Colchicum bivonae
Well a relatively brief statement this month just to catch up for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. We are just returned from almost three weeks in South Africa and I can assure you that of the many flowers we saw there, Colchicum are non-existent. It’s their Springtime, not their Fall. We got home to find that Colchicum are happily flowering away (which is what to expect in mid-September).
Colchicum (of unknown variety)
Colchicum x byzantium ‘Innocence’
At the same time the usual winners for September were happily flowering despite the terrible dryness Maryland has been experiencing.
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
I was happy to see that the Dahlias were spreading their usual joy. Not only the Bishop in the perennial bed but also several other varieties in the vegetable garden courtesy of Swan Island Dahlias.
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
Dahlia from Swan Island
Dahlia from Swan Island
I’ll have to research the names when I get time. And we have a lot sunflowers and other annuals in the vegetable garden.
Annual Flowers in the Veg garden
But I do want to share that our exposure to South African Flowers was wonderful. This was all via a trip arranged by the American Horticultural Society. We’ve been a member since forever but this was our first travel experience with AHS and it was memorable. The arrangements were excellent and breadth of exposure to South African culture and plant life will stay with us for a long time. I’ll try to see if I can put together a more detailed summary at some point but here is just a glimpse of what we saw.
Candelabra aloe atop Table Mountain in Cape Town
An absolute must for Cape Town visitors is Kirstenbosch, one of the world’s outstanding Botanic Gardens.
Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden
Looking at the mountains that are part of Kirstenbosch
We happened to be there for the first annual flowering of the Crimson King Protea which was a celebration for even the curators.
Protea cyanoides (King Protea)
Driving through the countryside there were lovely vistas of wildflowers and wonderful opportunities to explore.
Dimorphotheca sinuata (African Daisy)
And although horticulture was a major interest it turned out that I spent a lot of time photographing birds which are every bit as beautiful as the plants.
Orange-breasted Sunbird on Table Mountain
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day July 2025
Lilium ‘Scheherezade’
Well it’s long past the date for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, but I’ll explain at the end some of why I’m so late. Lillies as usual mark our summer highlights and I always wonder why I haven’t planted more. Scheherezade is really the last big one for us and it has long been a memorable part of our flower collection. It is an oriental/trumpet hybrid from the Lily Garden that can easily get up to eight feet tall. We usually bring a stalk or two into the house.
Lilium ‘Scheherezade’ on display
The other standout flower right now is the hydrangea at the back porch. This one is getting larger every year with more and more flowers.
Hydrangea ‘Limelight’ in full flower
Otherwise we have the normal abundance of flowers that show up in July.
Crocus Rose
Rudbeckia dominating front bed
Liatris in the Front Garden
Lovely pink phox gone wild
Tithonia in the annuals bed
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’ on display now
Sunflowers inside
Sunflowers welcome to the inside
I should mention that we received a particularly nice Canna from a friend and I think it will be a constant addition to our yard.
Canna ‘Cleopatra’
We also received some particularly nice new tomato cages from our son in the north
Josh holds new tomato cages
This is a marvelous product from Texas Tomato Cages that easily assembles and should last a long time.
Lastly I will share that on the normal day for posting Garden Blogger Bloom Day we found ourselves replacing part of our 60 year-old septic system. It was an adventure that hopefully we won’t have to repeat…
Septic solution
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day May 2025
Stewartia malacodendron
Well the garden in Maryland has gone from dry to super wet over the last month, making this GBBD as green as I can remember. But what always stand out for me at this time of year is the Stewartia Malacodendron. Also known as the Silky Camellia this is one of the most exotic tree flowers you can grow. It is fundamentally an understory plant and seems to be quite happy where it is situated now beneath our Metasequoia. I would guess there are 30-40 flowers on the tree this year.
Stewartia malacodendron
We have several other Stewartias now including a little Stewartia rostrata down in the pasture which is showing it’s first flower buds this year.
Stewartia rostrata
Another species added to the pasture arboretum this year is a Magnolia.
