Robert Opel (a photographer, artist and member of Loving Garland Green) just sent me a  couple of photographs he took of my garden after our meeting on Monday.  Robert is also the member who is creating the map for our garden tour scheduled for Saturday, June 21 from 6PM to 9PM.  I can hardly wait to see the map.

The first photo shows a rose bush from my garden.  It is one of those bushes that are adapted especially for Texas.  I put it in last year in July and it bloomed from July all the way up to the second week of November.  Already this year it has been blooming since late April.

The second photo below is of yarrow that I planted last year from seed.  It never came up last year so I assumed the seed was a dud.  Then this spring, here it came in full force.  I've transplanted several clumps of it to other places in my yard as well as some down to the Garland Community Garden.

Yarrow has long been an herb associated with magic. Its formal name, Achillea millefolium, refers to Achilles who is reputed to have used the herb to heal his wounds of battle.  Yarrow has also long been a symbol for lasting love as well as an herb that is beneficial in warding off the devil.  It usually takes a year or two to establish itself in the garden, but once there it is a hardy perennial that comes back year after year.  It comes in several colors--yellow, orange and white.  Mine is white.