Achillea millefolium is a member of the compositae or daisylike family, but the tiny five rays give the appearance of a five petaled flower. The foliage is delicately ferny. While I may not have liked Queen Anne's Lace as a child, I always liked yarrow. When I became a gardener I realized that there are many yarrows, that achillea comes in a whole palette of colors. I have grown Achillea 'Cornonation Gold' with its deep color and large…
There are different types of summer blues, from the blues that hit on hot, muggy days when the thought of weeding is not to be borne, or those that follow drenching rains that have turned the raspberries to mold. Then there are the blue flowers that are much more rare than the sunny golds that predominate in the mid to late summer garden. True blue, the color of forget-me-nots, is not a common color in the summer garden,…
Queen Anne's Lace, Daucus carota was one of the first flowers I could name. I did not know it was also called wild carrot, but that name is understandable if you pull up some of the root and inhale that carrot-y fragrance. Who was Queen Anne? Probably, she was Queen Anne (1665-1714) who ruled Great Britain for 12 years. The tiny red flower in the center of the umbel is considered to be a drop of blood when Queen Anne…
Sometimes you have to show off your pleasure and delight. Wordless Wednesday is the perfect opportunity. Grandson Rory has been visiting. He may be taller and have new skills - driving! But the general attitude doesn't change at all. Pretty nice gate, don't you think? For more (almost) Wordlessness this Wednesday click here.
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 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. The Purington rambler also starts to bloom at the very end of June, but is now cascading down the Rose…
Do you cook? If you have been cooking for any time at all I think you will have discovered that herbs add a lot to everyday cuisine. If you garden as well as cook, you know that a small herb garden can save you money, look pretty, and brighten up your meals. I have always loved and grown herbs to use in the kitchen, but I also grow herbs that have had a fascinating history. The space I…
I bought the Connecticut Yankee Delphinium because it was not as tall as the dramatic and more familiar delphiums, and knew that it did not need staking. That is the attribute that famous photographer Edward Steichen was searching for when he hybridized the Connecticut Yankee. Steichen had a passion for delphiums and grew five acres of the flowers at his Reading, Connecticut home. He was so passionate that he brought them to the Museum of Modern Art in New…
Most of us will never have a reflecting pool in our garden, but water in the garden comes in many forms. The Bloedel Reserve has many beautiful ways to use water in the garden., this is just one. A small fountain near the house makes electricity for the recirculating pump easy. This small waterfall has been 'tuned' to make lovely music. The water enters in a lovely fishpond. A simple birdbath in the shade. A more elaborate…
You might think The Fairy to be a fragile pink rose, but in the 1960 Roses of Yesterday and Today catalog this sturdy polyantha is described as 'unexcelled for vigor, spreading growth, perfect health and hardiness, and its superability to produce those charming pink rosette type blossoms in constant abundance, - each a fair flower, crisp and waxen like a pink sea shell." The Fairy has proved herself to be a stalwart star of my mixed border for the…
Welcome to the Greenfield Garden Club Garden Tour. Welcome seems to be the theme on the Greenfield Garden Club Tour which will be held on Saturday, July 6 from 9 am to 4 pm. This beautiful garden on a challenging slope in Gill has several garden rooms, from the small sunny garden with its fountain and pool surrounded by astilbes, ornamental grasses and bright coreopsis to the woodland garden with its gravel paths and colorful mushroom ornaments. Each garden…