Almost June Day

It's been a blue skies and clear air day, this last day of May.  The stiff breezes cool and bring a hint of June to come.  I sat on the lower patio hoping to catch the robin feeding her babies. She came once and I sat very still.  She didn't wait too long.  I kept my eyes down and she flew from the fence to her nest under the deck with a whirr of her wings and not a hesitation as she swooped to land on the nest. She left right away.  I stayed to see if she would return. About twenty minutes later, she came back.  She saw me right away and made some low noises.  I picked up the camera

but she flew away to the tree line.  I didn't even have time to focus on her.

I did get to enjoy the Siberian iris in full bloom.  Their intense blue is delightful.

It's a Robin's Nest!

We have been startling the mother robin as we go in and out the lower level door this past week. I put a ladder up under the deck after sweeping off the lower patio this morning.  I climbed up with a camera and took a photo at an angle and this is what I saw--with the camera

I hope I didn't disturb the mother because they are just hatched.  It looks like one may not happen.  I interrupted the mother earlier this morning. I was on the lower patio and she flew to the nest. I had been standing there thinking--and I was wearing green.  Maybe she just didn't see me...

Memorial Day Weekend

The False Indigo Baptisia australis is blooming near the flag.

The yellow and purple iris are in full bloom.

And a sprig of the 'Miss  Kim' Lilac on the windowsill.



A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Last year, we put in a border garden for another neighbor who bid on our garden design and installation at the Kentucky Derby Auction.  This border was 20 feet long and 3 feet wide.  It was mainly a shade garden. We included hellebore, astilbe, heuchera, Japanese painted fern, bell flowers, and an azalea.

The border looks good this year, its second year, with lots of rain.  But the azalea, which was beautiful last year, has a lot of breakage from the snow pack.

I stopped at Scott's Nursery in Glastonbury yesterday to find some plant material for my new planter in front. I really liked the way they displayed their plants by category.  They also had end displays with Proven Winners combination ideas. I found Ipomoea batatas 'Blackie' Sweet Potato Vine and Helichrysum Licorice Plant for spillers.  I selected Lantana camara  'Robpatdes' Desert Sunset and Sanvitalia 'Sunbini' Creeping Zinnia (both Proven Winners) as the fillers.  And I chose Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' Purple Fountain Grass as the thriller.



Nice!



Buds, buds, buds

Everywhere I looked today in the garden, I saw buds.

Peonies buds with ants crawling on them

Lamb's ear buds with fur

Poppy buds covered with fuzz

Lady's Mantle buds with dew drops

White sage buds

Siberian Iris buds

Yellow Flag bud

Yarrow buds

Coreopsis buds

Astilbe buds

Hydrangea buds

June will be busting out all over.

Garden Bucket List--No More Missed Moments

I read an article in yesterday's Wall Street Journal about garden guru Piet Oudolf.  I can't believe we were in sight of New York City's High Line a year ago last autumn and did not go up the stairs to view it.  We had met my sister and her family in New York City for a brunch before her daughter's engagement party later that evening. I can't recall what we did all afternoon, but I should have convinced the group to go up on the walkway above the busy streets and stroll among this gardener's plantings.  It was the right season to view his grasses--and I missed it!  Never again. I'm starting a "must see" garden bucket list. And the High Line goes on it, for certain.

Also on my bucket list is a trip to the Storm King Art Center in Mountainville, NY.  Peit Oudolf mentions in the above article that the Mark di Suvero's sculptures there are an inspiration to him. Autumn is a great time to visit the rolling hills, meadows, and woodlands near the Hudson River north of NYC.

My garden club is going to Berkshire Botanical Gardens in mid-June.  I am still deciding whether to join them. I have two other things going on that day.  I'm thinking I may not go, but hope I don't regret it like I do the missed chance to see the High Line.

I also found a great planting zone calculator on the National Arbor Day site.  I discovered this during my research to determine the hardiness of that "hardy" perennial hibiscus I've been trying to find for my neighbor's garden bed.  I was successful yesterday at Country Flower Farms in Middlefield.

My garden man loading the hardy hibiscus at Country Flower Farms

The salesperson told me that the owner had overwintered the dozen plants they had on display.  They were in 5 gallon pots and the young shoots were just emerging. 

