Hypericum 'Brigadoon'

Two weeks ago when I attended the local daylily club meeting, they had a sale going on. Members brought in plants from their gardens and sold them in the back of the room. Most of the plants were perennials and since I was running late, I missed seeing most of the choice plants.

One member though had a few special things left. Frank and his wife Laura are known to collect unusual specimens so I looked very carefully. There were two pots of Hypericum 'Brigadoon'. Now I've never been too excited by Hypericum but I thought "why not" and decided to bring one home.

The plant is in a one gallon pot and had lots of yellow buds. The Hypericum I have in my garden has small nickle size single blooms and that's what I expected with this one.

Imagine my surprise when the first bud opened up and I saw this flower! Wow!!! It's a "stop you in your tracks" kind of bloom.

This time I vow to do my research and give this beauty the correct location. The sites I've looked at so far show it with golden foliage. The plant I have has a light green foliage but then those sites also say that it needs full sun to get that lighter foliage. I don't think Frank & Laura have that much full sun so it will be interesting to see what happens when I give it a prime spot.

Now I just have to decide if it's going in the long driveway bed or the rock wall around the pool. Right now I'm leaning towards the pool area as it's a summer time bloomer.

I'll take a photo again once I decide where to place this beauty.

Acanthus spinosa

Acanthus spinosa, also known as Bear's Breeches is another perennial in my garden that I know very little about. This beauty was planted out front in a fairly shady spot about 5 years ago. I'm not sure it has bloomed every year.

Doing a google search on it this morning I see that it likes full sun to part shade. Also, the photos I found on line were stunning, big massive clumps of blooms. It requires little care, at least I haven't done anything special here. Average amounts of water so it seems happy with what the surrounding perennials are getting. Also, I haven't seen any signs of pests on this plant.

In this photo I stepped back so you can see the Acanthus as it's set in the garden. I'd say this is one of my less inspired combinations. Obviously this plant can really shine if it's in the right location, I think I need to try it in more sun but I'm not sure about moving it.

Do any of you grow Bear's breeches? I'd love any tips on growing this beauty.

For those of you who read here regularly, I guess you can tell that I'm winding down. Getting ready for my trip has become a full time job and this week will be just packed with last minute activities. I will only have time for a few more posts before we leave and there won't be anything posted again until late July.

Hope you are all still here when I get back!

Melanie

Callirhoe

The other day I posted a photo about a plant but couldn't remember the name. Well here it is, Callirhoe involucrata. Now please don't ask me to pronounce this out loud, I can usually come up with a decent pronunciation but this one has me totally stumped.

I've had Callirhoe in the garden 4 or 5 years now. The same two plants, never more, never less. I bought them in a small pot and over the years I've learned little about them.

Callirhoe doesn't stand up on it's own, it needs surrounding plant material to clambor along or a rock wall to cascade down.

It has no pests that I've seen except for rabbits which occasionally find it absolutely delicious.

The flowers only open when the sun is up, they close up in early evening but the strong magenta color still makes the closed buds beautiful.

Today I went to Mobot's site to learn more about this plant. It is part of the Malva family and can grow as far south as Texas (Pauline, are you taking note?). Also, it likes dry to medium soil so I'm guessing it would also do well for Gail in her stony Tennessee soil.

This plant is native to America, I wonder if any of you folks overseas seas have it in your gardens?

If any of you have tips on how to propigate this plant, leave a message. I remember hearing it seeds around but I don't have any seedlings here that I know of.

1 + 1 = Another 1

A few years ago my younger daughter Emily decided she wanted to hybridize some daylilies. Typical of a child, she looked at the process in a whole different light. First she came up with the name she liked and then she looked for the flowers that she though would give her a seedling with the right qualities.

Her name of choice was "Mac & Cheese" so you can guess what color daylilies she decided to work with. This first photo is 'Nutmeg Elf' and it gave Emily the color she wanted. She used this daylily as the pod parent.

The daylily Emily chose to use as a pollen parent was 'Itsy Bitsy Spider', shown in this photo.

