Well I have to say that camellias dominate the local flower landscape for this GBBD. We had a dry and very warm Fall. All of the Camellia sansanquas and hybrids are in bloom as shown above and below.
But in addition several of the Spring blooming camellias are showing flowers.
As I said it’s been unusually warm. One of the surprising things I’ve noticed is that the Loropetalum, which is only marginally hardy in this area has grown substantially this year. It is literally creeping up the house.
And even more amazing it has flowers showing already.
Elsewhere in the yard there are seasonal signs
This Daphne flowers almost all the time.
We were threatened with frost this week but it didn’t really happen. We ended up moving most of the fragile items into the greenhouse, but to make room we had to take a very large Elephant Ear out.
And then we ended up putting it in the entryway to the house where it makes a definite statement.
Also in the greenhouse is a nicely flowering Nerine
and a very early Freesia
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day October 2024
Well it’s another month of flowers and I am very reminded by GBBD that accounting for the flowers in bloom during October brings the dahlias very much front and center. Each year we think we will more carefully label and support the dahlias and each year we have them sprawled all over a row in the vegetable garden with no support at all. Nevertheless we pick and enjoy the flowers and swear will do better by them next year. They are certainly worthwhile.
You can see the use of these dahlias in the center of our new kitchen.
Next to the Dahlias we always have a sequence of gladiolia in the garden.
Of course there are many other flowers in the garden for fall, especially some of the annuals.
And some of the reliable perennials
But the other thing that happens in this season is that we begin to see the first of Camellias that will contribute to the yard for the next 6 months.
There are also a few greenhouse plants that worth sharing.
And one last thing I wanted to mention. We planted a Heptacodium two years ago and it flowered for the first time this Fall. What was striking to me was not the flowers but the red leaf bracts which follow afterwards. I can see how this is going to be lovely small tree.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day September 2024
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.
Another bright spot for this time of year is the emergence of the Cyclamen hederifolium.
First the naked flowers appear and then the wonderfully interesting leaves will appear.
A surprise this morning was seeing that a single red flower was emerging from the perrenial garden foliage.
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.
Of course the Cestrum continues to flower for us.
But right next to it the Clematis virginiana is now trying overgrow the rose bush.
We also see this Clematis abundantly spreading the woods so we will need to try to trim it back.
And when we turn to the annuals in the vegetable garden they are flowering beautifully.
Including also the glads in neighboring rows.
Lastly I should mention that we have had Evening Primrose growing on the hillside through most of this year.
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 Bloggers Bloom Day August 2024
Well, not a lot to add for this Bloom Day. It’s been hot and dry for June and July but we finally got some rain last week. I thought it was worth mentioning the Rose of Sharon above because these shrubs represent some of least difficult and always rewarding summer shrubs. That particular plant is a chance seedling from a plant that I brought up from Alexandria almost fifty years ago. It spread so rampantly that I took many of the progeny out, but I’ve saved this one in the front yard and I’m increasingly becoming a fan again.
Another worthwhile mention for summer flowering are the Crepe Myrtles. They are flowering everywhere in our area including two big ones in our yard. On the hillside last year I put in a new one that I thought we might have lost to the dryness, but, lo and behold, it is not only growing but looks to have a very dark flower which would be special.
I also noticed one of my favorite glads “Margaret Rose” and it came from one of the small offsets from it’s parent bulb.
In the yard we have a new lily that was a mother’s day present to Beth this year. The color is beautiful but it’s very thin branched and wants to bend down. I’m hoping it’s stronger next year. This is a second planting because the deer ate off the first planting in the center bed of the front yard.
In that bed in the center of the front yard there is a nice yellow daylily that is evidence the deer don’t care for daylilies.
I should mention the front yard also has a cute little Lobelia in both blue and white versions.
For the rest of the garden and yard things are pretty much as normal. Lot’s of Zinnias and other annuals. This Cestrum continues to flower and I wonder why I don’t see more of them around town.
There is in the woods a strange little Hosta that I bought by mistake this year (thinking I was picking up a Trillium). It has survived our ultra-dry weather and is now putting out very nice flowers
Let me close by noting that we are busy picking fruit at this time of year. Things seem to be early because of the hot weather. Usually we have the wasps eating the pears and telling us they are ripe but this year the crows got in on the act with no wasps in sight.
I also discovered the figs are both abundant and ripe.
It makes for wonderful lunchtime sandwiches
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day July 2024
Well, it’s that time of year and even though I’m late again for GBBD I should lead off with the lilies. Many of already come and gone, but there are still some to gaze upon.
We still have many continuing showpieces like the Cestrum and the Hydrangeas and the Princess Flower.
But the first of Crepe Myrtles are starting to bloom as well.
The annual flowers in the vegetable garden are also starting to dominate.
Next to them amidst the corn are some lovely sunflowers.
The Alpine bed around the greenhouse is mostly done flowering but I did see some daphne still trying to bloom.
I was also struck by the beauty of the bark on the Chamaecyparis.
This particular tree is forty years old now and one of the bigger trees in the back yard. It’s a beauty.
One last thing to share is a discovery at the local Costco. I’d never seen these tropical plants from the Far East before and was delighted with the form and color.
They are zone 8 so they will need to go into the basement or greenhouse for the winter but I think that will be worth it…
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day June 2024
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.
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.
Another tree well worth sharing is the Stewartia japonica in the front yard.
I have never seen so many flowers on this tree.
The buds from the top of the tree are covering the lawn below
Another plant worthy of particular attention is the Princess Flower which spent the winter in the greenhouse.
It is becoming big enough that we will have to think about the best plans for it over this next winter.
The porch gets a few tropicals in this season
The other item worth mentioning at this season is the beginning of the lilies.
There are many other flowers happening now but here are a few that I should single out.
And let me end with our contribution to the food supply for Monarch Butterflies.
Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day May 2024
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).
Another tree that is very nice right now is the Chinese Dogwood
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.
Nearby is one of our oldest Rhododendrens
The flowers cut from this shrub are incredibly long-lasting in the house.
The first of the lillies is adding to our garden pleasure.
While the roses, peonies, and Iris continue to provide flower after flower
Beth has been bringing in many of the garden flowers for the kitchen counter.
Another nice item is the Chinese Ground Orchid and I like the purple one the best.
In the Alpine bed we have a very nice Rock Rose that is flowering up a storm.
And nearby a trough has a dianthus overflowing the container.
And I should mention the Clematis which is always very striking.
There is also a flower on the giant Podophyllum in the side yard
Finally let me mention the Evening Primrose which has decided to make a home in the pasture on Sunset Hill.
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.
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.
The peonies have both finished blooming for some (P. caucasica) and just now blooming for others (P. mariei for example).
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.
There are many flowers happening at the moment ranging from very tiny iris to greenhouse delights and onto spectacular wisteria and trillium springing forth.
In the alpine bed we have pulsatillas, poppies and delosperma.
And out in the woods we find numerous surprises.
Altogether there are wonderful things happening everyday. And now more to plant…