After days of talking to the 70 other bloggers who gathered in Buffalo for a preview of the Buffalo Garden Walk I have a whole new appreciation for Bloom Day, created and hosted by Carol (who I got to meet!) of May Dreams Gardens. For other mortals talk about the weather is banal chit chat, but for us bloggers, and all gardeners, it is shop talk. It is a topic filled with endless fascination – and we see the effects on Bloom.
We saw daylilies in full bloom everywhere in Buffalo, but mine were just starting, in spite of the odd weather this spring which seemed to push the season two weeks early. My daylily bank is looking very colorful right now. On the other hand, Renee’s sweet peas are just starting too. They are sturdy though – growing in the midst of weeds and cauliflower.
I’ve fallen in love with Achillea. Terra Cotta is a new variety I planted this spring in the new Front Garden, right next to the yellow loosestrife.
I have other pink achilleas.
Achillea ‘The Pearl’ is useful in flower arrangements.
I planted this clump of scarlet bee balm in the new cutting garden near the vegetable garden where it is very happy.
I love the flowers of ‘Mothlight.’
Last summer I bought a tiny oakleaf hydrangea at Nasami. It is still only about 16 inches high – but blooming! This hydrangea, as well as ‘Limelight’, and ‘Pinky Winky are planted between the peony hedge and the road. When they get bigger, as hydrangeas do, they will be another solution to lawn eradication. They will be mulched and the lawn will be gone.
I bought ‘Blue Paradise’ at the Bridge of Flowers plant sale. It is a stunner on the Bridge. It is a part of my new blue and white section which includes delphiniums that bloom earlier. You can see the daisies and white cosmos here as well. I had not anticipated how nice it would look against the cotinus.
Some of the roses are still blooming. In addition to Hawkeye Belle, I have Thomas Affleck, Double Red Knockout, The Fairy, White Meideland, Ghislaine de Feligonde, Betty Prior, Champlain, Apart, Martin Frobisher, Leda , Mrs. Doreen Pike, and the farmgirls.
Visit May Dreams Gardens to see what is blooming in Heath, Buffalo and everywhere!
Gorgeous flowers! What fun for you to meet Carol and the rest of the gang in person. Sounds like everyone had a wonderful time. 🙂 I’m a big fan of Yarrow, too, and that terra cotta one is a beauty.
Your garden is looking very lovely. Mothlight hydrangea is amazing. I wish they would grow here in Central Texas.
Pat, your bee balm is as magnificent as those in Buffalo! Is there some northern secret you all have?? 🙂 Your Crimson Pirate daylily looks totally different than mine. Mine have skinny petals. You might want to do a search on daylilies on my blog to see what I mean. It was fun meeting you and getting a chance to gab.
Kate – It was great to meet Carol whose blog and loved, and new bloggers who I had never discovered.
tufagirl – The trouble with knowing the beautiful plants all over the country is knowing that we can’t grow them all in our own gardens.
Jean – Crimson Pirate may not be accurately named because I did buy it from a woman who sold daylilies out of her huge garden and she admitted she was not always accurate. I tried to leave a comment on your blog, but somewhow was not able to get the comment box. I’m going to talk to my husband about it.
Yes, yarrow is wnderful! And your bee balm is looking fantastic too.
I bet you did not see much sweet pea in Buffalo! Daylilies love our heavy soil; sweet peas not so much. I love them and wish I could grow them. Have tried a few times.
I love the cosmos, smoke bush, and phlox together! And I’m with you on the yarrow… so pretty, so delicate yet strudy, and so easy to keep in rebloom. The only one I have is ‘Summerwine’ but I WISH I had your ‘Terracotta’ now that I see it!
Your garden looks so lovely now. Full of blooms.
Oh, I lust after your sweet peas! They are such a gorgeous color. I just can’t seem to grow them. I’ve never seen Hydrangea ‘Mothlight,’ it’s just lovely. The Phlox & the Cotinus are a great combo. I’ve been afraid to try the darkest of the Cotinuses, so I’ll have to try to duplicate that with a Physocarpus Diablo. I’m so glad I got to talk to you about The Bridge. I’d love to see it someday.
What a lovely garden. I especially like your daylily, regardless of what it may or may not be! Some of the best ones in my garden are ‘nameless’ – some because I dug them out of friends’ gardens (yes, they knew that’s what I was doing – I wasn’t daylily rustling!!) and some because I misplaced the label during one of the many cross-country moves I’ve made with them. Oh well, I guess the point is simply to enjoy their beauty while it lasts…
Glad to have met you in Buffalo – so nice to put a person to the name and photo on the blog!
Gayle – Sweet peas can be a challenge, but bee balm is one of those old dependables!
Elizabeth – I didn’t notice the lack of sweet peas – every other plant was represented! Lushly!
Kim – The phlox and cotinus was a happy accident. We are so lucky when those happen. I am looking for an achillea called Paprika (I think) that is really really bright!
Lisa – full of blooms and weeds. I couldn’t believe how many weeds grow from barely visible to towering over just one week.
MMD – Thanks for the kind words. I’d love to show you the Bridge of Flowers personally. It is an amazing season long display. A tourist destination these days.
Monica – It was great to meet you, too. There is a whole different tone to the blogs I read now. I think daylilies can lose their official identities pretty easily because they are passed around so easily, and so often.