Impermanent Snow

The winter storm that has been sweeping across the country has arrived.  It started this morning with snow.  Fortunately, I grabbed my camera early in the morning because even as I was taking pictures, it was shifting into rain. 

The upturned, curved leaves of the Osmanthus captured and collected the flakes of snow.  The meager light seemed to be concentrated by the snow and leaves, so they were almost glowing. 

Soon we will be pruning off some of those branches, to use for decorations in the house. The bright yellow green sets off the dark green and red berries of the hollies. 

The Viburnum rhytidophylloides 'Allegheny' is putting on a dramatic show in the snow.  Some leaves have turned yellow or deep red.  There are three stages for fruits, with newly opened flowers, then red or black berries. 

The snow in this shot is out of focus, so it just appears as irregular white patches.  With the light being dim, the shutter had to be wide open to have enough light to even take the shot.

This could become a favorite picture for me.  There is so much going on.

Now it is raining and sleeting.  The snow is washing into the ground, and has almost disappeared. 

December Dusk

The weekend was spent raking leaves out of edges, then using the mower.  Call it a process of mowing the grass as well as sweeping and shredding the leaves for the compost heap.  If you look to the left of the Crepe Myrtle tree, at the edge of the picture is the overflowing compost heap. 

The remaining work doesn't have a strict schedule.  There is more bits of clean-up and fall pruning around the house.  Then, I need to go down into the ravine to see what needs to be done to keep the weedy things under control.

Foggy Sunday Morning

I woke up to a foggy morning, which creates a feeling of secrecy across the garden.  I was unable to do any work yesterday to clean-up the scattered leaves or cut back dying foliage.  It seems a bit abandoned, with every herbaceous perennial dying back slowly to the ground.

Looking out towards the Chesapeake Bay, the water has disappeared into the fog.  The sun was attempting to break through, adding patches of bright light, though still diffused by the lingering fog.

Not visible are the multiple deer hoof prints, creating deep wounds in the soft soil.  In the corner of the labyrinth some deer browsed on the winter berry bush, tearing off chunks of branches covered with bright red berries.  Then it seems to have laid down under the bush, crushing the tops of the perennials growing there.  I look forward to hunting season, and hope the nasty creature will become venison stew!

Finally, here is the very confused Viburnum "Allegheny."  The berries are from the spring when it bloomed and formed them.  The flowers have been very confused by the alternating cold and warm weather, and are blooming now instead of waiting!

I am out of time, but I hope you enjoy a few pictures for the week.

Another Labyrinth

Last weekend I visited another labyrinth in the Santa Fe Railyard Park and Plaza.  I did not find it until the last morning when I took off before dawn to wander the park across the street from the hotel.  It is about a mile out of the center of Santa Fe, and the park was busy with people even at that early hour. Joggers, dog walkers, and morning hikers were moving through the park, nodding and smiling their greetings to me as I walked the modified classic labyrinth paths.  I wish I had tried walking the area days earlier, when I was waking up at 4:40 in the morning, still on Eastern Time.  I could have walked it every morning, with the temperature in the 20's, and the mountains all around.  I will be back to Santa Fe in April, and visit it again.

Fall Aster

It is a single Aster chewing on the edge of the road!  The Aster oblongifolius ‘Fanny’ has, in two years, grown up, out and over all that is near.  I love it!  I had a passing thought in the early summer to prune it back a bit, to encourage denser growth.  I never thought of giving it a wire support, which would have kept it all a bit taller, less blowsy.  But in a season when everything is declining, fading in color, here is Fanny.  

We spent most of yesterday catching up on over three weeks of delayed maintenance.  Today has been spent doing job search and course related paperwork.  With travel next weekend, it will be two weeks before I can see Fanny again; I wonder if she will still look as good?

September abundance

The Colchicum under the magnolia tree are up in force this September.  They would prefer a site with more sunshine, but have adapted themselves to the deep shade created by the wide magnolia leaves.  I remember first seeing Colchicum visiting the Sissinghurst Castle Garden at the end of September in 1991.  I fell in love with them scattered in the rough grass of the orchard.  We have considered allowing parts of the yard to revert to rough grass, but the presence of chiggers and ticks stops the dreaming.

Sometimes it is the edges of the garden that are what most people see.  This picture of the edge of the road along the side of the labyrinth show what the neighbors, dog walkers and nature preserve hikers see.  It is the one place where plants can easily spill out and over, including the Verbena Bonariensis, tall grasses, Russian Sage, and the yet-to-bloom Aster.  The Verbena are all self-seeded; there were many hundreds of seedlings weeded out to allow enough room and nutrition for those you see here.  The clump of Pampas grass, and the Miscanthus are especially large and full with the consistently high volume of water they have gotten. 

