Amarine tubergenii ‘Zwanenburg’
It’s Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day as we move securely into the Fall. The leaves are changing but we see no signs of lower temperatures in Maryland as yet.
The Amarine above is a first time bloomer for me, but comes with a little background. I bought it just this Fall from Quackin’ Grass Nursery and then as it was coming into bloom I discovered that I had another one that I had bought from the same place this Spring. No sooner did I put those two in the ground but I then found that I had bought a smaller bulb of that plant from Rare Plants back in 2017 and it too was now coming into bloom (for the first time). So apparently this plant is consistently appealing to me. It is a hybrid between Amaryllis belladonna and Nerine bowdenii. It’s somewhat questionable whether it will be hardy for me here in zone 7 (Nerines would not normally be hardy here), but I have planted two of them and we shall see.
Since it’s related I should mention that Nerine sarniensis (from the Greenhouse) is also flowering now bearing out my continuing interest in Nerines.
Nerine sarniensis
The above picture is from the kitchen and right nearby is a bowl full of vegetables showing the wonderful bounty from this year.
Vegetable yield in October
We’ve also had a lot of pears that we are still enjoying for dinners and desserts. And the raspberries are still making their appearance.
Raspberries still coming in
The flowers outside still have a lot of the same participants that we’ve had for the past few months.
Double Decorative Dahlia Purple
Dahlia ‘Bodacious’ still yielding
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
Cosmos in the wildflower patch
In addition there are a few new faces on the Fall horizon
New England Aster
Japanese Anemone ‘Whirlwind’
Colchicum ‘Giant’
Colchicum ‘Dick Trotter’
Toadlilly (Trycyrtis ‘Sinonome’
In addition I thought it was interesting to note that I completely missed the start of flowering for the fall camellias.
Camellia sasanqua ‘Double Rainbow’
Camellia x ‘Survivor’
There are lots of buds on these and other Camellias so I need to pay more attention. And similarly I’ll end by paying attention to the many oxalis showing up in the greenhouse now.
Oxalis hirta ‘Gothenburg’
Finally all summer long we’ve a beautiful showing of flowers from the potted plectranthus.
Plectranthus ‘Mona Lavender’
I’ll need to find a place in the greenhouse for a part of this plant over the winter.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day September 2021
Dahlia ‘Bodacious’
We have a steady supply of flowers from the both the perennials and the picking garden for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. The dahlia above has been flowering for most of the summer.
The Tithonia in the garden give some idea of the good growing weather that we have had.
Tithonia in the garden
I always enjoy seeing the black and blue sage coming back because it was never supposed to be hardy in our area. The bees enjoy it in particular.
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Bee on Salvia
Nearby the David Austin ‘Crocus Rose’ is making a comeback.
Crocus Rose
And right beside it the continually blooming Cestrum
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
I also enjoy that the Cyclamen comes up at this time of year both in the ground and in the greenhouse
Cyclamen hederifolium
Cyclamen graecum
Other flowers can be seen in the wildflower patches
Wildflower patch
Asters in wildflower patch
In the Alpine bed I discovered a Pulsatilla that is definitely blooming well out of season
Pulsatilla pratensis ‘bohemica’
Pulsatilla pratensis ‘bohemica’
In the greenhouse itself there is not only this striking Sinninglia species
Sinninglia sp.
But also a rather puzzling Buddleia which is coming up in nominally Gentianella pot.
Buddleia davidii
Elsewhere the berries in the yard are striking.
Blue Holly in berry
Viburnum wrightii
Viburnum wrightii
Finally to note once again that since we can’t survive on flowers alone, we have been bringing in lots of fruit.
Kieffer Pears (and a few liberty apples)
And for the first time Figs
Figs
I highly recommend homemade sourdough bread with brie, pear, and fig — yum…
Our 2020 Christmas
Snow came in mid-December for us and lasted on the ground until Christmas
This was the first snow we’ve had this year and indeed the first really cold weather.
