Eclipse? Nah...a halo is even better.

There sure was a lot of hub bub about the eclipse on Sunday.
I was vaguely waiting for evening when it would begin, but hadn't made plans to view it personally (with proper eye protection etc.)
But Ha HA!
I happened to look up around 3 pm and there was a 22 degree halo around the sun.

I've blogged about these halos before.
They circle the sun whereas rainbows are in the opposite direction of the sun. 

Apparently they form in the sky on the average of every third day, where ever there is sunshine.
For something that happens nearly twice a week, people sure miss seeing them a lot.
Lots of people have seen a halo around the moon; how do they miss the halo around the sun then?

Well, come on in.
We got a new screen door last Monday, replacing the original wood framed three paned glass storm door.  The cats are LOVING this screen door thing!
The screen can be popped out and a glass pane inserted for winter.  I feel like I have another window put into my living room now.

The violas are blooming in the front yard. 

And a beautiful crop of mushrooms have poked up in the mulchy areas.
(No, I don't know if they are eatable, so we just admire them as they stand.) 

Around on the side of the house the iris are glorying.

 

 

 

 

In the back garden the coral bells are blooming nicely already.

They seem to get along quite well with the bleeding hearts.

Several kinds of columbine are in bloom beneath our sequoia.

 

Yes, these are also columbine.

 

 

The white is lovely, but I really am all about the sweet blue columbine.

The nettle, lobelia, hostas, columbine, Japanese maple, bleeding heart, toad flax, crocus leaves and ivy play well together in the shade beneath our 80ft. tall sequoia.
I do know how big sequoia get...like you can drive a car through the trunk big.  We shake our head at whomever thought it would be great to plant one...fifty plus years ago. Or maybe it is native.
Who knows.

I just planted three Japanese Painted Ferns this year.
Doesn't that center look like a shadow?
It isn't...it is just the color pattern of the fern.

Our shade garden is really working for us. 
We keep finding interesting colorful plants to plant in the shade; I almost could skip having a sun garden now.

Gardening in the shade is sure a lot cooler temperature wise.

We do have a sunny flower bed too.
The dahlia likes it there.

This year we've added two patio sized rose trees...a small yellow blossomed rose named "Lemon Drop" looks like drops of sunshine each morning.

Very soon Lemon Drop will be surrounded by bright tomato orange colored Oriental poppies.
Each morning I look out hoping they are "popping"; so far not yet, although I did see one true orange California poppy blossom in bloom.

At the foot of the deck stairs we are now placing potted Japanese maples.
This one is Autumn Moon.

This one is called "Ookie-go-mo" (or at least that is how the Japanese sounds.)
"Floating Clouds" in English

"Sister Ghost"

We actually own 32 Japanese maples now; some are the size of a cat, others human sized.
Each one is unique and uniquely named.
I just can't remember all their names, but for Mother's Day I received a variety named "Fairy Hair".
It does look just like it sounds...lime green and very, very fine slim leaves draping down.

The colorful leaf options and names of Coral Bells...or Heuchera...or Heucherella (which keeps leaves during winter) make me keep an eye out for more and more to add to the garden.

I sort of wish I had kept the labels so would know the names of each of them now.

I think this one is named after some wine.

The yellow one is probably Key Lime, and the Carmel one might be either Caramel or Creme Bruele. 

Going to be cheating here a bit.
The next few irises are blooming at our son's house.

We don't mind missing seeing the grand baby every day, but knowing a new iris is blooming almost every day makes us want to drop by frequently.
Isn't this one amazing? 

He really has collected some doozies.

My current favorite.
It has a really cute name...why can't I remember it?
Aagghhh!

Maybe I'll remember the name tonight. 

Purple Japanese maples blooming next to Autumn Moon Japanese maple:  Eye popping!

Every color of Iris is blooming right now.

He keeps his iris controlled...as specimens.
They don't hog the garden at all.

Normally I would say those colors don't work together.
But...they do in Iris!

And would you believe (back in my garden now) that I still have tulips blooming?

I am so tickled by these late comers.

 

These are blooming out front by the fence that hides the garbage cans.
I am finding reasons to take out trash a lot right now.
Thanks for strolling along with me through the garden.
Always something new to see each day.
And it is even better when seeing the garden with a friend.