Daylily Closeup

Daylily

Hemerocallis cv.

(hem-er-oh-KAL-iss)

Despite one of the hottest and driest summers I can remember the Daylilies proved they are tough, hardy performers in the garden. Despite installing several new irrigation systems for clients this summer I don’t have one at my house so the Hemerocallis lived and bloomed on a little bit of hand watering and that's it.

With this kind of weather it is easy to see the faults and shortcomings of the irrigation systems at work. It is generally easy to put down too much water and that isn’t good for most ornamental shrubbery. It is also easy to see dry spots that are usually not apparent when nature cooperates with some rain. While we didn't go through anything like the drought out west our area is used to at least some summer rainfall and even the thundershowers didn't come this year. Lucky things are getting back to normal (ugh, just in time for winter) in the precipitation department and we were able to keep most everything we planted alive but I do know that plants sometimes show their drought damage several seasons down the road.

 Bonus foliage picture. These are some Nandina domestica leaves

Large Fothergilla

Large Fothergilla

Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy'

(foth-er-GIL-la)

Synonym: Fothergilla gardenii x major, Fothergilla major

Scarlet Maple Fall Color

Scarlet Maple
Acer rubrum
(AY-ser) (ROO-brum)
Synonyms: Swamp Maple, Red Maple

This tree may have saved it's own life with this picture. It is located at the base of the estate near the bank of the lake. Periodically the lake floods about half of the root system. It is a multi-trunk specimen and that is the problem. The trunks are ugly and we have tried to make it look better but that led to a lot of sprouting and that looked worse. The top of the tree has been broken many times including during the October Snow from Hell of last year. I had finally decided to cut it down this spring but then I saw this picture and remembered why I had babying the tree along all these years. It provides a unique and colorful background to the plants planted in front of it.

Often times I am truly jealous of tropical gardeners especially when I see them having stuff year round and growing things like Palm Trees outside. This photo illustrates one of the outdoor pleasures I have that they don't. Everyone should see the New England forest in color. This species of Maple is one of the most populous here and if everything goes right, weather wise, they put on a fantastic show.

Spotted Hawkweed

Spotted Hawkweed
Hieracium spilophaeum 'Leopard'
(hi-er-uh-KEE-um) (spee-lo-FAY-um)
Synonyms: Hieracium maculatum

This post was originally going to be about some of the flowers I saw last week in Southern California but yesterday on a quick trip to Manhattan I decided to stop at the Conservatory Garden in Central park and on the way home Wave Hill in the Bronx. The Central Park garden was finished for the year. There were a few flowers if one looked hard for them but even most of the fall foliage had come down. It did yield the bonus picture for today.

Unusual mottled foliage of Hawkweed

The cute little yellow daisy was growing in a stonewall at Wave Hill. I hadn’t seen Spotted Hawkweed for so many years I forgotten about it. The flowers usually bloom in the summer but there were several out yesterday. I have always wanted this blog to feature flower pics that I had shot the day before and I lived up to that today. Wave Hill had a couple of other flowers out in the garden and as always the conservatory yielded some interesting blooms.

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT.

Today’s bonus picture is a tree not a flower.


Sassafras
Sassafras albidum
(SASS-uh-frass) (AL-bi-dum)
Synonyms: Tea Tree, Mitten Tree, Cinnamonwood

This is a fun native tree to me although some people find it a bit invasive. We are always trying to encourage them to grow at the estate with mixed results. It is difficult to buy from nurseries because of the long taproot but a few places are now offering container specimens. The fall color is lovely and if you look at the leaves hard you can find three distinct shapes growing on one tree. The leaves and roots have medicinal value for a variety of ailments but should be used with caution.

Maidenhair Tree Fall Color

Maidenhair Tree Fall Color
Ginkgo biloba
(GING-ko) (bi-LOW-buh)

I planted this tree around 1988.

