Category Archives: Cottage Gardening

Is it June yet? GBBD 06/15/2019

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Geranium and peonies. Yes, the peonies flopped, but it’s nothing a little twine can’t remedy.

I can’t remember a cooler or wetter June than the one we are having right now. But, the garden loves it. Ok, so the hostas are suffering from edema. Yes, hostas can suffer from water retention. But everything else seems to enjoy this prelude into summer.

I just got back from England a few days ago, 24 hours before a local garden club visited my gardens. So, the day that I should have been recovering from jet lag, I was in the gardens getting everything ready. There were still annuals to plant and dog evidence to remove. This will be my first summer sharing the gardens with two standard poodles. I’m so grateful for my garden guy, Richard. He worked in the gardens twice when I was away and on the day the garden club visited. If it weren’t for him, the gardens would have not looked nearly so tidy. Note the new fence that challenged me to rethink some of the beds, and I’m quite pleased with that challenge.

So, what’s blooming? Scroll down.

The clematis is having a great time, but the bleeding heart is starting to topple over and will need shearing in a week or so. I’m not sure how this bed will turn out. The Gomphrema that I planted is getting trampled by the dogs, so who knows whether I will get anything that can go into winter bouquets.
By next month the State Fair zinnias will be tall and blooming. This is part of the rethinking that I have to do because of the fence. Note the purple petunias. There will always be a space for these because of their fragrance. They smell like vanilla. Petunias are more fragrant in the evening and so I like to walk past them at night.
My back door is my main entrance and this is what greets me when I come home. I almost always have a bag of something hanging from a nail under the light. And this little cement planter that I got from a neighbor is just the right size for a collection of plants. I decided to make my own potted arrangements this year. This one isn’t really finished yet, but I didn’t have time to put anything more in it.
Of course the peonies want to flop over. But a few carefully positioned tomato cages help keep them upright. The darker peonies were here when I bought the house, and I was sure I had banished them. Apparently not. But I’m glad they survived. I like to fill in blank spaces with annuals. The marigolds peeking out will provide that color when the perennials finish doing their thing. Notice the stones. When I first created these beds in the lower garden, I used stones from a patio that had all but disappeared behind the picket fence in the background. I placed them flat. This spring I decided to dig them up so they wouldn’t get buried again by time and grass. And then I wondered what things would look like if I stood them up on their edges. I’m still thinking about that, but so far, so good.
The blue in the background is Walker’s Low catmint. I love it, but this picture makes them look a little bluer than they are. But I’ve gone completely catmint crazy over the years and I don’t see any end to that brand of crazy. The catmint is at its peak right now, but it will give out a limited bloom throughout the summer if I cut it back. The native solitary bees love it. The pot to the right is one I made. Gosh, but it’s so much cheaper to do them myself rather than buy them already put together. Why didn’t I think of this earlier?
It’s only the pots of annuals that are giving off color, but don’t these hostas look gorgeous anyway? They and the ferns are loving the cool wet May and June.
Orange poppies, Alchemella, Lady’s Mantle, and, in the back, Amsonia provide nice early color in the Secret Garden. And the geraniums and pots of annuals pick up the slack when the perennials call it quits for the season. But day lilies, echinacea, and coreopsis will enter in a few weeks. The box in the pathway? It’s herbs and two tomato plants. They are destined for pots.
More Lady’s Mantle, and, somewhere in there is lupine and delphinium. They aren’t quite ready to bloom. I think. I hope.

Kousa Dogwood. What a glorious show this year. Last year it got nipped by a late frost. It’s making up for that now. I love how this tree is maturing.
The mock orange is looking better now that the lilacs have been cut back. Not the Amsonia. I love that blue.
I’m not a huge fan of coral bells, and I’ve lost track of what variety this is, but, it’s blooming.
I think the star of the month is the Giant Allium. I planted these last fall and was hoping for a dramatic showing in June. And that’s what I have. I wonder if I should plant more this fall.
I seem to have a blue/purple theme going, but I like the allium and the Walker’s Low catmint that are blooming in the entrance garden. And, there’s always room for red.

What’s Bloomin’ on Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day?

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What’s bloomin’? Spring stuff!

