Down The Southern Side Path

Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) Along The Southern Path May 21, 2013

A small blue slate path hugs the left side of my house, guiding visitors as they walk toward the main garden in back. Irregularly-shaped stones are laid to create a gently curving meander. By necessity, the path slopes downward slightly before turning right and leading through a white picket gate.

I like to think the spacing, curving and sloping of the narrow pathway give reason not only to watch one’s step, but also to slow one’s pace and to look around. In this way garden guests are invited to make a calming transition from public space to private sanctuary.

Plantings Near The Southern Side

Marking the spot just before the path begins are a few shrubs (winterberry holly, juniper and sky pencil holly) that are interplanted with creeping moss phlox, daffodil bulbs and muscari, echinacea and canna.

The path exists in the narrow strip between my house and another, with the neighbors’ air conditioning units and utility boxes all plainly visible.

These unwanted borrowed views crop up frustratingly often when I photograph plants along the path, but they are less obtrusive than one might think when actually using the path. That is because one’s eyes tend to gaze downward and be held just a few steps ahead. Traveling down the path one is invited to explore and and enjoy the plants on either side.

As visitors step from the grass onto the first blue stone they may notice ginger lily on the left, lavender on the right.

Hedychium coronarium (Ginger lily)

Stachys and Lavender

Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)

Continuing down the path they may pause briefly before stepping around the plants spilling out into the path. Some years the walkway is dominated by Lamb’s Ears. In other years cleome or zinnia are featured. Usually the plants themselves choose.

Cleome has self-seeded and is growing along the path and in-between stones. but for now this is the year of Rose Campion, both white and red.

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Midway down on the right is a large clump of yellow iris that bloomed magnificently early this spring.

On the same side further down the path beebalm, Russian sage, black and blue salvia and a rather cramped pink muhly grass are all growing. On the left is artemisia, flax and baptisia. Follow the path down.

Stachys, Lavender and Iris

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm) and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)

At the end on the right just before the path turns to go into the garden a Jackmanii clematis stands as sentinel. This view was taken a few weeks ago and now Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ has grown to fill the corner behind the clematis.

The garden is open…

Garden Bloggers Foliage Day – May 2013

I am joining Christina at Creating my own garden of the Hesperides for Garden Bloggers Foliage Day (GBFD) and a chance to examine the importance of foliage in the garden.

This month I have enjoyed the prolific blooms of a spring garden and earlier today I posted a long entry about May flowers, but because of GBFD, I also kept an eye open for foliage highlights.

The plants I notice again and again are the silvery-leaved Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear), perennial Dusty Miller and Artemisia, as they help break up the spaces and add interest—some pop—to the borders.

Stachys byzantina (Lamb’s Ear) with Iris and Achillea

Dusty Miller

Artemisia ‘Powis Castle’ (Wormwood)

Dark colors especially the reds of Canna and Husker’s Red Penstemon worked to add excitement and even some sophistication to the garden.

Canna and Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Canna

Penstemons and Thyme In The Meditation Circle

Another plant with good foliage coloring is Heuchera (Coral Bells). It is available in many colors though the nurseries do not seem to stock many different ones.  I bought three Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ last year and finally got them planted in a permanent spot in April.

Heuchera villosa ‘Big Top Bronze’ (Coral Bells)

I have not cooked with this Golden Sage, but the bright yellow green coloration and pattern spilling out through the railing is reason enough to grow it.

Salvia Dorada ‘Aurea’ (Golden Sage)

Much of the foliage I have been following this month is intriguing simply as it is part of the amazing early stage of a plant’s growth cycle.  Flowers will eventually arrive, but for a long time before the plants bloom the volume created by the leaves and stems lifts the garden upward accenting it with shape and texture.

Liatris spicata ‘Floristan Weiss’ (Gayfeather)

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

Leucanthemum x superbum (Shasta Daisy)

Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)

Anemone coronaria de Caen ‘The Bride’ and ‘Mr. Fokker’

Be sure to visit Christina to see her skillful use of foliage and find links to other GBFD bloggers.

May Garden Interests

While irises have captured most of my attention in the garden this spring, other plants have competently played supporting roles and many more are leading the way as transition toward the warmer season takes place.

An amaryllis I have been watching to develop surprised me today when it opened up and was white, not red. I also found one with a red bud nearby.  These flowers did not bloom well last year and I had forgotten the particulars of them.

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Pincushion Flower is an enchanting name for this plant, nicer sounding than Scabiosa. This plant seldom last more than a couple of seasons in my garden and this is year two. It has been blooming well this year, starting just over a month ago. The cooler temperatures and plentiful rain this spring seem to have kept it happy. If I can force myself to do regular deadheading it will help.

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower)

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower)

Slow to open this year the peony flowers show some browning after heavy rains this week. In the previous two years this ‘Pink Parfait’ bloomed by May 11, but this year, still waiting.

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

A Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ purchased last year is beginning to bloom. I enjoyed it last year so purchased 3 new ones this winter by mail order, this time ‘Red Fox’ Veronica. They arrived bare-root and are still very small.

Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell)

This black iris has a few more blooms open today.

Iris germanica (Bearded iris) Black Iris

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena) has been blooming for a couple of weeks and now several thymes are also beginning to flower. Echinacea is shooting up in many of the borders and forming buds. In the meditation circle Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ and Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ both opened today.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Every Southern garden should have hydrangeas and, thanks to Jayme at EntwinedLife, my garden has a healthy hydrangea that not only has survived, but is forming flowers. Thank you Jayme.

