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...