Death on Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Dead-ish Poinsettia

For me, Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is a bust this month. This poinsettia has been living happily on our dining table, in front of a big southern window since Christmas.  At night we close the lined curtains, to slightly moderate heat loss. I’ve kept it watered, but yesterday I came downstairs and when I opened the curtains I saw that it was withered and drooping. I don’t think it was below 32 degrees in our living space, but it was cool.  Did several nights of zero degree temperatures prove too much for it?  What happened?  Any ideas?

Cyclamen

This cyclamen did pretty well on this uncurtained windowsill, but a couple of weeks ago I noticed that the window side of the plant was dying. I suspect the plant will recover. In the fall. Unlike poinsettias, cyclamen don’t mind cold weather, although putting it right next to  window was probably too much to ask.

That is my sad report on this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day in February 2014, but I am sure you will find many happier stories if you click here.  I can always count on our hos Carol over at May Dreams Gardens for optimism.

November Bloom Day Comes With A Promise

Thanksgiving cactus budding

On this November Garden Bloggers Bloom Day I only have a promise. I just brought my little Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) in from the unheated Great Room. Now that it is in the warm I think it may actually bloom on the appointed day. Early in my blogging career (almost 6 years ago) I was assured that ‘buds count.’  Lucky for me. I visited a neighbor recently and her beautiful pale pink Thanksgiving cactus was in full glorious bloom.

The big beautiful Christmas cactus  (Schlumbergera bridgesii) in our bedroom, which is very cool, is also budded, but the buds are so  tiny that they do not photograph. I think there will be a magnificent show by Christmas, perhaps even by December Bloom Day.

All Thanks with a capital T to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day all these years. She has given us an opportunity to create our own record, but even more to visit all manner of gardens and garden rooms during every season.

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day – October 2013

Thomas Affleck rose

On this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day in my Massachusetts hilltop garden we have  come through only one good frost, but the garden is slowly falling to sleep. Thomas Affleck is still blooming, and sporadic blossoms are still being thrown out by The Fairy, Meideland red and white, Hawkeye Belle and Knock Out Double Red.

The Fairy

Grandpa Ott

Grandpa Ott is a morning glory that is still blooming, in front of the house and down in the Potager, as we grandly call the vegetable garden. The Potager is still enjoying blooming annual salvia, annual gomphrena, zinnias, and Agastache ‘Cana’ which will definitely have to be divided in the spring!

Blue lobelia

The standard blue lobelia has been quietly blooming all summer long.

Japanese anemone

I love my Japanese anemone – and so do the deer. Not much is left of her.

‘Starlet’ spoon mums

‘Starlet’ spoon mum is struggling a bit, but I appreciate her golden face.

Purple aster

Fall is time for asters, but pink Alma Potchke is already gone.

Sheffield daisies

Sheffield daisies, sheffies, are wonderful strong growers that bloom into October. Mine have barely started. My Montauk daisies have also barely begun.

Nasturtiums

I will end the Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post with some sunny nasturtiums. The day itself promises sunny, and time to get  out and continue cutting back and cleaning the garden.

Thank you Carol for hosting  Garden Bloggers’s Bloom Day. I’ve gotten a headstart today but you’ll  be able to see what else is blooming all over the  country here.

Bloom Day September 15, 2013

Alma Potchke aster

It has been quite a summer! Rain all through June. Drought all through July. And a very dry August, so you can imagine how I welcome the 2 inches of rain last week. The garden has been thirsty most of the season so some plants have really suffered, but bloom will entirely be denied.  Alma Potchke has just begun to bloom

Neon sedum

Right next to Alma Potchke is this sedum which I think is Neon.  It doesn’t look that bright, but I like it, and it hasn’t minded the variable weather. Hot. Cold. Dry. Wet.

Lisianthus

This spring I planted a flat of the tiniest lisianthus seedlings. It is only this month that I have gotten any blooms. This is a real ‘florist’s flower’ and it is beautiful, but I think it needs a little more cosseting than I tend to give my plants. You can see there is a remnant of a phlox next to it, and remnants of phlox appear in a ragged way throughout the garden.

Japanese anemone

This is the second year for this Japanese anemone. The clump is larger, but very short this year. I think maybe due to so much dry weather.

Cosmos

In the Herb Bed there is a small tangle of cosmos blooming with Grandpa Ott morning glory and fighting with the horseradish which I thought I had totally dug out.

