Pincushion Protea

Pincushion Protea
Leucospermum cordifolium
(loo-koh-SPER-mum) (kor-di-FOH-lee-um)

I hope this flower is identified correctly. It was in amongst a virtual forest of King Protea (Protea cynaroides) so that is what I based the ID on. Both of these photos were taken on the upper reaches of Maui last year. It was pretty amazing walking around the shrubs and seeing them erupting into the giant and radiant flowers (a little volcano humor there since this was in the shadow of Haleakalā). Here is a good reference page @ plantz Africa.com on the plant.

Since it is Sunday come join us at Today’s Flowers .

Bonus Picture!


Black-Eyed Susan Vine
Thunbergia alata
(thun-BER-jee-uh) (a-LAY-tuh)

This is always a fun flower to see especially in the tropics where it can become a huge tangled mess of flowers. It does well for us an annual but doesn’t quite have the vigor of its tropical cousins. This pure yellow version was a nice change from the usual orange type.

Wax Begonia

Wax Begonia
Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum 'Bada Bing Pink'
(be-GON-yuh) (sem-per-FLOR-enz kul-TOR-um)
Synonyms: Fibrous Rooted Begonia

This little dwarf Begonia has been chugging along like Begonias do. There are a number of reasons that I like Begonias. They are pretty and colorful, insect and disease resistant and most of all they are not water hogs. The funny thing about Begonias if they don’t get watered after establishment they just stay small. That is way better then having a ragged plant that wilts everyday. Also the animals don’t seem to like them so they are a good choice for areas with deer and rabbits.

Franz Schubert Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Franz Schubert'
(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)

“Arranging a bowl of flowers in the morning can give a sense of quiet in a crowded day - like writing a poem or saying a prayer.”
Anne Morrow Lindbergh

When I came across this quote it reminded me of this blog. Each morning I carefully select a flower from the digital garden for my “bowl” and arrange it for the people that visit. Even though it's a lot of work it does return a lot of satisfaction. Today’s flower is one that has delicate shadings of pink on a white background as if nature had dabbed each one with a brush to get it right. The shading doesn’t have to be perfect just good enough to present a semi-uniform appearance. The careful geometry and shading is a miracle in a lot of ways and a great way for me to start the day as I head out to help build and admire some of these beauties.


Garden Phlox as it has been said here before can be the backbone of any summer flower border. It’s tall and proud as it knits the garden together. Sure there are problems with the cultivation but they can be overcame for the beautiful final product.

Blue Star Japanese Aster

Japanese Aster
Kalimeris yomena 'Blue Star'
(kal-lih-MEER-iss)
Synonyms: Kalimeris incisa

While I found these flowers to be beautiful it is always a little unnerving to see one of the “fall” flowers blooming. IT has been a strange year as the both the Asters and left over Chrysanthemums have been trying to bloom for what seems like months now. We have been diligently pinching the other plants but the Kalimeris escaped us. This is a under used perennial that is both hardy and carefree.

It can stand on its own or mixes well into a perennial border. Since it only grows to 18 inches tall it doesn’t need staking and is a free bloomer. Pinching it during the season to encourage bushiness and slow down the bloom time is really the only maintenance involved in the cultivation.

"Chide me not, laborious band!
For the idle flowers I brought;
Every aster in my hand
Goes home loaded with a thought."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

We really need some rain here. Earlier in the week we got teased with several showers but that's it. I was watching the raindrops hit the ground and bead up with no penetration. I was jealous as everyone I spoke said “Oh yes we had rain” but it didn’t come down where I needed it. At least the killer heat has broken and we are enjoying some nice summer days.

Queen Red Lime Zinnia

Zinnia
Zinnia elegans 'Queen Red Lime'
(ZIN-ya) (ELL-eh-ganz)

Hardy Water Lily

Hardy Water Lily
Nymphaea x marliacea 'Chromatella'
(NIM-fee-uh) (mar-lee-AK-ee-a)
Synonyms: Marliac Yellow, Golden Cup

Summer Nights False Sunflower

False Sunflower
Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra 'Summer Nights'
(hee-lee-OP-sis)
Synonyms: Rough Heliopsis, Orange Sunflower

This flower seems to have a lot of different monikers. It really has a bold color and the flowers are nicely sized. It is not nearly as big as a traditional sunflower but the proportions seem about right. ‘Summer Nights’ does get a little tall and can flop but a couple of well timed pinches can help with that. The leaves and stems in the spring come out with a nice purplish tint. This photo was taken last week when the temperature was about 100 degrees F. A true summer flower the Heliopsis didn’t seem to mind.

