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Show Us Your Landscape and Gardens - A Photo Thread - July 20

NHBabs z4b-5a NH
3 years ago
last modified: 3 years ago

Welcome to the New England Gardening "Show Us Your Gardens" Photo thread for July 2020.

This is a place to post photos and to discuss what is in your garden. All landscape and garden photos are welcome. If it is a photo taken in your New England yard or garden in the month of July, it is fair game to post it here. Since it seems like we have an uptick in posts this summer, if this gets too long I will add another thread mid month since I have a slow connection and last month’s was taking a while to load when it got long.

Here are the links for the last couple of years’ July threads:

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5737030/show-us-your-landscape-and-gardens-a-photo-thread-july-2019#n=69

https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/5380672/show-us-your-gardens-a-photo-thread-july-2018#n=19

This is my second-to-last Rhododendron.


and my first harvest this season of edible-podded peas In one of DH’s wooden bowls.


Comments (113)

  • defrost49
    3 years ago

    There is a day lily farm in our town which I might visit IF I get back on track with some garden renovations. Deanna, thanks for naming Janice Brown - it's very pretty. I've been trying to make progress with my vegetable beds and angry to see damage from small furry varmints. First planting of sugar snaps and first planting of Fortex pole beans disappeared. There must be a nest in an overgrown tangle in a shrub bed because there are two tiny paths worn in the grass. I've sprinkled hot pepper flakes left from the year I grew too many hot peppers. I almost asphyxiated myself grinding the peppers in my food processor. I wore a mask but next time I better borrow my husband's respirator he wears when he spray paints.


    Since it's too hot and humid, this might be a good time for me to figure out how to get photos off my phone and posted. Although I haven't been around here, I appreciate reading all the posts. Lucky Sue W to visit Nashua Deanne's garden. I see her on facebook. Recently showed my husband the way she edges her beds with a strip of mulch so they don't have to weed whack because the mower can get close enough.


    I have a narrow walkway border to our front porch which I probably should have changed over to all zinnias but it gets some shade part of the day and right now a large hosta looks good and a very large clump of lady's mantle probably needs dividing. But I made the mistake of planting a very small hosta in the corner between the two of them. I saw a variegated ajuga at Cole's in Concord NH that I almost mistook for a tri-color sage and I also liked the looks of a sedum (not dragon's blood but similar) that I think would be much better in that corner. I am reluctant however to plant ajuga since I think it may spread too quickly. That end of the walkway has sun most of the day while the other end gets afternoon shade since it's on the east side of the house.


    Right now I've been admiring the homes that have a wide border of common day lilies along the front. They look beautiful right now.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked defrost49
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    I like that 'Chorus Line' too Deanna. And I was hoping that Lilies would bridge the gap between my spring summer burst and fall plants, but first it was the lilies beetle and then the rabbits [g]. it seems to me that Daylilies are more dependable and have fewer problems so I'm starting to reconsider having more of them. Deanna - where did you buy 'Janice Brown' and your other daylilies?

    Defrost, we had a daylily farm locally, but I think it's gone now. This year, I'm not sure I will make an attempt to add some, due to trying to avoid shopping, but next spring maybe.

    We gave up on our vegetable garden this year due to the rabbits. I just didn't want to struggle with them this year, but I'm going to try the product Sue recommended and see how that goes. I tried the hot pepper flakes and I swear they ate more of it. [g]. We do the same with all our beds, mulch and mowing. We don't even own a weed whacker.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
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  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    I'm laughing at the daylily comments. Years ago I started banishing them from my garden except for a few for the same reasons you all are mentioning, mostly the crappy foliage after they bloom.


    Quite a few people on Instagram who I follow post pictures of some real beauties, many that bloomed quite late. Reluctantly I started looking at them as garden worthy again...lol and slowly the damn things started finding their was back into my garden. To make matters worse, my friend John O'Brien who owns a nearby nursery and sells hundreds of varieties, puts out eight foot tables every weekend showcasing all that are in bloom. So for the past couple of years I've been shopping for daylilies in August and buying the late bloomers. I still haven't gone off the rails but...

    Defrost, did you see the pictures I posted on Facebook last night of Deanne's garden? We had a great time! She's much more relaxed about her garden these days.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Sue W (CT zone 6a)
  • liquidfeet Z6 Boston
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    About that crappy foliage after they bloom... I cut mine back. This solves the problem totally.

    Here's where I've started. That empty space used to be full of spent daylilies. I chopped them down using manual hedge trimmers. The foliage goes into my compost piles.

    I'll cut the remaining lilies back in the next few days. It's 100 degrees out today so maybe I'll get to them starting tomorrow. I have a LOT of daylilies, so it takes me a few days to get this task done.