Acidanthra

I stuck some extra acidanthra bulbs in the Herb Bed next to the bee balm. They do not show to best advantage here. That’s what happens when you’ve run out of time and thought in the spring. The acidanthra does not seem insulted however.

Thomas Affleck

The ever dependable Thomas Affleck rose continues to bloom at the end of the Herb Bed. There are occasional blooms on Buck roses, Hawkeye Belle and Folksinger, but this not rose season at the end of the road.

There are a few zinnias and gomphrena down in the vegetable garden, the hydrangeas look great and I am glad to note that the season is not over.

I am a day late, but still glad to join in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day – August 15, 2013

Ann Varner Dayliliy

On this Garden Bloggers Bloom day there are some surprises.  The weather should not surprise anymore, but it does, and often causes gnashing of teeth. In June we had a glorious 12 inches of rain. In July there was no rain! It was hot! An official heat wave. In August it has been much cooler and we had 4 inches of rain so far. Still there are lots of blooms in the un-irrigated flower gardens. The Daylily Bank is drawing down but Ann Varner is still magnificent.

Helenium “Mardi Gras”

In spite of the dry, and now cool weather the Helenium  is a colorful clump.

Black Beauty lilies

I have to lie under them to get a shot of the Black Beauties. The blossoms of the lilies and the adjacent crimson bee  balm are not very big this year. Note to self. More compost in this spot. The other lilies are also still blooming by the house.

Artemesia lactiflora

Artemesia lactiflora has much less dramatic blossoms,  but they are dainty, and much taller than usual this year.

Achillea ‘The Pearl’

Achillea is another dainty flower, but a strong grower. The only other yarrow blooming now is the sulphur yellow variety. Nameless.

Joe Pye Weed

This new Joe Pye Weed has just come into bloom.  I don’t know if it is a miniature, or just not fully feeling its oats this first year.

Echinacea and Miss Lingaard phlox

The big clump of Echinacea purpurea will need to be divided but it is gorgeous this year. The white phlox is Miss Lingaard and it should have bloomed in June!  The Russian sage on the other side of the Echinacea is also blooming well.

Hydrangea ‘Limelight’

‘Limelight’ is the only one of the three ‘new’ hydrangeas to have recovered very well from a good browsing from the deer, but ‘Pinky Winky’ and the oakleaf hydrangea do have a few small blossoms.

Thomas Affleck rose

A visiting friend sighed that there were probably no roses anymore. Well, not quite. Thomas Affleck, as usual, is putting out a strong second flush, and other roses put out an occasional bloom

Folksinger

Folksinger, a Griffith Buck hybrid also put out a good second flush. I couldn’t resist taking this photo of his delicate decline. I do not think he has much strength left for this season.

Also blooming are the tall veronicas, very tall and deeply blue aconite, cimicifuga, a few zinnias and  gomphrena. Not too bad, and there is still more to come which makes me happy.

To see what else is  blooming across our  great nation go to May Dreams Gardens where Carol hosts Bloom Day. Thank you Carol!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 2013

Buckland Rose

On this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, July 2013, most of the roses are pretty well done. That’s why we have the Annual Rose Viewing on the last Sunday of June.

The FAiry polyantha rose

The Fairy was just starting to bloom two weeks ago, but now she is looking great, and will remain in bloom for a good part of the summer.

Purington rambler rose

The Purington rambler also starts to bloom at the very end of June, but is now cascading down the Rose Bank.

Daylily Bank

The Rose Bank is adjacent to the Day Lily Bank which is just beginning to come into its glory. It was planted to eliminate the need for  mowing on the steep bank. The problem with this photo is you don’t get to enjoy the individual beauty of each of the interesting daylily colors and forms. A sampling follows. All names forgotten.

Daylily, pale yellow

Daylily, pink

Daylily, small ruffled pink

Daylily, pale with purple throat

I wanted the Daylily Bank to have a gentler palette of colors, but there are a very few varieties like Ann Varner that are more dramatic.

Ann Varner

Cosmos and White phlox

Cosmos and garden phlox are just beginning to bloom. At least those phlox that have not been beheaded by the deer.

Mothlight, Switzerland and Connecticut Yankee

The Mothlight hydrangea is about seven or eight feet tall and  full of boisterous bloom. The Switzerland Shasta daisy is also in full bloom. The Connecticut Yankee delphinium, is still floppy, though bred for greater sturdiness. Maybe it is all the rain, making the stems more tender.

