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pixie_lou

What's Blooming in your gardne - a photo thread - June 2013

pixie_lou
10 years ago

This is a place to post photos, and to discuss, what is in your garden. This is the thread for June 2013. All garden photos are welcome. As we enter summer, the emphasis will be on blossoms. However, all landscape and garden photos are welcome. If it is a photo taken in your garden or your yard, it is fair game to post it here.

Even though links still seem not to work, I am posting them here in the hopes that they will soon work again!

Here is the link for the June 2012 thread

For previous 2013 threads:

May 2013

April 2013 part 1

April 2013 Part 2

March 2013

February 2013

January 2013

To see all of the 2012 threads, please click on the December 2012 link. The first post will have links to all previous months.

I am (still) in process of moving all the 2011 threads over to the
photo gallery
. I need to look up who IâÂÂm supposed to e-mail. Plus I have to make the list.

FWIW - if we have 50 posts in this thread by 15 June, then I will make a June Part II thread.

Comments (60)

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    nhbabs: A rhododendron at the end of the rainbow! Beautiful scene. Is that the good old Roseum that just gets bigger and bigger and better and better? There are two rhodie mountains up the street that are probably Roseum and are a joy to walk or drive past.

    Claire

  • Linda Ricketts
    10 years ago

    Zephirine Drouhin Climbing Rose with Ernest Markham Clematis - I think. I also have a Jackmanii in the same spot.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Jane, loved seeing how your border has been transformed since your pines came down. I cannot believe it has been five years!! IâÂÂm so happy for you that your mature rhododendrons recovered after the move. Amazing that at the size and age they were, that they tolerated that move.

    Very nice to see your spring photos too. That Viburnum maresii is gorgeous! I love the horizontal branching. How long has that been planted there?

    Is that a red rhododendron in the background of IMG 1844? What a saturated color and tons of blossoms covering that shrub.

    Are your lilacs by the deck, new hybrids? The flowers look like doubles. The purple is such a pretty dark color.

    My favorite photo is IMG 2120.

    The border photo at the end of the border really shows clearly how large a border it is! YouâÂÂve done a great job with it! It was fascinating to see the before and after photos, thanks for sharing!

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Claire, that is a nice closeup of your Geranium âÂÂBiokovoâ I have that plant and havenâÂÂt gotten that close to it in awhile, IâÂÂd forgotten how pretty it is. And I love your Sansaveria in the pot next to it. IâÂÂm very jealous of your river of Siberian Iris. To me, that is the way it looks the best rather than fitting it in a border with other plants.

    Babs, perfect pink color on your Rhododendron and the rainbow in the backgroundâ¦what timing!

    Linda, Like the way the Zephrine Drouhin softens the side of your house. Very pretty.

    Cornus 'Constellation' lighting up a dark corner....

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    And Ninebark 'Summer Wine' just starting to bloom making a nice pairing with Japanese Painted Fern and Heuchera 'Plum Pudding'....

  • corunum z6 CT
    10 years ago

    PM2 - thank you. The viburnum has been in about 5 years - bought 2 of them at Lowe's, the other one is about 80' away, and both bloom profusely and produce red berries. This year I planted a new viburnum,'Winterthur', which is suppose to be a compatible pollinator with/for the mariesii, so I'll see if Winterthur produces blue berries - it's about to bloom now and the mariesii has ended, so it may be too late for this year.
    img #1844 is probably 'Hino Crimson', a little leaf azalea I bought for $.99 in K-mart 35 years ago. Seldom do I prune it, I like it larger.

    woodburylinda - lovely combination. About how old is the clematis?
    Jane

  • Linda Ricketts
    10 years ago

    Thanks all.

    Jane, the clematis is in its 5th year.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Jane, the reason I asked about the Viburnum is that I also have one in my back border. Mine is about 2/3s the size of yours and has been in the ground since 2005. I've complained that the multiple mature trees behind my border are sucking the moisture and nutrients out of everything I try to grow there and the comparison to the size of your younger shrub confirms that for me.

