Our magnolias are blooming, but the flowers are fleeting. They are a magical sort of tree/shrub.

The catkins are swelling. And willow cuttings are growing well.

Last year we had some amazing poppies – including California poppies. We live in Iowa so this was particularly amazing.

We had a nice showing of sunflowers this year. Most of them were volunteers, and most blooms are done now. I do enjoy a good volunteer. The birds seem to like the dried blooms. We will most definitely be feeding the birds more sunflower seeds this winter. Sorry to mention that season already.

(Here is the sunflower set on Flickr if the above slideshow doesn’t play for you.)

Lots of activity in the front cottage garden and very hard to capture it all as an “ensemble”. I do keep trying though. These photos are 1-2 weeks old (I’m getting lazier with every degree the temperature rises). I’ve got to get out there early tomorrow morning and get some shots with the day lilies in bloom. Problem is by 6 a.m. the light is almost too harsh, which explains why you aren’t viewing more current photos. Today I rose at 7 and it could have just as well been noon.

This garden may look like a mess to some people, but something’s always blooming and it sure is low maintenance. While weeds are taking over some of the newer more controlled beds at the moment, few weeds can grow in the cottage garden since every square inch of ground is occupied and any bare ground that may exist is shaded by a huge canopy of leaves.

Click any of the images in this post for a larger view.

Daisy with expired allium bloom

Double Hollyhock

Single Hollyhock

White Cone Flower (echinacea)