Oakleaf hydrangea

I was looking forward to the first blooms on this three year old oakleaf hydrangea, and admired one unique blossom yesterday, but  when I went out to take a photo early this morning, it was gone. Deer!

Achillea ‘Terra Cotta’

I have several yarrows in bloom, “Paprika’,  a cranberry red,  a deep gold variety and Achilea ‘The Pearl.’ ‘Terra Cotta’ is my favorite and grows right by the front door with a native yellow loosestrife. Not invasive.

Veronica

This is the smaller of two veronicas. The tall one has just barely begun to bloom.

Japanese iris

Last July I planted this beautiful white iris in the Front Garden where I could keep it watered, and where I could admire it during its short bloom period.

Ostrich astilbe

The other pink and  white astilbes are fading, but this astilbe, Bressingham’s Beauty, is just starting.

Eryngium ‘Sapphire Blue’

After admiring it for years on the Bridge of Flowers, I planted this sea holly and I love it.

Linden tree in bloom

Our linden trees, otherwise known as basswood, tilia cordata, or lime trees and in bloom and the fragrance is heavenly.

Petunias

These cream and pink petunias on the Welcoming Platform will stand in for the other potted plants, fuschia, lobelia, geraniums and salvia. My blooming plants are spread out over  a large area, so I am always amazed that there are so many blooms in July.

Thank you Carol for hosting Bloom Day where May Dreams Gardens will show you what is in bloom all  over the country. Click here.

Bloom Day on June 15, 2013

Potted Annuals on the Piazza

In order to beat the promised two (more) days of heavy rain, I dashed out  to get photos for Bloom Day just  as the rain began on Thursday. I’ve potted up many of the annuals: geraniums, fuschia, petunias, snapdragons, blue and white lobelia, and rosemary. I still have a few that have to be put in the ground.

Stocks in the Herb Bed

These stocks were a gift from a friend. I didn’t totally realize how big the clump would get, and I certainly hadn’t counted on the rain beating them down over the lilies, thalictrum and parsley.

Siberian irises

These blue Siberian irises bloom at the eastern end of the Herb Bed, but also in the Southern Lawn Bed, and in the field. I think I threw a thinned out clump in the field years ago. That spot is damp and the irises took root and continue to thrive in less than idea conditions. Since then I have taken other thinned clumps and put them along the driveway/road. Some of them have taken quite well. We moved a lot of daylilies early this spring and set those clumps along the road as well.  With all  the rain we have had I think they may take root. I am hopeful.

Campanula ‘Joan Elliottt’

Some plants are real troopers.  ‘Joan Elliott is beaten down, too, but she continues to bloom in the Lawn Bed, and in a weedy spot near our hazel nut trees.

Miss Canada Lilac

The Miss Canada lilac has no real fragrance, but she is putting on a great show this year. I think she has liked all the rain.  All the other lilacs are finished.

Salvia ‘May NIght’

Salvia ‘May Night’ is standing tall in spite of wind and rain.

Rugosa ‘Agnes’

‘Agnes’ is slowly taking hold  on the Rose Bank. She is just one of the many rugosas here at the End of the Road. Others beginning to bloom are Dart’s Dash and Scabrosa.

‘Blanc Double de Coubert’ rugosa

All rugosas  are very hardy. The Rugosa albas that grow at the top of the Sunken garden in rocky soil choked with weeds come through with amazing stamina every year, but this popular white rugosa has taken a beating from ice and winter, but it looks like it may recover this year.

Rugosa ‘Sitka’

‘Sitka’ was planted two years ago and it looks very good this year. She is named after the town in Alaska where she was first found.

Rose from Woodslawn Farm in Colrain

I just love this sturdy old rose. I received a root that has thrived and is spreading. It is loaded with these sweet little pink flowers  with big golden hearts.

Harrison’s Yellow rose

Harrison’s Yellow is not quite as vigorous as the pink rose from Woodslawn Farm but it has the same fine foliage on thin spiny branches.

Peony Buds

Usually at least half the peonies are blooming by now, but this cold wet spring I only have buds. There will be a good show, but not until later in the month – which is fine, because the Annual Rose Viewing this year will be on Sunday, June 30,1-4 pm.  The Rose Viewing (our Garden Open Today event) is always on the last Sunday in June, so it has never been this late. Even so, the peonies should still be looking very good on the 30th.

