Drought Survivors

Many of you probably saw my Facebook post about my garden of the month award. Don't be fooled; the drought has taken its toll in my gardens in a big way. What I haven't posted are the depressing sights of hydrangeas burned to a crisp. Coneflowers that have scraggly blooms and whose leaves have basically melted off. The poor daylilies that not only lost most of their foliage and had naked stems, but which had also fallen victim to a munching rodent, desperate for some form of moisture.

One thing for sure is that this garden sign at my entry has me standing outside in triple digit degree weather, hand watering one garden while the solitary sprinkler we own works on another part of the yard.

Despite the near and eminent death of some of my flowers, I wanted to share what is surviving. First and foremost, the boxwoods look fantastic. Glossy green foliage holds up in harsh conditions, including harsh winter winds, and now extreme drought. The key to my garden having as much life as it does is in the fact that I have a boxwood in every garden. Many of them are a mature size, so they have a lot of presence with the absence of other foliage. It's almost like what they do for the garden in the winter.

Next in the roll call of survivors is Annabelle hydrangeas. They have laughed at the temperatures and have not once been caught wilting. My blooms are already done and they have dried to a fantastic chartreuse green. If you live in the area, stop by for a bouquet. They are hanging over the sidewalk and need to be trimmed back.

Another noteworthy item are the liriopes. They have remained full and lush and appear unphased.

An unlikely candidate for the list, given the state of the other "natives", are the tiger lilies. They have very small blooms, but they aren't melting and the foliage is nice and fresh looking.

Now, granted, I do have a partial sun situation, with my own special micro-climates, but I think these are some plants to note for your own gardens. I am waiting for a big break in the weather to see how I can increase my liriope collection.

June Blooms

I've been outside today adding some new items to the gardens.  Wine Country Gardens is having a sale on annuals, so I couldn't resist.  Fourteen herbs and two hanging pots later... 

They are also having a daylily sale, buy one get one free.  So I resisted the urge to buy a new variety of daylily that I don't already have and stuck with one that I do have, Mauna Loa.  This will help give my gardens a nice full effect when they're all in bloom.  It's a gorgeous orange color with a tinge of golden yellow mixed in.  This is the only nursery where I've found Mauna Loa, so imagine my surprise when I saw them at Lowe's a few weeks ago.  Same price.  Except now I can get one free at WCG.

By the way, if you have never walked/driven (via golf cart) through WCG's daylily field, or haven't done it in a while, I recommend this for a great outing.  Go first thing in the morning when it's still cool outside, and you can have the field to yourself.  Acres and acres of daylilies, all different colors and types (that's why they offer the golf cart).

Here are some pics of what's blooming.  Actually, it's not much, since it's been incredibly dry here.  No rain to speak of in four weeks.  I've resorted to watering by hand.  We really need to get a new sprinkler!

Annabelles have huge, showy, pure white blooms.  However, I don't recall them ever being this large.

The Annabelles draped around the porch.  A nice visual cooling effect in the hot weather.

The front porch entry is flanked with identical pots.  You can do wonders with the clearance section at Lowe's.  Geraniums for 99 cents and a Spanish Lavender for $2.00.

The PeeGee hydrangea blooms are fading to pink.

The dry creek is looking a little dry.  Where's the rain???

This is my FAVORITE daylily!  When we moved in, I found it near the fence line, in the shade, not blooming.  I think I found it once in a photo on a website and asked the webmaster what it was called.  They emailed a response, but of course, I deleted the email and forgot to write it down. Good luck finding it again!

The wild back garden has spots of color here and there.

Atlanta Full House -- this daylily came with me when I moved from my old house.  Light yellow with a green center. You can find these at Wine Country Gardens.  It's so dry this year that it only has one stalk of buds.  I have less time than usual to enjoy this one.

 

Welcoming Two Newcomers

Earlier this spring, I wrote about my obsession with fig trees.  I'm proud to report that I am now an owner of a fig tree.  A Chicago fig, to be exact.  It's only a couple feet tall, but it's a manageable size.  And the price was right.  Ten dollars for an experiment isn't bad.  Figs are unknown territory for me.  Well, really all fruit bearing plants are new territory and this is my first real season growing them.

