Ledge and Gardens

Wordless Wednesday - October 26, 2011

Perennial Combinations - Worth the Wait

As a perennial gardener I am used to waiting for plants to reach their perfect size with an abundance of blooms. Sometimes combinations made in the garden just don't work for one reason or another. Either one plant flowers a bit too early, too late, or it doesn't flower at all. At other times, the colors are off just a bit for complementing one another. I planted Hemerocallis 'Magic Dawn' with Monarda didyma 'Raspberry Wine' years ago.
In past years, they flowered at different times or one flowered and the other slept. They are both in a bit too much shade but they do flower and this year, together. Dreams realized are some of what gardening is all about for me. I think it was worth the wait. 

Hosta 'Ryan's Big One'

The hostas are starting to bloom. This one is named 'Ryan's Big One' and the leaves are a good eight inches across. The whole plant spreads four feet wide and this one is taking over the entry garden. It commands attention and, as you can see, the leaves need a bit of cleaning. They are large enough to catch the mower bits and any falling leaves from above. 
They are one of the earlier bloomers along with 'Sieboldiana Elegans' and 'Golden Tiara, and they are now in full bloom. Does anyone really plant hosta for blooms? Perhaps 'Royal Standard' which blooms very late and has very fragrant blooms but for this gardener, the blooms of most hostas are snipped off rather quickly as they bloom from the bottom to the top and by the time the top flowers open, the bottom flowers are brown and rather ugly.  A hosta in bud is another story.  The buds rise from the scape eventually clearing the edge of the leaves and the flower spike starts as a star shaped cluster.  I find the clusters fascinating as does this little spider. They catch the rain and their architecture is an example, to me, of nature's perfection. Do you snip off the flowers of hosta plants or do you plant them specifically for the flowers?    

Wordless Wednesday, 9-10-08

High 72F
Low  51F

Delphinium re-blooming!

Wordless Wednesday, 8-20-08

High 73 F
Low  46 F

Lavender Lace

High 83 F
Low  55 F

In the garden there are those perennials which are standouts with no need to elbow their way front and center.   Perennials such as peonies and phlox always catch ones' eye with their big, showy flowers and subtle fragrance but a garden made up of only the 'showgirls' would be sensory overload for those of us who enjoy the subtlety of fine foliage, delicate stippling and gem sized flowers.  I have not met a garden connoisseur or even a basic plant lover who favors the wild abundance of vivid annuals to the elegance of a well planned perennial garden.  I think there are many more of the 'understudies'  playing their roles to perfection and adding charm and interest to the border than the 'showgirls'.  That is the way it has to be.  Too many stars will spoil the show.  One such plant is meadow rue or Thalictrum rochebruneanum 'Lavender Mist'.  Mist it is as it raises its' tiny but perfect blossoms up over its' delicately textured, mounding leaves on wiry but sturdy stems.  The plants in my garden have been more vigorous in past years and should probably be lifted, divided and given a fresh bath of compost.  I think this plant looks better in good sized groupings to enhance the veil like effect of its' airborne flowers and I must add some more to this planting.   This Thalictrum is native to Japan and mine flowers fairly well in high canopy shade.  The foliage is somewhat like that  of columbine which is also in the Ranunculaceae family although I have yet to see leaf miner damage, which seems to be standard on columbine leaves, on the leaves of this plant. Another big advantage to growing this meadow rue is that it is blooming right now in the garden which is a bit later than the phlox but before the colorful asters and sneeze weeds come into bloom.  It is airy and ethereal and a great addition to the border.   Are any of you having success with this or other species of meadow rue?

Wordless Thursday!

High 90 F
Low  61 F

Green is serene

High  Too early to tell 
Low  63 F

Green is always a good topic for conversation in the garden blog world and Emma, over at IndyBlogs, has suggested green for a post.  In the midst of the July borders, where color is the highlight, green is the  soothing backdrop.  It is interesting to note how many heart shaped leaves there are in the garden.  The Dutchman's Pipe, a vine which seems to be taking over the fence and border (don't plant it!), has a flat, dull surface but it is now a green wall providing privacy on the wire fence in the corner of the pool garden. I believe that this is Aristolochia tomentosa and, be forewarned, it travels everywhere.  If it were not for its' invasive nature, I would  be a bit more of a fan! The vegetable garden has is predominantly green right now with bits of bright calendula adding contrast.   Who doesn't love the promising green of tomatoes growing lushly in their wire cages?  Zeus is looking quite 'manly' with his crown of sempervivum sporting a tumescent flower stalk which is predominantly green. I didn't actually think of this effect when I planted him but it makes me chuckle every time I see him.    The evergreens such as this Pinus strobus 'Soft Touch' and the Larix decidua 'Pendula' are sporting their new shades of green of the emerging new growth.  The hostas are a wealth of green shades and I never tire of the streaks and stripes on their leaves. Forsythia are a welcome sight in springtime but their yellow glory fades as the season progresses.  This forsythia, however, Forsythia 'Fiesta', is one well worth having in the mixed border for its' cheerful variegation, cherry red stems,  and demur habit.  The bleeding hearts have long faded but their foliage still remains and holds the dew drops nicely.  The gold leaf Catalpa tree which is cut back to the main trunk every spring generates a sumptuously tropical looking green/gold leaf. It is a punctuation in the back border where green predominates.  On the first of July, the borders are reaching a peak of color but green, green can be subtly exciting  don't you think?      

Almost Wordless Saturday...

Baptisia australis
I'm off at Longwood Gardens in PA today and tomorrow, Winterthur.  Just a pretty picture to fill the gap.  This is a difficult time to leave the garden as so much is in bloom but it is only for the weekend and the trip is garden related!

Wordless Wednesday, June 11, 2008

High  84 F
Low   67 F