Welcome to Landscape Design By Lee: A Guide To Northeastern Gardening

Saturday, October 15, 2022

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up October-Fall Has Arrived in the Garden!

Welcome to my October Garden!
Welcome! Fall has officially arrived with daytime temperatures moderating into the sixties, autumn blooms, changing colors and a new crispness in the air.  It's time to stroll in the garden and enjoy nature's ever-changing beauty. Come along with me on a tour of my Long Island garden!
Montauk Daisies and Lavender
Autumn is Montauk Daisy season, so let's start the tour with its blooms alongside the purple blooms of Lavender in the patio garden. Daisies were my mother's favorite flower, so I think of her each time I pass these by.
Pollinator on Montauk Daisy
As other flowers fade, these new blooms not only bring interest to the garden, but make the bumblebees happy too!
A Little Bit of Garden Whimsy
As we venture around the raised garden bed in the back lawn, a little bit of whimsy awaits around the corner. The educator in me couldn't resist purchasing this statue of children reading, and I knew exactly where it belonged.  It is amazing how something so simple can bring so much joy to the garden!
Platycodon (Balloon Flower)
Along the patio garden, Platycodon 'Komachi' is still in bloom with its vibrant blue flowers and foliage turning to hues of deep burgundy.
Lamb's Ear in Fall
Stachys (Lamb's Ear) is always attractive in the garden with its soft white foliage. In fall it is even more pronounced against the dried seed heads of Astilbe.
Sedum 'Brilliant' Autumn Hues
Sedum 'Brilliant' is still showing off its blooms along the pool garden. I love how they turn a deeper pink to burgundy this time of year.
Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime' Autumn
This Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime' has now been in my garden for two years and is doing very well. The blooms start off as pale green, turn to white in summer, then to a pinkish hue in fall, continuing the interest.
Sedum Mix Autumn
This Sedum groundcover mix never disappoints, as it thrives along the pool garden in full sun. I enjoy how the colors change throughout the seasons.
Dwarf Globe Blue Spruce 'Montgomery' and Sedum Mix
A dwarf Globe Spruce 'Montgomery' resides behind the groundcover, adding a touch of blue throughout the entire year.
Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima'
Autumn is Maiden Grass time, so here is Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima' displaying its wispy plumes which dance in the wind!
Shade Garden
The foliage of Magnolia 'Royal Star' is starting to change to hues of pale green and yellow as the foliage of  Hosta turns to golden-brown. The evergreens in the shade area will keep the garden going through winter.
St. John's Wort in Autumn
St. John's Wort is still showing off its bright red fruit and even had a few lingering yellow flowers up to just a couple of weeks ago.
Kousa Dogwood Fruit!
The Kousa Dogwood is producing its edible fruit which can be used for jams and jellies, and the birds love it too!
Hemerocallis 'Stella D' Oro' Daylily Still Blooming!
After a rejuvenation in late summer, the Stella D'Oro Daylily are going through another round of new foliage and blooms, which should continue through several more weeks.
Double Red Knock Out Roses Autumn
Double Knock Out Rose blooms from summer to frost, and just keeps on giving! I have found this variety to be one of the best roses available and relatively low maintenance. Even after the first snowfall, one can see hints of red buds peaking through a covering of dusty white.
Leucothoe 'Rainbow' Autumn Foliage
A relatively new addition to the garden, planted just three years ago, 'Rainbow Leucothoe' is known for its wonderful foliage that changes in color throughout the seasons. Depending on the time of year, foliage can be molted green with cream or pink highlights, or burgundy highlights that become more pronounced as the weather cools.
Liriope Blooms (Lilyturf)
Adding interest to the garden in late summer through fall is Variegated Liriope (Lilyturf) with its deep purple blooms that rise above its green and creamy-white foliage.
It's Pumpkin and Chrysanthemum Season!
 Fall is here for sure, so the pumpkin is out and so are the Chrysanthemums...
Front Lawn Autumn View: Weeping Japanese Maple 'Viridis'
and along the front lawn, an array of changing color has begun.
Happy Fall!
As we end the tour, I share one of my favorite quotes from Albert Camus. "Autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower."...and so true! On that note, be well and enjoy the beauty of the season!
Thank you for Visiting!
I hope you enjoyed your visit to my October garden and as always, I look forward to your comments and visiting your garden too! 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, Friday Bliss at Floral Passions, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, 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 Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.

