Pansy Orchid

Pansy Orchid

Miltoniopsis Teresa Mulhollan HOF Jumbo

(mil-toh-nee-OP-sis)

Pink Japanese Camellia

Japanese Camellia
Camellia japonica
(kuh-MEE-lee-a) (juh-PON-ih-kuh)
Synonyms: Common Camellia

I hope no one got caught up in yesterday’s formatting fiasco. If you got additional emails from this site I do apologize. When I first started out on Blogger it had a lot of problems, which after awhile seemed to get straightened out but they are starting up again. Since I want a permanent record of my posts they are written in MS Word and then pasted into Blogger. Communication doesn’t seem good right now. A new template might help because this one is old.

Today’s flower is a garden classic. It looks like a big pink pillow. I would love to lay my head down on it and wake up in the spring but alas we have to make through the biting winds, frozen landscape and short days before the wonder of spring returns.

I am still recovering a little from our trip to the Rockefeller Christmas tree on Saturday night. Crowds were expected but when leaving we got stuck at 6^th Avenue and 50^th Street. Literally it was human gridlock. Nobody could move forward or back. Finally the police came and opened up some of the barricades and allowed us to cross 6^th Avenue. Luckily I had Erika (our granddaughter) in my arms because she might have disappeared if I didn’t. After crossing the avenue it was still crowded but we were able to make a quick escape to our car. What a night.

Large Fothergilla

Large Fothergilla

Fothergilla major

(foth-er-GIL-la) (MAY-jor)

Synonyms: Witch Alder

This flowering shrub was photographed in the spring. If you look in the background the leaves were just starting to come out. Fothergilla is a nice plant to have in the garden especially some of the newer varieties. It gets to be a large shrub but slowly and is easy to manage. The flowers last a long time and are fragrant. The flowers do not have any petals and are considered bottlebrush types (a personal favorite). The Fothergilla flowers are tactile they have a nice rubbery feel to them. Not enough can be said for the fall color on this plant. It is an amazing shower of yellows, reds, oranges and even some purple. Truly an autumn beauty.

Since it is Sunday come join us at Today’s Flowers. Sunday means a bonus snapshot.

Just a nod to all the tulips we planted this fall. They seem to be having a good resurgence in people’s taste. This Peony flowered type is a couple of seasons old but still looked nice.

Brunello Asiatic Lily

Asiatic Lily

Lilium 'Brunello'

(LIL-ee-um)

This was a cute little flower we saw blooming in New York City last summer. The orange was beautiful and the plants and flowers had formed a large group. While getting this picture together I thought of doing a little research on how Lilies are classified and got a little more than I bargained for. It is a quite complicated system bit lucky there is a Division system that classifies the garden types. Since these are Asiatic they belong in Division 1.

Here are the other divisions:

Martagon hybrids (Division II)

Candidum hybrids (Division III)

American hybrids (Division IV)

Longiflorum hybrids (Division V)

Trumpet lilies (Division VI)

Oriental hybrids (Division VII)

Other hybrids (Division VIII)

Species (Division IX)

Asiatic Lilies are easy to grow. They seem to return each year with abandon. These bulbs are not particular to soil but need good drainage. They can be grown in Northern gardens as they are extremely hardy.

Ruby Red Cymbidium Orchid

Asian Corsage Orchid

Cymbidium ‘Via El Diablo 'Ruby Red'

(sim-BID-ee-um)

These photos are from the lost rolls of Orchid pictures I recently found on my hard drive. It is generally not like me to take pictures and then not even look at them since this blog needs a constant stream of new flowers. Cymbidium Orchids have appeared on this site many times and seem to be a good looking photogenic group. There are 52 species mostly native to subtropical Asia. They are popular as houseplants and cut flowers. I like how the light shines through on the second shot making the flowers almost translucent. That totally changes the color, which seemed to have a bit of variation among the spikes even without the back lighting.

Anybody else glad it is Friday? We are going to try and see the Rockefeller Christmas Tree this weekend. I am going to be putting my Christmas list together also. I really want a new/used guitar but don’t think Santa can be that generous this year. Since when did a new Fender Stratocaster become so expensive? The problem is as I have become a better player over the years the demands that I make on my instruments seem greater. The vintage 1960’s reissue would be great but the Pawn Shop line of guitars is probably more attainable.

Built as a dream guitar hybrid of several different models the 1951 ‘Nocaster’ in a blonde finish would be ideal. Time to hit craigslist for a used one maybe.

I am going to email Santa with a link right now!

