Summer has settled in here at Squirrelhaven. There is less color in the Woodland Garden than a month ago. It's all very green, even the lawn is lush and green. At least the Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' is in full bloom.
The Woodland Garden has to rely on the Dicentras,
geraniums
(this is Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac' with what is purportedly Phlox maculata 'Rosalinde'), Clematis, Aquilegia and Astrantia for color now.
I would have included Hydrangea macrophylla 'Penny Mac' in there, but it's such a drama queen, going from this:
to this after the sun hits it, and it doesn't perk up again until evening.
I want to emphasize that Illinois is not in a drought now.
This just happens to my soil if it's not constantly raining. It's a dramatic example of "dry shade." After taking this photo I filled the crack and covered the area with compost.
The front garden is mostly waiting for the Echinaceas, Liatris, and Alliums to start blooming.
In the woodland, the garden waits for the Lilies and the Daylilies. At least the Hostas are starting, as is this Astilbe,
which is either 'Veronica Klose' or 'Visions.' I have both names written in my garden journal. I'll need to dig further through my scrawls to figure out if I killed all the 'Veronica Klose' and replaced it with 'Visions,' or whether I have both. I suspect the former.
*Apologies for the intentional grammatical error. I know it should be "late in June," but it just doesn't sound as well.
The Woodland Garden has to rely on the Dicentras,
geraniums
(this is Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac' with what is purportedly Phlox maculata 'Rosalinde'), Clematis, Aquilegia and Astrantia for color now.
I would have included Hydrangea macrophylla 'Penny Mac' in there, but it's such a drama queen, going from this:
to this after the sun hits it, and it doesn't perk up again until evening.
I want to emphasize that Illinois is not in a drought now.
This just happens to my soil if it's not constantly raining. It's a dramatic example of "dry shade." After taking this photo I filled the crack and covered the area with compost.The front garden is mostly waiting for the Echinaceas, Liatris, and Alliums to start blooming.
In the woodland, the garden waits for the Lilies and the Daylilies. At least the Hostas are starting, as is this Astilbe,
which is either 'Veronica Klose' or 'Visions.' I have both names written in my garden journal. I'll need to dig further through my scrawls to figure out if I killed all the 'Veronica Klose' and replaced it with 'Visions,' or whether I have both. I suspect the former.*Apologies for the intentional grammatical error. I know it should be "late in June," but it just doesn't sound as well.
36 comments:
Really lovely garden! Love the phlox! You know me and shades of pink! is it growing in semi-shade? I was just reading that Clematis doesn't need as much sun as purported and wondered if that is your experience?
mmd, that is what my ground looks like even when we aren't in a drought...we are now! I like your solution...Right now the trees are hogging all the water. I can hardly bear to go outside the mosquitoes are horrible this year...where are they breeding in our droughted world?
Gail
Can't see anything grammatically incorrect in your title.
So sorry to read of both your mosquito trouble. That would certainly keep me indoors.
Hydrangeas honour their name, don't they just. I have to keep mine in pots on deep saucers of constant water. Or in the pond.
I like the Dutchman's breeches, tried white ones, but no luck.
Is that a double blue geranium I spy? Just got two of those and they are so nice close-up.
Gail: my clematis in the shade does nothing. Nothing at all. Sadly, those in the sun don't do anything either ;-)
All got clematis wilt, apart from one. But...new sproutings
I also have had my share of bites. I have to stay in and heal! We are plenty moist and the mosquitoes are evrywhere.
Lots of green in my gardens too. Looking forward to picking tomatoes soon.
Sherry
I've spent so much time away that I dare not look at my home garden. If I don't weed no one will :(
Drama Queen is right! that Hydrangea knows how to put on a 'show'
My guess is the Astilbe is a 'Vision' The flower buds look like they have some meat on their bones. My impression of the 'Vision' series is that the flower spikes are very sturdy and the buds are 'fatter' than other Astilbes.
Your grammar is just fine -- as is your beautiful garden! It looks like a lovely place to take an afternoon stroll. :)
Gail - some Clems do better in shade than others. Venosa Violacea seems to tolerate it very well. For such a young plant, it's got tons of blooms. Sometimes when you're in a drought, it seems like the water in ponds & lakes get stagnant because of no rain disturbing it. That's a source of mosquitos in drought. BTW - my Ruellia humulis started blooming today.
Joco - just this morning I noticed that the mosquitos are much less of a problem. No double Geraniums. The blue/purple one in the 1st photo is just Rozanne. The other purple flowers are Aquilegia. I killed my Birch's double a long time ago.They are pretty.
