Planting Fields Arboretum

Today I read that a gardening friend was at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. I realized that I've only been there once, many many years ago for a symposium in the middle of the winter. I didn't walk one path in their gardens as it was miserable weather. I wonder why I've never been back.

My favorite public garden by far is Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay. I have been there hundreds of times over the past 30 years and still find new things to see. 

The amount of spring flowering trees and shrubs is just incredible. I spend hours walking the many pathways and always find lots of things to photograph.

These photos were taken May 10th so if you are planning a trip and want to see Planting Fields in all it's glory, that is the time to go. It's a huge Mother's Day location but I always try to find a day during the week so it's not as crowded.

The plant in the foreground is Bergenia. I have seen huge waves of Bergenia thriving in Germany but have not yet seen a place on Long Island where it grows well.

The fountain garden at planting fields is more of a summer location. The plant material is not at it's best in the spring time, all the more reason to go back again!

The last time I was at Planting Fields I noticed a plant that had previously escaped my attention. It's the one with the chartreuse blooms, some type of Euphorbia. 

Here you can see how wonderful this Euphorbia looks combined with the pink Azalea blooms. What really caught my attention though is that this is a shady location and this Euphorbia seems to thrive. Here at Doodle-dog farm we have mostly shade so I am going to have to try to find this plant.

Not the clearest shot but I wanted to take a close-up to share with you. If you know of this plant I'd love for you to leave me a comment.

It might be February 18th, but it feels like spring is right around the corner!

The Ruthless Gardener

Warning! There will be no pretty gardening photos in the post….so be forewarned!

I was considering titling this "The Good, The Bad & The Ugly" But there's only bad and ugly here. One of the lessons I'm learning quickly is that when you have a small garden every inch counts. Gone are the days I could plan sweeping beds and try a multitude of plants. I'm not complaining, we live a wonderful life and I put in a full week at work but I've still got lots to learn about cottage gardening!

In the past I could afford to let plants take a few years to settle in or maybe I'd move them to another location. Here in our darling cottage garden I'm becoming much more ruthless. A few spindly daffodil leaves and some blind tulips? (Tulips that don't bloom are called "blind") You're outta here!

This is Lamiastrum "Hermann's Pride" planted just last year in lovely soil. 

Shame shame Hermann, no pride here.

See that little spec in the middle? It's Hermann's Pride again. The Hosta are loving the location. So I've got to fault Hermann. Too bad because it's such a lovely plant when it's happy.

Seeing these bare spots I know I lost something here too, I added some Labrador violets in hopes they spread to fill in the holes.

Anemone tomentosa "Robustissima" not looking too robust to me. In the past I've had Anemone's go wild, will have to look for a different cultivar as I love their fall blooms.

Phlox is blooming all over my neighborhood, huge billowing massive drifts of phlox. Here in my garden it's half the size it was when I bought it last year. No bueno, move over baby there's a Heuchera waiting for that spot.

Here you can see the hardy Geranium cantabrigense "Karmina" and golden Oregano. Both are growing like gang busters but right in the middle was pretty Dianthus planted there last spring. With the cost of perennials today I won't bother to replace it, in a few weeks the surrounding plants will fill this spot which gets plenty of sun and water.

Today was cold and rainy, a challenging day for gardening but I managed to visit and photograph two of my favorite places here on Long Island. I'll post the photos on my other blog www.melaniesperennials.blogspot.com

Next post will be a pretty one, I promise.

Melanie

Spring sprang a leak

This opening shot is not quite as sharp as I hoped but it still gets my message across. Yes, spring has arrived here at Old Country Gardens. The rains have also arrived (or maybe they just never left?) and it will be some time yet before the soil is dry enough to walk upon.

Between work, travel and weather I missed most of the earliest blooms. Galianthus (snow drops), Crocus and Hamamelis (Witch Hazel) have all finished up their show. No worries though, there's so much more to come!

The Hellebores have really been gearing up to what appears to be a banner bloom season. As you can see here, to appreciate their lovely face you need to turn the blooms upward. One way to get around this is to plant them on an embankment or in a raised garden.

Today I photographed a number of Hellebore blooms and will post specifically about them on my other blog Melanie's Perennials.

While there is growth everywhere I turn, I wouldn't say that most of it is photo worthy yet. Lush and delicious looking are the glaucous stalks on the Egyptian Onions. I'm still searching for a recipe that will utilize these yummy babies.

The Pieris japonicas (Japanese Andromedas) are also starting to bloom. They have the most heavenly scent but I think a bit more heat is required before I will be able to smell them.

