Spring Chores and All’s Right with the Garden

Posted on May 10, 2015 by garden337

A division of Elegans takes up residence farther back in a small hosta bed under the old cherry tree.

It was a good idea to hire Richard, a gardener and all around handy guy, to tend to spring garden chores. I wish I had his energy!

The raggedy heather has been removed and that spot is ready for something new (and better behaved?).

The unsightly heather has been banished to the yard waste bin, Elegans has been divided (again!), and one crown has been moved to the back of its hosta bed, and the dead hydrangea canes have been trimmed and shoved into garden waste bags. I ordered shredded bark a couple days ago.

It’s rather nice to give orders and see the fruits of someone else’s labor in MY gardens. Richard will return next week to tackle more chores.

I have a false indigo that either needs a new home in my gardens or needs to be adopted by someone else who has space for it. It was part of a fun idea that never really took off–a “false” garden filled with false forgetmenots, false dagrons beard, false spirea…You get the idea.

This little side garden needs help. That’s the giant false indigo in the lower right. When it reaches its full power during the summer, it blocks the path. I wonder what brilliant gardening mind thought that wouldn’t happen????

It’s been cool and rainy today which isn’t particularly conducive to enthusiastic gardening. But I did take a picture of the pretty little columbine that grows outside my kitchen door. I didn’t plant this and even tried to get rid of it. But I now respect its persistence.

And old columbine drinking in today’s rain.

May Slips In

Posted on May 4, 2015 by garden337

It is has been a rough winter for me, one full of inflammatory arthritis, or rheumatoid arthritis, or something painful that has impaired my mobility and dampened my spirits. On top of that, I had surgery a month ago and still haven’t bounced back. But this lovely warm day in May pushed me to take camera in hand and survey the gardens. I’m not able to do much gardening for a while, so I’ve hired someone to do some of the early spring chores.

Hostas welcoming May.

This bed under the cherry tree needs some revisions. There’s an elegans that needs serious division and a slightly new location. It’s too big for the spot it is in and since I have to hire someone to do the heavy lifting, I’m going to take advantage of that extra muscle.

The bleeding heart with its lovely heart pendants, is popping out in the little bed outside the dining room. Dicentra, or Lamprocapnos, were introduced to English in the mid-1800’s. Native to Siberia, northern China, Korea, and Japan, this plant has found a happy home in West Michigan.

A bed full of messy heuchera waiting to be tamed.

The entrance garden also needs some serious help. Every year I wage fierce battle with snow on the mountain. I never win. I just keep trying to get a firm grip on a green clump and hope that I can gently remove it and a bit of the root network below. Another garden demon, one that is also bothering the coral bells, is star of bethlehem, an invasive bulb. I never win that battle, either.

But the cherry tree is in full bloom. The bees love it and so do I. Last year another large limb fell under the weight of all the cherries, something that happens every couple of years. The birds and squirrels get most of the cherries and I’m happy to share.

One of my favorite May events is the flowering of the old Magnolia tree in the front garden. It’s limbs are so graceful, and beneath those love branches are some of my favorite hostas. They are calling for thunder storms tomorrow, so I suspect this lovely blossoms will be all but gone after the storm.

My wonderful neighbor Wendell who finds joy in so many things, including the cat statue in the entrance garden.

The Secret Garden, too, needs work, especially the bed next to garage. There is a heather plant that for the longest time I considered charming. But now it is unruly and I think I’m going to ask my hired muscle to remove it. That whole bed needs re-thinking.

One of the wonderful things about spring is that neighbors venture out. That means I get to chat with Wendell, my next door neighbor, whose imagination and creativity tell me that hope lives in the world.

Secret Garden coming to life.

Magnolia in the front garden

Old cherry tree

Bleeding Heart

October Bloom Day: Fade to Red

Posted on October 16, 2014 by garden337

First, a shout out to May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day. I always enjoy looking at what is blooming in other gardens all over the world. Thank you!

Honorine Jobert anemone in the Secret Garden

It is fall here in West Michigan, and the rains have arrived. I love how everything glistens. But the garden continues to withdraw. And while I love red, and Michigan’s autumn leaves are spectacular, those leaves will fall and the garden will go into hibernation. The anemones are gorgeous again. Despite it’s very French name, Honorine Jobert is a Japanese native. It loves moist soil and that makes it the perfect perennial for Michigan autumns. Honorine Jobert is a sport of the more common pink anemone and was spotted in the royal French gardens, hence the French name. I am five feet, two inches tall, and my anemones are taller than I am.

