Kaseys Korner

location, location, location

As all gardeners know, that adage does not just apply to real estate.  After many frustrating years of attempts & losses, I think I've finally found the "sweet spot" for growing foxgloves in my garden!  Those of you who also struggle with this feat know exactly the elation I am feeling.  In this garden I trapped my own self in a "box" ~ stubbornly insisting on planting them over and over again in the same location.  Finally, last year I changed tactics and wised up.  It shouldn't have taken me that long ~ how many times do they have to die before the picture is gotten?!!  Anyway, a different site was selected, one that's a LOT more protected from those horrible, desiccating, winter winds.  Could it be that easy??  It seems so because the reward of shifting mindsets is Digitalis x mertonensis (aka the Strawberry Foxglove) overwintered & blooming:

Oh, the rapture.   Those crushed berry blooms have made my heart race for too many years to count.  I wish I knew how many dollars I've spent buying new plants only to fail (wait, NO, I do not want that information!) 

So far, only one bloom stalk but hey, it's a start ~ and one more than I've ever gotten before! 

Guess what else likes the same piece of real estate?  See the spike on the left side of mertonensis ~ another overwintering success ~ Primula vialii:

That's extra special considering we had minus 18 temps last winter!

Back to the foxgloves tho, I'm feeling so optimistic about growing them now, I've splurged again on another  D. purpurea (excelsior hybrid):

I hope they all seed like crazy and create for me the swath of pink towers I'd almost relegated to dreams.

Despite all the failures, I haven't been a complete flop with this family, I have had ONE success ~ D. grandiflora:

It doesn't seem to have the exacting requirements as other family members, happily flourishing for four years on the north side of my house.  Figure that out???

Veering away from foxgloves, another plant that responds to a change in venue is my clivia.  The past two summers, upon being moved outdoors, it has immediately sent up a bloom stalk.  Maybe the cooler night temperatures???

Whatever the cause, the vibrant pop of color right outside my back door is very welcome.   It's really sets the tone when you step outdoors (and the hot color matchs the almost 100 degree heat we're suddenly experiencing too.)

A final photo, nothing to do with location or foxgloves, the 'Phantom' petunia/'Mocha Latte' container:

I keep thinking it needs a pop of something but I can't decide what??   Any suggestions?

 

 

Visions of loveliness

Double Mandevilla 'Rita Marie Green' blooming on the armillary sphere:

First bloom from Siberian Iris 'Sky Wings':

First David Austin rose of the year ~ 'Crown Princess Margareta:'

Allium bulgaricum swaying in the breeze:

"Laurens Grape' breadseed poppies (papaver somniferum) spread throughout the garden this year ~ no complaints here!

The poppy, photographed in morning light, looks like it could be a painting? 

One more...  the illusion of a double blossom, two Clematis 'Multi Blue' buds just happened to open back to back:

 How is that for lovely??

 

Emerurus etc.

Another assortment of garden photos today.  No theme, just the latest captures taken off my camera, starting with the ever-evolving front garden.  The peonies, iris & early spring bloomers are pretty much over.  Emerurus has taken center stage.  During its bloom season, nothing can upstage it.  Single handedly it scoops every award from most inquiries, most coveted, most solicited, most admired, etc., etc.. 

There are five towering bloom stalks this year, the most I've had from what started as one tuberous rootstock.  In the photo above, three stalks have soared over the other two but I believe you can just make out the tips of the shorter ones??

Here's another angle:

Joining them are three 'Cleopatra' Emerurus blooms (at the opposite end of the same bed) ~ that's eight total which is the best showing ever for my garden! 

Making a strong case for the existence of garden fairies, is the perplexing way one of the 'Cleopatra' rootstocks has moved itself to the middle of the bed.  It's now separated by at least four feet from the location of the other two where they were all originally planted.  This gardener did not dare take a shovel & attempt such a move!  I like the new position tho and maybe it does too?  We'll be able to tell soon by how well it performs there.

Someone else has been feeling slighted by a lack of blog appearances lately:

You are under no obligation to compliment his good looks but if you do feel so inclined, he would much appreciate the attention!  ;-)  Happy now Butterball???

Back to the garden, my newly acquired iron rooster post-topper framed in the foreground by the pink shrub roses:

Finding it is the perfect excuse to add another climber so now I'm on the lookout for something cool to twine up the base....  Shouldn't be difficult, right?

Not far from the rooster, is another new addition (purchased after the garden tour I recently posted about) ~ Hollyhock 'Spring Celebrities Purple:'

I fell for the fringy blossoms ~ I'd never seen them before??   However, I most likely would not have purchased it if I'd known this variety was considered an annual.  I discovered that fact after arriving home and doing a little research.  Darn it.  Maybe it will seed around???