Hydrangea macrophylla

This year I ordered an Allium Raspberry and Cream Collection, which is in fact a mixture of Allium Nigrum and Allium Atropurpureum. One Allium Nigrum is open this week.

Allium Nigrum

To end this this garden tour today I will mention my family’s old-fashioned rose that my grandmother and mother grew. This was passed along eons ago by my mother’s cousin and my dear garden mentor. She shared with me so many of her favorite plants and they have become my favorites too.

Old-fashioned Rose

Rainy Sunday Happiness

It rained off and on all day and the outlook is the same for tomorrow. I’ll need to schedule some time for straightening and pruning after a fierce thunderstorm passed through last with heavy wind and rain, soaking the garden and sweeping over the catmint, roses and scabiosa. Fortunately the peony buds withstood the battering. Actually almost everything was fine and I am very happy with the way the garden has come together this year.

The first bloom on the black iris appeared today. The standards of this enormous ruffled flower are very deep purple, the falls are inky dark.

Despite ongoing efforts to reduce the amount of spiderwort in the garden, it is still cropping up everywhere. I find it lovely early in the season, but must redouble my efforts to keep it under control.

The garden is far from perfect, but I do not picture it too far ahead. My garden is a journey, maybe just a playground. At any it works. It is enough. Every time I glanced out the window and glimpsed the garden today, I felt such happiness.

The Garden At Mid-May

Cornus florida (Flowering Dogwood)

The Flowering Dogwood bloomed very well this year and with its fresh green leaves looks very healthy after years of just getting by.

By the time I visited my garden today the sun was already high in the deep blue sky, casting a strong, harsh light. I walked the meditation circle, where both Husker Red and Pike’s Peak Purple Penstemons are nearly ready to bloom.  Nearby, also in the mediation circle, one tiny blue flower is visible among the leaves of Thyme. Rows of salmon Dianthus are startlingly pink, hardly meditative or sedate. Though they overwhelm, I remind myself they also overwintered and therefore will stay for now. (Elsewhere in the garden are some other bothersome color combinations I need to work out as well.)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

A large stand of Monarda, more than three-feet tall, is preparing to take over showcase duties from its interplanted Columbine neighbor. Hummingbirds are visiting the garden more frequently.

In the northern border Peony buds look lovely as they grow larger, but they seem to be in no hurry to open.

Peony Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’

Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox) now in full bloom pairs nicely with a large planting of Nepeta.

Phlox divaricata (Woodland phlox) and Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint)

Sweet William is an old-fashioned flower that I really enjoy.

Dianthus barbatus (Sweet William) and Dusty Miller

Digitalis ‘Dalmatian Purple’ (Foxglove) is new to the garden this year. I expected it to be more purple than pink, but I like that the flowers face outward.

Digitalis ‘Dalmatian Purple’ (Foxglove)

I do not know the name for this Clematis. It has bloomed better than usual this spring.

Clematis

I am mystified as to why this Black Iris is growing in its present location, having been searching for it anxiously in the opposite border for several weeks. The nice big buds look promising.

Black Iris

Black Iris

Almanac

Today’s 87F temperature is a reminder of summer days ahead, but forecasts suggest more moderate days this weekend (82F and 78F), but with possible thunderstorms; cooler 77F on Monday, then back to 87F again by next Wednesday.

Parallel Floral Design

Today was the last floral design workshop until Fall. Discussion was focused on the element of proportion and the design we created was The Parallel. This design is recommended to be created in a 12-inch long rectangular dish that is 2 inches high, using three 2.5 to 3-inch floral pins, aligned in a row. Our containers instead were round, posing a slightly different challenge.

Parallel Design

This was the first time the class used floral pins instead of foam to hold the flowers.  The pins were easy to use and the arrangements went together quickly. As usual I could have used more time, but each pin can be moved around so there is a bit of flexibility and adjustments are easy to make later. (One must know what adjustment needs to be made and is that not always an issue, the knowing?)

The next garden club meeting will feature a Members’ Flower Show, the first for the club in many years I understand. I will enter one of the four designs we studied in this year’s workshops into the “New Sprouts” class, but have not decided yet what design that will be.

The plant material for today’s exercise was Bells of Ireland, Carnation, Liatris, Snapdragon and variegated leaves whose name I forgot to record.

Photographing this design proved to be a challenge. Using a black mat board gives an entirely different effect than allowing the light switch to show through. Details…

Parallel Design

Parallel Design with LIght Switch

Enjoying The Garden

Today was perfectly beautiful, with low humidity, light breezes and temperatures this afternoon in the high 60s. The light was glaring when I visited the garden today at mid-day, but the deep coloring in this Siberian Iris is strong enough to stand up to the sunlight. Last year this Iris barely bloomed at all but conditions have been good this year for all the irises.

Iris sibirica (Siberian Iris)

The garden is richly satisfying at present, with many plants poised to take over as the Irises fade, including Peony, Echinacea, and Penstemon. The Iris show is not quite done though. I added a new deep purple Iris last fall called Iris germanica ‘Davy Jones’ (Tall bearded iris). It is a late-flowering variety and indeed has not flowered yet, but may need to be rescued from the shadows of nearby Monarda which is beginning to tower over it.

Yesterday I observed the last of my pass-along Irises is in bloom. This one looks pale, almost gray from afar, but up close it displays complex color and variation.

Iris

Iris

Iris

Iris

Iris

Iris

Today I especially enjoyed this expanse of Nepeta in the northern border. This view is looking toward the meditation circle.

Garden View With Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ (Catmint)