"poised between the garden that was and the garden that could be"

This article in the New York Times so perfectly captures the delicious indecision some gardeners face - okay, I face, but so does the author. The Sweet Bay magnolia touted by Carroll Gardens? Or witch hazel instead? A mix of daffodils and day lilies along the pathway, or an elegant mass of cool hostas? A person can dither for months and years...

Two point two

2.2 inches of rain! And it's still drizzling, with forecasts of another band of heavy rain coming up from the south this afternoon. May it rain on all the newly planted pansies, tulips, hakonechloa, hostas, scillas, lilies, sweetspire, baptisia, aster...

Planting in the drought

Last weekend I planted the hostas and hakonechloa, along with numerous bulbs, in the new walkway gardens. Thanks to good preparation of the beds (at least the one along the wall) and lots of mulch provided by Meadows Farms, it was actually a joy to plant there. Unlike the unforgiving clay of the front gardens (which have been enriched repeatedly with compost and shredded leaves), the loose soil in these beds made it a cinch to plant.

I talked to Ellinger last week about the additional carpentry work I want done around the terrace (Meadows Farms has never gotten back to me with an estimate), and Alan says they won't be able to do anything till after the first of the year. In other words, I do need to plant the akebia now. Time to soak the bed and then start digging. I still have some bulbs to put in, which I had better do now or it will never happen.

This certainly is a tedious little posting, so let me liven it up with a close-up picture of the akebia blossom.


And here's what it looks like now.

 

Immeasurable rain

"Immeasurable" can mean impossible to measure or beyond computation. In that case, the rain we had last night was immeasurable, in that it was such a small amount that it was almost impossible to calculate. It dampened the roads and amounted to perhaps half a centimeter in the rain gauge. But, amazingly, it provided three watering cans full and counting from the rain barrel!

Bulb Order 2007, part two

After picking up some daffodils and paper whites at Roxbury Mills this morning, I am declaring myself officially done for the season. Now comes my least favorite part, planting the blessed things, especially in the concrete that passes for soil in the drought-stricken garden.

From McClure & Zimmerman:

Aurelian trumpet lily blend (for one more dollar I got a dozen instead of six!)
Mixed lily-flowered tulips
'Temple of Beauty' tulips
Mixed Modern Rembrandt tulips

From White Flower Farm:

Ipheion Constellation of Blue Stars
Fringed Rhapsody tulips
Lycoris Squamigera
Hemerocallis 'Strawberry candy' (Where did I think this was going??)

From Brent and Becky's Bulbs:

Allium triquetrum
Narcissus 'Ziva' (Whoops - forgot I had ordered these, I will have an abundance of paper whites this winter)

The first two orders are here, so time to get to work.

Merrifield visit

 

It might be insane because we've had no rain for weeks and there's none on the horizon, but I took the moment I had and went to Merrifield on a sunny, breezy, cool day. I got the akebia for the trellis but won't plant it until after I get the estimate for altering the trellis next week. It was a bit pricey so I will water it faithfully, even if I have to steal out at night to dump old pasta water on it.

I got a viburnum, but neither of the ones on my list (Viburnum nudum 'Winterthur' and Viburnum prunifolium) because they weren't in stock. Instead, the very knowledgeable shrub woman, who was not pushy at all, showed me a viburnum 'Shasta' that is so healthy and lush that I couldn't resist. I just hope it will get enough sun in the shrub border. Here's what it will look like:




 
and here's what it looks like now.


For the new walkway gardens, I got a hellebore "Royal Heritage" and three hostas, 'Elegans,' 'Krossa Regal' and 'Blue Cadet.' I also got three Hakonechloa 'Aureola' to brighten up the space, and to echo the ones in the front garden. Then three flats of pansies to winter over.
 

Here's the lot:

 

Bulb Order 2007, part one

Armed with a list based on bulbs I had read about and those I knew I wanted, I started at Roxbury Mills (buying locally, you see). There I found

Queen of the Night tulips - side front garden
Allium Purple Sensation - sunny garden
Black parrot tulips - pot on steps
Fritillaria meleagris - walkway garden
Scilla siberica - oak tree garden or walkway
Maureen tulip - white, under the oak tree

Then just a few other things crept into the bag:

Allium azureum - sunny garden
Amaryllis 'Golden Goddess' - have never tried a yellow amaryllis before

Still on the list, to buy online:

tulip 'Fringed Rhapsody' - WFF
Lycoris squamigera - WFF - to plant near the Rudbeckia
Ipheion (Constellation of Blue Stars from WFF)- walkway
Allium Mongolian Gem - Klehm's - blooms late summer
Allium triqueteum - McClure & Zimmerman - oak tree garden
Mixed lily-flowered tulips - M&Z - front garden
Modern Rembrandt tulip mix - M&Z - front garden
'Temple of Beauty' tulip - M&Z - apricot, to interplant with Queen of the Night

Not bulbs, but also on the list

Helleborus 'Royal Heritage' - for walkway or for under the trellis
Hakonechloa 'All Gold' - walkway
Moody Blues hosta collection - WFF - other side of walkway, includes 'Hadspen Blue,' 'Krossa Regal' and 'Elegans,' might just find these individually

and then the lilies...I may have waited too long, but in case I can still get them, the list is:

Perfumed garden oriental lilies - WFF - never mind, sold out, but look how beautiful they would have been if I had planned ahead:


Lilium Martagon - Klehm's - white garden
Lilium 'Black Dragon' - M&Z - sungarden
Asiatic Lily 'Unique' - can't find this anywhere, rec. by Dianne Benson
Aurelian Lily 'Amethyst Temple' - ditto
oriental lilies 'Imperial Gold,' 'Early Beauty,' 'Geisha' and 'Journey's End'

- there are undoubtedly lilies that are just as beautiful and easier to find, but when Dianne says

"You must try...the most marvelous white, pink and red flowers of them all...acquiesce to these wonders"

I can't resist.

Waterford Fair

We hadn't been to the Waterford Fair for the last two years, so we were glad to be back, despite the unnaturally warm and humid weather. Usually we need to wear socks and sweaters when we start out, but not today - it was foggy, then cloudy, and got up to the 80s. I hate global warming.

 
Here's a hint of fall: pumpkins on chairs.

 
This was a gorgeous clump of lobelia (Lobelia siphilitica
great blue?) in a garden that also featured blue salvia and a purple aster. This year (tomorrow?) I really will get some asters to go in the sunny garden.
 
Heavenly Blue morning glory was the subject of several photographers who wandered by. It's a simple thing but so lovely that I vow to plant some in a sunny spot next year - maybe around the mailbox or trailing up the tuteur?
 
This garden could only be glimpsed from the street, but I enjoyed the giant ants and the little dog exhorting its compatriots not to set foot in the garden. I like a garden that shows a sense of humor, or at least shows that someone is paying attention. (Not that mine necessarily qualifies.)

I spent some time on my bulb order on the trip up - at last. Will post more as it comes together.