    Surprised that is an azalea, Jane. lol It is huge and a treasure! Especially at that price. :-)

  • corunum z6 CT
    10 years ago

    Claire, As promised, it's a Chinese imitation of Mexican televara that I got at Lowe's for about $35 a couple of years ago. One of the 'woodland' gardens out back needed some color and I like televara but wouldn't pay the price for the real stuff, hence, the knock-off.

    PM2 (you can tell it's raining - we're all at the computer) that viburnum is about 12' in front of white pines. When we have a summer drought, I have to leave a soaker hose around the viburnum to hydrate it. The rest of the year it's fine, but not in drought condition.

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    10 years ago

    Nhbabs, that is a beautiful photo. I do love how the color of the rhododendron really matches the pink in the rainbow.
    PM2, I love that ninebark combo.
    Claire, thanks to your photos I picked up a 'Goldheart' this past weekend!! Now...where to put it??

    The peonies are really early this year.

    I love this combo of fringetree, sinocalycalycanthus 'hartlage wine' and the bloodgood japanese maple.

    I decided to let this clematis ramble over an evergreen and up into a rose of sharon. I didn't plan a white garden and didn't really think I had one, but this particular area of the border (not all of which is pictured) is a bunch of deutzia, a popcorn viburnum, the clematis and a tree lilac (which I'm stlil waiting to bloom). There is one bud this year and it's an every other year bloomer, so maybe in 2 years I'll have 3 blooms! Good thing I'm patient!

    A very last-minute purchase last fall was a standard 'summer wine' physocarpos. I've put it in the border with salvia, catmint, painted daisies and some other blues and pinks will bloom later in the season.

    I don't remember purchasing these columbine, but I'm glad I did. They are doubles and pure white. I have them in front of a 'little devil' ninebark so they have some nice contrast in the garden. Maybe I planned this contrast, or maybe I bought them with no idea where to put them and plopped them into an empty spot!

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    PM2: That ninebark, fern and heuchera combination is really pretty. For some unknown reason I've never been interested in the ninebark but I'm beginning to change my mind.

    t2d: Maybe the goldheart would go well with your ninebark and white columbines?

    Jane: That is definitely a snazzy birdbath and I really like it, but how do you coordinate it with your birds? Cardinals and blue jays and bluebirds would go well, and goldfinches in their breeding plumage, but I just can't see a couple of mourning doves or song sparrows taking a bath. Maybe Mexican birds are more brightly colored (think parrots or parakeets)...

    Claire

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    Peony 'Bowl of Beauty' is starting:

    And the very first volunteer digitalis, which plopped itself at the edge of a path, is opening. It's in front of an itea which has a lot of buds but is not quite ready to bloom yet.

    I like the image of a fox wearing these gloves:

    Claire

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    10 years ago

    PM2, what a great combination that is! Wow.

    My roses started to bloom yesterday. Quite pleased with the progress my second-year Zephrine Drouhin is making over my arbor, and finally my apricot roses bloomed at the same time as the surrounding blue lupines.

    Dee

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I've been trying to get photos of all the irises in bloom around the pond. Here's a couple shots. I'm noticing the different shades of blue. Probably since I pilfered out of a few different gardens!

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    The blooming of the peonies - first buds

    then blooms

    and flopped over after the rain

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    More irises

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Jane, thanks for the tip on the soaker hose, but I have avoided using one because I have neighbors with a total of five mature silver maples in the immediate area and IâÂÂve been warned that to keep one area more moist over another will only attract their root system, so I just use the sprinkler for the whole border. Sometimes I feel like I am just watering the neighbors trees. (g)

    Very colorful birdbath!

    thyme2dig, thanks, I am able to make that Nine bark combo because it is on the corner of the house and the fern/heuchera is around the corner on the shady side.

    You are right, that fringe tree, bloodgood, âÂÂhartlage wineâ combo is very pretty!
    Especially with the white fence in the frame.

