Kaseys Korner

"the morning sun

when it's in your face really shows your age."  Oh wait, that's me I'm referring to, not the images from the garden.  Sorry.  None of these fresh face bloomers have any age on them yet!  Rod Stewart would probably never in a million years believe his song could be adapted to the garden ~ I'd bet serious money on that!  Now that you're paying attention tho, I'll share my latest discoveries with you, captured in the morning sun (as eluded to in the post title).  First, one of my all-time favorite Columbines, Aquilegia Chrysantha:

 

Also known as 'Golden Spur' Columbine, so appropriate considering the extension of their graceful spurs easily seen in the photo below:

 

As much as I like the Barlows, the Ballerinas and the Double Pleats, Chrysantha is much more of a necessity.  Ive had at least one plant in various gardens for almost two decades now.  Another happy discovery was the bloom stalk on Verbascum 'Pink Petticoats:'

 

It started out in my "Tropicanna" container last summer then got moved to the garden after getting crowded out.  The blooms are a delicious peachy pink color.  Equally important, and not to be overlooked, is the wonderful texture and form verbascums add to the garden.  They are another sensory plant which you can never have enough of ~ notice that gorgeous felty foliage.   Exciting for me, maybe not so much for you, are the water lily leaves that have broken the surface in the pond! 

 

It didn't take nearly as long as I imagined for that to happen.  Does that mean flowers aren't that far behind??  I can only hope.  Look who was resting among one of the floaters:

 

That's the best face of the morning, right?  and ageless to boot.  Sure woke me up and started my day with a smile.  :-) 

an Allium encore

Today was a fun day in the garden ~ more discoveries and more new blooms.  Let's start with the Alliums which continue to perform with resounding applause.  'Schubertii' is now following in the footsteps of the 'Globemasters' and 'Cristophii''s' (which I'll update in a moment):

 

I have a whole grouping of these bulbs which will be spectacular in the very near future.  They are so airy and light, I can't imagine not mixing them in the garden.  "What took me so long" I ask?!!  Then, least I forget, let's revisit Allium 'Cristophii' (or Star of Persia).  I believe I featured them in a post when they first budded??  Now practically open, and absolutely worth a second look-see:

 

Interesting the difference in these two, isn't it?  Where 'Schubertii' has dainty blooms at staggered heights, 'Cristophii's' blooms form a perfect half circle.  I love noticing little things like that, don't you?   Another Allium garnering it's fair share of admiration and praise from interested neighbors and passers-by alike is Allium nectaroscordum siculum (Mediterreanean Bells): 

Of course I would never dare spout off that Latin name unless very certain I wouldn't scare anyone away.  Most of the time I just agree that they are the most "lovely little bells," aren't they!?  With the evening light shining thru the blooms, the pink striping (on the inside of the bells) is more apparent.  Lifting one upward and looking directly inside is even prettier (if you can imagine).  I really think I should do some pretzel contortions just to photograph it for you.  If I'm successful, you'll know because there will be a photo as proof.  Two other Alliums beginning to bloom are 'Roseum' (or Rosy Garlic):

 

Notice how delicate the blooms are with just a touch of pink.  Stooping really low, I spied 'Ostrowskianum' almost at ground level when it's supposed to reach the imposing height of 10":

 

Ha!  I'm not sure what happened?  Maybe a little bit too much shade??  Nevertheless, very pretty if one takes a little trouble to search among the foliage.  After all that, I think I'm going to wrap up even tho I misled you (at the beginning of the post) into believing we were starting with Alliums and continuing onto other bulbs. It's too much for my Saturday brain...  Wait, we could look at Scilla peruviana just so I can sleep well tonight:

 

Whew.  What a relief.  Now we've covered other bulbs even if it is just one.  An exceptional one at that, so maybe it counts double??!!   I don't think my camera has done justice to the rich violet color of these flowers, they are truly spectacular.  I check it daily and never fail to be enthralled.  Okay, folks, that's a definite wrap although not a season ending finale for the bulbs.  Stay tuned for more to come... 

