Ledge and Gardens

Bloom Day - May 15, 2012

 

This May's Bloom Day finds the garden lush and green with many flowers blooming a couple of weeks ahead of their normal scheduled bloom. Certainly the green growth is weeks ahead and you can see from the overall picture above that green is the predominant color. The bleeding hearts are still blooming quite heavily and I don't tire of them as I do the daffodils and forsythia. Perhaps it is the color pink which is much more soothing than bright yellow of early spring. Or, perhaps, the leafing out of the trees softens the light in the garden.   The flowers are a bit jarring on the gold form but its yellow foliage brightens up the shady border. The tree peony is a rather soft yellow and the first of three buds has opened. They are sumptuous, seductive blooms and entice this gardener to want to plant more tree peonies. The tiarellas are blooming and while somewhat insignificant their blooms, en masse, do brighten a border and are an added bonus to the great foliage of the plant. Solomon's Seal is one of my favorite ground cover plants for dry shade. That would be the variegated form which grows about fifteen inches tall and covers quite a bit of ground in a season. It doesn't really misbehave as it is easily kept in check with division. Someone always wants a piece of this plant so if you come to visit, don't be afraid to ask for a division. The Exbury azalea languishes in my garden but has thrown forth two flower buds. I don't pay any attention to it and perhaps it retaliates by just surviving. I would love masses of orange blooms and these two may encourage me to give it a bit more care in the form of a shovelful of compost and a little mulch. The poison ivy twining around its base has warned me in the past to stay away. I think it is time to tempt fate with appropriate precautions. There are other interesting blooms this Bloom Day such as the small flowers on the Geranium phaeum. This plant does go astray if you let it go to seed. Seedlings come up everywhere. The foliage of this plant is pleasing as it has a green, rounded lobed leaf with a dark, blotchy maroon marking around the center of the leaf. Worth the trouble in my book.  These are just a few of the blooms in an effort to try not to repeat those of last year although the tree peony must always be shown. I must also feature the doublefile viburnum as it is in full glory. Its layered branching is a wonderful addition to any garden. Many thanks to Carol of May Dreams, whose month has finally arrived, for hosting another Bloom Day.  Thank you for visiting the blooms of my garden. I would love to visit yours so please leave a comment. Enjoy the day.

'Yard Crashers' at Ledge and Gardens

Front Row: Kiki, Meena, Rohan,Sister Lyn, Kasey,Sister Kathy, Layanee Second Row: Linda, Miggy, Brenda,Sister Eileen Third Row Standing: Beth, Laura, Daughter Emily with BIL Steve behind her, Mom, Rob, BIL Bob(in back),Rocky, Pat, Chris the EM, Gisele and John  Missing: Joyce Chapman, Nicole, Ronan & Wyatt Cardarelli
When the doctor says "no digging, dividing, edging, mulching, yadda, yadda, yadda, what is a gardener to do? We all know most doctors are not that specific. What they say is "No lifting anything over 10 lbs." Oh, you can try to do those things but the body rebels and reminds you, not so gently but with pain, that you had better listen. Well, this gardener is a fairly fatalistic person. What doesn't get done this spring will get done during the summer (maybe) or fall months. This year is different though. The local garden club, of which I am a member, is having a fund raising garden tour on June 2nd. Early June is a magical time in the garden. Usually. Fresh green foliage bears no tatters from foraging insects this early in the season and moisture is in abundance. The bleeding hearts are still bearing their blooms, the alliums are standing tall in the border, the edges of the beds are crisp and clean. Usually.

The people

This year, with little strength to clean up beds and borders, family and friends came to help. Daughter Emily arranged a party and a party there was. Over twenty came with rakes, shovels, pruners, edgers and other various tools to clean up and clean out. In one day the gardens were spiffed and shined with adults, kids and dogs all having a good time. The age range was four to eighty eight. Yes, I caught my Mom weeding and buffing up the border inside the fence. She also made two apple pies and a pot of baked beans. How does one keep up with that? One just hopes one has inherited those traits. Some friends who arrived to help don't really love to garden. The Beverage/Mulch Cart
Some have never gardened or even smelled the scent of a blooming lily of the valley flower. In this digitized world where many of us connect electronically, where good manners seem to have disappeared, where despair concerning the ability to effect any real help or change to the war torn and food deprived people of the world, this day was the essence of human goodness. Lending a helping hand seems such a small act. I can tell you that it is not. It is one of the biggest. Making someone else's life, day or moment a bit better is a grand gesture. My Sunday was full of grand gestures. Thank you to all who came. I will try to pass these along one day at a time. Has there been a grand gesture in your life recently?