Here is my fig!

If you look closely, that little round nubby thing by the stem is a fig in the making!  There are about three of them. Impressive for such a young tree.

There is another newcomer to the garden this week.  This is going to sound totally garden geek, but I have been wanting a crane garden statue since I installed the first phase of my shady dry creek garden.  It just begs for one.  Sunday night I decided to do a Google search to see what I could find.  I've been regretting a pass up purchase from a few years ago when we were at Sam's Club and they had a pair of cranes for what I thought was an expensive price, only to find out it was a steal of a deal.  I got to page three of the Google search and there it was -- and for the right price.  Who was selling it, you ask?  Kmart, of all places.  My hubby works at Sears, which is part of the same corporation, so he gets a discount.  Add that to the near expiring Shop Your Rewards points and a gift card with a small balance left on it, and yes my friend, I've got a crane for next to nothing.
 

Introducing the Crane!

The rest of the pics are a progress report on the latest changes.  Photos taken today.

The Annabelle Hydrangeas are doing fine after their aggressive winter pruning.

 

 

 

 

Hydrangea "Pee Gee".  Striking in full bloom.

Coreopsis that climbed up the chicken wire trellis I made for a clematis.

Lavender is just starting to bloom.  I need to harvest a few tablespoons of flowers to try out those lavender cookies I read about in BHG a few months ago.

I think it's a little early in the season for these "Roadside Orange" daylilies to be blooming, but I'll take it.

The backyard garden that transitions from the house to the woods is definitely a little wild.  What started out as a sparse planting has naturalized, and needs some taming.  Not to mention dividing.

 

Unstoppable Annabelle Hydrangeas

Annabelle hydrangeas are spectacular shrubs.  They are reliable, easy to grow, and put on a great show every year.  I have three of them surrounding my porch.


Every year, my Annabelles host soccer ball sized pure white blooms.  The blossoms are so heavy that the rain makes the entire plant fall into the sidewalk.  It takes both my husband and I working at it to lasso and hitch them to the porch railings with thick rope.  He keeps asking me to move them, but I love how simplistic their blossoms look against our white railing and Victorian-styled house.  I had better start coming up with new and better excuses because the shrubs' height well exceed the height of the railing every year.  I also promise I will try to find a way to keep my Annabelles in check... next year.

I came across an article about Annabelles that suggested cutting them completely back to the ground.  It promised they would spring back to life in the growing season.  Forgive me for not immediately grabbing my pruners, but I am leery of ruthless trimming techniques.  It had to simmer with me for a while, but this winter, I finally gave into the idea.  I cut them back to 3 inches above ground and I bit my nails in anticipation for Spring.  Had I killed my Annabelles? If they came back, how would they perform?

I am happy to report that the experiment was met with results just as the article stated.  The Annabelles made a mighty comeback.  They are just as tall as they have been in the past and they are on time to producing blooms.


Unfortunately, this did not solve my original problem of keeping the blooms off the sidewalk.  They aren't laying there yet, but give them another month.  I look forward to seeing their huge white blossoms (and bringing in a fresh batch of dried ones to over-winter in a vase).  I also look forward to the annual conversation with my hubby about how to restrain my beloved hydrangeas and the pursuit of a permanent solution.

$13 Iris

My post today was inspired by a thirteen dollar iris I bid on at a charitable auction last year.  Yes folks, I spent thirteen dollars on a single plant.  A single tuber.  It was a gamble.  All I had to go on was a fuzzy blown up computer print out.  It looked and sounded great.  Ruffled white iris with yellow edges called "Skirt Alert", multiple blooms per stem.  I LOVE white iris, so of course, I was eager to snatch it up.  It finally bloomed.  Drum roll, please...

 

I, for one, am disappointed.  It's definitely not as spectacular as I had hoped.  The edges are not the bright yellow from the computer print out.  It's more of a mustard yellow.  My first impression when I got an up close look was, "I waited a year for this?".  Oh well.  My money went to support a non-profit, and that's what counts.  I just happened to get a plant in exchange for my donation.

However, not all is lost!  I have some great pics to share from around the yard.

 

The pot around my porch is looking good.  The geranium is very happy.