All together I think we have 5 seedlings still from that cross. This is the first one to bloom this year. It has clumped up nicely and has excellent budcount and branching. I can't say the flower form is too different from either parent though.

Here you can see it in a clump. It stands quite tall for a small blooming daylily, both parents have that trait. While it will never formally be introduced, it's an excellent plant to have in the border.

I hope the other seedlings bloom before I leave for Germany so I can photograph them and show them here. One of them has an excellent form but unfortunately doesn't have the bud count or branching that this seedling has. Then again, maybe this year it will be better.

Tickled Pink

This week it seems I'm using lots of color in my blog postings. Today's title though really has nothing to do with color in the garden. Instead, something happened to me yesterday that I have to share here.

In ten days I'm heading to Germany with my mom. We have a train pass and besides visiting lots of relatives, we're going to see as much of Germany as possible in 15 days. In order to get ready for the trip I've been taking nice long walks every day so I'm in tip-top shape. Last night I went to our high school and walked on our new track.

As I was walking on the track a woman I recognized jogged past me and we said "hello". On the next lap she stopped me (she was VERY excited) and said she had to show me something. She handed me her cell phone to show me a picture on it. It was a photo of a Japanese Iris. Then she explained that she had bought that Iris at one of my plant sales.

I don't know what I was more tickled about. The fact that she was so excited over a flower or the fact that she had a picture of it in her phone so she could show people. Either way, she really made my day :-)
This post isn't really about flowers but of course I had to put up some photos. The top photo is the bloom on Centaurea dealbata in a sea of Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' (can you tell I use this Nepeta like crazy?)

The name of the plant in the bottom photo has just totally escaped my brain. Hopefully it will pop up again and I can post it here. If not, maybe one of you will jog my memory.

If I did Roses...

This past Saturday I attended a Long Island Daylily Society meeting at Planting Fields Arboretum. The meeting was a short one and I had 15 minutes to run through one of the display gardens. Since it is June, I decided to go for the rose garden.

The first view one sees is a long pebbled path bordered by a massive wave of Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'. I thought this was an excellent choice since Lavender isn't always reliable here on Long Island. One big change I noticed was that many of the roses in bloom were smaller fairy type roses. Either it's the season or they've been changing out the tea roses once they die.

Walking down this path was an amazing experience as the air was filled with the buzz of the thousands of bees at work. Even when there was no wind the blooms on the Nepeta waved to and fro as the bees collected their pollen.

The sun was quite bright so this photo is a bit harsh. I loved the color combination of the hot pink roses with the lavender Nepeta blooms.

At one point the garden meets a crossroad (path) that takes you past the perennials. Spaced all along it are posts that are holding up bowers of roses.

It was the most delicious feeling to walk down this path. When you put your nose up against an individual bloom there was no scent but with this multitude of blooms, the whole air was delicately perfumed.

Looking up this is what you would see, it was just heavenly.

One final look upwards. I could imagine being a little girl and lying down on the pebble path as the rose petals rained down. If I grew roses I would want to grow them like this.

Lavender Illusions

The humidity today is so high it feels like the air is wet. Yesterday I posted about the yellows in the garden, today we'll look at the lovely colors the Iris Ensata (Japanese Iris) are showing.

This first clump here was the inspiration for the title of this post, Lavender Illusions. What a lovely color!

This is that seedling that I showed earlier last week. It doesn't seem to open all the way so I guess it will be tossed on the compost heap later this season. Then again I might not be able to be so heartless and I might just have to move it some place else in the garden.


Another clump in bloom out front. This one is a deeper color, more blues and purples showing here.

Japanese Iris are so easy to grow. They like the same conditions as my daylilies. As much sun as possible, lots of good compost, fair amounts of water and dividing every 5 years or so. How can you go wrong with these beauties?

Yellow season

Last year I was posting on a garden list when another gardener posted about how she doesn't like yellow in her garden. I was shocked! So many of the perennials I love are yellow, it's such a strong, happy, sunny color that I never thought somebody would deliberately leave it out of their garden.

As a tease for her I made the above collage in hopes that I would persuade her to fall in love with yellow.

