is the best I've seen these Neon Star Pink Dianthus so far.  I guess they are maturing!

The weeping larch is doing great too.  

The two planters were new this year.  They're just starting to fill out.

The Dusty Miller is turning into a bush!

Straight ahead is my lilac topiary tree which has grown beautifully but I'm struggling to keep it a moderate size.  I'm questioning my choice of where I located it because of how I have to keep trimming it back so much.

When I got it- it had a lopsided shape which I've been trying to help straighten.  All the weight was on the right side.  

I really cut into it this time and now it looks more even.

It looks a big naked right now, but it will fill out again.  

As you can see my roses are blooming on the arbor.

I seem to have all but lost my Sweet Autumn Clematis this year.  There are a few leaves coming on it but they are way down at the ground level.

  

I've got some morning glories that are starting to climb complete with bird pooh!

The arbor is a favorite landing spot.

Well, I'm long winded today so I better stop.

I hope you are enjoying your gardens 

and keeping busy too!