Mums and a few annual geraniums in the lower garden

Also blooming are the mums, the chrysanthemums. I have a few that survived the winter in pots, and I scoop up lots of new pots so I can eek out a bit more color into the shorter days of autumn. One of the pots that wintered over is in the entrance garden, nestled behind the Walker’s Low catmint. That, by the way, is still sending out blooms. Sadly, Callie the Calico cat who loved nibbling on the catmint died in September. She was 14 and had a good life.

Walker’s Low Catmint and yellow mums in the entrance garden

Along the narrow bed under the sun porch is a bit more Walker’s Low and a few gazania that never seemed to thrive. I won’t plant them again. But, they do make for a pretty picture. And, so do the maple leaves that are falling rapidly now.

The Knock Out rose in the lower garden has suddenly popped. I really had hoped for something like this all summer. So, now it decides to go crazy. The Hansa roses are a little more subdued. I’ll probably see a few more blooms from them before the first killing frost, but they are pretty much done for the year.

The hydrangeas are still kicking out some fresh blooms. I love how the color deepens as they “cure.”

Forever and Ever hydrangea “curing” as the season winds down

Pearl beads of rain on the back of a fallen maple leaf

Maple leaves

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, Sept. 15, 2014

Posted on September 15, 2014 by garden337

September is always such a bitter sweet month. I love the cooler temps. But, I have already begun the long slow mourn into winter. That feeling actually begins when the daylilies bloom. Perhaps it is the ephemeral nature of daylilies, their single day of glory and the daily deadheading. Even that word, deadheading, brings with it a certain gloom. And when I see that there is only one more bud on a cane, I go deeper into mourning stage.

I know, I know. September brings turning leaves and winter squash and migrating birds and the sweet smell of bonfires. But the gardens are definitely fading, and no amount of strategically place mum pots can tune that fade into anything but what it is. A signal that the garden is going into a long sleep.

But today there are still a few things blooming.

A few pink petunias, Honorine Joubert anemonie, Endless Summer hydrangea in the Secret Garden

Echinacea. I wish I could remember what the orange ones were. Cherokee Sunrise, perhaps?

Hybiscus–over six feet tall!!!!

Forever and Ever hydrangea in the Lower Garden

I think this is Honeybells. The flowers are wonderfully fragrant!

Another very fragrant flower, Stained Glass, in the Secret Garden

Rudbeckia partnered with Walker’s Low Catmint in the Entrance Garden

Morning Glories on the archway into the Secret Garden

Hostas with Endless Summer hydrangeas in the Lower Garden

Annual geraniums pop in the Lower Garden

White Phlox in the Secret Garden

Knock Out Rose in the Secret Garden, planted this past spring

White Clematis on the arch into the Secret Garden

Limelight hydrangea in the Lower Garden

Annabelle hydrangea behind Walker’s Low Catmint. Those are red begonias to the left.

Lisianthus, the old white rose, sweet william, and hidcote lavender

Tardiva hydrangea in the Secret Garden

Welcoming the Late Bloomers

Posted on August 22, 2014 by garden337

New fence!

So, I completely missed Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day last week. I was too caught up in cookies and end-of-summer grades. It was the grades that really bogged me down. But there is always a little bit of time to spend in the garden. The day lilies are gone and I’m in the process of cleaning out the dead canes and cutting back the foliage.

Male Tiger Swallowtail on Fragrant Angel Echinacea in the Secret Garden

Pipevine Swallowtale on the phlox in the Secret Garden.

The big garden news is that I put a new cedar fence up. During that process I discovered there is a large clump of Japanese Knotweed growing along the neighbor’s fence line.

Japanese Knotweed along the neighbor’s fence line.

It is incredibly invasive and difficult to eradicate, so I called several city agencies to see if someone could start the process. I am determined not to let it take hold in my gardens. Wish me luck with that. It sends out runners and I’m sure they are already trespassing on my property.

Classes start next week and I find myself less eager than I have been in the past. Perhaps that’s because I have a lot of work to do this weekend in order to get ready. And, I don’t feel like I got a break at all between the summer semester and the impending fall semester. I’m going to have to do things differently next year.

Late bloomers include the blackberry lily that a friend gave me years ago. Actually, he gave me seeds. I’ve been coaxing the seedlings each year and the plants are now mature enough to bloom. Also putting on a good show are the various echinaceas. The ones picture here are companions with the Casa Blanca lilies that I planted this spring.

Purple Cone Flowers with Casa Blanca lily.

