Thursday, July 15, 2021

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up July: Mid-Summer Blooms!

Welcome to my July Garden
Welcome to my July Long Island Garden for Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up! Thank you for being here. IMPORTANT NOTICE: If you have missed my last post, Blogger has made an announcement that Feedburner will no longer be sending e-mail notifications of new posts, so I am using a new blog subscribe service called follow.it. It has an excellent reputation and is real simple to sign up if you haven't already done so. If you have already been following, you should be receiving a notification from follow.it with a link to accept if you wish to continue receiving posts. Here's more info.  Now, onto the tour!!!
Echibeckia Summerina 'Blazing Fire'
July is welcomed in with this new addition to the garden. It is Echibeckia, which I found at a local farm stand last summer. I tested it out and it is a winner! Echibeckia is a new cultivar derived from a cross between Echinacea (Coneflower) and Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan). It is hardy in zones 7-9, grows 16-24 inches tall, is more disease resistant and the flowers are a wonderful three inches in diameter!
Summer Perennial Border 
Here is a view of the rest of the perennial border with Salvia, Daylilies, Astilbe, Lamb's Ear and Echinacea. It provides me with blooms spring through fall.
Salvia 'May Night'
The bumblebees love the Salvia in the perennial border and it is so nice to view them working away doing their job. Tip:  Deadheading the spent blooms of Salvia will keep more coming for several months!
Back Island Bed Summer Blooms & Foliage
Here in the back island bed is the foliage of Sedum 'Brilliant' (blooms to come!), 'Caramel' and 'Palace Purple' Heuchera (Coral Bells) and more Saliva!
Back Island Bed Evergreens & Flowering Shrubs
Other members of the back island bed include Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta' (center), Mugo Pine (two sides) and dwarf Variegated Weigela 'My Monet' in the foreground with 'Palace Purple' Heuchera to the right. Weigela showed its dainty deep pink blooms back in spring and the Coral Bells are producing their spikes of Baby's-breath-like flowers now.
Western Pool Garden
In the western pool garden, this little statue of children playing leap frog can be spotted tucked away among Sky Pencil Holly and Coral Bells.
More Foliage Combinations
As you probably know, I love foliage combinations and this is just another one to add to the list. Here is the deep green foliage of Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta' (backdrop) with Sedum 'Brilliant' (to the right-light green foliage, pink blooms late summer), 'Palace Purple' Coral Bells (to the left-burgundy foliage, blooms now in mid-summer) and 'Gold Standard' Hosta (in the foreground-blooming now). 
Dwarf Rudbeckia (Black Eyed Susan)
These Dwarf Rudbeckia 'Little Gold Star' is starting to bloom in the back northern garden bed. Kousa Dogwood is behind them and forming its fruit, which will become a bright red hue later in the summer. 
Pool Garden-Daylily 'Sammy Russell Red'
Daylily 'Sammy Russell' is blooming along the waterfall in the pool garden with its bright crimson red blooms with yellow centers. This daylily starts its blooms a little later, following immediately after 'Stella D Oro', which started last month.
Back 'Secret' Garden
Peeking through the Viburnum and behind a Kwanzan Cherry tree is this bird bath, which I turned into a planter this summer with Black Mondo Grass (Ophiopogon planiscapus) and 'Platts Black’ Brass Buttons (Leptinella squalida). Hosta 'Shadowland' is on each side of the planter.
'Secret Garden' Planter
Here is the planter up close!
Back Perimeter Garden Double Pink Knock Out Rose Blooming!
The Double Pink Knock Out Roses are blooming in the back perimeter garden. Knock Out Roses are easy to care for and I get prolonged blooms throughout summer into fall with a little maintenance deadheading.
Back Perimeter Garden
While the roses are blooming on each far end of the perimeter garden, in the center is Weeping Blue Atlas Cedar, bordered by Heuchera (Coral Bells) 'Palace Purple' and 'Caramel'.
A Little Garden Whimsy!
Around the bend on the opposite side of the garden towards the southern side of the property is this little gardening boy watching over things...
St. John's Wort
as St. John's Wort starts blooming in the northwestern 'Secret Garden'. It will continue to provide interest through fall.
Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue'
July is Hydrangea time as this old fashioned 'Nikko Blue' produces its vibrant deep blue blossoms in a more acidic soil. To the left of 'Nikko Blue' is Hydrangea 'Tokyo Delight' with its pinkish-purple lace-cap blooms.
Hydrangea 'Endless Summer'
On the opposite side of the property is 'Endless Summer' Hydrangea. Located in a more basic soil, its blooms are pink. It's nice to enjoy the variety of both colors, and sometimes there is even a little hue of purple to be seen!
Driveway Border
Follow me along to the front of the property as we take a look at the driveway border. Here is 'Skylands' Golden Oriental Spruce, accompanied by yellow Coreopsis 'Zagreb', bluish-purple Nepeta 'Walkers Low' and the burgundy foliage of Weigela 'Spilled Wine'.
Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
Also in the driveway border is Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit', producing its array of multi-colored blooms, all on one plant!
Front Entrance Garden
Here is a view of the front walkway with evergreens Weeping White Pine and Blue Atlas Cedar, along with Japanese Garden Juniper, Variegated Liriope (purple blooms later in summer) and Golden Sedge. Coral Bark Maple and 'Skylands' Spruce are in the backdrop.
Front Island Bed
Osmanthus Goshiki (Fasle Holly) is doing well in its second season on the front island bed. It is accompanied by Hosta and Weeping Norway Spruce, with Weeping Japanese Maple and Blue Atlas Cedar, each seen in the distance.
Herb & Vegetable Planters
Last, but not least is the herb and vegetable planters on the back patio. An assortment of  Parsley, Basil, Spearmint, and two types of Cherry Tomatoes are grown for our enjoyment and for cooking too!
Thank you for Visiting!
Thank you for visiting my July garden. As always, I enjoy hearing from you and seeing what's growing in your neck of the woods! Special thanks go out to our hostess Carol at May Dreams Gardens, who makes it possible to see blooms on the 15th of every month with her meme Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Also, special thanks to Pam Penick at Digging who has hosted Foliage Follow-Up for all these years, a meme I will still continue to honor. I am also linking with some other wonderful hosts and hostesses at Floral Friday FotosMacro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling WoodsImage-in-ing weekly photo share every Tuesday with NC Sue and Gardens Galore Link Up Party every other Monday with Everyday Living. I am also happy to join the Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden

