Carefree Delight Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Carefree Delight'
Synonyms: MEIpotal, Bingo, Bingo Meillandecor, Bingo Meidiland
Bred by Alain Meilland, France, 1993


Wordless Wednesday

Japanese Stewartia

Japanese Stewartia
Stewartia pseudocamellia
(stew-ART-ee-uh) (soo-doh-kuh-MEE-lee-uh)
Synonyms: Stewartia koreana

Blooming Now!

Tetraploid Daylily

Tetraploid Daylily
Hemerocallis 'Drums Along The Mohawk'

This is another Daylily from the Cleveland Botanical Garden. I liked the intense color and how it stood out among the sea of green foliage surrounding it. It is a Tetraploid Daylily, which generally means it has larger flowers, more intense color and sturdier scapes than diploid Daylilies. There is a more scientific definition to Tetraploid Daylilies than that but basically it has extra chromosomes in each cell and that enhances the flower.

This next shot was at the Cleveland Zoo and I had never seen Flamingoes bunched up like this and I have never noticed their pink feet before either.

Phoenicopterus roseus

Like yesterday both of these shots were taken with the D70s and 24mm Sigma lens. It is a nice combination.

Hybrid Daylilies

Hybrid Daylilies
Hemerocallis ‘Bella Lugosi’
Hemerocallis ‘Belle Cook’
(hem-er-oh-KAL-iss)

Seems like I am always posting Daylilies for Today’s Flowers but these ones were special. ‘Bella Lugosi’ was very dark red and had a lot of large flowers. Very distinguished looking.

‘Belle Cook’ has a huge flower with the heavy crinkling around the edges. It had several colors mixed in the flower and they all seemed to work together. Another special looking Daylily.


Both of these photos were taken at the Cleveland Botanical Garden. It is a small facility with a nice collection of interesting perennials and shrubs. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and would recommend it to people in the area.

See more flowers from all over the world at Today’s Flowers .

Here is the bonus flower for TF. It was a unnamed Daylily blooming in the Perennial Border. All of these photos were shot with my backup body, a D70s, and a Sigma 24mm/1.8 lens.

Bottlebrush Buckeye

Bottlebrush Buckeye
Aesculus parviflora
(ES-kew-lus) (par-VEE-flor-uh)

Since we are in Ohio this shrub seemed appropriate. It is a great flowering shrub for shade gardens. They bloom in June and are quite a show. This shrub can get quite large (15 feet tall by 10 feet wide) but always seems to find its place in the garden without being overpowering. The plants at the Estate do require a little bit of pruning but other that that they pretty much grow on their own. In addition to the summer flowers the clear yellow fall color is a nice additional feature of Bottlebrush Buckeye. The leaves and nuts of this plant are considered poisonous.

We are going to a wedding on the shores of Lake Erie today. This is the third and hopefully last wedding I have been to for this person. Let’s hope third time is a charm.

Rouge Cardinal Clematis

Rouge Cardinal Clematis
Clematis 'Rouge Cardinal'
(KLEM-uh-tiss)
Synonyms: Red Cardinal


This really red Clematis was blooming at a local nursery. It sure was a nice shade of red and seemed to be blooming heavily. It is quite a hardy cultivar that was introduced in 1968. We will be scouring Cleveland for some flowers today. I will let you know what we find.

Simply Scentsational Heliotrope

Simply Scentsational Heliotrope
Heliotropium hybrid
(hee-lee-oh-TROH-pee-um)

If you send my wife to the nursery to buy annuals you know she will return with some Heliotrope if they have any, that is a given. This year she returned with the ‘regular’ dark purple type that we always grow and this new (to me) type. It wasn’t impressive in its little 4-inch pot but after planting in a few containers has come into its own. It seems Proven Winners has combined the nice traits from two different species of Heliotrope and came up with a winner. The fragrance is really nice and the soft kind of pastel colors has won me over.

We are headed to Cleveland for the weekend for a wedding. So I’m not sure what the Internet or flower story is going to be out there so I may not be posting but I am going try and keep up here.

Simply Scentsational does not feature the traditional umbrel type flowers. They sometimes grow with this kind of modified small plume.

Hypnotica Dahlia

Decorative Dahlia
Dahlia 'Hypnotica Yellow'
(DAHL-ya)
Dahlinova series

Red Shrub Roses

Red Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Red Corsair'
Synonyms: Korromalu, Roter Korsar, Temptress
Bred by W. Kordes & Sons, Germany, 2004

Work of the Poet/ Ruby Tuesday

Wordless Wednesday

Austin Rose 'Buttercup'

Austin Rose
Rosa 'Buttercup'
Synonyms: AUSband, Buttercup 98
Bred by David Austin, UK, 1998
Parentage: Graham Thomas × Undisclosed

This rose picture was captured at the NYBG rose Garden so I don’t have any personal experience growing it. It is truly a beautiful rose and if I were to see it at the nursery it would probably end up in my cart. It figures that one of its parents is the great yellow Austin Rose ‘Graham Thomas’, which was featured on this site a couple of weeks ago.