I have a big day planned as we are heading down to Manhattan to do some planting and then to Pound Ridge. I have said a little prayer to the parking god to ease me in this morning. It has cooled down somewhat, which is very agreeable.

Golden Pseuderanthemum

Golden Pseuderanthemum
Pseuderanthemum reticulatum ‘Eldorado’
(soo-der-RANTH-ee-mum) (reh-tick-yoo-LAY-tum)
Synonym: Yellow-Vein Eranthemum, Golden Net-Bush

This is a flower that I saw for sale around here for the first time this year. It’s cute and dainty but the name is a mouthful. It is considered an evergreen shrub but certainly not in Connecticut’s climate. Although recent temperatures sure have made it feel like the tropics around here. The flowers of Pseuderanthemum are nice with their random pink spotting at the base and the foliage also adds some interest. The foliage emerges as kind of a chartreuse color and then gets darker. The gold veining is striking and unusual. I will have to try some in the future.

Since it is Sunday come join us at Today’s Flowers .

Also here is Sunday’s bonus flower picture.


Petunia
Petunia hybrid
(peh-TEWN-ya)

The Petunias seem to be holding up despite the heat and this group of purples was spotted in a hanging basket.

Our Butterflies “hatched” and are now flying around in their little enclosure. We put some flowers and sugar water in there for food. The whole thing started when we visited the Key West butterfly conservatory and Karen bought a kit that allows you to raise your own butterflies (after sending away for the caterpillars). When she got it I just assumed it was going to be one of those things that you don’t finish but she did it and we now have 4 Butterflies, which I am on the record for releasing.

Canna Lily

Canna Lily
Canna x generalis
(KAN-uh) (jen-er-RAY-liss)

This flower has been greeting me as I walk out the front door each day. My wife, who is also a professional horticulturist, planted a pot with this Canna, some Heliotrope, Gaura, and Verbena and it really looks nice. The idea was to attract some butterflies. We are currently raising some caterpillars in a jar to soon set them free as butterflies. My how things change here I am being friendly to some caterpillars! Watching the different stages of development has been interesting.

This Canna is a dwarf and sorry I don’t have the name. It has green foliage and has been steadily blooming for what seems to be weeks. At first I wasn’t totally taken by the color scheme or random pattern on these flowers but they have grown on me. Cannas work well in containers but the tall types can overgrow and flop the whole pot over. So much breeding has been done to these plants that there are now 100’s of different cultivars available. If you want some of the specialty types order early! They are quick to sell out and many types seem to have tight availability. In this climate Cannas must be lifted and stored for the winter, which is something I have never really gotten the hang of and generally treat them as annuals. Of the nearly 30 years I have been gardening the Cannas only lived in the ground once during the winter.

Coral Tall Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Junior Dance'
(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)


Yesterday while picking up a some plants at the large wholesale nursery I grabbed a few photos of the perennials that were blooming. I used the 105mm macro lens and it seemed to be working perfectly. More and more I find myself manually focusing my camera even though the D700 comes with an astounding auto-focus system.

Since it is that time of year again the Garden Phlox was sure to make an appearance here. A true garden classic Phlox can form the heart of any perennial garden. On the plus side they are free flowering and generally don’t need staking. The flowers attract butterflies and sometimes hummingbirds. It is also a true summer bloomer. On the negative side is its proclivity towards getting powdery mildew. We have found that using resistant varieties (as this one is) and one application of fungicide early in the season goes a long way towards controlling the problem. The flowers are generally not affected but the mildew but it sure makes the plants hard to look at.

‘Junior Dance’ is a compact form of the Tall Garden Phlox. It grows about 18 inches tall. Like most of the Junior series it tends to branch laterally rather than upright. The color is amazing and one of my favorites in the garden. This variety was introduced in 2004.

