Camellia ‘Yume’
Once again our best December flowers for GBBD are the camellias. The one above was purchased at Camellia Forest Nursery which is probably the best source for camellias in the whole country. It took a few years to get to flowering but now has probably a dozen buds on it for this year.
Its older cousin is the red camellia sasanqua which has a record number of flowers this year.
Camellia sasanqua red
Camellia sasanqua red
Even the camellia ‘survivor’, which flowered earlier than the others, still has a few flowers left on.
Camellia ‘Survivor’
Elsewhere around the yard there are still a few things that have withstood the 25 degree temperatures that we’ve seen so far. In particular the Japanese Quince is loaded with early blossoms.
Japanese Quince
And the heather has more flowers than I’ve ever seen on it.
Krarmer’s Rote Heather (Erica x darleyensis)
Krarmer’s Rote Heather (Erica x darleyensis)
One little surprise in alpine bed is a cute little polygala
Polygala chamaebuxus
When you actually go inside the greenhouse there are some very lovely flowers in process.
Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)
Oxalis luteola
And some oranges just about ready to harvest
Satsuma dwarf Owari
One item from the greenhouse that has made it into the house is very striking Nerine from Far Reaches
Nerine ‘Pink Triumph’
I should mention too that when I went out to the woods yesterday I found the dark black berries from the Blackhaw Viburnum hanging in the tree.
Blackhaw Viburnum
A reminder of the flowers that will come in the springtime.
I should also mention that I spent early yesterday morning ordering seeds from the North American Rock Garden Society Seed Exchange. It’s a wonderful opportunity to acquire unusual seed from all over the world.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day November 2023
Camellia ‘Survivor’
Just a few things to share for this bloom day. As always the Camellias are the most startling representatives of our late Fall gardens. I’ve never figured out why more people in Maryland don’t grow the Camellia Sasanqua but for us it multiple weeks of pleasure. The white one shown above is the first to bloom and probably the hardiest on our property. It comes from Camellia Forest in North Carolina. But right behind it is our red Fall Camellia which I brought back from California many, many years ago on my lap in a cross-country flight.
Red Camellia sasanqua
The rest of the yard has pretty much succumbed to touches of frost. Still no really hard frost so a couple of roses are still in bloom.
Crocus Rose
And a few spots of Daphne can be seen too.
Daphne
The last flowers in the vegetable garden are some lovely little calendulas.
Calendula
And it’s hard not to notice the berries when you walk about the yard.
American Holly
Otherwise it’s diving into the greenhouse where I’ve made space for other plants by taking out the 10 foot high pomegranate and some other potted plants that had rooted themselves in greenhouse floor (not allowing that anymore). This leaves space for big pots like this Plectranthus.
Plectrantrus
I think we will also harvest some mandarins this year off of the potted citrus.
Mandarin Orange
Some of my favorite greenhouse plants are the various Nerine species. They bloom over a long period with various flowers that resemble more reasonably sized amaryllis. The one in flower at the moment is Nerine undulata.
Nerine undulata
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day October 2023
Amarine tubergenii ‘Zwanenberg’
Well, it’s been a lovely Fall week for catching up with GBBD and many tasks in the garden. Finally the outside ground is somewhat moist and there is a lot of green around garden, woods, and pasture. Nonetheless as my eye explored the garden yesterday it was the Nerines that stood out to me. I think it was two years ago that I first acquired the Amarine tubergenii from Quackin’ Grass Nursery. They have a brilliant pink that stands out from other plants. They stem from a cross between Nerine bowdenii and Amaryllis belladonna and while they are in principle hardy in zone 7 the only time I tried the plant didn’t return so I keep them in the greenhouse for now.
A 2nd Amarine
At the same time a much smaller Nerine is blooming in the greenhouse.
Nerine zinkowski hyb.
This was a hybrid seedling distributed by the Pacific Bulb Society. A lot of flower for a small pot.
Of course I could share the many annuals still in bloom around here. The zinnias are blooming like crazy and the Dahlias are maybe the best they’ve ever been.
Dahlia ‘Mai Tai’
Some of the perennial returnees from last year are notable like this Monkshood
Aconitum carmichaelii ‘Arendsii’
And there are many that just continue in flower week after week.
Last of the Colchicums
Cyclamen hederifolium
Tibouchina urvilleana
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
Four o’Clock
I did add another plant to the garden today, a little Mahonia that came via Issima Nursery in Rhode Island. This is a seedling from Mahonia eurybracteata and we shall see how hardy it is.
Mahonia eurybracteata ‘Soft Caress’ seedling
It’s worth noting that it’s not only flowers that are showy at this time of year. The berries can be quite splendid.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
And as I closed the gate tonight I couldn’t help but notice the Red Jade Crabapple
Red Jade Crabapple
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day September 2023
Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)
Well this has been a terrible summer for us. We have a few flowers for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, but we have lost so many plants to drought. The Princess Flower has survived because it is on the porch getting regular water.
Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)
But we don’t have anything like the usual flowering at this time of year. Probably the most striking flowers right now are the dahlias which also have gotten fairly regular watering.
Dahlia ‘Mai Tai’
Dahlia ‘Helen Richmond’
The sedum is pretty hardy and has returned with its usual flowering for September.
Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’
And the colchicum at coming out the ground as scheduled.
Colchicum bivonae
Colchicum ‘Giant’
The very reliable cestrum is still in flower.
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
And walking about the yard yesterday, I found a few cyclamen with fall flowers.
Cyclamen hederifolium
In the greenhouse a pot of the non-hardy cyclamen was also in bloom.
Cyclamen graecum
Beside it are several pots of sinninglia species (that are happy to spread to neighboring pots)
Sinninglia sp.
It is worth mentioning that the dry weather has been very good for our figs and it’s become a lunchtime habit for me.
Steady stream of Figs
Also very noteworthy is a lovely little bukiniczia with great foliage in the alpine bed. It came from seed this year and should be able to flower next year.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day May 2023
Rhododendron Chionoides
Well it’s a late posting for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, but what can I say. This time of year I’m in the garden…
Rhododendron are in flower in multiple places in the yard but this year we have also added them to the woods (courtesy of the new deer fence)
Rhododendrun ‘Nova Zembla’ in the woods
I am fully engaged in adding new and unusual flowers to the woods (leading to lack of care for some of the plants in the yard). But we still have a few things worth sharing. We inherited this lovely ground orchid in a plant exchange last year.
Bletilla striata ground orchid
One can’t help but notice the roses at this time of year. And this David Austin rose is having a great showing.
Tess d’Uberville in abundant flower
Rose ‘Tess d’uberville (David Austin)
Right nearby is a longtime resident, the Klondyke exbury Azalea
Rhodendron ‘Klondyke’
Moving across the yard to the Monument bed there is a lovely herbaceous Peony
Peony red herbaceous
and some lovely little allium
Yellow Allium in the Monument Bed
One neighboring bed has the last of another allium relative
Allium (nectaroscordum) tripedale
You have to look a little more closely to see the flowers that appear under may apple relatives
Podophyllum pleianthum flower
Another shade lover is the Pinellia
Pinellia ‘Purple Dragon’
I feel like I have to share some things from the greenhouse and the alpine bed
Zephyranthes katherinae rubra
Morrocan Poppy
Lewisia ‘Rainbow Mix’
And also the Phyteuma that I first met while hiking in the Alps
Phyteuma orbiculare
Let me close with an image of the planting of the dahlias and glads
Glads and Dahlias going in the ground
Which leads to harvesting the strawberries in the neighboring row
Strawberries coming in
And then finally what we do with the harvest
Rhubarb Strawberry Cobbler
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day March 2023
Helleborus x ‘Berry Swirl’
Well it’s two days past Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day but as you can probably imagine Spring is bringing forth not only tons of flowers but springtime chores as well.
As shown above the Hellebores are everywhere and together with the Daffodils they are providing an abundance of flowers.
Hellebore Lost Name
This is one of my favorite Hellebores but I’ve lost the name. It sits upright and shows those lovely crinkly flowers.
Daffodils are one of our favorites for the Spring. We began planting them 45 years ago and here are the results for those first ones.
Daffodils in profusion at the deck
Daffodil bank
Of course it’s hard to not to admire the individual flowers as well.
Daffodils in a cluster
Of course not long from now we will see many members of the Rhododendron family, but here is an early bloomer.
Korean Rhododendron (R. mucronulatum)
I spend a lot of time looking up the little guys that are poking up in the yard and woods.
Haquetia
The first of the Bloodroot popped up yesterday.
Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis)
I planted a hundred Scilla sibirica in the front lawn last Fall and they are just showing their marvelous blue color.
Scilla sibirica ‘Spring Beauty’
Nearby the Primula vulgaris are continuing to spread into the lawn.
Primula vulgaris
I also love seeing the Hepatica with their colorful flowers.
Hepatica nobilis light pink
Hepatica nobilis pink form
We even have one Hepatica in the woods that seems to have taken hold.
Hepatica acutiloba
Also in the woods we also have a number of Corydalis that are slowly spreading.
Corydalis solida ‘Purple Rain’
To help them spread I put in a hundred of the red ones last Fall.
Corydalis solida ‘Beth Evans’
Another successful spreader is the Ranunculus sometimes called Lesser Celandine
Ranunculus ficaria
In the Alpine bed we have a couple of small plants just coming into flower.