Magnolia figo ‘Serendipity’
This was from Hazelmor nursery at the Stonecrop annual Alpine sales event.
While mentioning our nice trees I should cite the Frisia Locust which is beginning to show the lovely yellow-green leaves that make it different than other locusts.
‘Frisia’ Black Locust
We first saw this at the entrance to Chanticleer Gardens near Philadelphia.
And while I’m on trees I should note that the Chinese Dogwood in our backyard is fully in flower at the moment.
Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
You would have to climb on the roof to fully appreciate the hundreds of flowers on this tree. And if you were to do that you would see even more flowers on the 50 foot tall Tulip Poplar which dominates our backyard. I am surprised that everyone doesn’t have a Tulip Poplar to litter their yard with flower petals.
Speaking of flower petals I should note that the Pink Evening Primrose, that accidentally ended up in our pasture, has continued to spread across the hillside with it’s lovely flowers.
Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera specioosa) on the hillside
Pink Evening Primrose (Oenothera specioosa)
A few other items of note. Last year I added a Mountain Laurel to the forest and it continues to do well.
Kalmia latifolia ‘Minuet’
So I’ve added 2 more…
And back in the forest I also put in a a Carolina Allspice last year.
Carolina allspice (Calycanthus floridus)
And the flowers are gorgeous.
Carolina Allspice flower
Just a few more things to note…
The True Indigo by the back garden gate is very nice.
True Indigo (Indigofera tinctoria)
And the red Bletilla is quite striking again this year.
Bletilla striata
Two Azaleas are reminders that Rhododendrons can dominate the landscape in May.
Azalea ‘Visco sepala’
Rhododendron ‘Klondyke’
Lastly it is good to remember that one needs to eat something besides flowers. We finally got the vegetable bed plant in time for all the rain we’ve been having.
Laying out the garden
And So We Begin (April 2025)
Adonis amurensis ‘Pleniflora’
“The world is changed. I feel it in the water. I feel it in the earth. I smell it in the air. ” — The Lord of the Rings
The world is full of flowers right now and I am compelled to share what I see. The Adonis shown above is very tiny and it is one of many exquisite little flowers worthy of our attention right now.
I used to grow the Chilean Blue Crocus many years ago and have been trying regrow it for sometime. Finally it has returned to Ball Rd. courtesy of Telos Rare Bulbs.
Tecophilaea cyanocrocus var. leichtlinii
Nearby we have another unusual visitor, this time from Illahe Rare Plants. I have been trying to grow a yellow Fritillaria for years.
Fritillaria pudica
Nearby are the Jeffersonia which are expanding their clumps every year.
Jeffersonia dubia
Bloodroots are also coming into bloom right now and they are happy in the yard and woods.
Sanguinaria canadensis ‘Tennessee Form’
Nearby is a very rare Podophyllum just starting up.
Podophyllum x inexpectatum
Also in the yard we have an exceptionally nice Erythronium which reminds me of hiking in the Cascades.
Erythronium grandiflorum
Of course for us the really plentiful flowers at the beginning of April are the Erythronium americanum.
Erythronium americanum
They are so thick in the raised bed around our back porch that I couldn’t resist putting them in the woods as well. That was probably 20 years ago and while they have prospered in the woods, spreading like mad, they didn’t flower like they do in the raised bed. One thesis I’ve read about this said that they are happy to spread by runners if there are no constraints so they don’t bother with this flowering nonsense. Nonetheless we did get a flower two years ago and this year we are actually up to 6 flowers in the woods so there may be many more in the future.
Erythronium americanum in the woods
Also in the woods we have a great many Corydalis in flower at the moment, mostly ‘Beth Evans’ and ‘Purple Rain’.
Corydalis ‘Purple Rain’
We also have a large number of Ranunculus ficaria spreading in the woods.
Ranunculus ficaria ‘Randall’s White’
Of course the woods are full of Virginia Bluebells right now.
Mertensia virginica
And yesterday I saw the first Spring Beauty at the bottom of the woods.
