Saturday, May 25, 2013

Spring delights

Moving along at light speed, spring is zipping through its yearly display here in the gardens. There is something so uplifting about the beautiful yellow-greens of the emerging foliage on the deciduous trees, the fresh sinuous curls of the unfolding hosta foliage and of course the early blooming shrubs and perennials. I'm making a real effort this year to get outside with the camera every other day or so to make myself acutally look and enjoy the gardens instead of just looking for, and at, all the work that needs to be done. Here are a few highlights from the last couple weeks.

This gorgeous clematis vine that decorates my mailbox is looking great this spring. It's an early large flowering variety 'Miss Bateman' that is pruning group two. I love this combination because the round, violet shape of the allium heads echo the flower centers of the clematis blossoms. This is grown with a Rosa 'The Fairy' at it feet.

Clematis 'Miss Bateman' with Allium 'Globemaster'

Clematis 'Miss Bateman'

Clematis 'Miss Bateman'

This tree peony has been in my garden longer than I've kept track of plant names so I have no idea 'who' it is, but, what it was this year is absolutely stunning.  I had it in another location in my garden and I moved it to my east facing perennial border a few years ago and it has let me know it loves it new location.  Unfortunately the heavy rains of the last several days have ruined the flowers for this year but the four or five days I got to enjoy them are still worth giving this plant space in the gardens.
Tree Peony
 


Rhododendron 'Boule de Neige' in the shade garden at the back of the garden.

Rhododendron 'Boule de Neige'
 I started this fuchsia standard nine years ago and it's still doing well. It had a good winter under the lights this year. I upgraded the light fixture I keep the fuchsia standards under to a unit that has eight 6400K tubes. Lots more light and the fuchsias love it.  The dwarf tree behind the fuchsia is a twenty year old Rosa Rugosa.
Fuchsia Standard 'Beacon Rosa' with Rosa Rugosa standard
 My Japanese Wisteria has been in the gardens here for fifteen years or so and I've had a love/hate relationship with it.  It took seven years before it decided to begin blooming regularly for me and I almost removed it countless times. This year it's still recovering from the 'Snowtober' storm we had in October of 2011 where it lost more than half of it's canopy.  Not as much of a show this spring but it still beautiful flowers and is wonderfully scented.
Wisteria japonica 'Alba'
Wisteria japonica 'Alba'
This bearded iris is a star here and the only re-bloomer I've had good success with flowering reliably  in the fall. Immortality is one of the few bearded iris I give garden space to. 

Iris germanica 'Immortality'

Iris germanica 'Immortality'
Beautiful chartreuse foliage emerging on my Hydrangea 'Little Honey'. This plant is a star in the east border. Its beautiful foliage lightens up the garden all season.
Hydrangea quercifolia 'Little Honey'
A pretty spring combination of Lysimachia 'Alexander' and Salvia 'May Night'. This looks great all season. I prune back the salvia and it rewards me with continuous re-bloom.
 
We're having a rainy weekend here which is what allowed me the time to put this together but I'm thinking I'll go out to the garage and get a few containers put together. Maybe sneak out between the raindrops with my camera and see what other beauties are emerging out there. 

12 comments:

  1. Beautiful, Deanne...especially love the peonies!!

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  2. Deanne, I've been anxiously awaiting your garden pics! Love the pairing of the Clematis with the Allium. Your garden is so beautiful and I always get inspiration from your pairings. Can't wait for more!

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    1. Thanks Leslie! I've got an Iris 'Beverly Sills' blooming with a Weigela 'Summer Wine' I need to get a picture of. It turned into a great combo

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  3. Love that mailbox combo Deanne ..I discarded my tree Peony a couple years ago, I simply could not justify the space . I never got more than 3 flowers in the ten years I had it here..but the flowers ooo-la-la ! If I had a bigger garden I would find a spot for one .

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    1. Thanks Kathy. My tree peony was exactly like that when it was in the back garden. When I moved it to the east border it immediately started doing better and this year has outdone itself. It really loves the morning sun. That garden gets sun from sunrise until noon or so. Funny how some plants respond so differently to a small change of venu

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  4. The Globemaster Allium look fabu with Miss Bateman. I have that Clem and this is the first year she's pumped out more than one flower. Immortality used to be a good performer for me but I moved it a couple of weeks ago and it hasn't bloomed since. Great series of pics. Keep them coming!

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  5. Lovely photographs!
    'Miss Bateman' is on my want list for clematis. I am currently enjoying the monatana type clematis 'Mayleen', only two years old and already nearly fifteen feet long, and loaded with small pink blossoms.
    I shall have to remember 'Immortality' that looks like a good white.

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    1. Many thanks for the comments! I wish I could grow the montana's but they just aren't hardy here. I've tried several times with no success. Lucky you!

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  6. Love Miss Bateman! She looks tres glam climbing around your mailbox (guessing!) Everything looks gorgeous in your garden! Rosa rugosa grown as a standard is a new (to me) and wonderful idea! Thanks for an inspiring post!

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    1. Thanks! Yes indeed that is the mailbox Miss Bateman is hugging in her spring finery. The Rosa rugosa was a great challenge. My cousin visited here years ago and the Rugosa shrub had put out a huge cane and I told him jokingly I should train that into a standard to which he said, "You can't make standards out of Rugosas" Hmmmmm.... Just tell me I can't do something and the challenge is on. LOL

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    2. Lovely blooms Deanne! I'm mighty sick of weather extremes and would like some time to get the garden going this spring/summer. Today I worked in the rain because tomorrow is supposed to be a scorcher. Yet, the plants are handling it well, better than I am!

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