Sugar Maple Fall Foliage

Sugar Maple
Acer saccharum
(AY-ser) (SAK-er-um)

The Sugar maples are already starting to color up here in Southern Connecticut and it's a little early but it is probably from all the stress the trees had this summer. Probably one of the most beautiful sights in our forest the Sugar Maples often turn orange, red and yellow on the same tree. They are strong hardy trees that can grow up to 100 feet tall but 70 to 80 feet is more common. This tree is commercially viable for both its sap (Maple Syrup) and timber. I am not going to worry too much about the timing of its fall foliage and just enjoy it while we have it.


Shrub Rose
Rosa 'Midnight Blue'
Synonym: WEKfabpur

Since it is Today’s Flowers here is a nice dark shrub rose. It really should be called ‘Midnight Purple’ and I like how the late season flowers on this rose have a darker and richer color than the flowers during the spring and summer. It does have a nice strong fragrance anytime the flowers are out.

Here is a bonus flower since it is Sunday. See more flowers from all over the world at Today’s Flowers .


False Autumn Crocus
Colchicum speciosum
(KOHL-chik-um) (spee-see-OH-sum)
Synonyms: Showy Colchicum, Naked Ladies, Meadow Saffron

These flowers always pop up in the garden this time of year even though they get no special care and are growing under what has become a handsome grove of White pine (Pinus strobus). They are not used that much probably because they end up a little floppy like these ones. Even though they are referred to as Crocus they are not. They have their own genus of Colchicum and unlike Crocus all parts of the plant are considered toxic. There are now several garden developed cultivars available to gardeners, which feature double flowers and some color variations.

Oakleaf Hydrangea Fall Color

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
(hy-DRAIN-juh) (kwer-se-FOH-lee-uh)
Click Here for a Larger Version


On December 5th Oakleaf Hydrangea was posted on this site. There were also a couple of pictures from Sedona, Arizona on that post. So when skimming some files from last fall I found this different fall color picture of Hydrangea and I also knew that I had this other picture of Cathedral Rock ready to go.

Oakleaf Hydrangea is usually nice to have in the garden. The flowers aren’t as familiar to people as the more common types of Hydrangea but are nice. One reason I like them is the plants are not as water hungry as the lace caps or mop head types. So in summer the Oakleaf often look better if your garden is a little dry. This type of Hydrangea has three seasons of interest summer: flowers, fall: leaf color, winter, nice bark. The deer do seem to like to nibble them.

Yesterday was our first day back at work and I have to admit I am a little whooped. The garden was in pretty good shape from the winter although I have found that there are two types of damage to look out for this time of year. There is the surface and easily apparent damage and the more subtle underlying things that you noticed only on very close inspection or later when the malfunction cannot be missed.

The first thing I noticed was the broadleaf evergreens (rhododendrons, holly, Andromeda, Mountain laurel) foliage was not brunt. That is a sure sign that the winter wasn’t that bad and although this winter seemed to go on forever we didn’t really have a lot of super cold temperatures here in Connecticut. We also had a nice blanket of snow, which provided insulation for most of the winter.

There were quite a few flowers out including all of the normal early spring stuff (Crocuses) and with the beautiful weather there seemed to be a lot of pent up energy just waiting to burst forth. The buds on most plants didn’t seem to be damaged so hopefully it will be a nice spring.

To everyone, Have a great first day of Spring!

Click Here for a Larger Version

This next picture is from Sedona, Arizona and is a view of Cathedral Rock. It is a beautiful area of Sedona and you can hike up to the gaps of the rock. I found they trail along the river (creek) to be fascinating but didn’t get much from the Vortex located in the area. Here is a good reference site for the Cathedral Rock area and all of Sedona.
Gateway to Sedona

More Sedona Snapshots – D700

More Sedona Snapshots – D700

Here are a few more snapshots all of them were taken with the D700 camera and the 105mm and 50mm lenses. The first shot is some Sycamore leaves that were still hanging on in the late afternoon sun. The light at that time of day seems a little more magical in Sedona then it does at home. It must be all the earth tones that surround you. Not just in the landscape but in the building materials and decorations. This is one of the few botanical photos I scored on the trip.