Decorative Dahlia

Decorative Dahlia
Dahlia 'Gallery Pablo'
(DAHL-ya)

Coneflower

Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Now Cheesier'
(ek-in-AY-shee-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

Lotus

Lotus
Nelumbo 'Charles Thomas'
(nee-LUM-bo)

One of the highlights of a trip to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden is seeing the Lily Pool Terrace. It is a couple of long rectangular pools with a smaller round one in the middle. The round pool has a big but slow fountain that drips down the sides. Both sides of the area are filled with various flower gardens with annuals, perennials and bulbs. The Café and the entrance to the Conservatory are there also.

It was nice not to have to be the guy hanging over the side of the water trying to focus on the flowers with a short lens. The 200mm was perfect for getting shots of the few Lotus and the large amount of water lilies blooming. Seeing the Koi swimming among the flowers was nice too.

Lotus flowers always seem special to me. I am not sure if it is the fact they are blooming out of murky water or it’s their shape and structure. The colors are usually muted although ‘Charles Thomas’ had a nice kind of cherry red shading to it. According to research on the subject the flowers bloom pink and then fade to light pink as it ages. ‘Charles Thomas’ was the first Lotus ever granted a patent in the Unite States and is named after the former president of Lilypons Water Gardens. It was introduced in 1984.

Ceriman

Ceriman
Monstera deliciosa
(mon-STER-uh) (de-lis-ee-OH-suh)
Synonyms: Windowleaf, Split-leaf Philodendron, Mexican Breadfruit, Philodendron pertusum, Monstera lennea

This beauty was growing inside the conservatory at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden . It is an amazing set of buildings that can easily send you on a journey past the gritty streets that surround it. Pretty much everything was in great condition at the garden. I didn’t stay too long as all the walking made me tired.

Huge and bold foliage of the Monstera

My day started out getting all my gear ready. This is a list of what I took:

D700 DSLR Camera
D70s DSLR Camera
80-200mm Nikon 2.8 lens
50mm Nikon 1.8 lens
24mm Sigma 1.8 lens
Camera Bag Tamrac (I bought for $10 at a tag sale)
Ipod filled with new music

I purposely left out the two lenses I use the most the 60mm/2.8, and 105mm/2.8 (both Nikon). The thought was to try and see things a little differently than my “crutch” lenses. Although I missed both of them. I put the 80-200 on the D70s and the 50 on the D700. One good thing about the 50mm is it is very inconspicuous. After gearing up I drove the 25 miles to the train station. Metro-North trains come a lot closer but the Katonah station is nice and it is easy to park. Soon I was zipping by the towns of Westchester County like Hawthorne, Pleasantville, Chappaqua and White Plains. I had a playlist for Selena Gomez and Christina Grimmie’s new CDs. Both of which are excellent.

The train left me at Grand Central so I went into the subway and got on the 6 train going downtown. After changing onto the ‘Q’ train at Union Square I was headed out to Coney Island. That's when the memory washed over me. When I was 15 or 16 I was supposed to go to Coney Island with the girl I liked then. Her name was Sandy and she was beautiful. The trip was all planned and at the last minute Sandy backed out. She blamed her mother, which knowing the woman was probably true. Sadly I never made it out to Brooklyn that day. Sandy and I did end up going out for a short while. She was a sweetheart.

As the train rumbled through the dark tunnels every once in a while breaking into brilliant sunshine on the elevated sections it cut across the heart of Brooklyn I had sometime for quiet reflection. Was I some how trying to relive the trip not taken 33 years ago? What happened to Sandy? All this was accomplice by the discography of The Byrds I had loaded unto my Ipod last week. I was struck by the lyrics from the old country song, “Roger McGuinn had a 12 string guitar. It was like nothing I'd ever heard.” His 12 string does have an amazing sound. During my contemplation with the sounds of the 1960’s ringing in my ears a beautiful woman came on the train and sat next to me. I almost asked if her name was Sandy but instead just sat quietly admiring her beauty.

Soon it was last stop the Coney Island/Stillwell Avenue station, which is modern and architecturally pleasing. I made my way to the boardwalk and marveled at all the new rides and some of the old ones. I also visited the New York Aquarium whose entrance is right off the boardwalk. After some pictures and viewing the scenery on the beach it was back on the train to the Prospect Park stop to visit the Brooklyn Botanical Garden. Upon leaving the station the garden entrance was about a block away.

