Daylilies

Daylilies are finally starting to bloom with their cheerful faces, officially heading the garden into the heat of summer.

I have to admit I'm not a huge daylily fan, but my mother-in-law is, and when she designed my initial garden, she planted them by a fence, and they are a wonderful, carefree plant that don't require much - and gives a long bloom period.

What has lovers of daylilies pleased are the re-blooming varieties that will keep the garden going right through summer.

I like daylilies like the peach one above. Paired with Russian Sage, the peach makes for a stunning combination. I would also consider them for an area that is a slope, as they do make and excellent cover, squeezing out weeds. Weeding is not a problem with a hearty planting of daylilies.

And some varieties are fragrant, too; although not highly - daylily aficionados feel free to correct me here!

I have a lemon-colored variety from my mother that does have a lemony fragrance. It has gotten out of bounds, and after you have daylilies for several years, dividing will be necessary if you aren't using it as a cover - but you'll have some to share with friends or spread around your garden!

I do enjoy going to daylily farms, and in our area there are several. One is Blue Flag Farm in North Stonington, where 600 varieties of daylilies are on view. Some are in beds so visitors can see how they pair with other plants. The farm is a pleasant outing, and a must for daylily lovers.
They will be open July 19 and 20 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and do sell their plants. They are also open by appointment.

I think the charm of farm can speak for itself: http://daylily.net/gardens/blueflagfarm/

For people who like daylilies and hostas, R. Sea Wright Gardens in Carlisle, Mass., is another speciality place, also selling 600 varieties that they will dig up fresh for gardeners.

Their web address is: http://www.daylilies-hostas.com/

Nature in the garden

Much of what I've been doing these last couple of years is finding plants that will attract nature. Things like butterflies, birds, and of course hummingbirds ( they LOVE black and blue salvia).
But sometimes we don't like the nature our gardens attract.

Like slugs....these rainy days have been a true slug fest. I kept plucking them off a container arrangement and still can't figure out how they climbed up the rough surface of the planter.

To rid yourself of slugs, use diatomaceous earth, which is an abrasive powder that impales the tender body of slugs.

Another way to battle slugs is to place shallow dishes (I use small plastic plates) around the area they like to munch on. They love beer, and will drown themselves in it. Personally, I find this the most humane way of dealing with them.

This year, robin's made a nest in my honeysuckle vine growing on a trellis outside my patio. And again, some wrens have made a nest in one of my planters, which is difficult because I have to water around the nest!

Snakes are also part of gardening, and I try hard to overcome my fear; although copper heads have been known to be in my area. I also know that black snakes can be aggressive, and bite.
I let them alone, and hopefully they will do the same.

I also have bunny rabbits and I would be rather not know what they are munching on - they are so cute. Whenever I water, they hop out of the bush they seem to be hiding in. It seems to be a predator sound for them, the hissing of the water coming out of the hose.

Beautiful goldfinches have been flitting about; they like many flowers, from zinnias to sunflowers to the dried seed heads of cone flowers.

While I have a little less than an acre, it seems my property is teeming with wildlife - I even saw an owl perched outside on an oak tree this winter.

Much of what I've learned to keep wildlife happy has come from the advice of the National Wildlife Foundation, which encourages gardeners to create what they call backyard habitats. It isn't that difficult, and as suburban sprawl continues to encroach on their habitats, it is important to think about create wildlife friendly yards.

Check them, and their tips, out at www.backyardwildlifehabitat.info

Kousa Dogwoods

My son had a singing concert in New London last weekend and I plucked a very large, creamy white kousa dogwood blossom and tucked it behind my ear. Both my son and husband thought I looked Spanish. I was simply having fun, and even braved Blockbuster with the bloom sprouting out of my ear.

I never knew, though, that not all kousa dogwoods weren't created equal. The blossoms I have on my tree are much smaller. I envy the very large, white flowered variety, as well as the new 'Satomi' kousa dogwood my mother got that flowers in pink. If gardeners have had problems with the anthracnose disease hitting their Cornus florida dogwoods, a Kousa dogwood is an excellent replacement, and can even be planted in the same spot.

If you are considering a dogwood for your home, you couldn't be thinking of a more lovely tree - but do read up on the varieties. Some have a flush of fall color, some have variegated leaves, some weep, and some, as I've found, have huge, floppy flowers that make quite a show.

Dogwoods create a beautiful, vase like shape and arch outwards, and are a nice extension to spring-flowering trees such as crab apples. They are also considered a good understory tree, as they look quite pleasing when viewed from above. Ours is out in the yard, where we have a clear view of it from our deck.

