Gardening and Gardens

The azaleas are in full bloom at my house and in my neighborhood. I love the splash of color it provides in the garden. Here is mine nestled next to a weeping spruce: My neighbor has a whole hedge of azaleas along the sidewalk:  For all other times of the year, these shrubs are rather ordinary. But for the few weeks they are in bloom, it's a show stopper along the street. I love the how the different color blooms mesh together in this informal hedge, like a painter's palette at the end of a painting session. Personally, I like the informal look to these shrubs rather than the perfectly sheared forms. Here are a few examples of those: Azaleas should be pruned immediately after flowering which will allow for new leaf growth and return to natural form before it sets its new buds for next year. Waiting three months or later after bloom may sacrifice next years blooms.  Here is another example of the natural beauty of this shrub. Here, the yellow, ...

Dogwood trees and azalea bushes are in full bloom. Tulips are saying goodbye as iris are saying hello. Hostas, ferns and solomon's seal are speading their leaves and making themselves comfortable in the shade. Here are a few other things blooming in my Long Island, zone 7b garden this month. The allium are just about to pop open in front of a stunningly gorgeous azalea.  Clematis Claire de Lune just opened yesterday. It's peeking out above a nearby hosta which will contine to keep it's roots cool during the hot summer months.   These Anenome Madonna are enjoying their first year in my garden. I love the delicate wispy stems on these flowers and look forward to watching them continue to grow.  A lovely pink columbine is blooming happily next to the ferns and hostas. Under a blanket of pink petals from the fading Kwanzan cherry tree, the shade garden is coming to life. Taking center stage right now are the 2 magnificent bleeding hearts....

Spring is here. Time for rebirth, new growth and the start of a new cycle of life. I've been on a bit of a hiatus these past few months and for that I apologize. But it's been a busy winter here. In December, we moved to a new house. Then in January, I gave birth to twins. And now it's May and I'm finally starting to settle into the rhythm of life with four kids and a new house.  Having moved from a rental house where I only had containers and a small deck, I am fascinated to see what is popping up at this new house. From what I gathered from the neighbors, horticulturalists used to live here and as a result, there are some really nice plantings on the property already. However, the people that we bought the house from had let these plantings take over. As a result, there are a lot of overgrown shrubs, a bizillion hostas and lots places of neglect. In addition, the back part of the property is very wooded and on a slope. There is one level spot where I assume held a s...