Shrubby Cinquefoil Goldfinger

Shrubby Cinquefoil

Potentilla fruticosa 'Goldfinger'

(poh-ten-TILL-uh) (froo-tih-KOH-suh)

Black and White Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa

Sunny Knockout Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose

Rosa 'Sunny Knockout'

(RO-zuh)

Synonyms: Radsunny

In order to finish the new area we have been working on we needed to have some more roses. This Sunny Knockout was looking so good it made it into the garden along with some Carefree and Easy elegance types. This rose is a standout amongst the others and comes with the ease of care the Knockouts have. This is the newest Knockout and it is sure to be a hit, in my opinion. The bright yellow flowers fade to a creamy color, which provides a nice contrast to the newer brighter yellow flowers.

Royale Chambray Superbena

Royale Chambray Superbena

Verbena hybrid

(ver-BEE-nuh)

Synonyms: 'AKIV5711'

When this plant was purchased we had no idea it was a new variety for 2011. The name is appropriate since this plant does grow and flower with a royal habit. First the color is great. Probably not dark enough for true purple lovers but it is a very pleasant shade of purple. The habit is like Verbenas in the fact it is a bit of a sprawling mound. ‘Royale Chambray’ seems to have a little better depth than most varieties.

Since it is Sunday come join us at http://flowersfromtoday.blogspot.com/.

Bonus picture for Sunday! This Dahlia has me wondering if the plant I grew last year under this name was an impostor. The colors were not nearly as vibrant and warm. This one has been a star in the cutting garden.

Decorative Dahlia
Dahlia 'Tahiti Sunrise'
(DAHL-ya)

Summer Snowflake Viburnum

Doublefile Viburnum

Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Summer Snowflake'

(vy-BUR-num) (ply-KAY-tum)

Synonyms: Japanese Snowball Bush, Fujisanensis

This is an amazing shrub and I was surprised that it is actually a type of Doublefile Viburnum. It is so dainty compared to the larger cousins like ‘Shasta’ Viburnum. Although it does reach 8 to 10 feet tall it seems to get there slowly and can be easily maintained at shorter heights. I do think that Doublefiles are one of the most graceful and beautiful shrubs except they are often planted with not enough room and get a slightly hatcheted appearance due to heavy pruning. Luckily ‘Summer Snowflake’ doesn’t usually need that so it can be used in a foundation planting. This shrub often blooms sporadically throughout the summer. I am always surprised to see it with some flowers long after the spring Viburnum season has ended.

One thing I learned about Viburnum plicatum while making this post was they were discovered in a Shanghai garden by Robert Fortune and introduced to the west in 1850. No known specimens are known to exist in the wild and they are all considered of horticultural origin.

We have our monthly gig at the local coffeehouse tonight. After taking a couple of months off I am really looking forward to it. I have decided to take my 1957 Fender Stratocaster out for the first time in several years. After having a conversation with a friend last week in which I said that I don’t like to take it out of the house these days. He asked me why even have it? That made me think about it and he is right. What is the reason for having a classic car and never driving it? I guess I am a little worried about something happening to it because it is certainly irreplaceable to me at this point (lucky I bought it 1985 before prices soared but it was still a stretch at that point). The coffeehouse is okay but I certainly wouldn’t want some drunk tripping over it or spilling a beer on it at a bar/club gig (both have happened to me before). Back up will be my 1991 American made Telecaster. It is virtually indestructible.

You are my date tonight, old friend. Do you remember that old Jimi Hendrix song we used to play?

First Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemum morifolium cultivar

(kris-AN-the-mum) (mor-ee-FOH-lee-um)

Here is a picture of the first Chrysanthemum we bought for the season. I thought the color was wonderfully autumn like. The grower has 1000’s of them getting ready to go but this and a white flowered one were the only two that were showing color. I had to push my way past the Poinsettias to get to the mums. That wasn’t as bad as the nursery that had their full Christmas display out when I visited last week. Seeing that was a bit stomach churning because we need to have a big fall at work. As a side note many of the mums from last year lived and are getting ready to bloom in the borer. They have gotten huge and should be putting on a nice “free” show.

