Hybrid Columbine

Hybrid Columbine

Aquilegia ‘Swan Red and White’

(a-kwi-LEE-jee-uh)

This is always a favorite of mine. This plant has nice big, detailed and colorful flowers. Columbines are a true biennial but if you try you can start a nice patch of them by spreading the seeds out when they are ripe. My experience is that some types come back true to seed and some don’t. There is also that gray genetic zone where for a few years they come back the same color and then wash out. I’m not sure what the Swan hybrid series will do. The plants did well this year and I wouldn’t mind having some of them back.

Dalmatian Peach Foxglove

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'Dalmatian Peach' Common Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea  

(dig-ee-TAH-liss) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

This Foxglove is part of the ‘Dalmation' series. They are colorful and tall but still a biennial. I used to worry all the time about my Foxglove plantings but have lately taken to letting them find their own balance. All the careful deadheading, staking, pinching never really produced better results then just letting the plants bloom and go to seed. The mother plants will die and even if they live to a second or third year they are not very vigorous by then. If the patch starts to look at little dilapidated adding a few plants to the gene pool can be helpful.

I don’t think that these flowers were quite living up to their color potential on the nursery bench. They should gain better color after being planted.

Chocolate Cosmos

Cosmos atrosanguineus 'Chocamocha'

(KOS-mus) (at-ro-san-GWIN-ee-us)

This is an interesting species of Cosmos that certainly bucks the popular trend of pastels, washed out colors and yellows that seem to be dominating the color space right now. In this climate Cosmos is treated as annual but is a very reliable self seeder. The flowers of this particular species are sterile and the plant is extinct in the wild. All plants are from a single vegetative clone. It has been hanging on that way since 1902.

The slightly fragrant flowers appear in summer and keeps blooming until the frost. Like most Cosmos this species is a native of Mexico.

Black and White Lupine

Lupine

Lupinus

(loo-PIE-nus)

A fun flower that has a lot of structure and grace. This is a wild Lupine that was blooming in Northern New England last summer. We don’t seem to get them growing wild in Southern New England. I have found that while a good stand of Lupines can look stunning in the garden they need to be replanted every year.

Commuting to Long Island has been tiring but spending a couple of days a week at the new Estate has been rewarding. It is a fantastic and magical place that has totally enchanted me.

Japanese Primrose

Japanese Primrose

Primula japonica 'Miller's Crimson'

(PRIM-yew-luh) (juh-PON-ih-kuh)

Forget-Me-Not

Myosotis sylvatica

(my-oh-SO-tis) (sil-VAT-ee-kuh)

It was kind of a happy accident to have these flowers line up together. The garden is literally covered with the Primroses in spring after we have been gently encouraging into seeding in various areas. The Forget me nots are left over from a huge patch we grew a couple of years ago from seed. It is a classic combination that started out from a dozen Primroses and a big bag of seed that someone gave me. The flowers look a lot better than mulch and have been colonizing a lot of tough wet areas.

Sooty Sweet William

Sweet William

Dianthus barbatus var. nigrescens 'Sooty'

(dy-AN-thus)

Synonyms: Dianthus nigrescens

There seems to be some debate on whether or not this flower is a biennial or perennial. My experiences have been mostly biennial and if we get 2 or 3 years out of them we are happy. Dianthus seems to thrive in the drier areas of the garden with unimproved soil. The edge of masonry work with even a little stone dust from the stonework mixed in seems to suit it best. Winter drainage is also an important part of keeping them going. It is true garden classic that has been around a long time. Lately some new cultivars have been showing up due to breeding so they may be more perennial. This type grows 8-12 inches tall and gets nice dark foliage later in the season. It is said the flowers smell like chocolate but I can’t confirm or deny that.

Since it is Sunday again here is the bonus flower snapshot.

Hybrid Tea Rose ‘Fragrant Cloud’

Rosa (ro-zuh)

This is a really beautiful hybrid tea rose. It is quite old having been introduced in 1963. I always have a lot of respect for a rose that can last that long on the market. It can be susceptible to black spot and other rose problems but you forget all about that when you have cut a few of the flowers for the house. It certainly lives up to its name then.

Foxglove

Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea

(dig-ee-TAH-liss)

Wordless Wednesday

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.

Maltese Cross

Maltese Cross

Silene chalcedonica

(sy-LEE-nee) (kalk-ee-DON-ee-kuh)

Synonyms: Lychnis chalcedonica, Jerusalem Cross

Wordless Wednesday

Russell Lupine

Russell Lupine

Lupinus polyphyllus 'Russell'

(loo-PIE-nus) (pol-ee-FIL-us)

Synonyms: Russell Hybrids Mixed

White Foxglove

White Foxglove

Digitalis purpurea 'Camelot White'

(dig-ee-TAH-liss) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

A slightly different twist on a garden classic. The white flowers on this cultivar are nice and I have found they mix well with the standard pink/purple types. Although it is recovered from a separate species of Digitalis I would like to thank them for helping to keep healthy as my daily dose of Digoxin helps control my heart rate.

Currently we are building up a big patch of Foxglove at work. It isn’t the white flowered type but has been steadily (with our help) seeding into a larger area. Transplanting the seedlings has proved tricky but we haven’t given up on it yet.

Since it is Sunday here is another plant that has been steadily increasing its space in the garden but not in an annoying way. It has taken over what I call "hard luck ground” and is happy despite the conditions. I am not sure what species of Allium this is but it is really a nice plant.

