Garden Bloggers Bloom Day May 2011

Pink Tulip

Inspired by the quote, “We can have flowers nearly every month of the year.” by Elizabeth Lawrence, Carol at May Dreams Gardens hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. On the 15th of every month gardeners from all over the world walk out into their gardens to note what is currently blooming. Its May in the northeast and the gardens are alive with color.  I gaze in awe at what appears before me.



Perennial Garden

The perennial garden is alive with delicate red and pink tulips, Astilbe, Lambs Ear, Heuchera, Hosta and Daylily. The variety of textures and color complement one another beautifully.

Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, Daylily & Crimson Azalea

The Stella d Oro Daylily is displaying vibrant green foliage against the blue of the Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar and the Crimson Azalea is in full bloom. Soon there will be blooms of yellow that will last throughout the summer.

Wisteria

The Wisteria is a sight to behold with its magnificent lavender panicle blooms. One can also smell the fragrance of sweet perfume. Under the canopy of the Wisteria  are Hosta Patriot and Minuteman  to add brightness to the garden.  In the backdrop are Heuchera Palace Purple and Endless Summer Hydrangea.

Heuchera Caramel

Heuchera Caramel, a new addition to the garden this year has an interesting foliage that cannot be beat. Heuchera Caramel is said to be very hardy in zone 7 and will tolerate sun as well as shade. I am giving this beauty a test run!

Nepeta Little Titch

Also new to the garden this year is a miniature version of nepeta. It is Nepeta Little Titch. It displays beautiful blue flowers all summer long on much more compact silvery green foliage and is also hardy in zone 7.

Sedum Aurea

The sedum Aurea that I planted two seasons ago in between the crevices of the moss rock boulders of the waterfall are finally starting to flourish. They are planted along side Daylily and Blue Pacific Juniper to add color and a natural look. 

Montgomery Blue Spruce & Heuchera Palace Purple

Behind the Montogomery Blue Spruce is Heuchera Palace Purple. and Hinoki Cypress Aurea.  The color combination of the blue, burgundy and gold is striking at this time of year.  

 

Ajuga Burgundy Glow

Ajuga Burgundy Glow makes its spring appearance as it emerges along side a boulder in the garden and forms a lovely mat of purple spiked groundcover.  This is also a debut for this plant in my garden. Planted last fall it has made it through the winter and is now thriving.

Spirea Gold Flame

Spirea Gold Flame is an all time favorite in the garden for its firey glowing foliage in early spring. Named for its color the foliage resembles a golden flame. Soon this shrub will be covered in pink blooms that will last throughout the entire summer. 

Bloom Day is a wonderful day of the month to be more aware of the changes going on in the garden. It is a great way to take inventory of what is growing in your garden and to view gardens of other gardening enthusiasts from around the world.  Be sure to visit our hostess May Dreams Gardens and check out all the other wonderful blooms that are emerging.

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment. My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful." ~ Abram L. Urban



Happy GBBD.  Happy Gardening!

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Brooklyn Garden

 

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Japanse Garden Designs Others

japanse garden Designs others

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GARDEN ROOMS

Sissinghurst is perhaps one of the most beloved gardens in all the world.  For many it is the definitive English garden, evoking the poetic sensibilities of its creators, their deep feeling for history and rural tradition and the influence of their aristocratic upbringing and travels.

A labor of love created by Vita Sackville-West  (1892-1962) and Harold Nicholson (1886-1968) over thirty years beginning in 1932.  It is a garden set among a manor house built in the Middle Ages, ancient farm buildings, a moat and a tall Elizabethan tower.  Along with Hidcote, it has a formal design, yet informal “cottage-style” planting.

Garden historian, author and designer Penelope Hobhouse sees Sissinghurst as the “epitome of English garden traditions – a translation of Edwardian splendor into a personal odyssey.”  Much like Hidcote, there was “an integrated architectural framework” of garden rooms, a sequence of spaces, created with hardscaped (pink brick) walls or tall clipped hedges enclosing one area with another adjoining it.  The compartmentalization of these color themed “garden rooms” contain axial views, focal points through doorways into gardens beyond. Within each very rigid, geometric enclosure is the contrasting softness of relaxed cottage-style gardening, an influence of Gertrude Jekyll and William Robinson.  It is known that Vita treasured Robinson’s “The English Flower Garden” and “The Wild Garden” and visited him in his later years (presumably) seeking his advice.