    This empty spot in a week will be filled with nice new green foliage; it starts growing as soon as the sun hits it. It takes these lilies about two to three weeks to fill the space back up with new leaves after I take out all the old yukky foliage. The new foliage will look great the rest of the season. No, they won't bloom again until next season.

    Beware waiting too long to cut them back. If you wait, you'll be cutting off the new growth. It comes up whether one cuts back the old or not. I start cutting when they are still blooming, but barely so. They don't look good when most of the scapes are empty anyway.

    Here's what they looked like a week or so ago:


    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked liquidfeet Z6 Boston
  • liquidfeet Z6 Boston
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Here's what my humble orange daylilies look like for three weeks every year.
    There's orange at the top of the back yard.


    There's orange in front of the rocks.


    Orange greets you when you come up the driveway.


    My garden sparkles with orange.

    Then I cut them back and they come back with fresh green growth.


    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked liquidfeet Z6 Boston
  • deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
    3 years ago

    Thanks for the tip, liquidfeet. Cutting back the foliage would give room for my later blooming asters and mums to get more sun, but I've never done it . I'll do it this year! I appreciate the info.

    By the way, I remember you from the skidiva forum. Didn't mention it earlier. Have missed skiing for a few years. Very much hoping to continue this season!

    My small little starts were purchased along with several peonies online from Gilbert H Wild & Son in the fall of 2017. The size and quality of the divisions turned me into a loyal customer, and I have been thrilled with everything I've gotten. I purchased the ones on big sale, which are often the ones they will be discontinuing. But, at their prices it's fun to shop! One of my peonies came up as the wrong variety and I had no customer service issues whatsoever with the refund.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thanks for the link Deanna. :-)

    As for the foliage, it's not just the fact that the foliage becomes ugly after bloom, it's that I don't find it graceful at any point in time. Especially the new hybrids that are tetraploid with the larger blooms and the larger foliage. And some of it doesn't grow symmetrically and some of it is too long and bends in the middle because it's so long it hits the ground in an unattractive way. That is my complaint with the foliage.

    I have the one daylily right now and it actually has graceful foliage. It's too hot to get out there and take a photo, but I'll have to tomorrow, because I think I only have two blooms left on it.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    Liquidfeet, your daylily display is amazing!

    Yes, I dead leaf daylily foliage constantly, deadhead spent flowers every day, and remove the flower scapes as soon as all the flowers on that particular stem are spent. Lots of work but I'm one of those whackos who enjoys garden maintenance. Whenever possible, I try to tuck them behind other plants with better foliage which seems to be the best plan.

    It got to 94 at our house today! We rarely see 90 here so I was surprised. Rumor has it tomorrow will be worse Toss in some hot wind on top of minimal rain in months and the garden is frying. Watering is becoming a full time job.

    Deanna, I've never ordered from Gilbert Wild. Nice to know they are a good source. So many mail order nurseries (and local nurseries as well) are going out of business. I try to spread my plant buying $ around to as many local places as possible.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Sue W (CT zone 6a)
  • defrost49
    3 years ago

    SueW thanks for the heads up about photos of Deanne's garden. I haven't checked facebook yet. The talk about ugly foliage is my complaint about oriental poppies. I tried to give one away but apparently left enough tap root that August for my plant to regrow. I have two or three that are still banished in the bramble patch.

    Liquidfeet, the orange lilies against the blue tinted hosta is beautiful. I like the rock, too. It's kind of a family joke because when we moved here in 2007 and renovated our old farmhouse, my husband started going after every rock. We had additional cellar space excavated and while the excavator was here, the contractor let my husband use it. My narrow walkway board has a board retaining "wall" (single plank) due to the slope but it needs to be replaced. I suggested we use stones. Actually it's my second suggestion but we can't afford granite curbing.



    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked defrost49
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Defrost - I feel the same way about oriental poppies. I’m already picking off yellowing leaves off the bottom before they even bloom. They bloom for a short time and then look horrible. I’ve allowed the largest one in the front bed to keep the seed pods to ripen, but, I already cut back two to the ground. Last year when I did it, they grew back very nice healthy basal foliage, but this year, nothing, so I dug them out and tossed them. I still have the one left in my front bed that’s moving into another bed in the back in the fall, where I have more.

    I love granite curbing, didn’t realize it was so expensive.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Deanna, here is a photo of the Spider Daylily. I like it well enough. I bought it sight unseen for some reason. [g]. I like the foliage and the height. I'd like a different color and a little more substance to the bloom. It's a nice pale yellow though. Sorry, it's very overcast today making everything look dull.