    Claire, thanks, the reason IâÂÂve added the Ninebark is because of itâÂÂs reputation for drought tolerance. It has been very healthy and easy.

    Dee, thanks. That apricot rose and blue lupine combo sounds very pretty.

    Pixie Lou, how is your hand doing? Are you going to grow Tithonia in that planter this year? The iris are a great addition to the pond and I bet they love those conditions.

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    Lovely pics! I love this time of year, so many blooms. Corunum I remember your pine tree saga well and like your new border. Nhbabs, cool rainbow! PM2 is that a kousa dogwood?

    The Irises are putting on a show here too, and they grow great in the harsh conditions along the sidewalk -

    As well as the Peonies and Columbine-
    {{gwi:211269}}

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    Love all your iris, terrene. I'm very fond of them, but have given up growing them. I found them to be more work then I was ready for. So I enjoy everyone else's. :-)

    The dogwood is Cornus x 'Rutcan' Constellation, and is a cross between Cornus florida and Cornus kousa. It was developed by Rutgers University in an attempt to provide a dogwood that was resistant to Dogwood Anthracnose and Powdery Mildew. It stays in flower at least a month or a little more.

  • Tina_n_Sam
    10 years ago

    Everyone's gardens are so lovely!

    Jane, congrats on such a wonderful job.

    nhbabs, love the color on the rhododendron. And, finally, a rhodie that is not plastered to the side of a house!

    I'm on a peony and clematis kick right now. I've visited a few nurseries this week just to stare.

    thyme2dig, your yard is the kind that I would actually wander through and hope that the owner is home to give me a tour! I love the painted daisies. I planted 3 and only one survived with one lone bloom. As nhbabs says, 'screaming magenta'....my favorite color.

    -Tina

  • spedigrees z4VT
    10 years ago

    I am an exhausted gardener right now. I somehow managed to weed and plant all the gardens before the rain hit. Now I can relax while Mother Nature waters the flowers and the newly planted trees for the next few days.

    Pixielou, the shots of your Irises encircling your pond are just stunning. What a lovely paradise. I hope you re-grow the tithonia this year so we can all watch it reach spectacular heights!

    My earliest variety of Iris (below) is blooming in the front of the house, although not in as idyllic a setting as yours, Pixie. My Siberian Iris have buds and will be the next to bloom

    My orange garden (below) looks suspiciously on the red side to me, but these alleged orange gerbera daisies were all they had at the garden center. Perhaps when the marigolds and nasturtiums begin to bloom, it will look more orange. Thanks to Defrost and her boiling water trick, I have zero weeds poking up between the patio bricks under the planters!

    And thanks to Pixielou, my earliest crop in the veggie patch (below) is pinwheels! I expect the corn, sunflowers, and summer squash seeds from last year's garden will sprout and grow, safe from predatory birds and rodents.

    The gnome garden doesn't look so special, but if you could have seen the jungle of weeds in a before picture, you would appreciate the Herculean effort it took to restore it to its normal state today (or yesterday I guess at this point). Daylilies are in the middle with newly planted cosmos and poppies from last year's seeds in the forefront.

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    pixie_lou: I just went out and staked some of my peonies before the rain comes so they won't be smashed down like yours were. That cranberry colored iris is wonderful.

    terrene: Your irises and peonies and columbines look so mature and happy!

    Tina: My eyes hurt from that screaming magenta!

    spedigrees: I really like that birdhouse on the bottle tree pedestal.

    I can identify with the weeding exhaustion - I just spent a few days trying to clear out the edge of the yard where the blackberries have gone crazy and all sorts of wild things have appeared. The neighbor next door doesn't do anything to that side of his yard and the blackberries and wild grapes and bittersweet loom. I had to take down a pine that was leaning over his yard threatening his house and garage so I took the opportunity to put some order into my side. It's still woodsy but a bit more civilized now and I found a place for two volunteer crabapples, a dogwood, and a bunch of ditch lilies. I also found the latest woodchuck burrow which is in a much better spot than under the peonies and roses.

