Dirt Therapy

The Waste Land

2009-07-08T14:27:00.003-05:00

This is what I've come to call the front lawn area. Here's the story - I've just about eliminated all the grass on our property. I can now mow all the grassy areas in about 30 minutes (this is better than 3 or 4 hours that it used to take when we had no garden, just lawn). However, I did want a large grassy area in the front of the house to give the eye a rest. Heaven knows there's so much going on that the eye needs it.

Well, I may as well forget that idea. It is shady here and worse, three red maples spread their hungry shallow roots all over the place. I have tried just about every grass known to man. I thought I had the solution when I planted fescue two years ago. It was beautiful that winter but it died the following summer. Fescue doesn't like our summer heat. I could replant it and water it daily in the summer but we don't have a sprinkler system and I know it would not get watered even with my best intentions.

I've thought about making a gravel pathway through part of it and surround it with dwarf Mondo grass. I know it is tough and tolerates shade. I'm not sure about the root competition. I saw a garden in Birmingham where large areas were completely covered in this and it looks great.

So, what to do? If any of you garden designers out there can give me some suggestions, I'd love to hear them.

Close-up on hydrangeas

2009-07-01T13:27:00.003-05:00

The hydrangeas have been blooming for about 6 weeks now but they are beginning to phase out. Some of them will continue blooming through the summer. That is, if we ever get rain again!

So, as Norma Desmond said, "Mr. DeMille, I'm ready for my close-up!"

"Angel's Lace"

"Big Daddy" - he didn't bloom at all last year. There has been 3 or 4 blooms this year. Sometimes it just takes them a while to get going.

"Charm" - this has been one of the prettiest this year and full of blooms.

"Mme Emile Mouillere" - another favorite, this one is almost white and ages to a light blue.

"Purple Tiers" - this year we are calling it "Pink Tiers".

"Sister Therese"

"Snowflake" - a gorgeous oakleaf.

This is Hydrangea Aspera, somewhat of a novelty and one that you don't see often. When we were going through our hydrangea madness phase and thought we had to own every cultivar known to man, we picked this up at a wonderful nusery near Atlanta that spealizies in hydrangeas (Wilkerson Mill Gardens). Thinking that it probably wouldn't make it, it has proved us wrong and seems to be perfectly happy right next to the towering pecan tree that shades most of our hydrangeas. The bloom looks not unlike any other lacecap but the growth habit it totally different - very tall (about 6 ft.), upright and a tad lanky. The leaves are fuzzy and thick. I once read that it is sometimes referred to as the "Space Cadet" hydrangea

"Mariesii Variegata" has beautiful variegated foliage which eclipse the blooms. This hydrangea has been spectacular in years past (take a look at this photo) but lately it has been going downhill. Lots of dieback and limited blooms. In fact, this is the first bloom I've seen this year

And last but not least, the dependable "Nikko Blue" with a spider friend. This is the most common hydrangeas available in nuseries. Here is a new bloom -

And here is a faded one-

2009-06-26T08:18:00.005-05:00

Root Beer Bundt Cake

When company is coming, it is my duty to make a dessert. I love baking and I enjoy trying new recipes. Earlier in the year, I purchased "Baked" by Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito, who own a Brooklyn dessert shop by the same name. I love this book. I have tried several of the recipes and they all have turned out great. This cake is a chocolate lover's dream. I don't detect the root beer flavor as strongly as the authors describe it but the overall flavor is decadent. It is fantastic with vanilla ice cream.

Note: The icing recipe makes way too much for the cake. I think you can half the ingredients and still have enough.

Cake
2 cups root beer (do not use diet root beer)(I used A&W)
1 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder (I use dutch processed cocoa)
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs

Frosting
2 ounces dark chocolate (60% cacao), melted and cooled slightly
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup root beer
2/3 cup dark unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

For the root beer Bundt cake:
1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Generously spray the inside of a 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray; alternatively, butter it, dust with flour, and knock out the excess flour.

