Plant-buying spree

Today I went to the annual FONA Garden Fair (it continues tomorrow), looking for garden inspiration.  I came home with a very light wallet and a full cart.

Here's what's in that jumble of plants.

From the FONA sale:

Brunnera 'Jack Frost' - I bought one of these last year, too, but killed it.

Red Banana - another container plant for my "Tropical Paradise Patio".  One of these days (years) I'll finally get around to having the patio rebricked so I can actually use it.  Meanwhile, I'm collecting plants for it.

Meadow Rue - I might have bought one of these last fall, but I couldn't remember for sure, so here's (another) one.

Echinacea 'Sundown' - Unlike my Daffodil Desires, I actually followed through on a musing (from two years ago) to add more colorful echinacea to my garden.

Abelia - I'm missing a shrub in my front border.  This one is tiny, so I hope it doesn't get lost among the grasses while it grows to actual shrub size.

Dahlia - For a front-stoop container

Phlox paniculata 'Tequila Sunrise' - I lost my most floriferous tall phlox over the winter.  This replacement is supposed to be short-statured, so I'll have to move some things around in the garage garden to place it appropriately.  I'm looking forward to the bright color, but it will most likely clash terribly with the mostly-purple theme I have (accidentally) going on over there.

Outside the FONA sale is a space for other plant vendors.

The Melwood Garden booth had some lovely perennials, and good prices.  I bought:

Polemonium (Jacob's Ladder) 'Heavenly Habit' *- I've bought a polemonium just about every year I've been gardening here, and I always kill them.  This is the most vigorous one I've started with, so maybe this time will be different? 

Coreopsis verticillata 'Main Street' (red flowers!) - My Coreopsis rosea has been slowly disappearing from the upper garden, so here's a showier replacement

Heuchera 'Berry Smoothie'- because I can't resist a new-to-me heuchera, and I have one that's only barely alive after the winter.

From the Herb Society, I didn't actually buy herbs, but I did get:

Bloodroot - for the shady side, with the brunnera. I've wanted one of these for a long time.  No idea if I have the proper conditions for it, but I'll find out next year.


Now, my biggest barrier to success when I go all-out with plant purchases is actually getting this stuff in the ground.  I had planned several hours this afternoon to do just that.  Thanks to a poor choice of driving route (excessive traffic), I arrived home just as the skies were opening up for a nice spring thunderstorm.  I did get the Dahlia potted up during the rain.  The other plants, well, maybe I'll get to them in a few days ....



* I've just re-read the tag. This is a selection of Polemonium boreale, not Polemonium reptans, which means I can't put it in my "native-ish" garden.  Into the side yard it goes!

July 2013 Blooms

Once again, my bloom day post has been delayed.  I blame the excessive heat.  Oh, I took pictures on the 14th and 15th, but the heat has completely sapped my energy for even the most sedentary tasks, like blogging. 

Fortunately the garden doesn't complain quite as much about the heat as I do.  I did venture out earlier in the week to find a cucumber hiding among the very tall weeds.  It is over a foot long.

On to the blooms ...

Most of the yard this month has been daylilies and Rudbeckia.  But I also have these:

 Echinacea on the patio, forming the backdrop for the glider.  The 'White Swan' Echinacea is barely visible in this photo, just behind the glider and on the right edge.

 

More Echinacea in the side garden, shading some yellow-blooming blue spruce sedum.  Oh, and there's something else in there ...



 

It is all flopped over and only made two blooms this year, but the stargazer lily, declining for the past few years, is still there. 



And here's a closeup of the blooming sedum

 

The lower border in the front has some sedum, too.  I don't remember what this one is, with thick grayish leaves.

 

Also in the front border:  four o'clocks and catmint.

 

The upper garden is sporting some cute little Coreopsis rosea.

The garage garden is full of phlox.

The side garden, in addition to the Echinacea and lilies, has balloon flower (shown here with daylilies) and heliopsis (with a rose campion).

Back in the front are this year's new bulbs:  Acidanthera (Gladiolus callianthus).  I just love them!

 

Oh, I'm pooped now, just thinking about those plants out in the heat.  Time for a nap.  

June 2013 Blooms: Lilies

Whether they be Lilium or Hemerocallis, the lilies bloom in June.

 First, the Asiatic lilies, growing under the honeylocusts in the side yard.

 

They grow up as the daffodil foliage is dying down.



 The "Easter" lilies grow by the garage door:

 

Over in the upper garden, common ditch and Stella D'Oro daylilies fill in under the plum tree:

 



The side yard has the showier daylilies, including these red ones.

