Sunday, May 31, 2015

In Transition

The south end of the Long Border
Gardens are always in transition. To the right of this picture a large black Austrian pine was removed in 2012.  At that time, this part of the border went from shade to sun. The neighbors also resided the garage (which is not mine but a 12' x 12' part of extends onto my property). At the time of the residing, they also removed the window looking into my garden, making this corner a much friendly and aesthetically pleasing space as I didn't have to see the load of crap people can hoard  store in their garage.

I moved a small 'Bloodgood' Japanese maple seedling into this corner. In the next few years this corner will have a bit of dappled sunlight. It will have an understory planting rather than the perennial border sort of planting it now enjoys.

I do like it now, but I like the process of changing up a space every so often, too.

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Dag Nab Critters!



Unreachable! Bull's Blood beets and peacock kale in a pot!
Rabbits, crows, squirrels...other creatures which go unseen in my garden, but the effects can be seen. There is a hosta in the front hosta bed that looks like the battle royale was fought over its crown just as it emerged.  I can see two squirrels discussing it...

"Hey, Curly-Tail!  I know a nice little hosta where were we can go!" says Big-Nuts.
"The dog always serenades us on the other side of that clear stuff there! says Curly-Tail.
"I know!  Isn't that exciting? Makes messing around feel just a bit dangerous!" says Big-Nuts.
"I don't know anything about dangerous, but I'm still mad at you for forgetting where you buried all those walnuts you promised me last winter!" says Curly-Tail.

Sunday, May 24, 2015

More and More and MORE Columbines!

I have always liked the native and have some of those, too. This is a cross between a native and one of my purple ones from years ago. The rest are those I started from seed as a mix. If you have never started columbine from seed, it can be a worthwhile project. They will self seed on their own, but like to mix it up, and there is no telling what you may get, a bit like Forrest Gump's box of chocolates. 

Some are singles, doubles, ruffled, or "bonnets".  Some are a single color or bi-colors. Some are shorter or taller, with bluer foliage. They can form nice clumps and weed out easily. They also come in yellow and white, but those tend to be the last in bloom.







Saturday, May 23, 2015

Columbines


These are some columbine I started from seed three years ago (second year blooming). They fill in along the edge of my hosta bed where it gets just a tad bit too much sun. Given the cottage style of my house, columbine, like lilies of the valley, bridal wreath spiraea and lilacs are almost de rigueur,

They don't seem to mind the drier conditions found under my white pine and make an almost magical display in spring.

Maybe those gardening fairies arrived afterall.







Thursday, May 21, 2015

Not Just Flowers for Color!

Sedums and friends



My dappled Japanese willow needs its own fan page on FaceBook
with almost 10,000 people having searched and read about it.
(REALLY! Surprises me, too!)


What's in Bloom?

First of my columbines

Basket of Gold Alyssum

Prairie Smoke 



A geum cultivar

Waterperry blue veronica, various sedums, and lysimachia aurea

Last of my tulips

Lysimachia aurea and a couple different colors of blue muscari;
I thought I would like this a lot more than I do,
but the muscari just make the lysimachia appear as if I hadn't weeded.

Beauty of Moscow lilac, very nice showing this year

Korean barberry, very floriferous this year, I probably should be worried

Lily of the valley is pretty and very fragrant where I have it massed (or where it has massed itself). It used to be every farm house in the area had some of this growing around it in some shady corner.  I don.t see it much anywhere these days.

Saturday, May 16, 2015

Wafting Soap Bubbles

Unlike when I first moved here, my garden is one surrounded by homes with small children, or maybe those are the garden fairies arriving for the summer gardening season...

I am hoping for gardening fairies. I think I could use some help with the tiny weeds!

Sunday, May 10, 2015

Random Tulips on Mothers' Day

I can't help but be struck by the randomness of my tulips.  I have many in bloom, but I haven't planted any since 2012. There's a lot blooming already. But it is the definition of random.


Not a tulip obviously, but I can't help but include clematis 'Blue Dsncer'.

And there was this delicious treat, bread pudding with craisins and whiskey cream sauce.

Plants I bought yesterday to fill in window boxes when pansies are done.




Gold heart bleed ing heart

Curly allium




I thought this rose was dead.  Good thing it was an own root rose, 'Belinda's Dream'.

Saturday, May 9, 2015

Twilight

Beauty of Moscow lilac doesn't sucker and is not suseptible to powdery mildew.
 My garden at 7:15 this even had this yellow glow cast by the longs shadows of the sunset.
Part of the Long Border

At this angle you'd think everything in bloom, and these yellow bushes need some nitrogen!

Thursday, May 7, 2015

Apple Blossom Time, Crab Apple, That Is

Little pink house with 'Red Jade' weeping crab apple
'Red Jade' crab apple



Ruffled pansies

Salad mix is growing quickly on this balmy Thursday.

Peacock kale and bulls blood beet, ornamental edibles!

Gratuitous picture of green grass, those wider blades are quack grass,
the bane of my gardening life as they creep into every border and bed in my yard!

Wild American ginger

Blood root, begenia, and lily of the valley

A peony that emerges a deep burgundy

My latest sedum acquisition, 'Chocolate Drop' from Terra Nova.

Can I get away with just calling this a nice sedum?

A triumphator tulip, which with this warm balmy weather will make only a short appearance.

Part of the alley shrub border, garden side.  The best use for lawn?  Paths.