    I think this is 'Plum Crazy' Hibiscus getting ready to bloom.


    A volunteer squash with no squash on it. [g]


    Volunteer tomatoes only this year, just starting to fruit...


    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
  • deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
    3 years ago

    I am a big fan of gentle yellows. And, my favorite lily shape is the dropping on, just like yours, prairie. Are they called trumpet lilies? Can't remember. One day I'm going to wintersow some of the native lilies. I think your lily is really beautiful.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago

    Deanna, not sure what your question is. I do have regular lilies, that are Oriental and Asian, some Trumpet lilies, but due to the rabbit damage, I didn't post any photos of them this year. These 3 photos above are of my only daylily and the only identification I have for it, is that it's a 'spider' daylily. No variety name or anything. It was just a division potted up from someone's garden and sold at a local plant sale.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Interesting we are all talking about daylilies and I've been watching Gardener's World and they did a segment on daylilies, not a big surprise, since this is their bloom season. I think I got the name Nick Pierce who hybridizers on the Isle of Wight in the UK. I can't find much more info about him, but he had some nice daylily selections on the show that I really liked.

    The only photo of a hybrid of his I could find is this one...



    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked prairiemoon2 z6b MA
  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    Wow! Gorgeous! I love your "spider" lily too, PM2. Love the soft yellow color and also the form. Uh oh, this thread is getting dangerous.....

    :)
    Dee

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    That is one nice looking daylily PM! Last year I was searching for a particular daylily cultivar and was amazed at how many hybridizers and named cultivars there are!

    That being said, here are a few that are blooming today in my garden.

    Ilonka was a freebie I received from Oakes many years ago.


    Indian Giver is another I've grown for many years.


    Primal Scream is a new one that I just love. Big, beautiful orange flowers over a relatively long period of time.



    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Sue W (CT zone 6a)
  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    Oooh, Indian Giver has been on my want list for quite some time! I should just open the wallet and get it lol. I'm just used to Gilbert Wild's prices so this one is pricey but if I had just shoveled out the money when I first saw this daylily I could have been enjoying it all these years!

    Primal Scream is a beauty as well. I love the shading of the blooms.

    :)
    Dee

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    3 years ago

    All the photos on this thread are such a treat.

    Love this daylily discussion. I've been a bit obsessed with them over the past number of years. I too started with Gilbert Wild and couldn't be happier with the plants they shipped for short money, although their prices of late have gone up, they're still decent, especially the ones on sale.

    I have daylilies scattered throughout the cottage garden and all the other plants do a good job to hide the foliage. Then i have a bunch in shrub borders (although getting a bit too much shade now) and i have a specific daylily bed running along a split-rail fence. Yes, it's a one-hit wonder and doesn't always look great later in the season, but it's backed by shrubs on the other side of the fence and I just love the daylily blooms, so I ignore the lack of "lushness" after they're spent.

    Went on quests over a few years to go to the nurseries later in the season specifically to pick up late bloomers. Although this year with all the heat, many of my late ones are starting to bloom now.

    My all-time favorite daylily is Buttered Popcorn. It has such a rich color and the type of orange-yellow (hard to describe color) that plays well with ANY color in the garden. I have a bunch repeated in the cottage garden and with the bright phlox they really steal the show. They are sturdy, many scapes and the bud count is excellent. So the number of flowers on each daylily far surpasses any other daylily I have. It's listed as a rebloomer, but I have not found that to be the case. Foliage always stays pretty clean as well. I do love the spider daylilies and PM2, yours is very pretty indeed.

    I told myself NO daylilies this year. But alas, we have a gardener who lives about 4 miles away from us that has beds of daylilies that he field digs and sells. I mean really?? 4 miles away?? What am I supposed to do? Just not go when they're all blooming??? And so conveniently close?? And i MUST support my local businesses after all!! I picked up three a couple weekends ago. Good thing it was well into the 90s this past weekend or I would have been up there again. I really started getting into the smaller daylilies (both in plant size and flower size) for a more front-ish of the border option. Mixed in with other plants you can get away with the foliage. And it's not horrible once it's cut back a bit after bloom. Eenie Allegro quickly became a favorite. It gets soooo many blooms at one time it's a veritable bouquet in the garden.

    So now that i'm drooling over all the daylily pictures on this thread......sigh........does anyone have a number where we think it's enough daylilies??? When we're a bit addicted??? LOL!!!


    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
  • deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
    3 years ago

    What are you supposed to do, Thyme2dig? I supposed you’re supposed to dig! Only 4 miles away, it’s time to dig!

