Aspen Dahlia

Semi Cactus Dahlia

Dahlia 'Aspen'

(DAHL-ya)

We grew this Dahlia a couple of years ago and last season it was again a good performer. It looks a bit like a pinwheel especially with some wind. The twist in some of the flower petals is somewhat variable and that adds to their charm. ‘Aspen’ was taller than advertised peaking out about 36 inches (91cm).

I haven’t been crazy about white flowers lately but these Dahlias are really a pure and bright white.

Wall Rock Cress

Wall Rock Cress

Arabis caucasica

(AR-uh-biss)

Synonym: alpina subsp. caucasica

An alpine perennial Arabis is especially good for rock gardens and the edging of borders. It forms a nice mound of foliage and a early spring a carpet of flowers. The flowers are fragrant and remind me of Sweet Alyssum. There are many species available but this one seems to be, in my experience, the most available.

Like most alpine plants there is a requirement for good drainage. The winter drainage is most important for keeping a patch going but it will not tolerate poor drainage in the summer either. It’s low maintenance only requiring a light shearing after blooming and we raked it out at the end of the season.

In this picture on the timbers that forms an edge of a rock garden. The Rock Cress has grown right up to the wood and formed a carpet.

White Eastern Redbud

White Eastern Redbud

Cercis canadensis 'Alba'

(SER-sis) (ka-na-DEN-sis)

Synonyms: Canadian Redbud, Judas Tree

This tree’s name doesn’t really make sense because there is nothing red about it. The tightly crossed buds of this tree are a slightly greenish white and the flowers open to a pure white.

The white flowered form is much rarer than the pink/red flowering ones. Neither of these trees are what I call common although quite often they pop up unexpectedly. Red buds, in general, are what I consider a short-lived and weak tree that has a spectacular few weeks in the spring. Then they fade back in to obscurity for the rest of the season. They simply fall over or snap if not pruned properly. We have repaired several (with nuts, bolts, washers and wire) and had them live for several years after that.

Merry Christmas to all. Since I have kids now the season takes on a slight bit more magic and meaning to me.

White Zinnia

White Zinnia

Zinnia elegans

(ZIN-ya) (ELL-eh-ganz)

One of the benefits of our dry summer was good Zinnias. The foliage stayed remarkably clean with a very light spray schedule. The roses we grew were also strong blooming on huge canes. Both the roses and the cutting garden Zinnias were on drip irrigation which helps keep the diseases in check.

In my pack of mixed Zinnias this white beauty appeared. It seems to have been some sort of mistake as all the others in the flat were typical reds, yellows and oranges. We had a freeze warning last night but I don’t think it got as cold as they said. Isolated pockets of frost and freeze probably happened but it wasn’t general so the season rolls on for a few more days anyway.

Broadway Lights Shasta Daisy

 

Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum x superbum 'Broadway Lights'

(lew-KANTH-ih-mum) (soo-PER-bum)

Synonym: Leumayel

When people ask me what my favorite flower is they often seem disappointed when I say Daisy. I guess they are expecting me to say some exotic orchid or something but Daisies just seem to be an elemental flower whose beauty is in its pure color and geometric simplicity. Besides you can’t play a game like loves me loves me not with an orchid.

This cultivar of Shasta Daisy was introduced in 2006 and was kind of riding the wave of yellow tinted Shastas that were coming out at the time. This one’s flowers start out yellow and then fade to white on a sturdy plant. Shasta Daisies are nice to have in the garden and are easy to grow. I think they like full sun but can grow in partial shade. The more shade the stringier the plants get. If you deadhead your plants they will reply in kind with another round of blooms.

 

Marguerite Daisy

Marguerite Daisy

Argyranthemum frutescens 'Molimba Mini Yellow'

(ar-ji-RAN-the-mum) (froo-TESS-enz)

Synonyms: Argyelsin, Summer Daisy

Here is a happy group of Daisies to celebrate the above average temperatures we have been enjoying in the Northeastern United States. There is still plenty of time for the pattern to change and for winter to settle in but so far December and January have been somewhat mild. One thing that I have noticed about the climate on Long Island is the fact that it is almost always windy and damp. It is just a couple of degrees warmer than Connecticut, which can be helpful during winter weather events. This Daisy is a nice soft yellow that tend to glow under the right lighting conditions.

Here is a bonus snapshot since I have been so lackadaisical in updating this blog. I have really been concentrating on doing a good job at my new job and that has been taking up a lot of my time. Once springtime comes I hope to be back on a regular schedule.

Garden Cosmos

Cosmos bipinnatus

(KOS-mus) (by-pin-NAY-tus)

Eastern Purple Coneflower

Eastern Purple Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea
(ek-in-AY-shee-a)

Here area couple of Coneflower shots from this summer. They are both of cultivars but I am not sure which ones they are. The pink ones had a nice tight formation with good color. One of the keys of growing these flowers is giving them a nice dry winter. They really don't like wet feet in the winter.