This was taken behind some of the stores on Main Street. I don’t know if it is called Main Street but it should be. The road is actually State Route 89A. Again the late afternoon sunlight was working. All the rocks have names but I only found out a few of them.


This third shot was going down some stairs at an outdoor gallery. It was a quick snap as the figures seemed like they didn’t want their pictures taken. It is hard to describe and not scary. More regal than anything else.

Oakleaf Hydrangea Fall Color

Oakleaf Hydrangea
Hydrangea quercifolia
(hy-DRAIN-juh) (kwer-se-FOH-lee-uh)

When I posted on Thursday I had forgot we were going to Arizona for the weekend. We are here now and it is so beautiful. It is a little cold but we knew that going in. The city (or town) of Sedona is very cool with what looks like a little bit of something for everyone.

I was going to post a mini-review of the Coolpix P6000 but have decided to hold off until after this trip. Today’s Hydrangea photo and the first picture of the red rocks were taken with the P6000. The Hydrangea leaf just needed a little orange and it would have perfect as far as the fall colors that I like. The little camera did well on the landscape shot but it did come out a little oversaturated, which was toned down a little in Photoshop. The photo was taken across a parking lot and after walking through the store for a few minutes and coming back out the mountains were a dull brown. What a difference five minutes makes in photography sometimes.


This picture is from the same spot (little different angle) and time but was shot with the D700 and the 105mm lens. These pictures only convey a wee bit of the majestic beauty that was laid out in front of me.

Fernleaf Full Moon Maple Fall Color

Fernleaf Full Moon Maple
Acer japonicum 'Aconitifolium'
(AY-ser) (juh-PON-ih-kum)

This tree is a handsome addition to any garden. It grows to about 20 feet tall with an equal spread. It can be kept smaller if the need be. The fall color is often a dazzling mixture of orange, red and yellow. With a hardiness zone rating of 5 (USDA) it can withstand quite cold winters. This tree should be more widely cultivated but you sometimes have to hunt for it at nurseries.

This second shot is the fall color on a ‘regular’ Japanese Maple, Acer palmatum. There were a few of these in the garden that looked like someone had plugged them into an electrical outlet they were glowing so red.


For gardeners in Connecticut beware that there are still ticks in the garden. I have been bitten twice in the last week and am currently taking the Doxycycline treatment for 28 days as a precaution against lyme disease. That makes a total of five bites this year. Cleaning up the leaves has been the culprit but it is impossible to know exactly where they came from.

Two From Central Park, Manhattan

Two From Central Park, Manhattan

Wordless Wednesday

See more Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet.

Franklin Tree

Franklin Tree
Franklinia alatamaha
(frank-LIN-ee-uh) (uh-lah-tah-MAH-hah)

Yesterday there was a little extra time in the day so I checked out Lasdon Park in Westchester County.

It is quite a beautiful garden that is big and well cared for but not overwhelming or overdone. In fact I wanted some pictures of seed heads and broken down perennials but they had dutifully cut them all back already.


Seeing this Franklin tree in flower and fall foliage was a rare treat. They really had some nice other trees at the arboretum. The Franklin tree is named after Ben Franklin and is considered extinct in the wild. It is probably the latest flowering tree around here.

Here is a link for more information:
New Georgia Encyclopedia – Franklin Tree . I like how they refer to it as “The Lost Camellia”.

For more flower pictures from around the world check out:
Today’s Flowers . The links open at 1400 GMT.

Some Old Fall Shots

Some Old Fall Shots

One thing nice about digital photography is that you can compare shots over several years easily. These were taken in the fall of 2005 and from the other photos on the ‘roll’ we were having a nice fall. There were pictures of a job we installed that year and it is amazing how much it has grown in four years. The flower picture, which is an Aster, was taken on October 3rd and the Japanese Maple leaf was shot on October 20th, 2005.


Hopefully I can get away for a few hours this weekend to take some seasonal photos. It is best to go early in the season because that is when the displays are at their best. Maybe there will some nice fall color but it seems to be coming in drips and drabs this year. I wonder what this fall will look like when I am looking back at it in 2013.