Ox eye daisies

All through June I have been admiring roadside daisies, and was happy to see a clump come up in our lawn. They’ll be cut down this weekend when we mow the whole lawn – including old daffodil foliage.

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day hosted by Carol on May Dreams Gardens has provided us all with a great way to record our garden’s bloom season, and see what is blooming all over our great land.

Bloom Day May 15, 2013

Waldensteinia, barren strawberry and daffodils

Last spring was early and hot and on Bloom Day there was a lot of bloom. Things are moving slowly this Bloom Day. This is an  area of my lawn reduction project. Waldsteinia has spread over the past three years and I’m underplanted with daffodils.

Barren strawberry close up

Waldsteinia is a beautiful plant and it is just coming into bloom. It is not  any kind of strawberry plant.

Miniature daffodils

These miniature daffodils are some of the daffs growing amid the barren strawberry

Miniature white daffodil

Some daffodils are growing in the grass. I haven’t gotten the groundcover this far.

Flowery Mead

My lawn is not fine turf. I call it a flowery mead. Right now it is blooming with blue and white violets, and of course, dandelions.

Forget Me Nots

Many of the spring bloomers are small, like these Forget Me Nots.

Grape hyacinths

TI can see these pale grape hyacinths from the house. The familiar blue ones are growing in the grass by the miniature daffs.

Yellow epimedium

I am so  glad I gave epimediums a try. They are NOT too tender for Heath.

Primrose

This primrose  did so well in a shady spot in back of the house I am planting more in this spot this year.

Forsythia

My forsythia is looking much better than usual, but that isn’t saying much.

Red orchid cactus

And my orchid cactus has gone wild!

I thank Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom day and giving us all a chance to see what is blooming across our great land today.

You will also see what is (mostly) Wordless this Wednesday.

The Little Cyclamen That Could on March Bloom Day

White cyclamen with Guan Yin

This little white cyclamen on my bedroom windowsill has been blooming and blooming  for two months. At least. Our bedroom is very cool, down to 55 degrees at night so the cycalmen has been very happy here.  I really need a cold bedroom to sleep well. My husband tolerates it. I might turn the heat up during the day while I am working on the upstairs computer, otherwise I spend my of my day downstairs near the woodstove – where most of the housework lives. Not to mention my laptop. The cyclamen and Guan Yin, the Bodhisattva of Compasion with all her magic tools, is the first thing I see when I wake up in the morning. Easy to start off the day in a good frame of mind when I can carry these images with me all during the day.

Pink tulips

This pot of pink tulips is still blooming even though they were planted at exactly at the same time as my round pot of tulips which I wrote about recently here. I treated them just the same, but when the round pot began to bloom so much earlier I started keeping this pot in the sitting room which is cooler room than our main living space.

Pink tulip close-up

The tulips are just beautiful in the early morning sun.

Paper whites – dried

It would be fun to say that the paper whites from Brent and Becky are still in bloom, like the cyclamen, after two months, but alas, it is not so. Still, I haven’t gotten rid of these flowers just because they have dried so beautifully. I don’t remember ever having this experience with paper whites before.

Carol of May Dreams Gardens has been hosting Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day for years. I love having the chance to what else is in bloom on the 15th of the month all across the land, and Bloom Day had given me a record of my own garden through the months and years. Thank you Carol!

Bloom Day February 2013

Paper White Narcissus

On this Bloom Day the ground is covered with snow and the plow drifts are still  substantial. My indoor blooms are modest. These paper whites, a bonus from Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, have been blooming for over a month. A couple of the stems collapsed, but I cut the blooms off and they continue in a little glass vase.

Primroses

This little pot of primroses was a door prize at the annual meeting of the Greenfield Garden Club. I will plant it  outdoors when the snow is gone. We’ll see if it has enough vigor to survive after  all these indoor days.

White Cyclamen

I found this little pot of white cyclamen in a forgotten corner of the piazza in the fall when I  brought the houseplants in. I began to water it again and that is all it needed. It began to bloom before Christmas and will continue for a little while longer I think. They are beautiful on my bedroom windowsill.

I thank Carol at May Dreams Gardens every month for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and giving us all a chance to show what we have blooming. This is a great gift for us all, especially those who have so few winter blooms. Click here to see all those other blooms.