Much of the fascination behind this garden stems from the family history of Vita as well as her ability to generate public interest in the garden. Sackville-West was a very successful writer on the fringes of the Bloomsbury Group. Along with her novels, short stories and poetry, she was also a garden correspondent for The Observer, where she regularly wrote about her experiences creating the garden. Additionally she gave garden tours, thus building up the public’s intrigue and fascination.  Many might suspect that her inspiration for so many outdoor rooms was a subconscious recreation of a childhood spent at Knole,* the largest private home in England.  Knole is known as a calendar house… 365 rooms! 

The Roman peristyle garden is considered the first outdoor room and an extension of indoor space.  However, Sissinghurst has perhaps more than any other garden influenced future designers to divide a landscape into “rooms”.

*Vita was heiress to the Knole estate, however the primogeniture laws in England prevented woman from inheriting property and thus it was (unfairly to her) passed on to a male cousin and eventually the National Trust.

  


**All photos ©Todd Haiman 2011

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Hosta The Versatile Shade Garden Perennial

As I was walking along my shade garden on this summer day I took extra notice at the wonderful array of hosta that have matured to become beautiful focal points over the years.  Hosta are a hardy and reliable herbaceous perennial that never seem to fail in adding some desired brightness to a shady area.  Grown for their beautiful foliage there are so many varieties to choose from. The magnificent foliage of hostas comes in a variety of sizes, colors and texture ranging from the giant green and cream crinkled leaves of Francee Williams to the smaller more compact smoother variegated leaves of Golden Tiarra.  Colors range from green to golden to blue and white in a multitude of combinations of variegation with over 2,500 cultivars available. 

Some of my favorite hostas are:

 

Hosta Francee Williams

Francee Williams-2-3 in diameter, large green leaves with cream colored variegation and purple flowers in July-August                                

Hosta Patriot

Patriot- 15-18" dark green leaves with wide white margins and lavender blooms July-August

Hosta Fire & Ice

Fire & Ice - 20 " heart shaped leaves with white center and dark green margin and lavender blooms in July- August

Hosta Golden Tiarra

Golden Tiarra-12" diameter compact form,  green with gold edges and deep purple flowers in July-August

Blue Angel - 28 " diameter with bright blue foliage and white flowers in June-July

Hosta  are extremely versatile and can be grown in a large range of areas including hardiness zones 2-10.  They prefer to be grown in full to partial shade in a well drained moist soil with a pH between 6.5 and 7.5.  While hosta are shade tolerant they do not thrive in extremely dense shade and optimun conditions are an exposure with morning sun and out of the direct sun in afternoon.  In general, the yellow and white leaf varieties will tend to tolerate more sun and the blue leaf varieties prefer more shady conditions.  Hosta do prefer moisture so at least an inch of watering a week is recommended. 

Hosta are not "deer resistant" or "rabbit resistant" and are actually a prefered snack for our four-legged friends.  Astilbe, Liriope or Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass) could serve as deer resistant alternatives among other selections. 

Maintenance of hosta is relatively simple.  To propogate hosta divide in spring when new foliage is just emerging.    With a sharp spade cleanly divide the plant into equal parts no smaller than at least three rhizomes (about 6" in diameter).  Dig a hole that is wider and deeper than the clump you are transplanting.  Plant and water throughly until your new plant is established and enjoy!  For winter maintenance remove all expired foliage to prevent fungal disease and keep a layer of mulch around the crown of the plant for protection.

If you are looking to add a little color to a your shade garden then hosta could be the perennial for you.  Add some companion plants such as astilbe, coral bells and ajuga and you can have a colorful and enjoyable garden that will give you years of enjoyment!

As Always...Happy Gardening!

Author: Lee@A Guide To Northeastern Gardening, Copyright 2012

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