Bloom Day August 2010

The cutting garden

I don’t think a cutting garden is really supposed to look like this. A cutting garden is supposed to give each plant room to breathe.  But here are scarlet bee balm, Hot Crayon Color zinnias from Renee’s Garden, bachelor’s buttons, gomphrena, and Hot Biscuits amaranth from Seed Savers looking like they are at a crowded cocktail party.  Golden rod and tansy and mint in the surrounding  field – all blooming.

Gomphrena

I thought Gomphrena would be great for bouquets so I bought two six packs from LaSalle’s Florist who has wonderful bedding plants in the summer. I did not realize this is also known as globe amaranth.  I stuck a couple of the plants next to the bush beans, and put one or two in planters. They have done beautifully and I plan to grow them again.

'Mothlight' hydrangea

I now have  four hydrangeas. I planted ‘Mothlight’ several years ago, and with very little help from me she is thriving, as you can see.  I only wish the weeping birch didn’t weep right on top of her.

'Limelight' hydrangea

‘Limelight’ joined a very small oakleaf hydrangea last summer. I’m happy to say that all three hydrangeas that will make up my erstwhile hydrangea hedge are doing very well and blooming, but Pinky Winky and the oakleaf are very small still.

Cosmos, 'Blue Paradise' phlox and Stargazer lilies

In the same bed with Mothlight and the weeping birch is my new ‘blue and white section.’  I took out a rampant spirea shrub and since I had no real plan for what to do next I thought I would just make sure everything was blue or white. With maybe a touch of yellow.  This is not give an excellent photo. The  new ‘Blue Paradise’ phlox is going by, but I think it will be more substantial in August next year.  You can also see a new sulphur yellow achillea and the Stargazers. I had forgotten about that  touch of pink.

Connecticut yankee delphiniums and cosmos

I didn’t expect the new ‘Connecticut Yankees’ to do much this year, but they are making a noble effort. I can always count on Renee’s cosmos to cover a lot of ground. This section is to the left of the previous photo and now we will go still further left.

Annual Veronica

The corner of this bed is filled with two varieties of cotoneaster.  I should have had faith that one type would be more than sufficient, if only I would have patience. Now they are both totally grown together and will never be separated. There was a bare spot in the corner that I filled with this pretty annual veronica from LaSalle’s.  It is very similar to the ‘Blue Eyes” veronica, an old variety, that came to me at a plant swap years ago as ‘blue eyed grass’ so I planted it in the lawn where it has spread, but rarely blooms because of the mowing. I promised myself I would dig up a little bit and put it in a more perennial spot, but I haven’t done it yet.

Achillea 'The Pearl' and Julie's dianthus

Achillea ‘The Pearl’ is such a depandable and useful plant, in the garden and in arrangements.  You can see one little pink dianthus that I had gotten at the Bridge of Flowers plant sale. Julie said it would bloom and bloom. And it has. It is a lovely little thing.  Other cheddar pinks are also still putting out a few bloom.

Champlain

I don’t know what this little Champlain (Canadian Explorer) rose is doing blooming at this time of year, especially since it is about to be eaten up by the Apart rugosa that has sent new shoots out. Right here.

Linda Campbell rugosa

I was also stunned to see this one blossom of Linda Campbell, a rose in the Sunken Garden, that I thought had died years ago – along with almost everything else in the Sunken Garden.  I will dig this up in the fall, and I think I will put it on the Rose Bank.

Rugosa alba

At the top edge of the Sunken Garden is a partial hedge of Rugosa alba.  This plant hopped down from above,

Rugosa alba

and this one looks like it is trying to make the leap.  It sure shows how tenacious rugosas and their roots are!

Pink Grootendorst rugosa

She doesn’t have a lot of blooms at this time of the year, but I really like Pink Grootendorst. She is on the new Rose Bank and has grown immensely since I planted her last year – just as I had hoped.  Double Red Knockouts are also blooming on the Rose Bank.

Sweet Peas

Saltwater Taffy Swirl sweet peas from Renee got off to a slow start, but they are beautiful right now. Fragrant, too.

Morning Glories

I love having morning glories right outside the window where we can see them in the morning. Going strong.

This ‘Terra Cotta’ achillea has been going strong too.  I have pink achilleas in the Lawn Beds and a deep pink in the Herb Bed. Of course, there is wild white yarrow growing by the roadsides.  Along with Queen Anne’s lace.

Thomas Affleck rose

Thomas Affleck, planted at the end of the Herb Bed last spring, has settled in nicely and has been in bloom all summer. The Fairy is another rose that blooms all summer dependably. I have two, one in each Lawn Bed.

