HAPPY 4TH OF JULY Loretta and Wee
spring 2019
Thanks!
Happy Fourth! Still here. I'm just not on the computer as much these days.
Perfect peony! Bartzella? Asclepias tuberosa is a slow starter. I picked up a Hello Yellow this year to go with all the orange I have. Hopefully it will reseed true to color. Sorry about your lupines. They look great though. I guess the blue ones do better?
I have given up on the tender succulents too. They are so beautiful and make great pots but by the end of the season, they are marked all over by mites. The hardy types don't seems to have that problem plus they mostly start fresh.
I've had a Hello Yellow asclepias for a number of years (5?) - it performs well but I've never seen a yellow seedling. I have seedling asclepias with typical orange flowers but I don't know if the seedlings came from Hello Yellow or more likely my other orange ones.
Just went out and checked the label on my yellow Asclepias and it is Hello Yellow as well
Clematis Integrifolia. Non climbing clematis
Our dry spell came to an abrupt end. We have had 5.5 inches of rain over the last 2 days and this morning we had a violent lightning storm. About 8:15 this morning lightning struck our tallest tree. We were having a quiet coffee and it felt and sounded like a bomb hit the house. It is still standing but is badly shattered and I will be surprised if it survives.
I like your clematis.
Sorry about your tree. We similarly had a big ash right next to the house hit by lightning a few years ago. I guess some of the electricity arc'd to the house because we had a bunch of strange electrical problems which we had to fix. The tree had a linear scar up the trunk but lived without other signs of injury for years. We ultimately took it out last year due to too much shade, and presuming it sooner or later would succumb to ash leaf borer. Of course the tree removal folks (despite promises to the contrary) ravaged that part of the garden...
I don't think we had any electrical problems connected to the lightning strike unless it was the dusk to dawn photocell sensor on the garage that operates our yard light that packed it in around the same time. In the past we have lost a television and our deep well submersible pump.
Wee, this photo is the summer phase of the cushion spurge that you asked about earlier with the lemon yellow bracts. It is ginormous. Measures 44 inches wide by 28 high
This message was edited Jul 16, 2019 11:16 AM
Wow, you're right, it's huge. I'm so sun-challenged, not sure I've got a spot for one, but yours makes me tempted. Can it do dry poor soil or does it want loamy richer stuff?
Sorry Wee, I could not answer the soil question. Mine does get pretty dry at times but it is loose sandy loam
1) Giant Fleece Flower blooms last forever. Similar look to the Goatsbeard I have out front but they are very short lived
2) Forever Susan Oriental Lilies in front of garage
3) patch of double yellow lilies that I have had for eons. Don't know the variety
4) Burning Hearts False Sunflower. I will be posting a better view of the cast iron cauldron on the propagation forum if you ever take a peek over there
I guess I didn't post my last reply. Thanks for the info on Hello Yellow. It would have been nice if it did reseed yellow. Oh well. The tropical yellow milkweed didn't reseed yellow for me either.
Well Keith, first let me compliment you on the clematis. Beautiful! I have attempted C. integrifolia a few times without success but I do have 'Alionushka' and that has been good.
All your photos are gorgeous! I guess you don't have Scarlet Lily Beetles by you. I have thrown my hands up to them. Most of my lilies are gone but some survived and the beetle population declined this year. The one in the third picture has been run over by a winter sweet. Maybe that's why it survives.
I love Burning Hearts. I had a similar one 'Summer Nights' that didn't return but many, many seedlings did, none with the special coloring. At least the groundhog doesn't seem to like them. This one, being run over by the neighboring bronze fennel, was actually a seedling of Loraine Sunshine. Not fancy but it blooms long and its complementary to many plants.
Poppy, Cherry Glow was nice enough to come back on its own.
Thank you Loretta. Love your or blooms too. I think the only thing that eats lilies here are the deer and I use lots of Bobbex go keep them at bay.
If this becomes a regular thing, I will have to start spraying plants as well. But maybe I'll get a cat. My cat in my avatar passed. He was a great cat and will be hard to replace.
Double balloon flower - its seedlings are coming out doubled too.
Gomphrena Strawberry Fields - I used to be able to buy this by the flat. Now not only is it hard to find, it was a premium annual. I wanted a patch of them but this is all I got.
New coneflower. I couldn't resist even though all my coneflowers have been eaten except on one side of the yard and this is where this one is going - far away from the groundhog.
A white liatris before the top goes brown. That is what I don't like about this and kniphofia.
Balsam Peppermint Stick is a little disappointing. So far, not enough white in any of the blossoms to look like peppermint. Plus they are too orangey.
Loretta that balloon flower is so perfect it looks artificial. That photo is a winner! For some reason when I click on your Gomphrena picture it goes blank. Thanks for mentioning the groundhog. We were away a couple days and I saw one in the Japanese garden last night when we came home. Have to dig the gun out and see if I can irradicate that before it becomes a problem
I have a love-hate relationship with my groundhog(s). OK, mostly hate. But I must admit seeing Mom (or Dad?) leading a waddling pack of youngun's across the yard is an adorable sight. Then I quickly come back to my senses when I find my patch of astilbes missing their flowers entirely.
I did it again - did not post my reply. Thanks about the balloon flower pic, Keith. It was an exceptional bloom in real life too. I have seedlings and they came true so far - double and blue. The gomphrena is there on my screen.
I'm with Wee on the groundhogs. As far as what lives under my shed, it changes from year to year so I'll just wait it out and see. We have a lot of fox in the neighborhood and I've found remnants of their dinners before in my yard. Unfortunately they seem to prefer rabbit and I think my favorite one just got wacked.