Hibiscus 'Kopper King' sprouts

The pots were out in the full sun, exposed to the elements instead of under the canopy with the roses. The salesperson said they were able to be planted now--no problem. They had a few choices in color, but the salesperson raved about 'Kopper King' so that's the one I chose.  I can't wait to get a photo of its bloom and foliage in August or September to display on this blog. I think I'll change its spot in the garden bed closer to the foundation to keep it out of the wind and to regulate its soil temperature in the winter.  We'll see about next August or September...

A Day of Sun and Showers

Finally--the sun appeared!  And when it did the temperature soared and thunderstorms formed through the afternoon.

Weigela blooming this evening as the skies cleared

We had only a few sprinkles and some thunder for our trip to the garden centers.  My neighbor and her granddaughter and I went looking for plants for my neighbor's garden plan I put together.  She and her husband were the high bidders at the Kentucky Derby Party and Auction for the garden design and installation offered by my husband and I and another neighbor couple. Last weekend, my neighbor and I went to the the CT Daylily Society's plant sale in Avon to find some daylilies for her new border garden.  She found some lovely shades of pink and lavender to incorporate into the design for the back border. We are looking for low maintenance plants with all summer bloom. Daylilies are perfect for that.  We found some early and late bloomers at good prices since they are from members' gardens.  The colors range from pale pink to raspberry and mauve, coral and apricot to orange, as well as red to burgundy.

Daylily border just planted

Today we headed to Home Depot where there was a special on hydrangeas and Knock Out roses. I also had a coupon for $3.00 off Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Garden Soil to use when planting the perennials.  As a member of the Home Depot Garden Club, you receive special coupons by email. Very handy today to have that coupon! We found a lovely pink hydrangea and a pink rose.

Home Depot locally grown Pink Hydrangea

Knock Out Pink Rose

Silene 'Rollies Favorite'

we found a new pink perennial (Silene 'Rollies Favorite') we were not familiar with and decided to try it. 

You can probably tell that Noel chose the plants.  She's four (not free, as she claimed when she heard us talking about a deal we found ) and loves pink.  Purple is her second favorite color, it seems.



Japanese primrose



We bought a purple Japanese primrose at Jessica's Garden, but could not find a perennial hibiscus. 

Jessica said it's too cool for them yet. I would love to find a 'Moy Grande' Perennial Mallow for its dinner plate size blooms.  It should remind my neighbors of Hawaii where they spend the winter months--if we can only find it in Connecticut.  Maybe a Flare or a Lady Baltimore...

We stopped back at Jessica's Garden on the way home to let my neighbor's granddaughter swing on the rope swing by the pond and eat some ice cream.  As she swung, thunder began and then a light rain.  I told her we should be getting off the swing and not be under a tree when it thunders.  I showed her the sprinkles of rain making ripples on the pond to prove to her that it was going to rain harder.  She said, "They look like sparkles!"  I looked again--and they did.  The thunder stopped and only a light rain continued.  She watched her dress flow out behind her as she continued to swing under the tree.  Another garden moment...

Inuksuk--What?

Inuksuk is an Inuit (Eskimo) word for a stone structure that can communicate knowledge essential for an Arctic traveller.  It has a strong connection to the land: it is built on the land, made of the land, and tells about the land.  It should be shown respect because it will protect the traveller in the harsh climate of the Far North. It represents the thoughts of the person who built it and left it upon the land.  I was told this by my neighbor who loaned me The Inuksuk Book.  She spends time in Canada each year.

I have one near my front step.  One of my grandsons built it of local rock they collected on walks down to Bear Swamp.  I have respected it and left it where they placed it. It reminds them to return to their grandmother and grandfather's house.

Turn here to Didi's house

I know the Native Americans in the lower 48 states also used rocks piled in certain formations to show directions, mark a trail, or tell where a cache was located.  They were called cairns. 

Another neighbor who spends time in Hawaii each winter told me she has seen similar stacks of rocks in Hawaii. I read that while they supposedly show respect for native deities, they are also troublesome to park rangers and scientists.