Armeria juniperfolia (Spanish thrift)
Polygala chamaebuxus
And in the greenhouse itself there are number of plants seeking attention.
Peruvian Squill alba
Veldtheimia
Notholirion thomsonianum
But the real stars right now are the Clivia that I’ve taken into the house.
Clivia at the house entryway
Clivia in full bloom
Everyone should have Clivia. So colorful, easy care, and blooming twice a year. What’s not to like?
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day February 2023
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
Well it’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day (or was yesterday anyway) and February really marks the serious start of spring flowers. Adonis, Winter Aconite, Crocus, Daffodils, Snowdrops, Witch Hazel, Primrose, Camellias, and Hellebores are all in flower. We spent three and half weeks in California and it was delightful to see the flowers that had popped up in our absence.
Adonis remains one of my favorite flowers but only the early-blooming ‘Fukujukai’ is currently in flower.
Adonis amurensis ‘Fukujukai’
The biggest impact flower at the moment is the winter aconite.
Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) in the front yard
Winter Aconite (Erantis hyemalis)
We actually have several Eranthis hyemalis cultivars with different shades of yellow.
Eranthis hyemalis ‘Orange Glow’
Eranthis ‘Schwefelglanz’
They are all quite willing to expand and I am finding new specimens each year in the yard and forest in places where I did not plant them.
Winter Aconite in the woods
Another highlight at the moment is the Crocus tommasinanus (which also keeps expanding it’s spot).
Crocus tommasinianus ‘Ruby Giant’
The witch hazels are all in bloom
Chinese Witch Hazel (Hamamelis mollis)
Witch Hazel ‘Diane’
We also have numerous clumps of snowdrops that are not only clumping nicely but also spreading out into the lawn
Galanthus nivalis ‘Viridi-apice’
Galanthus nivalis ‘Blewbury Tart’
The Camellia japonica that I brought back from California on my lap in the 70’s continues to put out early flowers.
Camellia japonica red
And as I mentioned the Daffodils and Hellebores are beginning to do their thing.
First Daffodils
Helleborus x ericsmithi ‘HGC Winter’s Song’
Helleborus x hybridus PDN Yellow
The first early primroses (Primula vulgaris) are now showing up. I don’t know why more people are not growing this lovely British wildflower which is anything but vulgar.
Primula vulgaris
Meanwhile in the greenhouse there are many South African plants beginning their season
Veltheimia bracteata
Babiana framesii
Freesia single Blue
Yeah, I know the name doesn’t match the color in this Freesia but it’s all I have to go on at the moment.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day August 2022
Gordlinia grandiflora flower closeup
Well, I missed last month’s posting to GBBD (first time in ten years) and I feel somewhat guilty so I have a couple of special items for this posting. Back in April I received as a gift one of the largest plants I’ve ever gotten in a box in the mail (from ForestFarm).
Gordlinia grandiflora arrival
It was a Gordlinia grandiflora, a relatively rare hybrid derived from a cross between Franklinia alatamaha and Gordonia lasianthus in 2003. It’s a relatively small tree with absolutely gorgeous camellia-like flowers.
Gordlinia grandiflora
It’s begun flowering now and should continue through September…
Another special item for us this year is the Princess Flower. I started this from a small 4 inch pot from Putnam Hill Nursery last year and it didn’t flower. So I carried it over in the greenhouse and repotted it at the beginning of the season. It has taken off over the last two months and it’s now 5 foot tall and still growing. In the meantime I found another specimen growing in a pot twice as big as mine and just coming into flower. Nonestop flowering is what it yields.
Princess Flower (Tibouchina Urvilleana)
Princess Flower (Tibouchina Urvilleana)
It will need to go into the greenhouse again but wow, what flowering!
Otherwise it’s pretty normal summer flowering for us.
The Allium are flowering in a couple of places
Allium ‘Millenium’
The Crepe Myrtle is finally in flower for the season
Crepe myrtle white
the Cestrum has recovered from its winter dieback
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
And the Crinum is showing its numerous hanging flowers
Crinum powellii
In the vegetable/cutting garden the Glads have yielded abundantly
Gladiolus
Picking Glads
and the Tithonia and Sunflowers are ten foot tall at least.
Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower)
Sunflower
In the greenhouse there are multiple pots of Cyrtanthus in flower
Cyrtanthus elatus
as well as a particularly nice Sinningia
Sinningia eumorpha
If we weren’t so busy picking fruits and vegetables I might actually finish weeding the greenhouse:)
Crispie Pears (these are very sweet)
Oh, I should mention that my excuse for missing last month’s posting was a trip to California where we relived our youth by driving down the California Coast.
Drake’s Beach Point Reyes
It was a wonderful trip…