2. In a small saucepan, heat the root beer, cocoa powder, and butter over medium heat until the butter is melted. Add the sugars and whisk until dissolved. Remove from the heat and let cool.

3. In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, and salt together.

4. In a small bowl, whisk the eggs until just beaten, then whisk them into the cooled cocoa mixture until combined. Gently fold the flour mixture into the cocoa mixture. The batter will be slightly lumpy--do not overbeat, as it could cause the cake to be tough.

5. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through the baking time, until a small sharp knife inserted into the cake comes out clean. Transfer the pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Gently loosen the sides of the cake from the pan and turn it out onto the rack.

For the root beer frosting:
1. Put all the ingredients in a food processor. Pulse in short bursts until the frosting is shiny and smooth.

2. Use a spatula to spread the fudge frosting over the crown of the Bundt in a thick layer. Let the frosting set before serving, with the ice cream on the side.

Creeping Jenny - she blooms!

2009-06-23T14:40:00.003-05:00

I planted these two urns in front of Michael's salon with Creeping Jenny (Lysimachia nummularia), Million Belles (Callibrachoa) and Spike Plant. A few weeks ago, he came home and asked me if I knew that Creeping Jenny bloomed because the ones at the salon were blooming like crazy! I confess, I didn't know this and I've never seen one blooming. He said a client was also quizzing him about it and wanted to know if it was a special variety. After googling it, it seems that everyone else knows that Creeping Jenny does indeed bloom. Maybe it prefers the hot concrete surroundings and bright light in order to do so. This is one of my favorite pot plants and groundcovers, but I've never seen it blooming in our garden.

Turtle watching

2009-06-20T20:17:00.002-05:00

A few days I was startled to see a turtle in the middle of the pathway next to the patio. I looked closer and realized that she was digging a hole in the sand. I had never seen this before - she was using her back feet and would alternate scooping out sand and then use the other foot to scoop out more. She was in this spot all morning. I wasn't sure what was going on and then I realized she was probably going to lay eggs there. I did a little online research and learned that turtles lay eggs and leave them to hatch and the young care for themselves. It can take all summer before the eggs hatch but they are often taken dug up by predators. A person can cover the holes with a wire cage of sorts to protect the eggs but I'm not sure if I want a wire cage in the middle of my pathway all summer. And what do you do if they hatch and you are not there to let the baby turtles out?

Gardening Gone Wild Photo Contest

2009-06-19T10:20:00.003-05:00

Here are my entries for the Gardening Gone Wild photo contest for June -

Photo #1 - Hybrid musk rose "Robin Hood"

Photo #2 - Hybrid musk rose "Buff Beauty"

Photo #3 - A close-up of "Buff Beauty"

Touring gardens in the rain (B'ham Open Garden Tour)

2009-06-16T19:25:00.005-05:00

This past Saturday Michael and I trekked to Birmingham for another Open Gardens Tour (there was a previous one in April). It was raining and thundering when we left home and probably for the first time in the history of mankind, the massive storm system was moving southeast (whoever heard of such??) directly in line for Birmingham. We were undeterred and hoped for the best.

I was most excited about seeing the garden of Louise Wrinkle. She has been featured in many books and articles and her garden is legendary. After many starts and stops - (Mountain Brook is the hardest place to find streets even when you have a map)- we located her garden. We entered from the side street here -

Click on photo for larger image

As we walked up a long paved pathway through a gorgeous wooded garden, it started to rain. We purchased our tickets and briefly spoke with Mrs. Wrinkle before hurrying on to see what we could before the bottom fell out. The lighting was so dim that many of my photos were dark. I also did not have my tripod with me and the slow shutter speeds caused many to be blurry.

Heading back down, the bottom dropped out.

That's Michael in the distance wishing he were somewhere else.

Mrs. Wrinkle had a 5 page handout of the plants in this garden and it was single-spaced! I have an invitation to come again so hopefully it won't rain on the next trip.

