The Garden in Late June*

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.

Beauty Beyond Blooms

Clematis 'Evipo23' (Cezanne)

When the Clematis are blooming, it's hard to see anything but the flowers. While cutting back and fertilizing 'Vyvyan Pennell,' I noticed the foliage for the first time. Its perfect heart-shaped leaves look a lot like those of a Redbud. Then I noticed how different they are from those of Clematis 'Natascha,' which are long and narrow. Different again is the foliage of Clematis 'Madame Julia Correvon,' with its divided leaves. Clematis 'Crystal Fountain' has red stems, but its foliage is similar to that of Clematis 'Evipo 23' (Cezanne).The foliage of Clematis 'Evisix' (Petit Faucon) is tinged with red.
No, it's not a Clematis. This leaf belongs to the native Jack-in-the-Pulpit (Arisamea triphyllum). I just couldn't resist the large, tropical look of it.

Zen and the Art of Deadheading

Some people get into a Zen-like state mowing the lawn, others watering. Me, I find my Zen when deadheading. I posted about how untidy my garden is with plants flowing out of beds, spilling into the paths. Where my obsessive-compulsive impulses show is in the removal of spent blossoms. During the summer, I'm usually out every morning, pruners in hand, deadheading. This is not the Zen-deadheading to which I am alluding.

That, instead, happens most often with plants that need lots of individual spent flowers cut off at once, without shearing, plants such as this Geranium maculatum, or Campanula persicifolia. What many would find tedious and repetitive, I find relaxing. It is not strenuous and does not require me to work up a sweat. I can sit on the garden path and mindlessly cut off the faded flowers, being as one with the garden, feeling it breathing, hearing its song (only if I'm not singing something to myself). Time becomes meaningless, worries fade away. Until it's time to go in.(These photos were taken a couple of weeks ago. The Geranium maculatum is done blooming now.)

While there is not much art to deadheading Geraniums, deadheading Phlox pilosa involves some discretion. The gardener must determine from where the new growth will sprout for rebloom. Sometimes it's obvious, other times it's guess work. In any event, the finished product is a vast improvement.
How do you find your garden Zen?

---------------------------------------------------------

Today is the start of Astronomical Summer.* Summer actually arrived a few weeks ago, and we've been enjoying summer temperatures with highs in the upper 70s to low 80s and lows in the 60s. Perfect weather for Zen deadheading. Happy Midsummer's Day and have a great weekend!

edit. 6/20/08
(VIS has just informed me that it is "Astrological Summer," not "Astronomical Summer." )
(edit. 6/23/08 Have recently learned that Midsummer's Day and the Summer Solstice are not one and the same.)

The Best Garden Center in Chicagoland

This is it, the one I make a special trip to at least once a season, The Growing Place, in Naperville. There is a second location in Aurora, but it is even farther from home, so I haven't been there yet. The Naperville location is the original one, and on a sunny morning late in May it took me about 40 minutes to reach plus a couple of tolls. It was definitely worth it.

Why do I think The Growing Place is the best garden center around? It could be because of the incredible selection of plants, many of which can only be found at mailorder nurseries. This year's catalogue is over 170 8"x 10" pages long of listings, and many of the offerings at the nursery aren't even listed in the catalogue. I saw that Whale's Tongue Agave that is Pam at Digging's signature plant for sale here. (Of course it was much smaller.) Those gorgeous annuals that Jodi at Bloomingwriter is always posting about, but I couldn't find? Also at The Growing Place. This is where I got my Calycathus floridus 'Athens.' The catalogue lists 27 different Heucheras. They have Eryngium 'Jade Frost.' (I'm still kicking myself for not buying it. I had it in my hand!) Not only does The Growing Place have a large selection, but the plants themselves are properly displayed and well cared for. Nothing that I bought was rootbound or stressed.
But are those are the only reasons? No, The Growing Place is worth visiting for the display gardens alone. What's your dream color scheme? It's probably there.Ruby and gold with a shot of blue. Purple and green? I've got to get some of these Alliums. How about peach and blue?In the background is a brown theme. There are all different types of gardens on display: a water garden with a Japanese bridge, a formal Rose garden,a shade gardensunny gardens,a shabby chic/recycled items garden,and a rock garden.There's just so much here to inspire.
And then there are all the containers and ornaments for sale. (Click on any photo to enlarge.)I'd really like this dog.

I saw rustic high-backed chairs for plants with a tiny birdhouse on each.
There was also a narrower, taller bottle tree.

The Growing Place is also a fairy lover's delight.For those not as talented as Frances, there are lots of pieces of fairy furniture for sale for creating a fairy garden.Need a place for your fairies to live? There's a wide selection, from the secureto the quaintto the grand.One can't forget about plants for the fairy gardenor tools and garden ornaments.You can even get minignomes to do the work for the fairies. I think another trip is in order, this time with my daughter to pick out things for a fairy garden of our own.

