Kaseys Korner

Spring arrives

amidst a flurry of activity.

My company is gone.

The yard waste container has been filled & refilled.

The rose standards have been brought out of the garage, re-potted with new potting soil,

and watered well.  

They may end up back in the garage, it is only the end of March, but once it's warm for good, they'll be ready to go!!

That makes me feel slightly ahead of the "game" this year ~ instead of behind like usual!

We'll see how long the feeling lasts...

Everything else was given a big drink along with the roses,

which was a good time to review the garden.

Peonies are up everywhere.

Along with daffodils,

and more daffodils.

A thankful thing, since the bunnies have eaten EVERY tulip in the garden except for what was planted in containers.

So glad I took the time to do that last fall, else there would be zero.

Above:  Tulip bulbs & perennials overwintered in garage, I think they were happy to see daylight!

Hellebore 'Phoebe' is also up and blowing everything around it away....

My favorite Hellebore by far in the garden.

Plus there are a few crocus but far less than there should be???

I know the ones in the front garden were eaten by voles.  *sigh*  Working with nature is a process, isn't it??  

So many more signs of life, but I'll stop there because this girl is TIRED!  After I rest up, I promise to return with more updates....  

Meanwhile, Happy Spring everyone!!!  The season we've all been waiting for is upon us.  Hallelujah!  We made it thru another winter!  :)

 

2014 garden additions

Just like many of you, I'm starting to think about the 2015 garden.  

What it will look like.  

What should be added, subtracted, repeated....  

Above:  Ipomoea x imperialis 'Sunrise Serenade'

Double morning glory 'Sunrise serenade' should definitely be repeated.  

Afterall, it had no sooner started blooming when the bunnies chewed it off at the base last summer.

I was lucky to have snapped a couple pics the morning these first blooms opened because by the same evening, the whole vine was wilting.

Echinacea 'Supreme Cantaloupe' is something else I want to repeat.

You might remember last season was my first time succumbing to a double flowering (fancy) Echinacea.  

It was the color that got me (remember the apricot post) ~ how I'm a sucker for anything that fades to antique apricot...

Unfortunately, the rabbits got it too.  They really seem to love Echinaceas??

Every one I plant, they chew to soil level.

Just like they did my prize David Austin 'French Lace' floribunda rose.

ugh.  2014 was already a difficult year in the garden but the financial impact directly attributed to rabbits was hard to suffer.  Loss after loss due to their insatiable appetites...

The only positive thing I can say is they have good taste!

I'm hoping they did not get Anemone 'Pretty Lady Emily' which was added last fall.  

I need more carefree, reliable perennials plus (obviously) a potent, effective rabbit deterrent, that's for sure.

I would also like to try Amaranthus 'caudatus' (love-lies-bleeding) again.

I squeezed it into a container last summer, with too many other inhabitants, and the photo below is the best it looked before stalling out and more or less failing to thrive. 

Lesson learned here:  Pace myself, there's always next year.  It sure didn't pay off trying to have everything at once when space is a consideration.

Fuchsia magellanica 'Lady's Eardrops' overwintered indoors so it will definitely be back in the 2015 garden.

Such a very elegant fuchsia...

Thanks for going along on this part of the review with me ~ looking back at the previous seasons garden is a "must do" for me each year.

The photos are reminders of failures & successes and give me a jump start on planning.  This year, when I want to strive toward a more "maintenance-free" garden, reviewing is even more important.  I want to confine the annuals & tender plants to containers (and to a minimum) and plant more "hardy" plants directly into the garden.  We'll see how that manifests.  

I'm curious how everyone else plans?  Do you keep a list of plants you want to add (mental or physical) or work from another angle???     

the color 'Apricot' in the garden

I always say (and think) PINK is my favorite color in the garden but upon reviewing some of my favorite garden photos I need to check myself on that.  It seems the more delicate APRICOT color is actually the one that makes me swoon.

Above:  Hollyhock 'Peaches N Dreams'

I literally lose my head over anything this color!

Above:  'Dalmation Peach' Foxglove

Something about the soft, dreamy shade utterly captivates & enthralls me.

Above:  Gerbera 'Eyecatcher Double'

An 'Apricot Seduction' of sorts....

Above:  Antirrhinum majus 'Chantilly Peach'

I'm certainly helpless to its charms...  

Above:  Cosmos 'Apricot'

Such an ethereal color, so easy to be seduced.

Double Tulip:  'Pink Star'

I'm always surprised by the variety of blooms to be found in what you would think would be the "slim pickin's" part of the color wheel.

Above:  Bearded Iris 'Beverly Sills'

As I begin planning the 2015 garden, I notice this color continues to surface again & again on my wish list.