Today we have a storm related cleanup to do in Pound Ridge. A large Oak tree feel over into someone’s pond and has to be removed. Since it is still connected to the stump it will be a little tricky and a friend with a backhoe is coming to help drag it back onto land so we can cut it up and dispose of it. All in all the gardens fared pretty well with the hurricane so I am not complaining about this tree. It seems it is nature’s way of cleaning out the forest and I am sure on closer examination there will be some fault proven with the big Oak.

Shasta Daisy

Shasta Daisy

Leucanthemum 'White Mountain

(lew-KANTH-ih-mum)

New Introduction for 2011

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan

Rudbeckia hirta 'Denver Daisy'

(rud-BEK-ee-a) (HER-tuh)

Apricot Candy Hybrid Tea Rose

Hybrid Tea Rose ‘Apricot Candy’

Rosa ‘Apricot Candy’

Synonyms: Meibedull

This was a rose spotted at the local nursery. The color is fantastic and the fragrance is strong too. It seemed like a vigorous rose that was trying to outgrow its pot. Bred by famous French breeder Alain Meilland it was introduced to the US in 2007 by Star Roses.

I don’t usually recommend Hybrid Tea roses for casual growers but the color on this one would sure blend into a pastel or a collector of this color garden. It gets 5 feet tall with glossy foliage.

This past weekend was a busy one. After seeing Erika’s soccer game and attending a classic car show on Saturday (I did love the real Shelby Cobra there) we went on Sunday we went to the Taste of Danbury festival. We didn’t eat too much but enjoyed the concert by Brian Howe. I was a little skeptical that he was being billed as the “former lead singer of Bad Company.” The show was great with a lot of the old Bad Co. songs well presented. I couldn’t believe that within two weeks our little town had hosted ZZ Top and this rock concert. The guitar player for Mr. Howe was really good and it was refreshing to hear a vintage Les Paul guitar plugged into a Marshall stack. It doesn’t get more basic than that. I bought his new CD and got it signed afterwards at the free meet and greet. I don’t think Karen appreciated his wry British sense of humor but he had me cracking up several times during the show.

Brian Howe and his band performing at a Taste of Danbury festival.

This was the first time I had used Karen’s old 18-135mm lens, which produces a smaller image with the D700 camera. It is sharp and it was nice to be able to go to a really wide 18mm

Phalaenopsis Orchid

Phalaenopsis Orchid
Phalaenopsis cv.
(fay-lay-NOP-sis)
Synonyms: Moth Orchid

Since there hasn’t been an Orchid posted here in a while here is a close up of a white Phalaenopsis type. It is one of the most popular species of Orchids and one that has under gone massive breeding and cross-fertilization to produce many new colors and hybrids. The plants now available are generally better adapted to growing in our houses and gardens then their natural cousins. The common name was given as some of the flowers look like a moth in flight.

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

Here is the bonus picture for Sunday. It was obviously taken several months ago, as we don’t have any snow right now. This picture doesn’t really show the brilliance of this piece of art. It really does look like a fluttering flag when driving by. I looked around for a signature or sign but couldn’t really find who had made it. Of course it is the gruesome 10^th anniversary of the terror attacks on the United States. It doesn’t seem to have been 10 years since that terrible day but the calendar says so. Originally I thought this area would never fully recover from the destruction but it has. I drive by ground zero a couple of times a month on the way to tend to the Manhattan garden we keep and it seems almost normal again. Although the events that happened there have wrought more death and destruction around the world and that is still going on.

Mexican Aster

Mexican Aster
Cosmos bipinnatus
(KOS-mus) (by-pin-NAY-tus)

This flower was growing in the cutting garden and the light seemed right yesterday. Cosmos is a great annual that is easy to grow. The only problem I have with it is that it gets too tall and needs to be staked or cut back. There are some shorter strains available now and I would recommend them for ease of cultivation. Here is a link to a post on this blog with a little more information on Cosmos.

The cutting garden is doing 100% better this year since we changed the soil in the spring. More flowers and less sickness amongst the plants. There is an area in the front of the house that we plant Impatiens every year and I have begun to notice a lack of vigor with the plants. So after the mums are done this year we will change that soil too. When the cutting garden was redone we put a couple of layers of fertilizer in as the soil was replaced and that has worked out nicely. It was a bit of a job to change the soil but totally worth it.

