Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow Up June 2019: Blooms, Blooms, Blooms!

Welcome to my June Garden!

Welcome to the month of June in my Long Island garden. It's a busy time of year, but I try to embrace as much time as possible in the garden. As daily temperatures rise up into the 70's, with frequent night time precipitation, there is something new to enjoy every day and as you know, the garden is what brings me joy. I am so glad you could stop by and visit. Come along and take a look!

Perennial Border June

The perennial border really comes to life in June with Peony 'Bartzella', Salvia 'May Night' and Lamb's Ear, followed in procession by Astilbe, Daylily and Coneflower. The Astilbe will start flowering any day now, as you can see a pink glow to the flower stalks which rise above the foliage.

Itoh Peony 'Bartzella'

A few years back I purchased Itoh Peony 'Bartzella', which is a cross between a herbaceous and tree form of Peony. It displays long-lasting large yellow blooms with a golden-orange center on sturdy stalks. It is by far one of the most enjoyable plants I have in my garden. While I love all my plants equally, this addition provides so much joy from the end of May into mid-June.

Itoh Peony 'Bartzella' Blooms

Here are the blooms closer up.

Japanese Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves'

Next is Japanese Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves'. This is a newer hybrid of Japanese Dogwood that I became familiar with just a few years back, and of course, I had to have one! It produces a profusion of lime-green blooms during the month of June.

Kousa Dogwood 'Greensleeves' Blooms

The dainty blooms resemble stars and remain on the tree for several weeks, so there is much to enjoy here.

Hosta 'Frances Williams'

This 'Frances Williams' Hosta is located just behind the Dogwood tree. I just realized that it has doubled in size over the past couple of years, probably due to all the rain we have been getting. It now measures two and a half feet in diameter!

Iris Garden

I have made mention of my mother's iris garden in the past and even wrote about it in my latest book, Dream, Garden, Grow! The iris garden exists on the eastern side of the property where my mom had planted it while I was a child. Over the years, some ferns have sneaked their way in, but the original iris still remain. I wouldn't part with it for the world and it is a constant reminder of my mom.

Spirea 'Magic Carpet'

Here is Spirea 'Magic Carpet'. It fits its name perfectly with its array of changing colors of foliage from spring to fall, accompanied by large shocking pink blooms. It puts on quite the show!

Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz'

June is a wonderful time for Knock Out Rose 'Radrazz' with its first fragrant blooms, which can be enjoyed from the moment I walk out onto the patio. I have always believed in the saying that one should always "take time to smell the roses", so I make it a regular routine to do just that. These blooms will repeat themselves all the way through fall.

Pool Surround Garden

The pool was opened just a couple of weeks ago and is ready for summer. I have been tending to the garden doing the routine pruning and weeding. Every year the Weeping Japanese Maple cascades its branches over the juniper below, so some minor trimming is on the to-do list! 

Rhododendron and Azalea

The Rhododendron and Azalea in the backdrop of the pool garden just got finished blooming, but I had to include a view of how they looked. 

Ilex 'Sky Pencil'

Newly added are the Sky Pencil Holly in the pool surround garden. The spirea took a hit with the extreme cold we experienced over the past winter, so it was time for something new. I am enjoying their narrow form, as they are perfect for viewing the foliage of Heuchera 'Caramel' behind them. Next, we need a little mulch refreshing!

Ilex 'Sky Pencil' June Blooms

I never realized that these narrow holly formed pretty little buttercup-like blooms that are inconspicuous until you approach the plant.

Allium 'Globemaster' June

Coming around to the front of the pool garden, Allium 'Globemaster' is making its statement with its large purple balls of star-like blooms, which last from May to July.

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake'

Viburnum 'Summer Snowflake' is showing off its delicate flowers that resemble snowflakes. This shrub will produce on and off blooms throughout the summer.

Skylands Golden Oriental Spruce

Here is Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce on the other side of the garden, joined by Azalea and Shadowland Hosta.

Double Red Knock Out Rose

The roses are blooming...the roses are blooming. Here are the Double Red Knock Outs on the northern fence (with southwestern exposure!)