    Even though I haven’t been the biggest day lily fan, I will say their biggest bonus is their ease. Hard to kill, they are. They make me feel like a wonderful gardener! Looking forward to moving some divisions around next spring. I have tried fancy coreopsis for three years to no avail. This year a Wahpetons Wish division took its place.

    PM, I was looking at the spider lily on a small screen. I thought the blooms were drooping down, but now I see they face up. That is really a nice lily. I have not heard of a spider lily, but I like that better than the standards, so I’ll be on the lookout. I like the drooping ones, too. They seem so elegant. That hybrid from England is absolutely fantastic!

    You all are like omens of the future. Will I become an addict? Will I be able to admit to myself that I have a problem? And to think it all started with a nice Janice Brown.

    Speaking of Janice, we had a couple of very hot days with sun. The pale pink aspect has faded and her pink is looking clearly more pink-salmon. Isn’t that interesting? We had many overcast days for so long, I wonder if the pink undertone comes through better without direct sun. She’s still pretty, but her baby girl pink, unusual for a daylily, is not as prominent.

    T2D, please post pictures of Buttered Popcorn with companions. I would love to see how it complements other plants.

    I need to work in the garden again, but I’m so spoiled now up here. I can’t stand it when the temps are high. Just like a prima donna, I refuse to be in the garden for hard labor if the sweat starts dripping. I will snap off spent daylily scapes, though, just like you, Sue. Also, the contrast of the pink with the lemon yellow on Ilona is a winner, for sure. I’d love some of Ilona!

    I planted nine Casablanca lilies last fall. Hoping their scent just knocks my socks off. Will they increase their bulbs over time so they can be divided to create a larger mass planting? The oriental lilies I have are young and they certainly behave differently with their lone stalks.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    Thyme, of COURSE you must support your local business. It's your civic duty! ;)

    Deanna, you need to share that prima donna crown with me! It's bad enough I'm a gardener who doesn't like the sun, lol, but when the temps are in the 90's and the humidity is high, I just won't go out there. I get up early and am done by 8 am, when the sun starts hitting my yard (or, at least, the only part of the yard it actually hits lol). Normally I would just shift to the shade, but the last week or so even the shade is horrible to work in. Especially since I cover up head to toe (muck boots, long pants, long sleeves, gloves, etc.) So it's indoors for me, although that's not much better since I don't have AC. But at least I'm not (usually) doing physical labor indoors!

    Oh, Thyme, I'm so glad you mentioned Buttered Popcorn. I haven't been present in my own garden for the past two years, and this year I'm trying to re-identify all the plants whose names I thought I would somehow remember forever. I have quite a few yellow daylilies, and when you said Buttered Popcorn I remembered that that is one of the ones I have. So thanks for helping me narrow it down!

    The daylilies are the star of my garden right now, so it's particularly tempting to acquire more.

    Deanna I found that the majority of my oriental and asiatic lilies never spread much, to my disappointment. However, I grew the majority in crates (for cuts for the farmer's market) so I didn't expect much multiplication, and the few I have that are in a garden setting are in poor conditions - dry half shade, not-so-great soil, lots of root competition. Surprisingly, the original bulbs I planted grow and bloom each year, (and you're right, that lone stem thing is rather awkward) but they haven't multiplied. I would imagine in good garden soil with better cultural conditions yours should spread.

    :)
    Dee

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
  • deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
    3 years ago

    Ooooh, just amazing. Mine started blooming on shorter scapes at first inside the leaves. Now they are all above the leaves. I read that is can be due to cold temps in late spring after they've emerged. Sounds right for me as we did have a cold spring. You're right about the Buttered Popcorn. All the pinks and whites are a beautiful feast, and then BP just catches your eye in a very harmonious way. Stella d'Oros have made me feel yellow lilies are overdone, but your garden shows how wonderful they can be.

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    OMG Thyme, just stunning! The color scheme (my favorite!) the obelisks, the fence, the pathway - just gorgeous. Like something you see in a magazine. Thanks for sharing!

    :)
    Dee

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    Of course one must support as many local nurseries as possible! Local for me means just about anywhere within a couple of hours drive of the house. On the way to Nashua on Saturday I detoured to Baystate Perennial Farm in Whately, MA, one of my favorite "local" places. If you're ever in the area, check it out.

    Speaking of daylilies, I one there that made my heart skip a beat...Bela Lugosi. Does anyone grow it? For some reason I left the nursery without Bela but I may grab it on my next trip. And now Buttered Popcorn is on the list as well. Some deer took a few chomps on a couple of my daylilies last night. I spray regularly and don't usually have problems but one has been hanging around lately making google eyes at my plants. I doubled down on the spray tonight.