Flower pot pop up card

Looking at the overview of my past posts, I realized I haven't shared any papercrafting projects with you all in quite some time.  I've been so caught up in gardening (surprise, surprise) that it slipped my mind.  Now that I've gotten most of my containers planted and my garden is humming along in the right direction, I can refocus some attention elsewhere.  Like on this 3-D pop up card (with a flower theme) ~ imagine that!!  It was created for and published in, a hard bound "House of White Birches" publication called "Fabulous Folds for Card Making."   From the outside, it's cute but nothing exceptional jumps out at you:

 

Well, maybe the bright colors but the real attraction is sandwiched between the covers.  Open it up and voila, a sweet pop-up flower pot jumps out to greet you and (hopefully) instantly cheer you up:

Making interactive cards requires a little more thought, time and creativity but they are always extremely gratifying upon completion.  I contributed several to this particular book, which was my honor and thrill, but then anytime I get to create with flowers, I couldn't be happier!

garden accents

Combining my interest in vintage objects with my passion for gardening is one of my favorite pastimes.  When I'm not gardening or plant shopping, I can most often be found browsing a flea market or salvation yard. If you've read my blog for any length of time, you will have noticed my "finds" mixed among the perennials and annuals.  I think they complement each other and maybe (the vintage pieces) even accentuate the beauty of the garden??  They definitely serve as props (not that flowers need any) for my other hobby, photography.  This spring I moved the antique gate to the front bed (Clematis texensis had outgrown it as a trellis) in hopes of composing some interesting photos around it.  Last night I had the first opportunity to put this idea into play.  Centranthus Rubra (also known as Jupiter's Beard or Red Valerian) has sown itself about the garden with abandon and is on the verge of making a nuisance of itself.  Before I "weeded" it out a bit, I snapped a few shots of it against the gate:

 

The rusted, scrolled heart in the center of the iron gate appealed to me from the moment I saw it.  Centranthus Rubra frames that so very clearly in the above shot.  Changing angles for the photo below, I also like the effect of the blurred bars as background for Centranthus:

 

I'm thinking it was a good decision to move the gate.  I'm liking the results.  Most especially with the blue iris in the foreground as shown below:

 

This photo was the winner of the night (to me).  I love that the "fleur-de-lis" gate tops are visible at the top of the photo but yet don't distract in the least from the star of the photo, the gorgeous and (freshly open) Blue Iris.  Here's the Iris without adornment (in case that's your preference):

 

No doubt you'll see this gate again throughout the summer and hopefully you'll appreciate its subtle presence as much as I do.  I know I've read to be careful about adding too many "knick knacks" to the garden for fear of "junking" it up but I think these are tasteful?  or maybe that's subjective! 

Salvia Buchananii

I always keep a lookout for new salvias to add to the garden because of how attractive they are to pollinators and people alike.  This year, I found 'Buchananii' which is new to me but maybe not new in the industry??  As soon as I noticed the fuzzy upper lip, I knew I wasn't leaving the greenhouse without one.  The texture is irresistible  ~ a sensory experience you can't deny yourself:

 

Love that hot pink color too, don't you??  Notice how the "fuzz" is apparent even as the buds emerge around the whorled stem:

 

I potted it up with my new 'Pink Stripe' New Zealand Flax and a minature pink collarette Dahlia.  I hope the container matures as I envision:

 

Every time I walk by, I feel the urge to reach down and "pet" it!  Anyone else have this Salvia in your garden?  It's not hardy in my zone but I am looking forward to seeing how it performs this summer and maybe even collecting a little seed for the future ...

a home & a pledge

Since Memorial Day is officially supposed to kick off summer, it makes sense the garden is finally ramping up for an explosion of blooms.  I am SO ready.  This is the moment I wait for from the time I put the garden to bed in fall.  My pledge for this garden season is to more fully enjoy the never ending parade of flowers as they wax and wane thru their respective cycles.  I want to sit in my neon lime green chairs more and indulge myself in the beauty that surrounds me.  Wish me luck.  I'm one of those people who have a hard time relaxing.  I started this AM tho, despite the lingering cool temperatures and a consistent breeze.  I took my coffee (and my camera) out on the patio and just absorbed the spring garden before me.  I am happy with the vision that greeted me, so I thought I would share a little with you.  Look at this photo and tell me it's going to be simply glorious in a couple days time:

 

There in the very foreground are the Mediterreanean Bells (Allium nectaroscordum siculum), behind them (just beginning to bloom thru the obelisk) is Clematis Integrefolia (one of my favorite clematis), followed by a blue iris (name unknown), salmon poppy & finally, in the very background, the buds of peony 'Karl Rosenfield.'  Here's a macro of one dainty Clematis Integrefolia "bell:"

 

I tend to favor clematis with these bell shaped flowers, I'm not sure why.  It's what made me purchase 'texensis' too (which is no where near ready to bloom).  Integrefolia is great in a garden bed because it will scramble in & amongst other blooms if you prefer a more casual, cottagey style.  I lean toward a more "controlled" look so I usually surround it with an obelisk when it first emerges.  The blue iris (that I can't remember the name of) behind Integrefolia is one of my favorites.  I think I like iris when they are in bud form as well as fully flowered:

 

Maybe the anticipation of the bloom is almost more exciting than the bloom itself??  I don't know.  I just know I like the ruffly buds.  Oh, look what else I photographed for you ~ the dragonfly sundial I won on Anna's blog!  It's found a permanent home atop a boulder in the front bed ~ doesn't it look nice??