Blackberry Lily (Belamcanda Chinensis)

Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: July 15, 2014

Posted on July 15, 2014 by garden337

Cool temps and plenty of rain. That’s the kind of summer we have been having so far as we enter the middle of July. That means the gardens are green and full of blooms. Here is what is blooming today on Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: July, 2014.

Day lilies, white clematis, Jean Davis lavender greeting everyone at the entrance to the Secret Garden.

Looking east in the Secret Garden. Great Expectations is blooming.

White Dome hydrangea, Rosie Returns day lily, Cool Cat catmint, various cone flowers.

Rosie Returns day lily on the left, First Knight is the yellow lily across the path, crocosmia near the garden lady.

A visitor in the Secret Garden. She is welcome anytime.

First Knight

The hosta bed in the front garden under the magnolia tree.

My favorite un-named day lily.

Plum Pudding catching an extra petal (and a katydid nymph)

Rosie Returns also wants to go the extra mile and add an extra petal and sepal.

The hydrangeas are doing far better than I expected since the park removed a maple tree that gave them so much shade.

In the Lower Garden, the Zagreb Coreopsis is blooming. I cut back the geranium but it still has some lovely blue flowers on it. That’s Strawberry Candy under the Rose of Sharon.

Prince of Midnight day lily.

Crocosmia in the Secret Garden

Daylily Therapy

Posted on July 6, 2014 by garden337

Katydid nymphs in a daylily bloom.

The perfect antidote for dealing with mean-spirited and illogical people is a dose of daylilies. Mine are beginning to bloom. True to form, First Knight was the first to bloom, followed soon after by Sea Urchin. Prairie Blue Eyes is now flowering, and so is Barbara Mitchell and Lavender Stardust.

I found a few visitors in the daylily bed last night and had to quickly look them up to see if they were going to cause any problems. They appeared to be green grasshopper-ish things with a plaid stripe down their backs. It turns out they are Katydid nymphs and they do not eat much. So, I’m going to let them do what ever it is they came here to do, undisturbed.

See the “plaid” stripe down its back?

July is the month when I have to be particularly vigilant for dutchman’s pipe runners. It seems that every time my back is turned another runner, um, runs and pops up in the middle of an echinacea or the day lilies or the lavender. The runners even travel under the brick pathways and pop up 20 feet from the parent plants. After being in the gardens for seven years, the parents are great grand parents. Sometimes I regret the decision to put pipevine in the Secret Garden, but I cannot deny that they have formed the green walls that I wanted.

The deep corregated leaves of Deep Blue Sea

The hostas, too, are beginning to bloom. I don’t usually get excited about hosta flowers. They look messy and I find myself more often than not loping the flowers off and enjoying the lovely foliage. But this year I might play a bit with cross breeding two varieties. Though, in order to do that in a systematic way, I’m probably going to have to be way more scientific than my nature allows. We’ll see.

Stitch in Time

But working in the garden is therapeutic. After a week with dealing with two of the most unpleasant people I’ve encountered in a very long time, I can soothe my discouragement by pulling up pipevine runners, cutting back the cranesbill geranium that has become overly rambunctious, and pulling weeds.

Sea Urchin

Making the garden tidy helps me restore order to my little universe, at least. Of course, I could achieve a similar sense of order if I cleaned my closet, but, really, that seems a bit extreme

Crystal Pinot

Sea Urchin

Barbara Mitchell

First Knight

Hard Pruning and Great Textures

Posted on July 2, 2014 by garden337

I couldn’t decide whether I should write about the fallen cherry tree limb and the fact that the lilacs are getting a really hard prune, or whether I should gush over the deep textures of some of my favorite hostas. So, I’ve decided to write about both. First the hard prune. I knew that sooner or later a long limb on the cherry tree would break under the weight of the cherries, and a week ago it finally came down. I’m glad it happened after I had about 50 people at the house. There was a storm that night and that’s when the limb came down. But it didn’t break clean, so the fruit has continued to ripen. That’s going to make for easy pickin’s in about three or four more days.

A long limb on the cherry tree that I had been propping up for a number of years came down two nights ago during a storm. I knew it was going to happen sooner or later. I’m hoping that because it didn’t snap completely free that the cherries will continue to ripen. So far so good.

The lilacs, though, got attacked, not by a storm but by me. And I was not delicate. I hacked away at a James McFarlane and a Mde. LeMoine this evening. It was harder than I thought it would be, mostly because the dutchman’s pipe vines were so densely entangled amongst the branches of the bushes. There is now very little foliage on one of the bushes, but my guess is that it’s going to come back strong and beautiful throughout the summer. And my hope is that there will be lots of blooms next spring. I ended up buying a really good loper for the job, something I should have gotten a couple years ago. It’s so much easier to garden when you have good tools…

Hacking away at the lilacs and the dutchman’s pipe.

