One of my favorite things about our new home has been the beautiful landscaping and gardens it came with. Last year was our first summer here and we were amazed at everything that grew. However, I believe this year the gardens have really outdone themselves. There are things showing up that I don’t remember from last year.
Lilacs have always been one of my favorite flowers and those have come and gone already. But there are two bushes by our patio that are also lilacs but a bit different. They bloom a little later than the common lilacs. I thought they were French lilacs, but it turns out French is the same as common, so I think these are perhaps Persian lilacs.
I remember them blossoming last year, but not to the extent they did this year. We are amazed at how covered these bushes are with blooms. I don’t know if it was a good year for these, or if the fact that my hubby pruned them last year made the difference. Either way, they are spectacular.
While their color is more of a pale purple, almost white, their fragrance is a bit different than common lilacs as well. It’s just as glorious though, and when our windows are open the sweet fragrance fills the house.
Not only do they provide us with beauty and fragrance, Luke appreciates the shade they provide, and they make a beautiful backdrop for my favorite dog model.
From the patio side, the base of the trees are lined with another favorite, the Cranes Bills geraniums. They are just beginning to blossom now and I love them. One favorite thing about them is that they can take the dogs tromping through them, and they bounce right back.
Each of these beauties are dog safe, so I don’t have to worry at all about the dogs getting into them.
What is your favorite flower, and do you enjoy posing your dogs in front of them?
We are happy to be joining the Flower Friday blog hop hosted by Da DB Boyz. With all we have in our yard, we will probably joining in more throughout the summer!
revisited this from your Friday the 30th post, Jan, and have to comment since I didn’t before-that Bear was a great poser, and amongst flowers were my favorite-well, in fact, right in front of me is my mousepad with him in a field of wildflowers! I could get him to pose pretty good I think most of the time-ok, could be because he was such a laid back guy! 🙂 Luke is an awesome poser too for sure!!
Those lilacs are amazing! As are those cute doggy models 😉
Wow, those lilacs are amazing! We’re big peony fans here, but we think all flowers are beautiful. 🙂
Luke and Cricket are great models!
Thank you! Our peonies have just started opening now. They are completely new to me, I didn’t even know what they were when they first blossomed last year! They are beautiful!
Your lilacs are beautiful. I love the smell of them. My favourite flower is the snowdrop because it appears so early to tell us that Spring is on the way!
The first flowers of spring are always the best! I planted some snowdrops once at our old house, but they never did anything. I have better luck with crocuses, though I don’t think I saw any of those this spring either though. I might have to try planting both again this fall.
I love lilacs, too. I don’t have them in my current yard, but we had a ton of them in the backyard of my childhood home. Every time I smell them it brings me back to my teenage years (quite awhile ago. LOL)
Lilacs always make me think of my childhood as well (also quite awhile ago)! They were one of my Mom’s favorite flowers, and even when we lived in an apartment there were some nearby and we’d always go pick some to bring into the house.
I’m envious of the lilacs … wow! Cricket doesn’t let anything get between her and her ball … she’s chin deep in flowers … just like with the snow 🙂
It’s so true – she’ll plow through anything to get to that ball!!
Your explosion of lilacs is gorgeous. Summer here is very hot, so flowers can be hard to come by. I’ll have to check out this hop though.
I’ve been seeing some posts on this hop for a while, and decided it was definitely time to join in, especially with all the flowers we have here.
Gorgeous, Jan!! I was thinking at first they might be “Miss Kim” lilacs, because those bloom later than others, and have a different scent to me than “regular” lilacs-however, the flowers are quite a bit smaller than the others, and yours are not, they are pretty big by the looks, and not just because of how many are blooming on those bushes I don’t think! My Miss Kim bush did well this year, and is just in full bloom now, the other not so much, gone by but didn’t have many blossoms, but I have hope it will come back better in future. I think that’s a French one. I am wondering if one reason things did well, as much as we hate to say it, is because we had plenty of water for blooms this year?? I am thinking things overall are way more lush and green, and the rain is partly responsible…
The flowers on these are pretty tiny, Lynn, much smaller than the common lilacs. I’d have to see yours in person to see if they looked the same (and vice-verse). My others didn’t do quite as well either, though they did do better than last year.