    Do any of you Lilium growers have to deal with red lily leaf beetle? I stopped growing them in my former garden because I couldn't deal with the ugly mess the beetles made of the plants. I planted Black Beauty here a couple of years ago and watch it like a hawk. Early in the season I got six of the little buggers and haven't seen any more since but I'm not letting my guard down or planting any more lilies.

    Thyme, your garden is fabulous! Have you ever opened it for a garden tour?


    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked Sue W (CT zone 6a)
  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    Sue, I have that darn red lily leaf beetle. I used to have about 300 lilies when I was growing for market. The last year I sold, was when the beetle hit. The damage wasn't too great then, but over the last few years I've lost most of my lilies. I just don't have time to go pick beetles off that many lilies. The lilies that remain are hit pretty hard still, but they're just for me so I still enjoy them, holes and all.

    There was just a recent thread where someone (prairiemoon, maybe?) mentioned that the beetles aren't as bad for her now, and I remember hearing that a parasitic wasp was being released somewhere in the northeast (eastern Mass?). I believe there has been some success reported, so I'm just waiting for the wasps to hop the border to CT!

    :)
    Dee

    NHBabs z4b-5a NH thanked diggerdee zone 6 CT
  • nekobus
    3 years ago

    Thyme2dig, I love your garden — both the planting and the bed layout, fence, etc. I’m also jealous of your phlox. It’s been a really bad groundhog year here (annus horribilus marmotus?) and I’ve only got one that wasn’t mowed down.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Sue, that is a great trio of daylily blooms! Primal Scream and Indian Giver are such a nice combo.

    Thyme, Great timing with your photos, look at how much you have in bloom! Amazing that you have so many phlox that have not been molested by some varmint.

    I’m looking at your white Hydrangea, and you do have some of the tiered, layered, look that I am having with mine, but not anywhere near as noticeable. Mine is pretty distinct on both Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’. And how do you have fully open blooms in NH, while mine are not all the way open yet?! [g]. My favorite photo is the last one in your first group of five. That daylily border is full of color too!

    And of course, I’ve always thought the white fence and the obelisks are perfect structure for such a colorful garden. You’ve made the most of it.

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  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    3 years ago

    Deanna, I was kind of thinking the shorter scapes must have been from the cold we had this spring. We had such wonky weather. I'm actually pretty glad the daylilies are doing as well as they are. Thanks for confirming you heard that.

    Thanks, Dee! My brother made those for me and DH painted them purple. We find that purple color really works, and the cottage garden just wouldn't be the same without them, that's for sure!!

    Sue, hearing you talk about Bela Lugosi, I really feel like I had that daylily, but it's not on my list (I actually got organized at one point and went through all my garden stuff to put together what daylilies I have). I wonder if I had one at my first house?? Hmmm....i would like to have that one too! I spray my daylilies, as well as the rest of the garden. I swear, i have like 110 acres of oak forest around me, but the deer insist on coming to the buffet at my house as opposed to eating the gazillions of acorns and greenery in the forest! It's maddening! But they are quite beautiful. I had lots of lilies when I first planted the cottage garden. All along the farmers porch. The lily beetle did me in. I finally ripped them all out. There is now 1 oriental lily blooming in the garden, no beetles......but I haven't had a lily bloom for about 10 years. So this one must be some random relic from before that finally got enough energy to grow and bloom. I've been thinking about planting some asiatics out there. Just not convinced yet. I have only had a couple formal tours here. The Mid-Atlantic Hardy Plant Society came here back in 2013. I have a lot of shrubs and ornamental trees around the yard, and some pretty cool perennials thanks to a couple local nurseries. And then in 2018 I was part of the Garden Conservancy Open Days program. That was "interesting" for me since I'm a bit of an introvert! I was thinking the same of your garden. It would be so nice to walk around your gardens! I've often thought we should all get together to try to do "round-robins" with garden visits. So glad everyone posts so many pictures, but it's fun to walk through a garden with the owner to hear the stories behind the plants, trials and tribulations, successes, etc. And so many ideas come from touring other gardens!

    Nekobus, thanks for the kind words. Speaking of the layout....my dad and I did a quick cad design of the cottage beds/pathways before we even broke ground for the house. I knew we were on a slope so I made sure when they were working on the foundation and the land they knew exactly the minimum I needed in front for the cottage garden. I really like it in the front of the house to welcome everyone. I am so sorry to hear about your groundhog. I get a little annoyed when 11 deer come into my yard, but I go into palpitations when I see a single woodchuck! We had one this year for the first time in a number of years, but DH and the woodchuck had a bit of a standoff and the woodchuck got so scared it actually left! We were shocked. I had already called a company to come trap it (at an astronomical cost), so I was glad I could cancel that.