If you are interested in the Gentian Garden Club Garden Tour presenting 'Gentian's Gems', on June 2nd, rain or shine, click here for ticket information.              

April Showers

April showers have been scarce this year. So scarce that some emerging foliage has brown tips and flowering shrubs have dropped their blooms prematurely. The rain came on Sunday much to the relief of this gardener and the garden. Last year, the garden looked like this on April 26th. Today, it is much fuller and the daffodils in the river of daffs are well past bloom. Every year has its own gardening challenges and this year proves to be no exception. I would have liked to move many plants around prior to this but given the dry conditions, I would not have done it even if I were physically able. I am trying to be content sitting on this bench and making lists. It is not nearly as rewarding as edging, dividing and spreading compost but there are pretty blossoms above.The Carolina silver bell is starting to bloom and with moisture and cooler temperatures in the forecast, the blooms should give a very good show. Are your blooms ahead or behind schedule in your garden this season?

Mother Nature's Whims and Garden Benches

View from the Winter Garden Bench
What is a garden without a garden bench or two? I rarely visit a garden that has no sitting area. In England, each garden I have visited has had several different areas for sitting, lounging, sipping a beverage or just contemplating the garden. My garden has several benches. Woodland Garden Bench

One is by the fish pond, one is in the winter garden in the midst of the now blooming bulbs, one is in the woodland area. In addition, there is a table and chairs for dining al fresco on the patio and an additional table up in the pool area (yes, I am very lucky). The eating areas get the most use, of course, and the bench by the fish pond does get a workout although the workouts are short.

Fish Pond Garden Bench

Five minutes is usually the limit of bench meditation time here since gardens surrounding the bench cry out for attention at every given moment. It is always somewhat of a joke to see benches in gardens where gardening is an aerobic activity. Many gardeners I know rarely sit on their benches. This season, I have found just how essential they are. This spring, nature surprised the garden with more than just 80 degree March weather. On the first of March, this gardener was sidelined for the spring gardening season. It doesn't always happen to someone else...well, the lottery does, but a hiccup in health can happen to any of us at any time. The view from the Fish Pond Bench
A routine chest x-ray turned up a not so routine mass on my left lung and both mass and lower lung lobe were removed on 3-23. The prognosis is good. I am not whining, well, not any more, but the reality of major surgery is major recuperation time and much of that time will be spent on the garden benches out in the garden. Pushing wheelbarrows full of compost will have to wait until mid-June at the earliest and may wait until fall.

The Winter Garden Bench

A perennial garden reverts quite quickly to the wild but my pointing finger still works and I am fortunate to have friends and family who have offered to help.  I have already found that sitting still is a challenge. It helps to have a pair of pruners in ones pocket. Fortunately, my right hand still has strength. Snip, snip will help make plants stronger of shape and form and snip, snip in the form of surgery has given me a new appreciation for good health, a great and supportive family and wonderful friends. Don't wait until you have to sit and enjoy the view. Enjoy it every day.    

Color in the Garden

I have mentioned before that, to me, February feels like the longest month of the year. It drags and drags and this year is no exception. Just four days ago I woke to the above scene. Fortunately this lasted just a day and today there were a couple bright spots in the garden. The snowdrops are showing white, pure and elegant even when skirted by brown leaf debris. I would love to have those huge swaths of snowdrops which are seen on old English estates. I have only seen them in pictures and wonder, will I live long enough to see these multiply to that degree? There is no telling. Last year the snowdrops waited until the second week in March to crack color but then last year there was still snow on the ground. The crocus followed the snowdrops by a week but here they are in full and glorious color while February toils on. These gifts of the garden are quite small and it does take a bit of attention and searching to find them. It is worth the search as the hope of finding new growth is never as satisfying as the reality. I did find one other treasure stretching out of its fetal position. March is still two days off but the march of color has begun. What is catching your eye in your own garden today?

