Around The Garden In June

I am having a difficult time actually believing it is June!  There is life in this once frozen garden and I am surprised at how resilient some plants are and disappointed at the demise of others.

Fireworks and Bee's Jubilee (Type II)

 

Fireworks

 

General Sikorski

 

Rouge Cardinal (Type III)

 

The Type II's are the early bloomers unless they get eaten to the ground by the rabbits as most of mine did (not the one's on the pergola).  They also have the very large blooms which I will miss this year as the blooms will be much smaller as they regrow and bloom.

 

 



Geranium Dragon Heart

 

This is my new geranium, supposedly going to surpass Rozanne!  We will see, not available in any of my local nurseries, ordered from Garden Crossings in Michigan.

 



Geranium Karmina

 

I can't seem to get this one going, brought from my last home, and it has never been in full bloom.

 

Geranium Lancastrierse Striatum

 

This geranium will rebloom all summer if deadheaded.  Home Depot had it this year!

 



Geranium Magnificum

 

This is a short blooming geranium but well worth growing.  I lost two this winter but the one remaining is blooming it's head off!  I will cut it down to grow new leaves that turn red in the fall.

 



Geranium Max Frei

 

This is another worthwhile geranium, a lower edger, but does not flower for an extended period.  I almost pulled it a couple of years ago until I followed the suggestion to interplant for when the geranium was finished blooming.  I have put in Sunpatiens this year that grow very large and spread horizontally.

 

Rainbow Knockout

 

Rainbow is the earliest bloomer of the Knockouts and they all lived through the winter, lost five other Knockouts including two of the double red.

 

Iris Caesar's Brother

 

I thought I gave all of this to my daughter-in-law last year but obviously I forgot some.  They are in a great place towards the back of the garden so I will leave them.

 



Ninebark Summer Wine

 

This shrub came back strong maybe not quite as many blooms but looks healthy.

 

Tor Spirea

 

Very few blooms this year but lots of leaf growth.

 

Love the shrubs along this walkway!

 

Weigela Wine And Roses

 

This is a great new introduction, trimmed off winter dieback and it still bloomed like crazy!

 

Hosta Buttercup

 

Hosta June

 

Hosta Golden Tiara

 

The above are smaller hostas in the garden, not miniature, but smaller than the three foot wide varieties.

 

Hosta Paul's Glory

 

Hosta Patriot With Paul's Glory

 

Hosta Frances Williams (large)

 

Interrupted Fern

 

Amsonia Blue Ice

 

Amsonia Northwind Select

This is the third year for this variety and I will trim it down again.  The threadleaf Amsonias need to be pruned down after blooming in order to fill out for a glorious fall display.

 

 

 

 

 







The Awakening

After a long bitter cold winter, it is difficult to believe that anything could arise from the frozen ground.  The freeze line went down four feet in our area this year so our back lawn is certainly a testament to this with only small tufts of grass displaying life.

We have over seeded and put down some topsoil but I see the birds out there every day, probably eating the seed!

Thalia Dafffodils, Orange and Sweetheart Emperor Tulips

 

Orange Princess Tulips

 

Flair Tulip

 

Sensual Touch Tulip

 

 

I guess you can see I like orange, especially with the colors of the spring daffodils.

 

Itzim Daffodil

 

Mount Hood Daffodil

This is an older variety but very much sought after for its pure white color.

 

White On White

Magnolia Starlight with a background of Chanticleer Pear

 

 

Amelanchier Regent

White is really a color in the garden!

 

Fothergilla Gardenii

This is a wonderful shrub with fantastic fall color.

 

Brunnera Angel Wings

 

Brunnera Jack Frost

The leaves become much larger as the season progresses.

 

Iris Gerald Darby

Known not for its bloom but for the wonderful foliage both in the spring and fall.

 

Red Rider Hellebore

This is on the north side of my home and blooms very late.  I will move my yellow one to this area as it does not bloom to the right of this one against the foundation.

 

Pachysandra Green Sheen

This is the most bloom it has every had, go figure after such a cold winter!

 

Dicentra Valentine Heart

 

Dicentra Spectablis and Dicentra Golden Heart In Foreground

 

Dicentra Alba

Worth having in the garden but not as many blooms as the pink variety.

 

Dicentra Eximia

This variety blooms throughout three seasons if you deadhead.

 

Raspberry Splash Pulmonaria

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 





Bulbs In The Spring Border

We all love to see the first bulbs of the spring and they are so effective in mass that they can take your breath away.  However, we all dislike the foliage they leave until mid summer!

 

 

It takes a plan to enjoy the bulbs and cover up the foliage until it has cured and stored enough energy in the bulb for next year's display.

 

Sweetheart Tulip is just beginning to open and it will leave large ugly foliage for months, but notice in the foreground the daylilies coming up that will completely cover the tulip leaves.

 

Daffodil Early Sensation

This is one of the earliest daffodils so the foliage dies down before all of the others.

 

Daffodil Fortissimo

Another early one, that is the secret, pick early bloomers for earlier die down of foliage.

 

 

 

Daffodil Mareike grows up between the stems of Itea which when leafed out covers the daffodil foliage. 

Daffodil Itzim grows up between the Starlight Hydrangeas which when leafed out will cover most of the daffodil foliage.  These hydrangeas will have to be cut to the ground this year because of our extreme cold weather.

Daffodil Sagetta with City of Haarlem Hyacinth, foliage covered by the grasses Pennisetum Hameln.

Daffodil Spellbinder and Mount Hood

 

There are grasses, daylilies, allium, phlox and lilies coming up throughout the front borders all hiding the foliage of spring bulbs.