Containers In The Back Garden

I resisted buying pre-made containers this year because they are so overgrown even at the beginning of the season.  I gave in on two Proven Winners designs from Home Depot because they had everything I wanted as far as plants and color and they were not on steroids.  I am still happy with these two choices.

This one I repotted into a nicer looking basket, a little tricky getting the whole basket out in one piece.

Obviously, when doing your own containers, the plants are smaller and you do not get that filled out look instantly.

Caladiums and Torenia

Magenta Supertunias and Bocapa


Moses In The Cradle with verbena, zinnias, Diamond Frost Euphorbia

A single New Guinea Impatiens will eventually fill up this planter.

The Rex Begonia on the patio has many pink flowers budding.

A copper Reggie dog with purple oxalis

I used a pink, yellow, purple, blue and bronze tones in the back containers.

Intensia Bueberry Hill and Tidal Wave Petunia (It will trail and also climb)

The hayracks on the shed look great this year.  I stayed with plants that I know will take the heat.

Hayracks on north side fence, very simple Bubblegum, Bordeaux and Tidal Wave Petunias

Emerald Isle Sweet Potato Vine, many times passed up because it doesn't look great when in the small pot at the nursery but it is beautiful when it fills out.  Use either with other plantings or as a spiller.

I have also been experimenting with a new soil by Miracle Gro that expands, feeds and retains water.  It is expensive (but you do get three times as much when water is added) so far I am thrilled with its water holding capicity in the hayracks, containers and baskets

I do not have it in all of my containers but enough of them that it has made my life much easier and more beautiful plantings.  I did find it at Home Depot, but they had it hidden away like they were afraid to market it because of the price.  It looks like a small bag for $15 plus dollars but when it expands it is a lot for the money.

Oh What A Night!

Early Thursday morning I was awakened by a loud whooshing sound.  I thought it was the air conditioning as we had just had another day in the high nineties, but then I noticed the clock flashing.  The generator we had put in last fall had kicked in, we were in the midst of a power outage.  The area I live in has numerous outages, supposedly because of all of the big trees, out for three days last summer.  We have not had an outage since we put the generator in last fall so I was glad to see that it actually worked!  Along with the power we also lost cable and the Internet. 

At three in the morning I was up checking the sump pump and I decided to make myself a cup of coffee in the middle of this horrendous storm.  The rain came down in torrential sheets, my garden is so sad looking but I had just taken some photos of how it used to look.

Allium Schubertti

This allium blooms later and the spheres are sixteen inches in diameter.  I will be saving them when dried to spray for the holidays.

Eileen Clymer is the earliest daylily I have ever had!  It is blooming at least two weeks before Happy Returns.  Eileen Clymer is the hybridizer's mother-in-law who he asked to pick her favorite out of other daylilies, and this is the one she chose.  I have to say I agree with her choice, just stunning 6" wide.

Clematis Fireworks is a type II and needs to be lightly trimmed in the spring or cut down after blooming to rejuvenate.

I think this one is General Sikorski as it does not grow very tall but then again I think it is eaten down by the rabbits each year.

This is Bourbon a smaller clematis, growing ony four to six feet (Type II - prune after flowering or lightly in spring), love the color on the obelisk.

I am having a major war with rose midges, something I never heard of until last year.  My roses look great but the bud gets eaten before they can develop.  I am out to find that Bayer product that can get rid of this awful insect!

Pow Wow Echinacea has been trialed by the University of Illinois and given very high marks for being an echinacea that can be started from seed and bloom the first year.  I bought mine already potted because I did not order any of these seeds this year - just couldn't wait!

Blackbird Euphorbia I am growing as an annual for its great color.

Geranium Magnificum with a sport of Max Frei

I moved this last fall because it was not flowering - good move

Geranium Karmina

Caesar's Brother

I moved this also last fall because it had not flowered in many years.  Don't be hesitant to move plants if they are not performing.  I remind myself to listen to this.

Peony Krinkled White

North side of garden

I did not fertilize the Carex grass this year because it flopped heavily last summer from too much of a good thing.

I am growing four tomatoes this year two Celebrity plants (determinate), a Better Boy and a Supersteak, several peppers, mostly hot, some small eggplant and of course lettuce and onions.

Oops, forgot to mention I am growing Cucumber Fanfare on this lean to, works great in small garden.

Fanfare is a recommended cucumber by the U of I for disease resistance, bush variety, had to order the seeds online.  I am growing parsley in each corner Italian and Curly.

