Articles for the Month of June 2013

A Very Late Garden Bloggers Bloom Day for June 2013

Blackout Asiatic Lily

Blackout Asiatic Lily

Ok, so it’s way too late for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, but my excuse was traveling for over two weeks in Scotland (which should be the subject of another post).  But I use these monthly postings as a way of tracking what is happening in the garden not only from month to month but from year to year.  It helps me track how the garden evolves.  We were lucky for this trip that the weather included ample rainfall so that with the sprinklers I had set up there was none of the loss of plants that can happen with a vacation that lasts that long.  I had been most concerned about the new troughs (see last post) but they seem to have done very well, including the centerpiece Lewisia tweedyi which is notoriously difficult in our climate.  Even the new plants that I started this year in the Tufa rock in the front garden are looking healthy.

Replanting of Tufa with Gentian, Arabis, and Campanula

Replanting of Tufa with Gentian, Arabis, and Campanula

On the other hand the Meconopsis that I planted earlier this spring is showing no real growth in what has been perhaps the best possible Meconopsis (cool and wet) spring for a Maryland garden.  I totally missed the rest of the Spuria Iris (note to self, order more Spuria Iris) and the blooming of the Formosan Lily which I had ordered in from Far Reaches this year before discovering how easy they are from seed (I have lots of seedlings growing in the greenhouse).

The most impressive plants in the yard right now are probably the large stands of Blackout Asiatic Lilies.  They are spreading abundantly and the color is an eye-popping very dark red.

Cluster of Blackout Lilies

Cluster of Blackout Lilies

Another patch of Blackout Lilies with Rozanne Geraniums

Another patch of Blackout Lilies with Rozanne Geraniums

Speaking of eye-popping, the new Echinacea variety that Beth planted in the front garden is stunning and floriferous.

Echinacea purpurea 'PowWow Wild Berry'

Echinacea purpurea ‘PowWow Wild Berry’

But then again it did win the AAS award in 2010.  Also in that front bed the Calandrina that I had order in from California continues have many bright red-pink flowers opening daily.

Calandrinia spectabilis

Calandrinia spectabilis

The Front yard also has the Stewartia in bloom.

Stewartia japonica flower

Stewartia japonica flower

The many flowers open up over an extended period.

Two Iris’s were vying for attention as well.  One is a Japanese Iris that I purchased several years ago from Plant Delights (Agripinella) and the other has no identifying tag but is lovely nonetheless.

Iris ensata 'Agripinella'

Iris ensata ‘Agripinella’

Yellow Iris (unknown)

Yellow Iris (unknown)

I was pleased to see that, although very late to the party, two more Arisaemas had appeared.  One is Arisaema fargesii which has great big glossy green leaves to go with the brown-red pitcher and the other is Arisaema candidissimum, this one with a very white pitcher.

Arisaema candidissimum (White form)

Arisaema candidissimum (White form)

Arisaema candidissimum (White form) front

Arisaema candidissimum (White form) front

The hillside along the drive has it’s normal abundance of wild pea and crown vetch blooming in gay profusion.

Wild Pea (Lathyrus latifolia) and Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.)

Wild Pea (Lathyrus latifolia) and Crownvetch (Coronilla varia L.)

Weeds struggle to invade their private battleground.  We also have a very nice sedum that has taken hold nicely behind the garage.

Sedum floriferum 'Weihenstephaner Gold'

Sedum floriferum ‘Weihenstephaner Gold’

Nearby is an alternate version of Butterfly Weed that has a matching yellow color going with the sedum and a huge St. John’s Wort.

Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow'

Asclepias tuberosa ‘Hello Yellow’

In the greenhouse I found a cute little South African native with many small yellow flowers.

Albuca aurea flower detail

Albuca aurea flower detail

The growth habit is similar to Ornithogalums.   I need to move this pot out into the herb garden for the summer.

The vegetable garden had done well in our absence.  There are a boatload of peas to pick and the beans are just starting.  And especially relevant the blueberries are just coming into picking time, so we didn’t miss any of those.

Blueberries starting up

Blueberries starting up

 

What a weekend!

Callirhoe involucrata

Callirhoe involucrata (first bloom today!)

We just had a spectacular Memorial Day weekend. The family was down for a long weekend and the weather got better every day.  The sunshine and the rain gave a boost to all the flowers that we’ve been growing.  There was a lot of time spent out of doors.  In between gardening activities we played baseball and picked strawberries.

Picking strawberries

Picking strawberries

My granddaughter and youngest son completely weeded and mulched the blueberries.

Weeding blueberries

Weeding blueberries

Blueberries all weeded and mulched

Blueberries all weeded and mulched

And while that was happening my eldest and I put up the trough which they had gifted me for Christmas.  I had picked it out at Oliver’s three weeks ago.

Preparing the Large Trough

Preparing the Large Trough

For a planting mix we used equal parts of Miracle gro, chicken grit, topsoil, and sand.  I hope the plants recognize the care that went into this decision.

Trough Mix

Trough Mix

Trough mounted on blocks

Trough mounted on blocks

The fun part comes when you start to lay out the candidate plants (which I had been storing up for months).

Planting the trough

Planting the trough

The finished Large Trough

The finished Large Trough

Here is a completely annotated version of the trough.

Large Trough w- names

Large Trough w- names

It will be interesting to see how many of these alpines survive our sometime brutal summer.

I got so enthused with this process that after the kids left I planted a second, smaller trough that I had brought back from Stonecrop this year.

Preparing the Small Trough

Preparing the Small Trough

Small Trough in process

Small Trough in process

Finished Small Trough

Finished Small Trough

And here’s the annotated version of this trough which sits just outside our backdoor for daily inspection.

Small Trough w- names

Small Trough w- names

Well, this gives some idea of what I’ve been up to but I need to share a few special flowers as well.

Persian cornflower

Persian cornflower

Phlomis russeliana (Sticky Jerusalem sage)

Phlomis russeliana (Sticky Jerusalem sage)

 

Calochortus venustus

Calochortus venustus

 

Conandron ramondioides (very tiny but cute)

Conandron ramondioides (very tiny but cute)

 

Bartzella Itoh Peony

Bartzella Itoh Peony

 

Spuria Iris 'Highland Coral', the first spuria to bloom this year

Spuria Iris ‘Highland Coral’, the first spuria to bloom this year

And last but not least a wonderful Arisaema.

Arisaema candidissimum (Pink-flowered White Stripe Cobra Lily)

Arisaema candidissimum (Pink-flowered White Stripe Cobra Lily)