Today is our granddaughter’s first soccer game so I will be out there trying some sports photography. That is one of the hardest genres of photography for me but I am looking forward to the challenge. With the new (this year) 80-200mm/2.8 lens it should be a little easier.

I want to second to thank all the people that followers and subscribe to this blog. It’s nice to know there are people out there that like what is posted here.

Red Shrub Rose

Red Shrub Rose
Rosa

This was one of the few roses left after the hurricane. Since the rose garden is located in a windy and open area most of the flowers and foliage were affected. Already there are some new signs of life but I doubt it will get back to normal before the end of the season.

Luckily most of the other plants in the surrounding gardens came through without much damage but you could see that things had been whipped around and in general looked pretty bad. This estate is located in an elevated area, which saved it from flooding but also exposed it to more wind. Oh well, all we can do is wait for nature to repair itself and gently encourage the roses to come back.

Being a rose gardener is filled with a lot of ups and downs. Often times it seems just when we get things to where we want them some outside force acts on the garden.

This shrub rose, which I think maybe ‘Home Run’ has been a good citizen in the garden. It is a repeat bloomer that doesn’t seem to get too much disease. It is colorful and shapely.

This blog has taken on a mind of its own, publishing in a larger and different font. I guess that makes it easier to read.

Samantha Variegated Lantana

Variegated Lantana

Lantana camara 'Samantha'

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

Synonyms: ‘Lemon Swirl’

Here is an annual that combines two of my favorite things. A free flowering habit and great looking foliage. Lantana seems to be making it on to this blog a lot lately and that is mainly since it has looked so good this year (most other years too). A heat and drought tolerant annual that keeps going until the hard frosts put it away. It does make into the conservatory for the winter sometimes and it kind of struggles to make through under glass but come spring it leaps back to life and looks great in no time.

Ugh, more rain here again. It’s making it almost impossible to get things done outside. We have already had 5.28 inches for the month and the tail of the remnants of tropical storm Lee still has to drag over us.

The first fall bulb catalog made it to our door yesterday. I need 500 Daffodils for the new area we are trying to complete. I don’t like the company but will use the catalog pictures as a reference guide with the client. Being able to add bulbs is one of the joys of making a new garden in the fall.

False Sunflower

False Sunflower
Heliopsis
(hee-lee-OP-sis)

Dwarf Canna Lily

Dwarf Canna Lily
Canna x generalis
(KAN-uh) (jen-er-RAY-liss)

I thought this bright sunny flower would be nice for the people of the eastern coast of the United States seeing how it's a dreary, rainy and for this time of year cool day. I don’t have the name of this Canna but it has been growing nicely with some ‘Tropicanna’ types in a container. We didn’t plant any Cannas as bedding plants this year. After several years of getting infected (Canna virus) and looking bad we have pretty much given up on that. This Canna has kind of dullish bronze leaves, which gives a nice back drop to the flowers.

We are expecting several more inches of rain here and I doubt the rivers can handle that. It was the wettest August in history here with 12+ inches and the pattern looks to be continuing. That much rain is amazing for this time of year. I doubt we had even a couple of inches last year during the whole summer. At least we don’t have to drag hoses around the garden this year and the newly transplanted material must be happy.

Starshine Japanese Aster

Japanese Aster
Aster ageratoides ‘Starshine’
(ASS-ter) (ad-jur-rat-OH-id-eez)

This is a picture of the Aster we planted last week. It is a quite pleasant perennial. I do love Asters and this one seems like a winner with its erect habit, clear white flowers and heavy bud set. The foliage is super dark green and a bit glossy. You can never quite trust these perennials when they come from the nursery, as their growth has probably been somewhat manipulated. We mixed the white ‘Starshine’ with some ‘Purple Dome’ Aster and are hoping for the best. The other Asters in the garden haven’t started blooming yet but we have been pinching them pretty regularly through the season. It is time to stop that now and let them blossom.

Today is Labor Day in the United States so we are enjoying a leisurely holiday. It is the unofficial end of summer although there are still a couple of weeks left on the official timetable.