A GUIDE TO NORTHEASTERN GARDENING NEWS:

If you are a gardener or wanting to learn more about garden design and maintenance, you may enjoy my books. To learn more, visit My Author Page. I have written four books to pass along my knowledge and experiences as a landscape designer and gardener, which I have been all my life! They are A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9, Landscape Design Combinations, Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener and my latest Gardening by Month: A Monthly Guide to Planning the Northeastern & Mid-Atlantic Garden. If you have read and enjoyed any of my books, please share with a friend, plus reviews are greatly appreciated!

Be well and As Always...Happy Gardening! 😊

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

Saturday, July 3, 2021

Announcement: New Blog Subscription for A Guide to Northeastern Gardening

Welcome to A Guide to Northeastern Gardening
To my regular readers, first of all, thank you for following A Guide to Northeastern Gardening. I will continue to post, but you may no longer receive new post updates due to the notification I received from Blogger, that google will no longer be supporting the Follow By E-Mail widget (Feedburner) as of sometime in July.  I have set up a new e-mail subscription service which is located at the top of my page (upper right hand side) so that you can continue to follow posts through an app called follow. it.  I am not sure exactly what date Goggle will be discontinuing this service, and do apologize for any inconvenience. This new service has excellent reviews, takes privacy seriously, and offers options for customizing your subscription deliveries for your convenience. 

How the new app Works:

At the top right side of A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, you will see a new Follow widget. When clicked on, a page will come up that will appear like the picture below. It will come up as follow Landscape Design By Lee: A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, which is me (www.landscapedesignbylee.blogspot.com)! If you have already been a regular follower, you should receive a confirmation e-mail from follow.it to confirm your subscription. Click on confirm to continue receiving posts as usual.