 

I think it's the perfect spot and the Jupiter's Beard (Centranthus Rubra) shows it off well.  Here's another angle:

 

I still have yet to set the time.  But now that it's found a home, I will make that more of a priority.  Wasn't that a lovely way to start the day?  Oh, one last thing, four little house finches left the nest early this AM, on the 17th day after hatching.  I regret I never took an updated photo.  I'm also already missing the sweet cheeping sound of them near the door.  It seems so quiet with them gone.  I'm happy they all made it to that stage tho and hopefully I'll see them around the yard. 

Memorial day finds

The weather this holiday weekend has not been conducive to outdoor activities like barbecuing and picnicking so I've been "forced" to shop instead.  Twist my arm.  It's my favorite time of year to shop (forget Christmas, gardening season tops all).  Besides a hot plant, nothing beats scoring a great garden "artifact."  Lucky me, I stumbled onto a 40% off sale at a small greenhouse I hardly ever frequent, and fell instantly in love with this wrought iron tuteur:

 

It's exactly the thing to train my "Lady Margaret" passion vine up.  By the way, is anyone else ever confused between tuteurs & obelisks??  I've read that tuteurs are four-sided, which this one is, so does that mean obelisks are round??  I've never quite gotten that straight in my head.  Here's my lone pathetic 'Lady Margaret' bloom from last season (I bought it on an end of year clearance):

 

I hope the tuteur encourages many more of these.  Also coming home with me were a couple Astrantia major 'Ruby Wedding' perennials:

 

I've tried growing these from seed on several occasions and been unsuccessful every time.  Near as I can tell, they require a rotation of chilling and 50-60 degree temps.  I guess I don't have the aptitude/patience or diligence for that kind of germination.  Finding them in plant form solves that seed starting issue so they were brought home & planted immediately on the north (partially shaded side) of the new pond garden.  I realized yesterday (when I was talking about my pond plant adaptations) that I neglected to show you a view of the pond.  That would be key, wouldn't it?  Plantings are filling in around the form and (as you can see) nothing has been decided yet as to an edging:

 

In case you were interested, here's a partial view of some of the front terraced bed (which includes the pond ~ not visible anymore ~ at the north end:

 

It looks lush and green thanks to all the moisture being provided by Mother Nature this spring.  I hope it sticks around.  Now I'm off to hopefully get a few morning glory seeds planted.  I have a vision of them twining up my vintage bird feeder that just has to be fulfilled.

pond plant adaptations

As you know, I was fortunate enough to have a small (125 gallon) preformed pond installed earlier this spring in my front terrace garden.  It's been a learning curve from the get go.  A fun learning curve but still a learning curve...  Getting it level, experiencing my first algae bloom, selecting appropriate plants, etc.  I thought I had done quite a bit of reading on the topic of water gardens but obviously a certain amount of knowledge has to be gained first hand.  or maybe that's only for hard-headed gardeners like me???  Take for example pond plants.  Remember I posted about some purchases I made??  Well, I guess I thought I would just plop the plants in the pond (on the plant shelves) and all would be good.  NOT SO.  Every little breeze would knock them over, I would right them, and next thing I know they'd be laying on their sides in the water again.  Not working, not attractive and absolutely in need of a fix.  Yesterday I had a brilliant "light bulb" moment for the solution.  I bought baskets slightly larger than the pots the plants resided in and (here's the brilliant part) added rocks to the bottom for weight:

 

Many of you seasoned water gardeners have probably already done something similar but I am feeling really proud about this genius resolution.  Next I added the plants, a little more soil to fill in the holes and lastly (another brilliant idea) some aquarium gravels to the tops for additional weight.  Here's the Water Calla & the Zebra Rush all done up and sitting up straight in the water:

 

Hooray.  This time they're going to stay in that upright position, I could tell the moment I set them back on the ledge.  You can see they've both been beat up a little from toppling over so many times (broken/damaged leaves, etc.) but those days are OVER!  Good times ahead for us all.  Despite all the 'abuse" I was delighted to discover Zanthedeschia aethiopica (the Water Calla) is sporting it's first bud:

 

I can only imagine how much better they'd be doing if they hadn't been dealing with a first time caretaker.  I'm wondering now how other water gardeners deal with this issue ~ I can't be the only one having this happen?  I'd love to hear your solutions too.

