Last evening I cut down my spent tulips and daffodils, so my gardens look a bit sad this morning. A couple of days ago though they looked great and I was out taking some photos because I knew that they wouldn’t last with the warm temps.

The lilacs smelled so heavenly, that I remember as I was snapping the photo, I wished that I could somehow send you the scent when I posted the photos.

I have 2 bushes, one is a French Lilac and the other is an old fashioned.

My grandmother gave me this old fashioned lilac when I was a new bride. It’s survived some attacks by children and even a tornado. This year both bushes were gorgeous.

One year for Mother’s Day I got this Columbine from one son and another more Burgundy colored one from another son. I haven’t seen the Burgundy one this year, so I think the winter got it.

These are some of my common Columbines, that have come back from seeds year after year. They don’t have the size of the other plants but are still pretty.

These are few late blooming tulips. It’s always nice when the tulips are spread out and keep blooming at different times.

I love all the unique colors!

These Ice Cream Cone Tulips are new plants that I just added last fall. They are really unique. They caught my eye in some seed catalog and I’ll have to say that they lived up to their photo in the catalog!

These little star flowers are some tag alongs that were mixed in with some daffodil bulbs that my grandmother gave me 30 years ago. The daffodils all died off but these little guys grow like weeds.

In northern Minnesota, where I grew up, these Lupines grew along the roadsides. I think they bloomed more towards the end of July up there.

Of course, I couldn’t leave out a photo of my little monkey face pansies. I bought 2 packs at a garden store, so I only have 2 colors. Not near as much fun as my grandmother’s pansy garden that must have had dozens of various colors. I do have the little Johnny Jump Ups that grow all over, but I’ve never had the large pansies come back from seed.

My final photo is of another tag along. It came with some peonies from my daughter’s garden. I don’t know what this flower is called, but it is pretty.

Now, I need to go spend the day out pulling weeds. I try to think of it as spending time enjoying my gardens. Sometimes it works, lol.