Garden #2 was the beautiful garden of designer Tony Rhone. Mr. Rhone's garden was featured on the previous tour but I wanted Michael to see these statues. We couldn't figure out how to get them in the car.

It wasn't just raining when we were at this garden, it was lightening! And you know how some days just don't go your way? When we stepped out of the car, my camera bag fell open, my camera slammed into the pavement and I thought I had shattered my lens. Fortunately, I had a UV protector over the lens and it only broke the filter. Close call!

Garden #3 - there was a lull and it actually didn't rain at all for this one. This house was situated on a steep hill and the landscaping was immaculate. The garden designer is John Wilson, a super nice and talented guy.

We skipped the last garden. We actually drove by it but could not figure out where to park. The instructions said to park on the street but it was a narrow street. We had already risked our lives with the weather elements, all we needed was to get rammed by another vehicle.

The second half of the day was quite nice. We went to The Summitt which has a Smith and Hawken! We found a unique little plant called String of Pearls. Thank goodness there is not one of those stores in Florence! We also had dinner at PF Chang's and dessert at Ben & Jerry's. And Old Navy had all their men's clothing half priced and I picked up a few things. And wouldn't you know it, the sun came out after we got there!

June Bloom Day

2009-06-14T21:47:00.003-05:00

This is a brief one as we had such a rainy weekend that I barely had time to get out and take photos.

I am on a lily kick and planted several last fall. This one is "Scheherazade"

This is "Caravan"

The Bee Balm "Jacob Kline" (Monarda didyma) is just starting to bloom. I planted this last fall in the border that I'm re-doing that will features reds.

The Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is really spectacular at the moment. I just love this little tree.

I've never seen so many blooms on the Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus). This is "Blue Bird"

An unknown daylily

Verbena bonariensis

The hydrangeas are still the star of the garden and I took several close-ups that I fill feature in a later post.

Bloom Day is the brainchild of Carol at May Dreams Gardens. To see more blooms, visit her blog.

The Lily in the language of flowers

2009-06-09T23:00:00.005-05:00

The Lily's height and beauty speak command. The Jews imitated its form in the decorations of their first magnificent temple; Christ described it as more splendid than King Solomon in his most gorgeous apparel. According to ancient mythology there was originally but one species of Lily and that was orange colored and the white was produced by the following circumstance: Jupiter, wishing to render Hercules immortal, prevailed on Juno to take a deep draught of nectar which threw the queen into a profound sleep. Jupiter then placed the infant Hercules at her breast so that the divine milk might ensure immortality. Hercules drew the milk faster than he could swallow it and some drops fell to the earth from which immediately sprang the White Lily. (From "The Floral Offering: a Token of Affection and Esteem; Comprising the Language and Poetry of Flowers" by Henrietta Dumont.

I'm published!

2009-06-06T13:05:00.004-05:00

Excuse me a minute while I gloat! I've had three photos published in a new gardening book. I've written articles for magazines in the past but this is the first time I've had my photographs in a book. Marie Harrison, a garden writer from northwest Florida, contacted me about a year ago and asked me about some of my photos for a book she was working on, "Flowering Shrubs and Small Trees for the South". I had completely forgotten about it until this week when she graciously sent me an autographed copy. My photos of Fountain Buddleia, Beauty Bush and Kerria were used. It was very exciting and the book looks great with detailed information on more than 100 flowering shrubs and small trees that grow well in the South. Thank you Marie for the book and for the opportunity!

Hydrangea madness

2009-06-01T18:43:00.003-05:00

I knew summer had arrived when the hydrangeas started blooming last week. That plus the fact that I stepped outside after dinner this evening and found myself soaked in sweat after being out there for only ten minutes. Ugh, that part I don't like about Alabama!

I've never counted the varieties of hydrangeas in our garden but I'd say the number would be close to fifty. Michael is the hydrangea fanatic but I have to confess that I have grown very fond of them.