Raspberry Fall Foliage

Red Raspberry
Rubus idaeus
(ROO-bus) (eye-DAY-ee-us)

When I saw this foliage last week it bought Ruby Tuesday to mind. This plant is a pest in the garden but doesn’t bother me when growing out in the wild. The wild berries taste good and the plants offer nice fall foliage color. They can also provide some winter interest with the handsome outlines of the branches. The leaves have medicinal properties.

This is another snapshot from my visit to Manhattan the other night.


See more Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet.

Mikado Semi Cactus Dahlia

Semi Cactus Dahlia
Dahlia 'Mikado'

Having missed getting a shot of ‘Mikado’ the last time I visited Planting Fields I was determined to get one this time. It just came out okay and doesn’t really have the electric color that the original flower does. It seemed like a pretty big flower for a Semi-Cactus type. It was very puffy. The plant was doing well and had several other flowers besides this one. I would grow this Dahlia any time.

Since this is a Ruby Tuesday post and ‘Mikado’ is a little orange I thought this plant would cover the red for ruby.


Redbud Hazel
Disanthus cercidifolius
(dis-AN-thus) (ser-uh-sid-ih-FOH-lee-us)

This was just another cool plant in the five acre Synoptic Garden at Planting Fields. The Disanthus was struggling a bit but putting a good show on its few leaves. The Synoptic Garden is arranged by the plant’s scientific name. There are a few plants out of order but that is to have a nicer flow through the garden. There were some existing plantings in the area and some of those were saved but don’t fit in alphabetically. It is a great garden and always fun to explore. The Abelia collection (a plant I am not crazy about) was remarkable and really showed some of the nice cultivars available. I could see some of the short ones in the garden.

Since the Disanthus was new to me I found it immensely fascinating. From looking it up some sites say it is hardy to Zone 5 (USDA) and we are in Zone 6 (warmer). This shrub grows in part shade and still gets its great fall color.

See more Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet.

Immortality Tall Bearded Iris

Tall Bearded Iris
Iris 'Immortality'
(EYE-ris)

This is a great Bearded Iris. It has literally tripled in size since being planted last year. It is blooming again right now, which certainly has livened up the Iris bed. The other rebloomers planted are sporadic fall bloomers and not as strong as ‘Immortality’. The smaller sized stature of this cultivar is nice, too. It grows to about 24 inches tall.

This next photo is a sign of things to come. It is a Shasta Doublefile Viburnum. They really should shorten the scientific name on this one. Who wants to be typing out Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Shasta' every time?

Red Maple Leaves – Ruby Tuesday

Red Maple Leaves – Ruby Tuesday
Acer rubrum
(AY-ser) (ROO-brum)
Synonyms: red swamp maple, swamp maple, Carolina red maple, water maple, Scarlet Maple

These are probably my favorite for fall color around here. I am guessing this is the cultivar ‘October Glory’ since it colored so late and so well. This year the Maples were stupendous with the Sugar Maples being the most outstanding. The yellow background for this picture was provided by a Norway Maple (Acer platanoides).


There was a post on this site on the fall color of Acer rubrum here two years ago. There is a little more information on the trees there. They are a nice shade tree that usually grows fast and straight.

This picture was a Red Maple leaf and a Chrysanthemum that was in my front yard. There is a 75 foot tall Swamp Maple in the front yard that I am worried may eventually crush the house. I need to climb up there and cable it but keep putting it off. It really cools the house during the summer.


More Ruby Tuesday at Work of the Poet
It starts late Monday on EST time.

More Fall Foliage

More Fall Foliage

These shots were taken in New Milford, Connecticut two weeks ago. The first one is another shot where the polarizer filter was upside down. I have finally figured out there is a little arrow to show where the effect in relation to the end of the lens. Some of them have them and some don’t. The church shot is the same church that has been posted on this site before. This fall season has been one of the best in my recent memory. The foliage shots I have taken have been better than my previous attempts which has been encouraging. Often times when I am not good at something I will shy away from it and this year I decided to meet the challenge and try some foliage shots. There is still a ways to go to really capture the majesty of colors but I am happy with the headway I have made this season.