Here is a cluster of yellow and gold in the labyrinth.  In the front is Goldenrod, Solidago sphacelata ‘Golden Fleece,' which stays short, but also likes to flop around sideways.  In the middle is Maryland Goldenaster (Chrysopsis mariana), a native that has a short bloom period, but is stunning for that time.  In the back is Salvia nemorosa 'Caradonna' if I have kept good track of the various places it has been moved over the years!  Out of the picture to the left, the Caryopteris incana 'Sunshine Blue' continues the yellow/blue theme with its yellow/green leaves and soft powder blue flowers.  I will close with its photograph below.

August Details

As the summer moves along, many of the plants are becoming worn out and tattered by the weather, insects, roving wild beasts, and sometimes the lawnmower.  This jewel, a Crocosmia ‘Star of the East,’ is an exception.  This variety, only planted two years ago, is wandering freely from its original spot about three feet to the north of the bench.  But it is difficult to stay angry when it has such cheerful orange flowers.  It is hard to find bright, intense flowers that can hold their own with the brightness of the August sunlight. 

The popular taste in colors, if the nursery catalogs are any indication, are soft, subtle shades.  Those are fine in shady areas, or in hazy weather where the sun is blocked.  But they become all washed out when the sun is hot and brilliant.

The Japanese Cedars are covered with fine cobwebs.  It is as if someone had discovered that artificial stuff used at Halloween and went crazy draping it over and through the bushes.  They provide quite the contrast to the dark green needles.

Starting in September I will become very busy with training for a new career.  It may keep me away from the garden more than usual; I really don't know for sure.  Whenever possible, I will take the camera out and see what is there to be discovered.  It will provide a respite, and hopefully there will be time to show what I have found.  So be patient if the time between posting new entries is longer than usual.

August rains

The ongoing periods of rain over this most unusual summer has been appreciated by many of the plants.  This is one of two Crape Myrtles planted down on the hillside facing the Bay.  Both were on sale because the nursery had lost their labels, so I don't the variety.  Planted in 2005 as small 3 foot tall bushes, it has taken a number of years to grow up tall enough to be seen above the dwarf bamboo.  With consistent rain, they have taken their place in providing a dramatic splash of color when looking out at the Bay.

Look at the two dead trees visible on the right of the picture.  I believe both were killed by the soil from the landslide two years ago, which covered and probably suffocated their roots.  They did fine the first year, but never put out new leaves this year.

The Allium 'Millennium' has also been spectacular this year, a spreading large clump with long lasting flowers.  It attracts lots of butterflies and bees, a wide variety coming trough to sample the different plants that they like.  As I learned last year, this is an American Lady (Vanessa virginiensis).  I have seen quite a few of these this summer. 

Christmas in August

Last Christmas my sister sent a dwarf pomegranate tree as a bonzai.  The instructions are to water it daily, a dangerous requirement for my plants.  I expect them to take care of themselves with minimum fuss. 

So Sis, here it is.  Alive, well, and producing flowers and even little fruits.  I wanted to be sure it would survive before beginning any training.  The fallback option was to plant it out in the labyrinth, since it is supposed to be hardy in the area, and that may eventually be its destination.  But, for now, it seems to be thriving.

Whatever needs to be done to begin shaping it into a properly trained bonzai is unclear.  That will need to be explored another time.

August Heat

Returning from vacation in New York, first in the Finger Lakes then the Adirondack Mountain High Peaks, the garden had gotten a bit ratty.  Two days of working in the morning before the heat became too oppressive was necessary before I dared take any photos.  Now it looks presentable again.  Do you see that cluster of Black Eyed Susans along the outer edge of the labyrinth?  That is the third set of buds, which finally lasted long enough without being eaten to bloom.  It is hard to see the one remaining Agapanthus flower head; all others have been chomped off by the deer, who left droppings nearby as a calling card.

What is amazing is the Maryland Senna, or Senna marilandica, bought a few years ago from a native nursery.  The plants have been in place for four years, each year getting stronger and taller.  This is two plants, some six feet apart, each almost six feet tall.  Since they are in the heather bed, which is on a slope, they don't appear as tall.  What a delightful shape and color to see in the foreground, when looking out the window at the Bay.  There are several seedlings underneath this year, which I will move to a bare area in the ravine.

More Water Lovers

This Agastache, which I believe to be Blue Fortune, has returned from the dead this year.  There was no trace of it last year, unless it spent the summer hiding under the foliage of the hardy hibiscus growing next to it?  Though not a strong plant yet, and certainly not blooming very heavily, it is good just to see it again.