This bonus snapshot is the less seldom seen white type of Coneflower. The estate has a big collection of 'White Swan' Cones and we tried to spread the seed in the beds as we cleaned up. It usually takes a couple of years for the population to build up and mostly you end up with some nice light pink ones from the seeds.

Happy New Year.

White Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea cv.
(ek-in-AY-shee-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)
Synonym: Echinacea purpurea alba, Brauneria purpurea, Rudbeckia purpurea

Cane Orchid

 

Cane Orchid

Dendrobium sanderae

(den-DROH-bee-um)

Synonyms: Mrs. Sander's Dendrobium

This Orchid is kind of in honor of the Orchid collection that is being delivered to the Estate on Monday. It going to be mostly Phalaenopsis hybrids but also some Cattleya and other species. Last week I bought 12 nice 4” Dendrobium orchids from the same wholesaler for $4.50 each.

Sorry this blog has been so sketchy on updates lately. I have been spending the weekends in Connecticut and living in Queens during the week. The new job is fantastic but it is taking a lot out of me and has me keeping somewhat irregular hours. Standby for some more orchid pictures as the new plants come into flower.

White Japanese Anemone

 

Japanese Anemone

Anemone x hybrid 'Honorine Jobert'

(uh-NEM-oh-nee)

This flower is really starting to grow on me. It is one of the few perennials in the garden that still has strong blooms and good looks right now. It seems very reliable and returns every year. Usually it starts blooming in very late summer and adds a kick to any late season planting areas. The main problem is how tall it gets and it does have a tendency to flop over. Rather stake individual plants we often put up kind of a fence around the plantings and that holds up the blossoms. There are some pink types that are also beautiful.

Everyone here is bracing for the possible hurricane on Monday/Tuesday. The forecast keeps changing but we are now directly in the projected path (the cone of doom as I call it). High winds and a lot of rain is expected depending how the storm sets up. I am going to try and not worry that much about it. Getting the chain saws ready will be the extent of my preparations right now.

Fair Bianca Austin Rose

Austin Rose

Rosa 'Fair Bianca'

(RO-zuh)

Synonyms: English Rose, AUSca

This Austin rose was introduced in 1982. Not as showy as some of the other Austin roses it seems to grow well and have a good amount of flowers. The fragrance is a little funky but pleasant to me. The petals form an intricate kind of old rose shape. One characteristic I like about 'Fair Bianca' is it doesn’t get too tall. Growing to about 2.5 feet it is nice for the front of the rose garden or mixes well into the border. Like most Austin roses it is very hardy and always seems to pull through the winter with minimal damage.

There are going to be some changes in my personal and professional life coming up. I can’t say anything right now but will try and keep this site up as much as possible.

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

George Bernard Shaw

Variegated Potato Vine

Variegated Potato Vine

Solanum laxum 'Variegata'

(so-LAN-num) (LAX-um)

Synonyms: Solanum jasminoides

I often hesitate when recommending vines to people as they can become bullies in the garden and often require a lot of maintenance. This vine can grow enormous but the winter usually keeps it in check. Hardy to USDA Zone 8 it is best grown as an annual in Connecticut. We have grown it in a container in other years and it did exactly what a vine should do in a container, which is grow and fill its support and then to continue growing down around the edge of the pot and even on the ground. The foliage of this vine makes it worth having and the smallish flowers are a nice bonus. Since this plant is in the nightshade family all parts of the plant are toxic.

Messina White Chrysanthemum

White Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum x grandiflorum 'Messina'

(kris-AN-the-mum)

This mum is again proving to be an early bloomer. We were on the hunt for some color for next weekend and got a few of these. There is a big party at the Greenwich estate next weekend and a few early Chrysanthemums certainly brightened up the landscape. There is still a good assortment of flowers out in the garden now. The Japanese Anemones, Black-eyed Susans and Asters are putting on a good show. The shrub roses and even some Hydrangea have been hanging on.

I really got a feeling for the people that have to grow these types of plants on a timely basis. There are a couple hundred of Chrysanthemums that have wintered over in the garden (for the last couple of years) and I have been sweating getting them to bloom next weekend. In truth I have only been partially successful in the color end of the equation a lot will be blooming over the next couple of weeks, which is partially due to just being later strains of mums.

Since it Sunday here are a couple black and white pictures as the bonus snapshots. The first is just a collection of bamboo stakes and it looked cooler and more geometric in real life. The exposure was a little difficult to manage with the bright natural light from the top. Both of these were taken with my Coolpix 8400, which generally does pretty well in monochrome.

This next shot is an interior shot of Fort Zachary Taylor in Key West, Florida.

I am not much of a military tour person but found the history and set up of this fort interesting. 

