Hail!

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Eliza Waters

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While it could be worse, a gardener never likes to see hail in the garden once the plants have leafed out. 😦

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In A Vase On Monday

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Eliza Waters

I realized after supper that I needed to make a quick arrangement before the light faded. Being Memorial Day here in the States, red, white and blue would have been appropriate colors, but satisfactory blooms aren’t in my garden at the moment. I wandered around looking for inspiration until I spied the pink rhododendron and thought that might make a good start. It’s been a super year for my azaleas and rhododendrons. Perhaps the drought last summer spurred them into flower production and the mild winter spared the buds.

I added matching pink Geranium macrorrhizum blossoms, starry clusters of pale blue Amsonia tabernaemontana, and white bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis alba). A few grasses that were set to flower and variegated Lamium foliage finished the arrangement.

A second, small arrangement is rather whimsical, looking a bit like a multi-antennaed alien! I found a broken Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ on the ground and added chive blossoms buds that I had on the kitchen counter.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.

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Silent Sunday

Posted on May 28, 2017 by Eliza Waters

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Wordless Wednesday

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Eliza Waters

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The Tuesday View May 23

Posted on May 23, 2017 by Eliza Waters

May 23, 2017

May 9, 2017

Two weeks of ample rain and a three-day heat wave have created the perfect conditions for growth in the garden and beyond.

IMG_7909Allium aflatunense ‘Purple Sensation’ have begun blooming and A. giganteum are nearly so. The heat burnt its foliage– too much, too soon. With the ground still cool, excessive transpiration wilted many plants.

Much to my surprise a few of my parrot tulips survived the voles over winter. Tulipa ‘The Destiny’ (formerly ‘Estella Rijnveld’) and one ‘Green Wave’ have been my delight this past week.

German and Siberian Iris, old-fashioned coral bells (Heuchera sanguinea), Veronica ‘Crater Lake Blue’ are budding and the daylilies are robust, as are the lamb’s ears (Stachys byzantina).

Thin straps of Allium azureum have come back with the promise of June blooms and self-sown Nigella need to be thinned – so much to do, so little time!

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Allium aflatuense ‘Purple Sensation’ after the rain

Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season.

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In A Vase On Monday – Simply Heavenly

Posted on May 21, 2017 by Eliza Waters

Ages ago, when I was in my late teens, I walked down a sidewalk along a tall wooden fence. I smelled the most heavenly scent and had to know what produced it. I boosted myself up to peer over the top and spread below me was a huge carpet of lily of the valley (Convallaria majalis). I pledged then and there that some day I would have the same.

Today, I have several of my own carpets of lily of the valley, which continue to increase annually. I let it run wild, delighted with its sweet scent for the short time it is in bloom. I fill vases and tuck them all over the house. I fall asleep in a cloud of its deliciousness.

The small creamer pitcher is English Royal Crown Derby, an heirloom once belonging to my mother-in-law.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.

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Silent Sunday

Posted on May 20, 2017 by Eliza Waters

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In A Vase On Monday – Bleeding Hearts

Posted on May 14, 2017 by Eliza Waters

My bleeding hearts (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) are coming on fantastically and were the obvious choice for today’s arrangement. The past two weeks have been quite chilly with a few nights that threatened frost, but luckily we’ve squeaked through without any damage to these delicate flowers. The weather is helping the bulbs last longer, so we continue to enjoy the prolonged deliciousness of spring.

While I’ve written that I don’t grow tulips because of our vole problem, there are a few that still come up that were planted next to the foundation.  Tulipa ‘Creme Upstar’ have a peachy blush that I love.

The Narcissi are from a fragrant naturalizing mix – I believe they are ‘Thalia’ and ‘Cheerfulness’ and the sulfur yellow may be Jonquilla N. ‘Trevithian.’

The star-shaped leaves are flowering raspberry (Rubus odoratus). The jug has little heart-shaped flowers on it that are a perfect match for the bleeding hearts.

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In the Garden, who hosts a weekly meme to showcase arrangements created from our gardens. Wander over to see what gardeners all over the world are arranging this week.

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Backyard Visitor

Posted on May 10, 2017 by Eliza Waters

IMG_7869I was surprised and delighted to see this handsome fellow, a Great Horned Owl, in our backyard today.  They aren’t very common in our woods to my knowledge. In the twenty-seven years that I’ve lived here, I’ve seen only one. More often, I hear and occasionally see, Barred Owls.

I heard him first a few weeks ago, hooting down towards the river and yesterday, I was alerted to his presence by several crows mobbing him perched in the brush across the river. No crows in sight today, so we had a quiet visit before he flew off into the woods.

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The Tuesday View May 9

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Eliza Waters

May 9, 2017

The Eastern Redbud (Cercis canadensis) on the edge of the lawn bravely continues to survive and bloom. While this past winter wasn’t too bad, it was a previous, deeply cold one and heavy snowstorm that threatened its survival. It limps along.

Violets and dandelions dot the lawn and my little neighbor and I had our first Violet Tea party last week. We may even have the chance to get in another as it looks to be a good year for violets. The grass had to be mowed, three weeks earlier than ever before, due to a warm April. May has been rainy and cool so far, good for working outside and prolonging the Narcissus blooms.

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May 9, 2017

The perennials continue to grow. The giant alliums are budded, and a few parrot tulips that the voles missed are showing weakly. I’m contemplating wire cages for future tulip plantings. Lamb’s ears, daylilies, iris, veronica and astilbe are making progress. The blue globe has made its spring debut.

Previous views:

April 25, 2017
March 21, 2017

Thanks to Cathy at Words and Herbs for hosting The Tuesday View, a meme showing the view of one or more of our gardens over the course of a growing season.

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