This coming week should be fun. Even though it is a little hot out we have a big transplanting job. Just have to add a lot of water, I guess. The plants have to move for some construction and after that is done there will be a new little garden to build. On Thursday we are headed for Cleveland for an old friend’s wedding. They don’t have a photographer so I will be taking a lot of pictures.

Pink French Hydrangea

French Hydrangea
Hydrangea macrophylla
(hy-DRAIN-juh) (mak-roh-FIL-uh)
Synonyms: Mophead

It had been a while since I had seen a true pink Hydrangea but this one was blooming in Union Square Park in Manhattan yesterday. The change from all the other blue Hydrangeas was refreshing and really looked nice. There are a few of cultivars that stay pink but they are often mixed up and sold under the name ‘Glowing Embers’. Many people turn their Hydrangeas blue by adding aluminum to the soil ( see this page). Once I had the responsibility of growing a large mass of Mophead Hydrangea and instead of turning them all blue I just sprinkled the aluminum here and there in the bed and it ended up having a beautiful tapestry of colors.


This daylily was also blooming at the park and is the first one that I have seen that wasn’t ‘Stella Doro’ or the orange species. It looked good and the sun was shining on it.

I was in NYC to buy a new guitar amp. The one I ended up with is pretty cool. It can talk with other people and download other tones and software from the internet.

See more flowers from all over the world at Today’s Flowers .

Austin Rose Mary

Austin Rose
Rosa 'Mary Rose'
Synonyms: AUSmary
Bred by David Austin, UK, 1983
Parentage: Wife of Bath × The Miller

When we first planted this rose my initial impression was “it is just a another pink”. Over the time it has been the garden it has charmed me with its delicate shades of pink, good blooming habit and nice fragrance. Like most of six or seven other Austin roses in the garden it has performed well and is always a delight when it blooms. It has proved itself to be disease resistant and that is always a big plus.

Of the new roses I purchased this year ‘Mardi Gras’ is doing fantastic. The flowers are almost psychedelic and it has kept producing them. On the other hand ‘Burgundy Iceberg’ has been an epic fail. Yesterday it had to be cut to the ground because a heavy mildew infestation. It has a beautiful color and had quite a few flowers before it went away but it was the only rose out of 180 that had the mildew. I hope to be able to report later in the season that it is back but right now it is on the ‘don’t plant’ list.

Peony Poppy

Peony Poppy
Papaver somniferum var. paeoniiflorum
(puh-PAY-ver)
Synonyms: Opium Poppy, Paeony Flowered Poppy

This flower was growing out behind the vegetable garden at the farm we were working at. It was totally new to me and it took a little research to figure out its name. I wish these pictures came out better but it was really overcast and windy and that made photography conditions difficult. Most of the flowers had already bloomed in the little patch but there were a few of these pink ones and a couple of a nice red type. The already spent flowers were displaying a nice seed head typical of the genus. Later when I return to that house I want to get a few seeds as I was reading they are easy to grow from seed.


This has been a good week for me. No doctor’s appointments at all for the first time since the end of February. I am now on a three or four-month rotation with all the different doctors and that is okay with me. I am waiting to hear from the new cardiologist at Columbia as to when I have to return but hopefully that will be in a few weeks.

Double Delight Hybrid Tea Rose

Hybrid Tea Rose ‘Double Delight’
Synonym: ANDel

Foxglove

Foxglove
Digitalis purpurea
(dig-ee-TAH-liss)

Cherry Pie Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Oso Easy Cherry Pie'
Synonyms: MEIbouka

This new rose sure caught me attention for being so red. It is a short spreading rose that was introduced by Proven Winners. It is supposed to be disease resistant and doesn’t require any spraying.

‘Oso Easy Cherry Pie’ is part of the Oso series of roses, which has several other roses including ‘Paprika’ (Orange), Peachy Cream (Peach), and ‘Strawberry Crush’ (Pink). This one looks like it is going to be another of the great semi-maintenance free roses that have been introduced over the last few years. The flower reminds me of ‘Home Run’ with a different habit of the bush.

Lime Green Flowering Tobacco

Lime Green Flowering Tobacco
Nicotiana alata 'Lime Green'
(nih-koe-shee-AY-nah) (ah-LAY-tah)

Is lime green the new pink for gardeners? It sometimes seems that lime colored plants are taking over. I have personally planted ‘Limemound’ Spirea, ‘Lime Sublime’ Roses and ‘Lime Rickey’ Coral Bells this year. This flowering tobacco has a really strong lime coloring as both the flowers and foliage impart the color. This plant almost glows under the right conditions and maybe that is the attraction.