 

White Coneflower

White Coneflower

Echinacea purpurea 'Virgin'

(ek-in-AY-shee-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

Variegated Kousa Dogwood

 

Variegated Kousa Dogwood

Cornus kousa 'Gold Star'

(KOR-nus) (KOO-sa)

These pictures are from last year. It was the first year that ‘Gold Star’ has had any blooms. That is my fault as the tree is planted in heavy shade. Even with the shaded location this tree has become a graceful and handsome subject and even without flowers the foliage alone makes it worth growing. It has been planted for about 10-12 years and gotten up to about 12 feet high by 8 feet wide. It does get once a year pruning to maintain the shape and get any stragglers but that is probably not even necessary. This tree is a nice accent and seems to be small enough to fit into a corner or small space in the garden.

 Group shot of Cornus kousa 'Gold Star'

I need to take a moment and complain about our Border Collie dog. She is just too smart for her own good. Now she has figured out how to open the interior doors in the house. She simply walks up to it and head butts it in precisely the right spot to have the door fly open with a big noise. She then proudly marches in the room to investigate what you are doing. Yesterday she came into my office with a great flourish and knocked over three guitars at once (you should have heard that sound :lol:) Another thing she has learned to do and I think he is teaching her Siberian Husky cohort this trick is to open the cabinet where the garbage is stored. I tightened up the latch but since it is double cabinet she simply uses the other door and reaches around to get what she wants. I certainly have met less smart people.

For the first time in a long time no wordless Wednesday on Tuesday. Have a great day.

White Lychnis

Lychnis

Silene coronaria 'Alba'

(sy-LEE-nee) (kor-oh-NAR-ee-uh)

Synonyms: Rose Campion, Lychnis coronaria

We finally got around to harvesting the last seed from the Lychnis, Primula and Foxglove and though it was little late we still scored a big bag of seed. Over the years I have learned a lot about seed production and harvesting. Since all these plants and flowers are biennial it is important not to remove too much of the seed or the original planting areas will suffer. One little thing I have learned is there are quite a few insects that seem to make living on perennial seeds. Several times on Friday I broke open seedpods only to have some sort of insect pop put with the seed. You probably would have been laughing at the startled reaction and quick shake of the hands when that happens.

This flower has been a joy to have in the garden. It is self-seeding but stays in its place for the most part. This one is from a patch of almost pure white ones, which I haven’t seen too often. Some of the plants in that area sometimes produces flowers with the slightest of blush pink on them and the others are white. There is a nice color range of pink and white through the other plantings. They have colonized some rocky and dry ground and not much would grow there otherwise.

Waxyleaf Privet

Waxyleaf Privet

Ligustrum quihoui

(lig-GUS-trum)

In a true case of life imitating art this picture showed up in my desktop slideshow last night the same day of our tri-annual pruning of the Privet Hedge. The hedge lives in White Plains, New York and is about 150 feet long. We have been managing it for four years now. When we took it over it was in poor condition and I got the brilliant idea (at the time) of feeding it with some Scott’s Super TurfBuilder. Ever since then it has grown expeditiously. What really needs to be done is a heavy dormant pruning of a couple of feet off the top and some thinning and it is very easy to remember that now. The hedge is on a steady slope and is 4 feet tall (after yesterday) at the start ranging all the way up to 8 feet tall at the other end.

Ligustrum quihoui is considered very invasive in certain areas of the country (like Texas) but is more like an accidental in this area. It is rarely seen and doesn’t seem to present that problem. The Common Privet (Ligustrum vulgare) can be a beautiful and rewarding shrub if left to develop its large and gracefully arching frame. The late fragrant flowers are nice and a great addition to the summer garden. The flowers on the Waxyleaf Privet are much larger (3 or 4 times) than the Common types. They are much showier and somewhat stronger smelling. Overall Waxyleaf Privet seems to present a superior esthetic in the landscape.

White Cattleya Orchid

Cattleya Orchid

Cattleya Sierra Blanca ‘Mount Whitney’

(KAT-lee-yuh)

Introduction: 1985

White Virginia Spiderwort

White Virginia Spiderwort

Tradescantia x andersoniana

(trad-es-KAN-tee-uh) (an-der-soh-nee-AH-na)

Synonyms: Widow's-Tears

A lot of people consider this plant an invasive weed but I think it can be quite useful under the right conditions. The problems start when it likes its spot and takes off from there. We have found that it can be good under shady moist conditions and sometimes seems to be the only thing that will grow in certain spots. The ‘normal’ Spiderwort has a nice blue flower but this white strain has been a pleasant change from the ordinary. Plant this flower with care,

In a clear case of be careful for what you wish for the thunderstorms roared through our area again yesterday. While not being personally impacted there were quite few trees and wires down. The rain poured down and seem to soak into the ground nicely.

Ice Plant

Ice Plant

Delosperma sp.

(del-oh-SPUR-muh)

Cherry Laurel

Cherry Laurel

Prunus laurocerasus 'Otto Luyken'

(PROO-nus) (law-roh-KER-uh-sus)

Synonyms: English Laurel, Common Laurel