You are probably thinking how does this qualify as a "garden moment"?  Well, it's in my front garden--and it's been raining for 2 days. So all I can do is look out the windows and wish for sunshine.  Meanwhile, I was spending time looking through the front window at the stones piled up along my front walk and watering my houseplants...

Garden Discovery

Today I spent some time getting the supports around the peonies, the liatris, the False Indigo, and the bellflowers.  I noticed some jute on the patio, and then some frayed grass, and some soft material in the gravel near the window. When I looked up, I saw this:

a bird's nest in the diagonal support under the deck subfloor.  I'll have to get a ladder tomorrow and take a look inside, although it seems abandoned.  I kept hearing birds from my kitchen window but when I would look for them, I could never spot them.  Now I know why--they were under the deck beneath the kitchen window.

The peonies are filled with buds this year.

Time to support the peonies!  With the plant filled with buds and rain expected all next week, the peonies will need all the support they can muster.  Might as well put the others in their supports at the same time.  It will save me a day in the rain next week as they begin to sky rocket in height.  I'll just have to tuck the growing stems into the support rings as I watch them from the shelter of the covered patio.

False indigo is growing upright very fast

Could I possibly be ahead of the game?  No, a gardener knows you never know what to expect when it comes to weather and plant growth.



When Lilacs Last by the Dooryard Bloom'd

My mother and my grandfather often recited this poem by Walt Whitman to me when I was young.  It was my first thought when I saw that the lilacs by the garage door actually have buds this year-- the first year since we moved to South Hollow.  The two bushes were planted at the corner by the landscapers. I could not identify them for certain without a bloom except for knowing the heart-shaped leaves and the smooth bark on the stems resembled a lilac of some sort.  I think they have been pruned in the spring instead of the the fall these past two years by the landscapers. This year I have blooms. They may be by the garage door--and not the dooryard-- but I am happy.

In the dooryard fronting an old farm-house near the white-wash’d palings,

Stands the lilac-bush tall-growing with heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

With many a pointed blossom rising delicate, with the perfume strong I love,

With every leaf a miracle—and from this bush in the dooryard,

With delicate-color’d blossoms and heart-shaped leaves of rich green,

A sprig with its flower I break.                                  

 

Walt Whitman

 

The Lilacs Are About to Bloom!

Syringa patula 'Miss Kim"

Today's discovery!  The Miss Kim Lilac (which didn't bloom last year) has buds, not many--but some.  In my garden journals, I noted that it bloomed profusely in late May of 2009, but not at all last year.  I gave it blood meal last year after it didn't bloom. I bought the blood meal at Jessica's Garden Center, but I didn't record the brand. I'll need to stop in and see what brand she sells so I can record it here this year--and use it again.  I also read that the Miss Kim Lilacs don't bloom after drought if they have not been watered well. I will need to be more watchful this year of its watering needs.   I also read that this lilac attracts praying mantises, so I will be watchful also for a visit in my garden from that wonderful insect

.

I couldn't resist taking another photo of those Big Smile tulips.  Their curling petals and brilliant yellow dancing in the wind do make you smile!  And seem to be very healthy with no extra care and watchfulness required.  Another plus!

Rhododendron yedoense 'Pink Discovery' or Korean Azalea

The Korean Azaleas that flank the bird bath are blooming now, just as they did the past two years in mid-May according to my garden journals.  They always surprise me with their bloom because they look almost dead until just right before blooming. They seem to have some kind of rust on the branches. I gave them some compost and manure sprinkled with Osmocote earlier this spring.  I may need to give them some more care or treatment through the summer.

The secret to carefree gardening seems to be the right plant in the right place, but it's not always that simple.  The fragrance of the lilacs is worth some extra time and effort in their care until they are established.  The azaleas give me an extra season of interest with their bronze leaves in the fall and their compact size fits the scale of my garden.  Sometimes watchful, careful gardening is needed to delight the senses through the seasons.

Mother's Day 2011

A great spring day with light winds, plentiful sunshine until late afternoon, and seasonable temperatures in the low 70s.  Also a day full of spring color:

Landscape Rhodendrons are blooming today below front porch



Hydrangea 'Endless Summer' potted on front porch



and some pansies and Bleeding Heart picked from the back garden.

