The Choices We Make

I have often wondered why I have chosen the color orange for several of my daylilies, but today as I was taking some photos, I realized the orange tones retain their color.  My darker colored daylilies tend to fade very quickly in the heat and sun, their mushies are anything but attractive.  I have many yellow and light colors such as pink tones and cream, all retaining their colors.

Mauna Loa Daylily

Orange is not one of my favorite colors in the garden but it looks spectacular with the blues, purples and pinks.  As I have said before my color palette has changed over the years to include just about everything.

Eileen Clymer Daylily (foreground)

Blue Paradise Phlox with Conca d'Or Orienpet Lily

 

 

This is Blue Paradise Phlox in the afternoon with Conca d'Or Orienpet Lily

 

It is still like magic to me how the color changes during the day, the scent is lovely and wonderful all season if deadheaded.

 

Lady Lucille Daylily

Blooms with and after Mauna Loa

 

Barbara Mitchell Daylily

This is a stunning daylily and I must move it to a place of more prominence for next year.

 

Chicago Rosy Daylily

 

Dark Ruby Daylily

I have moved this several times, looks a lot darker in the garden.

 

Ice Carnival Daylily

I have these at the end of my vegetable garden.  They are unusual in that their spent blooms look pretty good and are not like the mushies.

 

Lullaby Baby Daylily

This was a freebie a few years ago with a daylily order.

 

Don Stephens Daylily

Another freebie

 

Red Rum Daylily

This is a shorter daylily and great for the front of the border.

 

Chicago Apache Daylily

 

Chicago Apache is in the hot south side raised bed with Loraine Sunshine, and other sustainable plants.  The choices were difficult with many years of experimentation to see which plants can take the heat.

 

Mystery Phlox

I received this in a pot with another phlox, still going strong and the original no longer with us.

 

My choices in phlox have not always worked out, loved Laura but could not keep it after several tries.

 

 

Bubblegum Phlox

 

Bubblegum is a beautiful phlox but does not respond to deadheading like Blue Paradise.

 

 

Back South Border

 

Platycodon

 

The Orienpet Lilies blooms at different times, these being my last to bloom by the back gate.  They are very tall, at least eight feet and some of the blooms point downward.

 

Orienpet Lily Friso

 

Orienpet Lily Anastasia

 

Orienpet so tall it cannot stand even with support, very pretty but was part of a group and not named.

 

Kim's Knee High Pink Coneflower

 

Kim's Knee High Red Coneflower

 

I tried to order more of the pink but it was sold out a couple of years ago so I went with the red, not a big difference.  I like both!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Show!

Can you just hear Ethel Merman singing, another opening, another show?  Well, this is showtime in the garden world.  I still have a few days before the cymbals bang but I thought it would be wise to show what I have - another big storm predicted.

Altari Orienpet Lily

I have mostly Orienpets because of their drama.  Most of them stand without support, but I have a few that are about eight feet tall so I use holders - invisible in the foliage.

 

Conca d'Or Orienpet Lily

This one is just beginning to open, pale yellow

 

Satisfaction Orienpet Lily

I almost gave this one up, first to bloom, fades in the sun, so I moved it to a little shadier place in the front garden.

 

Lavon Orienpet Lily

My favorite, warm colors and heavenly scent!

 

Orienpet Lily (unknown variety)
This could be Montego Bay but was not labeled in a grouping.

This one does require support, the lilies are not all at the top.

 

 

 

As you can see, it's all about how lilies look in the border if you are going to use them in formal plantings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The nice thing about lilies is that you can cut them back about a foot when finished blooming so the stalks can cure and not show up in the surrounding foliage.

 

Blue Paradise Phlox

Introduced by Piet Oudolf, blue in the morning, scented, first to bloom for me, but does require support.  This is also my best repeat bloomer after deadheading.

 

Blue Paradise Phlox

It is the only phlox that I know of that turns a different color later in the day!

 

Geranium Blue Sunshine

Not as robust as Rozanne but lighter green leaves and lighter blue flowers.

 

Geranium Rozanne

Strong grower, benefits from an obelisk and some pruning to keep it in control.  This one blooms until frost.

 

Entrapment Daylily With Rozanne Geranium

 

Space Age Daylily

Blooms at different heights, very large bloom

 

 

 

 

Winter At Gatsbys Gardens

I don't normally take many photos of my winter garden unless it is covered in snow.  However, this year, we have not had any snow except for a dusting.

I love the look of a four-season garden without the snow and the many variations of color and texture.

There is a great deal of color with the greens, browns, tans and reds in the front border.

Azalea Karen has darker leaves in the winter but they add a richness to the border.
 

Amsonia Hubrechtii Northwind Select

 

The Chanticleer Pear is just beginning to lose its rich brown leaves.

 

The Liriope beneath the pear tree stays green most of the winter and it looks lovely when there hasn't been any snow.

 

Hydrangea Limelight is a star in the winter landscape.  I left most of the blooms on this year because it was so full in the summer.

 

Many heuchera keep their color in the winter such as this one, Southern Comfort.

 

Pennisetum Hameln is a great border grass for winter interest, does not flop or mat.

 

The Type II Clematis Henryi might just survive this winter, I mean survive the rabbits who cut it to the ground when there is more than a few inches of snow, very small flowers if cut down.

 

I left up the Miscanthus Udine again this year because it looks so good especially if there is not a heavy snow.  This is not a grass that pops back up like Northwind after the snow melts.

 

The border of Green Velvet Boxwood along the patio always brightens up the garden!