The snow was the first we’ve had in quite some time and led to good opportunities for sledding
We have about a 600 foot run down the pasture which gives a long walk up the slope for exercise
This was definitely a different and unusual Christmas. One to regret the things we missed and to be thankful for the things we still have. Our youngest son ended up spending the Fall with us and then on through Christmas. He has sparked the rediscovery of the many things that we associate with the holiday season around Ball Rd. There are many large and small things that connect us with past shared memories.
An ancient nativity set
The potted rosemary has lights in the front hallway
A good friend gave us this small Christmas tree which comes out before Christmas
Two friends who miss the grandkids
Greens and Reds await Christmas
Stuffed animals and the greens
A cardinal and wreath
Pewter mice from Malaysia
The mantle dressed in green
Cuttings from the Japanese Quince
Christmas tree at night
Nerine x ‘Pink Triumph’ comes in from the greenhouse
Sunflower seed cookies
Christmas tree on Christmas morning
Enjoying Christmas morning with the rest of the family in Massachusetts
An Exhausted Christmas Elf
In addition we jointly watched the Christmas Revels celebration in Cambridge. It was great fun and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to move forward into the new year with contemplation of the way the human community has moved from the dark to the light over centuries. On the night before Christmas we tuned into the Follen Unitarian Church in Lexington, MA where the Reverend Claire Feingold Thoryn delivered a marvelous sermon discussing the Christmas Weed Tree of Toledo, Ohio and what that means for the rest of us.
Finally I should mention that I had a chance before Christmas to preview a new book written by a good friend.
Tropical Plants
Tropical Plants and How to Love Them will be available in March but it can be ordered now on Amazon. It is a wonderful exploration of tropical plants for the temperate gardener and I think a great many people will enjoy both the authoritative descriptions and Marianne’s always entertaining writing style. Highly recommended!
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day October 2020
Colchicum autumnale ‘Pleniflorum’
I’ll lead off this GBBD posting with colchicum which has been spectacular this fall. They are hardy, reliable, and beautiful — the sort of qualities that beg for planting more. So I did…
It’s been all in all a marvelous fall here in Maryland. Mostly bright sunny fall days with just enough rain to keep everything going well. Altogether we are 8 inches ahead of the usual rainfall here. The annuals have continued to bloom and I noticed that the cosmos along the fence line have decided on a fall renewal of their blooms.
Cosmos fall rebirth
And the calendulas in the raised bed are bright and beautiful.
Calendula (Alpha from Johnny’s Seeds)
Under the cherry tree in the back yard a clump of cyclamen hederifolium is putting up flowers before the leaves are showing.
Cyclamen hederifolium
Japanese windflowers are spectacular as usual for this time of year.
Japanese anemone ‘Whirlwind’
And they are joined by various instances of toad lilies (such a strange name for exotically beautiful flowers).
Trycyrtis ‘Sinonome’
The canna lily that returned from last year is soldiering on in a very crowded garden bed.
Canna ‘Lemon Punch’
And month by month the cestrum continues a flowerful statement at the back gate.
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
I noticed that the beautyberry bush is covered with its distinctive purple berries right now.
Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana)
In the alpine bed by the greenhouse there is a rather striking little saxifrage from Japan.
Saxifraga fortunei ‘Beni Zakura’
In the greenhouse itself the oxalis are dominating the show.
Oxalis hirta ‘Gothenburg’
But there is also a rather special scilla that I brought into the house.
Scilla madeirensis
These are not easy to find, but they seem to be quite reliable bloomers.
While I was out in the vegetable garden I found many more dahlias still in bloom
Decorative Dahlia
and lots of monarch butterflies visiting the many tithonia.
Monarchs in the garden
In addition I found a very distinctive moth that I had never seen before.
Ailanthus Webworm Moth (Atteva aurea)
Of course, it’s important to note that at this time of year, one does not live on flowers alone.
