My Garden Blossoms

Peony 'Coral Charm'

Herb's bed with Peonies

 

The weather had been atrociously hot for this time of the year, and our region still in severe drought. Last week we finally got a bit of rain and the temperatures dropped to more normal levels. My garden had offered some blooms, and is now offering more. The peony 'Coral Charm' had three flowers this year, though with the drying winds, they only lasted a few days. I moved it to its present location two yeas ago and it seems to be recovering strength. Behind it 'Duchesse de Nemours' is full of buds that are starting to open.

My Rhodendron 'Brandywine' was not as full as on other years--some of the trusses were blighted and had only a few flowers, probably because of the drought. My other Rhododendron 'Anna Rose Whitney'. which I transplanted last fall hoping that it would prosper in a shadier area where the soil is more moist, suffered so much I regretted having moved it--but it's now showing some promising new growth.

 

Rhododendron 'Brandywine'

Rhododendron 'Anna Rose Whitney'

My Virginia Fringe tree in the east woodland garden didn't put forth a lot of bloom this year, and neither did the Pagoda Dogwood, but they seem to be gaining some height--all to the good.

 

Virginia Fringe Tree (Chionanthus virginicum)

Pagoda Dogwood (Swida alternifolia)

Pagoda Dogwood

The pale lilac Dutch iris were lovely last week and the bearded irises made a decent show as well. The yellow irises produced only one flower stalk, but the white and bicolors in the front garden and the blue 'Victoria Falls' were quite impressive.

 

Pale Dutch irises

Iris bed in front of house.

'Victoria Falls' iris.

Iris 'Blatant'

Iris 'Pink Attraction'

Back in Herb's bed, last fall I planted a row of the charming Allium 'Christophii' (I think that's what it is, not sure) which is starting to bloom.

 

Allium 'Christophii'

Allium 'Christophii'?

 

In the back bed the Verbascum 'Southern Charm' is putting on a lovely show along with some red Columbines and a small pink Salvia.

 

Verbascum 'Southern Charm'

 

Salvia 'Pink Profusion'

 A couple of other Salvias, the deep purple "May Night' and a light blue are also blooming. I hope most of these will still be in bloom for the month's "Bloom Day."

 

Salvia 'May Night'

 

Light blue Salvia.

Lastly, here's some photos of the spring harvest from my home veggie garden: lettuce and Cherry Belle radishes, with an arrangement of irises in a vase for a backdrop.

 

Spring harvest

Irises in vase with spring harvest.

 

January 2025 Bloom Day

 

Miniature orchid Epidendrum polybulbon in bloom

Today is Bloom Day for garden bloggers, hosted by Carol Michel's May Dreams Blog. The temperature outside my Virginia home is about 21 degrees, and my yard is still mostly covered with snow, though the south and western exposures have gradually been melting during the past week. Some ornamental grasses and evergreens are about the only notable things in my garden at the moment.

 

Rhododendron 'Ana Rose Whitney' and Wavy grass (Nassella tenuissima)

The leaves of my Rhododendrons are drooping, which they do when temperatures drop into the 20's. The wind blew down a few of my deer barriers so the deer have been creating havoc devouring the Arborvitae and anything that was accessible--the tracks reveal the activity of all the wild creatures roaming in the yard during these cold days.

Herb's bed with ornamental grasses.

Potted azaleas and evergreens in the front yard.

But, my indoor garden has a few lovely surprises--the miniature orchid purchased last year at the Virginia Orchid Society's show started to develop two flower buds around Christmas, and this morning the first one is opening! The flower is about 1/2" and its pseudobulbs not much larger than that, but I'm so thrilled to have been able to keep it alive and thriving!

Epidendrum polybulbon in flower.

My gardenia tree (Tabernaemontana divaricata) produces flowers several times a year, mostly during winter and spring. I bought it for its heavenly scent, which lasts only for the first six hours when the flower opens. But new flowers open every few days, releasing their wonderful perfume.

The Cattleya orchid on the windowsill has yet to produce any flowers, despite growing well for going on seven or eight years. I've tried everything I can think of to coax some flowers, with no luck.

 

Gardenia tree in flower (Cattleya orchid below it)

 

In the upper balcony of our two-story foyer I have a collection of houseplants, among which are two Mamey trees (Pouteria sapote) sprouted from seeds a friend gave me. I don't expect that they will ever produce fruit, but I'm growing them as specimens for a painting that I hope to do sometime if I can find some fruit for sale next summer.

Mamey is my favorite fruit--there's an old saying that a Cuban will walk a mile for a mamey... I still remember the artistic displays of fruit in the vendors' carts in Havana, and my mother stopping to buy. Mamey season was the best, when the vendors cut the mameyes to display the delicious orange-red flesh with its single shiny black seed!