Nicotiana is a nicely fragrant annual that likes full sun or part shade with moist soil. It is a native of North and South America. Since the plant contains nicotine it is considered poisonous if ingested.


See more flowers from all over the world at Today’s Flowers .

Bengal Orange Bougainvillea

Bougainvillea
Bougainvillea ‘Bengal Orange’
(boo-gan-VIL-lee-uh)

This is a relatively compact form of Bougainvillea. It really should be named ‘Bengal Pink’ as the orange color is not that apparent. It has the strange property of being more orange when viewed from a few steps back and looks pinker up close. The leaves are strongly variegated with a nice shade of dark green and light cream.

I had petty much given up on growing Bougainvillea in containers other than the few that hang around the conservatory. Resisting their colors and the tropical flair they had to the garden is proving difficult.

English Marigold

English Marigold
Calendula officinalis 'Radio'
(ka-LEN-dew-luh) (oh-fiss-ih-NAH-liss)

This is one of my favorite annuals. I just wish there was a way to keep it going during the summer. It often makes a strong comeback later in the season and lasts through a few light frosts. There have been several other posts on this flower here before and I am not going to post the same information again (use the search to find the posts). This particular variety of Calendula has been around since the 1930’s and it has a nice deep color and a good flower form. I really hope it self seeds for next year. Here it is June and I am already thinking about next year. I should slow down and enjoy the upcoming season.

This next picture is the famous Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in Manhattan. The other week when I went to NYC I had just watched the movie Serendipity with Kate Beckinsale. Who I think is the hottest thing to come out of England since the Beatles. A lot of the movie was shot at the Waldorf and Central Park and it was fun to kind of revisit the sites so soon after watching it. We did stay at the Waldorf several years ago and it was a pretty amazing weekend. I ordered a $45 steak from the room service menu and that is way over what I would usually pay but when the steak came it was one of the best I ever had and worth the money. In this picture you can see the Swiss flag flying which means that a high level member of that countries government is staying there.


The picture of the Calendula was taken with the D700 and 105mm macro lens. It is great combination and hard to miss the shot with. The Waldorf picture was taken with the D70s, which has come out of semiretirement, and the Sigma 17-70mm lens. I noticed how noisy the D70 photograph was compared to the D700 (it may not be apparent at this resolution).

Have a Happy Friday, everyone.

Goldenstar

Goldenstar
Chrysogonum virginianum
(kris-OG-oh-num) (vir-jin-ee-AN-um)
Synonyms: Green and Gold, Chrysogonum australe

Finally got a picture of this great little groundcover. The patch I had at the Estate died out but another house I was tending to had a couple of areas where it was growing. Luckily the P6000 camera accompanied me to work. Bringing the compact camera is just a whole lot easier at work than the DSLR. So far the little camera seems pretty rugged only sustaining a small scuff on the LCD screen.

Chrysogonum likes to grow in moist partial shade but seems adaptable to other conditions. These plants were growing in between some big stepping stones in full sun and seemed happy. It is native to Pennsylvania to Ohio and south to Mississippi and Florida. As a bonus the deer don’t seem to bother it.

Geranium

Geranium on the Big Island
Pelargonium x hortorum
(pe-lar-GO-nee-um)

Stictocardia

Stictocardia
(stik-toh-KAR-dee-uh)

Deep Yellow Rose

'Anthony Meilland' Floribunda Rose
Synonyms: MEIbaltaz

This rose had one of the deepest yellow colors I have seen. The full on flower didn’t fade at all it was still deep yellow. The bush itself was a little small but the foliage was clean. My only complaint was the lack of fragrance. A rose that looks this good should have a nice smell but I didn’t smell anything even though I was pretty close to the flowers.

Breeder: Meilland International
Introduction: Star Roses, 1994
Petal Count: 26-40
Fragrance: Mild to none
Parentage: Seed: Sunblest × MEIlenangal
Pollen: Spek's Yellow


There seems to be a preponderance of yellow flowers posted on this site lately. It just has been a happy accident. I have been enjoying the yellow flowers more than usual.

Today's Flower Polyantha Rose

Polyantha Rose ‘Margo Koster’

This is a rose type that is a little forgotten these days. Polyantha roses have been around a long time (introduced in 1875) but have recently been overshadowed by the floribunda types. They are known for having trusses of small flowers continually through the season, while keeping a small and tidy habit. These roses are not particularly hardy and a good choice for southern gardens. There is one type that I see around here and seems hardy and prolific called the Fairy rose.

‘Margo Koster’ was discovered in the Netherlands in 1931. It grows to 2 to 2.5 feet tall and blooms throughout the season. I have to admit lately I am a sucker for any flower with this coral color. There seems to be more and more flowers being introduced with this color and that is okay with me.

See more flowers from all over the world at Today’s Flowers .

