Gardening and Gardens

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's a look at what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. The buds on the Montauk Daisies ( Nipponanthemum nipponicum ) are starting to show. I've pruned this down twice throughout the summer to help keep its shape and can't wait to see the blossoms in a few weeks! I love the pink hue of the Sedum  'Autumn Joy' against its lush green foliage. I still have a few Black Eyed Susans too which are a lovely contrast to the pink. To my delight, the Lychnis coronaria decided to bloom again (left) and the potted geranium continues to put on a good show. I recently planted some new mums in the front of the garden and to the back, more will soon be blooming.  This just started blooming too and I believe it is Salvia farinacea (Victoria White) The blooms on the panicle hydrangea (possibly Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva'??) are turning a light pink which is so pretty. The shrub I inherited is co...

For the past few weeks, I've noticed a big, brown spider outside my front door resting on an equally big circular web. The web itself was about 2 feet wide and I certainly couldn't walk out the door without stepping right into it. It seemed to appear and begin spinning the web around 9pm and by 6am the following morning, the web and the spider were gone - only to appear in the same spot the following evening.  I did a little research and found out that the spider is actually called a Nocturnal Orb Weaver. The Nocturnal Orb Weaver is a garden spider that comes out at night, creates a big "orb" shaped web and waits for an unsuspecting insect to land in the sticky web (most likely attracted to the lights by the door to the house). They are most noticeable in the late summer and fall because that's when the spiders and their webs are the largest. It's usually the female sitting in the web and soon she will lay her last batch of eggs and die before th...

Heat, humidity and thunderstorms -- all part of summer here on Long Island. I'm thankful for my Black Eyed Susans (Rubeckia hirta 'Goldsturm') as they continue to look great, despite all kinds of weather. Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - have a look at what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. Under the japanese maple, the sedums are almost ready to bloom. A few pink echinaceas still peek through but the real show stoppers are the rubeckias.  Along the side of the front garden, the purple Angelonia angustifolia 'Dresden blue' is doing beautifully. The lantana in front of the Echinacea magnus is also looking good.  A perennial lobelia (Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria') just started to bloom. I just love the deep red colored flowers on erect stems against the deep, dark foliage below.  The crape myrtle is in full bloom. I've never had one of these before and I love it! I might prune it after its finished blooming t...

I’ll admit it, impatiens were never at the top of my list of favorite garden plants. Everybody and anybody plants impatiens. Sure, they are cute and easy to grow, but I've always been drawn to the slow growing/bloom-for-only-a-few-weeks type of perennial.   Bottom line, they didn’t excite me. For the past eight years, I’ve lived in rental houses where I was forced to grow plants only in containers. I vowed that when I finally bought a house, I would not plant impatiens. Being a horticulturist, I knew there were other, more unique and intriguing plants out there that would thrive in the shady areas. Impatiens walleriana Nevertheless, after buying our first house this winter, I found myself drawn toward impatiens for my yard. I have come to realize there really is a place for this showy annual among the perennials and shrubs in one’s garden. A bland spot under the hedge in the front of my house needed a punch of color and within week, bam! the “Salsa Mix” Impatiens  ...

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my new garden this month: Flower box just outside the front door is blooming with Lobelia, Petunia and Bacopa. This little beauty is just starting to bloom. Looks like a Pee Gee Hydrangea to me. Do you agree? Finally my Impatiens have filled in. I love the mixture of pinks and oranges. It's called "Samba Mix." Hot and spicy! I love this combination of purple Russian Sage and the yellow Black-eyed Susan. Another Hydrangea starting to bloom. This one looks more like the Panicle Hydrangea (Hydrangea paniculata 'Tardiva' maybe?) At the curbside garden, the Hostas along the sidewalk (to the right) are getting too much sun. The leaves are yellowing and it doesn't look healthy. I'm not a big fan of this type of Hosta and its flower stem is long and wispy. But the Hosta in the back (left foreground), I like.  The leaves are green with yellow margins. T...

As I walked around the gardens this morning, I noticed beaded drops of water on everything. The humidity in the air was keeping the dew on a little longer today. The song "Morning Dew" by The Grateful Dead popped into my head. And so, that song, along with the beauty of the early morning, are the inspiration for this week's post.  Walk me out in the morning dew my honey,  Walk me out in the morning dew today. I'll walk you out in the morning dew my honey I guess it doesn't really matter anyway. 

Among all the overgrown shrubs I've inherited on my new property is the beautiful Mountain Laurel, or Kalmia latifolia . It exploded with clusters of pale pink flowers which created "pom-poms" all over. The buds are usually a deeper pink color and then they pop open to these cup-like flowers. They have a very sweet fragrance which can draw you in, but beware because all parts of this plant are poisonous. The dark, glossy green leaves resemble Rhododendron (they are in the same family) and are evergreen. Like most Azaleas and Rhododendrons, Mountain Laurel prefer soils with an acidic pH and partial sun. It's also the state flower of Connecticut and Pennsylvania!