Castor Bean

The Castor Bean was supposed to fill the whole circle in the middle of the lawn, but it has been slow going. Even though it has not reached a height of six or more feet as I had hoped, the color and size of the leaves still make a pretty dramatic impact.

Phlox and Cosmos

I think every perennial garden should have phlox.  This is a nameless pink phlox I got at the Bridge of Flowers last year and it is magnificent. This year I bought Blue Paradise at the Bridge of Flowers sale, and my own Miss Lingaard, a white phlox, which blooms in June, is still putting out some flowers.  I’ve already started thinking about what phlox I can add next year – and where I will find a place to put it.  This spot in the garden is very pink, which is unusual for an August garden. In addition to the pink phlox, there are two varieties of pink cosmos, pink echinacea, a few cheddar pinks, a pink achillea and the pink The Fairy rose.

'Fairy Tale Pink' daylily

Of course the daylilies are still blooming, nastursiums and Black Beauty lilies, and pots filled with petunias, Million Bells, geraniums, annual salvia, blooming mint, oregano, and circle garlic. All of a sudden I realize August is a really good month in my garden.

I thank Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for inspiring me, and so many others to keep this record for ourselves, and let us all see how seasons progress across the country.

Bloom Day After Buffalo

Crimson Pirate Daylily

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.

Sweet peas

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.

Achillea 'Terra Cotta'

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'

Achillea ‘The Pearl’ is useful in flower arrangements.

Bee Balm

I planted this clump of scarlet bee balm in the new cutting garden near the vegetable garden where it is very happy.

Hydrangea 'Mothlight'

I love the flowers of ‘Mothlight.’

Hydrangea - oakleaf

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.

Phlox 'Blue Paradise'

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.

Hawkeye Belle

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!

Sun and Blooms

After a full week of rain and weather so cold we had a fire in the woodstove every day, the sun is shining. You can see the big rose bushes are weighed down with rain. I can hardly tell where Rachel’s rose, Celestial and Ispahan begin and end.

Rachel's Rose

However burdened they are, rain soaked roses are very beautiful. I have written about Rachel’s rose before. Click here for her full history.

Pink Grootendorst

I planted Pink Grootendorst on the new Rose Bank last spring and she is doing very well. Lots of buds.  She is a rugosa and should grow to a good size. I love the little carnation-like pinked petals.

Mount Blanc

Pink Grootendorst has little very frilly petals; Mount Blanc has large and more elegant petals. I love this rugosa which is so big and hardy. Fragrant too.

Mock Orange

It is because of fragrance that I planted this Mock Orange right at the corner of the Cottage Ornee where we can enjoy it inside, as well as outside. It is now a substantial bush, more than six feet tall, and just loaded with fragrant flowers.

Peonies

Many of the peonies are fragrant as well. Because the Annual Rose Viewing is always the last Sunday in June I have many late varieties so that there will still be peonies as well as roses on that day. They are such showy flowers. Most of them are shades of pink or white, but I have a couple of deep red ones, and this spring I planted Coral Charm.  Ten peonies of the 30 or so are in bloom right now. I think I will have to wait another year for Coral Charm.

Green Lotus

Green Lotus is the one ‘odd’ peony in my Peony Hedge, but I just love it.  I showed Summer Carnival in Kathy Puckett’s garden and I am going to try and get one this fall. It has a similar flower form, but in pink and white stripes. You knew I wouldn’t be able to resist pink and white stripes, didn’t you?

This is a summer blooming azalea that is planted in the Lawn Bed. It is three years old now and has not grown very much so far, but it certainly does know how to bloom.

Of course there are many other flowers in bloom right now including daisies and buttercups in the field, but here is a list: AdditionalRoses – Queen of Denmark, Scabrosa, Mabel, Double Red Knockout, Hawkeye Belle, Buckland Rose, Mrs. Doreen Pike, Darts Dash, Leda, John Cabot, Belle Poitvine, Apart, Alba Semi-Plena, Rugosa alba, Rosa glauca, de la Grifferai, Ghislane de Feligonde, Harrison’s Yellow and the  mystery rose.  The rose I have been calling the Apothecary rose is also blooming and running out into the field, but I no longer think I have the correct identification.

The white, and the purple Siberian irises are still blooming, but are almost done. Joan Elliot campanula, salvias, dianthus and pink coral bells are also blooming. Often amid the weeds. Weeding is on the schedule today.

Carol, thank you so much for hosting this wonderful Bloom Day. I love seeing what else is blooming across the country.

