Nutmeg Geranium

Nutmeg Geranium
Pelargonium fragrans
(pe-lar-GO-nee-um) (FRAY-granz)
Synonyms: Sweet-leaved Geranium

This little Geranium was still blooming at work last week. That earned it a spot inside for the winter. Any plant that can bloom under the conditions we have had is tough and should be able to survive under glass for a few months. This is a nice species of Geranium but needs to be planted in groups for the flowers to be effective as they are quite small. The foliage has a nice fragrance and is also very detailed. I am glad we potted this baby up because it wouldn’t have made it through are impending cold snap.

Last week we spread the ashes of the “big three” at the Estate. I thought it would be a sad occasion but in the end it wasn’t bad. We released some balloons and the kids had some star confetti to throw out. More than a week later I found these three stars lying on the ground and got a nice warm feeling that the three of them again overlooking the garden. We sure do miss all three of them but are glad their spirits live on.

Caudiciform Morning Glory
Ipomoea platensis
(ip-oh-MEE-a) (pla-TEN-sis)
Synonyms: Plata Ipomoea

This was a new flower for me. It was growing in a container and the vine part of the plant had grown to about 10 feet tall on its trellis. One of the interesting parts was its large and swollen caudex (the thickened persistent stem base of some herbaceous perennial plants). The way it had intertwined itself was amazing. This native of Argentina uses the water storage tissue in its caudex to survive extended droughts. The flowers were pretty with their two shades of pink and ruffled appearance. The foliage was nice too. You can see a little peeking in the side of the photo.

I have recently been struggling in how to write the story of the last member of the ‘Big Three’ that passed away last week. First I want to say that both of my dogs are okay. Both Ruby and Juno are doing fine. This is about someone else’s dog. During the 1990’s there was a lot of construction at the Estate. Not only were a lot of the gardens built then there was a lot of building construction at the same time. Almost everyday we would bring our dog, Molly, to work. There was also the caretaker’s dog, Garlic and the owner’s dog, Lily. These three dogs got along very well. They would often be hunting, digging (ugh) or just hanging out together. I don’t think I have ever seen dogs from different families enjoying each others company as much as these three did. We would often have Garlic and Lily over for sleepovers.



Molly (l) and Garlic
Photos courtesy of Conley Myers

Lily

It was one of those times in life when everything seemed to be just right and the three dogs just added to that. Molly would get so excited in the morning because she would know that she would be running around in with Garlic. All I had to say to her was “do you have your hard hat and lunch bucket?” and all hell would break loose. Three exceptional dogs, all gone now, that made a mark on my life and will never be forgotten.

Silverleaf Ponysfoot

Silverleaf Ponysfoot
Dichondra sericea
(dy-KON-druh) (ser-IK-ee-uh)

This plant was marked Dichondra sericea at Wave Hill. There wasn’t much information on that particular species. I have been growing a plant similar to this but it has smaller leaves and more of a trailing habit. That might be Dichondra argentea but I am not really sure (maybe some one can help me out here). Either way having a silver plant with the trailing habit has been a real treat in the garden. This one was growing in a container and I think I will try that next year. It really looked nice against the terra cotta colored pot.

This second plant is Hosta ‘Peidmont Gold’. It is a striking large leaf Hosta that was planted in partial sun. I loved the color and the texture of the leaves. I am not a big fan of Hosta flowers and much prefer them for their foliage.


As promised here are a couple of pictures of the new dog. These photographs are property of Susan Boyd and Morningstar Huskies.com. It is going to be a long two weeks until we get her.


If you are looking for a great Siberian Husky puppy contact them. The dogs from Morningstar have a nice temperament and they are beautiful. This maybe the first time that I have posted a photograph on this blog that someone else took.


I finally got around to visiting some of my favorite gardening blogs yesterday. Problem with not visiting for awhile is it takes that much longer to catch up. Everyone is growing and posting such wonderful stuff.

Green Threadleaf Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Viridis')

Green Threadleaf Japanese Maple
Acer palmatum var. dissectum 'Viridis'

I wanted to get a few fall foliage pictures and these are what I ended up with. I can keep dreaming of taking those gorgeous landscape shots with all the trees on fire. I can’t even find the right place to try and take a shot like that and if I did I probably wouldn’t be able to capture it. The first shot is a Green Japanese Maple. I like the green ones especially since they can grow in shade pretty well. This tree has had its ups and downs over the years. It had an inexplicable stretch were the bark peeled off the top of the branches and it really thinned out. On one of the gardening forums I am member of this same cultivar did the same thing so I was wondering if it was an incompatible graft or as someone else suggested some sort of sunburn. Anyway it came back from that and unless you look closely you can’t even see any damage. It puts on quite a show in the fall and the winter outline is nice. I think when you use the scientific name for this tree you it is okay to drop the var. dissectum.