White iris!

Iris "Variegata".  Look at that foliage!  It's a bonus that it blooms.  I ordered ten of these in the fall and they're doing spectacular.

More white iris!  I'm addicted...

Sarah Bernhardt peony

A visitor

Okay, in my opinion, this iris is nothing short of spectacular.  It is a reblooming german iris called "Orange Harvest".  The color makes it look so delicious!  I ordered 5 of these in the fall and it was a gamble.  Pictures are deceiving, as noted above.  But this is such a wonderful surprise.  Only 2 plants survived, but the mail order company is planning to replace the others.  I'm pleased as pie with this one, and now I get more joy knowing it is going to bloom again in the fall.  It has taken over a week for it to open, and today it made its debut.

I'm so loving this iris, that I have to share another pic.  The top is a sherbet orange and the falls are bright yellow with dark orange beards.  Like a beautiful sunrise or a fruity frozen drink!  The photo does not do it justice.

Holy ferns, Batman!  When I visited the Kansas City, Mo., Powell Gardens, I was intrigued by their island garden, which had a stone wall with lots of little things growing out of it.  Much to my delight, this happened on its own in my backyard.  The wall is filled with sedum, columbine, and ferns.

Another peony

A bright orange begonia on the front porch.

Edible Flowers

Several years ago, I was chatting with a friend of mine, who is also the owner of a local nursery, and she suggested that I sample one of the petals from a daylily we were standing nearby.  She said they were edible, and tasted like sweet lettuce.  I trust her, so I took a bite.  She was right; the petal was crunchy, and reminiscent of iceberg lettuce.  I share this fun tidbit with friends and family that visit in the summer, and let them sample whatever blooms are available that day.

As I meandered through my garden tonight, I was reminded of the edible daylilies while admiring the foliage of the many daylily plants I own.  I was also daydreaming of how great they're going to look in just less than a couple of months.

This got me to thinking about other flowers that are edible, and how I could extend my garden to another useful dimension.  I know herb flowers are in the safe zone, as well as pansies, roses, and lavender, but wasn't sure about too many others.

I did some research online, and it's amazing what you can find on edible flowers.  Here's a pretty comprehensive list -- http://whatscookingamerica.net/EdibleFlowers/EdibleFlowersMain.htm

Last year, I went on a garden tour, and one of the ladies had made Lavender cookies to welcome us into her garden.  They were excellent!  This year, Better Homes & Gardens featured an article on baking with lavender.  I have had lavender growing in my yard for years, and added five new plants this year, but never thought to bake with it.  Important note: you bake with the dried petals; not the foliage.  BHG.com has some interesting recipes that I'm going to add to my list of summer to do's.  In a follow up post, I'll have to report back on the results.  http://www.bhg.com/recipes/searchResults.jsp?searchTerm=lavender&page=1&sortBy=rating

Why You Should Grow a Columbine

Columbines don't get a lot of press.  I've never seen them featured in an article and I never hear people talking about them.  You'll never hear folks say -- I've got to get to MOBOT this weekend to check out the columbines.  They are the unsung hero of Spring, providing some unique attributes to the garden.

Here's three reasons you should add a columbine to your garden:

1. It's the earliest source of food for hummingbirds.  It's true.  They bloom right as the hummers arrive in our area.  What a great welcome mat for our migrating friends.  And who doesn't love those little guys buzzing around the yard?  They add another dimension to fluttering things in the garden.
   
2. You can join the "grow native" movement.  At least one variety is native to Missouri. They are already adept to our weather conditions, which means they're easy to grow.  The native variety is very pretty.  It's a reddish-pink with a yellow center.  They reseed themselves, so that's a low maintenance way to increase your supply!
   
3. They have a unique flower.  There really isn't any other flower like them.  They have delicate blooms that hang downwards.  In a light wind, they sway back and forth like small bells attached to wire.  They come in lots of colors, so there's sure to be one that you would find suitable for your garden.

This was a pass along plant from my mother in law.

I found two of these plants underneath the one above.  I think they're seedlings from the parent that didn't stay true to the parent.  Perhaps this is one of the varieties that was used to create the hybrid pale pink.

