grand rapids garden
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Enter Caryopteris!
At last the Caryopteris is blooming! It seems late this year, but perhaps it is just my impatience. I have Blue Beard and Blue Knight, and unless I consult the garden book, which is upstairs, I don’t know which one I’m looking at. Blue Knight has a slightly darker flower, I think. I had Caryopteris… Continue reading
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Bloom Day, August 15, 2010
Well, we’re not in July anymore. The day lilies are all but done. The hydrangeas are darkening. And the anemones are beginning to bloom. A friend did some phantom gardening in the secret garden a couple years ago. He plunked two little bits of anemone, one pink, the other white. This is the first year… Continue reading
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Bouquets and Bugs: Hostas and Carpenter Bees
So. I was having company, something that I enjoy immensely. My friend Deepak brough his partner Slawek over for dinner and to see the gardens. Before they came I picked a pretty bouquet of Limelight Hydrangea with some hosta blooms mixed in. Fragrant HOSTAS!! Stained Glass is one of them, and a generic unnamed rather… Continue reading
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Over the Moon for Moonflowers
In my previous post I mentioned that my moonflowers (datura) were cascading over the crushed limestone pathway. We’ve had lots of rain here in West Michigan, and the moonflowers keep growing. I love this rambunctious shrubby plant. First, it almost completely disappears when the frost hits. The leaves shrivel and die, leaving thick twisted and… Continue reading
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Butterflies and Blossoms
I’ve been slammed with work, and, I confess, a new diversion. I bought a recumbent tricycle and have been exploring local bike trails. But whether I’m riding past Indian burial mounds and Grand River bayous or reading masters theses, the garden grows. And grows. I planted several mandevilla vines hoping they would temporarily fill in… Continue reading
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Sunny Sunday and Lovin’ the Lilies
Temps have come down a bit–into the mid-80’s. And the humidity is better. I had a little get-together for neighbors Friday night and it was so pleasant in the garden. So, good company and companions make for a lovely evening. The day lilies are in their glory. But I’m discovering that my record keeping last… Continue reading
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Steam Heat
It’s been in the 90’s here, and high humidity turns that heat into steamy afternoons. And though there was a lot of moisture in the air, there was no water falling from the sky. But it rained today. And while the temperature is climbing again, at least the garden has gotten a nice natural drink. … Continue reading
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Everything’s Coming Up Lilies (and Daisies)
It’s July and the garden is bursting with bees and blossoms. Oh, and Japanese Beetles. I found a bunch of them copulating on the Virginia Creeper. I decided to keep a respectful distance, mostly because they can chew the virginia creeper to their little beetle-heart’s content. I did look at the hansa roses, though, and… Continue reading
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First Knight and Storm of the Century
My summer semester begins tomorrow and so my leisurely days in the garden will be a bit limited. And, wouldn’t you know, today it has been stormy. But I pulled a few weeds that had popped up. And I deadheaded a few spent day lilies. First Knight started blooming a couple days ago. It is… Continue reading
About Me
I haven’t always been a gardener, but I have always loved gardens. It has taken 16 years to get my gardens into the shape they are today. And, I’ve had help. I’m 74 years old, have rheumatoid arthritis, and had a late stage cancer six years ago. I am, though, intrepid. I’m the kind of person who plods along, tailoring my goals as I go. Last November I had a long overdue knee replacement surgery and I’m hoping this spring, summer, and fall will be able to maintain and find even more joy working in all of my garden beds. Full disclosure, though. I have a garden guy who comes once a week to work in my gardens.
Garden 337 