Raspberries yielding fall crop
Raspberries in abundance
We have been bringing in bowl after bowl of raspberries for the last 6 weeks.
And finally to cap it off here is the apple pie that we made for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day…
An Apple Pie from the orchard
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day April 2020
Paonia macrophylla (?)
It is a very flower-filled time for the GBBD post. Like everyone, we have flowers blooming everywhere and part of my dilemma is always where to focus my time and attention. The species peony shown above led me down an internet road trying to untangle the details of peonies with glabrous styles, purple anthers, and smooth undersides of leaves. On top of that it was just a lovely little peony that I cannot recall acquiring.
There are many other peonies, either flowering or about to flower. I have to admit that I am partial to the species peonies.
Paonia daurica
Paeonia ostii
Nearby the Iris japonica are taking over their region of the garden.
Iris japonica ‘Eco Easter’
Iris japonica ‘Wuhan Angel’
These are definitely spreaders so you want to choose their location with care.
Similarly I’ve noticed how some of the anemones and primroses are happy to spread each year.
Primula sieboldii ‘Chubby One’
Thinking of spreaders, I have tried to move the Cascadian Wallflower from parts of the garden each year and it always finds a new place to make an appearance. But it’s so lovely it’s hard to not just appreciate it.
Erysimum arenicola (?)
In addition an orange flowered wallflower reappeared from a wildflower mix that went in last year.
Wallflower as perennial
Common but beautiful orange wallflower (Erysimum)
The yard as a whole is blessed by the things which happen in the mid-Atlantic April, like azaleas, viburnums, dogwood, and flowering fruit trees.
Back bed springtime
Coral Bells Azalea under Viburnum carcephalum (Fragrant Snowball)
While out in the orchard, things are in extravagant bloom this year.
Granny Smith Apples in bloom
Flowers galore on Spitzenburg apple
The Spitzenburg is one of the finest apples you will ever taste, but when you look at the trunk of this little guy you have to be grateful that it is producing any apples at all.
Trunk of Spitzenburg
Hidden around the yard are still some smaller gems that i look forward to each year.
Hylomecon japonicum
Anomonella thalictrum single pink
Trillium pusillum ‘Roadrunner’
Arisaema ringens
And when we go back to the troughs, the first Gentiana is showing up.
Gentiana acaulis
The alpine beds themselves are both chock full of interesting things like daphnes, stonecress, iris, poppies and the like.
Alpine bed north side
Alpine bed south side
Particularly noteworthy is a little Lewisia returning to claim its space.
Lewisia longipetala ‘Little Raspberry’
and an Androsace which is always welcome.
Androsace sarmentosa ‘Rock Jasmine’
As well as the always striking Bird’s Foot Violet.
Viola pedata
In the greenhouse itself are still things which worth sharing or bringing into the house. The Ferrarias have been blooming since February.
Ferraria ferrariola
Other South Africans include two Ixias, tritonias, and Ornithogalums.
Ixia dubia (?)
Ixia hybrid on a 30″ stem
Tritonia crocata ‘Princess Beatrix’
Ornithogalum dubium
And, of course, we continue to harvest daffodils from our years of planting.
Arguros and other daffodils
Hoping this post finds the reader healthy and able to enjoy the spring.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day November 2019
Camellia sasanqua
Let me open this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post with the Fall Camellia shown above. We’ve had a few frosts so most of the outdoor flowers are gone, but the camellias persist and will take any few days of sunshine to blossom some more buds. There even buds on the red Fall Camellia which has not flowered for five years, ever since I cut it way back after what I mistakenly thought was a killing freeze.
Red Fall Camellia
There are only a couple of other outside plants in flower including a remnant Fall Crocus which is arriving way after its brethren.
Fall Crocus
Note to file — plant more Fall Crocus next year.
In one of the troughs that I inherited from Terry Partridge has a sedum that sends up a vertical spike that starts out white and then turns red after the frost hits it.