Spring bulbs

Tis the season for fascinating spring bulbs and I am just about to reap the rewards of my planting efforts last fall.  Inspired by other garden bloggers and a springtime visit to our local Botanic Gardens, I added more bulb varieties than usual to my garden in October of '08.  That has made waiting for spring so much more difficult this year since I have been practically dying to see them emerge & bloom.   Well, a wee bit on the dramatic side but you know what I mean.  The suspense & waiting is almost over.  Thank goodness. I can tell they're all going to be such beautiful additions ~ I'll wonder what took me so long!  I thought I'd share a few with you, some I'm sure many of you already have residing in your garden but maybe one or two will surprise and delight you like they did me.  The first is Scilla Peruviana.  Foliage from this bulb emerged almost immediately after I planted it last fall which I'm perceiving to be a good sign because look at how many flower heads it's gracing me with this first year in the garden:

There's four!  Two that are on the verge of opening and two more (out of focus) just emerging.  How exciting is that?  It's going to be a knockout:

 

Look at how deep and rich the coloring is.  I will certainly post more photos for those of you interested, once it opens more.  I also added 'Mont Blanc' Allium (just one bulb ~ these were expensive compared to other varieties if I remember right?):

 

It was worth whatever it cost (only a gardener would say that) because look at how pretty the white form is and I certainly need a little more of this color in my beds.  Since I've moved on to Alliums, let's take a look at another gorgeous variety, Allium Nectaroscordum Siculum (also known as Mediterreanean Bells).  I knew I was going to add this as soon as I saw it blooming at the Botanic Gardens.  It was stunning ~ I can't wait for mine to open:

 

I think the drooping flowers are what sold me.  I have five or six of these scattered around the garden in this same stage of development.  When they all open it's going to be quite the show.  Next is Allium Albopilosum (or cristophii) ~ can you tell, I was smitten with Alliums last year??  These are in bud form too but any day now, ready to open:

 

Now you know why I've been on the edge of my seat this spring!  & I've even held a few back ~ joining the above listed Alliums (waiting in the wings to be photographed) are 'Moly Luteum,' 'Roseum' and 'Schubertii.'  Also (because I like my yellow foxtail lilies so much) I added (3) Eremurus Cleopatra (orange/red variety) and they're going to bloom too. 

 

It's going to be quite the sensational display, don't you think?  Maybe all my spring blooming bulbs will even stop traffic??  Nevermind.  That would only happen if another obsessed gardener happened by!  Any plans to be in my neighborhood??!!

Yard Police

I couldn't decide what to title this post.  I'm not sure I went with the right choice, there were several options ~ King of the Hill, Master Gardener, the Blue Patrol, etc., but whatever the name, they all point to the same fearless bird that has claimed my backyard as his territory ~ the Blue Jay:

 

Unbeknownst to me until a week ago, a pair of these normally raucous birds have built a nest in my pine tree and are currently incubating eggs.  It took me a while to catch on because they are making absolutely NO noise and if you know blue jays at all, you know that is not "normal."  I first clued in when I noticed the male chasing anything and everything away from the yard.  Nothing is allowed to use the birdbath or so much as perch in a tree without arousing an instant chase.  I can't say I'm totally thrilled about this development.  While I've never had a blue jay nest in my yard before (and it's preferable to a grackle or starling or even an English Sparrow) I would also like to see some of the other summer visitors I love to attract.  Like the goldfinches I just purchased the thistle sock for or the Bullock's orioles whose high end feeder has had to be relocated in order for them to visit.  They now eat on the run so to speak, keeping one eye out for the "blue bomber."  Here's the female Bullock's oriole delving into the grape jelly:

 

I've noticed the male oriole usually prefers to dine on the orange halves while the female consistently goes to the jelly.  Interesting, huh?  and not so different from men and women in liking different foods...  Below is the male getting ready to sample the jelly tho before returning his attention to the orange:

 

Usually the oriole feeders hang outside my dining room window for ease of viewing but since the Blue Jay has taken over the backyard, the feeder has been moved to the front yard.  Until the baby Blue Jays hatch and leave the nest, my photo opportunities are probably minimal in that position.  Darn.  Another visitor, a new sighting in my yard, that also got chased away (much to my dismay) is the Western Tanager.  I wanted so badly to get a photo of this colorful little bird as well as have him just generally hang out here but the best I could pull off was this back end shot right before he got dive bombed:

  

Drats.  I promise I'll get back to flowers and maybe even a little papercrafting tomorrow and the next days thereafter.  Everything's taken a back seat to the flurry of bird action in my garden and I haven't been able to peel myself away from the windows!  Anyone else having all this fun with our feathered friends??