Bloom Day April 2010

Scillas

A walk through the blooming garden does not take very long this month.  I do love the scillas reflecting the blue of this morning’s sky. They have increased and increased and even seeded themselves in unlikely places. Last fall’s moderate temperatures lasted so long, that we gave up mowing the lawn before the lawn had stopped growing.

Glory-of-the-snow

Glory-of-the-snow (Chionodoxa) shares this area at the end of the  Rose Walk with the scillas. I planted them at the same time, but the glories didn’t seem to do much for a couple of years, and then, all of a sudden, a beautiful early patch of flowers.

The snowdrops have all gone by, but the experiment of moving them “in the green” and in bloom has gone well. Two clumps are now ripening in the Herb Bed in front of the house, where they will be easier to admire early next spring.

The antique Van Sion daffodills began blooming more than a week ago, but now other daffodils are coming into their season. I have moved nearly all of them out of the main lawn to the roadside strip where I am trying to eradicate lawn with groundcovers.  Although I loved the idea of a lawn full of naturalized daffodils, the reality was that I had varieties for a long season and could not mow the lawn until just before The Rose Viewing at the end of June.  That meant the lawn looked even more raggedy than usual and it was not a very inviting place to walk when called by the Peony Hedge that is still in good bloom at The Rose Viewing.

Recalcitrant forsythia

I guess you can say my forsythia is blooming, better than usual actually. These bushes were here when we moved in 30 years ago and they rarely produce this much bloom. Usually the buds are blasted by frost at a critical moment. I would remove them except they are such an entrenched tangle it would take enormous effort – and I have better things on my list that would take enormous effort.  One reader I suggested that I cut the whole area down and let it renew itself. That I will try. There is nothing to lose, and possibly a shower of gold to gain.

To see what else is blooming here and there, and give thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens who hosts this virtual garden party click here.

Earth Day is nearly upon us and celebrations are beginning everywhere. Tomorrow on April 16 there is a benefit family concert at All Soul’s Church in Greenfield featuring Jim Scott and Sarah Pirtle, both know for their music and environmental work. A light supper at 5:30 and the music at 7 pm. Sliding scale admission $5-10 for children and $7-25 for adults.

Bloom Day – January 2010

The first Bloom Day of the year. The first Bloom Day of a new decade. I wish I could post something really splashy, but I don’t really have much in the way of houseplants – but here we go.  I made a trip to Logee’s Greenhouse several years ago and the only thing still thriving after all this time is two scented geraniums. Their blooms are not notable. I bought them for their beautiful scented foliage which continues to please. Right now both plants are really leggy and it is time to cut them back before summer. I am always timid when I have to cut back, but I will do it.

The Christmas cactus is going by, but it has put on a good show.

And of course, there is the ever faithful abutilon, flowering maple or parlor maple. Take your pick.

What I really celebrate at this time of the year is the continuation of life, even when it is invisible.  Last winter I left my big jade tree out in The Great Room where it has lived for several winters. (It goes outdoors on the piazza with all the other ‘houseplants’ during fine weather.) Unfortunately, we had not paid realized, that with some new insulating we did between the Great Room and the main part of the house, the Great Room did entertain freezing temperatures during the night. When we finally paid attention I declared that the jade tree was deadern’ a biscuit. Henry said, not so!

And he was right.  We cut it back to bare stumps, and look what happened. New growth everywhere. Life will not be denied!  And so we celebrate on this gray, cold Bloom Day. To see who has more color visit our host, Carol over at May Dreams Gardens. It is also Blooming Friday, so for a double hit of blooms visit Katarina at Roses and Stuff.

Bloom Day – Everywhere

The Christmas cactus is blooming right on time! However, there isn’t much else in flower right now. The Thanksgiving cactus bloom has gone by and the abutilon has a couple of puny blossoms, but not photo worthy because there are so many different kinds of blooms to show this Bloom Day.

We visited daughter Betsy and her family this weekend. Her orchids are blooming. She says she regularly gets them to rebloom. She is not known for having a green thumb, but she and the orchids get along fine.

After admiring the orchid it was time to decorate the Christmas tree. This is a walk down memory lane because Betsy and the boys have stories to tell about all the ornaments they have made over the years. It is a joy to see the family blooming with health and happiness.

The weekend was full of celebrations. A surprise birthday party for Suzy (in red) on Saturday night. Fortunately someone had made sure that the martinis and olives were on hand. The evening bloomed with friendship and joy.

And in this season we celebrate the birth of Christ. The Charlemont Federated Church put on a Living Nativity. The Holy Family looks pretty happy. They must have made it to Egypt already.