 

 

All the lilies (day- and otherwise) shown above came with the property.  I've since added others, but they are not among the early bloomers.

 

Because I can't let Bloom Day pass showing off only one or two flower types, and because I've committed to showing more than just close-up photos, here are two broader shots.  First, the front walk, with Rudbeckia, Tennessee coneflower, and lavender:

 



Now, in the upper garden, my very favorite combination - Asclepias tuberosa (orange butterfly weed), Spigelia marilandica (Indian Pink), and Thermopsis caroliniana (Carolina bushpea):



Disclaimer: this was two weeks ago.  A. and S. are still in full bloom now, but T. is done.

Every once in a great while a plan that forms in my head becomes reality.  This vignette makes me smile just as much as I'd hoped it would.

What's blooming in your yard today?

A Coneflower Explosion

I have quite a lot of coneflowers, and I rather like them.  By 'a lot' I mean a lot of plants, not a lot of types.  Most of my plants are the straight species purple kind.  On the patio I have some 'White Swan', which I adore.  And in the front, a small 'Rocky Top', chosen for its unique up-curved petals.

I've not had much interest in all the specialty coneflowers - doubles, new colors, etc - up to now.  Last weekend I paid a short visit to the National Arboretum, and saw this:

(It was a super sunny day, so had trouble with photos.  These are actually much more colorful.)

Now I need more coneflowers.

~~~~~
Also at the arboretum,  a field of Amsonia hubrichtii:

a field of Amsonia mounds at the arboretum

Yes, a whole field.  I have a clump, the arboretum has a field.

my single clump of amsonia

Across the walk from the Amsonia are the Capitol columns.

Now that's garden art.

June 2012 Blooms

Another late Bloom Day post, though these photos were actually taken on the 15th.  Here's some of what is blooming mid-month.

In the garage garden, Easter lilies, tall phlox, and valerian: 

'Easter' lilies

Phlox paniculata 'Franz Schubert'

 

Valerian

Last spring I threatened to shovel-prune the valerian, but it took advantage of my procrastination and lived another year.
(not pictured:  Geranium, Stokesia)

On the patio, an assortment of black-eyed susan and two colors of echinacea:

In the upper terrace, Stokesia, Spigelia marlandica, and Monarda:

Stokesia

Spigelia marylandica

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'

(not pictured:  black-eyed susan, spiderwort, daylilies)

Some columbine that don't know when to stop:

(also in the lower terrace:  dianthus)

In the side garden, the balloon flowers are popping:

(not picured:  asiatic lilies, lots of daylilies, butterfly bush, lamb's ear, rose campion)

The front yard is even looking showy this month.  Along the front walk are several types of Rudbeckia, some 'Rocky Top' Echinacea, larkspur, lavender (not pictured), and some pansies hanging on:

Along the front walk

In the front bed, some cinquefoil and one white glad:

(not pictured:  four-o'clocks, catmint, sedum)

Thanks for looking at my June blooms.

Mid-August Blooms

When I returned home from the river last evening, I immediately grabbed my camera and headed back outside. Time to see what's blooming in mid-August. Too late for an official Bloom Day post, but necessary for my personal record, since I missed the fifteenth.

The first thing I noticed was that I was being eaten alive. The rains over the last few weeks produced a lot of standing water. With the dry start to summer, I'd gotten out of the habit of checking for such things. Time to remedy that!

As I swatted my way around the yard, I found very little to make me smile. The coneflowers are looking peaked:


Black eyed susans continue to brighten the semi-shade in the upper garden:

But the ones in full sun out front have had enough.

The pinkish mums that came with the house are starting to bloom. Their lack of color disappoints me every year. Why do I still have these in my herb garden?


At lease my dahila, blown over in the big thunderstorm two weeks ago, is putting out new growth and new flowers:


Seed pods are adding interest in the upper garden:

On the left are ripening Asclepias tuberosa pods. The ones in the center have split open, letting the tufted seeds take to the wind. On the right the Baptisia pods continue to add purple color to the garden.

Also in the upper garden, my chelone has buds. It struggles all year with lack of water. I always wonder if it will have enough strength to bloom.


And out front, the white rose has come back for another round of blooms:


Around the north side, one of my hosta is flowering. I usually ignore hosta flowers, but these are quite large and such a pure white I actually enjoy them:


So maybe I did find a few things to smile about.

Thanks to Carol at May Dreams Gardens, whose monthly GBBD is the only reason my photo log is remotely up-to-date!