February Light

The sunny days have a definite and discernible brightness signaling to the garden and the gardener that it is time to get busy. This weekend was brisk and light filled even as the ice still covered the fish pond. The maiden grass is looking tattered and torn having suffered a very early and heavy snow in October and many swirling winter winds. We have had just a couple very cold days this winter. There has been little snow cover compared with last year. In addition to the golden glow of the grass which compliments Tucker's blond coat, the moss is almost impossibly green. Along the drive there is a newly planted witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Arnold Promise'. Arnold is starting to wake up. It may be a whole month until spring but here brightness and light are returning. There will be slips back to winter. It is inevitable. That said, there is a touch of yellow in the garden. Is your garden showing the signs of a new season yet? 

Rockspray

A ray of morning sun hit the rockspray cotoneaster causing me to pause, grab the camera and head outside. It is a challenge to find interesting bits and pieces in a garden which has gone to sleep.  We are fast approaching the shortest day of the year. There is a bit of fresh green on the hellebores and the buff of the grasses add interest to the minimalism of the garden. Most of the year the rockspray cotoneaster, Cotoneaster horizontalis, is overlooked in favor of the flowering shrubs and perennials but this shrub has backbone. The branching structure does look very similar to a boned fish. Rockspray cotoneaster has very small flowers which do attract bees (Note to self: make sure to get a picture of the flowers next year) but the subsequent berries which are quite prominent now, are red and borne in abundance. I did witness birds taking cover in the tight branching of this low growing, compact shrub. This is a very hardy shrub, hardy to Zone 4. It is said to be prone to insect infestations but I have not had an issue with it probably due to its open location in the rock border. Most of the year this plant goes unnoticed. This time of year, it is much appreciated.

A Walk in the Garden

This morning's walk started with a frenzy of barking as Cooper spied squirrels at the bird feeders. He really despises squirrels. I fully expect to see him climbing a tree before this winter is over. He is quite fast and bounds over any obstruction with ease. So far, he has been unsuccessful at catching any squirrels and they really do seem to taunt him. There has been little in the way of fall color here but this geranium is wearing bright colors and the 'Cornell Pink', deciduous rhododendron is one of the last plants to drop its bright leaves. Bright even for this year. The season progresses and the stinking hellebores have their green flower spikes already. This is a wonderful plant. Deer resistant, trouble free and it re-seeds quite readily. It has the added advantage of growing in dry shade. The flowers on the native witchhazel are hanging on as the leaves fall to reveal more of those flowers. This plant was a grafted 'Arnold's Promise' witchhazel but the top died back leaving the native plant to flourish.  One last plant of interest observed on this morning's walk was the Enkianthus campanulatus. The seed heads look very similar to the flowers in shape although the flowers hang down while the seed heads point to the sky. The seed heads even have a distinctive stripe along the small cup.  There is no improving on Nature, is there? 

Snow Falling on Zinnias

This is what the garden looked like this morning. We skipped the first hard frost and went right to snowfall. The zinnias and the Spanish flag are still blooming. Time will tell if they will succumb to this cold spell. It was 29F here this morning and the roads were coated with ice. Rumor has it that sand trucks were out. This must be a record for them although last year we had an appreciable snowfall on November 8th. Mother Nature has forgotten how important it is for a gradual transition of temperatures in order for plants to acquire hardiness. We have had a nice fall with very mild weather and a good amount of moisture. The days are getting quite short as we head to the winter solstice. There are still bulbs left to plant and hoses and pots to be gathered and put away for the winter. Is the weather in your garden normal for this time of year? 

Today in the Garden...Sassafras albidum

Today in the garden the shadows were long. The corn patch is tilled and planted with rye. Yes, it was planted a bit late but it has been warm and no frost has graced the garden yet. The rye has not germinated yet but since we had heavy rain on Thursday and today promises more sun and warmth, I expect to see it by Monday. The native sassafras clump behind the bird house, on the other side of the wall, is one of the few patches of fall color in the garden this year.
Last year it was brilliant but this year, so far, it is just a dull yellow. Fall 2010The leaves of the sassafras, Sassafras albidum, are smooth oval in their youth but they mature to a three lobed form at maturity. I have read that the Sassafras tree is an important food for white tailed deer. I wish the deer would stay on the back side of the wall and leave the garden on the front alone. Deer are just as opportunistic as a Sassafras clump.