Herbs are doing great in their own container!

Home Run Rose

This is the one I ordered from California, larger but all are doing great so far!

Rose Fever

I don't know how this happened, it came on very slowly.  I put in a few Knockout Roses in the front garden and a few more in the back garden.  I figured I could handle these because they are supposed to be virtually carefree.

Red Double Knockout

Then, I saw a tall elegant rose up in town when I was shopping at the garden shop and I had to have that one also, Carefree Beauty.  I now have two of these.

Carefree Beauty

Many new Knockouts were introduced and I had to try all of them, Blush, Sunny, Pink, Doubles and Rainbow (my favorite) and All The Rage.  Throw in a few Pink Meidilands, winning floribunda and hybrid tea, Cinco de Mayo and Pink Promise.

Rainbow Knockout

Pink Knockout

All The Rage

Cinco de Mayo

Pink Promise

Pink Meidiland

Least I forget I had to have at least one rose (I have three) with fragrance so Mary Rose (David Austin) is the queen of the garden.

David Austin's Mary Rose

As I had previously mentioned I was invited to a luncheon in Chicago by Proven Winners Choice to meet the hybridizer of a new rose called Home Run, both pink and red.  I just had to try these so I ordered one pink and one red from a grower in California.

In the meantime, Spring Meadow Nursery who markets Proven Winners Choice asked if I would like to trial the Home Run Roses.  I said sure, what's one more rose!  Hence, I now have six little red Home Run roses and they are already blooming.

These are the first four I received, two more after this, small but healthy and all ready to bloom.

Home Run Rose

I have a small garden and there are roses peeking out everywhere, and as I said I'm not sure how this happened!

All of my roses are being fed Bayer Systemic 3 in 1 formula but I am not spraying the new Home Runs.  I have already had an infestation of rose midges and aphids on my other roses for which I have had to spray.  Home Run is supposedly disease and insect resistant with no deadheading, so far there is not an insect or disease in sight on these roses. 

*The Home Runs are placed in many different conditions, full sun, part sun, between many perennials, by themselves.  They are very little right now and are blooming with an eventual height of three to four feet.  Their flowers are stunning, bright red with a distinct yellow center.

*No remuneration from Proven Winners

Northwind

When up in Wisconsin over this past weekend, I paid a visit to one of my favorite nurseries, Northwind Perennial Farm in Burlington, Wisconsin.  I have visited many times over the past several years and they are always expanding their gardens so that now it is experienced as a small arboretum rather than just a nursery.

The beginning of a wonderful journey!

Horse Chestnut Tree
Fort McNair

Hyacinthoides

I will definitely be planting these next fall, blooming after the daffodils and tulips.

Amsonia

I am not sure which variety this one is, but they do not carry Hubertii (Plant of the Year).  Northwind has developed their own Amsonia introduction called "Amsonia Northwind Select," don't think it is available anywhere but there.  I purchased two of them, thin leaved like Hubertii and according to them superior!

This is the same nursery where Panicum Northwind was found on the property and we know that this grass is a winner. 

Roy Diblik is one of the owners and is well known in the Chicago area for being one of developers along with Piet Oudolf and others of the Lurie Gardens in Millennium Park

I am in the process of understanding the philosophy of Piet Oudolf who does not believe in a programmed looking garden design.  I am reading Designing With Plants over and over to digest the idea that it should be a design but not look like a design.  As I looked at Roy Diblik's plantings at Northwind I know he understands what Piet Oudolf is talking about!

Halcyon Blue in the foreground and we would love to know what is in the background?

Artifacts appear unexpectedly.

Geranium Karmina

Nepeta Walker's Low

Looks much better than mine!

 

Geum Prairie Smoke

I can see that Northwind has also incorporated the idea of having many pathways leading out from a main area like the fingers leading out from the palm of your hand as in Gordon Hayward's book Art And The Gardener.

I know, I got the idea that you can never have too many paths leading to interesting areas.

Paths leading to ponds

Benches and ponds

Benches on pathways

Art in the garden is a major feature at Northwind.



Donkeys in the garden

Goats in the garden

Cat in the garden on the lush perennial table

Lots of great choices, good prices - gallons $9.80, well tended

Great artwork for the garden!

Northwind is right outside Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, about ninety minutes from Chicago.  Check out their website for more photos of the farm.  http://www.northwindperennialfarm.com/