June Bloom Day 2008

It's that time again, when Carol, of May Dreams Gardens, hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. (Thanks, Carol!) I'm experimenting with smaller photos in the hope that this will load faster. I'm a bit behind on getting this together, what with technical difficulties with copying photos and helping VIS take apart a couple of our lousy Boxelder Trees that broke in the early Friday morning storms and fell into the neighbors' yard.Yes, that's the fence we're going to replace this year. Sometimes procrastination pays off.
Even though it has finished blooming, I had to include a photo of the plant formerly known as Smilacina racemosa (Maiathemum racemosa), because it bloomed after May Bloom Day. This is one of my favorite native wildflowers. It's not done for the season, however, as it develops red berries where the "plume" was, and the foliage turns yellow in the fall.
Say goodbye to Orville Fay, he's nearly done blooming. Last year he didn't bloom at all, so I was very pleased that he put on such a good show this year. He's a tetraploid Siberian Iris, so the flowers are larger and the foliage more upright than my other Siberian Iris, which missed both Bloom Days.
Also on its way out are the blooms of Calycanthus 'Athens.' This one still smells fruitylicious. Nearly done also is Thalictrum 'Thundercloud.' I love the color.
The Campanulas are in full bloom, C. garganica 'Dickson's Gold,'C. perscifolia 'Alba' and 'Telham Blue,' and 'Sarastro,' looking better than ever. It's planted with Heuchera 'Raspberry Ice.' H. 'Hollywood' is living up to its billing. When the sun hits it, it is visible across the yard. The flowers of H. 'Lime Rickey' aren't as flashy, but they look good with those of Alchemilla mollis, which is also in full bloom.
Looking dazzling for such a baby, my Cornus kousa 'Beni fuji' is loaded with large flowers.
All the Columbines are still blooming. Here's a 'Leprechaun Gold' seedling blooming with one of four groups of Solomon's Seal (Polyganatum camutatum/biflorum). It's a native. Although not actually blooming, the native Prairie Smoke is grown for it's showy seedheads. Right now, it's smokin'. Another native that blooms in June is the plant called 'Bowman's Root' (I have no clue why) (Gillenia trifoliata), seen here with Aquilegia 'Woodside Blue.'
The Clematis parade continues with the divided and transplanted 'Henryi.' He outgrew his space, so I've moved him to the back of the garden. In his place is my only double Clematis, blooming for the first time, 'Vyvyan Pennell.' Also blooming for the first time is 'Betty Corning.' I think I'm really going to like this one. I posted a closeup of 'Silver Moon' already, so here's the plant on its new trellis. It is loaded with buds. 'Crystal Palace' is now Crystal Puffs.Just this morning 'Venosa Violacea' opened for the first time.It got chomped on by Earwigs before it opened. I'd appreciate any suggestions for dealing with Earwigs. I'm trying overturned pots filled with shredded newspaper in a couple of areas, but that doesn't seem to be working yet.

The Astrantias are just coming into bloom. My current favorite in the garden is 'Claret,' shown here with Dicentra 'King of Hearts' blooming in the background.
Very soon, Hydrangea macrophylla 'Penny Mac' will start blooming. It has this large bud and two smaller buds, while poor 'Endless Summer' has just one, much smaller bud. Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snow Queen' is also just starting to bloom. It's going to be great this year.

Things still blooming from last month:
Tiarella 'Iron Butterfly'
Thalictrum/Anemonella thalictroides, white, pink and double forms
Heucherella 'Burnished Bronze' and 'Sunspot'
Lamium maculatums
Stylophorum diphyllum
Phlox divaricata
Jack in the Pulpit
Dicentra 'Zestful'
Dicentra 'Candy Hearts'
Corydalis 'Blackberry Wine'
Brunnera 'Jack Frost'
Geranium macrorrhizum
seedling pink Aquilegia vulgaris

New this month:
Penstemon 'Husker's Red'
Phlox pilosa 'Eco Happy Traveler'
a creeping yellow flowered Sedum
Clematis 'Natascha'
Physocarpus opulifolius 'Monlo' (Diablo)
Heuchera 'Smoky Rose'
Cotinus 'Nordine'
Cotinus 'Ancot' (Golden Spirit)
Geranium 'Rozanne'
Geranium nodosum 'Svelte Lilac'
Campanula 'Samantha'

mystery Peony

Astrantia 'Primadonna'

Things in bud:

'Black Dragon' strain Trumpet Lilies
Astilbe 'Veronica Klose'?
Clematis 'Evipo 023' (Cezanne)
Clematis 'Viola'