Spring Beauty (Claytonia Virginica)
We would be remiss if I didn’t note that Daffodils are everywhere. This is their time of the year.
Daffodils on the hillside
Daffodils on the pasture trail
Narcissus ‘Chromacolor’ (this is one of my favorites)
Narcissus ‘Bridal Crown’
I should mention that the first of the Rhododendrons is now in bloom.
Rhododendron carolinianum
And just to prepare for the future we have the first leaves of a spectacular red-leaved maple coming out…
Acer palmatum ‘Shin Deshojo’
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day September 2024
Colchicum on the hillside
Well for this Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day the Colchicum are the bright new stars for the month. I’ve added more this year and I can foresee adding more Colchicum every year. They have real visual impact and last even longer than I had remembered.
Colchicum bivonae
Colchicum x byzantium ‘Innocence’
Another bright spot for this time of year is the emergence of the Cyclamen hederifolium.
Cyclamen hederifolium
First the naked flowers appear and then the wonderfully interesting leaves will appear.
Cyclamen hederifolium leaf
A surprise this morning was seeing that a single red flower was emerging from the perrenial garden foliage.
Dahlia ‘Bishop of Llandaff’
Dahlias are not normally hardy over the winter for us but this is the fourth season for the Bishop to return.
Nearby is the Black and Blue Sage which was also said to marginally hardy for us and continues to regrow and spread.
Salvia guaranitica ‘Black and Blue’
Of course the Cestrum continues to flower for us.
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
But right next to it the Clematis virginiana is now trying overgrow the rose bush.
Crocus Rose surrounded by Clematis virginiana
We also see this Clematis abundantly spreading the woods so we will need to try to trim it back.
Clematis virginiana
And when we turn to the annuals in the vegetable garden they are flowering beautifully.
Annuals in the vegetable garden
Including also the glads in neighboring rows.
Aaralyn Glad
Glad ‘Margaret Rose’
Lastly I should mention that we have had Evening Primrose growing on the hillside through most of this year.
Evening Primrose (Oenethera speciosa)
I was surprised to discover while perusing some my old orders from Park Seeds that I had actually order Oenethera seed back in 2001 and I’m now think this may be why we now have wild primrose growing in the pasture…
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day June 2024
The pasture at sunset
I’m going to lead off this edition of the Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day with a picture of our pasture at sunset featuring the wildflowers that son Josh planted last year. They really exploded into flower this year with no extra labor at all.
Wildflowers in the pasture
He created this field by laying down a tarp to kill off the existing plants before seeding and it has really come into fruition (literally) this year. There has been one series of flowers after another since early spring.
Looking the other way on that same sunset evening shows the wonderful light off of our larger trees.
Pin Oak over the house at sunset
Another tree well worth sharing is the Stewartia japonica in the front yard.
Stewartia japonica
I have never seen so many flowers on this tree.
Stewartia japonica in full bud stage
The buds from the top of the tree are covering the lawn below
Stewartia japonica blossoms in the grass
Another plant worthy of particular attention is the Princess Flower which spent the winter in the greenhouse.
Princess Flower (Tibouchina urvilleana)
It is becoming big enough that we will have to think about the best plans for it over this next winter.
Full size picture of the Princess Flower
Zooming in on Princess Flower
The porch gets a few tropicals in this season
Brugmansia (Angel’s Trumpet)
The other item worth mentioning at this season is the beginning of the lilies.
Trumpet Lily
Red Asiatic Hybrid Lily
Yellow Asiatic Lily in the Herb bed
Lily ‘Pink Perfection’ in the grapes
Lily ‘Pink Perfection’
There are many other flowers happening now but here are a few that I should single out.
Gentiana septemfida (Summer Gentian)
Cestrum ‘Orange Peel’
Alstroemeria ‘Sweet Laura’
Arisaema candidissimum
And let me end with our contribution to the food supply for Monarch Butterflies.