Try planting one near a window in your house so on warm spring days you can open the window and let in the perfumed air.

As the title of this post says, spring sprang a leak. Not detered by all the water though is this darling little rosette of Sedum poking out of an old watering can. I'm just tickled pink when I find things like this.

With warmer temperatures and a few dry days on the way, I hope to get out and snap a few more photos on Friday or Easter Sunday.

Stay tuned, I won't be far away...
Melanie

'All Gold'

This morning was overcast, damp and cool. Perfect weather for a garden walk-about. This one little bed in my garden is on the side of my pool and is often neglected. There shouldn't be any daylilies in this garden. The way the surrounding trees shade this bed, the daylily flowers face the sun at an angle that's almost impossible for the viewer to see. On the other hand, other perennials shine here.

In some earlier posts I've raved on about Hakonachloa 'All Gold'. Well, it's still got me raving, especially when you are in this part of the garden.

The first combination that caught my eye was this nice contrast between the Alchemilla mollis (Ladies mantle) and Sedum 'Purple Emperor'. This is the only Sedum I've never made more of, it never really thrilled me and has taken a few years to clump up. Now though I think I'm going to cut off two or three stems.

Here you can see why I'm so crazy about 'All Gold'. It is just such a fantastic combination plant. This photo shows it with Nepeta mussinii and a self sown Astrantia seedling on the left.

Just a foot away is the most beautiful blue Columbine but I almost missed it as you can see that a Salvia verticilata seedling has almost engulfed it.

Geranium cantabrigiense 'Cambridge' is just stunning as it spills over the wall. Last year somebody dug a big hole in this area and I was so afraid this lovely plant would suffer but it's come back like crazy.

Ah ha! Here you can see that this 'All gold' needs some better companions. Daylily foliage and a rock? Nope, I've got to do something here.

Ahhh, much better. How do you like this pairing of 'All Gold' with Geranium sanguinium? I love it!

Another hardy geranium. This one is Geranium 'Claridge Druce'. Ok, now who was walking through here and crunched all this foliage?

"Woof - not me! What makes you think I was in the garden?"

Calie got her summer cut this week, my family is so mad at me for doing this but her coat was so long and she would get matted every time she ran under the sprinkler. Oh well, it will grow back again.

Sunday Bloomers

Yesterday we spend every possible moment outside working on the yard. Don spent hours pulling out all the weeds that had grown in the cracks of the pool deck here. I played with my Sedums and Sempervivums removing all the empty or sickly pots.

The furniture is set to go and we can now eat outside as a family. I think the pool will wait another week or two depending upon the weather.

Alliums abound in the garden. I am very thankful for them because it seems there is a lack of flowering material right now. While the garden is green and lush, it has paused between early spring bloom and the deluge of perennial peak season.

As the Geranium's begin to put on their show I will be out there documenting as many as possible. This is a new comer, Geranium 'Philippe Vapelle'.

Two of these stunning yellow/white azaleas have sat here in pots for 2 years now. I just can't decide to place them and really have to make a decision this year.

More Alliums, this time white. I don't save their names but this one isn't 'Ivory Queen' which is somewhere out back.

My neighbor had a plant start growing along the fence line and she left it. It has turned out to be Elaeagnus angustifolius (Russian Olive). While I wish she would trim it back so it was a bit more shapely, the scent is just heavenly!

Look what's growing out of the crack in one of my walls. How cool is this!

The Iberis (Candy tuft) is still blooming although it's lost it's compact shape and is moving into leggy territory. Then again maybe it's gotten like this because it has become Calie the Wonder-doodle's favorite hunting ground? Just after I snapped this photo a little chipmunk came racing out of the foliage near Calie's head and she didn't even realize it. Silly dog.

The Nepeta mussini is blooming away like a blue wave. I adore this plant.

Finally, another peek at one of the purple leaved Geraniums in the back shade bed. I believe this one is Geranium maculatum 'Espresso' as the leaves on 'Victor Reiter Jr.' are more finely cut.

Off to move more compost. The pile still looks the same but the garden is starting to look better.

Foliage is the Key

It took me many years to learn just how important foliage is in the garden. People who have to listen to me now hear me say over and over again how important it is to select plants with good foliage.

Walking around with my camera yesterday morning I came across a number of areas where the foliage has made all the difference, changing what would have been a drab spot to a true highlight in the garden.

Above you can see the fiery red of the emerging leaves on the Pieris japonica combined with the dainty leaves from the Galanthus odoratus (sweet woodruff) and the broad leaves from the Convallaria (Lily of the Valley).