Since it is Sunday I like to add a bonus flower.


Malope ‘Queen Mix’
Malope trifida
(MAL-oh-pee) (TRY-fee-duh)
Synonyms: Mallowwort, Purple Spanish Mallow

Malope is an attractive member of the Mallow family (Malvaceae). This plant is considered a half hardy annual that often reseeds itself. It is generally tall plant but the flowers are small but come in colors that make a nice display.

Austin Rose ‘Graham Thomas’

Austin Rose ‘Graham Thomas’

While going through the hundred rose photos I took last weekend. I picked these two but didn’t know they were related. The first is the English rose ‘Graham Thomas’, which is named after the great horticulturist. What can you say about a rose that is this color, has a good habit, is free flowering and has a nice fragrance? It is one of my favorite Austin roses.

When I picked out this second picture I did want a rose that had a similar color. Little did I know that ‘Graham Thomas’ was one of the parents of this Pioneer rose. ‘Stephen F. Austin’ had a very unusual color. It was a little pink, a little white and a little yellow all at the same time. It was very intriguing when viewed as a complete bush. This rose was introduced in 2006 by the Antique Rose Emporium and is named after the “Father of Texas”.

Banana Cream Shasta Daisy

New Yellow Shasta Daisy
Leucanthemum ‘Banana Cream’
(lew-KANTH-ih-mum)

This is an exciting new plant. Without buying into all the hype about it being new I have to say that it is beautiful and it caught my eye from across the nursery. The yellow is quite subtle and it seemed to be staying even on the flowers that were full blooming although there were some differing hues on them. Now some of the publicity for this perennial is shouting up to 50 flowers per plant and great life as a cut flower (lasting up to 2 weeks). The flowers are considered semi-double and at 4 inches wide nicely sized.

These were growing in the holding area of the nursery so I wasn’t sure if they were for sale. They were priced and I was glad to see it was he regular wholesale price for a one-gallon perennial. Since I have to return tomorrow I am going to see if I can snag a couple for the perennial border. It should make a nice foil to the regular Shasta Daisies that are there now.

Weeping Kousa Dogwood

Weeping Kousa Dogwood
Cornus kousa 'Lustgarten Weeping'
(KOR-nus) (KOO-sa)

This tree is blooming right now, which is just one of its special attributes. It flowers long after the native Dogwoods (Cornus florida) and has the added beauty of having the leaves out and that provides a nice green backdrop for the flowers. It also gets a nice fall color and even has a good winter outline.

There are actually two of these trees at the Estate and they are slightly different and that has always been a bit of a mystery to me but researching this post revealed there is 'Lustgarten Weeping' and ‘Elizabeth Lustgarten’ cultivars of Weeping Kousa Dogwood. I always thought it was a seed source variation. Both specimens are growing in a lot of shade and seem to be taking forever to mature. They need a little pruning and not much maintenance in general.

I am not sure who the interloper is on the first photograph but he is probably up to no good. I am happy that I captured the actual flower of the Dogwood, which is the little green part in the middle. The showy white parts are bracts, which are really modified leaves.


This second picture shows the attractive star shaped flowers as a group. It was shot in monochrome with the Coolpix P6000 compact camera.

Hardy Pink Waterlily

Hardy Pink Waterlily
Nymphaea 'Sumptuosa’
(NIM-fee-uh)

Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers

Emily Dickinson's Garden: The Poetry of Flowers
At The New York Botanical Garden
April 30–June 13, 2010
Bronx, New York

Going into the show I really didn’t have high expectations. The mixture of words and gardens is a powerful one for me but a whole show devoted to poetry and flowers just didn’t seem like it was going to be interesting. After walking into the Conservatory it revealed a perfect period garden with a great assortment of plants and flowers. Most of the plants were what I would call common but they were nicely presented and for a few seconds I forgot that I was in a building that I have been in hundreds of times. The flowers and plants were arranged as a border and I could imagine myself walking around at Emily’s garden admiring the various types of Hollyhocks, Larkspurs and Delphiniums. Throughout the displays were little, what I call Plant trivia, signs about the language of flowers and the plants themselves both of which were interesting.

There were couple of building mock ups at the intersections of the greenhouses. Again these were well done and looked like the fit right in.

Here are a few of the featured flowers:


Poor Man's Orchid
Schizanthus pinnatus
(ski-ZAN-thus) (pin-NAY-tus)


Rocket Larkspur
Consolida ‘Sydney Light Blue’
(kon-SO-lih-duh)


Dame's Rocket
Hesperis matronalis
(HES-per-iss)
Synonyms: Sweet Rocket

I realize now that a few full pictures showing the why the exhibit was laid out would have been helpful. All I had for lenses was the 105mm macro and in a relatively small space it isn’t going to give much of a landscape shot. You will just have to use your imagination and take my word that the show is worth visiting.