    I looked over the railing of my deck today and saw the inherited yellow daylily (maybe H. citrina) blooming with the irises next to the viburnum.

    Also down there is an unknown little seedling that appeared at the edge of my lawn. I let it grow because almost anything is more interesting to me than grass and it's getting pretty foliage. It's about four inches tall now. Does anyone know what this is? I know I can go to the Name that Plant forum but I thought I'd try here first.

    {{gwi:262479}}

    Claire

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    Claire - could that be a baby white pine?

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Claire - Is it woody? Like Pixielou, I was also thinking it might be a conifer, but a spruce, fir, or hemlock rather than a pine since the needles aren't bundled. If not, it looks a bit like my Amsonia hubrichtii seedlings.

    Everyone's gardens look so lush and healthy and spring has so many of my favorite plants: foxgloves, peonies, iris . . .
    Yellow or orange and blue-purple is one of my favorite garden combinations, so I've been particularly enjoying (and taking notes on) the various photos that have included those.

    I love these white Allium, probably White Giant, and so do the insects.

    From June 8, 2013

    Both the Dicentra/fern leafed bleeding heart and the Euphorbia seeded themselves here by the Nepeta/catmint, but I like the combination.

    From June 8, 2013

    The Rododendron was already here when we bought the house, and the iris were from my grandparents' garden, but I like the color echo.

    From June 8, 2013

    One of my few type 2 prune clematis, this had got to be just about my favorite plant when it's blooming, Clematis H.F. Young. I have found it very easy care, but I don't get a fall rebloom; perhaps it doesn't have a long enough season here.
    {{gwi:627128}}From June 8, 2013

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    nhbabs: Those alliums look like soap bubbles about to drift away!

    nhbabs and pixie_lou: When I first saw that seedling, maybe last fall or late winter, it was only an inch or two tall and I thought it was probably a pitch pine but it seemed more compact. I've gotten other pitch pine seedlings nearby and I was hoping it was a seedling of the compact P. rigida 'Sand Beach' about fifteen feet away. I protected it (so I wouldn't step on it) and more or less forgot about it until the new growth came in this spring. The new growth is very fluffy and this confuses me.

    I think it's woody and probably a conifer. I just took some more photos closer.
    {{gwi:262481}}

    {{gwi:262480}}

    Maybe I should post it on the Conifers forum.

    Claire

    This post was edited by claire on Sat, Jun 8, 13 at 13:03

  • corunum z6 CT
    10 years ago

    Claire - it looks softer with longer needles than what I think of in common pinus strobis varieties. In addition to the Conifers Forum, you could email the pictures to Broken Arrow Nursery, if you're so inclined. Is it in a place where it could happily grow or do you have to move it?
    Jane

    Here is a link that might be useful: Broken Arrow Nursery

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    repeat post

    This post was edited by nhbabs on Mon, Jun 10, 13 at 8:07

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    I got really confused when I checked this thread and saw nhbabs' post at the bottom. I was sure I'd posted after it but I didn't see my post so I went scrambling to find it. Finally realized she had posted twice and my post was in between.

    Jane: I don't think it's a pine since the needles aren't bundled as nhbabs points out and as I can see from the closeups. I'll probably post on the Name that Plant forum first. They're usually very good and usually shoot down my tentative identification (and then tell me I should rip it out because it's invasive - they've done that twice when I posted pictures of volunteers). The seedling can stay where it is for a year or two although it probably would like more light.

    Claire

    edit note: I just posted on the Name That Plant Forum
    Conifer Seedling?

    This post was edited by claire on Sat, Jun 8, 13 at 17:32

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    10 years ago

    nhbabs, those irises with the rhodie are gorgeous. I don't suppose you have a name for them if they were from grandma's garden, do you?

    Dee

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    pixie_lou: I just emailed GW about the link problem using the contact us button: Technical Issue. I included this link to the Test Forum where I tried to explain the issue as I see it and I included this statement:

    "I hope this is clear - I'm not a professional and I only have a superficial knowledge of coding - but we should be able to insert a link to a Garden Web URL in messages."