Succulent Planter 2019

Before we end the tour, come check out my use of strawberry planters. Every year I enjoy making up succulent displays for the patio by combining the foliage of Sempervivum along with various species of Sedum. It's fun to just go to the nursery. select a bunch of plants and just play!  I usually produce two planters, one for each side of the patio.

Succulent Planter 2019

Here is the second planter with some other foliage combinations. Each species of Sedum will also produce blooms throughout the season. Each of these low maintenance planters require minimal watering and will provide interest all summer and into fall.

Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my June 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 Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-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.

For gardening and design inspiration along with personal musings...

Visit my Author Page/Purchase My Books

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations and my latest...

Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

As Always...Happy Gardening!

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

This Month in the Garden-Cottage Gardening: A Timeless Tradition of Past and Present

Cottage Style Gardening

Welcome to This Month in the Garden! The very familiar and popular concept known as “cottage style" gardening actually dates back to the 14^th century prior to Elizabethan times. The earliest cottage gardens had more emphasis on vegetables, herbs and fruit trees, and were thought to be created by workers for the purpose of growing food for household consumption. Unlike today, flowers were occasionally used to fill spaces simply for decoration. In later years, the Cottage style garden was more admired for its informal design, dense traditional plantings, and mixture of ornamental and edible plants. During the 1870’s, cottage gardens went through a major transformation with the development of formal estate gardens, which led to the planting of masses of greenhouse annuals and roses enclosed in “garden rooms” consisting of boxwood hedge. The Arts and Crafts movement during the late 19th century focused on a return to the informal romantic planting style of the traditional English garden and well-known 19 century authors such as William Robinson and Gertrude Jekyll helped to popularize cottage garden design as we know it today.

Thatched Cottage at Old Westbury Gardens, Long Island, NY

By the early 20th century the term "cottage garden" was described to be a large and sophisticated garden in which color harmony were carefully planned and controlled. The famous 1910 Hidcote Manor in the United Kingdom is one of the best-known and most influential Arts and Crafts gardens in Britain, with its linked "garden rooms" of hedges, rare trees, shrubs and herbaceous borders. Vita-Sackville-West, English poet, novelist, and garden designer had implemented similar models for her 1930’s cottage garden at Sissinghurst Castle, where her idea of a cottage garden was a place where, as she put it, "the plants grow in a jumble, flowering shrubs mingled with Roses, herbaceous plants with bulbous subjects, climbers scrambling over hedges, seedlings coming up wherever they have chosen to sow themselves". The cottage garden in France was a development of the early 20th century Monet's garden, a sprawling garden full of varied plantings, rich colors, and water gardens. In modern times, the term "cottage garden" is used to describe any number of informal garden styles, using design and plants very different from their traditional English cottage garden origins.

Allium in Walled Garden Old Westbury Garden

Modern cottage gardens are associated with an assortment of roses: shrub roses, climbing roses, and old garden roses with lush foliage. The newer hybrid English roses introduced by David Austin are very popular in modern day cottage gardens because of their old-fashioned look with multi-petaled, fragrant, rosette-shaped flowers combined with hardiness and disease-resistance. Many modern cottage gardens also include the use of native plantings and those adapted to the local climate. Other plants incorporated into cottage style gardens include hedging plants such as boxwood, holly, Hawthorn, Elderberry, laurel and Privet. Flowering herbs and perennials in include lavender, catmint, thyme, sage, wormwood, feverfew, lungwort, hyssop, and sweet woodruff. Fruiting trees include the planting of crabapple, dogwood and cherry. 

Cottage/Traditional Style Perennial Border

A well-planned cottage garden can be a beautiful addition to your space and be a great haven for pollinators, such as butterflies, bees and hummingbirds. As a landscape designer, I try to incorporate a mix of "cottage style" plantings with traditional plantings to create a colorful garden which has all season interest and requires less maintenance. A favorite hybrid garden I created is this mix of perennials with evergreen and flowering shrubs. A weeping Pussy Willow is surrounded by fragrant deep pink Peony 'Karl Rosenfeld' with an understory of colorful purple 'Salvia May Night'. A natural stone path leads from the patio to lawn area and is followed by a collection of Peony 'Bartzella', Astilbe, Daylily, Allium, Salvia and Lamb's Ear, accompanied by the decorative foliage of Hosta. 

