How does your garden grow?

About six weeks ago, a pink mountain laurel I had purchased began leafing out with new green foliage. Since the usual order for most laurel is flowers first, then leaves, I was disappointed. I was figuring there would be no flowers this year, and for that, I was most unhappy. But below the new leaves, there were tiny, tiny clumps forming. I didn't notice them for at least week. But then I spied the tiny clumps, and over the next week, tiny pink tops formed on the clumps. These were to be my flowers! Hooray!



But oddly, over the next four weeks, the tiny buds grew verrrrrrrrrry slowly. I wondered what they were ever going to do. But you could definitely see the pink heads, and this past week, fueled by the warming trend, I suppose, the heads grew into these interesting little star-like structures. But I was expecting them to open. No sign of that. I guess that this is as far as the flowers go. But they look weird. I don't remember the picture on the tag (which I now can't find) looking like this, but I suppose I'll have to be happy with it. It has grown nicely since being planted, and has many new leaves, but there are only a few of these flower clusters on it (about 6, I think).



But today, I was out working the garden and what did I see? A flower on the mountain laurel! It was unusual and interesting. And the flower cluster will be beautiful when all of the buds bloom...that, I can't wait to see! But I fear that it won't be complete before we leave for Ireland this Thursday. Not fair!



Last week, I snapped a picture of my astilbes that I liked, but it was shot from a weird angle. Here, Jess shot a picture of what the bloom heads really look like...



And here is a close-up Jess shot of the pink astilbes that are preparing to bloom...can't wait for that. Hope it happens before we go away, but it's not looking too promising.



Jess is quite good at flower shots. Here's the flower of a clover plant he shot this morning.



And here's a close-up of the center of a pansy he shot.