Grace Austin Rose

Austin Rose
Rosa ‘Grace’
Synonyms: AUSkeppy
Bred by David Austin, UK, 2001
US Introduction: David Austin Roses Limited (USA), 2005
Parentage: AUSleap × Seedling

This is another great Austin Rose. Although you can’t tell it from this photo it has a beautiful apricot color and a strong fragrance. To me the petal count of 76 is the amazing part. Packed into a relatively small flower all the petals make for a great design. Another beautiful, hardy and disease resistant rose from David Austin.

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

Bonus Flower for Sunday. Another black and white rose. This rose was featured on this blog a couple of weeks ago in color. I had another opportunity to shoot it in black and white and it shows a little more drama than the colored one.


Shrub Rose
Rosa 'High Voltage’
Synonym: Baiage

Mauna Loa Daylily

Daylily
Hemerocallis 'Mauna Loa'
(hem-er-oh-KAL-iss)

Out of the 150 different Daylilies in my home garden there are only 3 named cultivars that I am aware of. 'Mauna Loa' is one and its bright, huge flowers are hard to ignore. It is also one of the few rebloomers out there as this picture was taken yesterday. All of the other Daylilies finished blooming months ago. The buds even made it through the hurricane, which was nice to see.

Normally I would shy away from orange colored Daylilies since they remind me of the species that blooms along the roads here. 'Mauna Loa' is different in the fact that it has much bigger flowers and has better color variations on the flower itself. Orange flowers in general are not my favorite but are getting more and more attractive to me. I would have to recommend this flower for growing as a mass or in a Daylily border.

All the plant material got delivered and installed on Thursday. It came out nice and got a lot of comments from the neighbors. The final test is when the owners come home from vacation next week. I think they will like it but will want a little more heavy screening in the back row.

Cardinal Flower

Cardinal Flower
Lobelia cardinalis
(low-BEE-lee-uh) (kar-dih-NAL-iss)

It was nice to see the patch of Cardinal Flower still standing tall after the hurricane. The color is amazing on this perennial and I feel after years of referring to this plant as a biennial it is safe to call it a perennial. This plant has returned for its third year now. Cardinal Flower is best in the back of the border since it is a tall flower. It can take moist conditions and likes full sun.

This picture shows a little of the Hurricane Irene damage and the long road to recovery from the storm. We will be cleaning up for years. Close call for that van!



This is the plant list getting delivered for the new garden today. It is very exciting. There are still several items we are looking for but this will get us started.

5 Oriental Spruce (Picea Orientalis) 8-10 feet

17 Knockout Rose 3 gallon pot

1 Fastigiate Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus h. 'Fastigiata’) 10 gallon

2 Spreading Japanese Plum Yew (Cephalotaxus harringtonia var. drupacea) 3 gallon

1 Dwarf White Pine (Pinus strobus ‘Nana’)

1 Mellow Yellow Spirea (Spiraea thunbergii 'Ogon') 2 gallon

3 Flaming Silver Pieris (Pieris japonica 'Flaming Silver') 3 gallon

3 Lo and Behold Dwarf Butterfly Bush (Buddleia hybrid) 3 gallon

6 Variegated Japanese Iris (Iris ensata ‘Variegata’)

2 Sheffield Hybrid Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum koreanum 'Sheffield' 1 gallon

3 Starshine Aster (Aster ageratoides ‘Starshine’) 1 gallon

3 Purple Dome Aster (Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome') 1 gallon

Hardy Water Lily

Hardy Water Lily
Nymphaea
(NIM-fee-uh)

Bolton's Aster

Bolton's Aster
Boltonia asteroides var. latisquama 'Jim Crockett'
(bol-TO-nee-uh)
Synonyms: White Doll's Daisy, False Aster, False Chamomile, Thousand Flower

Shot in Monochorme with the Nikon D700 and 105mm/2.8 Nikon lens

White Maiden Pink

Maiden Pink
Dianthus deltoides 'Albus'
(dy-AN-thus) (del-TOY-deez)

Quick post just to say we made through the storm but won’t have power for several days. We relocated to a hotel and the drive over was filled with broken trees and wires and a lot of flooding. We are going to be cleaning up for a long time.

This is a cute white form of the Maiden Pink. They like alpine conditions where they can form tight mats with a carpet of color.

Royal Creeper Vine

Royal Creeper
Oxera pulchella
(oks-ER-uh) (pul-KEL-uh)

These are archive shots from last winter. Taken at Fairchild Tropical Garden just south of Miami, Florida.

