In retrospect... #5

Great Expectations

Today I'm closing out my review of the 2010 gardening season here at Oak Lawn Cheese Factory. These are all photos that I haven't posted in the past although you may recognize the subject matter... Larry
p.s.  we're expecting the coldest night of the winter thus far with temps at least -12 degrees fahrenheit... think I'll stay in this evening!

Arbor view

The large daylily bed

Jackmanii with delphiniums

A grass garden path

A favorite daylily seedling

The birch walk prior to all the changes from last season

The arbor plantings

The east gardens prior to all the changes from last season

The arbor with tree lilac prior to last season's bed additions

Blue oat grass or Helictotrichon sempervirons with Abies korana 'Silberlocke'

Arbor view with 'Tinka Philips' peony

Barn view with Aruncus dioecious and Crambe cordifolia

Clematis 'Henryi'

Rose from the Explorer series

Cornus 'Celestial' (Galaxy)

Oriental poppy 'Patty's Plum'

Viburnum 'Onondaga'

Foggy birch walk view

Tree peony

Read More

In retrospect... #4

 Aesculus carnea 'Briotti'/ variegated maple/Fagus sylvatica 'Dawyck Purple'

It's interesting to see how other garden bloggers living in a winter climate post through this time of dormancy. Spring is a long way off here in Wisconsin and this coming week will usher in the coldest temperatures of the year thus far. Minus ten degrees fahrenheit are predicted with highs in the single digits and wind as well... we are generally a bit lower than what is expected and most of our snow cover departed during the January thaw... given a choice, I would have preferred it stay and insulate the gardens. At least plants don't recognize wind chills and I'm sure most things will be unaffected... we are well into a lengthy dormancy and fall rains provided excellent water as well as the melted snow from our big blizzard... only now is the ground actually freezing. Most things should manage this next week without any damage at all.

I am continuing posting on the 2010 gardens and with this post, I'm using photos that have not been posted before, although the subject matter almost certainly has. 

 Aesculus carnea 'Briotti

Lewisias

German Iris 'Stepping Out' and Phlox subulata

Tree peony

Dwarf lilac

Aesculus/ Picea omorika 'Nana'/ Picea glauca 'Pendula'/ Picea pungens 'Moerheim'

Tree peony 'Taiyo'

Parkland series rose 'Morden Blush'

Persicaria polymorpha

Explorer series rose 'William Baffin'

One of the Finnish hardy Rhododendrons... 'Pohjola's Daughter'

Syringa 'Sensation'

Winter is without a doubt my least favorite season... I don't care for the cold... it plays havoc with the arthritis in my back. Of course anyone with degenerative arthritis knows that the more one moves, the less problem with the ailment. I am presently involved in creating a six foot transom of my own design. This kind of work doesn't involve the amount of movement that keeps my back from locking up so I'started on a more physically active project. Twenty-five years ago I came across 5000 feet of wormy oak in a field... I bought it and proceeded to build a kitchen. After all these years the kitchen has begun to look a bit tired so I'm in the process of restoring it. I can't tell you how many raised panel doors as well as raised paneling on the adjoining walls I have that will be sanded and receive three coats of varnish. I'll be adding a couple new windows and updating the floor and countertops as well. This activity, along with the tread mill should help get my back loosened up a bit hopefully.
Regarding the transom... the pictures below show about a third of the total design which depicts calla lilies growing in a field. The blooms are all clear beveled glass and the background is a clear 'Baroque'. While the pictures don't really show it, the Baroque has aggressive swirls formed into it. The only color will be a sky blue border and the green foliage.

Well... I'm off to add another coat of finish to a cupboard door...
Happy winter! Larry

Read More

In retrospect... #3

Hi... I've been involved in a bit of a look backwards for the past couple of weeks, sharing some of my favorite photos from the past few years here at Oak Lawn. I had fully intended to do just a few pictures of each season beginning with 2009, but have gotten myself totally immersed in spring of 2010... it was a really good year as the song says.

The plant above and below is an Amethyst Falls wisteria. I am training it into a tree form and it is a very photogenic character with quite small blooms, perhaps 5" in length. I do like that it is very hardy and a dependable repeat bloomer for me. I haven't tried any of the Asian wisteria cultivars with long bloom scapes in many years... perhaps they would now be bud hardy with our warmer winters but they were not in the past. One wisteria that I am thinking of trying is the cultivar called 'Blue Moon' also a repeat bloomer (three bloom periods per season), very hardy (zone 4 at least), longer scapes (to 12 inches). I did have 'Aunt Dee' for a number of years but it was a shy bloomer for me... hopefully 'Blue Moon' would be more prolific. If anyone is growing 'Blue Moon', I'd appreciate hearing of your feelings about the cultivar in the comment section of this post.

My intermediate iris collection is in the least 'kept' area of the gardens where I seldom get to for weeding. My new experiment started this past summer and involves occasional mowing of whatever grows in this area... weeds included. Will the iris and other plants suffer... time will tell...I had considered grubbing all the iris out but decided to try this first...

Blooming in late spring and sometimes into early June are the Northern Lights azaleas... I've moved all of these  to the new azalea walk this past fall. There will be less competition and better moisture for them...

Some of the white lights have now reached a height of seven feet but they were a breeze to transplant... I'll be looking for more cultivars from this series this spring... I've been very pleased with how they do here.

I also have a few of the Orchid Lights... these perform quite well also...

I'm actually hoping for a later spring this year after last season's heat followed by cold... so much damage to my magnolia blooms and it's difficult to have to wait another year when this happens... 2010 was a perfect year for the magnolias as I recall...

'Betty'

Here are two photos of 'Butterflies'...

'Daybreak' (above) and 'Elizabeth' (below) bloom fairly late which is generally a very good thing... 'Elizabeth' seen here with a 'Firebird' crab apple...

The name 'Flame' refers to the buds of the white crab pictured below... I love the combination of the blue Phlox subulata and the Montana aureomarginata hosta with Flame's white bloom...

'Floribunda'

'Snowdrift'

Two 'Firebirds' and a 'Sargentii'

'Ludwig Spathe (Spaeth)'

'Beauty of Moscow'

'Sun Disk' daffodils/ Trilliums/
Tsuga canadensis 'Jaqueline Verkade'

Primula including white and pink kisoanas

My favorite Epimedium... 'Domino'

Enough for now... next post I'll try to move into June of 2010. The gazebo walk in spring is pictured below...

Take care, Larry

Read More