One of the easiest to grow is "Annabelle". It blooms on new wood and can be cut down to the ground and will come back and bloom -

"Veitchii" is one of my favorite lacecaps. It should be covered in blooms in a few weeks -

Michael's favorite is "Purple Tiers" -

The much lauded "Endless Summer" sulked for two years but this year it is pretty impressive -

"Lady in Red" has performed in a spectacular fashion, growing very fast and blooming heavily every year -

And probably the most common hydrangea, "Nikko Blue" is hard to beat -

The oakleaf hydrangeas are excellent and more adaptable to sunnier spots. If you have limited space, try a dwarf variety, such as "Sike's Dwarf" -

I have created an entire guide on growing hydrangeas on my website. These plants are easy to grow and excellent for shady areas in your garden.

May Days

2009-05-22T18:07:00.003-05:00

I will be away from the blogging loop for a week. I will be staying with my mother and brother in Russellville while my sister goes on vacation. I have a stack of books but alas, I'll be computerless.

Here are a few garden shots that I took today. This is the first week that we haven't had rain! I hope everyone has a great week!

May Bloom Day

2009-05-14T22:48:00.003-05:00

We've had so much rain lately that it has really taken a toll on the blooms this spring. Some are holding up better than others.

This is a new clematis that I just planted this spring called "Durandii" -

Another clematis - "Jackmanii" a tried and true favorite -

I love the old fashioned St. Joseph's Lily (Hippeastrum Johnsonii) -

And the remainder are all roses -

A new one that I bought from Petals from the Past this year is "Dame de Coeur"

"Robin Hood" is always reliable and blooms for a long time -

"Westerland"

"The Pilgrim" is one of the David Austin English roses -

"Red Cascade" is a miniature that can get really big

"La Marne" is a carefree shrub rose that I often recommend -

"Francois Juranville" is a vigorous but thornless rambler -

"New Dawn" is another great rose - tough and disease resistant. That is the Dwarf Oakleaf Hydrangea "Sike's Dwarf" on the right -

"Marjorie Fair" is a hybrid musk that grows out in front by the road. I have received more comments on it this year than any other rose.

Another great rose is "Gartendirektor Otto Linne" - I planted a hedge of it outside the fence -

A variety of roses in the border. The red in the background is the rugosa "FJ Grootendorst". The tall pink rose in the middle is "Lyric". "Gartendirektor Otto Linne" again in the bottom and "Daydream" in the foreground.

That's it for the May Bloom Day. Carol at May Dream Gardens invites bloggers to share photos of what's blooming in their gardens on the 15th of each month.

Gifts from gardening friends

2009-05-11T22:23:00.002-05:00

As I was puttering in the garden this afternoon and taking photos when I should have been weeding, I started noticing several plants were blooming that were gifts from gardening friends.

This beautiful iris - 'Edith Wolford' - is a gift from Randy, Jamie and their friend Carol who visited us a few weeks ago.

Kaye, an Internet acquaintance from Arkansas, was passing through the area on the way to Florida, and made a detour to visit our garden. I felt so honored. She and her husband have a beautiful rose garden and they brought me three China roses that I didn't have. This one is "Archduke Charles" -

Jennifer, rose rustler extraordinaire, has been rooting cuttings from the roses in our garden. Last fall she gave us this beautiful variegated sedum which has been getting lots of attention from garden visitors. Isn't it stunning?

There are many more plants in the garden that have come from friends and visitors. I will have to do a "Part 2" when those start to bloom.

Veilchenblau, the "Blue Rose"

2009-05-06T17:03:00.003-05:00

I know, I know, there is no such thing as a blue rose. Hybridizers are still trying to come up with one. This beautiful rambler is named "Veilchenblau" which means "violet-blue" in German but who would choose a blue rose over the colors this one displays? I don't think I would. I like it just the way it is. Deep purple crimson buds open to a softer lavender and fade to light pink and white. Each flower has a white streak running along the petals.

