GBBD - June 2010

Carol of May Dreams Gardens began this meme some time ago. For the most part, I enjoy showing a few blossoms. I've never made a list like this before. I hope it's helpful. I probably won't make the list ever again. (I'm up way past my bedtime tonight!) ha.

Click on the logo below to pay Carol a visit, read her post, and see who else is participating. :-)

White Trumpet Lilies

Gerbera Daisy

Gooseneck Loosestrife

Asiatic and/or Oriental Lilies that are beginning to bloom:

'Ceb Paint'

'Menton'
'Pink'
'Crimson Pixie' (now fading)
'Brushmark'
'Mirabella' (now fading)
'Bright Pixie'
Mirabella

Monarda 'Jacob Cline' is just now beginning to show his colors (two small blossoms).

Stachys 'Hummelo' (Lamb's Ear family)

Asclepias - Butterfly Milkweed

Veronica Speedwell

Shasta
Daisy
'Silver
Princess'
















Coreopsis
(Mouse ear
Tickseed)
'Nana'














The first blink
of "Mattie"

the phlox
given me
last year
by Aunt MEA










Tennessee
Coneflower

from Gail



















Several
Hostas
are
in
bloom

(others
are
getting
ready)






'Paradigm' (above)
'Halycon'
'Blue Cadet'
'Baby Tears' has just begun
'Blue Giant'
'City Lights'
(many others are getting ready)





















above: Campanula glomerata (Clustered Bellflower) 'Superba' is on its way out
Heuchera Coral Bells:
'Dolche Key Lime' (above)
'Rosey Bells' (above)
'Sashay'
Tiramisu
'Snow Angel'
Palace Purple (on the way out)
'Green Spice' (on the way out)
'Melting Fire' (getting ready)



Astilbe: 'Key West' below (a new one!)












'Diamond'
'Gloria'
'Erica'
'Fanal' (red)
'White Deutschland'
'Bressingham Beauty' (about finished)
'Pumila Chinensis' (dwarf astilbe) nearly ready!

Daylilies: below - unnamed miniature.
(Wrong roots in bare-root package!) ha.

One yellow spider lily in blossom
Stella d'Oro
unnamed dark red (in front) nearly ready
unnamed yellow (in front) blooming
unnamed small peach (in front) blooming
'Rosy Returns'
'Stella Supreme'
'Happy Returns'

Violets and Tricyrtis - Oh, My!

Our Garden Tour was rained out today . . .

We'll try again.

Hardy Little Miss Susan Scare-the-Birds was out there in the elements. Believe me, I tried to offer retirement, but she thought that with a little new makeup, a new dress and shirt, she could make another "go at it!" So there she is, out there in the storm.

Do you see the river that flows through raised beds and especially through the Woodland Walk?

Can you imagine I was at loose ends?
Can you imagine I was feeling a little melancholy?

But guess what! I was able to give a mini-tour to a special guest!
Let me explain . . .

Two years ago, before he stopped blogging, I visited "Iowa Boy," who gave me a wonderful tour of his gardens. He was very generous and shared a few plants. When I found I was going to be on this year's Garden Tour, I wrote and asked if he and his wife would like to visit. At the time, he didn't think he'd be able to make the trip. However, there was a break in the weather (meaning the sun "came out" for about two hours before it rained again). And guess who rang the doorbell?

Yep! "Iowa Boy!" Mr. Shady enjoyed visiting a bit about prairies. But I was very happy to let him wander around through the gardens about which you read. :-)

Again, he shared a couple of plants with me:

Tricyrtis formosa 'Autumn Glow'

and a Korean Violet 'Syletta'

This is an unnamed violet he shared with me in 2008.
Do you see its first offspring?

Believe it or not, I was able to share a couple of my plants with him! He took home a baby Dwarf Aruncus - Goatsbeard and a Dwarf Astilbe 'Pumila.' :-)

This improved my outlook considerably and Made My Day! I know of the superstition that says you're not to thank a person for the gift of plants. So, I'll just say "Thanks!" to Iowa Boy for his visit and his generous nature.



We'll try having that Garden tour next Sunday, June 20. I hope it works out!! After all, the sun still shines - above the clouds! ;-)

Have a great week!

U --- Uff-dah!

Click the logo below to see who is posting on this meme!

At the end of my sixth grade school year my family moved into an extremely northern-Iowa farming community comprised largely of people of Norwegian descent. Uff-dah (oooof-dah) was the exclamation used to react to nearly anything.

You know how we're getting ready for the Garden Tour tomorrow . . .

Cutting and Painting are in order for set #3! :-)

Can you see the post set down there by my compost bin?
That will be set #4, as it turns the corner.

Uff-dah!

:-)

T is for Terrific! (I'm a week off!!)

Today is ABC Wednesday.
Click below to see who else is participating!

Visit Mrs. Nesbitt by clicking here.

Terrific because these were seedlings begun in milk jug greenhouses in January 2009.