I learned today that my neighbor bid on the item I placed in the Kentucky Derby Auction with another gardening neighbor (and both husbands=our garden men).  We will be designing and installing 60 square feet of landscape bed for our neighbor (who happens to be between our two houses).  The garden bed will need to be very low maintenance and very colorful to match my neighbor, a non-gardener who loves bright hues.  The ideas are brewing in my mind:  Knock-out Roses in pink, hydrangea in bright blue, something yellow that doesn't need dividing or pruning or weeding or fertilizing or...

Monday--a day for reviewing last week and doing chores

Mondays are a day to rest after a busy weekend, a time to review last week, and, in the case of the first week of the month, to assess last month.  But it's also a day to begin the weekly and monthly chores to keep the rhythm of the week and month moving forward.  It's a good thing the weather was chilly and overcast once again. It set the mood today for reflection on April and replenishment for May.

First and foremost, I thought of the garden moments that didn't fit into any daily entries in late April.  The Bleeding Heart was blooming last week and a fern I don't recognize was unfurling its fronds.  Is it a Japanese Painted Fern? I'll find out as spring --and it--progresses.

Old-fashioned Dicentra brought from Carriage Drive garden

Primula vulgaris returns--and survives the mulching machine (Larry)

This yellow primrose came back. I'm not sure if it was a supermarket variety. I just planted another one I've been keeping on my windowsill through April to remind me that it really was Spring. Now that I'm sure Spring is here, I stuck it in the dirt--and clipped a sprig of quince to keep on the window sill.  With luck, I'll have something from the garden to display on the window sill each week as we progress through the growing season.

I didn't keep good records of what I planted last year.  That's one of the reasons I am pledging to keep up this blog faithfully this year--to keep a journal of what I planted and how my plants did this third year of the garden.

The veggie and herb planters on the deck are looking great.  If I take a photo each week, I may be able to create a slide show to illustrate their growth just before I begin harvesting the produce.

You might notice the slide show of the village center here in East Hampton last week on the right sidebar.  It shows the gazebo, traffic triangle and flag pole plantings maintained by the local garden club (of which I am a member). That's how and when I learned to make a slide show and insert it in this blog.  Amazing!

The other reasons to keep up this blog: to learn to use a web journal, to develop better photography skills, and to practice some creative writing.  Somehow it doesn't seem like a chore!

May Day 2011--Some help in the garden today

There couldn't be a better spring day than today!  Even those days when we were young and my sister and I made construction paper cones, filled them with flowers picked in our yard (and others' gardens), and delivered them to neighbors by hanging them on their doorknobs, could not have been better. 



My garden man (husband, Larry) got us going early this a.m. because the mulch was available gratis behind the clubhouse. He got out the red wheelbarrow, his garden spade, his red plastic tub and his galvanized tub, and began to tote and spread mulch on the back garden.  I worked ahead of him cultivating lightly and dividing and replanting or potting up some Creeping Jenny, Shasta daisies, Black-eyed Susans or Rudbeckia, and Catmint or Nepeta. 



'Big Smile' tulips just bloomed today

I also pulled out and discarded as much Artemisia as I could in an area just off the paver block patio beneath the deck.  The roots were everywhere and I am sure that it will re-emerge to become the scourge of my garden.  I purchased Artemisia ludoviciana 'Valerie Finnis' from Jessica's Garden which is not supposed to spread as much as older cultivars.  It is over by the air-conditioner and staying contained in its space.  I don't know where this particular plant came from--but I would like it gone!

All clear of Artemisia in lower left now--but just wait!

We could have used my grandson William's help today. He is very good about working in the garden with us.  Last year, he helped me put in the watering area by finding and laying the local stone and filling the space between with landscaping pebbles.  We could have used his help with the wheelbarrow up and down the hill, filling and emptying the tubs, and spreading the mulch, as well as making a few more rocky water runways below the downspouts.

The water area near the hose outlet that William built last year.

I had a big smile in the garden today--just like my tulips.  It's great to have help with the heavy work.  Thanks to Larry for making my May Day enjoyable. I am grateful for the help of husband and grandson alike in keeping this garden a delight.