 Clockwise (Left to Right: Allium 'Globemaster', Lamb's Ear, Astilbe 'Visions in Red', Stella D' Oro Daylily, Peony 'Karl Rosenfeld', Salvia 'May Night' and Peony 'Bartzella')

Although often overlooked, plant form is another useful attribute. An extension of the garden incorporates various colorful weeping, globe and spreading evergreens, such as Weeping Norway Spruce, Juniper, Chamaecyparis, Blue Globe Spruce and Dwarf White Pine. Ornamental/Flowering shrubs include hydrangea, rhododendron, azalea, weeping Japanese Maple, Dogwood, Crape Myrtle, flowering Plum and Cherry. Masses of perennials in odd numbers of three, five and seven offer an informal cottage-garden feel throughout the garden, while the color and texture of evergreens and flowering shrubs add an update to the traditional style. Ornamental grasses can also be incorporated to create interest and flow while planters with herbs can be added and used for cooking. Cottage gardening has evolved over the centuries, but remains a timeless tradition, and the right combination of colorful perennials, evergreens and flowering shrubs can create an informal and inviting atmosphere.

Extension of Garden

I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for June. 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 Fridays, Macro Monday 2, Friday Photo Journal, Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up and Dishing It & Digging It.

Visit My Author Page/Purchase My Books

~As Always...Happy Gardening! ~

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

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up May 2019: Blooms Everywhere!

Welcome to my Garden!

Welcome to my garden! Out of all the gardening months, I must say that May is one of my favorites. In the past couple of weeks with temperatures in the upper 50's to mid-upper 60's and frequent rain, the garden has come to life once again with bright new foliage emerging and blooms everywhere. Come along and stroll with me in my Long Island May garden.

Hellebore

One of the most exciting and unexpected blooms in the garden right now are the blooms of this Hellebore I planted two years ago. It was small when I got it and it never really did anything but struggle to stay alive. While all the other Hellebores bloomed during the winter months, I was surprised to see this one just producing its first blooms!

Garden Gal with Kitty

Strolling around the corner to the side pool garden are the Girard's Fuchsia Azalea with their brilliant blooms right on schedule. They provide a colorful backdrop behind Garden Gal and her kitty.

Kwanzan Cherry 

Here is the the maturing Kwanzan Cheery tree which is going on its third year in the garden. I cannot get over just how beautiful and magnificent the blooms are on this tree, and could gaze at them forever. I just wish the flowers would last longer, but I'll enjoy the show for now!

Kwanzan Cherry Blossom

Here are the delicate pink blooms up close.

South Garden

In the south garden with the Kwanzan, you can see the Rhododendron are forming their buds and that there are more Gerard's Fuschia Azaleas blooming. The Nepeta is expanding by the day with all the rainfall and should be blooming soon. 

Allium Globemaster in Pool Garden

I enjoy seeing the Allium Globemaster getting taller by the day and forming their buds, which will open in late May to early June. 'Limemound' Spirea, Weeping Japanese Maple and 'Stella D Oro' Daylily can be seen in the backdrop with all their new foliage!

West Garden

As we stroll around the backside of the pool garden you can view the Golden Skyland's Spruce going on its third year with Rhododendron and Azalea.

Azalea Girard's 'Fuschia;

Here are the Azalea up close!

Ajuga, Heuchera and Sedum Foliage and Bloom Combo

If you have visited my gardens before, you are familiar with this combo of Ajuga 'Burgundy Glow', Heuchera 'Caramel' and Sedum 'Brilliant', which is prominent every spring. Salvia 'May Night' is also in the planting, which provides the purple touch later on once the Ajuga is done.

Perennial Border

It wouldn't be Bloom Day without visiting the Perennial Border. Here it is in spring mode with Peony, Salvia, Lamb's Ear, Astilbe, Daylily, Hosta and Echinacea, Next month the blooms will be at their peak!

Heuchera and Sedum

Here is another look at the foliage of Heuchera 'Caramel' and Sedum 'Brilliant' together.