This is a rose that always elicits ooo's and ahhhh's from visitors to the garden. Bred in 1909, it is a vigorous but thornless rambler that can be grown a variety of ways, covering arches like we grow it or letting it scamper along a fence. If you look at my photo from last year, you will see that it was much larger then. I pruned it severely last year because it was getting out of control and had some die-back. This is how it looks this year -

Disease-resistant and very easy to grow, this is one of my favorites. The only sad thing about it is that it only blooms one time a year and has little fragrance.

Peonies envy

2009-05-01T09:28:00.002-05:00

I hate to be asked to choose a favorite flower but if someone held a gun to my head and demanded an answer, I could supply one. Roses would be my favorite and coming in second place - the peony. I love the big blowsy double types but the one pictured here is a single called "Scarlet O'Hara". I've had it for about 10 years and it always blooms faithfully. The vivid red blossoms quickly fade to pink after only a few days. This peony blooms earlier than my other peony plants, which are doubles.

Most gardeners know that peonies grow best in northern climates because they need a strong winter chill to make them happy. There are quite a few varieties though that do fine here. "Festive Maxima" and "Sarah Bernhardt" are two that come to mind.

I was visiting my mother yesterday and I noticed that the peonies I had planted there years ago were covered in buds and much happier than the ones in our garden. This is probably because hers are unhampered by neighboring plants and have full sun. That is the key to a healthy peony - plant it in a large, well-prepared hole with good rich ammendments with the "eyes" (they are easy to spot) at soil level or just an inch or so under the ground. Give it plenty of room and sun and forget about them! They don't like to be pampered or moved. And lots of people ask me about the ants that love to visit the buds. They don't harm the plants at all!

Forecast for the coming weeks: Roses!

2009-04-27T09:02:00.003-05:00

We had a beautiful weekend and I spent almost all of it working on getting the containers planted. I didn't realize we had so many! I finally took a break and started looking around and noticed that the roses are really starting to take center stage. It is good to stop and smell the roses but is there really time to do that this time of year? I did manage to drag my weary self out late Sunday and take some photos.

The first photo is the scene toward the pergola. The rose on the left is "Buff Beauty" and the roses you see on the pergola are "Rambling Rector" and "Reve D'Or".

Another shot of "Buff Beauty" - I would put this in the top 5 of my all-time favorite roses.

As you walk through the pergola, this is the view ahead -

This isn't a rose but I had to throw this in. This is one of my favorite flowering shrubs - Beautybush (Kolkwitzia amabilis). I don't know why more people don't grow this and I never see it in nurseries.

One of my favorite views of the garden, with the Beautybush on the left, "Buff Beauty" in the center and the variegated dogwood "Wolf's Eyes" on the right.

Next to the pergola, a grouping of beared iris and Siberian Iris grow next to the rose "Gruss an Aachen".

Rugosa roses normally don't perform well in the south but "Hansa" is an exception.

Another favorite musk rose is "Moonlight" -

The pink rose on the left is "La Marne" and you see "Moonlight" again on the right.

The climbing musk rose "Prosperity" with Beautybush in the background.

If you like yellow roses, "Reve D'Or" is hard to beat -

And if you like purple, "Russell's Cottage Rose" is outstanding -

Back up near the patio, "Lamarque" graces the archway -

This pink rose is "Carefree Wonder" growing with Iris "Gay Paree" and Spirea "Goldmound"

"Sally Holmes" on another archway -

"Nearly Wild" surrounds our fountain inside the circular hedge -

And, as you can see from this photo, the roses are much fuller on the opposite side -

Stay tuned for more roses in the weeks ahead!

Birmingham Open Gardens Tour - part 2

2009-04-20T20:03:00.005-05:00

Here are some photos of the other three gardens that I toured on Saturday. The first was a wildflower garden in Gardendale, a suburb in north Birmingham. Most of the azaleas were past their prime but there was still plenty to see and lots of interesting wildflowers.