Sedum in trough before frost
Sedum in trough after frost
Still attractively in flower in either case.
For other flowers we need to go inside.
The Amazon Lily is flowering again which it does at least twice a year for us.
Amazon Lily
It’s been in the same pot with minimal care for decades. We really should give it a transplant.
Another star of the show came in from the greenhouse.
Nerine undulata
I really like the Nerines in general, but this one has a particularly attractive flower that has been with us for at least 2 weeks now.
I’ve also brought in a little cyclamen that is expanding out of its current pot.
Cyclamen hederifolium ‘Perlenteppich’
The leaves are just remarkable.
Also in the greenhouse is the usual assortment of oxalis and this coloful Bulbine.
Bulbine frutescens
Finally a Moraea to round out the show.
Moraea polystachys
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day March 2019
Ferraria ferrariola in the greenhouse
Well, I guess it’s a typical March Bloom Day. The weather has oscillated from snowfall to 60 degrees of beautiful. The last snow we had was last week and it disappeared almost as fast as it came. With 70 degrees yesterday.
March 9 snow
Heather in the snow (Kramer’s Rote Heather)
But this week we are back to spring bulbs in abundance.
Winter Aconite in abundance
The Winter Aconite (Eranthis hyemalis) are spreading vigorously and my thought is take some of the seed that appears this year and help things along by spreading it other places.
The first Iris has popped up in the front yard beneath the Stewartia
First Iris
And the first Scilla are flowering in the woods.
Puschkinia scilloides
A very special Hellebore is preceeding its brethren with charming striped flowers.
Helleborus thibetanus
And the Adonis are still flowering in various parts of the yard. Especially nice is the orange variant, Adonis amurensis ‘Chichibu Beni’
Adonis amurensis ‘Chichibu Beni’
In the alpine bed the Draba is the first to appear
Draba hispanica growing in a piece of tufa rock
And beside it the first flowers are appearing on the Aubretia.
Aubretia
In the greenhouse, where I tend to think of it as South African spring, the exotic Ferrarias are capturing a lot interest at the moment.
Ferraria sp.
There a number of other unusual flowers at the moment that make nice indoor treats
Babiana purpurea
Geissorhiza inaequalis
Moraea vegetata
But for the indoors I have to give the most credit to the Clivias which have been spectacular this year.
Spectacular Yellow Clivia
Hall of Clivia at the front door
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day August 2018
Sunflower glory
It’s been hot but with enough rain to grow the weeds and sunflowers to magnificence. So I will dedicate this belated Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day posting to the many sunflowers in the garden.
Sunflowers reaching for the sky
Some of them are easily ten feet tall.
Sunflowers way high up
But they are all wonderful for birds, bees, and humans alike.
Sunflower
Sunflower
A close namesake is the Mexican Sunflower
Tithonia rotundifolia with Bee
Tithonia are also very popular with bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds.
The vegetable garden also features gladiolus in quantity.
Gladiolus ‘Black Cherry’
The glads get displayed in the house.
Glads in the house
Along with several kinds of Cyrtanthus from the greenhouse.
Cyrtanthus sanguineus
Think of Cyrtanthus as smaller, more refined Amaryllis.
Also in the greenhouse right now are the little scilla relatives from Japan
Barnardia japonica
In the Alpine bed we find the most recent Gentian to come into bloom.
Gentiana paradoxa
The gentians, with the various species, span spring to fall with flowers, and all of them have delightful complex flowers.
Another little tidbit in flower right now is the anemonopsis
Anemonopsis macrophylla
I have been trying to flower one of these for years and this is the first one to share it’s dainty little waxy flowers.
Out in the orchard there are zinnias around the new apple trees.
Zinnias in the orchard
Of course gardeners do not survive on flowers alone.
Early August harvest basket
Japanese Pear ‘Nijiseiki’
Raspberries ripening again
That’s about it on a hot summer day. We are running 15 inches over normal for rain to this point. I’m wondering what the fall will bring…