1. Last fall I found pink balloon flower on sale. I always admired it in other people's gardens but actually on close inspection it isn't as interesting a flower as the blue.
2 swamp milkweed
3. a coneflower that survived the groundhog - he doesn't go to the front of the house
4. Bush's Poppy Mallow
5. Zahara Sunburst zinnia with Strawberry Blonde Marigold
This message was edited Jul 29, 2019 9:36 PM
Nice, Loretta
Variegated heliopsis and lilies, lilies, lilies
I guess you win some and you lose some! Was very disappointed with this new lily find called "Must See". Each plant is supposed to be unique in colours ranging between the deeper orange on the left and the pale green on the right with various blends in between. They opened really weird. It was kind of like they busted open before they were developed. After a while the oranges looked semi like a lily but the pale greens are just gross. I am hoping that it was something brought on by the extreme dry we had as they developed and then a flip to soggy wet when they opened. If they look like this next year I think they will be gone. They looked stunning in the seed catalogue. They are in the same bed as the gorgeous red, yellow and orange beauties in the last post so I don't think it's because I didn't give them a good home.
Maybe they need a couple of years to hit their stride. I know I say it alot but your garden is GORGEOUS!
Thank you Loretta. Yes, I am hoping those lilies will improve when they get established
Golden rod and Echinacea
I had given up on toad lilies because they always get eaten before they have a chance to bloom, but the last year or two, I found a spot that seemed more protected. Then last week, my adorable groundhog discovered the site and mowed down the buds. But I saw this past weekend that he missed one!
Scutellaria incana is blooming now, also. Again most of the buds were eaten but one cluster of buds had gotten knocked down by a twig, so the varmint didn't see it.
Finally a friend gave me a plant last year - he didn't know the name, just that it had white flowers. I overwintered it in a pot and it just bloomed - a huge white bloom. From an internet search, looks like Datura metel to me, though I'm not a Datura specialist since they're not hardy around here. Very pretty, but the bloom just lasted a day!
Very pretty toad lily Wee. And you still think thd groundhog is cute?? Mine is very fast and still alive but so far noevidence of what he is eating. Maybe the deer are just taking the blame for his damage?
A trip to Montreal Botanical Garden yesterday. Lots of beauties.
Echinacea, snakeroot, Miss Wilmott's Ghost (my favorite name for a plant) and allium.
Beautiful. Thanks for sharing those.
Last of my Oriental Lilies to flower. Believe this one is Black Star?
Nice
Hi guys. No perennials to post lately but there are no stars lacking in the fall annual garden. Almost wound down. Frost has been threatening.
Great combos, Keith. That Black-eyed Susan vine is such a nice color. I am growing a white one and it is stringy and stingy.
WR, beautiful photos. I still love that scutellaria
Wow they added rotation!
Thank Lorettaabd as usual I love your posts. I thought everyone on this thread had hibernated for the winter. Nice to see the caladium. I have not been able to find a supplier for them in Canada. Love them and see them in so many combinations on Pinterest but can't get my hands on them
No one ships bulbs to Canada?
Zinnia Queen Orange Lime - some of the better blooms IMO.
Marigold Mission Giant Yellow actually looks like the picture on the seed package!
Zinnia Queen Lime with Blotch and friend
Heliopsis 'Bleeding Hearts' - surprise nursery find
Dahlia 'Pooh'
Those are definitely some gorgeous zinnia blooms. That heliopsis is way different than my bleeding hearts. Very nice though. This is a shot of mine from ladt year
That's because yours is Burning Hearts and mine is Bleeding Hearts. I made the same mistake when I started to write my post. I don't know if it will make it over winter but it was the only one at my new favorite nursery - Plant Detectives up near my son's college. I'm hoping it makes some seeds at least. Heliopsis is one plant that the rabbit and gopher don't eat.
I am loving those zinnia blooms. Not all of them are as nice like these but others probably have mites. It's in a part of the garden where every plant has white stippling. Do they have that in Alaska? But here are some more nice examples at a public garden near me of Queen Orange Lime.
Then there is Queen Lime with a Blotch. I didn't get as lucky with the flower form on this pack but I will try it again.
Favorite New Guinea Impatiens this year.
Then I found Marigold Strawberry Blonde at that same nursery. Like a real blonde she seems to have dark roots. Most of the flowers changed color from what they were initially to the dark red left center.
Gomphrena 'Fireworks' - I like this one and so does the groundhog.
OMG. Another senior moment. Can't believe I made that mistake. Guess I should be able to believe it as I am having the same problem with people's names. LOL. A wow on the strawberry blonde! Doesn't look like any Marigolds here.
My favorite zinnias to date has been Zahara Sunburst but yours surpass them.
A little better example of Zahara Sunburst
Results of a package of 250 Impatiens seeds
Striking contrast between Redhead Coleus and Cardoon right at or front door
Wow! My gosh, I can't believe you have such a short season and I can't believe you started all those impatiens from seed. Everything looks great and I love your front door combo.
Your Zahara Sunburst looks great. I got mine late in the season and they never plumped up like yours. And as I said, I made the same mistake on the heliopsis but I double checked myself and caught it before I posted.
Wow, lots of action while my back was turned. We've taken a couple vacations so I've been out of commission. I returned to find a couple toad lilies in full bloom. I had nearly given up on them due to rabbits/groundhog nibbling but found a sheltered place near the house the varmints seem to avoid.
And I now see the rotation feature - nice!
