FIRST FLOWERS OF SUMMER 2015

Yeah, we all have foundation beds around our turrets, pretty standard name. ;-)

What's a turret foundation?

Names are just for reference so folks can know what part of my garden am talking about.
Of course--very few people have been here--so they really don't have any idea either.
In that sense--names are only used as a point of reference.

My inspiration comes from all the beautiful things that come up, grow and bloom
in all my beds that i DID NOT plant a year, or two--or five before.
My "YUK" bed takes the prize in this category.
It is full of perennials and DL. and other beautiful things.
In winter--there is nothing in this bed. just dirt....flat as can be.
Then, Spring arrives and the miracles begin.

And--I get this!

I know it's full of maple roots, but I still think that "YUK" bed has a singularly inappropriate name!

Aspen, I want to stroll along your new Epimedium Walk when it's in bloom!

Hmm, I could refer to the back treeline as "Groundhog Grove."

Haha, 'groundhog grove'!

I agree with Critter that the 'YUK' bed is anything but.

Definition of turret:
In architecture, a turret (from Italian: torretta, little tower; Latin: turris, tower) is a small tower that projects vertically from the wall of a building.

With my Victorian style farmhouse, there is a turret on the front corner of the house. I just call the beds around it the Turret Foundation Beds. David, you are too funny, I didn't even stop to think that a turret might be kind of different - what do you mean not everybody has them LOL.

Did anyone ever read Anne of Green Gables? One of my favorite books of all time. Anne named all the places - Violet Vale, Dryad's Bubble, the White Way of Delight, Lake of Shining Waters, Snow Queen, ...

Critter, I like the name Groundhog Grove :-)

I think of two things when I hear the word turret. One refers to something like a cannon, the second refers to someone's bum.

No castles in your neighborhood?

bum = turret??? hmmm, where is your mind LOL. never would have put those two together. I will never look at my turret the same again ROFLOL.

Which?

Yeah it's from a movie. I think it was called the Change Up with Ryan Reynolds and Jason Bateman. The two characters changed lives magically but they had the same bodies and the one guy's wife had just gone #2 and then tried to snuggle with him as the little spoon. He said that she should rotate her turret the other way and go to sleep. Since then, a turret has been aka a bum (butt) for me.

OK--let me explain.................

The term "YUK" does not in any way refer to what grows in it--as anything that
can survive there, bloom and grow, year after year--has my highest respect.

Do any of you ever look at some of your plants with amazement and respect
that they are where they are--and still grow and thrive and bloom?
That is what i am talking about. Respect for survival of the fittest.

We ALL know by now that my "YUK" bed it is solid-full of Maple roots--mostly those
nasty, thin feeder roots--but also some bigger roots.
yet the plants in this bed seem to thrive and "make it"--year after year.

I use the term "YUK" to describe the difficulty I have to go through to even dig
a hole to plant ONE something new in it--or to dig ONE something out of it.
Hence "YUK" refers to the immense effort I have to go through to garden in it.

I DO NOT use it to describe the wonderful plants that thrive in it--no matter what.

Jill--You were the very first DG person that I ever met. You drove here to dig out
a clump of Lily of the Valley from the corner of my YUK bed for your Mother (?)
When was that???? Years ago--I know.
It was hard--wasn't it? it was difficult to dig them out--wasn't it? To pull the roots
out from wherever they had meandered. Right?

You had the "YUK" experience.

I planted two tiny Malva Zebrinas in containers on Friday. Got them thru mail order. Only have maybe 8 leaves on them. Went out this morning and I'll be darned if there's not a flower on one of them already. How cute ! :)

Yeah those buggers grow fast for sure.

what a discussion!!

I removed a very sad knockout rose, only to find a tiny single sprout this spring, with one bloom.

daylilies on parade out there! snapped a few before thunder chased me inside...

Dragon's Eye, Purple Pawprint, Razzmatazz, Spider Miracle, white/purple seedling from some years ago

oriental lilies are starting, too... soo yummy!

Anastasia
New one from last fall (Freya?)
Orange oriental lily from Gita -- maybe she remembers the name?

Two more seedling DLs.. the pink one with the cranberry eye is one of my favorites, the other is a total "dog" that's not getting any better -- and yet I haven't composted it. ?

Gita, I sure do remember that afternoon we spent together! The lily of the valley plants are finally starting to multiply in one corner of Groundhog Grove... the ones I took to my mom are doing great, tucked between maple roots! Go figure.

Jill--

I do not know names of too many things...not even that Lily. Looks familiar.
Not sure i still have it. The "Monster DL" is about to bloom soon.
I dug it out of my S. bed and planted it in an unused corner over the fence
of my back neighbor. It was just too monstrous for my narrow bed.

There is a Thread going on the DL Forum called "Clump Thread".
It has endless number of DL on it--and all their names.

May come in handy if you need an ID. There's only 35 Posts.