The second garden was very small and quite beautiful, belonging to garden designer Troy Rhone. Love those statues!

A window box on the front of the house with ivy growing in a swag design.

The last garden was spectacular with beautiful patios and seating areas surrounded by English-type gardens full of colorful flowers and charm.

A long winding driveway was bordered with oakleaf hydrangeas and autumn ferns -

Have you ever seen grass this green?

Near the front entrance, a small garden with flowers in purple and lavender -

A patio on the side of the house -

Around to the other side of the residence -

Isn't this pathway wonderful?

A small garden on the side of the house leading to the pool area. This was filled with colorful flowers like foxglove, allium and snapdragon.

Lots of dog statues -

Back toward the drive, the walls were covered with "Old Blush" roses -

A stream at the border of the property

I hope you enjoyed the photos. There will be another tour on June 13 in Birmingham. This tour will again feature the Rhone garden and 3 new gardens as well. I'm hoping to attend this one too!

Birmingham Open Gardens Tour

2009-04-19T21:18:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, I had the pleasure of taking the Birmingham Open Gardens Tour (sponsored by The Garden Conservancy). Four beautiful gardens were open to the public. It was a perfect day for garden viewing - overcast with temperatures in the low 70s.

I'm going to divide this into two separate posts because I have lots of photos to share. I want to begin with my favorite garden on the tour. The garden owner and designer is June Mays and this garden has just about everything! Situated on a steep hillside, it is divided into garden rooms and terraces that flow beautifully and offers surprises around every corner.

Next to the front entry was this beautiful parterre made of lettuces and boxwood -

As you step into the back garden, beautiful rocks frame the terraces -

This allee divides the garden -

Walking toward the top and looking back -

And at the top of the hill, one of many seating areas throughout the garden -

On both sides of the garden, beautiful pathways invite the visitor to explore -

At the top of the hill, there are beautiful views of the garden -

A seating area with a firepit -

Descending toward the patio -

And looking back up - I love this view -

Next to the patio, a touch of whimsy - a watermelon patch!

Down from the patio is yet another smaller patio which has to be a beautiful view from inside the house -

Bordering the patio is this gorgeous water feature -

On the opposite side, heading down toward the front garden is another bench backed by Viburnum Macrocephalum -

And we come to another room, one of my favorites. This one featured herbs and various other plants -

This pyramid is covered with various sedums -

Heading on down and looking back up -

Stay tuned for photos of the other gardens on the tour later this week!

Tree Peony "Kamatanishiki"

2009-04-17T22:44:00.002-05:00

Two days ago I showed you the swelling buds of this tree peony and today, during my lunch hour, I discovered that it had burst into bloom. Isn't this a beauty? I just planted this tree peony last year. It has a total of three buds and the second one had opened by the evening. Rain is predicted for Sunday and I'm almost tempted to cover it up!

Gardening Gone Wild Photo Contest

2009-04-17T08:03:00.005-05:00

The Gardening Gone Wild bloggers are having a photo contest! They want a photo of a native plant featured in a garden setting. I'm selecting this photo which features two native plants from the southeast. Actually, only one is blooming in the photo and that is Fothergilla major "Mt. Airy". This beautiful shrub features bottle-brush type flowers in early spring which appear before the leaves. The flowers have a slight honey-like fragrance. This shrub is also beautiful in the fall when the coarse-textured leaves turn orange and yellow. This is a good shrub for woodland gardens but it performs nicely in sunny open areas as well.

The second native plant in the photo is the Oakleaf Hydrangea (H. quercifolia). The blooms appear later in the spring and start out white and fade to pink. This shrub also has beautiful fall foliage. It is versatile too when it comes to conditions and light but it seems to happiest in shadier conditions.

Other plants in the photo include Wisteria sinensis 'Alba', Golden Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Aurea') and the climbing rose "Bobbie James".

Both of these plants are in my "secret garden" area, a small garden room behind the garden wall. I am working on making this an all-white garden.