Yesterday as I walked around the garden I thought of her again. It's yellow season in my garden. All the pinks, purples and blues are fading away and the yellows are popping out all over.


Coreopsis are hitting their peak. There are two kinds in this photo, my favorite is Coreopsis 'Zagreb'.
The yellow Kniphofia is also at it's peak. I would love to find more of these that do as well as this one variety. In the past I've had quite a bit of success with some Kniphofias only to have them totally disappear one year.


Here's a close up of the bloom on a Coreopsis lanceolata. I think that is the variety although this isn't my original plant. This type of Coreopsis is short lived but if you leave some heads on they will self sow and you will continue to have them in the garden.


Just winding down are the pale yellow blooms on the Ruta graveolens (Rue). I'm pretty sure they give me a second big bloom flush in the fall. Yesterday I found a few new seedlings which makes me quite happy :-)

Asclepias tuberosa can stop me in my tracks with it's stunning beauty. I now have two clumps along the driveway and it looks like a third one is starting further into the bed.


Hidden under my climbing rose I found the daylily 'Itsy Bitsy Spider' beginning to bloom. This poor baby needs to get moved out of there ASAP!

Another daylily has begun, lots of yellow in this one too, it's 'Wings of Chance' and this photo doesn't do it justice.

The Corydalis lutea is still blooming up a storm. That's one long blooming perennial if you ask me.

As a closing shot, I'd like to show you a flower I came across yesterday as I ran through Planting Fields Arboretum. I was there for a daylily meeting and had about 10 minutes to run to the rose garden and then back to my car. On the way I spotted this beauty but could find no name tag.

If I had to pick a name, I'd try Centaurea but I'll hold off and see if anybody else has a better suggestion. It was growing in full sun and at least 4 feet tall (well over a meter).

Off to walk the garden,
Melanie

Party time

Well here's a strange blog from me. No photos!

Yesterday my youngest daughter had a pool party with about a dozen teenagers here. The morning was spent running around getting things ready, no time for blogging :-(

This morning I awoke to find several girls sleeping in my den, all around my computer that I normally blog from.

So, this is just a little note telling all of you that things will be back to normal once I can get access to my camera and my photo files.

Last night we had the biggest thunder storm of all. The thunder never stopped, it would still be rumbling from one strike when another one would start crashing through. I'm off to check out the garden.

In the words of Arnold, "I'll be back".

Tips for Cutting Flowers

Yesterday I put together a stunning arrangement (if I do say so myself). Of course when I finished up I realized I was incredibly late and ran around like a chicken without a head. I totally forgot to take a photo of the finished product!

Still, as I was cutting blooms and arranging them, I thought of the many tips I had learned over the years of workshops thanks to my Nathan Hale Garden club.

The number one rule is to condition your material. That means to hydrate them. I used to walk around the garden with a beautiful basket to gather my cut flowers. As pretty as it looks, it's not the best for the blooms. Now I go out with a large bucket or two half filled with water. A bucket full of water would be better but is too heavy to lift.

It's surprising how few blooms you need to make a stunning arrangement. You can use all kinds of foliage to fill the vase. In many cases I use foliage from perennials that have finished blooming.

Once you've cut your plant material, bring it to a shaded work area. Then fill the bucket to the rim so the plants are up to their necks with water (tepid water is better than ice cold water).

Many arrangers leave their material to soak in a bucket over night but I never seem to plan ahead enough for that. The next step is to strip the plants of their lower leaves. Any leaf that is going to be under the water line is a bacteria factory so strip it off the stems. You can see the black pot on the left for the stripped leaves. They go to the compost heap when I'm done.

The best time of day to cut flowers is early morning when they are freshest. The second best time is late afternoon to evening. The worst time is during the heat of the day (unless you are cutting from a shade garden).

Look for plants that are overcrowding their neighbors and use them as filler material. The various Lysimachias are great for this along with the taller Nepetas.

Try to reach down and make a cut so the stem is as long as possible. When I putting together the actual arrangement I usually make a second cut so they fit the vase.

Today I'll look around and put together a list of plants that last long in the vase.