Driveway Border

Heading towards the driveway border on the southeastern side of the property is the mature Skyland's Golden Oriental Spruce, now eleven years on the property since it was planted back in 2008 in memory of my mom.

Pier Garden

Next to the spruce is Coral Bark Maple 'Sango Kaku' with Nepeta, Coreopsis, Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress and Boxwood. I love the brand new foliage on the Maple!

Weeping Norway Spruce, Spirea, Garden Juniper and Heuchera

On the other side of the driveway planting is Weeping Norway Spruce with Spirea 'Magic Carpet', Japanese Garden Juniper, 'Purple Palace' Coral Bells and Variegated Iris. Follow along to the eastern area of the front yard. Here are the two weeping Japanese Maples that are each over twenty years old.

Front Lawn: Weeping Japanese Maples

The green variety is 'Viridis' and spans fifteen feet in diameter and reaches about eight feet in height. The red variety is smaller at about ten feet in diameter and six feet tall. I realize their true size when they tower above me while standing next to them!

Back North Garden

As we come full circle to the back gardens, you can get a glimpse of another Weeping Norway Spruce along with a Dwarf White Pine and Blue Globe Spruce. I am known to be a huge fan of dwarf and ornamental evergreens as stables in the design of the garden.

Back Garden Island

Here is a Dwarf Compact Hinoki Cypress (Hinoki Compacta 'Nana') in the back raised island bed. You can now get a full view the entire area we visited before with the combination of Ajuga, Heuchera and Sedum.

Strawberries in Herb Garden

Last, but not least is a new variety of strawberry from Proven Winners, known as 'Berried Treasure'. It displays these lovely reddish-pink blooms before the strawberries. I get just as much enjoyment from the flowers as I do from the delicious fruit!

Thanks for stopping by!

May Garden

I hope you enjoyed your stroll through my May garden. 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 Woods, Dishing It & Digging It on Sunday with Angie the Freckled Rose, Image-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 on Wednesdays.

For gardening and design inspiration along with personal musings...

Visit my Author Page/Purchase My Books

A Guide to Northeastern Gardening: Journeys of a Garden Designer Zones 3-9

Landscape Design Combinations
Dream, Garden, Grow!-Musings of a Lifetime Gardener

~As Always...Happy Gardening!~

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

This Month in the Garden: Broad-Leaved Evergreens for All-Season Beauty and Interest

Broad-leaved evergreens

Broad-leaved evergreens are a beautiful addition to the landscape for all season interest and are an excellent addition to just about any space. There are numerous varieties to choose from, ranging in color, size and shape, with several dwarf varieties available. Mainly known for their attractive foliage, many also produce springtime blooms for additional interest. Here are ten of my all-time favorite broad-leaved evergreens with descriptions, planting requirements and hardiness.

Aucuba japonica 'Variegata'

'Gold Dust' Japanese Aucuba displays striking gold variegated foliage and is perfect for shadier areas in the garden. Hardy in USDA zones 6-10, Aucuba grows to a height and width of 4-6 feet and prefers to be grown in partial to full shade. The beautiful bright green foliage is so heavily speckled with gold that it displays an overall yellow-green appearance. Female plants may produce berries if a male pollinator such as Aucuba 'Mr. Goldstrike' is planted nearby.

Ilex crenata Hoogendorn (Holly)

There are many varieties of holly available in a range of shapes and sizes to choose from.  An excellent choice for use in foundation plantings, shrub borders, as a low hedge or in mass plantings, Ilex ‘Hoogendorn’ is a dense low growing and compact evergreen with excellent dark green shiny flat leaves. Hardy in USDA zones 6-9, this species of holly has impressive cold resistance and is very reminiscent of boxwood. Ilex ‘Hoogendorn’ is a moderate grower, displaying a mounding habit, while reaching a mature size of just 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.

Leucothoe 'Axillaris' (Coast Leucothoe)

Leucothoe is an attractive low-growing, evergreen shrub displaying a spreading, vase-like shape with arching branches. Hardy in USDA zones 5-8, this shrub features thick, shiny, dark green leaves with clusters of slightly fragrant, heather-like, white flowers which appear in mid-spring. In winter, leaves turn a purplish-bronze hue, adding even more interest to the landscape. Leucothoe matures to a height of 2-4 feet tall and width of 3-5 feet wide, and prefers to be grown in partial to full shade.

