Monday, July 15, 2019

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up July 2019-Summer Long Island Garden

July 2019 Garden
Welcome to my Long Island garden! The month of July has arrived and the garden is in summer mode with new growth and blooms! After a very rainy spring, it was almost like a switch was thrown on the fist day of summer, as the rains became a distant memory and temperatures rose up into the 80's with humidity and sunny skies. It's time for another walk in the garden. Come join me to take in some sights and see what is in bloom!
Patio Garden
The patio planters are in full bloom as we start the tour at the western portion of the property. Along the walkway is a combination of evergreens and flowering perennials.
Garden Planters
In the planters are Mandevilla vine, 'Big Bang' Spirea and Salvia 'Pink Prufusion'. The Spirea came from the front island bed where it was reproducing. I bunched the smaller pieces together and there was enough to create a whole new plant.
Perennial Border July
The Perennial Border that lies just along the patio is showing blooms of Stachys (Lamb's Ear), Astilbe, Daylily 'Pardon Me' and Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' for mid-summer.
Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry'
Here is the Echinacea Pow Wow 'Wild Berry' close up.

Daylily 'Pardon Me'
Let's also get up close and personal with Daylily 'Pardon Me' with its bright colors!
Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
Follow me for a quick detour to the driveway garden where another variety of Echinacea is present. This is Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit' which shows multiple colors of blooms on the same plant! 
Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'
This hybrid has become one of my favorite summer blooming perennials.
Patio Garden
Back along the patio is a pair of garden frogs having a morning cup of tea under the shade of a Globe Blue Spruce, while gazing upon clusters of 'Golden Tiarra' Hosta. The western side of the perennial border that we just visited lies behind them.
Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz'
Along the back foundation the roses are blooming. They never cease to amaze me and the blooms continue from summer and into fall.
Pool Garden
Along the back of the property is the mountain lake pool nestled among the plantings. I have created nooks and crannies where you can view the pool from different angles and get a changing perspective of the different areas of the garden.
Shade Garden
Here is a view from the northern, shadier side of the garden, where Leucothoe 'Auxillaris', Japanese Forest Grass and Hosta thrive. You can just see the pool through the opening.
Daylily 'Stella D Oro'
Stella D' Oro Daylilly enjoys the sunnier area on the more southwestern side of the pool and continues to blooms throughout the summer.
Southern Pool Garden
You may recall that I added these new Sky Pencil Holly to the left pool area last month. They seem to be liking their new home and I have been getting a lot of enjoyment from them!
Garden Whimsy
Astilbe 'Sprite' is blooming for July behind this statue of a young girl and her best friend. Its blooms are different from those of traditional Astilbe, with more of a star-like appearance. They have been in the garden for years. The statue was one I found during travels to Connecticut last fall. It was love at first sight!
 Krauter Vesuvius' Plum Tree July 2019
Speaking of love at first sight, here is the newest addition to the garden. This 'Krauter Vesuvius' Plum replaced the one before it that unfortunately had seen better days. I am hoping this new garden member will thrive in its new home.
Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue'
Here is Hydrangea 'Nikko Blue', a member of the garden for years, with its large deep blue blooms. The mild winter made it a much better year for these traditional plants.
Front Island Berm 2019
The month of July has been busier than usual this year with some renovations to the front garden berm. After some mature trees were removed and replaced with smaller varieties, the area can be seen in a whole new perspective. As a gardener, while it is difficult to part with the old, sometimes it's fun to get to redesign and revamp. I am enjoying the new view.

'Gold Standard' Hosta
Here is a golden Hosta, which is now much more visible.
Front Garden Berm and Japanese Maple 2019
Here is how the rest of the front property looks while viewing from the street side of the  island berm.
Front Lawn
The Weeping Japanese Maples on the front lawn and Blue Atlas Cedar on a second island berm can be viewed in the distance.
Driveway Garden
As we come to the end of this month's tour, here is the western side of the Driveway Garden with Spirea and Weeping Norway Spruce. Across the way is the Skylands Golden Oriental Spruce, which you may have seen in the past.
Welcome Bear!
As another day ends and the sun starts to set, welcome bear's solar light is starting to shine.
July 2019 Garden
I hope you enjoyed the tour of my July garden! Thank you for visiting! 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 Fotos, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling WoodsDishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled RoseImage-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 Homestead Blog Hop  and Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays.

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Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2019. All rights reserved.

Monday, July 1, 2019

This Month in the Garden: Garden Rose Care: Planting, Pruning & General Maintenance

This Month in the Garden: Garden Rose Care:  Planting, Pruning & Maintaining
Welcome to This Month in the Garden for the month of July! A common question I receive as a landscape designer is, "When and how do I prune my roses?" I also get inquiries on the best time to feed roses and how to properly water them. Here are some helpful tips.

Knock Out Rose Radrazz
PLANTING: The best time to plant roses is after the last frost date in early spring when they are dormant or just pushing out new growth. Plant in an area of full sun and dig a hole that is slightly wider than the root ball. Place the rose at ground level or slightly above to allow for proper drainage. Mix a handful of bone meal or super phosphate into the soil while back-filling around the plant and add a layer of mulch to protect the roots. Bare root roses should be planted when the daytime temperatures are between 40 and 60 degrees, while potted roses can be planted anytime between spring and fall.
Pink Carpet Rose
PRUNING: The best time to prune roses is after the last frost date in early spring when they are dormant or just pushing out new growth. Prune out any dead or broken branches to return strength back into the plant. If you are unsure about a branch being alive, gently scrape the bark until you view green underneath. If the layer underlying the bark is not green, the branch is no longer viable, and should be pruned. In the case of Knock Out Roses, Carpet Rose and Drift Rose, I prune my roses back regularly during the growing season to keep the plants full and compact. 
Rose Garden with Drift Rose
FEEDING: Feeding roses is important to retain their vitality and health. It is recommended to apply a slow release fertilizer that is high in phosphorus to promote blooms. There are products on the market that include a combination of a slow release fertilizer along with a systemic fungicide to prevent fungal disease, which roses are prone to.

Peach Drift Rose
WATERING: Roses do not fare well when their foliage is persistently wet. It is best to irrigate rose bushes with drip lines during early morning hours, allowing the water to go directly to the roots and not onto the foliage. Using this method will help to eliminate risk of fungal disease. Water newly planted roses every two to three days and established roses once or twice a week to keep the soil around them moist. Over-watering will cause the leaves of the plant to yellow, while under-watering would result in dry, crumbling foliage. 
This Month in the Garden


I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for July. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. of each month for This Month in the Garden, as I share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! Linking with:  Floral FridaysMacro Monday 2Friday Photo JournalImage-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up and Dishing It & Digging It.

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~As Always...Happy Gardening! ~


Author: Lee@A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2019. All rights reserved.