But the Flight to Egypt was not easy. It began in a stable.  It might not have been quite so cold in Bethlehem as in a Charlemont snowfall, but we are reminded that in these modern days there are still many families struggling, and many children who are cold and hungry.

Happily, we could all celebrate the birth of the Christ Child, and our community with hot drinks and snacks in the warm church. Our community blooms with fellowship.

Can you believe we attended another surprise birthday party? Val (in gold), at 80, continues to serve the town as asssessor and in many other volunteer capacities. Camraderie was blooming at the Community Hall – just as planned.

We also celebrated the new snowfall by trudging out to our snowbreak to cut down a balsam for our Christmas tree. It will be blooming with ornaments. Very soon.

To enjoy more blooms across the county join our host, Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Only Two for Bloom Day

Early this morning, after yesterday’s rain, the sun began to break through the autumn mist. The grass is still lush, but all bloom has fled from the garden, except

for a single pot of verbena blooming in front of the house on this Bloom Day.  And indoors 

only the ever faithful abutilon is blooming.  Still, the Thanksgiving cactus is heavily budded and it may bloom right on schedule.

For many more Bloom Day treats visit Carol over at May Dreams Gardens and see how floriferous the blogging world is, even in November.

Bloom Day September 2009

I almost forgot it  was Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day!  I made a mad dash out into the garden with my camera, stopping briefly on the piazza where the Wave petunias, geraniums, Million Bells and verbena are still going strong.

I don’t have as many asters as Mr. McGregor’s Daughter, but I do love them. These are nameless.

Once heard who can forget Alma Potschke’s name?  She might be the brightest pink in the garden, but I always seem to have a lot of pink.

This nameless pink achillea is sending up fresh floriferous shoots from the middle of the plant. I wonder if this is a benefit of all the rain we’ve had.

Pink cosmos are still going strong. A few pink chelone, turtlehead, are still in bloom, but are not photo worthy.

I got this nameless pink phlox at a plant sale in May. It got off to a slow start, but should be very nice next year.

I love red zinnias. These are not artfully placed, but the ground was open here when they needed to be planted.

Dahlias are a wonderful autumn plant.  I decided to use the technique of picking one of each variety and showing them in individual containers.

I will try and name them. Back row, left to right: Purple Passion, Foxy Lady and Peggy Jean.  In the front row is Pattycake, then a dahlia I don’t even remember ordering, and finally Funny Face. I am coming to love dahlias more and more for the color they bring to the autumn garden. I even managed to winter over Funny Face, Foxy Lady and Pattycake, in the basement in peat moss. 

I was surprised at the number of rose bushes that are still putting out a blossom or two. In the first row, from left to right – Pink Grootendorst (planted this spring), The Fairy, Thomas Affleck (planted this spring) and Carefree Beauty. Behind them, Lto R – Double Red Knockout who has been a stellar performer, Applejack, and a final container with two rugosas, Blanc Double De Coubert and Apart.

In addition, my ‘old’ hydrangea is still blooming and making good bouquets, the newly planted Limelight hydrangea, but I can’t take credit for those blooms.  An annual salvia still blooms by the hen house, and wild yarrow, wild asters, Queen Anne’s Lace and goldenrod bloom along the edges of our road. Last Sunday I made a very autumnal arrangement for church that was amazingly full of color.

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens and see what else is blooming around the country.  Thank you Carol for hosting this wonderful monthly garden party.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – August

I never think I have much of a flower garden, but in August . . .  The Black Dragon lilies are blooming in front of the house along with a crimson bee balm.

The Stargazer lilies were a gift. Only one is blooming so far, but there are two or three more. I am always so relieved when I don’t kill plants I get as a gift.

My Casa Blanca lilies are not planted to  best advantage, but they are beautiful  and now form a substantial clump.  I’ll have to do some dividing.

This is one of 2 beds of daylilies, one on either side of the entry to the Sunken Garden, which might as well be sunken in the bottom of a bog this year. I’d apologize for all the weeds, but this area, always wet in the spring, has remained a swamp this year. It is a testament to the vigor of daylilies that they have not all rotted away.

The two pots of Ann Warner daylilies that have been planted on the brand new daylily bank are blooming magnificently.  Drainage is very good on this bank.  The only other newly planted daylily in bloom is Rosy Returns.

I planted lots of cosmos this year, partly to take up room in a newly enlarged bed, and partly so I would have cutting flowers.  This is one clump, another clump is hiding the newly planted  anemones. I used Renee’s Garden Seashell and Double Click varieties. 

Achillea the Pearl is holding its own against the cosmos.

This pink achillea has been beaten down by the rains.

