And On a Lighter Note

Given the tone of my previous post, I think it would be good to maybe show something more life affirming, with perhaps a few colorful flowers.  After all, this is supposed to be a garden blog, even though I do stray from time to time.  This past Wednesday I was able to tag along with some co-workers and visit two of my favorite local gardeners.  This couple has spent most of their adult life creating beautiful gardens for other people, and now retired for some years, they can spend time in their own garden.  They are both passionate plantspeople, but she is especially so about daylilies and probably has close to 500 cultivars, including many that are her own crosses. Daylilies were the reason for our visit, as my companions were shopping for what we will carry next year, leaving me to roam around.  The other half of this couple has one of the best eyes for garden design of anyone I know, and he is also an accomplished ceramic artist.  There are many examples of his art throughout the garden.

Shall we head in?

A species of Callirhoe and a golden form of Cedrus deadara

Clematis and Cob Webs

Erythrina bidwilli

I really like how the color of the fine foliage from the Japanese Maple echos the colors in the ceramic piece, but I am sure that was not accidental.

A variegated Kadsura Vine (Kadsura japonica) and unusual rock formations from China

Daylilies are incorporated throughout, but this is the largest grouping of them in the garden.

Other stars of the garden on Wednesday were all the Echinaceas.

Echinacea 'Hot Papaya'


This garden sits at the end of a small peninsula and is surrounded by the native landscape.  It would be a beautiful sight even without a garden, but it is amazing what a little passion can do.

You can see my full set of photos from this garden here.

Ramona and the Bee Eater

Last week I visited the garden of some friends and was mildly surprised to see their Ramona Clematis in full bloom and being very photogenic. As I neared to take a picture I noticed what I first thought was some sort of bizarre looking honeybee with fuzzy black legs. Closer inspection showed it was a bee being carried by a Daring Jumping Spider (Phidippus audax). This is a fairly common spider who hunts among lovely blossoms for its next meal. The Jumping Spider does not use a web to catch its prey, but is a stalk and ambush predator. They do produce silk, though it is used to for egg laying, to hid in and as a safety line when travelling from one place to another. I am not sure why, but it never occurred to me that a bee could be prey, but I guess a brave little spider has to do what it has to do. Such drama in the garden.

The Pinkham Garden, April 08

I had the opportunity to visit the garden of Bill and Linda Pinkham this week. The Pinkhams are the former owners and founders of the company I work for. Although I am not terribly well-traveled, I know of no other garden quite like theirs. Bill had been asking me to visit so I could see some things in their spring best that I may want to find for my customers. We only saw the sun this week for about 4 or 5 hours, and unfortunately it was not the day I visited, but at least the rain held off and I was able to take some shots.

This Azalea variety is Don's Variegated (Rhododendron austrinum 'Don's Variegated'), although I have found the variegation weak, the flower color is anything but.
Appalachian Red Redbud (Cercis canadensis 'Appalachian Red')
The colors on this Corydalis 'Berry Exciting' have not been electronically altered. Five Leaf Akebia (Akebia quinata)Here is Ueno Homare Japanese Maple (Acer palmatum 'Ueno Homare') with Columbine in front. The Maples were extraordinarily beautiful, so much so, that I will do a separate post later on.
I think the foliage on Epimediums is more attractive than the flowers.

Cedar Lane Honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens 'Cedar Lane') with variegated Box
Spotted Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum) with Ajuga
Sophora davidii Popcorn Doublefile Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum 'Popcorn')
The rest of the shots are just some broader pictures of the garden. You can see the garden is in its spring fullness, the woods away from the water are coming to life, but the marsh and the water's edge are still wearing their winter colors.

An Update and Some Photos

One of the reasons I began blogging was to channel some frustrations I was having due to a plant thief-vandal that had been plaguing my garden. You can visit my first post on the topic to get the big story that was written when the sense of injustice was still burning hot. Since that time the community police officer has been by her house twice, speaking first with her husband and then, finally with her. The problem seems to have abated, and I have made a point of spreading this story around the neighborhood, especially to gardeners. I still feel a need for some kind of closure-compensation-retribution, so I printed a quote from work on what it would cost to replace the Edgeworthia she destroyed. When I saw her outside walking, I ran into the house, grabbed the papers and confronted her on the sidewalk. I told her I had something for her and handed her the $105.00 quote. I told her the money was not the issue, and if she could find a single stemmed specimen that was about 4' tall, I could take that instead. I know she won't find a plant that nice locally - I don't know where she will find one. She told me all she took were a few twigs. I left her saying she had one week to get me the plant, or the money, or I would take it to the courts. I'll let you know what happens.

Now for some pictures.
The above Edgeworthia chrysantha was shot a couple of weeks ago while I was at Bill and Linda's and it was just coming into bloom. I would have photographed mine, but someone decided she needed it more than me. I am fairly certain the one I had came from a sucker or cutting of this one that I bought at work. Edgeworthia chrysantha is a less temperamental Daphne relative that can bloom anywhere from late January into March, depending on the weather. Its common name is Rice Paper Plant or Paper Bush, and indeed in its native China it is used to make paper. It can get about 6' tall and wide, and usually grows as a multi-stemmed shrub, but can be single stem as well. The flowers have a wonderful, strong fragrance that reminds me of a sweeter, softer version of narcissus. The foliage is slightly exotic looking, similar to Magnolia virginiana both in shape and color. The autumn foliage is of no consequence, but in late fall the buds form and are fuzzy, silver and hang upside down on the bare branches. As the flowers begin opening, the bloom cluster expands until it no longer hangs down, but faces up as well. It should be hardy in zones 7b to 9, maybe 10.

Below are some other things I saw while I was at Bill and Linda's. The first two are shots of Ranunculus ficaria 'Brazen Hussy'. The flowers are certainly attractive, particularly for mid-winter, but the foliage is glossy black.


Also blooming, but close to the end of its season, was a weeping, white Prunus mume that has a nice view of Batten Bay. I am sorry, I do not know the cultivar.
I would have sat on the bench and enjoyed the Witchhazel if it wasn't so wet. I am not sure, but think this is Arnold's Promise (Hamamelis x 'Arnold's Promise).
The last shot is a close up of the above Witchhazel, I particularly like the rain on it. After last summer I particularly like rain on anything - anytime.