Is is possible that all of the water and cool weather brought life back into the roots?  That would certainly be the opposite of what every description of the genus would recommend, which is excellent drainage and thriving in a hot sunny site. 

Maybe it was a victim of one of the many herbivores that consider the garden a paradise of culinary delights?  Again, that would seem unlikely since the intensely scented plants, such as herbs, are often avoided.

I don't know how it happened, but it has returned from the dead, and lives again.  Alleluia!

In the North Garden, the Day Lilies have been going like gangbusters, adoring the flood of water.  I had been told that they particularly need a lot of water, and this has been the year to prove that proclivity.

On the right is a 'Golden Peach' from the Klehm's Song Sparrow Nursery, which I originally bought sometime in the 1990's for our house in the city.  The color is clear, the petals are substantial, and many flowers are produced.  However, I no longer can find it available from any nursery;  if you want want, I would have to provide it.  It does make continually larger clumps that need division and a renewal of the soil with compost.  If only there were another place that day lilies could be safely grown.  Maybe I need to try the area between the shed and the house?  I don't think the deer would go there.

The Toad Lily, Tricyrtis formosana 'Gilt Edge', is blooming ahead of schedule, probably more because of the cooler weather than the amount of water.  Since it usually blooms in September, it might have been confused with the drop in temperatures.  The overall height is also shorter, with less of the related flopping.  There are too many variables to be sure one way or the other.

Apply Plenty of Water

By the end of June, Maryland had already absorbed the equivalent to an average year's rainfall.  Many of the plants have been reveling in the available water along with the the relatively cooler temperatures.

Certainly this Agapanthus, 'Steve's Wonder,' has done particularly well.  It was helped by being deeply mulched with leaves throughout the winter, protecting the top of the crown from freezing.  But with continuous water it has done really well. 

Unfortunately, a curious deer sampled not one but two of the flower heads, as a snack.  One bare topped stem clearly shows in this shot.  I guess it couldn't decide from the one whether or not it would enjoy more?  It makes me crazy, since the white tailed rats have sampled a number of other random bites throughout the garden.  Buds on the Black-Eyed Susans have been mowed down twice already, so they are trying for a third time.

The Pineapple Lily, Eucomis comosa, 'Sparkling Burgundy, has enjoyed the flood, growing more crowns and putting up the largest leaves and flower heads ever.  The color on the leaves faded when the temperatures were in the upper 80's for over a week, but the stems have retained the dark maroon shade.  It has been an exciting attraction this year.

Curiously, much of the daffodil foliage is still green and attached to the bulbs.  Usually the leaves are gone by early June, when water decreases and temperatures rise. A few are visible in this picture, lying across the mulch on the lower left side of the Eucomis.  It will be interesting to see if this leads to more or larger flowers next spring.

One of the cone flowers, the Echinacea purpurea, White Swan, has also performed very well with the rain.  Most years it has stopped flowering in June, and looks like it will die.  It is not clear if the weather has been one of the reasons; they are supposed to prefer drier conditions than this year's.  Other Echinacea plants are not happy with the conditions this year, so maybe it shows variations in preferences among the species that were involved in creating this particular cultivar?

Morning Light

The early morning sunlight was particularly appealing walking through the labyrinth.  As much a reflection from the water as from the sky, the light sparkled on the thin layer of dew that burnished the foliage.

Walking with my camera in my leather slippers, which slowly soaked through, I felt like I was in a magical place.  Hopefully these pictures will show a bit of the mystery permeating everything.

The dwarf smoke bush, visible in the middle of the photo above, still had sparkling drops of dew among the soft, fine flowering clusters.  I could get poetic about it, but I will let the picture tell its own story.

I have submitted both of the to the garden photo contest sponsored by Horticulture.  I wonder what they will think?

June 15, 2013

So, although taken a few days later, these photos show how the labyrinth looked on June 15th, the day of the wedding.  I want to remember it, partly because I worked so hard to make it look as good as possible when family arrived.  

This is the outer edge that faces the house, and currently has the most color, with the Echinacea opening their petals out.  The lambs ears flowers on the tall stems are still bright, but will soon turn brown.  The Allium 'Millennium' just to the left of them are ready to open, but not yet.  This mixture of colors and textures is delightful. 

Looking out from the inside, there is even more color, with the intense blue of the sage, and the dark purple of the Penstemon echoing the grass flowers. 