Since we are under a Hurricane Warning my thoughts have briefly drifted down to Florida and the devastation we saw when driving through Homestead, Florida after Hurricane Andrew had a direct hit there. I know it won’t be as bad as that but it did teach me a little bit about how bad these storms can be. The most recent forecast has the eye of a Category 1 Hurricane coming right over our little town/city. We are directly in what I call the “Cone of Doom”, which is the projected path of Irene. I was laughing and telling my friend from the west coast we will probably be wiped off the map just as we were in 1777 when the British troops burned the town to the ground for supplying that pesky Continental Army of the Americans. All kidding aside we have made some preparations and are keeping up with forecast although I have severely limited my intake of the coverage of the storm. It’s not really telling me anything and quite frankly is depressing.

About the flower for today. It is a quite attractive vine that blooms in the winter. It is very tropical and looks distinct and classy. Vines in general are not my favorite types of plants. While there is a time and place for them they usually end up going somewhat out of control.

Lantana Hybrid

Lantana Hybrid
Lantana x 'Mone'
(lan-TAN-a) (kuh-MAR-uh)
Synonyms: Tangerine Spreading Lantana

This is the first year we are growing Tangerine Lantana and it has done well. Despite our relatively cool summer and wet August the Lantanas have been chugging along. My personal preference for Lantana is to grow the solid color types. We have an all white, all yellow, mostly red and the Tangerine, which is mostly orange. The solid colors are more pleasing to me but the growth rate and flowering seem about the same. It is a pleasant annual to have in the garden but be aware that the leaves are poisonous but the berries provide a nice food source for the birds.

Last night the legendary Texas band ZZ Top rolled into our little city. Even with the threat of rain we decided to go. They played a great show and I don’t think I have heard guitar playing like that for a long time. The seemingly effortless style of the band was amazing. You could tell they have been together for a long time (40 years and over 50 million albums sold). The only thing that was a little disappointing that some of the legendary guitar collection seemed to have been left at home. They did play the white furry ones and a sunburst Les Paul. It wasn’t the fabled ’59 Sunburst ‘Pearly Gates’ but still sounded great. I don’t think ‘Pearly Gates‘ goes on the road anymore. I think the main guitar he played was a Gretsch G6199 "Billy-Bo" Jupiter Thunderbird replica. It had a beautiful design on it. Fitting I guess for a Sharp Dressed Man.

As anyone who reads this blog knows I really like the pop star/actress Selena Gomez (1.45 million albums sold). It was a pleasure to see her in concert last Saturday night and meet her earlier in her tour. The juxtaposition between seeing Selena and ZZ Top in 5 days was pretty amazing. A little known fact about me (well not anymore I guess) is that I like Pop music and while I don’t know exactly what songs are on the charts at any given time I do probably have some knowledge of the songs. Selena’s concert was great. She really worked hard on putting on the best show she could and it worked. She is working with UNICEF (she is the youngest UNICEF Ambassador ever) and the George Harrison fund to look back on the 40th Anniversary of the Concert for Bangladesh. There was a short video clip of Harrison, Dylan, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and Eric Clapton playing and talking. The last thing I expected to see at the pop concert. It was awesome and Selena is working with these people. Here is the video:



On the other hand you have ZZ Top. Just a "That Little Ol' Band from Texas" as they like to be known. To me Billy F. Gibbons is one of the best rock and roll guitarists America has ever produced. He went through several music styles with a smoothness that was stupendous. The look and feel of the ZZ Top concert was very slick with a minimum of equipment and tricks. I really wanted to support our local venue for having such a big rock and roll concert. The place was mobbed and I haven’t ever seen it that crowded (been to about 20 shows up there).

Eva Cullum Garden Phlox

Garden Phlox
Phlox paniculata 'Eva Cullum'
(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)

Well I have to take back what I said about this Phlox earlier on this blog. This was its third or fourth year in the garden and it didn’t get any Powdery Mildew. It again bloomed beautifully and the foliage stayed clean. The color is amazing, a really dark pink, and the plants seem to stay at a reasonable height and didn’t require staking. Garden Phlox is always a classic to me and when blooming it owns the back of the border.