    PM2, YES! so glad we got rid of the woodchuck! I wouldn't have a cottage garden if it stuck around! The hydrangea is 'Bobo'. All season we've been ahead of your area for bloom. My SIL comments every time she visits from Weston that we are ahead of them.

    Now if I could only finish weeding the stone paths in the cottage garden. I don't get carpal tunnel from work/computer, I get it from weeding those dang paths! HAHA!!



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  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    So, I've read that Oriental lilies are somewhat less preferred by the lily beetle than the Asiatics. I've also been hearing from other gardeners that lily beetle numbers are down. Perhaps it's due to the parasitic wasp that has been released. If that beetle didn't exist, I would have lilies all over my garden.

    On the good news front, I haven't seen any sign of Hibiscus sawfly larvae yet this year. Last year I moved the one perennial Hibiscus I grow to a spot where I could get all the way around it and monitor it for those nasty worms.

    Thyme, I've only been in the current house since 2016. It was a blank slate when I moved here so the gardens are all mostly zero to three years old. I opened my old garden with the Garden Conservancy in 2007 and again for the CT Hort Society in 2010. The Garden Conservancy has been contacting me every fall to open but I feel this garden is too immature and has too many areas under construction to open to the public. To get a garden tour ready takes an incredible amount of time and I just can't commit right now. Garden friends are welcome any time though.

    The first year I moved here there was a woodchuck but I haven't seen one since. My cats are out during the day so that may be a factor. My resident Mr. Deer stopped by tonight and I sent him on his way. Right after I let one of the cats out onto the patio this morning, I saw a coyote come out of the woods into the front yard. So I ran out the back, grabbed the cat and brought him back in for a few more hours. Never a dull moment with the wildlife here.

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  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    It wasn't the greatest picture day and thankfully we got two thirds of an inch of much needed rain tonight but I did get a shot of what I consider my favorite daylily in the garden right now...Thieving Magpie.


    Have a good night everyone!

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  • deanna in ME Barely zone 6a, more like 5b
    3 years ago

    Beautiful! Daylily names are starting to sound like thoroughbred names. I can read this post and sometimes think I'm at the Kentucky Derby. ;-)

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  • defrost49
    3 years ago

    It may have been me that mentioned I have few bugs around. I've had lily beetles before and I only have two Asiatic lilies that I didn't mind getting devoured because I inherited them and they are a horrid primary orange color. But, this year, no beetles. I was also bragging that I didn't have any Colorado potato beetles but found tiny larvae a couple of days ago. We do have tent caterpillars again this year but I've only see 2 Japanese beetles which usually are devouring things in an overgrown weedy asparagus patch. No cabbage worms.


    Thyme2Dig, I remember touring your garden but I think it was after one of Annie's plant swaps. In addition to the beautiful photos you posted, I remember being captivated by a shrub - an allspice?


    We just signed up for the trial of Britbox tv but I told my husband that we'll have to keep it since I'm trying to watch Monty Don's Garden World. Acorn only has his Paradise gardens. I prefer the stunning renovations made to small gardens. In season one, the most recent episode showed that rabbits had eaten all his spring peas and edamame plants. I thought he had a lot of peat in his soil but a friend in England said he is anti peat moss. Someone on facebook said good tilth was being able to plunge your whole hand into a garden bed and that is something he can certainly do. I'm also learning more about pruning from his show which is about time since a spreading cotoneaster is making its way across the brick walkway to our kitchen porch. I also noticed the biggest clumps of daffodils were under where I usually put some hanging baskets so a lot of liquid fertilizer mix must have dripped on the ground.


    Happy daylilies. I think my orange ditch lilies are done. I agree that yellow stella d'oro are overdone but I saw that there's a dark raspberry version which I might get for the narrow walkway since I don't want anything too tall. My stella d'oro started off as $1 end of season bargains from Ace hardware and were just sprigs in small pots when I bought them.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Defrost - I just watched that episode of Gardener's World this morning where the rabbits ate their peas...lol. I am skeptical of his solution and thought the rabbits could easily get under his chicken wire, but I guess we will see. I am enjoying the show. It is of course, in Britain. We used to have a number of gardening shows here in the U.S. on HGTV that were in American gardens, which was a little easier to use the information. When I watch British Gardening shows, I find I am jealous of their gardens. [g]. They seem to excel at gardening and have so many great cultivars that are not available to us here. I've heard him describe his soil mixes as 'non-peat' I am hoping at some point he gives a better description of what is in his mixes. They do refer to "grit" a lot and I am unfamiliar with any product here that is what he is referring to. He's also trying to get away from using plastic.