    Internal Link Problem

    Claire

  • corunum z6 CT
    10 years ago

    If I could literally pick & choose, I'd start in VT and put the blue bottle bird house in my station wagon, hop over to NH for the Clematis H.F.Young (and handfuls of irises) onto MA for multiple stops for more irises and the coup d'etat, all the Plymouth peonies . (insert end of day dream) All the pictures are so beautiful.

    As promised awhile ago, here's the Styrax Japonicus in bloom that I got from ego45. Can't be just me who remembers from whom I've gathered plants (legally, that is). Do you all remember the person behind a plant gift when you look at your plants?

    It's about 15' tall and so delicately branched.


    You have to stand under the tree to appreciate its blossoms.

    A close up - and it's loaded this year. The bees are drunk with happiness.

    Jane

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    That is a wonderful tree, Jane! One of those plants that are hard to photograph well at a distance but are blockbusters in person and in closeup.

    Claire

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Jane, I had the pleasure of seeing Thyme2Dig's Styrax yesterday, and though not as large as yours, it is a really lovely tree!

    When I see plants in my gardens from others' gardens, it always brings to mind the gardener who provided me with the division, whether it is from a plants swap or a visit to a friend's garden. When we cleaned out my grandparents' house I took divisions of several plants that I grow and enjoy, even though they probably aren't plants I would have chosen to buy, but I enjoy their reminder of my grandparents. There are also certain plants that I associate with people I am close to because they introduced me to that plant: my mom (in I think her only gardening venture ever) planted marigold seeds with us when I was 5; my grandparents' garden had sweet peas, pansies, peonies, and asparagus fronds as well as an apple tree grafted with several different varieties that we picked for applesauce; and my dearest friend's parents had a yard full of flowers and food, but the grapes, roses, Pieris, and Magnolias really impressed me.

  • Tina_n_Sam
    10 years ago

    Jane, that is a beautiful tree. And, great photography.

    I love trees that branch out like this. It allows some filtered light to get to other plants nearby.

    -Tina

  • bill_ri_z6b
    10 years ago

    Claire,
    I think your conifer seedling might be a fir (Abies), possibly a white fir. I hope the conifer forum folks can narrow it down for you.

    {{gwi:5901}}

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Bill: The Name that Plant Forum said spruce, but weren't more specific so I posted on the Conifers Forum. The response was that I need to wait until the new growth is hardened off and look at the stem with a magnifying glass to distinguish between Norway and red spruce. He said that his guess was Norway but Norway and red spruces can hybridize.

    There's a Norway spruce and a red spruce in the yard now. I'd like to keep the volunteer seedling (I always want to keep volunteers) but I'm not sure where to fit it in.

    Claire

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    After all this rain the yard at least looks clean (no pine pollen) but a bit jungly. I decided to post a few overall pictures to show what some areas really look like. I need to move a few more big stones to the border to separate the garden from the "lawn".

    This is mostly roses and peonies now. The big Blushing Knockout rose on the right is just beginning to bloom and will keep going until frost.

    Add a few volunteer foxgloves to the roses and peonies.

    The rose on the right is Yankee Lady rugosa and the rose on the porch is Zepherine Drouhin (always a good rose to have on a porch since it's mostly thornless).

    The last peony to bloom is Red Magic and for a short time it overlaps nicely with Festiva Maxima, which tries to hold on for a while before it disintegrates. I have more peonies on the other side of this bed but you can't see them all at the same time. Almost all of the peonies are on crutches now because of the rains.

    And now back to a few isolated shots in different parts of the yard:

    I bought and planted Phlox 'Minnie Pearl' last year because Tony Avent said it was a native hybrid that blooms way before the Phlox maculata which I have all over the place. It is indeed blooming early - I have it in the Phlox Protection Zone with the paniculatas in case the woodchuck(s) like it too much. The hummingbirds should be happy (you can't have too many phlox for hummingbirds).