There's been very little gardening done the last three days, the wind has been blowing furiously and I just haven't felt like dealing with it.  It's also been cool (in the 60's and rainy).  Sweatshirts & hoodies have been donned ~ it feels like anything but the first day of summer.   Warmer temperatures and sun are in the forecast tho and that will surely make me happy and get me back into the garden again.  :-)

 

 

Penstemon palmeri

& other random goodness.  Sorting thru my photos this morning, I noticed quite a few that hadn't been shared so I'm throwing out an assortment starting with the subject of the post title.

Hands down, my favorite of all the penstemons ~ Penstemon palmeri (aka the wild pink snapdragon):

I can't say the feeling is mutual ~ it struggles to grow for me but then I have less than ideal growing conditions considering it doesn't like tight clay soil.  I am looking for an alternative growing site because I certainly do NOT want to lose the two plants valiantly trying to survive in my garden.  Quite the opposite ~ I'd really love them to reach their full potential (4 to 5 ft tall and a couple feet wide).  Maybe I could just amend the soil (add some sand & gravel) to make it more appealing?? 

Consider it my new mission in life (well, for today anyway!)

Another penstemon at its peak bloom right now is ' strictus' ~ I have a nice patch along the driveway intermingled with yellow bearded iris:

I waited a little too long to photograph this pair but you get the idea.  

'Strictus' is always loaded with bees as evidenced in the photo below.

Leaving the penstemons behind, an artistic shot of Allium 'Mont Blanc' that I feel sure you'll appreciate:

Taken against the morning sun, with the dwarf blue spruce providing a dark backdrop, this photo makes my heart pitter pat...  Be still, be still.  

A special surprise for me was finding Louisiana Iris 'Black Gamecock' blooming in the pond yesterday morning:

This poor iris has been to hell and back.  Purchased three years ago (when I first installed the little preformed pond), the neighbors dog got a hold of it (not a week after I bought it) and chewed it to what I thought was a certain death.  Not willing to give up, I placed it back in the water and hoped for a miracle.  Looks like I got one. 

The one & only bloom in three years time ~ you can bet I want more now.  The first photo was taken in the morning, second at night (after the iris had somehow toppled over into the water).  Better not be because of the neighbors dog again....

 

 

 

middle of June favorites

I walked around the garden last night and snapped a few particularly pleasing scenes I felt you'd enjoy seeing as much as I did.  Allium 'christophii' was the first I came upon ~ sandwiched between a bevy of blue & white columbine & a lone Rodgersia 'aesculifolia' bud ~ sparkling from a spritz of water:

I am really digging the tranquil colors of this combination, so serene and peaceful... and very unlike the rest of my garden!

Phlomis tuberosa, blooming around the old iron gate, is also very fetching in an entirely different manner:

I started this perennial from seed about eight years ago, only one seedling survived, but every year since that seedling-turned-plant increases by just a smidge.   I'm imagining the day when there is an enormous girth of it across the front garden!  The bumblebees would really delight in that too.

There are quite a few clematis blooming right now but the photo I liked the most was taken of 'Hagley hybrid' climbing the antique birdfeeder:

This area of the garden is a "sea of pink" since the (unknown) pink roses are blooming now too.  You know that's okay with me!

Even tho the iris are almost finished, one of the few left is this pink with orange combo ~ look how nicely it complements the tangerine Emerurus 'Cleopatra' bud in the background:

I'd love to claim I planned that happy coincidence!  Well, why not?  Let's just say I did!  :-)

In the front corner, Echium 'amoenum' has finally increased to a more showy size.  It's taken three or four years to form a good clump.  I'm trying to decide if the backdrop of variegated foliage (from Sunflower Heliopsis 'Loraine Sunshine') distracts or accentuates??

It's the only Echium (I know of) that can survive our brutal winters and it certainly does that with flying colors.

A little side note:  Everywhere I turn in the garden, there are baby birds.  I'm having to keep my dog on a leash when I take him out in the back yard just so the mortality rate doesn't skyrocket.  He's already gotten one of the baby Blue Jays that fell out of the nest too early.  One week later, the remaining two fledged:

These three babies were sitting so quietly in the Mugo Pine, I'm not sure how I even noticed them:

I'm envisioning their Mother telling them to stay put and keep quiet, which is exactly what they were doing.  A feat I could never accomplish!! 

 

watering can vase

& a double pink Streptocarpus ~ the two most notable purchases I made after the garden tour last weekend.  I thought I'd share them with you because I know you'll be blown away by the Streptocarpus (like I was) and the watering can vase is just too cool (and very versatile to boot.)   I can see myself using it for a myriad of different bouquets ~ starting with tulips & daffodils in the spring all the way thru sunflowers in the fall.

