Monday, July 15, 2013

Bloom Day-July 2013

How did it get to be the middle of July?   Due to company and Idyllunion prequell activities, and much to my dismay, I was unable to participate in June Bloom Day.  In the interim, the weather has been challenging to say the least.  For the past couple of weeks in central Connecticut we've been dealing with heat waves, tropical levels of humidity and frequent extreme weather that has included tornadoes, damaging winds, severe electrical storms and deluges of rain.

So far my garden has not suffered any real damage beyond some minor erosion.  Keeping up with weeds has been a losing proposition especially since I never finished the mulch.  As I write this, we are currently in day two of a six or seven day heat wave, our fourth so far this summer.  Heat indexes are expected to exceed 100 degrees F every day this week.  For a variety of reasons I am not a fan of air conditioning.  In New England we spend winter months cooped up in the house hibernating from the cold so the last thing I want to do is spend summer months cooped up in the house hibernating from the heat.

My seventy plus year old house does not have central air conditioning.  A living room window unit keeps the first floor cool for the dog when necessary.  By keeping the house closed up during the day and by making strategic use of blinds, awnings and fans I can usually manage to keep the house comfortable.  Usually.  Not this year.  Over Fourth of July weekend I finally broke down, rummaged through the attic crawl space and fished out another air conditioner for the second floor den/exercise room.  Now I'm spending way too much time in the house for comfort and I feel like I'm living in a cave.  When can I open the windows again?

So what does all this have to do with July Bloom Day?  Absolutely nothing.  I just wanted to rant.

Usually I don't take many pictures of my front garden.  For the most part it's a hodge podge of low maintenance and reseeding plants.  Dry soil and little to no supplemental care or water create growing conditions that are challenging at best.   Besides spring and fall cleanups I do try to get out there somewhat regularly to weed and deadhead.  When it comes to plant selection, I let the plants choose. 


Time to thin out the Echinacea.  In the background is Persicaria polymorpha.  After a few failed attempts to dig it out I gave up and now just try to keep it from flopping in too much shade.


I have no idea where these Stargazer lilies came from or how they've survived the onslaught of lily leaf beetles but since they have I need to treat them with a newfound respect.


A very old plant of Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine' and a very large plant of some reseeded Tradescantia.


A reverted seedling of Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine' and some reseeded Echinacea.  In the lower left, Dianthus 'Firewitch' was a new addition this spring.



Abelia grandiflora and Cotinus act as backdrops for the Echinacea and lilies.


Smoke on the Smokebush because I neglected to cut it back this year.  At it's feet is an ongoing garden renovation.  The Hydrangea just finishing up is 'Bluebird', a beautiful serrata.


Speaking of Hydrangea, what a year it's been for them!  I keep telling myself not to buy any more but they are very hard to resist.  For the first time deer browsed many of the flowers on my Hydrangea quercifolias this year.  By the time I realized it was happening a few had been nipped back significantly.  Damn those hooved minions!


Hydrangea quercifolia 'Amethyst'



Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lemon Wave' is a first class foliage plant.



H. paniculata 'Quickfire' is sporting unusually huge flowers this year


One of my favorites-H. serrata 'Preziosa'


H. 'Endless Summer' has been a reliable performer for me.  Not so for everybody apparently.  Many of my garden friends have removed them for lack of blooms.

H. serrata 'Woodlander' finishing up after a gorgeous display


H. paniculata 'Dharuma'

A few "new to me" Echinaceas found their way into the garden this year.  Usually I don't fall victim to the newest cultivar-especially when it comes to Heucheras, Echinaceas and especially Coreopsis.  'Sombrero Salsa Red' was a total impulse buy that I posted about HERE last summer.  I'm happy to report that it came back strong unlike my 'Hot Papaya' which after three successful seasons is now just a shadow of it's former self.



Echinacea 'Sombrero Salsa Red' with Campanula 'Sarastro'


'Tangerine Dream'


'Coconut Lime'


Old reliable and long blooming 'White Swan'

Some miscellaneous items that caught my eye.  Much of my garden got ripped up and replanted this spring and many of those plants don't look like much this year.  Lots of holes don't make for good photo ops.


One of my favorite annuals-the dreaded Ricinus.  Twerpster in a hurry in the background.



I just love these cheerful Rudbekia hirta 'Prairie Sun'.  They are not reliably perennial so I buy a few plants every year and treat them as annuals.  If they come back I consider it a bonus.  The Coreopsis is 'Mercury Rising' supposedly a hardy red.


Lysimachia clethroides 'Geisha'
 
  
Cornus kousa 'Wolf Eyes'
 
 
 
Oxydendron arboreum

 
Hemerocallis 'Moonlit Masquerade'
 
 
Hemerocallis 'Indian Giver'
 
 
Clematis 'Jackmanii'
 
Naturally the containers have been providing alot of color.  Tropicals love the heat and humidity.
 