Posted by at 13 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: Long Island, NY 11782, USA

Saturday, October 1, 2022

This Month in the Garden: Feature Flowering Shrub Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band'

Feature Flowering Shrub: Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band'
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! There's a new hydrangea in town and it is called Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band'. I have been testing this Proven Winners cultivar for two years now and it has proven to be cold resistant enough to thrive in a planter on my back patio, while maintaining an abundance of long-lasting blooms on a compact plant. 
Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Springtime/Summer
Growing to a mature size of just 2.6 feet tall by wide, this newer cultivar is hardy in USDA zones 5-9 and combines the best features of mophead flowers, displaying large colorful pink, blue or purple flowers (pink in alkaline soil, blue in acidic soil and purple in neutral soil) on a stronger plant that better withstands winter temperatures and reblooms from late spring until frost. 
Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Late Summer
For best performance, plant Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' in a moist well-drained soil in partial shade. Morning sun and afternoon shade is ideal for this plant. This cultivar blooms on both old and new wood and may be shaped to keep more compact; however, all mophead hydrangea are best not to be pruned, as it can have a negative effect on the number of blooms. It is best to only prune out dead or damaged branches once the plant pushes out new growth in spring. To keep your plants healthy and to encourage more robust blooms, apply a slow-release fertilizer in early and late spring. Adding a layer of mulch around the base of the plant will help to conserve moisture and serve as protection from severe cold during the winter months.
Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Autumn
The default color for most mophead hydrangea is pink in a neutral soil (pH 7.0) and higher and will turn towards blue in a more acidic soil containing aluminum sulfate. In a soil with a pH of 6.5 or under, a bluer tone is present. I presently have my hydrangea in a neutral potting soil and am loving blooms that start off as a vibrant pink in springtime, then slowly change to deeper tones of pinkish red to welcome in fall.
Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' Autumn
I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for October and if you are looking for a new compact, long blooming hydrangea, this one is a winner in my zone 7a garden! 
Let's Dance Hydrangea Series Size Chart (Photo Credit: Proven Winners)

Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! For more information on Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band', visit the Proven Winners website. Until we meet again...be well, and as always...Happy Gardening!

 For gardening inspiration and design tips visit: My Author Page and Books

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening, © Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved. 

Posted by at 2 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , ,
Location: Long Island, NY 11782, USA

Thursday, September 15, 2022

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day & Foliage Follow-Up September Late Summer Garden Interest

Welcome to my Long Island Garden!

Tree of Life
As the summer winds down and the seasons are changing, there are slight hints of autumn with more comfortable temperatures in the 70's to lower 80's and finally some rainfall after seven weeks of drought like conditions. It was one of the hottest and driest summers I can remember here growing up on Long Island.  As the garden is officially in late summer mode, there are blooms to look forward to keep the garden going through fall, with more surprises in store for the winter months. Come along with me for a tour of  my zone 7a garden!
Weeping Norway Spruce and Sedum 'Pure Joy' (Stonecrop)
The first stop along the way is this Weeping Norway Spruce with a surprise below, that of Sedum 'Pure Joy', a more compact 10-12 inch form of Stonecrop with light pink blooms that appear in August and September. I love this compact form, as it stays low to the ground and blooms profusely, displaying a mound of  beautiful late summer color. 
Knock Out Roses
This vibrant red Double Knock Out Rose continues to bloom throughout summer into fall, and will continue to until the first frost. No deadheading is necessary, bit I like to keep the shrubs compact by pinching off higher growth. This encourages more re-blooming too.
Sedum 'Thundercloud'
Another form of groundcover Sedum is that of Sedum 'Thundercloud', displaying flat white blooms that resemble clouds, hence the name. It is low growing to just 10-12 inches high by wide and is an attraction to butterflies!
Liriope 'Big Blue' (Lilyturf)
While I often show Variegated Lilyturf in my garden, here is a look at Liriope 'Big Blue', which is really striking this time of year with its purple blooms. It certainly adds some color to the shade border.
St. John's Wort Late Summer
The St. John's Wort in the back shade garden is pushing out a few more of its yellow flowers along with its pretty red fruits, and next is Pulmonaria showing off its wonderful blue-green speckled foliage. 
Pulmonaria & Heuchera 'Caramel'
The Pulmonaria (Lungwort) resides next to the caramel foliage of Heuchera 'Caramel' (Caramel Coral Bells). Blooms will appear on the Pulmonaria in springtime and the Coral Bells are now finishing up their spikes of delicate pinkish-white flowers.
Shade Garden
Also in the back shade garden is a combination of Hakonechloa (Japanese Forest Grass) with Leucothoe 'Axillaris'. Have I mentioned I love combining foliage?!
Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima' and Sedum 'Brilliant'
On the sunnier side of the property along the pool is Dwarf Maiden Grass 'Yaku Jima' with its late summer plumes, along with Sedum 'Brilliant', which is a compact, medium sized form of Stonecrop.
Spider Hosta Blooms!
Spider Hosta is always interesting to look at, especially when it is pushing out its deep purple blooms in late summer...
Pollinator!
and it's nice to see some pollinators enjoying the garden.
Daylily 'Stella D Oro' Late Summer
'Stella D Oro' Daylily is generating some new blooms after I rejuvenated it back in July. I love seeing the yellow blooms continue this time of year!
Sedum Groundcover Mix
The Sedum groundcover mix poolside has finished blooming, but the foliage is always interesting to look at. I will leave the dried seed heads for now, just for show and for the birds to enjoy too!
Back Island Bed
During this time of year, Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime' is still beautiful with its white blooms that fade to pink at the summer progresses. The Hydrangea is accompanied by Hinoki Cypress 'Compacta', Mugo Pine, Coral Bells 'Palace Purple' and Crape Myrtle.
Hydrangea 'Limelight Prime'
Here are the voluminous blooms up close!
Evergreen Garden
Behind the Boxwoods along the fence resides my mother's iris garden, which is done now for the season, but  evergreens such as Hinoki Cypress 'Verdoni' and Blue Globe 'Montgomery' Spruce keep the garden going through the fall and winter months.
Mandevilla Vine Late Summer
The Mandevilla Vine by the back entry is still going strong, and Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band' is doing beautifully in the 20 inch planter I have it in from last year.
Hydrangea Let's Dance 'Big Band'
I am enjoying having this colorful and compact hydrangea right on the patio where all can see!
Thank you for Visiting!