Now, about those hostas. I planted Deep Blue Sea last summer and I’m very pleased with not only the texture but the color. And it’s growing so fast! I bought Orange Crush and My Friend Nancy at the same time and they are both toddlers compared to Deep Blue Sea. I tried to find more information about this hosta and finally came up with this website.

The deep corregated leaves of Deep Blue Sea

Another hosta with lots of interesting texture is a common one, Francis Williams. This was the first hosta I planted in Garden337, and though it is a common one, it remains one of my favorites. It belongs in the “Seboldiana” group and was discovered by Francis Williams in the 1930’s. I love that some of the leaves on my plants are sporting solid green. I know a lot of hosta growers would remove those crowns, but I find the deviation rather charming.

Christmas Tree, another Seboldiana, with wonderfully crinkled leaves.

Stitch in Time.

Another favorite is Stitch in Time. This little hosta has been difficult to grow. Slugs like it, for one thing. And, it seems to be a slow grower. But I love the puckery texture and it’s bright green leaves.

Christmas Tree lives under the cherry tree and is a fairly new addition to the gardens. It is one of the Seboldianas and it has that same wonderful crinkle as Elegans.

Surveying the Hostas

Posted on June 25, 2014 by garden337

I’m procrastinating. Or maybe I’m percolating. At any rate, I’ve decided to survey the hostas.

Dream Weaver, June, Krossa Royal, Francee, Great Expectations

In the Secret Garden: Far right is Dream Weaver. In front of it is June, then Stained Glass, Krossa Royal (next to the garage), then Francee, and Great Expectations sits to the back of this photo. There are, of course, astilbe and heuchera mixed in, not to mention hydrangeas and a big old bleeding heart.

The large hosta in the rear is a division of Elegans. In front of it to the left is Francis Williams. Left of Francis is another Elegans (I keep dividing this monster!). The left front hosta is Orange Marmalade. Center front is Lakeside Beach Captain. On the far right is Wheaton Blue.

Another shot of Elegans. To the right of it is Stained Glass. And on the far right is Abiqua Drinking Gourd. Peeking out behind Stained Glass is another Dream Weaver.

Lower Garden: Another shot of Elegans. To the right of it is Stained Glass. And on the far right is Abiqua Drinking Gourd. Peeking out behind Stained Glass is another Dream Weaver.

Lower Garden: On the far right, just in view, is Elegans. To the left is Hanky Panky. The bright green hosta next to it is a mystery to me, but might be Maui Buttercup. (sorry for the blurriness!)

Lower Garden: Strip Tease and a mystery hosta that a friend gave me. That’s a Francis Williams to the left of the mystery hosta. I think the hosta behind Strip Tease is Ryan’s Big One.

Secret Garden: Moerheim

Secret Garden: Deep Blue Sea, Orange Crush

Lower Garden: Halcyon in foreground, Elegans on the right under the cherry tree, Hanky Panky (though it’s hard to see in this shot), and Regal Splendor to the left of the cherry tree.

On the left is Francis Williams. Next to it is Lakeside Beach Captain. On its right is Elegans. And tucked away next to Elegans is Pineapple Upsidedown Cake.

Front Garden: On the left is Francis Williams. Next to it is Lakeside Beach Captain. On its right is Elegans. And tucked away next to Elegans is Pineapple Upsidedown Cake.

Secret Garden: Allegan Fog, Silver Threads and Golden Needles, Stitich in Time, Ghost Spirit. Behind these is Dream Weaver.

Lower Garden: Lucy Vitols in the center. That’s Rhino Hide in the pot to the left. I’ve almost lost it twice, but it comes coming back from the brink. There is a Kaleidechrome almost hidden by the pot of argula. There’s a bit of Thai basil peeking out of the pot on the right.

June 15: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Posted on June 15, 2014 by garden337

East Friesland Sage in the Secret Garden. There is a family of wrens in the bird house.

Ah, June. It’s a happy month in the garden. The temps this year have been mild and we’ve had enough rain. I’m getting ready for my big shindig next Saturday which means I’d better hurry up and get the last of the annuals planted. I have a flat of purple petunias to put in and a few red impatiens. And there is a dwarf sweet spire that I need to find a place for. I’ve ordered two more chairs for the sitting area in the Secret Garden. And, I’m in the process of getting estimates for a new fence that separates my yard from the park. And, of course, I am enjoying my new brick pathways. What a lucky gardener I am…

Many thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day.