April bloom day

2009-04-15T14:31:00.008-05:00

I think this is my favorite time in the garden. I love seeing the fresh new leaves on the plants and the buds and blooms forming. We've had very warm weather lately with the exception of yesterday when it didn't get out of the 50s. This morning it was still cold and overcast and my fingers were freezing as I was taking these photos.

First, some clematis. As I mentioned in an earlier post, I think I pruned some of the clematis too early. I haven't seen any blooms on the "Nelly Moser" and I could kick myself. There are blooms, however, on "Josephine"

and "Elsa Spath"

Roses are also beginning to bloom. "Lady Banks" always blooms early. It is just getting started.

"Fortune's Double Yellow"

This nodding beauty is "Mrs. B.R. Cant"

"Clair Matin"

I wrote about Viburnum macrocephalum (Chinese Snowball) a few days ago. Here is a shot of the entire shrub.

Spirea and Beauty Bush

A Loropetalum that has never been pruned

Honeysuckle "Alabama Crimson"

Fleece Flower (Persicaria microcephala 'Red Dragon') and Wild Columbine (Aquilegia canadensis)

Deutzia gracilis

Camassia quamash

I think this azalea is "Martha Hitchcock" but I'm not certain

Iris with Gold Mound Spirea

Climbing Raspberry (Rubus rosifolius 'Coronarius')

A close-up of the blooms - I think they look like old roses.

Spanish Bluebells (Scilla hispanica)

And check out the buds on this Tree Peony ("Kamatanishiki") that I just planted last spring. I can't wait to see it bloom.

Carol at May Dreams Gardens invites bloggers to share their blooms on the 15th of each month. Hop on over to her blog to see what is blooming in other gardens.

Chinese snowball

2009-04-13T08:54:00.004-05:00

Speaking of viburnums, here is another popular variety that is truly a traffic stopper. Chinese Snowball (Viburnum macrocephalum) features the big pom-pom type blooms that start out pale green and mature to sparkling snow white. It is a fast grower and will attain great heights in only a few years. This shrub is about twelve years old and towers about 12 feet. I've started pruning it since most of the blooms are appearing near the top but I've yet to find clear instructions on how best to do this. I plan to reduce some of the older limbs this year after the blooms fade.

Apparently this was once hard to locate in nurseries. I've received countless e-mails inquiring where to buy it but those are dwindling now so perhaps they are now easier to find.

Shasta Viburnum

2009-04-10T23:03:00.005-05:00

One of my favorite blooming shrubs in spring is the Shasta Virburnum (aka Doublefile Virburnum) (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum). I'll never forget the first time I saw one. We drove to Wilkerson Mill Gardens, a nursery near Atlanta, to buy hydrangeas and there was one blooming in a field in the distance. It was magnificent and of course I had to have one.

It doesn't have the space it needs in our garden to attain the beauty of the one I saw at the nursery but it always blooms nicely. It was getting so large that it was reaching up into the limbs of the trees growing near it. I reluctantly decided to prune it last year and I'm afraid that I probably ruined the tiered effect that it normally has. It is still a very striking shrub. Beautiful berries appear later in the summer and are quickly devoured by the birds.

This particular viburnum was developed by Dr. Donald Egolf in the 1960s at the U.S. National Arboretum. He crossed an unnamed seedling with 'Mariesii', a popular variety still often found in nurseries, and it was finally released in 1979.

First rose of the year

2009-04-08T17:13:00.003-05:00

This year, that honor goes to 'Madame Alfred Carriere', a sumptuous peachy pink noisette. This is a rose that I just can't live without. Our first major project in the garden was our pergola and this rose graced it beautifully. About five years ago, a terrible thing happened - rose rosette disease. Thankfully, we lost only a few roses but it was sad to see this monstrous beauty succumb.

The new one is planted over a smaller structure that covers the stairs leading to the basement. It can be seen outside the bedroom and bathroom windows. I expect her to really take off this year and start providing a blanket of blooms.