This past winter was difficult for me. The cold seeped deeper this year. Or perhaps it just seemed that way because I had to go out into it more often. I adopted a second Standard Poodle that I wasn’t prepared for. She needed a place to live and I needed to give that to her. But, my yard wasn’t fenced in so I couldn’t just send the dogs out the door and stay in my warm house.  I had to go out into the cold, too.   The fence still isn’t finished because not enough materials were ordered. I’m dealing with some stylish panels of decorative aluminum fencing and less stylish propped-up chain link. At least the dogs can run through the garden and not the neighborhood.

But enough of that. Here’s what’s blooming today.

Ain’t this just the grandest of magnolia trees!
I hope the scattering of frost that showed up in some places in Grand Rapids did not hit the cherry tree. Its blossoms are beginning to fade and tiny little baby cherries are showing up, so it might be a good year for these sour cherries. I let friends pick them since I don’t really care for cherry pie or preserves. But last year’s late freeze made for few cherries.

The lilacs!

Sometimes called “false forgetmenots,” these hardy brunnera bring a true blue to early spring gardens.
Today’s sun and warmth is just what the Bleeding Heart needed.
I bought this trillium years ago at Wildflowers in Glen Arbor, Michigan. I think this is Trillium Cuneatum. I had hoped it would spread, but each year I only get this one.
Some of the allium are starting to show their color. In a couple weeks there will be huge globes of pink and purple. I love the “architectural-ness” they bring to my more cottage-y gardens.
I wish I could say this lilac was loaded with buds, but it isn’t. Still, this lilac is doing better than the other two. It might be time to pull these out and give them to someone who might be able to get more cooperation from them.
I hope I’m not too eager to put the annuals in. But, it’s so tempting to get buy marigolds and I think they will do quite well with the purple salvia.
Someday this redbud will be a graceful tree. I’m content to wait.

 

It’s Bloom Day!!

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See that dark green plant under the cherry tree? That is ONE Seboldiana Elegans. It has been divided and divided and divided. I have given divisions to friends in the hopes that it would control its growth. Wrong. It’s crowding out a Dreamweaver. The purple in the foreground is Walker’s Low Catmint. I love it and so do my 3 cats who go a little bit crazy when I bring them leaves and flowers.

Bloom Day always seems to come too quickly.  But that’s a good thing because I have to pause and pay attention to what is, well, blooming.  It’s June which means there is lots of blooming yet to come.  I still haven’t gotten some annuals planted.

It’s nice to see the white dawn climbing rose with so many blooms.

I love the tall allium and truly wish they would bloom a little longer. But the seed heads provide an interesting “architectural” element.

This is the entrance to the Secret Garden, and, again, there isn’t a lot of blooming going on, but there will be. The lavender in the foreground hasn’t quite opened up.

In the Secret Garden the current theme is green. That Japanese Maple must have loved our strange spring because I have never seen it that lush. I love this view of the Secret Garden, even if nothing at the moment is blooming.

The entrance garden features Walker’s Low catmint and that takes the eye in a narrow bed that draws my eye to the two large catmint plantings in the Lower Garden and to the entrance of the Secret Garden.

Hello, Garden

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My hair is beginning to grow back and I think it is going to be curly. Cool.

I spent a year away from my garden and my blog, focusing instead on endometrial cancer.  That explains my bald head. I can’t say that i sailed through chemo and radiation, but I made the best of things. I was through with treatment and eager to get back into  a life that didn’t involve toxic drugs, radiation, and endless doctors’ appointments  But I needed one more procedure.  In March I lost my gallbladder because there was a slim chance there was a cancerous polyp hiding in there.  But, there was no cancer.  And now I’m suffering from the lack of a gallbladder.

 

Such a lovely little hellebore.

Nothing is going to keep me from enjoying my garden this summer.

There isn’t much blooming yet, but the garden is full of green anticipation.  At the moment everything that blooms is pink.

What I love about the hellebore here is that it gets darker and “moodier” as it ages.  A friend gave me this little beauty and it sits right outside my back door.

And, I cannot resist falling in love with my pink bleeding hearts.  This one outside my back door is always ahead of the one planted in a lush corner of the Secret Garden.