One thing I have noticed about Kousa dogwoods that I would like to share is their sporadic yearly blooming. For some reason, these small trees are genetically wired to put on a display every other year ~ on their off year, the blooms are more sparse, and may not even occur at all. I recall one year both my neighbor and I were wondering what happened to our dogwood blooms, blaming the weather, the first culprit in any gardener's mind. Then I found out from a nursery-man that they were wired to really put on a show every other year.

If you are content with that, dogwoods are a very beautiful tree for your property. They do not become behemoths, their fruit is beneficial to wildlife, and their shape is truly pleasing.

Right now, I am itching for hydrangeas to bloom. It is all I can do to refrain myself to finding more spots for this beautiful shrub. I have my eye on 'Pinky Winky' but am truly pressed to justify getting yet another hydrangea. Another thing that gives me pause is how awful this plant looks in the winter - a pile of sticks, basically. It is best to tuck these away from major sightlines for this reason.

One quick tip in cutting those beautiful hydrangea blossoms I can share is to plunge the heads in cool water to elongate the bloom time.

If you don't get blooms on your hydrangeas, pruning could be a cause. Some hydrangeas bloom on old wood, so if they were pruned ~ unfortunately that will lob off your blossoms. Also, in our cold zones, the buds can freeze if they bloom on old wood, that is why the newer varieties that bloom on both old and new are very desirable.

Hart's Greenhouse and Florist has a sale on hydrangeas - buy two, get one free. Oh, so tempting....

Historic Gardens, flower arranging and valerian

Connecticut's 14 historic gardens will be open to the public June 27, and I have made a vow to visit at least one of them, most likely the Florence Griswold gardens.
Here is a link that will give all the information on the various gardens and activities planned: http://www.cthistoricgardens.org/
There is something about the primeval quality of the Lieutenant River as the backdrop to the gentile gardens of Miss Florence that attracts me.
The museum will be celebrating their historic garden with Gardenfest, which takes place from June 11-27.
On Thursday at 11 a.m. they will also have a flower arranging course - something I hope to get to. There seem to be countless tricks on keeping things fresh and perky in the vase, and studying the elements of arranging seems like a relaxing pursuit.
As someone who grew up in a historic area, I can appreciate the ennui that one has with the beauty that surrounds us, as well as our area's legacy. But it is something to guard against.
Recently I returned to my home town, Old Mystic, and took a tour of one of the most amazing gardens I have ever seen at Kentford Farms.
What I love most about these gardens (and I mean gardens, plural) is the natural way they are designed, as well as the locale. But above all, I appreciate that they are the labor of love of two passionate gardeners, Bill Turner and Paul Coutu, who have graciously opened them up for public viewing.
Now they understand how gardening can be an obsession!
The story of Kentford Farms will be featured on Friday in the Bulletin's Coming Home section.
This can be a challenging time in the garden - the last of the beautiful spring flowers have passed, and the summer bloomers are still waiting in the wings. One plant I have found to be a stunner that stretches from spring to summer is red valerian.
I have lost my usb cable, so I don't have a photo right now of my own valerian, but I have posted one from the internet - enjoy! It is a plant worth having, and has a very unique color.

Coneflowers and Sweet Peas

Is anyone else out there befuddled by the coneflower craze?

As much as I like this hearty, simple flower, it is hard to trust all the new varieties out there. I can vouch for 'White Swan' which has thrived very well in an inhospitable area with dry, poor soil.

Yet another variety I planted, 'Fatal Attraction' is hit or miss in a more enriched bed. It has not self-sowed well.

Coneflowers are intriguing me right now - I would like to plant more en masse as they can be hearty, drought tolerant and long lasting.

And now, the varieties can offer more color than ever - in particular I have been eyeing 'Green Jewel.' I also love the brilliant corals and oranges but have yet to find a spot for them.

Poking around the internet, it seems other coneflowers to consider would be 'Fancy Frills' for its whopping five inch, semi and double petaled blooms. It is also said to be strongly fragrant, so if I can find one in a nursery, and it passes the fragrance test, I'll plant some and let everyone know how it goes.

I have been thrilled that coneflowers are being bred for fragrance. The Big Sky varieties are supposed to sport the most fragrance, and a new variety that is quite pretty for its pale blooms is 'Summer Sky,' which is rumored to be the most fragrant yet. It looks like it would be an easy flower to weave into cottage garden designs.

Coneflowers do best in sandy, well-drained loam. They like sun, but I find that the flower color can fade on some of the varieties. Deadheading prolongs bloom, and finches do like the dried seeds, so some people leave the seed heads for the birds. They self-sow when happy, so if you buy into the craze, buy cautiously, you may find you don't need to plant many.

I do have a question on sweet peas I'm going to throw out there: I can get the plants started by seed, but then they grow very slowly, and seem to peter out instead of becoming the lush climbing beauty in the catalogs.

Any tips?