    And the volunteer Foxgloves have returned by my parking space. There seems to be more variety each year. I did plant two kinds many years ago but I haven't seen them recently.

    These remind me of a chorus line.

    The Climbing Hydrangea is coming into bloom. I expected it to climb up the pine tree but I think the squirrels keep knocking it down.

    It's a tradeoff. I want my yard to be a natural, but pretty, wildlife habitat, so I can't really obsess too much when the wildlife interfere with my design.

    Claire

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    10 years ago

    I too received a beautiful styrax from George... twice. And twice it got hit with a tree limb during a storm and got knocked over. Couldn't believe when it happened a second time. To add insult to injury, the guys cleaning up the REALLY big limbs (the twelve-footers) that had fallen, dragged them over to that area and pretty much piled them on top of the (second) fallen styrax. I think, believe it or not, that it's still alive, and I keep meaning to get some help so see about moving the limbs and righting the tree, but haven't gotten to it. Jane's lovely photos have given me some motivation.

    Well, I've decided that the only thing that is blooming in my garden is wet tissues. With all this rain, and coming in downpours as it has been, my peonies, irises, roses, even rhodies, all look like wet tissues. Sigh....

    Dee

  • Tina_n_Sam
    10 years ago

    The roses on the porch are very nice!
    The styrax is beautiful. I just looked up a dwarf variety. It gets to 10 ft tall. I wish....

    Dee, everything here is wet wet too. Irises didn't last but a couple of days. Poppies didn't last but a couple of days. The ones that didn't bloom yet turned yellow, then, brown, and is now officially dead. sigh...

    I'm embarrassed to post my peonies. But, I am super happy that they bloomed and there's 3 more to open! They came with the house and offered one bloom last year. Each year the leaves came back but the clump stayed the same size and height. I finally had it and moved the clump to the backyard last fall. Well, it likes it in the backyard!

    -Tina

    This post was edited by Tina_n_Sam on Tue, Jun 11, 13 at 22:49

  • corunum z6 CT
    10 years ago

    Thanks, Claire, Phlox 'Minnie Pearl' will have to go in near the deck. A new to me variety, glad to see it is a shorter plant and that it blooms so early. Local buy or mail order? Google revealed Plants Delight as a seller.
    The bluestone walkway looks very nice - VG job - not easy on the back. The gardens may seem a tad 'jungly', but everything certainly is healthy and all look lovely in bloom. The whole vista shots help.

    Tina, don't be embarrassed to post lovely peonies - just be glad you moved them. After receiving 6+ inches of rain in under a week, a day or two of sunshine would be helpful all around.
    Jane

  • claireplymouth z6b coastal MA
    10 years ago

    Tina: If the peony blooms that well the spring after it was moved, it should do wonderfully in coming years. Maybe it has more sun in the backyard or maybe it was just planted a little too deep in the front. You'll probably have to stake it next year though.

    Jane: I got Minne Pearl from Plant Delights last year on sale along with a nice hosta (Diana Remembered). They often have plantaginea hosta hybrids or species which I like for the late summer white flowers.

    Soon I have to finish off the bluestone path to extend it to the back of the house and maybe make a parking space for the garden carts. I just have to move a few more plants while it's still cool.

    Claire

  • scaryscorpion
    10 years ago

    Wow lots of beautiful things blooming this week! Here's a photo of my Honeysuckle vine in bloom. We moved it to this spot a few years ago and tied it up this year. It seems to be loving it. I was also able to harvest my first Zucchini this week, yay!

  • Tina_n_Sam
    10 years ago

    Thanks to all the beautiful blooms. I went out yesterday and got a 1 gallon size Karl Rosenfield peony for $15. It's young and has not bloomed nor does it have any buds. For that price, I can wait! I ran out of time and was unable to put it in the ground today.

    Thanks to the picture of Claire's Knock Out rose, I went out today and got one for $11.50. It's a left over from last year and very leggy. The woman who takes care of the plants there told me to prune it 'back hard' and 'feed it' once a week or every other week to force it to grow more stems and leaves. Oh, I should have taken a before and after picture. I have to say that it's awful looking right now.