 









 
 
 
 







A few wide angle shots.  The heat has been keeping me from regular dead heading and maintenance chores so things are a little rough.  If the weather cooperates I hope to have everything spiffed up again soon.
 










Thanks for visiting.  To see more of what the garden world has to offer, visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!

Sue~

45 comments:

  1. Everything is looking great Sue, I really love that Lysimachia 'Geisha' and I'm happy to report the piece you gave me last year is alive and blooming. Can't wait to have a nice thick patch of it like you do. Your Red Abyssinian Banana is looking fantastic. July in the gardens rocks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Keep an eye on it-it runs. I'm thinking it's not worth lugging in the Red Abyssinians every year when they can put up that kind of size in a couple of months. Remind me in October that I just said that :).

      Delete
  2. I'm amazed! How people manage to keep up with these wonderful gardens this year beats me!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Trust me-I'm sucking some serious wind this year, Marie.

      Delete
  3. Your garden is gorgeous. So many pretty flowers. I especially like the hydrangeas. Well, I liked everything. I planted the Castor Bean plant this year, the first time in many years. I think its the same one you have. I really like those leaves! Mine is still small. I hope it picks up speed soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Castor Bean gets a bad rap for no valid reason. So far I've yet to catch any terrorists in my garden harvesting the seeds. As long as it's available for sale I'm going to plant it.

      Delete
  4. Oh Sue, your garden looks fabulous! My garden doesn't look that good even when I spend lots of time on it. All of your plant and pot combinations are spectacular but that squat orange one is making me drool! You must have been the victim of a drive by gardening (Stargazers.) Happy GBBD!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the orange pot and actually found a smaller one in the same color this year ans placed it close by. Now if I could just get that shed trim painted orange the whole area would really come together...

      Delete
  5. A little rough? I think everything looks fantastic, a wonderful garden. You've done a tremendous job with plant selection and combination.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Why thank you! In my experience, gardeners are their own worst critics.

      Delete
  6. Fantastic collection! I love looking at your lovely photos and enjoyed seeing quite a few flowers that we have here in England too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. England is one of the garden meccas of the world. Someday I hope to make a pilgrimage :).

      Delete
  7. Your garden is really spectacular! I love all those hydrangeas. :o) I'm surprised you've unchained your loosestrife since it's so invasive. How do you keep it in check? I have mine growing in a pot. I really like how you've mixed shrubs in with your perennials. It makes the garden more interesting.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Tammy, the variegated variety is not as aggressive as the plain green version. When I purchased it from Plant Delights many years ago they made the claim that it didn't run. Well I now know that's not true. At any rate, it's been fairly easy to control by yanking a bunch of it out a few times a year.

      When it comes to plants I tend to lean more towards shrubs, especially those with interesting foliage. They are the "bones" of my garden.

      Delete
  8. I almost thought I was looking at my own garden -- only yours is much nicer and fuller. I have Hydrangea 'Bluebird', and 'Preziosa', and I also have the oakleaf 'Amethyst'. And you know I love me some oxydendrum! But my hydrangeas are so immature, and I have only seen Bluebird bloom a little, not the others yet. It was great to get a peek at what they will look like by seeing your beauties here. Will mine ever look like that . . . ?

    With your red house, bright blue accents and all the blooming color, your garden is an absolute summer delight.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We have similiar styles in that we both appreciate the value of woody plant structure. If only I had more room...

      Despite the grower's claims, in my experience most Hydrangeas do not want full sun or even afternoon sun. Just this spring I moved a Hydrangea 'Blue Billow' out of my patio garden (part sun but a good dose of it), cut it in half for one of my friends and replanted it in much more shade. This year it bloomed for the first time ever and I've had it for at least five years.

      Delete
  9. If that's what it looks like when it's a bit neglected, I'd love to have you come neglect my garden! Everything looks wonderful, and I particularly love all of the different foliage and, of course, your pot plantings.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm definitely a foliage over flower gardener. The pots are just an extension of that obsession :). Glad to hear it shows.

      Delete
  10. Jeez, Sue, I'd be happy with your "low-maintenance" front garden. And that gooseneck 'Geisha' is really something.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I keep wanting to tinker with it but can never find the time. So far the variegated loosestrife has found it's way into both Deanne's and Monique's gardens. Let me know if you want a chunk and when would be the best time.

      Delete
  11. Looks just great. I love the big mass of purple coneflowers in the front, plus the smokebush. Your brick path (in the back) is lovely. Despite the heat, your garden is fabulous.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. As long as water is available, I find that many plants actually thrive in the heat. Flowers maybe not so much. Every year it's some different extreme or another. Somehow I've got to adjust my attitude to "no more excuses" :).

      Delete
  12. So nice Sue. Thanks, also, for a little education on a couple plants I have in my garden but have no idea what they are. Lucky you with the stargazers! they are my favorite and I don't even have one in my garden!

    When you are thinning the Echinacea, or anything else for that matter, and you have no place for it to go....I'll put it in my yard. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'll keep that in mind. Every year I give away or toss bucket loads of plants. Until I went to pick Nick up a few weeks ago, I didn't realize you were such a gardener!