We moved the four big Japanese Snowbell (Styrax japonicus) trees over the last two days. It was a big job but came out okay. Lifting them out of the 3 foot tall stone planters was the hardest part. Wow they were heavy. They look nice in their new home and hopefully will do well. I got the go ahead to plant five 8 to 10 foot tall Oriental Spruce (Picea orientalis) behind them. Which are some of the largest specimens I have ever seen for sale. Also going into the new garden is a Weeping Cherry (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula'), some Knockout Roses and some sod. Since this garden already has one of just about every common landscape plant I will have to be a little creative about what else to plant. Sadly the new area is outside the deer fence, which cuts down my prospects by a lot.

Black and Blue Salvia

Blue Anise Sage
Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue'
(SAL-vee-uh) (gwar-uh-NYE-tik-uh)
Synonyms: Brazilian Sage

Red Hot Poker

Red Hot Poker
Kniphofia ‘Fire Glow’
(nip-HOFF-ee-uh)
Synonym: Torch Lily

Shrub Rose ‘Peppermint Pop’

Shrub Rose ‘Peppermint Pop’
Rosa
Synonyms: Radcarn

Here we have another new plant that seems to be lurking around the edge of the market. It looked familiar when I have seen it and now I know why. It is from the same breeder as the Knockout series of roses and it looks like a really colorful knockout type. The flowers are bright pink with a hint of a white underside. Introduced in 2011 by Conard-Pyle (Star Roses) it is sure to be a big hit.

‘Peppermint Pop’ is disease resistant and the dark green foliage provides a nice backdrop for the pink flowers. The bush gets up to 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. The flowers have 25-40 petals and seem quite detailed. It is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

Coneflower

Coneflower
Echinacea purpurea 'Raspberry Truffle'
(ek-in-AY-shee-a) (pur-PUR-ee-uh)

It wouldn’t be summer if we didn’t get a couple new Coneflower varieties. When I say new it means new to me. I generally don’t think of a plant as ‘introduced’ until it makes it to at least a couple of the wholesale distributors we use. Then it is on the market and not just something you gawk at in a catalog. 'Raspberry Truffle' is a brand new flower for 2011 and it is already available for sale. The flower shape is a little weird but the color is stunning. We have laid off using too much Echinacea because a lot of it died out over the years. I think a couple of winters had conditions that were favorable to them not returning.

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

Bonus flower for Sunday.



White Coneflower
Echinacea 'Heavenly Dream'

This Coneflower was introduced in 2009. Its bright white flower and compact habit do make it a bit of a dream.

Shrub Rose

Shrub Rose
Rosa 'High Voltage’
Synonym: Baiage

This is kind of like the shrub rose I posted several days ago but this time I know the name. ‘High Voltage’ is a new member of the Easy Elegance class of roses and its subtle color and disease resistance are sure to have around for a long time. Obtaining a height of 2 to 3 feet ‘High Voltage’ is nice and small although the flowers are about standard size.

I didn’t buy the ‘High Voltage’ but was interested to see that the Easy Elegance roses come with a 2-year homeowner guarantee. I guess they think you are really going to like them. Here is a link to the guarantee it seems pretty fool proof.

Today is my birthday and my wife surprised me with some Selena Gomez tickets. The concert is at the PNC Arts Center in New Jersey. Recently on Facebook I posted some shots of the big festival/concert I attended. Someone sent me a note asking that their pictures be removed from the album. They were supposed to be at work and the boss saw their photos. Oops!

Black-eyed Susan

Black-eyed Susan
Rudbeckia hirta 'Sonora'
(rud-BEK-ee-a) (HER-tuh)

This seems like a new variety of Black-eyed Susan but may have been around for a while. I am thinking it is new since this is the first year I have seen it for sale at several places. I bought one for a container and it looked pretty mixed with some white petunia and yellow Lantana. One thing that is remarkable is that of the 20 or so flowers on my 6-inch pot none were the same. Each had their own striking markings around the center of the flower. Some also had larger brown cones in the middle. It is quite a feast for the eyes, Lucky it only grows to 18 to 24 inches, as the flowers look heavy compared to the stalks.

Black-eyed Susans add a nice touch to summer. The yellow flowers are produced in copious numbers and liven up the garden at a time when it needs it. There are more and more varieties coming out all the time. It is an easy perennial to grow and can colonize rough areas. It doesn't seem to need much in the way of maintenance or care. The spreading habit is good way to get free plants.