If by chance you do not receive an invite, simply enter your email, click “subscribe,” and then look for the confirmation email in your inbox. Check your spam folder if you don’t get it after a few minutes. Confirm that you’d like to subscribe by clicking the confirmation link in that email. Look for posts on the 1st and 15th of each month and if for some reason you do not receive notifications, please check your spam folder and un-spam follow.it in your contacts so you can continue to receive recent posts. If you don’t already subscribe to A Guide to Northeastern Gardening and would like to do so, just follow the steps above. It's easy and free! For my regulars, the posts will come to you as usual, just under a new service.

Thank you for Visiting A Guide to Northeastern Gardening
Thank you for subscribing! I love seeing you here and it gives me such joy that you are enjoying reading my blog. I will continue to provide interesting and informative posts to the best of my ability, hope to see you around, and will be around to visit you as well!

As Always...Happy Gardening! 😊

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.

Thursday, July 1, 2021

Pollinator Friendly Perennials & Shrubs

This Month in the Garden: Pollinator Friendly Perennials & Shrubs
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! For the month of July and start of summer, pollinator-friendly plants are the topic of discussion. With the declining population of bees, it is important now more than ever to include plants in your garden that are helpful to these important members of our ecosystem. Besides the infamous Milkweed, there are numerous long-blooming selections that will not only add color and fragrance to your garden, but will help to attract the well-needed pollinators and give you enjoyment throughout the spring-fall season!
Double Knock Out Rose
For beautiful blooms starting in spring that are pollinator friendly, Knock Out Rose is an excellent choice. These prolific blooming shrubs are hardy to USDA zone 5 and have a bloom cycle that starts in spring and lasts well into frost. Knock Out Roses grow to 3-4 feet high by wide and should be grown in full sun in a well-drained soil. They do not require any special care but can be pruned in early spring after the threat of frost is gone to keep them full. They do not require deadheading but if desired you can remove spent blooms to encourage more blooms. They are the most disease resistant roses on the market and are not susceptible to black-spot fungal disease.  Note: Roses prefer to be watered from the bottom to avoid fungal issues on the leaves.
Salvia 'May Night' (Meadow Sage)
Salvia nemerosa 'May Night' displays deep purple blooms from late May through July on 12-18 inch spikes and is hardy in USDA Zone 3-9. Salvia prefer to be grown in full sun in a moist, yet well-drained soil and are drought tolerant once established in the garden. With regular pinching back of spent blooms, this beautiful perennial can have a repeat performance all the way through fall. Other varieties of Salvia include, but are not limited to, 'April Night' (earlier blooming) 'East Friesland' (later blooming), and 'Caradonna' (taller). 
Veronica (Spiked Speedwell) Magic Show 'Royal Candles'
Veronica Magic Show 'Royal Candles' (Spiked Speedwell) is known for its prolific blooms from late spring through fall. Hardy in USDA zones 3-8, this hummingbird and bee-friendly perennial displays spikes of deep purple-blue flowers above attractive deep green foliage on a 15-18 inch tall plant. Plant Veronica in full sun to part shade in a moderately moist soil and enjoy its beauty all summer long.
Veronica (Spiked Speedwell) 'Purplegum Candles' 
Hardy in USDA zones 4-8, Veronica spicata 'Purplegum Candles' is another compact upright Veronica producing pinkish-purple blooms starting in early to mid-summer and lasting through autumn on a 14-16 inch high plant. Plant 'Purplegum Candles' in a location with full sun to part shade and a moderately moist soil. This plant is a major attraction for hummingbirds and bees.
Nepeta (Catmint) 'Walkers Low'
Nepeta 'Walkers Low', a dwarf form of nepeta with gray-green aromatic foliage, produces large violet-blue  flowers that bloom all summer long. Nepeta 'Walkers Low' is drought tolerant and deer resistant.  It can be grown in full sun to partial shade and forms round compact mounds.  This perennial goes well with coreopsis and daylily and is hardy in zones 3-8. Other forms of dwarf, more compact Nepeta include 'Walkers Low Junior', 'Blue Wonder' and 'Little Titch'. Nepeta can be easily pruned to maintain its shape.