Q - time for the anti-itch cream. Tomato time already?
Wiseacre - thanks for the tentative Astilbe ID. I remember I bought Visions because it is reportedly more tolerant of dry soil. This would indicate that Veronica Klose did not do well. I'll have to investigate.
Nancy Bond - my old boss would have made me change it. He believed there is no such thing as "late June," unless it was dead. It is nice to be in the shady garden in the afternoon.
Phooey on your boss. We say "mid June" not "mid in June", so "late June" sounds right to me.
There are sure lots of good blooms in Squirrelhaven. I hope it doesn't turn into "Mosquitohaven" this summer!
Carol, May Dreams Garden
MMD, your garden looks so pretty - peaceful, cool, green, and inviting, with lovely splashes of color. That astilbe looks like it's going to be gorgeous. I'm hearing the siren's song from those clematis. . .
The soil here in our dry shade looks a lot like yours! I watered last weekend, and will be watering again this weekend if we don't get the rain the weatherman's been talking about.
There seems to be a bumper crop of mosquitoes down here in the southland. They've certainly left their marks on me. The bats around here have been chowing down!
Very nice tour of the "garden in late june" (error forgiven... actually helps the reader in this case because it does sound better). I am continually amazed at how northern gardens come alive so quickly after being under snow for so long. Love that shade of pink on the hydrangea... which we could grow them here.
Meems@Hoe&Shovel
What soothing photographs. I think, if I were to purchase a hydrangea, I would purchase the oakleaf. It looks so much more "natural."
Lovely photos, lovely garden. :-)
Hi MMD,
That's no grammatical error, and your former boss was (as we in IA say) full of it! Is it incorrect to state: "In early January" or "In late January, sometimes snowdrops begin to bloom." ?? That guy rankles my hackles, and reaffirms my belief that grammar should always be more descriptive than proscriptive, all of which to say that one's "ear" is quite often a very good judge!
You've got a great show going on now ... I was surprised to see you still have aquilegia and dicentra, as ours have finished blooming. Our liatris and sea holly are really revving up right now and the 7 new peonies we put in last weekend are looking happy. Now we get ready for July ... (yikes).
Drama Queen or not, I love your Penny Mac. She's beautiful.
Carol - the grammatically correct form of "mid June" would be "the middle of June." ;^D Old habits die hard. I still have a hard time splitting infinitives. "Mosquitohaven" sounds like one of the rings of Hell.
Garden Girl - it doesn't seem fair to have tons of mosquitos & cracks in the ground at the same time. Ah, life in Northern IL.
Meems - I'm always amazed at how fast things get big once it rains & the weather warms up. You can almost see things growing. The mophead Hydrangea would bloom blue if I gave it acidifying stuff, but I'm happy enough with the pink not to bother.
Shady - the Oakleaf Hydrangea is a better plant than the fussy mopheads. It looks great all winter too, with its peeling bark. I've never fertilized it either.
IVG - you would have to remind me that July is almost here. :-( My Dicentras are the "everbloomers" 'King of Hearts,' 'Candy Hearts,' & 'Zestful.' They bloom through most of the summer. The Aquilegia are past peak, but there's still some blooms left in them.
Jane Marie - I don't know if it has to do with siting, but 'Penny Mac' consistently outperforms 'Endless Summer' in my garden. It managed to squeeze out 1 bloom last year, whereas ES was totally wiped out by the April freeze.
JEALOUS!!! So beautiful...my beds are new this year, so they are not nearly as full as yours...
Shades of summer, peace and serenity. Give me a good book and a glass of lemonade or perhaps, a mojito! The snow will fly soon enough.
MMD, lack of color-not! All of your bloomers are so pretty. I know what you mean about mosquitos! We can't be out after the sun goes down and we'd better not rustle any bushes during the day. We had 2" more on Friday eve and have ponds in the fields again. I shouldn't complain what with the drought in the east and the flooding in Iowa. As you said our gardens and lawns are thankfully green and lush this year.
Mmmmm. Lush and green. Looks like my idea of paradise. Glad for this window into your world.
Hi, Jean Ann - it's taken 15 years to get them to look like this. I bet yours won't take nearly as long.
Layanee - such an awful thought! ;^) Nothing snow like at the moment, thank goodness.
Beckie - it's a tossup - green, lush & mosquitos or no mosquitos, brown & crunchy. We can't ever get the happy medium.
MSS - if you're in drought, this must look like paradise. I hope you get some relief soon!