    I also started out the season with no red lily leaf. beetles but I must have had a few because I do see a few leaves with holes in them. I have checked for them, but where ever they are, they are doing a good job of hiding. My lilies were a complete bust this year. I did just order Plantkynd from Amazon and delivery this weekend, so we'll see if this will keep the rabbits at bay.

    I'm having a beast of a time with earwigs this year. It's been years since I had this big of a problem. In one weekend, they ate all of my lamium, and some creeping oregano. They're chewing up my Chrysanthemums and I keep finding them in the spent daylily flowers and rose blooms. The last time they were this bad, they ate all my Basil and other leafy veggies in the veggie garden which I am not growing this year, due to the rabbits. It took me awhile to figure out it was the earwigs because I could never see anything during the day that was eating them. When I went out at night with a flashlight, I quickly discovered it was the earwigs and collected them into soapy water.

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  • liquidfeet Z6 Boston
    3 years ago

    Prairiemoon, thanks for that info on earwigs and lamium. I've wondered for years who eats all those holes in mine. I'll go out with a flashlight tonight and check.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago

    Good luck LFeet - I can't even take a photo of the plants affected, they stripped them down to stems.

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  • diggerdee zone 6 CT
    3 years ago

    You know what? Two of my basil plants were completely defoliated overnight. One day they were fine, the next morning they were stems. Maybe it was earwigs! Funny they only touched the ones that were planted. The ones in pots right next to them were fine.

    :)
    Dee

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    As a comparison to Thyme's Hydrangea 'BoBo', this is a 3yr old 'Little Lime' and the layered look is very pronounced. Sorry, I'm not sure the photo is in focus. Either that or I need my eyeglasses adjusted. [g]



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  • defrost49
    3 years ago

    prairiemoon, although he's probably gardening in something like zone 7 (or wherever you can plant bananas) I've learned about some new varieties that we can get here. The one in particular that seemed to be shown a lot during one particular show is Astrantia. I have never visited Walker Farm in VT but they have 3 or 4 on their plant list. A friend gets plants there. But I also saw lysimachia firecracker promoted and that was one thug I foolishly let loose in my garden and waited too long to remove.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Astrantia is one that went on my list too. I really like those and I didn't know they come in so many colors.

    I'm very careful about thugs because I find them very discouraging. I can't always get to problems in the garden, right away and if it is something that multiplies five fold while I am waiting to get around to it.... [g]. I have gotten more willing to add self seeders. As long as they are not something crazy. I love having bronze fennel in the garden, but omgosh, if you don't deadhead it before it sets seeds, you find them everywhere.

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  • Thyme2dig NH Zone 5
    3 years ago

    PM2, I love that photo. I have a couple other hydrangeas that are layered like that. I was half assuming they would "even out" as they matured. Will be interesting to see. I tried some astrantia (cold hardier variety) but alas it never lasted for me. Maybe your being a zone warmer will be just the ticket!

    Defrost, you have a good memory! It is actually the one shrub (small tree) that everyone still ooh's and aah's over. It's a calycanthus 'Hartlage Wine' that I've limbed up into a small tree. It blooms profusely in June and then has decent bloom for nearly the rest of the season. As the season progresses, the leaves get enormous as well. I really like that one too!

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Thanks Thyme, I'd rather the hydrangeas be fairly symmetrical, but on one side it does seem to have more branches from the bottom reaching up to the middle and top, so maybe in a few years it will even out more. But much happier with Hydrangea paniculata than the mopheads for sure! They are all without flower and wilting every minute this year. Even a day or two after rain. but not the paniculatas.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Surprises in the garden this morning, non baby bunny related. [g]

    First Hibiscus bloom opened....



    I had the small caterpillars on it earlier, but once I figured out that was what was making holes in the leaves, I was able to get them off pretty easily. Not before I had a lot of leaves I had to pull off. They are tiny!



    EDIT: And this morning [the next day] - all those buds opened. I was thinking they might open one at a time, but all the buds that show color opened this morning....



    It's hard to capture in a photo how gorgeous some of these blooms are in person, but here's my last effort. Found a different setting on the camera and tried again to get a better close up.



    And I forgot I had 'Black Beauty' in the front still to open and 'Casablanca' in the back. Two varieties the rabbits seem to have left alone. I plan on moving the Casablanca to join the 'BB' in the front, since they bloom at the same time and a lot of plants in the back get neglected.



    EDIT: I came out this morning [the next day] and these blooms on the Black Beauty are so hard to capture in a photo how beautiful they are. The moistness, the freshness of a just opened flower and the perfection of it. So, I tried again to get a better photo of them with the better setting on my camera.








