Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: June 2009

Posted June 16, 2009 by Andrew

It’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day again! Let’s talk about what’s blooming in my garden. The answer to that would be: lots. June is when the garden really comes into its own, especially if there’s been rain, and in the past two weeks there’s been PLENTY. Click photos to enlarge.

Verbascum ‘Southern Charm’ is a floppy mullein I love. Purchased two years ago at Goose Cove Gardens in Gloucester, Mass., it always flops over, but I don’t have time to stake it, so this year I finally moved it where it could flop into the butterfly bushes. It seems happy, and there are several mullein babies in the spot I moved it from, which is great because I could use more — this was purchased when I was a “one here, one there” gardener.

I’ve discussed my driveway roses on Twitter and Facebook — gifts from friends who were tired of maintaining them. I plunked them in the ground by the driveway, where they’re somewhat inconspicuous, and they bloom their heads off even if their leaves get bedraggled or bug eaten. If you like roses for cutting, plant them in an out-of-the-way spot, and don’t worry about keeping them perfect! I sprayed mine with some organic Spinosad when I was spraying for winter moth earlier in the season, and I threw down some extra compost around them. Last year they got Wormjava, which is supposed to fertilize and repel bugs too. Some bugs, some holes, but mostly so far, so good.

I’ve expounded at length in this space about Phlomis russeliana, the Jerusalem sage. I’ll let it speak for itself.

Last but certainly not least, here’s my beloved beauty bush, Kolkwitzia amabilis, by far my favorite thing that came with the house. I’m so glad it did, because otherwise I’d likely have never known how great it is. This is an old-fashioned shrub I’ve read about and often see in foundation plantings, and I’ve heard it’s sold at nurseries, but I’ve never seen it for sale. I don’t think it’s so much in demand anymore. I can’t imagine why. Sure, it’s a bit unassuming when not in bloom, but when it IS blooming, watch out. A fantastic plant.

As usual, if you enjoy my garden photos, check out Oakleaf Green’s Facebook page and become a fan. These and many more are posted there.

What’s blooming in your garden?

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: May 2009

Posted May 15, 2009 by Andrew

Gosh, but April and May have been busy months. My last post was for April’s Carol’s Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, and here I am at it again one month later. April and May are busy months in the garden too. Things start growing, things start blooming, and with them we gardeners’ to-do lists grow and bloom as well. Here’s what’s going on in my garden right now, and in the past month:

Centaurea montana, or mountain bluet, bloomed this week. These were purchased last year during a midsummer perennial sale, and boy did they look sad when I planted them. Not anymore! You wouldn’t know these plants were ever sad. I’ve read they can be temperamental, but I gravitate toward blue and silver plants (these are both, with their silvery leaves), so I’m hoping they continue to thrive.

I’d be remiss not to mention Malus sargentii, the crabapple, blooming all over the place around here this month. We have a grand total of seven at last count, all of which came with the place: three venerable old trees and four youngsters. This is one of the oldest, situated by your back porch. Crabapples aren’t so attractive in leaf, especially with winter moth larvae intent on making Swiss cheese out of them, but for their twisted old trunks and two weeks of pure bliss in flower, I wouldn’t trade them.

Cercis canadensis, or Eastern redbud, bloomed this month. I have two, and this photo is from last week, but one is still very much in bloom. Redbuds are an outstanding native understory tree, meaning they take shade and compete well under large trees, and whaddya know? They have a great flower and leaf to boot. I got these on closeout at the end of the season last year. Like the mountain bluets, they looked a bit sad, but you wouldn’t know it now by how much they bloomed.

Finally, we have Kerria japonica ‘Pleniflora,’ my old double-flowered Japanese kerria. A large old clump of this airy shrub came with the house, and I’ve been busy transplanting bits of it around the backyard. It blooms most this time of year, then sporadically throughout the growing season. Makes for a great closeup too.

If you enjoy my garden photos, check out Oakleaf Green’s Facebook page and become a fan. These and many more are posted there.

So what’s blooming in your garden?

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Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day: April 2009

Posted April 15, 2009 by Andrew

I’ve decided to participate in Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day, an event started by Carol of May Dreams Gardens, where garden bloggers from across the blogosphere post photos of what’s blooming (or budding, or just plain interesting) in their gardens on the 15th of every month.

Here are some of my favorites from my garden right now:

• Leuzea carthamoides, or maral root, looking quite fetching with its toothed leaves poking through the ground. Maral root is the only perennial I’ve grown yet in my current garden from seed. A native of Siberia, it has interesting pink thistle-like flowers in summer. This, I hope, will be the first year it blooms.
• Viburnum carlesii, or koreanspice viburnum, not in bloom, but in bud — I just couldn’t resist posting this picture. This is one of my favorite plants for fragrance, and I have it planted under a kitchen window. Easy, easy, easy to grow! As expert and author Michael Dirr says, every garden should have a viburnum, and koreanspice is a fantastic choice. It’s also less prone to attack by the viburnum leaf beetle, a non-native invasive pest attacking viburnums in our region. I’ll follow up with a photo of it when the flowers are actually open.
• Finally, a daffodil, nearly open, a bit out of focus.

Enjoy!

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