Buxus 'Green Gem' (Boxwood)

Boxwood is an easy to grow evergreen, available in many shapes and sizes, and suitable for a range of conditions from full sun to partial shade. Hardy in USDA zones 4-9, this variety, 'Green Gem’, is a more compact slow-grower, reaching a height of just 2 feet tall by wide. This mounding evergreen displays an almost perfectly round-naturally oval form and dense foliage makes it perfect for low hedges or for use in a foundation planting. Oval glossy dark green leaves hold their color well in winter.

Euonymus 'Silver King'

There are many varieties of Euonymus and ‘Silver King’ is one of the most versatile. Hardy in USDA zones 6-9, ‘Silver King’ displays silvery white margins on glossy green leaves in an upright narrow habit that adds unique color and texture to the landscape. Euonymus prefers to be grown in full sun to partial shade with moderate watering. Shrub size averages 5-9 feet tall by 2-3-foot wide and can be maintained at a desired height. This shrub serves nicely being grouped to form a low screen and tolerates poor soils and heat.

Skimmia japonica (Female plant bears berries)

Skimmia japonica is an excellent small evergreen shrub for shady areas, especially where deer damage can be an issue. Foliage is dark green with bright red berries that form on female plants in fall and often last throughout winter. Foliage turns to a bronze hue in autumn, adding color to the landscape. Skimmia is hardy within USDA zones 6-9, prefers partial to full shade, a moist acidic soil rich in organic matter and moderate watering. The plant stays compact at 3-4 feet high by wide and has a low, mounding habit. A male pollinator is required nearby for the female plants to bear fruit.

Azalea 'Gumpo'

Azalea 'Gumpo' is a dwarf compact evergreen hardy in USDA zones 7-9 that displays showy salmon-pink blooms in late spring. This low growing hybrid reaches a compact height and width of just 2 feet tall by 3 feet wide, making it an excellent candidate for use in foundation plantings, woodland settings and in planters. 'Gumpo' prefers to be grown in filtered sun, such as an area with morning sun and afternoon shade, and requires moderate watering. This versatile plant can have a range of uses in the landscape.

Rhododendron catawbiense 'English Roseum'

Rhododendron is a popular dense-growing evergreen shrub which is highly valued by many. Rhododendron 'English Roseum' displays oblong leathery dark green foliage which is accompanied by large trusses of trumpet-shaped lilac-pink showy flowers in mid-late spring. This variety of rhododendron is hardy in USDA zones 4-8, prefers full sun to partial shade and moderate watering. ‘English Roseum’ is a moderate grower, reaching a height and width of 6-8 feet in the landscape. 

Skip Laurel

Skip Laurel is a popular evergreen shrub with a narrow habit, making it an excellent choice for backdrops and screenings where space is limited. Skip Laurel is hardy in USDA zones 6-8, can be grown in a variety of conditions ranging from full sun to full shade and prefers moderate watering. White spire-like flowers accompany the dark foliage in mid-spring, adding excellent interest, especially in shady locations. Skip Laurel grows to a height of 8-10 feet tall by 4-8 feet wide and should be provided with adequate drainage.

Pieris Cavatine (Dwarf Andromeda)

Japanese Andromeda ‘Cavatine’ is a cold hardy, dwarf version of Andromeda. This small, low mounding evergreen is hardy in USDA zones 4-8 and provides year-round interest in the landscape. In early spring, the shrub is almost completely covered with bell-shaped, creamy white blooms that resemble Lilly of the Valley, followed by attractive dark green foliage throughout the rest of the season. ‘Cavatine’ is slow growing, reaching a height of just 18-24 inches tall by 24-30 inches wide and prefers partial to full shade.

For information on winter care of broad-leaved evergreens, visit 

Winterizing Evergreens or General Tree & Shrub Care.

Visit My Author Page/Purchase My Books

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 Fridays, Macro Monday 2, Friday Photo Journal, Image-in-ing Weekly Photo Link-Up and Dishing It & Digging It, 

~As Always...Happy Gardening ~

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