It was a beautiful summer day. The best thing was there wasn’t a lot of humidity, which can ruin summer around here. After visiting the Lotus Pool, Annual garden, Café, Conservatory and rock garden I was done. Back to the subway for the long ride to the 42nd Street/Time Square station. After that I jumped on the Grand Central Shuttle and caught the train to Westchester. Over all it was a great day. Two world-class attractions in one day. I will be posting some more pictures during the week.

Come join us at Today’s Flowers . Flowers from all over the world.

Sunday means bonus picture. Shot with the 80-200mm lens and D700. It was easy to do a back portrait when the flower is 7 or 8 feet off the ground. It is one of the Hardy type of Sunflowers but I didn’t get the name.

Pink Beauty Hybrid Hydrangea

Pink Beauty Hybrid Hydrangea
Hydrangea 'Preziosa'
(hy-DRAIN-juh)
Synonyms: Mophead Hydrangea

The color on this Mophead was unusual to say the least. It was a very elegant pink. I have not been growing this one but it seems like it would be a classy plant to have in the garden. One garden that I supervise has about 50 Hydrangea but most are the traditional blue type but the Dwarf Pink (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Pia') we planted a couple of year ago have done fabulous. They are an interesting foil to all the blue ones.

Today I am doing something I hardly ever do and that is go to some of NYC’s outer boroughs for a few pictures. It’s going to be a public transportation type of day. Check back to see pictures of my journey.

Sienna Sunset Threadleaf Coreopsis

Threadleaf Coreopsis
Coreopsis 'Sienna Sunset'
(kor-ee-OP-sis)
Synonyms: Tickseed

This flower was featured on this blog on June 28, 2009. I was raving about the color then and still am. I thought it would be nice to do a follow up on how the plant performed in the garden. 'Sienna Sunset' has been great. It is a low maintenance plant that is easy to grow and rewards the gardener with a flush of a color not easily found on other perennials.

Coreopsis has about 115 species in the genus mostly native to the North America (28 species), Central and South America. It is the state wildflower of Florida. It has good hardiness and other than shearing after flowering grows on its own.

The flowers on this type start off with a sienna color and than fade to a nice orange. It grows to about 12 inches tall and slowly spreads and fills in it’s spot in the garden nicely.

Hybrid Rhododendron

Hybrid Rhododendron
Rhododendron 'Chionoides'
(roh-do-DEN-dron)

Years ago this wasn’t my favorite Rhododendron but it has through the years won me over. One thing that is nice about it is the smaller general habit of the plant. It stays a dense and bushy 4 feet tall by 4 to 5 feet wide. It probably isn’t dwarf but compared to a lot of similar Rhodos it seems that way. It is also always a heavy flowerer coming out with nice trusses of white flowers in the late rhododendron season ( blooms in late May here). The dark green kind of pointed foliage is nice all year. So if you are looking for a dense, slower growing broadleaf evergreen for your garden 'Chionoides' rhododendron is a good choice.

The weather around here is so whacky. After a mini heat wave it is in the 50’s this morning with a good breeze. A little cool for just a tee shirt. Now all we need is some rain, which may come next Tuesday.

Spring Daffodil

Spring Daffodil
(nar-SIS-us)

Dakota Sunspot Potentilla

Shrubby Cinquefoil
Potentilla fruticosa 'Dakota Sunspot'
(poh-ten-TILL-uh) (froo-tih-KOH-suh)
Synonyms: ‘Fargo’

White Petunias

Petunia
Petunia hybrid
(peh-TEWN-ya)

This flower is quite similar to the Supertunia I posted recently except that the flower is about half the normal size. They came in untagged so the mystery remains. The plant is spreading out well in a container and it is weird that the flowers are so small. Not small enough to be Million Bells (Calibrachoa) but not large enough to be regular Petunias either. They have been mixing with some very deep pink Supertunias and seem to fit in well.

We are starting to get into the summer doldrums out in the garden. The roses are still going pretty strong bit most everything else seems to be taking a breath right now. The Rhododendron maximums are blooming better than I remember over the last 25 years. They look nice even though their flowers can’t compete with the hybrids (spring blooming) in the collection. After flowering they need to be pruned and headed back. They seem to like to get a lot taller than the other species.