Kenora Charmer Ball Dahlia

Ball Dahlia

Dahlia ‘Kenora Charmer’

(DAHL-ya)

While we are the subject of Dahlia here is a nice Ball type from last year. The shading and flower form are pretty amazing. Not sure why the Ball Dahlias are not more popular.

Since today is the first of December that means winter hours at work (slightly later in the morning and earlier in the afternoon). There is always a lot of work to get everything ready for winter during this season and this year is no exception.

"I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December

A magical thing

And sweet to remember.

'We are nearer to Spring

Than we were in September,'

I heard a bird sing

In the dark of December."

Oliver Herford, Poet (1863-1935)

Sir Alf Ramsey Dahlia

Informal Decorative Dahlia

Dahlia 'Sir Alf Ramsey'

(DAHL-ya)

Rainbow Sorbet Rose

Floribunda Rose

Rosa 'Rainbow Sorbet'

Lucky Red Flame Lantana

Lucky Red Flame Lantana

Lantana camara ‘Lucky Red Flame’

(lan-TAN-a) (kuh-MAR-uh)

Lantana flowers have been featured on this blog many times before, which is testament to its free flowering and photogenic qualities. Here in the north there are no concerns about it becoming invasive because the winter kills it off every year. Even in gardens where there have been hundreds of them planted year after year I have never seen a seedling.

Lantana is a tough plant that needs little in the way of water and grooming. The leaves are considered to be allergenic but I have never gotten a rash from handling them. Using gloves to handle the plants is advisable. The leaves and berries are considered toxic but again I have caught my dog nibbling on the leaves with no ill effects.

My experience is they do not do well in the house over the winter. It is just a lack of vigor and they can be prone to insect problems, which doesn’t seem to happen outdoors.

Woolly Blue Violet

Woolly Blue Violet

Viola sororia

(vy-OH-la) (so-ROR-ee-uh)

Synonyms: Sister Violet, Viola papilionacea

This is a classic flower that can be invasive, which sometimes causes some ill will towards it. To me it is usually an asset, especially in deep shade. This black and white is from a nice strain that inhabits the walk to the tennis court. The markings and shadings are very nice and it doesn’t seem to reproduce too rapidly.

Viola sororia is a common wildflower that can be variable. Some distinguishing traits include heart shaped leaves, flowers and leaves are on separate stems that come from the roots, the flowers are held just above the leaves and the flower petals are not spurred. It is the state flower of four states (Wisconsin, Illinois, Rhode Island, and New Jersey). The flowers are edible as are the roots.

Visit Today’s Flowers for flower pictures from around the world.

Bonus picture for Sunday.

Daylily

Hemerocallis

(hem-er-oh-KAL-iss)

A black and white Daylily from the summer.

Barbara Karst Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea 'Barbara Karst'

(boo-gan-VIL-lee-uh)

This variety of Bougainvillea is one of the better ones for cultivation in our area. We have had it in a pot for several years now. It usually blooms during the winter and invariably needs to be dug out of a corner when it starts to bloom. I don’t try and use it during the summer anymore since it usually only has a couple of scattered blooms. It is nice to have and I am jealous of the people that can grow it outdoors year round. This specimen is kept in control by occasional shearing because in a container the natural kind of wild growth habit wouldn’t be acceptable. Other than that it takes virtually no maintenance except a handful of granular fertilizer once in a while.

This photo shows the actual white flowers of Bougainvillea. The colorful parts are bracts, which are modified or specialized leaves. It is one of the showiest examples of bracts that I know of. They help in attracting pollinators.

Pink Petunias

Pink Petunias

Petunia hybrid

(peh-TEWN-ya)

These Petunias seemed very happy this summer. Blooming with abandon and happy faces. Towards the end of the season the petunias got a little too much rain and fizzled but during the summer they were producing waves of color in the container garden.

We are back at work after a lovely holiday. Just some cleanup and installation of 100 tulip bulbs. Time to put some of these gardens away for the season.

Collarette Dahlia

Collarette Dahlia

Dahlia 'Alpen Cherub'

(DAHL-ya)

First things first, Happy Thanksgiving to all the American readers here. I hope the day is full of family, friends and good food. We are travelling this year to my brother’s area near Hartford (about 1.5 hours away). I am looking forward to seeing everyone.