This second shot is Sumac. I am not sure which one but it is not the species that grows on the side of the road and in waste lots. It is a handsome garden plant that gets this great red. It also gets hairy orangey-red seeds that look nice. This is not Poison Sumac!


I wanted to post this picture although I could have used a bit more depth of field (a lot more, actually). It is a Maple I had never seen before called Red Vein Maple (Acer rufinerve). It is also known as Honshu Maple and Melon Skin Maple. It is a small tree that is a snakebark type. The fall color was outstanding on the few leaves that were left on the plant. I saw this at the local nursery yesterday and I am kicking myself for not buying it. I guess I could go back but it is really out of the way. I should know better than to hesitate or waffle on something like that. If you see a plant you like and it is hard to get and it is priced fairly reasonably then you got to go for it right then. The Maple was 40% off to top it all off.


This plant is Fothergilla major or Large Fothergilla. It is also known as Witch-alder. It is a lovely plant that has unique petalless flowers and as you can see great fall color. Here is a link to one of my favorite plant sites with more information on Fothergilla:

floridata.com

I like using Fothergilla in moist areas, part shade and woodland gardens. It looks great in all of them.


Finally I saw a funny bumper sticker on the way home yesterday it said:
“Please God help me be the person my dog thinks I am.”
How perfect. So I am posting a picture of one of my dogs, Ruby Tuesday Slippers. I wanted to call her Ruby Tuesday but thought that a reference to the slippers in the Wizard of Oz was nice to have. She is a three-year old Border Collie mix that weighs about 60 lbs. She is quite a dog and I know I think the world of her and judging by the way she acts when I get home she does the same about me. I just hope I can live up to her thoughts. I also have a 12-year old Siberian Husky named after the Hawaiian Island, Molokai. She is a lot different than Ruby but they are the best of friends.

Modern Shrub Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’ ABC Wednesday

Modern Shrub Rose ‘Gertrude Jekyll’
ABC Wednesday

If you’re here for Wordless Wednesday that post is below this one. Consider joining us for ABC Wednesday. It is open to all.

I always feel a little (tiny, really) twinge of pride when I post a flower that I have grown and photographed. This is growing in the Rose Garden I am tending to on a large farm in South Salem, New York. This little beauty was tucked way in the back but still blooming nicely. There are several large shrub roses planted in the back and before I pruned them they were pretty much snuffing this rose.

I am glad that I uncovered this one, as it is a beautiful clear pink with a luscious very strong fragrance. Another one of David Austin’s English Roses it is a cross between Wife of Bath × Comte de Chambord. I must admit that previously I have turned my nose up on Austin Roses and shrub roses in general. I had been favoring Hybrid Teas but the Grandifloras and Floribundas had been creeping in among my favorites. The Austins have been winning my heart though. As a gardener I should know better than to dismiss classes and types of plants but experience and observation is a great teacher. I had several posts about David Austin’s Roses on this blog.

‘Graham Thomas’, ‘Abraham Darby’ and 'Crown Princess Margareta' are just a few of the beautiful David Austin roses I have been enjoying.

Gertrude Jekyll was a famous garden designer from Surrey, England if you haven’t heard of her. Here is a link to more information on her fascinating life:
Click here.

One thing I learned about Miss Jekyll that I didn't know before was that she was a very accomplished photographer. That must have been tough to do in her day. I have two small connections to Ms. Jekyll. When I lived in Weybridge, Surrey it turns out to be about 30 miles from her area of Surrey. I certainly could see how that would inspire one to be a gardener. The other connection is my parents lived about a half mile from the Glebe House in Woodbury, Connecticut. I am pretty sure that the garden there is the only surviving Gertrude designed garden in the United States. I will have to take a drive up there is weekend.



Okay, in honor of our ABC Mentor, Creator and Guru I am posting this picture. It is Luca, a very special dog. He lives at the farm and visits with us gardeners often. He comes out with a big bluster of barking and teeth but is soon trying to cuddle up to you. He always has an eye on what’s going on but has time to play with your gloves, fetch a stick or just hang out. He is training for herding, which I don’t remember any German Shepherd that I have known actually doing any herding or shepherding. I think him and Wilma would make some beautiful puppies. He is quite handsome and loves to pose for pictures. I took about a dozen of him and all but two came out so it was difficult to pick. I did have to show those ears, though. They are something.



So, 'G' is for Gertrude, German Shepherd, and as Mike pointed out Grand Central



Here is the list for ABC Wednesday:
(I'll post more when I find them.)

mrs nesbitts place
hin's photoblog
tech the man
a bit of this a dash of that
Little Rock Daily Photo
photoxication
Kissing the Dogwood
strolling through Georgia
Ruth's Garden Blog
dwq online
kate isis
bidadlah.com
photography by kml
AVCR8TEUR'S Blog
Salty Dogs
The Modern Goddess
Simply Sage
HeART of the Nest
Gemmas House
author blog
kai

Here is another photo I took in Grand Central on Saturday. Humor me while I work on my Black and White Photography.