June into July 2014: Meadow Lupines, Fenced Garden Poppies

The meadow begins to bloom in June with lupines (Lupinus perennis). The foxglove is a self-sown interloper from the garden beds, Digitalis grandiflora. Oxeye daisies (Leucanthemum vulgare) were planted in the original meadow planting with seed from a local farm field.

Lupines are joined by a few remnant coreopsis (Coreopsis lanceolata). In its early years the meadow was yellow with coreopsis. They are short lived perennials, though, and have found fewer and fewer open spots for seedlings to establish, as the meadow sod has tightened.

Lupinus perennis in the meadow

The fenced garden, from a studio window

A Liddon Pennock long vista(!): on the south side of the house, looking across the Hips Terrace and the Great South Lawn to the fenced garden entry.



The gateway (and the electric wires that form the upper part of the fence) have so far kept deer out.


 

Looking though the fenced garden entry as poppies begin to redden the fenced garden. An unusual photo in that the too-small center path is partially visible.

Penstemon 'Dark Towers' adding light lavender flowers to its handsome purple foliage. Shirley poppies, Papaver rhoeas, are here mostly in shades of red-- but in the foreground, a delicate pink.

Red Shirley poppies, Papaver rhoeas, with the last few flowers of Geum 'Totally Tangerine'.

A Shirley Poppy in gray-lavender, with a pale edges.

Early summer spires from the admirably self-supporting Nettle-Leaved Mullein, Verbascum chaixii, mostly, for us, in white-- but sometimes, as here in the foreground, in yellow. Both forms' flowers have lovely purplish eyes.

Some of the mullein spikes are rigidly upright; others curve and wave a bit, echoing the arching foliage of a sedge, Carex 'Silk Tassel', and daylilies.

Three adjoining poppies: two Shirley Poppies, Papaver rhoeas, in red shades, topped by the orange of Papaver pilosum, or perhaps Papaver atlanticum. The best name I've encountered for these perennial orange poppies is "Elsa Bakalar's orange poppy."

Poppies are reliably deer-resistant. They're safe enough outside the fortifications of the fenced garden-- here, in the entry courtyard. This orange poppy (Papaver pilosum or...) started to bloom in late spring and will continue, sporadically, into the fall-- see the developing seed capsules from the early blooms.

Coming soon...

Mulleins and miscellany

The Calycanthus Collection

Vining Clematis

Non-vining Clematis

June 2014 (first half)

Breadloaf Westport Chairs from Jardinique

Ian and Sandy delivered (from Ontario) and assembled their chairs for us! Great people, great chairs.

David

An  old bearded iris cultivar from David's parents' garden near Millbrook. David grew it for years on his Philadelphia roof deck. We don't have a name for the iris, but are happy to have it again, sent from Tom Gartside in Philadelphia.

Up the new garden steps. An innocently creeping little hawkweed, Hieracium tarda, with Hypoxis hirstuta, Euphorbia seguieriana var. niciciana, and Iris pallida dalmatica.

Two Benches. View from outside the screened porch, across the big island bed, up to the new stone bench at the edge of the woods. Roses (R. 'Doorenbos Selection' and Sweet Rocket in the island bed.

 

A self-sowing double-flowered perennial poppy of impeccable provenance (seed from Graham Stuart Thomas by way of Charles Cresson), but uncertain nomenclature. GST called it Papaver atlanticum 'Flore Pleno'. Few of us would argue.

Iris 'Over the River', backed by Spiraaea 'Golden Elf'

Shady nook by the front steps, with Foamflower, Tiarella cordifolia 'Running Tapestry'; Sweet Rocket and Euphorbia polychroma.

Under the fenced garden bench, Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears', Thalictrum kiusianum, Viola odorata alba and Sedum reflexum

A sea of partly self-sown Allium christophii in the fenced garden, with purple foliage from foliage from Penstemon 'Dark Towers' (and Heuchera villosa atropurpurea) and foreground blue from Nepeta 'Purssian Blue'

 

Iris laevigata 'Variegata' in the pool, Sweet Rocket behind the wall

Clematis 'Chinook', a non-clinging clematis in an upside down tomato cage for support. The clematis was planted last fall; in a year or two it should fill the cage and spill out. Geum 'Totally Tangerine' and red Shirley Poppies behind.

Iris 'Mr. Peacock, Paeonia 'Alabaster Pearl', Rosa Corylus, R. 'Louis Riel', Phudd Hill behind.

Spring 2014

This spring Terry Degayter and Dan replaced many of our old locust log steps with stone; and we acquired two beautiful Breadloaf chairs, a variation the Westport chair, from Sandy and Ian at Jardinique.

Every spring means daffodils to us. We grow over a hundred twenty kinds, so really, this is not so many photographs. Beware, though-- more may come.

New stone bench

Terry and Dan installing stone garden steps on the east side of the house

Window view down to the pool terrace and new garden steps

Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'

Galanthus 'S. Arnott'

Galanthus 'Atkinsii' behind the new stone driveway edging. Cornus 'Midwinter Fire' and Salix 'Flame' behind.

  

Last year's divisions of Galanthus 'S. Arnott' below Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'

Galanthus plicatus

Galanthus 'S. Arnott' with Cornus 'Midwinter Fire'

Galanthus woronowii, our latest-flowering snowdrop

Unknown miniature trumpet daffodil. We never planted this-- it came along as a rogue with some other bulb planting.

Narcissus 'Monal' with Chionodoxa luciliae

Narcissus 'Golden Echo', a jonquil hybrid. Probably our longest lasting, sometimes our favorite, daffodil

Narcissus 'Golden Echo'

Narcissus 'Red Lips' in the meadow at the foot of the new garden steps

Narcissus 'Red Lips' close

Narcissus 'Red Lips' in the meadow

An unnamed seedling daffodil that volunteered in the fenced garden.

Narcissus 'Lilac Charm', an intermediate-sized daffodil in the Cyclamineus group. The color here is in the young flowers. Later they develop a little more of the would-be lilac tones (if you look very hard with the right frame of mind). Whatever the color, another of our favorite daffodils.

Narcissus 'Lemon Honey' with the bright yellow young foliage of Tanacetum 'Isla Gold'. Again, these are young flowers. Later they develop more white in the cup, along with tones of honey or buff in the yellow.

Narcissus 'Ethereal Beauty'

Narcissus 'Fragrant Rose' in the Fenced Garden

 

Narcissus 'Parterre' under winterberry hollies, Thalictrum thalictroides in front, an amelanchier (native to the site) in bloom behind

Narciissus 'Fellows Favorite' in the meadow

Narcissus 'Olive Branch'

Camassia 'Electra' and Camaissia leichtlinii

Camassia 'Electra'

Camassia 'Electra' and Aquilegia canadensis, both hummingbird flowers