I bought this un-named pink phlox at the Greenfield Garden Club plant sale. I wasn’t sure whether the other phlox I bought at the same sale was the same color so they are planted separately, looking a little lonely, but I could have planted them together.  The Fairy rose is still blooming as you can see. I do have a propensity for pink.

The hydrangea makes a BIG statement. I am thinking about more hydrangeas – in lieu of lawn.

Cimicifuga racemosa loves its place in the shade of the old apple tree. The clump is huge.

The roses are mostly done for the season, although there is a blossom here and there. I am thrilled that this Pink Grootendorst, planted this spring, is doing so well and blooming energetically.  The Fairy continues strong, of course, as does Double Red Knockout.

This deep purple sweet pea is gorgeous, but it is planted in a new section of the garden and I didn’t put enough ooomph in the lasagna planting.  It is finally coming along, but fighting the tansy sufficiently that it didn’t climb up the white trellis I provided.  You can see how the scarlet bee balm is also suffering from insufficient ooomph.  Next year!

This is the pretty and vicious tansy.  Never plant it!  It is coming up through layers of cardboard and woodchips.  It has seed itself along our road/drive and in the field. Talk about Wicked Plants. I sometimes think it will be the death of me.

This pathetic squash plant with its cheerful blossoms will stand in for all problems in the vegetable garden.  I have gotten a small harvest, but it is not what I expected.  The pole beans are still blooming and bearing, and so are the tomatoes, but they are not even thinking about ripenind yet. Not even the cherry tomatoes.

The chives are blooming, and so is the golden marjoram and the thyme. I’ve gotten a lot out the herb garden!

Other plants blooming are: annual salvia, potentilla, veronica, dianthus fand the geraniums, scented geraniums, petunias, verbena, and Million Bells in pots.

Of course I’m surrounded by Mother Nature’s blooming garden as well, hawksweeds, milkweed, goldenrod battling the tansy in  the field, yarrow and Queen Anne’s Lace. All welcome

To see what is blooming all over the country logon to May Dreams Gardens.  Thank you Carol for instituting this great project.

Bloom Day – Still Rosy in July

The roses were just beginning to bloom on June’s Bloom Day, mostly the rugosas, but this Fairy, one of two, had not yet begun. Unlike most of the roses in my garden The Fairy will bloom into the fall.

I fully expected the roses which had barely begun to bloom on June 15, to be done by today, but they are have a most floriferous and long season.  The Queen of Denmark is still petite, but blooming as she never has. At least the roses like all the rain.

I planted New Dawn last spring and got a couple of blooms, but this year she seems to have taken hold. I expect her to bloom for a long-ish season.

Buckland rose

This year it struck me that the nameless (in proper terms) Buckland rose which was given to me by a Buckland friend is the same rose I bought years ago and then lost the name and record of the name.

No mystery - Buckland rose?

Don’t you think this is the same rose?  The shrub habit and size is the same.  They are even out of focus to the same degree.

So many other roses are still in bloom, Celestial, Rachel, Ispahan, Dash’s Dart, Scabrosa, Mme Legras de St. Germaine, De la Grifferai, Mount Blanc, Blanc Double de Coubert, Apart, Belle Poitvine, Leda, Mary Rose, Mrs. Doreen Pike, 4 red Double Knock Outs, Ghislaine de Feligonde, Betty Prior and Mme Plantier. Oops, I just noticed the Pink Grootendorst I planted this spring also has a single blossom.

The farmgirls are more rambunctious than ever.  Does this farmgirl bear a resemblance to the Buckland rose? She is much smaller.

Even Thomas Affleck, planted this spring at the end of the herb bed is putting out blooms. This is a good rose year!  You can see almost all the roses on the Virtual Rose Walk page.

There are other plants in bloom right now.

I split this achillea plant last fall, and both are doing well.

This hydrangea and spirea are doing so well, along with a weeping birch, that I think something must be done. But what?

The bee balms are in bloom!  I didn’t dare call this Colrain Red at the Bridge of Flowers plant sale, but I think it is.

Last summer I saw great clumps of white cosmos at the Berkshire Botanical Garden. I was inspired, but this year the rains have knocked down the white cosmos, and these pink cosmos are very short.  This new bed needs some serious work. The soil is very poor and it shows in the poor growth of the new plantings.

Other plants in bloom: an undistinguished perennial salvia; an annual salvia, a veronica, a short pink astilbe and the inevitable johnny jumpups.  The pots full of annuals are doing well.  And now daylily season begins.

To see what is blooming all across the nation, check out what’s going on May Dreams Gardens with Carol, who is the gracious hostess of Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.  Thank you, Carol!