A number of years ago I was struck by the lovely combination of Achemilla mollis (Ladies Mantle) and Nepeta mussinii (Cat mint) at Old Westbury garden. Since I had both plants here in abundance, I put them together in this spot. The addition of the all gold Hakonechloa was perfect and I've been hunting for more gold Hakone grass.


Here's another clump of Hakonechloa 'All Gold'. As you can see, it's a nice sized clump but I'm just not ready to cut into it for divisions. Unfortunately the two places we visited yesterday sold this plant at a price I was not willing to pay. One place had one gallon pots for $18.99. The second place had one gallon pots for $14.99 but they were less healthy looking than the more expensive pots.

I did end up spending $14.99 for a pot of Hakone Grass but it was another variety that I didn't yet have in the garden and I hope to get a photo of it today.
One of my recently purchased hardy Geraniums has started to bloom. I believe this is Geranium renardii 'Philippe Vapelle'. I think it will look lovely as it fills in this spot.

Pulmonaria 'Opal' is blooming away behind this lovely Hosta. Unfortunately most of my hosta tags were either blown away by a vigorous leaf blowing a few years ago or chewed up by Calie-the-wonder-dog.

The same goes for this dark leafed Geranium. I have at least three different Geraniums with purple leaves in this part of the garden but no name tags to tell you what the cultivar name is. I don't find them super vigorous but they add a soft beauty to the garden.

I can't wait to get the compost to these beds, weed those pesky little weeds popping up all over and spread some mulch.

That Alchemilla mollis (Ladies mantle) is just invaluable in plant combinations. Here you can see it paired with Hosta 'Whiskey Sour' and a lovely red Primula that has been spreading nicely in this spot. Today we're getting a very soft rain so I hope to take this shot again with all the water beaded on the ladies mantle.

Yes, it's Geranium season and here's another new comer. Geranium 'Orion' is going to be a nice asset here and I hope it will slowly weave together with the Sedum 'Frosty Morn' on the other side of the Allium foliage. I might have to move those Alliums after they bloom.


One last shot here of my Hamamelis 'Arnold's Promise' with some lovely gold Spirea foliage at the base. I'm not sold yet on the Spireas, they look great now but I have to see what they look like later in the season.

Off to make mud pies in the rain. I'm going to be spreading more compost and planting some of yesterday's purchases. Will try to get photos of everything too!

Melanie

The Shakespeare Garden

Yesterday my daughter Emily and I took the train into New York City where we met my Mom. Most of my life has been spent in the suburb of this amazing city or in the city itself. I've been to Central Park dozens of times but had never seen this area. There are still many parts of this beautiful park that I have not yet explored.

Here's a shot of Mom and Emily overlooking one of the many charming bridges that one always sees in movies filmed in Central Park.

The first thing that struck me was the peaceful calm that comes over you as you enter this magical place. At one moment you are standing on the streets of New York City, a protest group marching past you, police lights flashing, road barriers and then flash, with a few steps you are in a whole new world.

There were no sounds in the park other than the laughter of children and lots and lots of sneezing. We kept laughing, as we ourselves were sneezing, it's definitely pollen season here.

Look at these beautiful rustic fences and the espaliered trees. Do you see throngs of humanity? We didn't. In fact, we were amazed at how uncrowded we felt. We've been to Old Westbury Gardens and Planting Fields Arboretum on Mother's Day and one could hardly take a photo of a flower without getting somebody's leg or pocketbook in the picture.

The whole visit was so soothing. There were signs posted around that this is a "quiet zone" which means no audible music and no loud cell phones. Look at all this luscious greenery.

I wish I had taken a better photo of this area, it just had me in total awe. There was a sea of Camassia bulbs, Ferns and Hosta. Kim, I know you are reading this and when I was standing there I wished you were with me. This was in a spot that had quite a bit of sunlight and I'd be surprised if there were many underground sprinklers if any at all.

Kim and I both are crazy about these plants but I never would have thought of combining them. As soon as my Camassia blubs are finished I'm going to pair them with ferns and hosta too.

There were drifts of Galium odoratum (sweet woodruff) all over and interspersed in it was this charming white bulb. Any idea of what is is? I must have some!

Here you can see the Hosta just unfurling their huge Elephant like ears and the wave upon wave of Polygonatum (soloman's seal).

The red tulips were about finished, our heavy rains on Friday probably helped them along but in another week or two the many types of hardy Geraniums will take over with a whole new bloom season.

As we left the park on the East side we had to stop and admire the blooms on this tree. I'm pretty sure it's a red bud but then again, maybe not?

Hope you liked the tour, I know I can't wait to get there again some day.