Another kind of T D day

Just a few days ago T D stood for "To-Do". For many people T D stands for TouchDown. This morning, T D stood for Technical Difficulties.

We have been experiencing a number of brownouts and short electrical outages as the pre-summer thunder storms roll through here. The computer that I store my photos on was down this morning and I'm not the right person to mess around with it.

Of course now we have lift off, and I have no time. I'm in the middle of cutting huge bouquets of blooms to make a special arrangement that I will be delivering later today. I am taking photos of the process too.

One lesson I learned today, the Lysimachia in this photo makes an excellent cutting flower. I need to let it take over a bit more so I have plenty to combine with the Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' which always give me lots of filler material.

Be back soon,
Melanie

Feelings

This morning the garden is soaked. While the rain came later than was forecast, it did come. The cool air and the multitude of bird songs made my garden walk-about a true delight.

Did you ever notice how different flowers make you feel? As you walk around and look at the magnificent blooms, what goes through your mind?

This clump of Kniphofia just stopped me in my tracks. A delicious sense of anticipation stole over me as I tried to imagine how this spot will look in another two or three days. Underlying that was a sense of satisfaction as I've waited many years for a little 4 inch pot of Kniphofia to grow to this size.
Apparently plants can be whimsical too. I laughed out loud when I saw the jolly hat on this Allium bud. Around here the nickname for Digitalis is fox-glove. In Germany they call them fingerhut which translates as finger-hat. I guess Allium-hat is also appropriate.

Centaurea dealbata is one of the first perennials I ever ordered which means I've had it 20 years or so. At my first house it was only a small clump and I brought a slip here with us 12 years ago. For 11 years it struggled but it survived. I had planted it in the wrong conditions, a pretty shady spot with poor drainage.

On a whim I split the sad plant into three tiny pieces last year and moved them to new locations. They have rewarded me with the most amazing growth and bloom. To me they look like they are romantically involved with the Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' at their side.

The orange glow of this Lychnis conveys the feeling of shock. I grew this plant years ago but didn't know enough about companion planting to give it the right spot. This week I must have taken a dozen photos of it combined with the Salvia verticilata. They make a perfect combination and not one photo does it justice.

Patience is the feeling that comes over me when I look at this spot. This Sedum took years to mature so I've decided not to pinch a piece this year as it finally looks lovely here.

Surprise is the feeling I have when I look at this Iris bud bursting into bloom. This is the same Iris seedling I posted about yesterday, I can't wait to see it all opened up! By the way, it definitely did not come with the daylily that it is growing up against. That daylily was sent to me as a bare root and has been there for 3 years now.

The fluffy blooms of Filipendula 'Kakome' make me think of tough and determined. How's that? As soft and delicate as they look, I divided this perennial this spring and it was in a sun baked location that dries out quite quickly. As you can see, it laughed at adversity which makes it one tough cookie in my book.

The Baptisia alba (White Baptisia) is just awe-inspiring. It takes my breath away every time I stand near it and gaze at it's elegant beauty.

Simple Coreopsis (tick-seed) is such a happy looking plant. Something about the color yellow makes me want to smile. Add the color and the cheerful daisy form together and you have pure joy.

What feelings do you feel when you look at the different blooms in your garden?

Iris mystery

This morning I found a mystery waiting for me in my garden. This Iris ensata (Japanese Iris) was in bloom. The mystery? I know for sure I didn't plant it in this spot. It was right against the Belgium block of my driveway.

As I looked around, I remembered that in the past few years I've been lax in removing spent pods on some of my Iris. Could they have seeded?

Suddenly my eyes spied this small group of Iris ensata about to come into bloom. Ok, now I was sure that these weren't planted by me. Why would I plant an Iris in the middle of a daylily clump? Not only are these two plants conjoined at the base but I know I've never had a Japanese Iris growing in this spot before.

This is quite a surprise to me. Neither of these photos do justice to the colors in the garden. Even tweaking isn't getting me the color I'd like to see.

As the light conditions change through the day I'll try again to capture what is here. Apparently, there are some new Iris in my garden but I'm not complaining.

Has this ever happened to you?