When I got home from BlogPaws, Tom had a vase full of them on the kitchen counter – so sweet!
I think you might be right about the rain, though was this spring really that much more rainy than any other? It was so cool, you’d think that would have had the opposite effect.
My favorite flower is too tiny to pose with, it’s the lily if the valley flower. But I found some new flowering shrubs that I’ve never seen before. They were growing wild at the beach, I’m not sure what it’s called. I posted pictures of it on the blog, back on May 25th.
And thanks, we all miss Chase. He was an incredibly sweet old boy, and my mother’s companion.
Yes, lilies of the valley have always been one of my favorites (and were another favorite of my Moms, along with the lilacs) – I love their sweet smell. I just wish they lasted longer. I had a lot at the old house, and there are a few here as well but not as many.
Those flowering shrubs you posted back in May were gorgeous!
We are HUGE fans of lilacs though I guess I’d have to say my favorite is the peony. So gorgeous, so sweetly scented. You garden is pawsitively fabulous!
Oh, we have some peonies here as well! Last year was my first experience with them and they are beautiful and sweet. Ours are still just in the budding stage now.
My favorite flower of the summer. The only downside is they don’t last long enough. ????
I’ll have to try to share some photos when they do bloom!
Oh please. Can’t get enough of their beauty and that luscious scent. ????
Everything sure is pretty and we love blooming season!
Wow! Those are gorgeous and I’m sure they smell fantastic. I love the smell of lilacs too. My very favorite is the night blooming jasmine. I hope to find another one soon.
That’s the second vote for jasmine – it must be lovely!
The best flowers are the ones that look beautiful even after the dogs wander through them.
BTW, lilacs do respond well to pruning. Your hubby must have gotten to them at just the right time of year.
We discovered jasmine this year. It didn’t grow up north. But we saw lots of it in Georgia and South Carolina. I was so captivated by the smell I don’t think I got any pictures of Honey with it.
If only we could remember when he pruned them – LOL! I’ll have to look it up again.
I’m not sure I’ve ever experienced jasmine, I wonder if it will grow at all around here.
Wow those flower big bushes are beautiful
Lily & Edward
It’s so pretty. One of my favorite flowers is the lilac. Sadly, I don’t have any in my yard, but some of my neighbors do), and I smell them as I walk past.
I also love Mountain Laurel, and we have a few of those in our yard, they aren’t as fragrant as the lilac, but they are so pretty.
We had some lilacs at the old house, but they never did very well. I also had to enjoy smelling them when walking by the neighbors.
I remember Mountain Laurel from when I was a child and we used to visit Laurel Lake, in Erving, Mass. all the time!
soooo pretty! Do you believe I have never posed Dakota in front of flowers? At least not real ones. My fave flowers are lilacs, white roses and probably Mums. Mums won’t be around til Fall.
Luke is probably the first one I’ve really posed in front of the flowers a lot, since he’s been my first cooperative dog when it comes to posing!
Mums are one of my favorites too, and one of the best things about Fall!
Those are beautiful lilacs! How wonderful to move into a home where the surprises are all beautiful flowers instead of home repairs LOL!! 😉
Ha ha, so true! Though we’ve had a few of those as well….LOL!
The lilacs are gorgeous!! I love roses. We used to have some beautiful ones from Sam’s parents, but suffice it to say we don’t any more. My very favorite though are the azalea bushes, especially the purple ones.
I’ve never been a big fan of roses, but maybe because I’ve never had any luck growing them! We also have an azalea here, and they are beautiful. It was all budded and I was afraid I was going to miss ours blooming when I was gone to SC, but it was still going when I got home!
Our lilacs are the usual ones and have now come and gone. They are one of Mom’s favorite bushes. Yours look very nice!
Even our common lilacs did better this year…but they still weren’t as spectacular as your Mom’s were.
Very beautiful! Have a great weekend.
lilacs are beautiful… wish we had them for a longer time… specially the lilac with this wonderful smell what can bring back so much childhood memories…
They always make me think of my Mom!