We are not a rhododendron haven... our soil is too heavy as well as having a ph of neutral to alkaline. It is an effort to grow a rhodie here and frequently we fail. It is for these reasons that our occasional successes are so meaningful. 'Ken Janeck' bloomed earlier and is now fading and dropping, making me wonder if the rhododendron pictured here has been mislabeled as 'Ken Janeck'. None the less, it is absolutely beautiful and really lights up the back of the shade garden along the birch walk.
It seems like the challenging plants to grow in this particular part of the country can bring the most satisfaction to the gardener, although the losses can be painful, especially since these plants are often the most expensive.
One hundred miles south and my meager successes in rhododendrons would appear pretty average, but here I have climbed a small mountain and reached the top... the view is pretty good....
Our little rhododendron glade is just coming into bloom and because of several days of cool temperatures, the blooms should persist for quite a while...
In addition to the rhododendrons, the tree peonies are just beginning to come into bloom as well. Cooler weather is definitely a boon to the length of their bloom season... this plant is blooming for the first time and it is definitely not the lavender color shown on its tag, but it's pretty all the same...
Our large soft pink tree peony has progressed from bud stage shown here, to close to thirty fully opened blooms. It's color isn't quite as rich as past years, owing to the hot spell we've just experienced...
This is also the best time of the year for lewisias... I haven't had good luck with them in the rock garden or the rockery, so I raise them in hyper-tuffa, bringing them through our winters in the unheated garage, protected from the excessive moisture which they detest... I still find it necessary to add new plants each season... hopefully 'this too shall pass' as small successes build on each other as greater understanding of their needs is achieved...
We are also enjoying the season of Primula sieboldii... it appears that my many new additions to the collection came through the winter well and most are in bloom to some extent just now... an example of their lacy blooms is shared here.
Clematis are just beginning to bloom throughout the gardens... pictured below is a very early bloomer which is never prolific with its flowers, given that in grows in dense shade. Even so, it is always amazingly photogenic...
Most flowering trees are past their bloom periods with the exception of Aesculua carnea 'Briottii'...
Cornus 'Venus' continues to retain its bracts...
This past fall I began my cypripedium experiment, with the intent of developing an area where they might eventually flourish. All six orchids have survived and thus far, three are coming into bloom... this one is 'Aki' which is developing its color over a period of several days...
The rock garden is also coloring with several cultivars of small dianthus in bloom... a couple can be seen here...
Lilacs are holding on to their blooms despite many being quite faded at this point...
The earliest of our peonies are fading as well but many others will soon be in bloom.... alliums, on the other hand are still going strong...
Hostas are at their fresh best while all the azaleas have begun to fade and drop their blooms...
Note the little aesculus seedling in the front center... I need to get it moved and growing as a replacement for my full sized tree which is starting to lose branches and vigor...
My blogger friend Carolyn of Carolyn's Shade Garden highly recommends calycanthus 'Hartlage Wine' for shade and it's easy to see why... it's doing very well for us, blooming, and in some pretty dense shade...
Sarah is planting annuals like crazy while I'm weeding and mulching... so much to do that I'm hoping for minimal restrictions after Wednesday's pacemaker replacement. One garden task I haven't done in a very long time is to cut new garden edges... as things increase in size this eventually becomes necessary despite regular maintenance with a machine edger.
I'll finish with a few quiet scenes from the gardens... spots that make me pause and reflect as I meander about each day...
I'll finish with a few quiet scenes from the gardens... spots that make me pause and reflect as I meander about each day...
Take care, Larry
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