This is the native variety.

This is a stow away that came in a boxwood I purchased at Lowe's a few years ago.  I didn't know it was there.  The Spring after I planted the boxwood, I noticed some extra foliage growing out of the back of it.  It was a delicate operation to separate the two.

April Showers

The rains yesterday and today have definitely brought more blooms into the garden. I'm impatiently waiting for the bearded iris to begin blooming.  I've already had the "Easter Bonnet" iris going (white with blue center), which is a dwarf variety and a prolific early bloomer.  It's been blooming for a week and a half.  I also have a dwarf variety blooming called "Angel Heart" that is white with orange beards.

Last year, the iris crop was a bust.  I got about two blooms out of the whole yard.  In years past, I've had so many blooms that I've been able to cut and bring them inside and place them in large vases.  They actually make great cut flowers.  You have to snap off the faded flowers each morning, but they will continue to bloom in the vase.  This is especially a good option for iris that have fallen victim to April storms and would otherwise be eating mud.

This is a new plant I've discovered and added three of to my garden this year.  It's called Lithodora "Heavenly Blue" and the photo shows true color.  It's almost an electric cobalt blue and I can see the halo of color from my kitchen.  I picked it up from The Home Depot.  I've never seen heard of it before or seen anything like it.  Fantastic flowers that have been blooming for three weeks and it has foliage very similar to lavender or rosemary.

In the fall, I picked up three named varieties of Coral Bells.  The foliage was great; it had thick veining in two shades of green.  I didn't know the flowers would also be so showy.  They're so hard to capture on film because they're wispy, but from a distance it looks like a floating cloud of hot pink.  Each plant has 5+ stems.

This is a variegated Jacob's Ladder.  I bought 3 of them in the fall.  1.5 of them lived.  It has wonderful delicate foliage and pale blue flowers.  A nice treat to see it blooming now, considering the one I have that is native to Missouri (solid green foliage, same blue flowers) has already finished blooming.

Dr. Ruppel clematis is blooming like crazy.  This is only 1/2 the plant on one side of the trellis.

Ajuga paired with variegated hosta and hosta "Guacamole".  The ajuga has a wonderful purple color this year, and the patch has spread so much that it's a real jolt of color for my shady dry creek garden.

The pansies on the front porch.  Planted in October, $5 for two pots, still blooming... you do the math.

Tyler couldn't resist the mud.  He's proudly showing off dirty fingers.

By the time he was done playing, he was pretty well covered.

This is a side shot of the garden by the street that I created last year in the middle of the worst heat.  I've almost filled this garden with mail order plants and great sale finds from Lowe's and Home Depot.  It's home to fruit, veggies, herbs, and flowers.

Roses are Red...

Well, actually my roses are pink.  And yes, I will have one flower bloomed out by tomorrow morning.  This twilight zone like weather we're having has really advanced a lot of things a few weeks ahead of schedule.

Not only is my knockout rose full of buds, but that my oakleaf hydrangea is filled with small buds.  I have a few iris blooming.  This particular variety is about two weeks ahead of schedule.  My blueberries are leafed out and blooming.  I also noticed my clematis is full of buds and they are swelling.

I hope the bugs aren't too bad this year, but I should know better.  I've already pulled a few ticks off after walking around, and there are a lot of flying "things".  There seem to be a lot of bumblebees out too.  They keep fighting amongst themselves and don't pay much attention to where they go during the quarrel.  I find myself ducking for cover when I hear them coming.

Probably the freakiest thing about our early warm up is that the crape myrtles are budded out.  They are about 2 months ahead of schedule.  Explain that!

Photos - March 25th

I spread two yards of mulch today, so I'm a bit tired.  Here are some pics of what I got to enjoy all day.

Virginia Bluebells - have colonized on their own!

The pansies I planted in September.  Still going strong.

Garden outside my bedroom window.  Bluebells, bleeding heart, columbines (buds but no flowers yet).

Looking up at the red bud tree.

Hostas

Viburnum - EXTREMELY fragrant.  Am in the market for another one.

Caramel Heuchera - love these

Garage garden

I LOVE this angle of our house in Spring.  It always looks so green, fresh, and inviting.