Most of pictures posted here lately have been taken at times stretching over the last several seasons. There was one mum and a hardy geranium blooming in the garden this week but generally it is a dull and dreary landscape we are now dealing with. Since the foliage is now down you can see all the damage to the trees that happened during the snowstorm of a couple of weeks ago. The earlier Tropical Storm didn’t help either. It is just nature carrying on its business but it looks heartbreaking to me. Sometimes I just want to stop the truck and try and help some of the broken trees along the roads but haven’t so far.

Today’s Flower is a Collarette Dahlia. It is an especially elegant and sophisticated form of the familiar flower. “Alpen Cherub’ is a nice bushy free flowering variety. The flowers are small by Dahlia standards (2-4 inches across) but make up for that by blooming in well coordinated waves. It blooms proudly and the delicate shading on the extra petals is truly beautiful.

Rainbow Orchid

Rainbow Orchid

Vanda
(VAN-duh)

Compound Leaves in Black and White

Compound Leaves in Black and White

Blue Agave

Blue Agave

Agave tequilana

(a-GAH-vee) (te-kee-lee-AH-na)

Synonyms: Tequila Agave, A. palmaris, A. pseudotequilana

This is a little stand of Blue Agave we saw growing in Southern California. While the main purpose of growing this plant is to get the sap from the heart to distill tequila it seems to make a nice looking landscape plant too. The dusty blue and arching leaves are pleasant to look at but the leaves are very pointed and can present some danger to gardeners and farmers.

This plant is native to the Jalisco area of Mexico where it likes to grow at an elevation of 5,000 feet. The heart of the plant has a high production of fructose and they are harvested after about 12 years. Once the agave flowers it dies with each flowering stalk producing several thousand seeds.

Aloe

Aloe

(AL-oh)

This is one of the over 500 species of Aloe. I really tried to track down which one but it was entirely futile. This plant didn’t have the big spikes that some Aloe have but its low kind of geometric flowers were interesting. The color was nice too. We have been growing some Aloe plants for several years in the greenhouse and they have not flowered yet. They do well inside and are often seen blooming in conservatories.

Aloe is a genus that has been providing medicinal benefits for thousands of years. Still used to treat various skin maladies such as burns and sunburn the juice is also used to treat various digestive problems. Native mostly to Southern Africa only a few of the species are used in medicine (Aloe vera being number 1). The sap is considered to be an allergen and should be tested on a small area of skin first.

“Four vegetables are indispensable for the well being of man; Wheat, the grape, the olive and aloe. The first nourishes him, the second raises his spirit, The third brings him harmony, the fourth cures him.”

Christopher Columbus (1451-1506)

Since it is Sunday come join us at Today’s Flowers. Sunday also means a bonus snapshot.

xLaelocattleya Orchid

Lc. Gold Digger 'Fuchs Mandarin'

(lay-lee-oh-KAT-lee-uh)

Ugh another Orchid genus to learn. As with a lot of other Orchids the Laelocattleyas are in a state of taxonomical flux. I just enjoyed the deep color and amount of flowers on this particular plant.

Coreopsis

Coreopsis

Coreopsis

(kor-ee-OP-sis)

Not really sure which of the many available Coreopsis this one is but it has been an outstanding perennial for the last two years. The bright double flowers have been brightening up a small strip bed by the driveway and slowly increasing in size. Up until about two weeks ago it was still blooming but the snow and cold finally got to it. It is plants like this that make gardening easy. Other than a little trimming and some deadheading no maintenance was required. I hope we can divide this one next spring and spread the joy to somewhere else in the garden.

On my desk right now I am trying to design a new vegetable garden for a long-standing client. The existing garden is a good mix of perennials, bulbs, shrubs and trees and firmly established. We finally decided on a spot for the “farm” and pending a few trees being removed are ready to go. I want a functional and esthetic design that uses the space to fullest extent but still looks good.

Girard's Renee Michelle Azalea

Azalea

Rhododendron 'Girard's Renee Michelle'

(roh-do-DEN-dron)

This azalea was photographed this spring. It was kind of by accident we ended up with ‘Renee Michelle’ in the garden. It just happened to be the best looking Azalea at the nursery at the time. We didn’t end up regretting that because it has been a nice addition to the Azalea collection. The color is cheerful and the compact growth habit is nice. Getting up to a final height of 36 inches it fits into it's smaller growing space nicely and has bloomed heavily during the two springs it has been in the ground.

Girard hybrids are a fairly new introduction. They have been especially bred to withstand northern temperatures. They come in a good range of colors and have some fall color. Leaf retention through the winter is better than most types of Azaleas.

Jiuhbao Gold Orchid

Oncidium Jiuhbao Gold 'Tainan'

(on-SID-ee-um)