Allium

(AL-ee-um)

Mismarked Dianthus

Dianthus

Dianthus hybrid

(dy-AN-thus)

This was going to be a simple post about Dianthus ‘Ruby’s Tuesday’ but that is not this flower. It was marked as ‘Ruby’s’ but when it bloomed it had a lot more pink in the flower than that cultivar. Oh well, it is still a nice Dianthus. This is a flower I would rather look at then grow. They are pretty much an annual or biennial in my book. However if you located them right they can last longer than that and if you are really lucky they will form a colorful carpet for a few years. Over watering and overly rich soil are the main culprits in their not succeeding well.

Today I am going to buy a pair of gas powered hedge clippers probably the most misused piece of equipment in the history of horticulture. My use is to quickly knock off any of the errant growth on the seemingly miles of Boxwood hedge I take care of. After that anything else is pruned with hand pruners. It takes more time but gives a more natural appearance.

Pink Delphinium

Delphinium

Delphinium elatum

(del-FIN-ee-um) (el-AH-tum)

Synonyms: Larkspur

White Candle Delphinium

Candle Delphinium

Delphinium elatum

(del-FIN-ee-um) (el-AH-tum)

Synonyms: Larkspur

The variety name escapes me on this white variety of Delphinium. There are over 300 species and countless hybrids now so it is difficult to determine. I have to admit I love the grand spikes of blue, purple, pink and sometimes white these flowers produce. I am less enchanted with growing the short lived, finicky and rangy plants. Nothing looks more classic then a backbone of delphinium snaking down a perennial border or a giant mass of them planted alone.

I am not sure why this next picture is included other than to show the massive spike. If you look near the bottom left you can see the palmate foliage, which is considered poisionous.

One thing I found out that is interesting is that French plant breeder Victor Lemoine

was responsible for the early hybridization of D. elatum after it was discovered in the Alps.

Since it is Sunday and Today’s Flowers here is a bonus shot of a yellow summer daisy recently spotted basking in the central Florida sun.

Moon Carrot

Moon Carrot

Seseli gummiferum

(SE-sel-ee) (gum-MIF-er-um)

It is always fun to have an unusual flower to post and Moon Carrot is a quirky, unusual and beautiful biennial. It is relatively easy to grow as long as a few specific conditions are met. The most important condition is having super winter drainage. Moon Carrot is surprising hardy and evergreen when located in a warm, dry area of the garden. A native of the eastern Mediterranean this plant can grow to 3 feet tall when blooming. The foliage is a great looking ferny/carrot type that is a beautiful blue green. The flowers appear pink in bud but actually open up to white.

Dwarf Chinese Delphinium

Dwarf Chinese Delphinium
Delphinium grandiflorum 'Blue Butterfly'
(del-FIN-ee-um) (gran-dih-FLOR-um)

The color of this flower caught my eye immediately. It is a super striking blue. Although I love Delphinium flowers it is a plant I would rather not grow. It is biennial at best and needs to be constantly refreshed and the plants are sometimes difficult to get. I am sure this table of “Butterfly Blue’ was sold out fast.

This is dwarf Delphinium and that makes it easier to manage. It only grows to about 18 inches and doesn’t need staking. It looks like the classic Delphinium in shape, form and foliage. It has average water needs and isn’t too fussy about soil type. The flower color alone justifies trying this one out.


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

Bonus Photo!


Yesterday I went up to rural Kent, Connecticut to play at the Hollowstock Festival. It was located on a rustic farm that was totally charming. After living out my dream of playing a Hammond Organ at a gig I was wandering around when I saw this wild Poppy. The color was fantastic and this picture was taken in the very late after noon. It was nice to see poking it’s head up along the fence line.

Forget-Me-Not

Forget-Me-Not
Myosotis sylvatica ‘Deep Blue Tower’
(my-oh-SO-tis) (sil-VAT-ee-kuh)

This is the first time we have grown a variety of Forget me nots and this one is a winner. The color maybe my favorite of any flower. Normally there are hundreds of the regular species of this plant growing in the gardens and we gently encourage them by letting them seed after flowering to overcome their annual and biennial nature. Although some plants seem to persist for several years for the most part they peter out after one or two seasons.

Today we are going down to NYC to finish the annual plantings and plant some perennials and a couple of shrubs. Traffic should be a little better than going down on during the week but parking will probably still be a nightmare.

Columbines

Columbine
Aquilegia
(a-kwi-LEE-jee-uh)

Columbine flowers are always nice to have. I just wish the breeders would come up with some true perennial strains. Replacing them or depending on the seedlings can be a chore and often the seedlings don’t end up where you want them. This first flower is more of the traditional type with large flowers, big spurs and muted colors. The second shot is like the newer types with compact flowers and brighter colors. I am not sure whether or not that is a different species or just a new variety. There seems to be a few new ones every year.

Bloody Mary Flower

Bloody Mary
Silene coronaria 'Angel's Blush'
(sy-LEE-nee) (kor-oh-NAR-ee-uh)
Synonyms: Lychnis, Mullein Pinks, Rose Campion, Bloody William, Lychnis coronaria

This plant has seemed to undergo a name change to Silene from Lychnis. There has been a large patch at the Estate for many years and I always try and spread the seed each year. There seems to be a good variation of blush on the blooms. There is everything from pure white to almost all pink on my flowers. They bloom about the middle of June.

This plant can grow in some hot and dry conditions and doesn’t seem too fussy about soil. The foliage is a short rosette of pretty silver foliage with the flower stalk getting up to about 24 inches. It doesn’t need staking. It appears to be biennial for the most part but there are always enough seedlings to keep the group going and expanding at a nice (not invasive) rate. I always allow the seed pods to dry before collecting them and that seems to work well.