We are leaving today for a 6-day visit to see my sister and new nephew. They live in Sonoma, California, which of course is in Wine Country. I hope to update this site with some trip pictures while I am gone but you never know about Internet access when on the road. We get to spend one day and night in San Francisco. The whole area is, in many ways, a photographer’s dream and hopefully I will get a few nice images. It was funny since I spent about an hour packing up my camera gear and about 15 minutes packing my clothes.

Fall Foliage

Fall Foliage
Sky Watch Friday

There will probably quite a few fall shots on Skywatch this week. These were taken on my drive on Sunday afternoon. The trees are absolutely beautiful this year. I am still trying to figure out how to take a good landscape shot of the colors. I really should have brought a tripod.

This first picture is a parking lot tree. I am not sure what it is. It was much darker red than a Sugar Maple but had the habit of one. It might be a Freeman’s Maple (Acer rubrum var. saccharinum), which is a cross between Sugar and Red Maples. That wouldn’t be true if this was a wild tree but since it was planted it is probably a cultivar or in this case a hybrid. There is a little sky poking in from behind.


This second shot is a blooper. It was the first time that I was using the new polarizer filter and it was turned the wrong way. You can see it only polarized the left side of the photo. At least it was polarizing most of the foliage. This is the kind of shot that needed a little more reach than the 24mm. It was taken sticking through a hole in the gate of a chain link fence behind a little shopping center. For fun I thought I would try and post a map of exactly where it was taken (Margerie Reservoir in New Fairfield, Connecticut).




View Larger Map

This last picture was taken in Newtown and it is kind of a swampy pond. The colors were just right as I drove by there yesterday and most of the leaves had fallen.


To see over 300 skies from around the world check out:
Skywatch Friday

Dogwood Fall Foliage

Dogwood Fall Foliage
Cornus florida
Ruby Tuesday

This is the Ruby Tuesday post for the week even though it is Monday. Yesterday after chipping away at my mountain of paperwork I decided to take a late afternoon ride to see some foliage. I wish had enough to time to describe my wonderful ride up through Northern Fairfield County, the eastern part of Dutchess County in New York and Litchfield County. It was amazing since with the drastic elevation changes the foliage would be in peak color at the top of the hills and barely even started at the bottom. It has been a little unseasonably warm and the sun was shining brightly. That bathed everything in kind of a golden glow that was really beautiful. Even though I was looking to take a few pictures I didn’t stop much.

Some of the towns I went through in Connecticut were New Fairfield, Kent, Cornwall, New Milford, Sherman and Brookfield. It reminds me of the ‘old’ Connecticut still a little farmy, a little woodsy and not too heavily populated.

This Dogwood was on the side of Route 7. The sun set shortly after I took this photo. It looks like it is going to be an excellent foliage season with the Maples and Dogwoods leading the charge. I had heard that a leaf fungus was going to keep the Sugar Maples from coloring properly but there were literally thousands upon thousands of beautiful Maples lining the road and hills in full color.

This plant was planted in a bank parking lot. It is Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus) and this is its one redeeming quality in the landscape. Not too many plants turn this intense of a color. We don’t plant Burning Bush anymore since it is invasive and the root system is too competitive. That probably won’t make a difference since there are so many already. They have completely colonized some areas of the woods.



Stepping back from the macro shot was this church on the New Milford green. I have photographed this church several times including at night. Here is another photo of it. I bought a Circular Polarizer Filter for the 24 mm/1.8 Sigma lens. It cost about one-third the cost of the whole lens. It really kicked in on this shot.


Here is a shot of my two assistants in what I call the dogmobile. It is 1995 Jeep Grand Cherokee and we use it for work sometimes and hauling the dogs around. Its old but has low mileage and runs good. Juno is all excited since she spotted a couple of Ring Neck Pheasants. She is still too young to drive. The other dog is Ruby Tuesday.