My garden friend saw a redbud at a garden center so he borrowed a truck, and I now  have a lovely redbud that will give my hydrangeas some desperately needed shade. Someday.

These lovely chains of flowers are so lovely. Each spring they greet me.

Hello, Redbud. Welcome to my garden.

Several years ago I went to a gardener’s conference in Toronto. That is where I fell in love with allium.

Bloom Day, May 15, 2017: In the Pink

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Ok.  It’s a cheesy title.  But, everything that is blooming right now is pink.  The most prominent of today’s blooms are the globe allium.  The two year olds are the most dramatic, and I’m hoping the allium that I planted last fall will be as tall next year.  Or, I’ll know I bought the wrong variety.  Always thankful for May Dreams Gardens for this meme.

These allium are in their second year. I love the way they stand above the boxwood.

These are like pink ballerinas. This clump greets me at my back door.

Columbine at the back door.

This new allium lives in the lower garden. I love that deep pink.

One of the new allium that was planted last fall. It’s a work in progress.

July 15: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

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What a frustrating day!  I should be in Minneapolis enjoying the camaraderie of fellow bloggers and some amazing gardens.  But, I’m stuck in Chicago because of travel problems.  I can’t blame the airlines, though.  I missed my flight, and tried to get to Minneapolis on standby via Chicago.  As it turns out, I just can’t get a break on flights out of Chicago.  So, I’m staying in my niece’s apartment in the loop and hoping my luggage gets to me.  Unlike me, my luggage is in Minneapolis.

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I planted a number of gazania in the Secret Garden and I’m enjoying the grey foliage and lovely pink and white blooms.

But the garden is in full bloom even though I’m a little bit wilted

This is Red Pinnacle and isn't she gorgeous. This is another daylily I planted late last summer.

This is Red Pinnacle and isn’t she gorgeous. This is another daylily I planted late last summer.

Purple Coneflowers in the Secret Garden. The white in the distance is Fragrant Angel. I do not recall what the purple ones are. That is Grosso Lavende behind the purple coneflowers.

Purple Coneflowers in the Secret Garden. The white in the distance is Fragrant Angel. I do not recall what the purple ones are. That is Grosso Lavende behind the purple coneflowers.

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I’m not sure what variety the purple coneflowers in the foreground are, but the white ones behind it are Fragrant Angel. That is Grosso lavender next to the purple.

And, then there is Bridget, here looking proud amongst the daylilies in the ecret Garden. That is Crystal Pinot near her nose and Barbara Mitchell to the left. Behind her is a purple coneflower that I thought did not survive. But, there it is.

Bridget, my Standard Poodle, looking proud amongst the daylilies in the Secret Garden. That is Crystal Pinot near her nose and Barbara Mitchell to the left. Behind her is a purple coneflower that I thought did not survive. But, there it is.

The crocosmia is starting to bloom. I seriously thinned this patch late last summer to give the day lilies breathing room.

The crocosmia is starting to bloom. I seriously thinned this patch late last summer to give the day lilies breathing room.

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In the little nook outside the dining room and sun porch this finicky variated lace cap hydrangea is enjoying a bumper crop of blooms. This is evidence that hydrangeas love cool, wet springs.

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The carpet rose is flourishing in the rosebed.

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Love this riot of daylily blooms. Zagreb and Moonbeam coreopsis are in the bottom right, followed by Rosey Returns daylily. That is supposed to be Crystal Pinot in the lower left, but it either reverted to a parent or self seeded into something else. Next to it is Sea Urchin. The yellow is First Knight. The peachy flower mid-right is Siloam, one of last summer’s additions.

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I’m loving this Euphorbia Perkinensis in the Secret Garden.

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Despite my liberal and multiple applications of acid, my Endless Summer hydrangea in the lower garden is only partially and lukewarm-edly blue.

Another one of last summer's purchases, drumstick allium. I can't wait for these to multiply and fill a space in the Secret Garden.

Another one of last summer’s purchases, drumstick allium. I can’t wait for these to multiply and fill a space in the Secret Garden.

Meet Strutters' Ball, a daylily I planted late last summer.