Then there is the Aristolochia fimbriata. the White Veined Dutchman’s Pipe, which grows under the standard cedar.  This is the first time since planting it in 2011 when the flower has been held up off the ground.  I bought this from Plant Delights Nursery, and the first year it was quite large, then died.  However, it produced lots of seeds, which are scattered throughout the area, and several small plants have come up this year.  I don't know why they are staying small, but maybe the conditions will be right this year?  There certainly has been enough rain to keep the basement seeping water!

Amaryllis, Purple Milkweed and Mockingbirds

While they are not typical bedding plants for an outdoor garden, these Amaryllis certainly do provide a bold display near the center of the Labyrinth.  I cannot claim a grand plan.  It was slow and steady procrastination.  I knew all of the bulbs should have flowers, and had planned on putting them into pots, and forcing them.  Obviously, that never happened. 

Now if I could figure out a long-term way to identify the colors of the flowers for each of the bulbs.  Then I could chose which colors I give away next year after I pot them up for gifts.  If I don't procrastinate.

The Purple Milkweed is blooming, now that the temperature is in the 90's.  At this early stage, with so many round, fat buds turning from green to lavender to the soft purple color, they are quite attractive.  The leaves are the preferred food source for Monarch caterpillars.  I am very willing to have them chewed up if that means there will be new butterflies as a result. 

Then there is the Mockingbird nest in the Persian Ironwood tree.  The beaks of the two nestlings are barely visible above the twigs in this photo.  It is as close as I dared to get with the parent birds making loud noises at me.  A few years ago, a Mockingbird drove away a black snake that was approaching the tree holding it's nest.  That persistent parent bird kept dive bombing the snake, aiming at its head.

I took this picture last weekend, and checking today, there are no young birds in the nest.  I hope they flew away!

The Labyrinth in May

 

Doesn't it all look spectacular in May, with peonies, iris, penstemon, false indigo and smokebush in full bloom?  I need to update the photo at the top of the blog.  Things have grown a lot larger!

May Flowers

So many flowers to see and enjoy, they clamor for attention at this busy time of year.  Now that I have time to go out and enjoy them all, and take pictures, you will see a lot more of them.

The Karl Rosenfield Peony on the right has spectacular flowers, and if you look closely you can see the bright yellow anthers covered with pollen.  I have two of these bushes, but each has only a few blossoms this year.  One was moved to its current home just two years ago, and peonies don't like change, so that may be the issue.  What it lacks in quantity is well balanced by these huge double blossoms.

On a smaller scale is the Coppertina Ninebark with its clusters of small pink flowers.  Again, this bush is still settling into its site after 3 years, so it has not grown to its full size.  This is the first year it has flowered, so finding them was a nice surprise yesterday.  Eventually it will grow up to provide both a dramatic color near the front of the house.  In addition, it will screen the view into the sun porch from the road, making it more private without having to put up curtains or shades. 

The Shadblow Serviceberry growing next to the shed also provides a visual screen for the sun porch.  When looking toward the house from the road, it is almost directly behind the ninebark.  Now that it has topped out to its full height, branches are filling in the middle.  Since it is directly in front of the window over the kitchen sink, it provides an alternative view when washing the dishes. Since we don't have a dishwasher, I see it a lot!  Surprisingly the berries have not been eaten by birds.  However, there is a mockingbird nest about 20 feet away, with newly hatched nestlings. It is very protective of its young and may be keeping away any other birds. Several years ago, another mockingbird drove away a black snake that was approaching the tree holding its nest.  I have tried to get a picture of the young birds, but so far nothing worth showing.  Every time I get near, even using a telephoto, the parent bird makes loud noises, trying to get me to go away.

In the North Garden is the Japanese Snowbell tree, 'Snowcone.'  Here you can see the large clusters of flowers that hang down below the branches.  They are also fragrant, and in that small enclosed space, the perfume collects and permeates the air, coming into the bedroom window.  A quirky tree, it  seems to randomly let different branches die over the winter.  Each spring it needs a careful prune to get rid all of the dead twigs.  But wonderful in bloom!

Peonys, foxgloves, and Iris, oh my!

May is my favorite month for the garden.  The temperatures are just right for working anytime of the day.  All of the plants are growing strongly, with new buds showing up each week.  Everything has the potential to be wonderful throughout the summer, before any drought, strong wind, heavy rain or invasion of insects can do their damage.

Most importantly the peonies and iris are blooming, flowers that were so much a part of my childhood and bring back all the joy of that time of life. 

I tried again to identify what the name for the white peony on the left.  It should be an heirloom variety since the original bushes date back before the 1960's, and the closest I can find that matches it are descriptions of 'Avalanche."  Whatever its origin, the fragrance is strong and spicy, and makes me happy, whatever else is going on in my life. 