      Delete
  13. Well, I am glad I live here in the South where things are nearly as bad as you describe for Connecticut. At least your garden does not look like it is suffering, it's beautiful, especially your containers. You have a real eye for what looks good together.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Container design is an obsession of sorts. If my soil was better I'd create more vignettes with annuals in the ground but I can't keep them watered well enough. With all this heat I'm hoping to have some Crepe Myrtles next month :).

      Delete
  14. I spoke too soon in asking when we were going to see your planted pots when I replied to your GD message on my blog - the ones you show here look great! I particularly like your mixtures of variegated foliage plants with accents of flowers.

    Re the pictures of your front yard: you should show this side more often! I've found that Echinacea do well at my "new" house - I think I have to look for that 'Tangerine Dream' to add to my collection. I noticed that you also have Hemerocallis 'Indian Giver' in the front, which I've coveted for a while but continued to pass on due to the hefty price tag. It looks more pink than purple in your picture - how does it read in the garden?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Pictures I take of the containers never come out looking as good as they look in person. Some day I hope to unlock the secret to container photography.

      For some reason the picture I posted of H. 'Indian Giver' does not show true color. It is more purple in the garden. If you'd like I'd be happy to send you a division once it gets a little cooler.

      Delete
    2. Thanks for the offer, Sue, but you have enough on your plate and I shouldn't plant a new daylily until our weather cools in late October at earliest. It's enough for me to know that 'Indian Giver' really is purplish. I'll get hold of 1 during planting season.

      Delete
  15. Everything is looking pretty green in your yard...mine is slowing turning to hay.

    Love your collection of hydrangeas! Everything looks beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Fingers crossed for cooler weather soon. Lately the heat has just been ridiculous.

      Delete
  16. Looking good Sue ! I have admired some of the new Echinacea cultivars from afar; I don't even have the old standby Magnus anymore , and with all the negative stuff I read on my 'lurk' forums about poor performance I don't regret skipping them. But I do think I will replant 'White Swan' which I had for many years, to replace the flop-fest Shasta daisy.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. White Swan is definitely a long lived, long blooming cultivar. I have high hooes for Sombrero Salsa Red but we'll see...

      Delete
  17. I so enjoyed the tour. I am envious of your beautiful old home (I hate new construction, which is what I have), your amazing plantings - in fact, I'm envious of everything except your air conditioning situation. I grew up in a 1904 house in NY. We had one room air conditioner, which was placed in the 3rd floor TV room. Not fun. Since moving south I've discovered that the hot and humid south is actually more comfortable in the summer than the northeast, because of central air conditioning. Good luck staying cool.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most of my friends have central AC. And they keep their windows closed all summer-even on the nice days. In my house it would probably cost about $8K to have it installed. I just don't think it's worth it for maybe a couple of weeks a year that I would need to turn it on. So far my good old LG window units are handling what Mother Nature has been tossing at them just fine. Only two more days...

      Delete
  18. Your garden looks great! Hard to believe that it's been so hot there. I hope the heat subsides for you soon. I know what you mean about being cooped up in a cave. It is always extremely hot here in the summer, and I hate it. But we have mild winters, so many times I work outside more days in the winter than not. Your front garden looks beautiful. And I loved seeing all the hydrangeas. Yours are so full of blooms - mine never quite look like that (except in my dreams, and I love hydrangeas so, I just keep dreaming). I'm glad you showed Lemon Wave. What a beautiful shrub.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. We always lust after plants we can't grow :). I can see why Hydrangeas would struggle in hot, dry climates. But you can grow Agaves and all sorts of succulents...ooh la la!

      Delete
  19. Sue, your gardens are lovely. I adore how you let the plants design the front. I have a few areas like that in my acreage. It's always a surprise to see what Mother Nature designs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every so often I have to intervene but when you have a tough spot sometimes you just have to go with what works.

      Delete
  20. I think your garden look fabulous! LOVE that mass of Echinacea...just wonderful...and that Woodlander Hydrangea is gorgeous!

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you Scott. I would love to be able to create something like you've done in front of your house in my curb garden.

    ReplyDelete
  22. What a lovely garden. We've been suffering a heatwave too. It takes me ages to water all my planters but they need it as we haven't had any rain for weeks. That may change soon, according to the forecast.

    ReplyDelete
  23. I wish I had to thin out the coneflowers. Here, they are not so prolific. I love the entry to your house, it is so inviting and pretty. Your containers are beautiful too.

    ReplyDelete
  24. What a garden! My Asian lilies are just about to pop. And I have some purple coneflowers that should be blooming any day now too. I'm doing a flower series on my Toronto blog this week, if you want to check out some blooms.
    Your garden is really magnificent! :)

    ReplyDelete
  25. Looking at that first shot of your house's front, I found myself wondering how one gets to the door with all that growth!

    ReplyDelete