Iris?

The mystery plant, now in proper bloom, is probably some kind of crazy iris.  

It's got flowers just like the plant I know is an iris.

However, it has leaves rather like some kind of daffodil.  Maybe in future years it will spread out and fill in the space?  Maybe the leaves will become more iris-like (as I know it)?  

Playing favourites

As much as I love the Janie Tangerine marigold's ability to look like it's got some kind of magnificent bouffant hairdo, the Bonanza Bolero is my favourite.  

Sunshine

The gazanias are doing their best imitations of children's pictures of suns.  I love them.  I haven't yet tried cutting them and bringing them indoors.  Because they open and close every day, the petals get these pretty curls.  I can't tell if they're finishing blooming or just starting their day.  

Bronx cheers

The raspberry plant has gone nuts since the sweary one put it into its barrel a couple of weeks ago.  It has leafed out, and it looks like there might be flowers at the tips of the branches.  I am very much looking forward to that first tart raspberry from our bush.  

What News from the Front?

The front yard is in dreadful shape (still) and maybe next weekend I'll find time to attack it.  I think it will take a full couple of days.  

However, the lily of the valley is still obligingly in flower.  There is a shady garden between my house and my work which is completely awash in lily of the valley.  Every year when it flowers, I think "OH! I should do that at home" but I couldn't even pick that garden out of a lineup the rest of the year.  I think I am more in favour of a progression of sparse blooms than one outrageous carpet and 50 weeks of drab.  

We have astilbe in the front.  One was already there when we moved in, and the other was a cutting from our lovely neighbour two doors down.  The astilbe is looking like it might bloom (in as much as it does) soon.   

Basil, recovered

The one living and one undead basil are doing very well.  I cut some of the top off the undead basil, because I despaired of it ever returning to life.  I maybe should have been more patient (also with the dead basil, although in stark contrast to the live/undead plants, the others didn't have any change in their water level with the passing hours), given how well the rest of the plant is doing.  Or maybe cutting off the top was just what it needed to get it concentrating on repairing the repairable.  Either way, I'm back to dreaming of pesto.  

Last Tulip

It's June 15, and the last of our tulips is passing its "best before" date.

This is the tulip that sits in the bad soil in the bad light in the bad part of the yard.  It was never going to look perfect and now it's looking positively haggard.  Nonetheless, from first to last tulips going some time in early May to mid-June is not a bad season.