Orange Milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa)
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day May 2024
Stewartia malacodendron
Well I’m later than ever this month because we were on travel again for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day. But I will try to quickly share some of the most interesting of the many flowers on display this month. First and foremost is the Stewartia shown above. It is also known as Silky Camellia because it’s part of that family and it is also a native tree (the Carolinas) though the chances that you have ever seen one are probably not very high. It’s basically an understory tree that doesn’t stand out unless you are looking for it. But oh my the flowers are wonderful. This year is the first time we have ever had so many flowers on this very small tree (maybe 8 feet tall at the moment).
Stewartia malacodendron with many flowers
Another tree that is very nice right now is the Chinese Dogwood
Chinese Dogwood (Cornus kousa)
I really have to look at this from the second floor of the house to get full appreciation of it’s upward facing flowers.
And as long as we are talking about trees I should mention the Golden Full Moon Maple with it’s delightful lime green leaves.
Golden Full Moon Maple (Acer Shirasawanum)
Nearby is one of our oldest Rhododendrens
Rhododendron ‘Chionoides’
The flowers cut from this shrub are incredibly long-lasting in the house.
The first of the lillies is adding to our garden pleasure.
Enchantment Lily
While the roses, peonies, and Iris continue to provide flower after flower
Tess d’Uberville rose
Crocus Rose
Light Pink Tree Peony
Iris gracillipes
Beth has been bringing in many of the garden flowers for the kitchen counter.
Garden Harvest
Another nice item is the Chinese Ground Orchid and I like the purple one the best.
Bletilla striata (Chinese Ground Orchid)
In the Alpine bed we have a very nice Rock Rose that is flowering up a storm.
Rock Rose (Cistus albanicus)
Cistus albanicus outgrowing its location in the alpine bed
And nearby a trough has a dianthus overflowing the container.
Dianthus overwhelming a trough
And I should mention the Clematis which is always very striking.
Clematis ‘Crystal Fountain’
There is also a flower on the giant Podophyllum in the side yard
Podophyllum delavayi
Podophyllum delavayi flower
Finally let me mention the Evening Primrose which has decided to make a home in the pasture on Sunset Hill.
Oenothera speciosa in pasture
Pink Eveing Primrose (Oenothera speciosa)
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day April 2024
Well, I am spectacularly late for Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day this month. My excuse is that we went to England in April and had a chance to visit some of the world’s most delightful gardens. We spent one day at Kew and and another day at Wisley and soaked up tons of inspiration for the future.
Kew Garden
Wisley Garden
Arriving back home we found many things in bloom and some past bloom (as expected). But I will share some aspects of the yard just to provide an insight as to what is going on here. The redbuds, dogwoods, and wisteria are fully out now and the apples are the last of the fruit trees to be flowering but they have a very strong bloom this year.
Pink Dogwood in the front yard
Fragrant Cloud Dogwood
Kwanzan Cherry is finished
Apple Orchard getting organic spray with radish flowers in abundance
The peonies have both finished blooming for some (P. caucasica) and just now blooming for others (P. mariei for example).
Paonia mairei
Early Tree Peony
We were delighted to see the Loropetalum get a full bloom this year. It’s marginal in our climate but the winter was very mild this year.
Loropetalum chinense var. rubrum ‘Zhuzhou Fuschia’
There are many flowers happening at the moment ranging from very tiny iris to greenhouse delights and onto spectacular wisteria and trillium springing forth.
Iris henryi
Watsonia from the Greenhouse
Viburnum carcephalum
Trillium grandiflorum
In the alpine bed we have pulsatillas, poppies and delosperma.
Pulsatilla albana v. flavescens
Morrocan Poppy (Papaver atlanticum)
Delosperma basuticum
And out in the woods we find numerous surprises.
Narcissus ‘Badgeworth’
Camassia in the woods
Shooting Stars (Dodacatheon meadia) in the woods
Arisaema triphyllum (Jack-in-the-Pulpit) in the woods
Viburnum prunifolium (Blackhaw)
Altogether there are wonderful things happening everyday. And now more to plant…