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1396949/

1-& 2Here is the "Monster DL from last summer....

3 & 4--These are almost identical (90%) but a bit smaller Lily I call "Lily by the stump"
The "stump:" is right behind my Bird bath and there is this huge clump of these Lilies.
These used to be a lot more so-so,,,but have evolved in these gorgeous blooms.

Have NO clue what they are.... too pretty to call "Ditch Lilies'..

g.

Great daylilies ladies!

Gita, I have a wintersweet too. It has stayed very small for many years but this winter, I visited a tremendous specimen that was way over my head and I know I should find it a new home.But I want to be able to visit it! I love the brug though! It reminds me of when I went to Europe. They were everywhere! I have to start growing these.

It is lily season, isn't it. Beautiful lilies, everyone! Gita, they do look like Kwanso.What I love about Kwanso is the long stems!

Critter, are we missing some pictures in your third post? I would love to see the seedlings.

1 First Dahlia
2.First bloom from Cantaloupe Supreme looking yellow to me.
3. After many tries, I finally grew a salvia turkestanica. I'm a little disappointed. Maybe it will improve.
4. adenophora - it seeds around but hasn't been as bad as I read on the internet.
5. Clematis Radiance, only worth growing above your head.

Way to go on your dahlia! Do you know what it's called? All else is looking good too Loretta.

1. Baby Bear Daylily - its more rusty in real life.
2.White Tiger lily
3. Pink lily
4. Lily Eyeliner
5. Daylily seedling

Thanks Sequoia! The dahlia is a seedling. I've been growing them for several years to get the black foliage with a good flower by my tastes. Singles with a dark center or rich yellow are good for me although most people like fuller flowers. Now they are everywhere and you can find similar flowers for sale.

Here is another flower from a clone plant.

It looks similar to my Japanese Bishop. Have you ever gone out at dusk and seen bumble bees asleep on the dahlias? I saw it plenty last year. A few days ago I was out at dusk and saw a bumble asleep on one of my agastache. It's so cool.

It does look like Japanese Bishop and YES - the bees LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these flowers.There are always bumble bees sleeping on them like kittens. When the dahlias were over, they kept flying back and forth looking for one more bloom. It was like an addiction.

Thx, yep sure did forget the photos on that last post... I grew out some DL seeds several years ago, got mostly pretty eyed pink-toned ones, one deep cranberry that I love, and one "dog" that hasn't hit the compost pile but should.

Oh wow! Those are nice! I only tried it once, but all of them were dreary in comparison to yours!

Epi 2.0 - Second bloom on our Epi in just 3 weeks. Can't get over how huge the bloom are!

David and Pat--
You are so fortunate to get to see this Epi bloom!
I never did--so I gave all my plants of it away. Not regretting it one bit.

g.

Loretta, it probably helped that I didn't do my own crosses! I've grown out seeds from several experienced hybridizers, some that were trades and a few that were purchased from the Lily Auction (when I wanted to try spiders without shelling out a lot of moolah). I think one of the easiest ways to start would just be by doing some self-pollinated crosses, essentially re-mixing the genes in a favorite daylily.

Some DLs are especially fertile "pod parents," and others are particularly good at passing along their best traits... there are folks discussing all this on the DL forum, I'm sure, but you can also pay attention to the parentage listed for your favorite DLs and note the way some varieties come up often.

After my first time, when I planted out all the seedlings, I grew the seedlings on in gallon pots until they bloomed so I could just keep my favorites.

Wow GT, that thing almost looks artificial. Very beautiful!

amazing, David, thanks for posting

David, that's glorious! I like that you're growing it up high and letting it dangle... I grew it (or one like it) in a big floor pot, and it got really unruly that way, as you doubtless recall when you helped wrestle it into your car LOL.

I just got back from 9 days of dog sitting, and it was such a surprise to go into the dining room and see another huge bud last night. Two hours later, and it was open. The other one has sent up a 4-foot shoot that is just inches from the ceiling.

The huge one that Jill gave us is in the living room and since that room tends to have some light in it after it gets dark, I guess that plant never got the proper environment to set buds. Once we got it inside, we were not about to try to move it again!

A couple of my hardy hibiscus blooms this morning.

Hmm, I don't think light is the issue, as I had mine just off the kitchen -- there are lights on until 11 or 12, and we leave the little light over the sink (was CFL, now LED) on 24/7. Hopefully it will perform for you! Photos of its one performance here are in this article: http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/3022

ooh, very pretty Catbird! What's the pink & white one, do you know?

My hardy hibiscus (H. moscheutos) are loaded with buds, so I'm excited!

DLs are the main show here, with bee balm adding splashes of color. I went looking for pics I snapped yesterday only to discover they must be on my phone. I have to start importing phone pics to my computer photo files...

Nice hibiscus Catbird.

Pretty, Robin! I like the pink and white one best too.