Welcome to part 3 of my review of the gardens this season, accompanied with my 'to do' list.
As I started looking through my photo files, I was amazed at just how late this season was... however, things caught up rather quickly during the last half of July. I will share and review the first two weeks of July in this post. In the photo above the Persicaria polymorpha is in full bloom. This has been a well behaved shrub-like presence in the garden for several years. I see one small offset has come up next to it and I am anxious to relocate it in another part of the gardens this next spring as this plant stays attractive over a long period of time, generally late June through part of July.
Relocate small offset of Persicaria polymorpha: (spring)
The following photo is of the arbor area. It was for a greater portion of the season a disappointment and changes are already being planned as noted in earlier posts. They include the following:
Transplant or gift the spuria irises: (completed)
Transplant the hemerocallis to other areas of the gardens: (next spring)
Remove the sweet autumn clematis and dispose of: (early spring)
Install many New Millennium delphiniums: (spring)
Install Phlox paniculata 'Junior Dance' and 'Junior Dream', both said to have a very long bloom period and shorter stature: (spring)
The north side of the fence and arbor: no changes... just annuals amongst the young conifers...
Another shot of the iris spuria, which resent transplanting, shown below.... with that in mind, we moved as large clumps as possible in August.
Move Iris spuria: (completed)
There were few signs of daylily bloom in early July as witnessed below in the bed to the left front of the barn... another testiment to the lateness of our season. No changes planned in this area except to complete the rustic fence behind the barn and remove this temporary one.
Remove Sweet Williams: completed by not allowing to seed this summer (biennial)
Direction of change uncertain: decisions will be made in spring... possibly expand aster and mum plantings in the area for fall color.
I removed the majority of my shrub roses from the gardens a couple years ago... although the odd plant that demonstrated good blackspot resistance was left here and there. Alexander Mackenzie has been very healthy for me, so was granted his reprieve.
Shrub roses: eliminate any that show disease problems... I refuse to spray!
Among my favorite tropicals this season has been two oleanders with bloom pictured below. They have been in bloom all summer and are now ready to move inside, loaded with flower buds that should carry me through the fall and possibly later...
Oleander: definitely a keeper.
I continue to be amazed with the Iris pseudata pictured below... it is a cross between a Iris ensata and Iris pseudacorus. I originally purchased this 'Chance Beauty' because it was the least expensive of this new iris hybrid and I wanted to experiment. I am very impressed with its three week bloom period, it's size, and overall garden appearance.
Iris pseudata... try more cultivars: (June)
Our many clematis plants looked great in early July but eventually heat and high humidity brought on clematis wilt... Pictured below is 'The President'.
Clematis plants: do a preventative maintenance program of fungicide spraying against wilt. They are worth the extra effort in my opinion.
The hostas and variegated solomon's seal pictured below have overgrown their spot in the course of three years.
Hostas in front of house: divide and move to new locations. Seek replacement plantings of "odd" interest, such as the Purple Fountains beech already installed here.
Use more cascading Supertunias for all season color: (Spring)
The garden around the various utilities (mound and LP)... Add more tulips: (completed)
My older asiatic lilies have pretty much died out... I should have divided them a long time ago, but actually don't mind as I was tired of the ones that I'd had for many years. I have added a few new varieties and Graffity is among them. I was amazed at blooms 10" in diameter this summer on these plants!
Add new Asiatic lily varieties: (Fall 2012)
I don't mention my conifers a lot but do enjoy them tremendously and want to keep adding more. I was very pleased with this Taylor's Sunburst which is a lodgepole pine. It has been in the gardens for a year now and spring color was remarkable... by early July, that golden new growth had started to fade. It will be a lovely focal point in the future. I had a message on my answering machine today from a gentleman who wants to get together as he is also a conifer enthusiast. It will be great fun to get to know another who enjoys conifers as much as I do.
This southeast corner off the building is developing nicely.... The lilies (mostly orienpets) will be moved elsewhere... I'm guessing a year from now as the three cultivars of blue spruce are developing quickly. The piceas are Baby Blue Eyes, Fat Albert, and Hoopsii, all of which will get quite large and be an anchor for the corner of Oak Lawn Cheese Factory. There are also a number of dwarf conifers in this area which are small at this point... they also may need to be moved at some future date.
Move orienpet and asiatic lilies: (fall 2012)
This central bed on the east side of the property contains a Tina flowering crab, a number of interesting and favorite daylily cultivars, a few roses, clematis, several Berberis Helmond Pillar, spring bulbs, and lots of annuals. At this point the only attention this garden needs is straightening one of the clematis telephone pole supports which will probably need to be put on hold for a time because of my recovering shoulder.
Rebuild clematis support: (fall 2012)
This is part of the cottage bed... there is less and less room for annuals but that's ok... part of 'cut back the work' campaign.
I planted a few 'Incredibelle Spirit' hydrangeas wherever I'm growing 'Annabelle' hydrangeas... it makes a lovely and subtle combo and should improve as the new plants gain stature...