Creating a fantastic looking arrangement couldn't be easier thanks to the wire jar lid:

Just so you believe me (and I could prove it to myself), I ran out and bought a few flowers (I don't know why I still don't like to cut from the garden???)

How beautiful is that?  Almost looks like it came from a florist shop, doesn't it?  I swear alll I did was poke the stems thru the wire holes.  If you like it as much as I do, it's a Creative Co-op product ~ maybe you have access to a store carrying their line (or can find it on the Internet?)

Now (drum roll please) ~ the double pink Streptocarpus:

I swore I was done buying them (I already have 'Black Panther' and 'Blue Ice') but try as I might, I couldn't put it back.   Have you done that before? 

"I saw it, grabbed it, admired it, said I didn't need it, put it back, walked away, turned around, picked it up (again), turned it all around, swore I'd never seen anything as beautiful ever but honestly, I don't need another one, put it back down, turned around, then turned back around, snatched it up, put it in the basket and vowed this really would be the last one."

It would have taken willpower greater than I possess to leave it behind...  Maybe I'm totally "weak" but I'm hoping you can see why?????

June in the garden

is easily the greenest, most luxuriant, brimming with potential-new life-blooms month of the year (at least in Colorado).  Every day contains the makings of a new adventure ~ no wonder it's my favorite month.  Warm enough to know it's summer but early enough in the season to think fall is far away along with school schedules and everything else structured. 

This June I'm the happiest I've been with my garden in a very long time.  Even tho it's a long way from finished, undertaking the back yard makeover has made all the difference.  When I look out the kitchen window at the new beds and yew pathway, I never fail to smile.  That's when you know you're on the right track, right? 

Last night we experienced a torrential thunderstorm with swirling clouds, lightening, thunder, the whole nine yards.  We were under a severe storm threat for most of the night which was pretty scary as many of you have experienced first hand.  This morning tho, all the rain plus lingering overcast skies made for great conditions to take some updated garden photos.  Among the changes you'll notice ~ the raised bed has been stained "Shipmate Blue:"

I'm still deciding whether I like it or not???  The other option is to go back for the "periwinkle" color??  It was stained a week ago and it's still not sitting totally well with me so I think I know my answer...  One minor detail adding to the confusion is the fact I applied the stain a bit heavy-handedly (oops) so maybe I'm to blame for the indecisiveness? 

Moving along & adjusting positions to stand on the patio & look thru the arbor, you can see a lot more growth since a month ago (when I first shared the makeover).  The honeysuckle vine on the left side of the arbor is covered with blooms now and the pink shrub roses are beginning to bloom on the right:

In the back of the photo, to the right of the green tuteur, I've started an oval shaped bed.  There are yews planted in the front but the taller shrub is a columnar Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia 'Obelisk').  Not very visible, in front of the Serviceberry, is a double pink flowering almond (Prunus glandulosa 'Rosea Plena'.)  I'm very happy to have found both shrubs ~ I think they're going to be great additions to the garden especially when they're blooming next spring.

Before we view another area of the garden, another angle of the arbor, this time from inside the house ~ taken while standing at the kitchen window:

It looks so "thick" from this angle ~ exactly the look I want!  I have white & purple cup & saucer vine seeds (Cobaea scandens) started to climb the bare side of the arbor.  If all goes well, by the end of summer, the wood won't even be visible!  It's amazing how hidden the antique bird feeder is already (at the very bottom of the photo), so different from during the winter months.

Turning in the opposite direction of the arbor, the bed along the back of the house is undergoing a small makeover as well.  Why not tackle the whole yard at once, right?!!   I've been on such a roll and even tho my body complains incessantly, I can't seem to stop myself.  I think it's the awareness that next year I may not feel motivated at all ~ so my philosophy has been to "attack while the getting is good!" 

This area has been covered with low growing evergreens since I moved in ten years ago.  As you can see, last winter they suffered significant dieback ~ I'm blaming the dry winter with some extreme cold temperatures.  My dreams for the garden include french doors (where the window is) leading into a glass conservatory.  I don't know when that dream can be realized so in the meantime, in order to improve its appearance, I've been slowly removing the evergreens.  I'll replant with small shrubs that can be moved along the sides of the conservatory if/when funds allow for that to happen.

In another part of the garden entirely (one I don't think I've shared recently) a couple of the original "Endless Summer" hydrangeas have been planted:

We'll see how they fare there.  I'm a little skeptical but optimistic at the same time (if that's possible).