Coreopsis (Tickseed) 'Zagreb'
Hardy in USDA zones 3-9, Coreopsis 'Zagreb' is a popular favorite for areas of full sun and produces a clump of delicate, ferny foliage, with an abundance of bright, golden yellow daisies throughout summer on 12-18 inch fern-like stalks. Coreopsis prefers a well-drained soil and can withstand drought-like conditions once established. Coreopsis will spread so plant it in a place where you have plenty of room and enjoy its beauty. Coreopsis is complemented nicely by either salvia or nepeta. Also, look out for all the newer cultivars of Coreopsis, including 'Daybreak' and 'Sunkiss', each displaying yellow blooms with orange centers.
Hemerocallis (Daylily) 'Stella D Oro'
June blooming 'Stella D' Oro' Daylily brings in summer with continuous bright yellow blooms from late spring until frost. This is by far the most popular Daylily selection of all time, performing well in zones 4-11, and flowering for months on end. 'Stella D Oro' forms a dense clump of grassy green foliage, with upright stems of mildly fragrant, golden yellow trumpet flowers on 24-30 inch stems. Plant Daylily in an area receiving full sun to partial shade in a well-drained soil with moderate watering. Removing spent bloom stalks and foliage will increase bloom time well into autumn.
Echibeckia 'Summerina 'Blazing Fire'
A new cultivar is here, combining the features of Echinacea and Rudbeckia all into one! Hardy in USDA zones 7-9, Echibeckia Summerina 'Blazing Fire' grows to a height and width of 16-24 inches high by 18-24 inches wide and prefers full sun. It's blooms that are much larger than those of its parent cultivars are on display from early summer to autumn and are a wonderful attraction for pollinators! 
Echinacea (Coneflower) 'Cheyenne Spirit'
One of the newer hybrids of Coneflower, Echinacea Cheyenne Spirit features daisy-like blooms in vivid shades of orange, red, rosy-red, yellow, purple and cream surrounding a large brown cone all on the same plant! 'Cheyenne Spirit' is hardy in USDA zones 4-10, blooms early summer to fall and prefers full sun and moderate watering in a well-drained soil. Drought tolerant once established, this perennial is also cold hardy, disease resistant, heat tolerant, humidity tolerant and pest resistant. This herbaceous perennial has a mature size of 24-30" tall by 18-24" wide and displays a full upright habit. Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' is ideal for sunny borders, mass plantings, massing in cottage gardens and cut flowers
Lillium 'Stargazer' (Asiatic Lily)
Bringing in mid-late summer, Lillium 'Stargazer' is known for its beautiful coloration and very fragrant blooms. 'Stargazer' grows in clumps that are 12-16 inches in width and reaches a height of 36 inches and blooms from July-August. It is hardy in USDA zones 4 to 10 and prefers to be grown in full sun in a slightly acidic and rich, well-drained soil. 'Stargazer' can be easily divided by digging up bulbs and re-planting (best done in fall). 'Stargazer' is a prolific bloomer that thrives in the garden and is an attraction to pollinators. 
Buddleia (Dwarf Butterfly Bush) 'Blue Chip'
Hardy in zones 4-9 and blooming later in summer, Buddleia Lo & Behold 'Blue Chip' is a dwarf cultivar of Butterfly Bush, displaying delicate arching branches and colorful nectar filled flowers that are a major attraction for Hummingbirds and butterflies. Lo and Behold 'Blue Chip' displays a low mounding compact habit, growing to approximately 24-26 inches high by 30-36 inches wide. Its neater well branched habit makes it an ideal addition in tighter spaces or small gardens. Another dwarf variety of Buddleia is 'Pugster Blue'. This cultivar displays elongated  deep purple blooms on a compact plant, and the pollinators love it!

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! (Linking with: Floral FridaysMacro Monday 2Ruby Tuesday and Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up.


For gardening info and tips: Visit my Author Page/Purchase My Books  Be sure to check out my newest book: Gardening by Month for 12-months of interest in the landscape!😊
Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2021. All rights reserved.