Fathers Day Gnomes

Today's post shows two of my favorite garden accessories. They are garden gnomes, in German you would say Gartenzwerg (at least that's what I remember).

These gnomes are pretty old, they came here when a builder tore down an old shack just two doors away from us. Much as I'd like to see them with fresh paint, I'm afraid it would take away part of their charm and value.

The first gnome isn't seen often, I moved him this week because he was already hidden behind hosta foliage. His name is Hans.

This gnome is Claus. Although you can't tell from the photo, he's pretty big and quite heavy too. One of the reason I love these gnomes so much is because they remind me of my father. My Dad loved the outdoors, he would be outside any chance he could get. I remember hiking with him at Bear Mountain, berry picking at Alley Pond Park, shell gathering at Jones beach and many more excursions.

Dad was born in a small town that is in Poland today. When he was born the area was part of Germany. He was 12 when he fled with his mother and sister as the Russians were coming. They walked for many weeks before settling in Stuttgart.

Both gnomes have pipes which also reminds me of my dad. Unfortunately, we lost my both my dad and my husband's dad way too early because of lung cancer.

My girls don't have an Opa or Grandpa to call today but they do have a great dad. While I care for the flowers and the gardens, he cares for the house, the trees, the shrubs and of course, the lawn.

Right now he's making chocolate chip pancakes for his daughters. What a dad!

Happy Father's Day!

Flower Arrangements

Is your first thought "Why is Melanie showing us her toilet bowl"? A few days ago I posted that I was making flower arrangements using cut flowers from my garden. Well, I finally got around to taking some photos of them and one of them is sitting on the top of my toilet.

It's actually quite charming if I do say so myself. Tucked into this tiny vase is a few sprigs of Coreopsis 'Zagreb' (not yet open), Viola 'Bowles Black', Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant' and my new favorite addition of Rue.

This large arrangement is in my den, next to my computer where I am sitting right now. For some reason my camera hates this room and I never ever get a good photo taken in here.

The local craft store Michaels was running a sale this week. Two vases for $5. Most of them were small and cheap looking but I found two of these large "jars" and they are nice and heavy.

Although it's hard to see what's in this arrangement, I'll list them all here. Hosta leaves, Baptisia 'Screaming Yellow', my driveway Daisies, spent heads from the Alliums, and grass stalks from Miscanthus sinensis 'Strictus'. I love to use grasses as accents in arrangements.

This little arrangement is sitting on my hallway table but I put it outside on my bistro table to photograph. It's so simple and yet might be my favorite of the bunch. Three Hosta leaves, Baptisia 'Screaming Yellow' and Nepeta 'Six Hills Giant'.

I made this same arrangement earlier in the week. The Hosta leaves will last for two weeks at least but I had to replace the other material after 5 days. That's fine by me.

Tuesday night my husband was at a fancy affair and brought home the table centerpiece for me. It's just lovely and is sitting on my kitchen table. I don't think I've ever arranged things in a mass like this, I tend to go for loose and informal but I love the way this looks. To be honest though, my friend Kim could do a better job.

This arrangement was made last Sunday with flowers cut in the middle of the day during our heatwave. After 5 days it looked pretty tired and needed to be updated. It was sitting on my youngest daughters night table.

First I pulled out all the plant material. Then I washed the inside of the container and filled it with fresh water. The Hosta leaves as usual were fine and I reused them.

This time I added the blooms from Alchemilla mollis (Ladies mantle), Ferns (don't know the variety), Hakonachloa (Hakone grass) and the hot pink Silene armeria. I had hoped to surprise Emily but she surprised me instead. She came home with no voice and a fever. After a quick trip to the doctor we found out she had a raging sinus infection so I decided that I wouldn't put these blooms back right next to her bed for now.

I belong to a Federated Garden Club and many of the women there are amazing flower arrangers. It's never been a passion of mine, I just manage to scrape by when we have a judged show. Still, after all these years a few tips and rules have rubbed off on me.

This weekend I'll take photos of the mechanics of flower arranging and put together a post giving the tips that I know (it won't be a very long post :-) )

Have a wonderful weekend,

Melanie