I hope you enjoyed your visit to my September garden and as always, I look forward to your comments and visiting your garden too! 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, Friday Bliss at Floral Passions, Macro Monday 2, Mosaic Monday at Letting Go of the Bay Leaf, Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, 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 Weekly Photo Link-Up at My Corner of the World on Wednesdays and Garden Affair at Jaipur Garden.  
A Guide to Northeastern Gardening In the News:

-It has been another busy season in the horticultural world and I am looking forward to retuning to virtual conferences in the fall and meeting up with like minded individuals. 

-My newest book on Shade Gardening is coming along and now undergoing the editing process...more news to come for 2023!

-In the reading world, a friend introduced me to a wonderful read for youngsters, called Garden Gruesome by Nelson R. Elliott. It touches on a different aspect of gardening through the eyes of a child as the author takes the reader through a day in the life of Gruesome Gus, as he explores his first time in the garden. There is a lesson to be learned, there are critters that lurk beneath the blooms! I enjoyed this adorable and educational book as an adult, so I think any child would enjoy it too! (Available on Amazon)

Posted by at 20 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thursday, September 1, 2022

This Month in the Garden-Nature’s Beauty

Welcome to This Month in the Garden!
Welcome to This Month in the Garden! I for one cherish nature's beauty and all the garden has to offer, and have done so all my life. The garden brings me peace and hope during the most difficult of days and I have learned to take it all in, cherish every moment and enjoy the beauty around me. Sometimes no words are needed and all it takes is a simple photograph to make one smile. For this month's post, I am doing just that and sharing a few of my favorite things from over the years. I hope they can brighten your day too and bring you joy.
Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Bush

Dwarf Red Pine Springtime 

Bumblebee on Salvia in May

Peony 'Karl Rosenfeld' and Salvia 'May Night' in the June Garden

Late Summer Bumblebee on Echinacea

A Sweet Visitor

A Touch of Autumn-Montauk Daisy

Temple of Love at Old Westbury Gardens, Long Island, NY

Blue Atlas Cedar Summer

New Life in the Garden-Springtime Morning Dove & Baby

The beauty of Conifers-Blue Montgomery Spruce

Summer Blooms-Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

Beautiful Knock Out Roses

Mysterious and Amazing Dragonfly Visitor 
Giant Mushroom!

Sunflower Field Eastern Long Island Late Summer Visit

"In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams. The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful."  ~ Abram L. Urban


I hope you enjoyed This Month in the Garden for September and that these views perhaps gave you a smile for the day. Be sure to stop by on the 1st. and 15th. of each month as I continue to share gardening tips, information and horticultural adventures! Until we meet again...be well, enjoy life and as always...Happy Gardening!

 For gardening information visit: My Author Page and Books

Author: Lee @A Guide to Northeastern Gardening,© Copyright 2010-2022. All rights reserved. 

Posted by at 10 comments:
Labels: , , , , , , , , , ,
Location: Long Island, NY 11782, USA
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)