One underdeveloped area is under the Prunus avium 'plena'... this area holds some potential for plants that like a lot of shade...
New hellebores from the Winter Thrillers series and hosta divisions from the the south side of the property: (spring)
The following area needs only some pruning... there is one problem magnolia which should probably be removed although I'm inclined to leave it and see what happens with it. One of the blue spruce has what I believe to be cytospora canker. Once this disease is present, there is no cure for a particular tree, only means of control as follows:
1.Prune and remove or destroy affected branches.
2. To lessen the spread of the fungus, prune only when the trees are dry and back to the main trunk
3. Disinfect pruning tools with 70% alcohol between cuts.
There is no chemical control for cytospora and the situation does cause concern as I have a great many cultivars of spruce, especially the blue spruces. Care is very necessary as the canker gets established through wounds in the tree.
Prune diseased spruce (this fall)
It would be easy to panic when one considers the breadth of diseases that come into our gardens... however, good maintenance can generally prevent them taking over the gardens.
One of my most discouraging disease situations involved fire blight many years ago. While I did loose a great many trees (perhaps 12) I was also able to save another half dozen through judicious pruning practices. These infected trees apparently held some measure of resistance to the disease, although they did show damage for several years. Each season I pruned out damaged material at least a foot or more behind the affected areas and after several years there was no longer signs of fire blight on my property.
The conifer area (to the right) pictured here is being extended in a semi-circular fashion as I add plants that catch my interest.
Further conifer semi circle development: (as needed)
The area about the Aruncus dioecious is becoming crowded and too shady for the hardy hibiscus plants that grow here. The Aesculus carnea 'briotti' has a few dead branches.
Transplant hardy hibiscus to a sunny area: (spring)
Prune out dead branches from red horse chestnut: (this fall)
This view is one of my favorites views in the gardens, but problems are developing. The Whitespire birch trunks are weeping (in some cases) over the Moerheim blue spruces, creating a serious concern with shade. The solution I hope to incorporate is to remove the major portions of the few trunks that are causing the problem. The concern is that these are very heavy trunks and there is no way we can get a cherry picker into this area. We will have to incorporate a technique of cutting as high as we can reach with a ladder and pole saw, and allowing the pieces to fall back on themselves to slow their descent and prevent damage to the surrounding trees. I have decided to leave about twelve feet of the pruned trunks, thus allowing a similar view to what we have now.... one tends not to look up in this area as the focal point is the lower portion of the birch trunks and the barn. Some natural branching is occurring already on the trunks that need "heading off".
Prune birches: (this fall)
Give thanks for a son with a willing heart to help his father: (constantly)
A small hosta border near the birches is being buried by the spruces and the hostas are getting large... some hostas may need relocation as I don't want any more sod removed.
Reconsider these hostas in relation to their surroundings: (August 2012)
Another dwarf conifer area which also includes some of my favorite lilies such as Silk Road and Sheherazade is pictured here. Some of these conifers will need moving soon as the Simple Pleasures magnolia is starting to overwhelm them. The little boxed in area contains 30 hybrid seeds from a renown hybridizer of tree peonies... they have a double dormancy period. They should have made roots this summer and hopefully top growth next season, assuming the voles don't eat them... I really hope they make it as I am extremely excited about the possibilities!
You really can't beat a beautiful clematis in full bloom... two on either side of the arbor make for some really great symmetry...
A few more asiatics from early July...
I particularly like this form of asiatic and the Ariadne pictured below is a favorite in this form!
We have mallows coming up here and there every year... I don't allow them to go to seed as they can be a thug. A great combo which I have seen in the past is Jackmani clematis with pink mallow... especially against a rustic background such as a weathered outbuilding...
I absolutely cherish Betty Corning clematis, but I have her in the wrong spot. She is a very long bloomer as is Roguchi... also a season long bloomer is dark purple.
Move Betty Corning to replace the sweet autumn clematis: (spring)
Plant a Roguchi clematis in Betty's spot: (spring)
"The President' with pink asiatics...
The only "completely annuals" bed sported Dreamland zinnias this season... they were amazing but burned out in early September so it will be something different this next year.
Plant an annual bed of supertunias: (spring)
It is sad to see this beautiful brugsmansia (Charles Grimaldi I believe) as I've pretty much decided to let it freeze this year along with several others. To be honest, I don't know if I can do it as I enjoy them so much, but it is a hassle wintering them over.
Brugsmansias... make a decision and stick to it: (now!)
The cottage garden is always quite colorful but I need to do something different.
Try out the newer sterile Lobularias from Proven Winners called "Snow Princess' : (spring)
I'm overwintering dahlias in their pots as an experiment.
Remove from pots and divide dahlias: (spring)
A pleasant mid-July view...
That's about it for the first two weeks of July 'Gardens in Review' here at Oak Lawn. Next time will encompass the orienpet and daylily seasons unless space requires dividing it into more than one post.
I am reminded that life is fleeting... plants come and go... I try to enjoy and be content with my gardens, and yet also embrace the change that is so much a part of the gardening lifestyle... Take care, Larry
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