Tennessee Coneflowers from Gail
Last year they were little seedlings just sleeping.
This year they're creeping? (Some are leaping!)Terrific because this little plant was sent to me by Kathleen in 2008.
Filipendula rubra - 'Queen of the Prairie'
Last year it was creeping and this year it's leaping
(given the amount of shade it has to deal with!)
Great leaves. Hey! Doesn't that look like a . . .
Yep! Definitely something "brewing!" ;-)
Click here to see what this will look like soon!

Terrific because this is one of the items on "The Project List!"

Early last Spring, I created four panels of my own design. The photo below (taken 4/19/09) shows a panel in progress.
I do need to make one more. However, there are now two installed! Yea!! (Thanks to Mr. Shady!) ;-)

Some very nice, out-of-town friends visited last week. She helped with some necessary weeding. He cut the tops off three posts. I wanted the one on the right left "tall."

Everything has now a nice fresh coat of paint.

Can you see a little something atop that tall post?

Can you see it a little better here (below)?

The finial was purchased at a lumber store. I painted it to match the birdhouse my dad made. He had painted it blue and yellow. I embellished it a bit. I've also added racing stripes to the tall post. ha! What do you think?

This is a project I'm wanting to finish soon. Isn't it nice we've had the excuse of a Garden Tour? :-)

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - June 2010

Okay - I'm a day late and probably a dollar short, but I've appeared with my Muse Day Post!! :-)

If you'd like to see Carolyn' Gail's post, and the others participating in her muse, click on the logo below!

Campanula glomerata 'Supurba'
Clustered Bellflower

A Gardener's Disclaimer/Explanation - prior to the Muse Day Post.

Thank you friends for bearing with me during the previous two posts. I needed time for a little "creativity!" :-) You must know that things are very busy over here at chez-Shady. I was asked (and agreed) to participate in the annual local Garden Tour. This will take place Sunday afternoon, June 13.

In other words, accelerated busy-ness is the current by-word. When the weather permits, you will find me planting (just a couple more perennials as well as annuals in pots and a few the ground), weeding, mulching, mowing, raking, trimming, braiding and cuffing, deadheading, composting, etc. You will also find me painting longed-for projects, such as my garden panels - some of which are being put in place (!), bird houses, additional plant labels . . . you get the idea.

Gladys is also busy with her agenda: Who will sit where (relative to Hazel, Harry and herself), whether Susie-scare-the-birds' replacement will show up in time, where to place tables and chairs and refreshment items (lemon aid, tea and/or water?). You know Gladys!! lol.

Garden Bloggers' Muse Day - June 2010

The Days Are Clear

The days are clear,
Day after day,
When April's here,
That leads to May,
And June
Must follow soon:
Stay, June, stay! -
If only we could stop the moon
And June!

Christina Georgina Rossetti

Have You Ever Seen Such a Thing? (the sequel)

. . . Gladys deftly guided us all outdoors.

Some of us walked gingerly around the north side of the house, not at all knowing what to expect. That would include yours truly.
However, meeting us as we rounded the corner was our friend Rosalie. She is rarely coaxed indoors; flower-lover that she is!

(Enter Rosalie)

"Hi, everyone!" she called. "What's going on? I was just about to send out a search party for you!"

To be quite honest, I'd completely forgotten that Rosalie had been waiting for us to meet outdoors. It was refreshing to see her smile, and I asked, "Rosalie. Have you seen anything unusual in my flower gardens? Anything that might make you pause for a second look?"
She'd been smiling so sweetly. I was surprised at her sudden change of countenance.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked.

Uh, oh, I thought. We really must get to the bottom of this!

It was then that I looked down. Right in front of me was something I had never seen before. A crazily twisted object. This then, was the culprit . . . the object of all the discussion. It had to be! I looked at Rosalie.

"What in the world is that?" I asked.


(enter Hazel)

"I'm sure Shady means, ' What an interesting phenomena. Can you tell us about it, Rosalie?"

(Of course that's what I meant. Thank you, Hazel.)

(enter Harry)

"Now Rosalie, while you're at it, would you mind describing it carefully? And in detail? You know Hazel's the gardener in our family . . . not me."

(Harry. Another one of those tactful types.)


Rosalie brightened immediately!

"Shady, I have the most interesting thing to tell you! I learned this at the arboretum the other day. I was walking along and saw those things, just like these, all over the gardens. I stopped to take a closer look when one of the docents approached me. She asked if I knew what these were. Of course, I said, 'No'."

"Then she explained. And now I can tell each of you!"
Rosalie was positively beaming as she knelt down in front of her creation.

"These are daffodil leaves, she said. Surely you've noticed how floppy they get after the blossoms fade? And how they fall all over the surrounding flowers? And how often those surrounding flowers don't thrive? Well, the leaves are braided! she announced gleefully.

"The leaves still receive all the sunshine they need to create food and energy for the bulb before they die."


"Your surrounding plants are no longer crowded and stunted . . . at least they won't be!" she crowed.

"And YOU have delightful little garden sculptures in all your flower beds!"

"But you no longer have a good supply of rubber bands," she laughed.

"Rosalie, you're a genius!" I said. Rosalie blushed.


And Gladys? Gladys Gardener?


Gladys is off the hook and back on the bench! The garden bench that is! :-)

All's well that ends well. Especially in this shady spot!
Have a great weekend!