Meet Strutters’ Ball, a daylily I planted late last summer.

GBBD: Spring 2016

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It’s been a long time coming.  A week ago there were five inches of snow on the ground.  The hellebores, though in full bloom, bent double under the weight of the snow.  But those hearty plants are built for Michigan springs.  They are the only thing in bloom right now.

I do have an addition to the garden, a four footed helper. Say hello to Bridget, an 8-year old standard poodle.

I do have an addition to the garden, a four footed helper. Say hello to Bridget, an 8-year old standard poodle.

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This Painted Hellebore has always been a welcomed spot of spring.

A friend gave me this hellebore, a division from his garden. I think it is a Heronswood Purple, but there are a number of deep purple hellebores.

A friend gave me this hellebore, a division from his garden. I think it is a Heronswood Purple, but there are a number of deep purple hellebores.

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Most of the faded hydrangeas get trimmed in late fall, but a few limelights were left behind. I like the way the sun catches them.

September Bloom Day

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There is something about the light in September, especially at magic hour before sunset when the sun is bright but lower in the sky.  The gardens are bathed in golden light and petals are backlit.

Here is what is blooming today in the garden.

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The potted geranium lights up against the early evening sun.

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What would a late season garden be without annuals. These provide the bulk of the color in September. But, enough catmint is blooming to feed the native bees and butterflies.

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I tend not to keep track of annual plant tags. So, I will just have to appreciate this nameless marigold for being hardy and lovely.

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I am always amazed at the fragrance of Sweet Autumn clematis. It has been looking fairly puny this summer, and though I wish it had grown farther up the arbor, I have to love the abundance of white fragrant flowers.

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A friend gave me this pink anemone years ago. It’s been moved a couple times, but continues to thrive against the garage.

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The queen of the garden might just be this hibiscus. It is at least seven feet tall.

GBBD: August 2015

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One of the great things about Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day is that it keeps you honest.  If you are going to post pictures of your garden, then you need to make sure the garden looks well tended.  It also sends you back to your blog.  And, because a community has arisen around this meme, you get to visit other gardens and get a peek at other aesthetics.

This month I decided not to focus so much on close ups.  Today my hope is to give visitors a feel for what I experience when I go out into the gardens. Sadly, WordPress would not cooperate with me today. The images below simply would not go in the order that I wanted them to.

Another view of the magnolia hosta bed. Here you will find Golden Tiara, Guacamole, more Lakeside Beach Captain, Bressingham Blue, and Elegans.

 Here in the magnolia bed in the front garden, you will find Golden Tiara, Guacamole, more Lakeside Beach Captain, Bressingham Blue, and Elegans.

Though nothing is blooming here, the hosta bed under the old magnolia tree always catches my eye. I think I need to think the Frances Williams. The very light hosta on the right is Pineapple Upsidedown Cake. The hosta with the pale stripe in the center is Lakeside Beach Captain.

Another view of the hosta bed underneath the old magnolia, this time showing off Francis Williams, Lakeside Beach Captain, and one of my favs, Pineapple Upside Down Cake.

The Nikko Blue in the foreground is the first bloom this plant has sent out in years. I'm not sure why it only produces foliage. Next to it are several favorite hostas: High O Silver seedlings a friend gave me, My Friend Nancy, and Deep Blue Sea.

This Nikko Blue in the foreground is sending up the first bloom this plant has had in years. I’m not sure why it only produces foliage. Next to it are several favorite hostas: High Oh Silver seedlings a friend gave me, My Friend Nancy, and Deep Blue Sea.

Stained Glass, one of my favorite hostas, is sending out its fragrant blooms. Not all hosta flowers are fragrant, but Stained Glass makes up for those.

Stained Glass, one of my favorite hostas, is sending out its fragrant blooms. Not all hosta flowers are fragrant, but Stained Glass makes up for those.

The day lilies have finished blooming and the last of the canes will come out this week. I'm in the process of taming the Tardiva hydrangea, so it looks a bit lopsided. As soon as the flowers fade, I'm going to give it a hard prune in the hopes of getting a bit more symmetrical.

