I’m excited to share Six on Saturday with you this week because some of my favorite flowers are blooming now. They are spread out around the front and back gardens, so the total effect is not a big “wow,” but you don’t have to go far before you come across something pretty.

Right in the center of the backyard is this little circle bed where the hot pink rose bush is blooming like crazy. The craziest thing is that there’s a red sport and pale pink sport blooming on this same bush. I also like the effect of the silvery dusty miller flanking the shrub.

I have hardy gladiolus in several places, front and back. They seem to be doing particularly well this year.

Both of my English dogwoods (philadelphus coronarius) are doing well too. They are ten to twelve feet tall and covered in blooms.

Above, you see a late-blooming Gumpo azalea called Frosted Orange. I have about nine of these small shrubs, and they are just getting started. I love the two-tone flowers. In the photo on the right, you can barely see a bunch of tall Siberian iris that are behind these azaleas and down the walkway. The mauve color of the iris looks nice with these pinkish-orange flowers.

This is a better view of the mauve Siberian iris. The two pictures on the right are two new Louisiana iris. The top is called Walhi Wedding, appropriately named for the white ruffled blossoms. The purple one is Rocky Hunt from the “Fallen Heroes” series.

I planted Rocky Hunt in a bed that I’m refurbishing. You can see the stump of an oak that we lost in one of the hurricanes last fall. For now, I’m just going to put a big planter on the stump. The birdbath that has been here for decades lost its top in the same storm. I’ve been looking for another concrete dish since the base is still intact, but no luck yet. I may have to buy a whole new birdbath. This is the bed that was full of the fall-blooming tall, red cardinal spear, but I’ve rearranged them to the back and planted some new things at the front. Oh, and you can see a small new camellia at the top center of this photo too. There is still more to be done here, but it’s a good start.

I overworked myself this week and have been paying for it the past couple of days. I have degenerative disc disease in my spine, and those nerves are easily pinched. It’s hard not to take advantage of these beautiful days outside in the garden. In L.A. (Lower Alabama) I have to get the work done before it starts to get too hot, and those days are fast approaching.

May the Lord bless and keep you this week.

Shalom, Dottie