White Japanese Anemone

Japanese Anemone
Anemone x hybrida 'Whirlwind'
(uh-NEM-oh-nee)

This perennial has appeared on this blog before. It is once again blooming and looking great in the garden. Slightly different then most Anemone varieties 'Whirlwind’ features a double flower and a slightly smaller habit. The smaller part is helpful since it can’t flop over like some of the taller types. I would recommend this plant for massing or the border. It flowers in late summer and keeps going until the frost knocks it down.

Happy news at work we have scored a nice sized installation job. It is at one of our regular houses and should provide a nice challenge to complete. It is going to be a mixture of plants because not only does it have to present a nice picture from the street it will double as a continuation of some privacy screening.

There is one part of the job I am not looking forward to and that is moving four Japanese Snowbell trees from the rear patio out to the new area. Normally having some ‘free’ mature plants would be a good thing except the Styrax trees are planted in masonry planters. This going to make them a very tricky dig indeed. Oh well we will just do the best we can trying to move them out. I may try and document our progress as we do the installation.

Yellow Shrub Rose

Yellow Shrub Rose
Rosa

Yellow Tulip

Yellow Tulip
Tulipa
(TOO-li-pa)

WHite Butterfly Bush

Butterfly Bush
Buddleia davidii
(BUD-lee-uh) (duh-VID-ee-eye)
Synonyms: Buddleja davidii, Summer Lilac, Orange-eye Butterfly Bush

This is another photo from my prowling around the farm on Saturday. Buddleia has always been a favorite shrub of mine. It produces so any sweet smelling flowers during the summer and fall. I deadhead ours but it is really not necessary and can be a big job. It does seem to extend the flowering so it makes it worthwhile. This year our Buddleias seemed to have grown more enormous then ever. We usually cut them back severely in the spring but must have missed it this year. This white flowered one, which is a little more rare, was about 8 feet tall with an equal spread.

Buddleia is a wonderful shrub to have if you have children. They really do attract butterflies but also bees. The other day at work (sans camera) I was getting the butterflies to walk on my hands as they flitted amongst the flowers. My co-workers were laughing at me but bit a little jealous at the same time.

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.

Pincushion Flower

Pincushion Flower
Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue'
(skab-ee-OH-suh) (kol-um-BAR-ee-uh)

There are certain flowers that I just can’t seem to get a good photograph of and this has been one. Over the years Scabiosa has seemed to resist every attempt to photograph it. One thing I have learned is to just go with the flow and stop trying to capture the resistant flowers. So here is an okay picture of Scabiosa and it is time to move on to other species.

Having Pincushion Flower is the garden is usually a short lived but rewarding experience. It is easy to grow as a perennial if given the proper winter drainage. The flowers do attract butterflies and bees. With proper deadheading it can bloom all season. In 2000 it was named perennial plant of the year .

Today I am going out to play some music at a local loosely arranged festival. It is the first time the digital Hammond Organ will be making an appearance and that is exciting. It is a monster instrument and hopefully all the hours I have spent practicing with it will pay off. I have been spending a lot of time listening to some of the great Hammond players including the The Incredible Jimmy Smith (as he was known).

The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog

Here is the gorgeous Disney Princess Selena Gomez performing at sunset at Bethel Woods. The sunset tones really set off the great skin color she had. My experience meeting her and seeing the concert was one I am not likely to forget for a long time.

On the other hand I met this Green Frog (Rana clamitans) at work yesterday. He wasn’t nearly as pretty but beautiful in his own special way. I felt bad because his eye and leg were messed up a little, which made him an easy catch. Soon after being subjected to my nosy camera he was back swimming in the pond with his friends hopefully no worse for the wear. A detailed inspection revealed a beautiful animal with a lot of great markings and colors.


Yesterday was kind of wildlife day at work. We saw a family of three deer, a woodchuck, rabbits, frogs and a huge snake. The snake was about six feet long and twice the thickness of a broom handle. The largest one I had seen in many years.

Hibiscus and Parrots Tiffany WIndow

Hibiscus and Parrots
Louis Comfort Tiffany
Leaded Glass 1910-20
Metropolitan Museum of Art
New York, New York