Above:  David Austin rose 'Abraham Darby'

It's a wonder my garden contains any other color....

Above:  Echinacea 'Summer Sky'

I don't think much will change in the upcoming season.

Salmon poppy

It's just a matter of what new additions are available that fit into my plan for less maintenance.

Peony 'Coral Charm'

Unless I get totally sidetracked by something sensationally apricot and throw "the plan" to the 'curb.'

Above:  Thunbergia 'Spanish Eyes'

A distinct possibility and one I know I will have to discipline myself to keep in check....

Above:  Brugmansia 'Ecuador Pink'

What about you?  Is there a color you find completely irresistible??  One that turns up over and over again in your garden???  One that NO WAY is going to be left at the greenhouse but will always go home with you??   

 

 

antique hanging jardiniere

It's Sunday ~ Downton Abbey night!!!!  I can hardly wait.

I'm obsessed, a hair short of "stalker fan" level!

The era, the furnishings, the etiquette, the clothes.  *sigh* Just every. single. thing. about it.

Because it airs tonight, I thought it seemed an appropriate time to pull out some pics from last fall of my antique hanging jardiniere.  (or maybe that correlation only makes sense to me??!!)

Above:  A fairly stiff wind was blowing at the time of the photo session ~ as noted by the swinging angle of the jardiniere...

I keep thinking a similar jardinere will pop up in the background of a Downton scene so I stay on the lookout but so far, no luck.

Maybe I have the time period wrong??  I don't know for certain how old mine actually is??

There's always SO MUCH to look at too, it's entirely possible I've missed it.

It might not be the easiest thing to see either ~ it's difficult to tell scale in a photo but this beautiful jardiniere is very small.  Approx 4" X 4".  

I always wonder what would have been planted in it during the time period it originated?  

Maybe it was used exactly as I've done here, as a container for fresh flowers??

I'm sorry I didn't take a current photo since I let the roses dry in the jardiniere & they're hanging in my office now.  Maybe I'll go back & do that?  or maybe not.  It will soon be time to replace them with some primroses, daffodils or tulips anyway.

Let's not get distracted by that happy thought tho! 

Back to Downton Abbey.  

Something else I try to see during a tea or dining scene are the silverware patterns!  Am I crazy?

Above:   My four favorite silverplate patterns (which all conceivably could have been used during the Downton Abbey time period.)  From left to right:  Grenoble (aka Gloria), Glenrose, Cedric & Berwick (aka Diana).

Notice three out of four have a floral theme!!!  No surprise there, right?!

If it's silver, old, and has anything at all to do with flowers, chances are, I LOVE it.

Above:  Antique rose vase last October.

All three things in one spot are PURE BLISS.  No wonder I'm a Downton Abbey freak! 

Another reason to be happy today ~ only 60 days till Spring!

Before we know it, we'll be back in the garden!  :)  Until then, enjoy the show (which is pretty much a guarantee unless something insane, like the end of Season 3 happens!!!!!)

 

 

 

Thoughts on the 2015 Garden

As the New Year begins, my vision for the 2015 garden is undergoing evaluation.

Above:  Back garden with a fresh dusting of snow yesterday morning.

Remember 2011 was the year evergreens (yews & boxwoods) were added for winter interest?

Their addition definitely contributed a lot to shaping the look of the back garden.

Above:  Sharp shinned hawk that's been keeping the little garden birds on razor edge with his daily (frequently successful) hunting patrols.

All the plantings have not deterred him in the least.  They've simply forced a showcase of his amazing aviator & hunting skills.  It's pretty incredible to watch him swoop in, fly sideways ~ thru & around the shrubbery ~ then hone in on a prey all at breakneck speed.

But that's a side topic...

2011 was probably the last year any major changes occurred in the gardens.

2012 saw the addition of the lilac standard & completion of the bed it anchors but not much else.

The last two years, the garden basically just "maintained."  Personal issues forcing it low on the list of priorities.

First thoughts for 2015 originally leaned toward hitting it "hard" and doing some overhauling that's been put on the back burner (barring any other mishaps or setbacks, of course.)

Lately tho, new visions have been forming and creeping slowly but steadily to the forefront of all others. 

Visions of the low maintenance variety.  Where the garden fends for itself, provided it's supplied with the correct plants and irrigation.

A garden that doesn't demand as much but provides an equal amount of enjoyment.

A garden to enjoy, entertain in, that continues to sustain & benefit wildlife but isn't nearly as fussy.  One that allows me, the gardener, more freedom in the summer months.

Freedom to travel or indulge other pursuits during our favorite season. 