Finally, just because it's pretty ~ a little section of the front bed:

Who knew such a compilation of colors, forms & plants could be so attractive?   My style is to plant and hope for the best.  I can't claim any gardening design skills so it's always a bonus when it looks good! 

garden tour photos

June is garden tour season, one of my favorite pastimes (besides the actual act of gardening itself).  If you have a willing body and spirit (& the leisure time to partake) there's a tour every weekend of the month.  It's my hope to participate in at least two this year.  Already I'm halfway to achieving that goal with the first one completed this past Saturday ~ a walking tour thru the gardens of a phenomenal historic district in a nearby town.  As always, it was extremely inspiring.  All the work I've been trying to do in my own back garden had left me feeling sore, tired & more than a little worn out but, after the tour, I came away feeling re-energized.  Mission accomplished, right?

So many things to share with you ~ I thought I'd just put my favorite photos out there.  A couple trends I noticed were (1) everybody is vegetable gardening now and (2) fireplaces are the new hot commodity.   I also learned that I CAN have a dogwood tree in Colorado ~ it is not the impossible feat I always thought it to be:

I did not take any macros on the tour with the exception of the dogwood above and the peony below:

I'm not even sure I captured the color accurately?  It was the most fantastic shade of salmon-peach-pink I've ever seen.  Simply exquisite.  I wish I knew the name ~ I would already have one on order.

The tour consisted of eight gardens which covered the gamut from English formal:

to blazing hot southwestern style:

I took my 75 - 300mm lens that day which I won't do next tour.  It frustrated me to no end since sometimes it didn't allow me to get far enough away to capture the whole view.  My mistake.  The photo above is a case in point.   Defying the heat on a sweltering southern-exposure wall were these gorgeous containers above a flagstone table top & two rustic chairs.  With the limitations of my camera lens, I had to snap the scene in sections, none of them doing it justice.  Below is another section showing a portion of the table & one chair:

The entire area was SO picturesque but maybe you'll have to take my word for it?

The advantage of a walking tour is what can be seen while heading from one featured garden to the next.  Along our route this blooming hardscape caught my eye ~ created when the homeowner planted campanula between the crevices of a stone retaining wall:

Very attractive way to "soften" the stone and a bonus to know it could flourish so nicely in such sparse growing conditions. 

I also noticed the fancy trellis below which I'd love to someday copy around the exterior of my own home:

Then there was a homemade greenhouse that seemed to be constructed primarily for the purpose of housing an enormous bougainvilla vine:

Sometimes you wished every garden along the way would be open for meandering.  There were just so many inviting ones.

Back to the tour, a lovely potting bench complete with sink:

A beautiful, private dining alcove:

I'm imagining many a leisurely summer meal has been ingested there.  The only thing missing (in my opinion but I like over-the-top) was a chandelier hanging from the pergola roof:

This garden was our favorite on the tour.  Everywhere you turned, there was another delightful vignette to photograph or enticing seating area to wish wistfully for a sojourn:

By the end of the day, I was ready to recline here:

Sun or not.  It was exhausting in the best possible way. 

We capped off the tour with some greenhouse shopping ~ the dreamy ending every gardener appreciates.

Peony 'Bowl of Beauty'

I ended the last post with a photo of this stunning perennial but when I thought about it further, I thought it totally deserved its own special post.  I mean, just look at it (and this is just a little section):

It's another perennial (like Astrantia) in its third year and finally producing more than a handful of blooms.

'Bowl of Beauty' is one of those plants that, when you first lay eyes on it, you know you have to get a closer look.  At least that's how I felt when I saw it blooming at our local Botanic garden.

Rightly so....

Even the bees agree ~ but they have to climb underneath the center "frill" to reach the "good stuff:"

I love it when I can track down something this beautiful and enjoy it in my own garden (at my leisure). 

Astrantia major 'ruby wedding'

It only took three years but finally, they've "come into their own."  In all fairness, it's hard to know how Astrantia major 'ruby wedding' would have performed last year if the baby bunnies hadn't found them first.   Before I knew it, they had mowed them closer to the ground than my lawn mower ever could have done.  After that discovery, wire cloches were put into place to make sure the plants weren't lost and looking at the results this year, I'd say "good move."

My little clump is situated near the pond (under the Bur Oak) ~ in the photo below you can see them behind Primula japonica ~ the red blots dotting the background:

Then there's the photo below, included primarily because I liked the effect (it's good to have creative license from time to time):

A quartet of blooms behind a burgeoning Allium schubertii bud.  (they better enjoy the attention now because as soon as 'schubertii' opens, they'll be totally upstaged!)

Finally, (don't say you didn't know it was coming) it's impossible not to include a good macro:

What's not to love, right? 

Here's something else I'm loving ~ favorite peony 'Bowl of Beauty:'

Just beginning to bloom.  Now there is BLISS on a stem!