joene's garden » Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

June in bloom in rain-drenched Connecticut

joenesgarden — Sat, 15 Jun 2013 12:04:58 +0000

June in bloom in rain-drenched Connecticut

The first half of June dropped 10 inches of rain on my Connecticut garden, making the days leading up to June 2013 Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day soggy. Temperatures remain in the 50's at night and 70's during the day when, so often, the sun struggles to shine.

Lush greenery abounds throughout the rain-drenched gardens, dotted by shades of yellow, and blue, and shades of pink ranging from deep to pale to peachy tones.

Native Mountain Laurel, the Connecticut state flower, have been spectacular this year. They line and dot the edges of the woods surrounding our more cultivated land.

In places, foxglove (digitalis, unknown variety) have self-sown along the woodland edge, particularly near my compost piles where seeds must have escaped when spent foxglove spires went into the compost.

I don't mind the self-sowing foxglove. Bees and hummingbirds love the flowers and deer leave the flowers and foliage alone.

Foxglove spires stand tall above yellow-blooming sedum that mimic the foliage of the small Spiraea 'Double Play Gold' in the foreground and Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola' at the far end. Blue-green Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis) and blue-silver Lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina) contrast against these yellows and the yellow-green Hayscented fern that loves to spread from the woodland edges into my perennial beds.

No matter the time of day these combinations provide a cheery view from the front porch and my office window and help transition into the area just beyond where I hope young viburnum, magnolia, kalmia, summersweet, juniper and clethra eventually form a shrub/small tree backdrop. But for now, ornamental grasses serve as backdrop foliage.

Along the west side of the house, what I call the triangle bed is filled with a river of sedum surrounded by Rose campion (Lychnis coronaria), Lamb's Ear, and Santolina in the foreground. I've planted many different combinations in this bed, many were plant combos deer have found quite yummy. But deer mostly leave this combo alone, only occasionally browsing the tops of yet-to-bloom veronica in the background.

In the rear garden, totally fenced from deer, roses are the most prominent blooms at the moment. They seem happy to take over now that earlier iris have passed and later iris have yet to open.

This peachy Star Rose is accompanied by nearly-open lavender blooms and nearby scabiosa.

Further along in this long narrow bed blooms another Star Rose, Pearl Sevillana (left).

At the far end of the bed is my newest rose, the Blushing Knock Out Rosa 'Radyod' (right) which holds her own between two holly shrubs and a white-blooming lilac, and blooms from early June through frost.

Now that you've seen my top June picks, it's time to visit May Dreams Gardens, where Carol hosts Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. There you'll find many, many more gardens to visit.

Categories: Bloom Day, Gardening, General.
Tags: foxglove, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut, Lady's mantle, Lamb's ear, mountain laurel, roses, scabiosa, sedum.

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A Connecticut Garden, May 2013 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

joenesgarden — Wed, 15 May 2013 11:19:25 +0000

A Connecticut Garden, May 2013 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Spring 2013 continues to take a slow journey toward summer. Chilly temperatures hold on – it dropped to 38 degrees early this morning – but weather forecasts promise warmer temperatures are moving into Connecticut. For this Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens, my gardens are dotted with typically early spring blooms and filled with promising buds.

Daffodils/narcissi have had a long run in our chilly temperatures. The last are standing sentry over the garden beds.

Soon their foliage will be completely masked by the very aggressive hay fern.

Nearby, Lily-of-the-Valley share a sweet fragrance.

An early nepeta adds colorful contrast to white blooming flowers and food for early pollinators.

Common lilac bushes are filled with color and scent.

And white lilac blossoms have opened and are larger than I've witnessed in years past. I wonder if last year's lack of flowering, likely due to the combination of early warmth followed by a later bud-destroying freeze, enticed the white lilac to shove out such large blooms.

Pansy pots happily brighten the front porch.

Jack-in-the-pulpit is popping up here and there in the woods.

And my pink dogwood has finally decided to send out more than one or two showy bracts.

Still, much of the garden is in a state of anticipation.

Chives are in bud.

Allium hints at things to come.

Iris stand ready to put on a show next to the ever patient Irving.

There's even anticipation spewing from the robin's nest in the rhododendron

where two robin parents take turns keeping their three eggs warm and sheltered until they hatch.

You just have to love May!

Now visit May Dreams Gardens to see May gardens in bloom all over the world. And, if you are kind enough to leave a comment here I will reply in a few days … taking some time to visit family.

Garden thoughtfully …

Categories: Bloom Day.
Tags: allium, chives, Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut, iris, Jack-in-the-pulpit, lilac, Lily-of-the-Valley, narcissi, nepeta, pansy, pink dogwood.

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Mid-April in a Connecticut Garden–Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

joenesgarden — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 13:16:53 +0000

Mid-April in a Connecticut Garden–Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day

Spring is emerging at a slower rate in 2013 compared with 2012 in Connecticut. As much as the sun tries to warm the ground and the bodies of busy gardeners, chilly temperatures continue to hold on through this mid-April Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, the day Carol, at May Dreams Gardens, hosts a 'What's blooming?' garden party for bloggers all over the world.

On this date last year lilac blossoms were just a few days from opening and the blooms of many narcissi and all crocus had already gone by. This year the last of the crocus bloomed yesterday,

and the earliest of my narcissi, the Tete-a Tete's, are still in bloom while later narcissi have just begun to open. Adjacent thyme, lamb's ear, santolina, and Siberian iris are beginning their spring growth but have yet to overtake the mulch blanketing the ground. Wonder why the old garden forks? They keep local deer from nibbling the foliage of the Tete-a-Tete's, something they have done in passed springs.

Perennials slowly grow taller and send out young leaves in spite of the cool temperatures,

but much of the color must be appreciated up close.

Though blueberry flowers are beginning to open and the new leaves of native American beech are shoving aside the dry remains of last year's leaves, the most striking color in my gardens comes from the inside clivia bloom.

These rich colors remind that warm weather is bound to arrive soon … isn't it?

Head over to May Dreams Gardens to feast your eyes on blooms from elsewhere.

Categories: Bloom Day, Bulbs, Gardening, Seasons.
Tags: Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, gardening in Connecticut.

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