Don't get me wrong.  I LOVE the garden.  It's served me well and I, it.

But the scares & curve balls of 2013 & 2014, are making me rethink the energy devoted to it.  Maybe it's time to stretch our wings a bit and leave its comfortable confines? 

What does that mean?  How long will it take to achieve?  Will there be fewer containers?  More xeric plantings??  How many plants replaced?  How expensive to alter the current sprinkler system?  All questions that need further scrutiny before a plan is made to proceed.  These thoughts and others run thru my head when I look out the kitchen window at the landscape I've created.  Is it just this time of year eliciting these ideas?  Is anyone else thinking of changes??  I'd love to hear...

 

Pelargonium 'Apple Blossom'

and a Happy New Year!!!

The year (all four days so far!) is off to a good start here.

The 'Apple Blossom' Pelargoniums I potted up last fall

to save for this summer, are beginning to bloom.

Delicate, feminine, plush blooms with rosebud likenesses.....

*sigh*  The recipe for happinesss on a snowy day!!!

These two Pelargoniums were mail ordered (from a company I will not name because I would not recommend or consider reordering from them).  They arrived as 1 - 2" pieces of STEM with the barest hint of a green leaf emerging & hardly any roots.  I've never in all my years of ordering plants received anything so tiny.  It took all summer for them to get to the size you see in the first two photos.  I'd almost forgotten why I wanted them so badly but now am I ever happy I took the time to save them.

I don't know about you, but I always get a little confused between Geraniums and Pelargoniums??  Geraniums I've never grown much but on occasion, I purchase a Pelargonium.  Now that I've found these double Pelargoniums tho, I've become an instant "fan" and I foresee even more purchases!!!

Speaking of Geraniums, this morning I mixed up a batch of "lemon geranium" sugar scrub. 

Yum, the combination of these two essential oils is delicious.  So fragrant.   I can't wait to use it.

I've been making sugar scrubs for a while now but I'm just now getting into essential oils.

There are so many, I worry I'll never remember all of them or their specific properties but I'm really open to learning about the science & healing abilities they possess. 

The next few months, while the garden is dormant, seems like the perfect time to explore and read more.  For now, I'm just enjoying dabbling & the aromas of the few I've bought.

Something else sure to brighten a snowy day ~ Rex Begonia 'Northern Lights.'

Aptly named, don't you think??  The foliage is such an arresting combo of colors.  Makes me smile whenever I walk past it.  Another plant I'm glad I overwintered. 

These dreary days, in the darkest quarter of the year, we need all the brightness we can surround ourselves with, right?  Here's hoping each of us have a lot of good things (health, happiness, etc.) ahead in 2015...

'Persimmon' Hibiscus

I almost titled this post "winter blooms" then I realized I couldn't do that because it's not even winter yet!  Although I've been really busy with holiday preparations it still feels like the garden has been OVER for quite a while already.  Anyone else feeling that way? 

Luckily, some tender tropicals are helping to fill the gap the garden left behind.  In my bathroom/greenhouse, a Clivia miniata bud scape is beginning to open:

This will be it's second time to bloom this year. 

Usually I bring my Clivias indoors (after summering outside) and take them straight to the basement for a forced dormancy period.

I followed this routine because I'd read to treat them similarly to Amaryllis?? 

However, this year I switched it up and went a whole different route.  Instead of to the basement, they went directly into my south-facing, glass block bathroom.

The results are going to make it hard to ever go back to the former treatment.

Maybe it would like a dormancy period after this bloom is finished?????  or should that whole idea be nixed altogether? 

Now, I believe the post title was actually 'Persimmon' Hibiscus, not Clivia miniata!??

I didn't fake you out, there IS actually one of those beauties to share!

How is that for a vibrant holiday kick off???

All that impact from such a tiny little plant!

Tiny but mighty ~ notice it's vigorous enough to produce quite a few buds!  ((my way of saying "you'll be seeing more of 'Persimmon'...) 

and finally, one last bloom (the first in a whole line-up, as most of you already know to expect!!)

An unknown Amaryllis, NOT 'Elvas' which I thought I had purchased.

Arrgggg, it's a pet peeve when the tags & bulbs are mismatched.... 

I know many people don't care about the names but having grown so many and for so long, I'm pretty partial to certain favorites & to new ones.   Oh well, whatever the name, it's the first Amaryllis bloom of the season and that makes me feel like it's officially the holidays!!!!  

About time considering we're about two weeks away from Christmas!!  Please tell me I'm not the only one who needs to get it together?!!!!

Brugmansia 'Charles Grimaldi'

Talk about a late bloomer! 