Mamey trees with other houseplants.

Episcia flowers

 Downstairs, my collection of houseplants threatens to take over the foyer, but I love the illusion of an indoor tropical forest! It needs a good bit of housekeeping--the leaf drop and insects are hard to deal with, it's a constant battle.

 

The foyer

 

The Bearss lime tree is still producing some blooms, but it's now mostly setting fruit. I've grown this tree for over twenty years, and wonder when it will finally get too old to bear fruit. Last spring I bought another Bearss lime to replace it when the time comes.The smaller tree is right next to the biggie.

Bearss lime tree.

Fruit on Bearss lime tree

 

Here's a Kalanchoe that managed to rebloom, and more houseplants.

Kalanchoe flower.

Assortment of houseplants.

That's about it for this January Bloom Day, thanks for visiting!

Early May Garden

Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi'

Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi'

This year for the first time I have flowers on a Rhododendron I planted several years ago. Rhododendron 'Southgate Brandi' had formed buds the previous spring, but the deer ate them before they had a chance to open, so this past winter I put up a barrier to keep them away, and finally get to enjoy the gorgeous pink flowers. 

On the east side of the house, while the delicate bells of the Carolina Silverbell tree have dropped to the ground and begin to set their curious four-sided pods, the Virginia Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) brings forth its frothy flowers and leaves, highlighted by the patch of dark purple columbines. It's amazing how quickly everything changes in a matter of days at this time of the year. 

 

East side beds

Virginia Fringe tree (Chionanthus virginicus) with purple Columbines

 

Other surprises awaited me here--the variegated Jacob's ladder (Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou') presented its first delicate blue blossoms. The leaves of this cultivar as so gorgeous the plant really doesn't need any flowers to be more decorative, but together they are lovely.

Polemonium 'Brise d'Anjou' with Ajuga 'Black Scallop'

Another Rhododendron which had not been prospering I transplanted to a shady spot of the front yard last summer, where it would be more sheltered from the wind. As you can see, it is definitely happier in its new location and covered with lovely white blossoms.

Rhododendron 'Unique'

Rhododendron ' Unique'

 

The Azalea 'General Semmes' which I dug up and replanted into a shallow pot to place under the shade of the cherry tree in front is also looking better. These acid-loving favorites don't do well in our alkaline soils, so I've been experimenting with ways to provide them with more favorable conditions, from pouring lots of sulphur to acidify the soil around them, to transplanting into pots with more suitable soil. The latter solution may be my best bet eventually, but I enjoy these experiments and learning through trial and error.

 

Azalea 'General Semmes'

The irises exploded into color around the first of the month. My front walk, despite becoming more shaded as the trees grow, is very colorful at the moment.

 

Irises by the front walk.

The front bed on the west side of the garage is also brimming with flowers: bearded and Dutch irises. Soon the roses will begin to make their show.

Dutch iris

Yellow and Dutch irises on the west

As the early spring daffodils and narcissus fade, other flowers begin to emerge. The scent of the lilacs in back yard is permeating the whole area. The purple 'Bloomerang' lilac has reached it final size, I hope. The other lilac 'Primrose,' which was supposed to have pale yellow flowers seems to not be the variety I purchased, but something else with white flowers. The flowers are not very plentiful this year--several stems died off over the winter, but I hope it will recover soon.

The back yard on May 1st.

Back yard.

Circle of Spanish Bluebells (Hyacinthoides hispanica)

The circle of Spanish Bluebells under the Zelkova tree is already past its peak--the photo above was taken about a week ago. The Japanese maple 'Amber Ghost' has leafed out and the Ninebark tree 'Amber Jubilee' in front of it seems to have survived the depredations of the deer.  The new conifer I planted last fall, the tiny Korean fir on the left (Abies koreana 'Horstmans Silberlocke'), is getting ready to bring forth some new shoots. This should develop into a silvery beauty eventually reaching some ten to fifteen feet high.

The yard from the west side of the house.

The Clematis montana odorata climbing on the trellis mounted on the brick wall of the house is also blooming, along with some of the perennials in the border below.

Clematis montana odorata

Thalictrum aquilegiflorum 'Nimbus White'

In one of the back beds the meadow rue (Thalictrum aquilegiflorum 'Nimbus White') that bloomed last year for the first time, is fuller this year, with more flower spikes. It's such a delicate-looking plant! I've planted some seeds of the more ordinary meadow rue also but it's hard to tell at this point if they have sprouted, among so many other weeds hatching. I added a Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) behind it, the tiny fronds are barely visible thus far, but will reach nobler proportions in a few years.

Soon the roses and peonies will be starting. I can hardly wait to see some of the new varieties I added in the last couple of years that have yet to offer their first blooms, as well as what other shrubs and the annuals I planted from seed this spring will bring to the summer garden.