This little gem is a Digitalis obscura, or Narrow Leaf Foxglove.  I thought I had lost the label after planting it a few years ago.  As we were mulching this spring, there was still enough of the label in the soil to track it down.  These are small foxgloves, and some people describe them as being very much like penstemons in shape.  Reading online cultivation information, I will plan on letting some of the flowers go to seed. I have been dead heading it, but if allowed, it is supposed to be a prolific self seeder.  I am willing to risk shortening the life of this plant since I might get many new plants.  I can picture large clump of these filling in this part of the bed.

The Siberian Iris are beginning to bloom, first with 'Jeweled Crown.'  This variety was introduced in 1985 and won an award from the American Iris Society.  It is a strong grower, with a large number of blooms and the color is distinctive.  Enjoy.

Close-ups

With the cool weather continuing, only a few flowers have opened up.  Without competition from dozens of other blooms, there is a special draw to savor each one.  This Paeonia 'Kopper Kettle' has been a strong performer after taking a few years to settle into the spot.  Each flower shifts color from a pink with magenta tone into the salmon range as the petals age. 

The name of this iris, which came from my mother's garden in Ohio, is unknown to me.  It is a shame, since the complex mix of light blue is stunning.  What else can be said?

New Growth

One of the advantages of a long cool spring like we have had this year is the slow-motion growth of new foliage.  Only seeing the garden on weekends, whole stages of growth have passed and gone away between my leaving on Sunday and returning on Friday.  But not this year. 

For example, on the left are the new tops of the Purple Milkweed, Asclepias purpurascens.  My mental image of milkweed is a lanky stem with large coarse leaves.  I have set them in a place where those awkward features get hidden by everything growing up around them.  But at this stage, these are the only plants showing above ground, and they are delightful.  The stems are flushed with maroon,the leaves held up at an angle, showing the short fuzz on the bottom side. 

Soon the nearby hardy hibiscus will grow up, and out shine these more humble, native species. 

But not yet.

Then there is the dwarf smoke bush, Cotinus coggygria 'Young Lady' which has made remarkable improvement after being moved only 20 feet.  I was ready to throw it away because it was so disappointing.  It was front and center, and looked bad most of the year.

In the new location, the flower buds are already showing at the top, all a bright, clean green.  You can see there will be actual flowers, long before the long thin threads that will soon cover the bush, creating that smoke effect. 

But not yet.

Finally, here are the emerging tips of Pheasant Berry,  Leycesteria formosa 'Golden Lanterns.'  The overly dramatic red frosting on the acid yellow-green leaves is so energizing after a long, cold, dreary winter.  Later in the season it will fade back, tone down a bit, against all of the other color.  But not yet.

The Three Viburnums

The erratic temperatures over the winter has caused an unusual event.  All three of the different viburnums are blooming at the same time.  The two in the picture on the left often bloom around the same time in the spring.  Of the two, the one in the front, which is a Viburnum x burkwoodi Conoy, opens it flowers slightly earlier than the one in the background. 

That is consistent this year. When you look at this close-up view of the flowers, you will see almost all of the individual flowers are fully open, with only a few still in bud.  The bush of the Conoy, as visible above, is actually carefully shaped into a rounded, dense form.  It can be maintained in this shape because the twigs and the leaves are smaller and respond to pruning by branching into multiple growing points.  This creates a soft surface that is covered with the clusters.

The Viburnum x pragense, or Prague Viburnum, blooms a week to ten days later.  This can be seen in the close-up of its flower cluster which is still mostly at the bud stage.  The soft pink color on the outside of the petals is delightful, and the clusters are much denser and compact,the size of a softball.  The texture of the shrub is much more linear and open.  Maybe it is the way I have been training it because I want a thin and tall form, but it seems vertical in all aspects, with strong trunks.  That slim profile provides a detail to the foreground to the big view, without blocking that view.

The third viburnum, a Viburnum rhytidophylloides 'Allegheny,' usually blooms in the autumn.  Or just a frequently, it tries to bloom during warms spell in the winter, and the flowers get frozen back when the temperature drops.  This is the biggest, and most coarse of the three.  It is currently about eight feet tall, and just as wide, the leaves the longest and widest of all the three.  I don't have a good photo of the entire bush for comparison.  Currently it is in an awkward stage having had bad winter kill two year ago when it broke dormancy in the middle of the winter.  There are new branches suckering up from the ground, which are beginning to cover up its open nakedness.  I am trying to respect its privacy, waiting for it to be decently covered up.