Day one

The gardening vacation is inevitably interrupted by the reading vacation, the quilting vacation, the going-away-for-a-few-days vacation, the scrapbooking vacation and the sorting and cleaning vacation. Nevertheless, today saw the lawns mowed and the loosestrife weeded (the intent is to make this bed smaller and make room for other things). Removed two heucheras and a liriope for possible placement along the sidewalk under the maple. Also measured the lawn by the side cutting garden. It looks as though I could have some raised beds three feet wide by 25 feet long. If I were so inclined. Which I might be.

A riot of color and what's in bloom

Note to self: the first flurry of color in the garden is yellow: winter aconite, forsythia, kerria, daffodils, crocus, all blooming from March into April. The next flurry (happening now, the third week in April) edges into pink, red, blue and white: azaleas, tulips, bleeding hearts, bluebells, columbine, tiarella. The baptisia and amsonia are just barely starting to come out.

Another note to self: the front garden is much more successful this year, thanks to the miniature daffodils and species tulips (speaking of yellow).

What's in bloom on April 19:
columbine
bluebells (hyancinthoides non-scripta)
tiarella
sweet woodruff
star of Bethlehem
mertensia (just going by)
azaleas (pink and white)
tulips
Solomon's seal
shasta viburnum
fothergilla (just going by)
ajuga (bugleweed)
lily of the valley
epimedium niveum
hellebore (still)
mazus reptans (thanks, Martha!)

Book report

The American Meadow Garden: Creating a Natural Alternative to the Traditional Lawn by John Greenlee, photos by Saxon Holt.

Less lawn appeals to lots of gardeners, including me, so why not turn your lawn into a meadow?

Positive comments:
Appealing idea and beautiful photos, and I came away with a list of about a dozen grasses that might work in various parts of my garden.

Concerns:
The topic is really grasses, as opposed to a mix of plants you might find in a meadow. There is an alphabetical listing of recommended grasses, but no consistency, except for zone listing, in the information provided. Will this do well in sun or shade? How tall will it get? How much moisture does it need? You'll find most of this information in most of the entries, but for many entries you'll have to look elsewhere for the details. The photos are gorgeous but not every entry merits one, meaning that many of the grasses are not pictured. Also, this has a definite west coast bias, making it less helpful for easterners. More of a coffee-table book than a reference book.

Tulip frenzy

After almost a week of hot wind, we had a delicious rain and cooler, sunny weather. Just about as perfect as it can be.

Though some of the daffodils and tulips got cooked, the later ones and the ones in shade are still doing well. Alison was telling us last night that she thinks tulips are too regimented. I protested, but actually, I think she's right, and there are just a few ways to use them effectively:

*to draw attention from a distance
*in drifts of color
*as cut flowers

Up close they are somewhat overdone.

On the other hand, I am falling in love with the species tulips, which are a delight close up. Here is 'Lady Jane' in front of the akebia trellis.

 

And here, by the way, are the muscari meant to provide some socks for this garden. More socks needed desperately!

 

I love these pink fringed tulips ('Davenport'??) from the cutting garden, just in time for Weezer's birthday.

 

The front garden is much more successful this spring, with the mixed miniature narcisssus from WFF and this beautiful species tulip 'Batalini.'

 

Borrowed finery

I don't have any flowering trees at the moment, unless you count the maple with its tiny red dots. But I enjoy the ones I pass on my daily round at this time of year.

This is one of two enormous weeping cherries in my neighborhood.

 

These cherries along the road by Old Mill Park always remind me of little girls putting on their party dresses and holding out their skirts.

 

And this one is, I think, a pear tree - not the lollipop Bradford pear but the real thing, with bronze color in the fall and altogether a benign presence.

 

Maybe it's a Callery pear.

And then, of course, we have our own cherry blossom festival along Lewis Street each spring.

 

Between those and my neighbor's cherry, I think I may not need any (except a wild cherry which is native and will attract wildlife). So maybe a crabapple instead. The classic 'sargentii' would be the one.

Magnolia mysteries

The magnolias have been particularly beautiful this year, or maybe I am just noticing them with fresh eyes. Not having grown up with them, it took me some time to appreciate them. Well, there seem to be two kinds, one evergreen and the other - the ones in bloom now - not.

Here are two beauties in town, one on Lewis St. opposite the Wheelers, the other near the farmer's market.

 

 

A bit of research reveals that it's the Southern magnolia that's evergreen, with leathery leaves and the most delicious creamy saucer-shaped blooms. We some some gorgeous trees in flower at the National Arboretum last year.


 

I have been toying with the magnolia x loebneri 'leonard messel' that Martha Stewart recommends, for the back corner of the garden. This is one of the deciduous ones - I don't think I have the room for the Southern. But the spot I have in mind is too shady and occasionally too wet. Maybe in the front?? The dithering continues.

Easter weekend

Biffy and Sarah drove down for a quick visit on a beautiful weekend. We ate, read, talked, cooked and walked. Saturday we walked along the Rappahannock and saw beautiful wildflowers. I have mertensia and trout lilies in my garden but have yet to grow trilliums despite the best efforts of my gardening friends. Does anyone know what the unnamed flower is?

You can get a better view by clicking on any of the photos.