The first bud just started unfurling six days ago:

Lucky are we to even see it, at this late date in October.

I've never grown a yellow Brugmansia before, for years I kept an 'Ecuador Pink' but finally let it go two gardening seasons ago.

Not sure why I decided to try another?

They are so labor intensive in our climate.  I have to lug them indoors and down to the basement to force a dormancy period on them if I want them to ever reach their full potential.

Maybe I caved because 'Charles Grimaldi' was supposed to be a fast growing cultivar ~ apparently possible to reach 10' in his first year!

We fell FAR short of that height but it could be partially my fault since I didn't have him ideally situated (full sun) for the first part of the summer.  Then, poor guy, got hailed on (notice the tattered leaves in the photo above) which also set him back.

There he is on the left (that sun glare blob), perhaps three foot tall??

Soon I'll start him on his trek indoors as these fabulous warmer-than-normal days won't go on forever.

Above:  North garden pathway

Above:  Do you see what I see???  I *think* it's the Western Hognose snake from earlier this summer ~ soaking up some late October sun along the foundation of my house.  This is directly left of my faucet & I almost stuck my hand on him when I reached down to turn on the water!!!

Something prettier ~ a fenceline of cosmos:

Taken Wednesday, along the road where I drive my dog to his groomer.

The owner of the property said she was worried they weren't going to bloom, they opened so late. 

That was interesting to me because mine behaved the same way.  I hope these will bloom awhile longer, they really are eyecatching along that stretch of highway.

Now back to my clean up, I'm finally getting some things put away. 

About time, right??!!!

Dahlia 'Honka Surprise'

the most prolific bloomer this season.

Beginning to flower in July and continuing even now!!!  

I was attracted to the "star-shaped" blooms when I bought the tubers in early spring.

They have performed beyond my expectations.  'Honka Surprise,' with it's rolled petals, is another kind of dahlia I've never experimented with growing before (like the anemone dahlia, 'Floorinoor' from an earlier post.)

Although I love "new" plants, in some ways I'm not very adventurous.  Once I find something I love, I tend to stick with it. 

In previous years, with Dahlias, it's always been collarettes all the way.  But, this year, different in so many ways, I've learned loyalty to one form has limitations. 

I've decided to quit being "exclusive," & will definitely expand my horizons next season and try more varieties!

Most of the above photos were taken before September.  Since then, the grasshoppers usually beat me to the blooms which makes it difficult to find an 8 petal blossom fully intact.

Oh, before I forget, I'm also happy to report we escaped the most recent threat of frost!!!  

Cheers to that!

Now my crazy fall decorating streak can continue too!

I'm not sure why this season I've been so into experimenting with different combinations of blooms, gardenalia and pumpkins?

It's almost become a compulsion????  Pulling vintage items (like the old iron birdcage) from the house to decorate the garden.

Wonder where it stops??

Who knows??  I hope you don't mind??

Above:  'Painted Lady' butterfly soaking up some sun.

It has to end soon tho because there are chores (much more important) to finish before the cold is here to stay!

Cosmos 'Apricot'

Remember the cosmos I shared in a previous post that grew over 6' and had ZERO buds/blooms?

I'm happy to report a big change in that status.  :)

It's about time because there's a chance of snow on Sunday night!

Maybe it's because we're at the end of the season, I don't know, (??) but every new bloom at this late date seems especially exquisite.

Cosmos 'Apricot' the perfect example.

Feast your eyes on that breathtaking blend of pink and apricot and just drink it in.... 

I think late season blooms are fabulous by design ~ for us to remember, hold onto and carry us thru the winter months ahead.

I'm absolutely certain this bloom will do that for me!

Cosmos 'Apricot' ordered from Annie's Annuals.

There's been other activity in the garden.

Nocturnal, excavating activity:

I wish I'd seen the perpetrator(s).   Whoever it was made an almost perfect 2" diameter hole in my big Cinderella pumpkin.  I should have taken a photo before I cleaned my patio because they also spewed the "guts" of the pumpkin out of the hole & all over the concrete.  I've never had this happen in all the years I've put pumpkins in the garden.

Maybe I've just been lucky??

The apple garland is still intact around the fireplace (as is the one over the arbor)

so whatever investigated the pumpkin, passed on the apples.

I think I should install some cameras out there??  Anyone else curious about what you'd see??

Above:  Section of back garden.  Still very green thanks to all the rain this summer & fall.

Another look at the vintage iron urn. 

The cabbages are really beautiful right now.

If we make it past Sunday night, it's forecasted to warm up again.  With any luck, there will still be blooms to share for the next post....  I, for one, would love to see that huge 'Apricot' cosmos at its peak!