MMD, You're ahead of the game--I've been reading some of the "green" posts put up this weekend, and I immediately thought of your earlier clematis post, which featured foliage. Lovely foliage today, too. Your astilbe is spectacular; mine hasn't even begun to bud.
My students used to call me "The Grammar Queen," but now I feel humbled--I don't see anything wrong with your title. "Late" can be an adjective as well as an adverb. No red markings from this English teacher!
Just love your garden. How many green thumbs do you have?
I just want to say that I think your pictures on your garden in late june looked wery nice.
Ken
I love the Astrantia backed by the Columbines. The Astilbe is beautiful, no matter the name!
Wanted to suggest a visit to Periwinkle's blog at: http://msperiwinkle.wordpress.com/ - since I read your comment on VP's blog that you loved choral singing.
I had not thought of hydrangeas as drama queens but you are absolutely correct :)
On hot days my Nikko Blue hydrangeas wilt too. Sometimes I just spray them with water to cool them off and they perk up.
Robin at Bumblebee
Your garden looks great! I'm always amazed at the variety and numbers of different plants you have. The dicentra photo is very pretty. I love simple, graceful shots like that. It that the everblooming variety?
My soil cracks like that too where I don't have mulch. Just a few days from mud to cracks.
Marnie
MMD, it all looks so lush & cool. Can I come stay for a month or two?~~Dee
Don't astilbe just make your heart sing?
~ Monica
Rose - thanks for the grammar lesson! Iguess I was on the same wavelength as Emma when I wrote the Clematis leaf post. So it counts, even though it's early. I'm thinking that Astilbe is 'Visions.' The 'Veronica Klose' is no where near ready to bloom yet. Bloom time depends a lot on the cultivar & location.
Welcome, Flydragon! Thanks, but I think I have only an outdoor greenthumb. I kill houseplants.
Hi, Ken - thanks!
Kate - thanks for the suggestion. I do have a couple of interests that have nothing to do with plants.
Iowa Gardening Woman - I also think of Mophead Hydrangeas as "divas."
Robin - do they need it to be Evian? I'll have to give that a try.
Roses & Lilacs - that Dicentra 'Zestful' is an everbloomer, using the term loosely. The length of bloom depends on the weather (heat & rainfall).
Dee - bring your mosquito repellant!
Hi MMD, oh an ode to the late June, we knew him well. I need to just give up on hydrangeas except pee gee, even oak leaf is not looking well. We did get some rain, but things are already dry again. Sigh. I wear long sleeves and light weight long underwear under my shorts to work in the garden, no bites from vicious fangs. Your daylilies and lilies will perk up your color scheme, although to me it looks beautiful and refreshing.
Language should be used to communicate and "in late June" speaks so well...poetic, lyric and descriptive.
You've some lovely plants. Mine have some heat stress, even the lantana.
Frances - it seems that Tennessee just can't get enough rain anymore. So sorry about that. I could easily give up the mopheads, but I'd hate to be without the Oakleaf Hydrangea. I'm glad the mosquitos can't get you through your garden wear. They bite me right through shirts & pants.
Hi, Nancy - it's hard to believe that Lantana could suffer heat stress. Of course I can't imagine what it's like to have day after day in the 100s. Yuck.
MMD,
That hydrangea is really nice.
Had a few moments and wanted to stop by and say thanks for the recent comment on my blog it means a lot.
Mr. Brownthumb - fuggagetaboutit!
Lovely Blog, it appeals to the plant-collecting snob as well as casual gardener, thanks for that!
You seem to grow a few Dicentras, so I'd like to ask: Of the D. eximia and D. formosa fellows like 'Luxuriant,' and whatnot, which is your favourite? And for my interests, which is the darkest in colour in your garden? I have seen pictures of 'Bacchanal' that promise a break from the usual pastels.
Thank you,
INeedAcupOfTea
Thanks for visiting, INeedAcupofTea! I have fallen into plant-collecting snobdom, but I strive against it. I've seen 'Bacchanal' at nurseries & Luxiurient growing in other gardens, so my comparison is not perfect, as I am comparing it to plants growing in my soil. But here goes. Luxurient & Zestful look about the same color, a good light pink. Candy Hearts is darker, with King of Hearts darker than that. Bacchanal appears to be the darkest that I've seen. Candy Hearts is not happy where I've got it & may need to be moved, so I'm not sure of its performance. Zestful is a large plant that blooms well. Its foliage is not as finely divided as others & not as blue. My favorite, so far, is King of Hearts, for its intense color, blue foliage & long bloom time.
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