Monthly Archives: May 2012

Aquilegia ‘Biedermeier’

As you can see from the flower in the background, this particular flower has faded a bit from the bright blue-purple it was. I still think it’s a wonderful shape and pattern, though.

I went for a short walk in the neighborhood when I got home today. I walked around two blocks and stopped to take pictures a few times, mostly of flowers and in all cases of colors. Here’s a selection. The irises were all in Mark and Kathy’s yard. Mark invited me to the back when I told him what I was looking for. The clematis were growing on mail box and lamp post, respectively. I also took some of rhododendron flowers but I wasn’t happy with them so I left them out, although that would have added a bright red to the collection.

Zéphirine Drouhin and Clematis

It’s a bit early for roses to be blooming but it’s been that sort of a spring. I have a couple roses that have flowers up against the house. One rose, ‘Roseraie De l’Hay’ is about to start blooming. Ralph, on the other hand has quite a few already out in his back yard.

Back about ten years ago (I don’t remember precisely) he asked me what roses he should plant and I gave him a list of six or seven to choose from. Instead of choosing, though, he planted them all. They are mostly doing very well and a couple are quite huge. This one is ‘Zéphirine Drouhin’ and it’s a very nice Bourbon rose bred by Bizot in France in 1868. If you are looking for a good, reliable rose with an amazing, damask fragrance, this may be the rose for you. It does suffer pretty badly from blackspot and will be mostly leafless by the end of the summer but it grows so vigorously that it doesn’t seem to do any lasting harm.

The roses are the cerise-pink flowers whilte the white flowers are clematis, which is a very good companion to roses.

Champneys’ Pink Cluster

Roses are about to appear in force. The rugosa in the back yard is blooming but I haven’t gotten a good picture of it yet. This is ‘Champneys’ Pink Cluster’, a Noisette bred by Champneys (U.S.A.) in 1811. It is growing on the south end of our house and is a very upright plant. I have it tied to the trellis that Keven helped me put up two years ago. It’s the smaller of the two roses there. The other completely covers the 10 by 12 foot trellis and hangs off of both sides. That’s starting to bloom, as well and I’ll try to get a good picture of that soon.

Dutch Iris ‘Eye of the Tiger’

A few years ago I planted a few of these Dutch irises called ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ in the front of our house, along the sidewalk. Dutch irises are actually hybrids of the Spanish iris (Iris xiphium) and the Morocco iris (Iris tingitana) but are often called Iris x hollandica. I think they’re awesome.

For a long time we’ve gone to Thanksgiving Farms on Mother’s Day so that Cathy could buy plants for the yard and for containers on the patio. We didn’t go last year, although I don’t remember why. Dorothy was away for the weekend and we didn’t have any plans so we decided to make the trek. It’s about 40 miles but it’s such a nice place and they have things we don’t see anywhere else. I brought my camera and took quite a few pictures but I especially noticed these three flowers, since they are all geum. They are so different from each other but each is pretty in its own way.

Kousa Dogwood

The Cornus kousa (Japanese dogwood) is in bloom and I love these trees. Personally I think they are nicer in almost every way to the native C. florida (the flowering dogwood). There aren’t as many good pink varieties, of course, but it’s a handsomer tree with interesting bark and less bothered by anthracnose. The fruit is interesting, as well, although I guess if it were dropping on my patio I would prefer the smaller fruit of the native. Kousa also blooms much later, obviously, which I suppose is a downside, since there is so much else blooming right now. This is one of a bunch growing around my office building.

Sisyrinchium angustifolium (Blue-eyed Grass)

I went out into the back yard after work today and took some pictures of the tiny blue-eyed grass flowers. They are in abundance right now but the individual flowers don’t stay open for long, opening and closing each morning and evening. I got this one before it shut for the night. We only planted a few of these but they have come up in other places around the yard. I wouldn’t describe them as aggressive but we will need to start pulling them up before too long so we aren’t overrun. If any of our friends would like one, let us know and we might dig one up for you.

Securigera varia (Crown Vetch)

I was waiting to be picked up from work today and went out into the drizzle to take a few pictures. There is crown vetch growing here and there in the wild places near my office building and I took this of the leaves with water beaded up on it. It’s name comes from the flower clusters which (when not weighted down with rain) are neat, little crowns. The fact that it’s so common has a lot to do with it being planted for erosion control along highways.

Asclepias curassavica (Mexican Butterfly Weed)

I really like Asclepias (butterfly weed) species and we bought a little more this spring to go with what we already have. It’s still in its pot, sitting on our driveway, which seems to always have plants waiting to be planted.

Update: I labeled this Asclepias tuberosa without really thinking. We have a few of that plant growing and I just assumed this was more of the same. It isn’t. This is Asclepias curassavica instead. It’s still a butterfly weed but now, more specifically Mexican Butterfly Weed. I have changed the title and the photo caption.

Rose ‘Playboy”

Every year I look forward to visiting Nick’s garden when he opens it to the public. It’s very interesting how different it is from year to year. Last spring the roses were early. This year they were earlier still. Many rose bushes had completely finished blooming. Of course, there are some that typically bloom later and it was a rare treat to see those in bloom this time. There were enough still fresh that I was able to get a few good pictures. This one is a floribunda called ‘Playboy’ Bred by Alec Cocker (Scotland, 1976). Alas, I was only able to stay for a little while, but I was happy to have that. Thank you Nick and Roseanne!

Lilies

As everything else this spring, the lilies are ahead of their normal schedule. Our first two flowers are officially open in May. While I can’t say I’ve kept careful records over the years, I’m pretty sure that’s unusual. These are relatively short plants growing in a container on our back patio. Cathy picked off little bulbils from some my dad planted in his yard and these grew from that. Bulbils are little bulblets that grow in the leaf axils of some lilies.