The day lilies have finished blooming and the last of the canes will come out this week. I’m in the process of taming this Tardiva hydrangea because it looks a bit lopsided. As soon as the flowers fade, I’m going to give it a hard prune in the hopes of getting it a bit more symmetrical.

The sunny border by the garage in the Secret Garden has gone through some revisions this summer. I took out a lot of the Zagreb coreopsis and complete removed the Friesland salvia. It just got too floppy, no matter how I staked it. So, marigolds and annual salvia are filling in the bare spots. I'm hoping the blanket flower takes off

The sunny border by the garage in the Secret Garden has gone through some revisions this summer. I took out a lot of the Zagreb coreopsis and complete removed the Friesland salvia. It just got too floppy, no matter how I staked it. So, marigolds and annual salvia are filling in the bare spots. I’m hoping the blanket flower takes off. That is Moonbeam coreopsis in the upper part of the picture.

This gorgeous hosta went in late last summer. It is On Stage and the foliage is particularly lovely.

This gorgeous hosta went in late last summer. It is On Stage and the foliage is particularly lovely.

Looking east toward the Kousa Dogwood in the Secret Garden shows the power of snapdragons. I didn't plant these this year. They are volunteers from last year, and I rather like their tenacity.

Looking east toward the Kousa Dogwood in the Secret Garden shows the power of snapdragons. I didn’t plant these this year. They are volunteers from last year, and I rather like their tenacity.

In the Secret Garden the echinaceas are finishing up. That is white phlox in the back.

In the Secret Garden the echinaceas are finishing up. That is white phlox in the back.

I've been using the rose medallion as a watering spot for various potted plants that I bought early in the summer. That began when I went to a conference and wanted to make sure everything got watered. And there those pots have remained for the rest of the summer.

I’ve been using the rose medallion as a watering spot for various potted plants that I bought early in the summer. That began when I went to a conference and wanted to make sure everything got watered. And there those pots have remained for the rest of the summer. That is a Limelight hydrangea sending out more blooms than it has ever produced before.  The red you see in the foreground are the wonderful hips on the hansa roses.

In the lower garden behind the house are more hostas and catmint. I love that the bees love the catmint. And its long bloom season provides a constant supply of nourishment for both native bees and honey bees. The rose of sharon is still blooming.

In the lower garden behind the house are more hostas and catmint. I love that the bees love the catmint. And its long bloom season provides a constant supply of nourishment for both native bees and honey bees. The rose of sharon is still blooming.

The red Knockout Rose and the red Carpet Rose provided consistent color in the rose medallion.

The red Knockout Rose and the red Carpet Rose provide consistent color in the rose medallion.

Looking east from the lower garden to the entrance of the Secret Garden. The Annabelle hydrangea blooms are turning green and in a month I will pick them for winter bouquets.

Looking east from the lower garden to the entrance of the Secret Garden you’ll find the Annabelle hydrangea blooms turning green. In a month I will pick them for winter bouquets.  This week the Zagreb Coreopsis will get deadheaded.

Again, though nothing is blooming here (except the rose of sharon and a couple of stems on the white dome hydrangeas) I'm quite intrigued by my lewd hosta bed. It includes Seducer, Obscene Gesture, Naked Lady, Boyz Toy, Stiletto...I'm looking forward to watching this bed mature.

Again, though nothing is blooming here (except the rose of sharon and a couple of stems on the white dome hydrangeas) I want to show off my lewd hosta bed. It includes Seducer, Obscene Gesture, Naked Lady, Boyz Toy, Stiletto…I’m looking forward to watching this bed mature.

Looking west and into the entrance to the Secret Garden is another border with Walker's Low catmint.

Looking west and into the entrance to the Secret Garden is another border with Walker’s Low catmint. The white asiatic lilies are spent, but they were so wonderfully fragrant when they were in bloom.

I trimmed Walker's Low catmint a couple of weeks ago in the hopes that it would sent up new blooms. It is starting to do that. In the meantime, I am enjoying the Rudbekia and the blackberry lily.

I trimmed Walker’s Low catmint in the entrance garden a couple of weeks ago in the hopes that it would sent up new blooms. It is starting to do that. In the meantime, I am enjoying the Rudbekia and the blackberry lily.