At the risk of tempting fate, I’ll utter it out loud, “This hasn’t been much of a winter so far”! Despite a forecast to the contrary, we’ve been missed by the snow (again), as temps remain mild. So here are several pics snapped while taking our “Girls” out for a loop thru the garden.
Cornus florida ‘Red Pygmy’ along the North side of the garage.
Abies concolor, on the path towards the SW corner of the property.
Having already walked the length of the West fence line (nothing worthy photo-wise there), and turned the NW corner heading East as we exit the windbreak of Norway Spruce and White Pine planted there, with Gema leading the way.
Fagus sylvatica ‘Horizontalis’ at the NW area of the pond.
I snapped this pic just to see how much detail would come out (looking SE); pond behind and to the right.
Pinus contorta ‘Chief Joseph’ in front of the house.
Clematis verticillata in seed on the arbor.
A trio of some of my most favored conifers, Abies concolor ‘Blue Sapphire’, Abies concolor ‘Chief Joseph’ and Juniperus formosana, lower left, center, and upper left respectively.
The weatherman said we were in for 2.5-3” of rain, starting around noon today and running thru Monday evening. That gave me the needed window to get the last of the gravel I needed to move in order to finish-up the latest path conversion. I’d formed-up and poured the 2 transition steps between the gravel pathway where it merged to grass paths, and I needed additional gravel in order to raise up the gravel path and bring it even with the top of both transition steps.
While making trips back and forth to the gravel pile (out in the Nursery) and the newly converted path, I noticed things were coloring up and going past so I snapped a few pics with Andrea’s phone.
The native Cornus were the first to show some color. This year they were loaded with fruit, and the Robins made quick work of the bounty. The dwindling gravel pile is just visible out in the nursery in the upper right of this pic.
The Sugar Maples starting to color-up
Amur Maples as well
The return trip with a wheelbarrow of gravel.
Anemone japonica ‘Honorine Jobert’ still going strong. These are growing in the bed atop of the stone wall that’s pictured in the previous pic center-left.
A seedling coneflower growing out of golden-needled, low-growing Juniper, J. conferta ‘All Gold’.
Moving farther along toward the job site, the paw paw are yellowing-up.
Looking to the left from the previous shot, the Aconites are finally coming into bloom.
One of two dwarf witch-hazels ’Little Susie’ in full flower, though out of focus; my bad! The load of gravel dumped (still further on). I return for another load.
The falling mist brightens the wet foliage of these Heucheras. I added to this bed earlier this year.
Looking up from the coral bells is another view of the Paw Paws.
Some pass-along mum from who-know’s-where.
I swear this Bowman’s Root looked better than it does in this pic.
Always liked these Sedums, remind me of my mom who grew them in her beds.
A Dysosma from Chen Yi that runs far and wide. This form has the palest-pink blooms; Disporum flavum foliage in the background. The Rhody is ‘Ken Jannick’. I purchased it as it is touted as being more tolerant of alkaline conditions, and it is quite happy in my garden (unlike most Rhodies)!
After I’d hauled all the gravel I needed (for this year), I collected my tools and forms (that I removed from the transition steps), textured the top-side of the steps by hammering with the claw-end of a hammer and headed up to the house in the rain. No Pics of new steps as they were recovered with wet towels and then dry-leaves enveloped in a tarp (to keep the leaves dry). Covered the curing steps to protect from frosty night-time temps.
I’ve already got next year’s gravel project waiting for me.
Thankfully some thoughtful soul had paid to dispose of these pavers at the Township recycle center (where I worked). Next year I’ll have a paved area for this table & chairs, after I’ve hauled in the gravel to cover this area.
Allium thunbergerii in a trough. A very late flowering allium and only 8-9” tall.
I’m so glad I got outside early yesterday morning and got the last of the gravel hauled to finish up my last path project (for this year). I took the dogs for a loop around the garden while the rain has paused to find this.
I won’t be hauling anything thru here anytime soon.
Here’s a look at some of what’s in flower this week.
Colchicums are putting on a show throughout the garden.
Anemone japonicas make great fillers in our garden.
My favorite (right now) is A. j. ‘Pamina’.
Anemone japonica ‘Honorine Jobert’ (white flowers) can get a bit floppy.
This little cutie is A. j. ‘Red Ridinghood’, a most recent addition from Benedicts Nursery.
We’re getting some very good Aster’s (thanks to generous friends); I need to get more photographed.
Colchicums are a big hit here as well.
C. ‘Rose Queen’
Colchicum agrippinum (no longer in bloom), is my favorite.
Though I am drawn to the weird as well: C. ‘Harlekijn’ came from Brent & Beckys’ Bulbs.
Alright, I’ll stop with the Colchicums!
A late-blooming Allium, the seed of which came from the Botanical Garden of Pyung Yang.
A hibiscus from Tim Karl, I believe this is ‘Cranberry Crush’.
Tony had written an article on Sternbergia in last fall’s GLC Newsletter.
I divided a clump last year, so now I have to wait for these singles to clump up again.
‘Little Honey’ (oak-leafed hydrangea), seems to glow in the muted fall light.
Begonia grandis goes on for weeks!
Chrysanthemum weryrichii, a low-growing, running mum.
However, this is the last of the Ipomopsis rubra. I have it on good authority that I’ve been circulating seed of this plant under the incorrect name I. aggregata ssp. aggregata.
I think this fall-blooming crocus is the only one (of once hundreds), that the “chippies” have somehow missed.
And finally, after a season-long wait, the hanging baskets of Tricyrtis macronthopsis are in bloom, though showing their trials in a very dry September.
Lastly, a fall-flowered vignette (though I think I’ve posted this before).
I thought I’d wander around the garden and see if I couldn’t find a few blooms to send along. There’s not much as we here haven’t gotten anywhere the rainfall amounts that others nearby have. I’ve done my best to avoid the brown foliage that shows through the garden this year.
Begonia grandis ‘Heron’s Piroette’.
A larger growing Turtlehead along with Anemone japonica ‘Honoring Jobert’ down by the pond.
Another Anemone japonica ‘Pamina’.
Colchicums are coming on strong throughout the garden. A great bulb for those of us with heavy clay-loam soil!
Another C. speciosum.
Colchicum agrippinum – one of my favorites.
Another fall blooming bulb Sternbergia lutea – this is one of several that I separated from a big clump last summer and scattered about the garden.
Lots of Asters are starting to flower – this is ‘Harrington’s Pink’
An unknown Hygrangea:
This Hydrangea is quercifolia ‘Little Honey’.
Lastly a mixed collection of Anemone, Aster, Chrysanthemum, Coneflower and Little Bluestem Grass.
This above is not the most lovely example of the chapter’s mascot plant Tetraneuris, but it does show that it grows well in sand and nothing more, and is hardy here.
A Draba. Why WordPress rotates the images upon upload is presently not known to me.
Two hellebores; ditto about the rotation.
Aubretia can do a carpeting job on tufa.
The double Anomenella and a couple of Primula coming.
Epimedium on the way.
Iri bucharica not as strong as it once was.
Three Daphne starting bloom in the crevice garden.
Primula allionii, hanging in there but not multiplying in just gravel over sand.