    After pruning, I re-potted it in a 3 gallon container. I think it will stay in the pot to recuperate and grow. I will plant it in a couple of months. Or, should I just winter the whole pot in the garage and plant it next spring?

    -Tina

  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    10 years ago

    Tina -

    What did the roots of your rose look like? If they were circling the pot or clumping around the outside, they should be broken up or pruned as well. I like early fall planting when the soil is warm, but the air is cooling so that there is less stress to the plant. The warm soil lets the plant's roots grow quite a bit before winter so that it has a good start come spring.

  • pixie_lou
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    I'll start a new thread tonight or in the morning.

    Jane - I love your tree.

    NHBabs - I love your allium. Claire summed it up - giant soap bubbles!

    Scary scorpion - nice honeysuckle. I just bought one this year.

    The front white garden

    DD's "animal" garden - spiderwort and dragon head.

    The last of the siberian iris around the pond

    The last of the german bearded irises

    And finally - the first of the sweet william coming into bloom

  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    10 years ago

    I have been really enjoying all the photos.
    Pixielou, your pond is to die for! I love all the iris you have planted around it.
    Terrene, your peonies and iris are pristine. Do you stake them?
    Jane, I can't wait for my styrax to grow up like yours!
    Claire, love the photos of the front of your house. So cottagey with the foxglove and peonies.

    Here's a pic of the cottage/veggie garden this year. The middle three beds were once roses, but I gave up with dealing with the japanese beetles and black spot. Then they became daylily beds with some other random perennials thrown in. Once I decided to put veggies in the ground instead of pots, this area made the most sense. It is fenced in and gets the most sun.

    {{gwi:252068}}

    Here's one of the beds in the backyard I have been enjoying very much this year.

  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    10 years ago

    Wow, thyme, I LOVE the veggie garden. I love the purple of the trellises with the purples and pinks of the blooms and the white picket fence. Just gorgeous. Looks like you have a porch right there - must be a wonderful spot to sit and enjoy the beautiful view!

    Dee

  • terrene
    10 years ago

    Scary, gorgeous honeysuckle vine!

    I love your "veggie" garden too T2D. It's kind of a combo of patio and garden. Yes I do stake those peonies, use the big rings with the grid, and they look great as long as it doesn't rain. :( Also occasionally stake a few of the Irises because of the wind out front, but I think growing them in lean soil helps makes the stalks stronger.

    I've got a Styrax japonicus that I got at a swap too, but it was a seedling from Diggingthedirt, not Ego. Bloomed abundantly for the first time this year. Mine is much shorter and bushier than Corunum's, and this is one shrub you probably want to prune tall because otherwise you can't see the bells.

    This post was edited by terrene on Thu, Jun 13, 13 at 22:19

  • chardie
    10 years ago

    I cannot believe that an animal stole this from somewhere and planted it in my garden. I've always wanted a huge allium like this. Maybe this is in exchange for the many plants the woodchucks have devoured and killed.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    10 years ago

    I'm enjoying everyone's photos.

    That is one huge Allium Chardie!

    And a very cheerful and inviting vegetable garden, T2D! Perfect spot for a porch to sit and enjoy it, too!

    Pixie Lou, I don't see Sweet William too often. Is that a biennial? Are they fragrant? Very pretty iris!

    Scaryscorpion, I tried pruning my honeysuckle along the top of a 4ft fence this year and whatever I did, it's a mess. (g) Yours looks very neat. And I'd love to know how you managed to harvest zucchini. I've had nothing but a seedling for weeks and now they look pretty pathetic after all this rain.

    Claire, I'm still waiting for a climbing hydrangea to bloom and it also got knocked off what I was trying to get it to climb.

    And I'd never seen a Styrax Japonicus, quite a showstopper with those hanging flowers. Wondering how long it blooms and if the foliage turns color in the fall?