    More Tiger Lilies than I remembered too...



    And the sun was just hitting the bed as I got out there a little earlier today....Julia Child barely takes a breath before blooming again and I never did get around to adding more alfalfa meal. I enjoy the Bronze Fennel with it and it's been covered with pollinators...





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  • NHBabs z4b-5a NH
    Original Author
    3 years ago

    Thanks to all for adding photos and comments! For the past few years this thread has slowed, so a I am delighted to see so many folks participating! I have had family for the last week, so my slow internet was beyond its limit, but have enjoyed checking out the photos and discussion while most were still asleep in the morning.

    I have had the pleasure of visiting a few of these gardens and often wish I could see others in person as well. It always feels like this is just a small taste of the richness and personality of each garden and gardener. The range of colors, textures, and shapes, shade and sun, and combo of plants and hardscape is truly individual, but oh so beautiful.

    PM2, I wonder if you pruned the Little Lime down to a fairly consistent 2’-3’ this winter if it would grow more evenly this season. Or maybe it just needs a few more years to get consistency in how firm the wood is that form the basic structure. I find my paniculatas grow fairly evenly, but most are many years old, and I find it difficult to remember their early stages.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago



    This is what it looked like in mid June. Last season 3 branches in the middle shot up much higher than the rest and I just pruned it to the same height. So it started off all even this year.

    I'm going to send a photo to the nurseries where I bought them and see what they have to say. Maybe they know something we don't. [g]. Thanks, Babs

    Glad you have family visiting, nice to have a break from the routine. Hope you took photos that you can post later. :-)

    Edit: I found an earlier photo that shows it starting off with an even top....


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  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Walker Farm is a great nursery. I usually visit in May or June for their selection of unusual annuals.

    PM, you have some nice looking plants blooming! I almost hate to say it out loud but this is the first year in forever that I don't have Hibiscus sawfly larvae decimating my one remaining plant but I still check it for damage every day. The only lily I grow is Black Beauty. It's supposedly one of the most resistant varieties to the red lily beetle.

    Maybe it's earwigs gnawing on coleus and geranium in one of my containers. At first I though it might be japanese beetles but the damage is different. I'm still on japanese beetle patrol multiple times a day. They seem to be mostly attracted to Cuphea, Sanguisorba,Persicaria and one of my Ensetes but they occasionally switch it up just to keep my on my toes.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Sue, it took me a long time to figure out it was earwig damage. Only because the damage had become so extensive and a plant would look good one day and the next morning be a mess that I decided to see what was going on at night. And I wasn't seeing anything during the day that could be responsible for it. Sure enough, earwigs were all over everything. It took me a couple of weeks of nightly patrols with a cup of soapy water to get it under control. That was at least 5 years ago and I've not had that much of a problem again until this year.

    I have seen about 3 Japanese Beetles this year and that is typical for me. I do get the Asian Beetles, but in very manageable numbers. They make a mess of some leaves, but not a whole plant and they make a bee line to the rose blooms where you can easily remove them.

    If one thing doesn't get you, something else will. lol Oh well. That Hibiscus sawfly caterpillar. So sneaky, so tiny and almost the same color of the leaf. Next year, I'm going to be quicker to be on the look out for them. I'm just happy I discovered them before they destroyed my new Hibiscus. I've only had it two years. I have one other, a white with a pink eye, but it's not in a good location and gets neglected. That seemed to get a late start this year and is not ready to bloom. Don't you just love the saucer size blooms?! Sometimes a lot of the plants I like end up having the same size bloom and it gets boring. So nice to have a few plants with some drama. :-)

    I am going to buy more 'Black Beauty' this fall. 'Casablanca' has only one leaf with RLLB damage. No rabbit damage for some reason. And they bloom at the same time. And Casablanca is fragrant, I don't think BB is.

  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Some pictures from yesterday.



    "Tropical" garden where I hope the third time will be the charm on wintering over a Musa basjoo. Soil is crap here so I'm slowly trying to add organic matter.



    View from the deck looking east.



    Patio gardens.



    A welcome visitor.



    An unwelcome visitor 🤨.

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  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago

    Sue, is that a Euphorbia in a pot? Is it hardy where you are?

    I remember the banana you had in your last garden, it was big wasn’t it? And did you bring that in over winter? It doesn’t seem right that you are zone 6a and are further south than I am here.

    You have a Monarch! And the deer doesn’t seem the least bit timid.

  • Sue W (CT zone 6a)
    3 years ago

    PM2 are you referring to the Euphorbia Ascot Rainbow in the first picture? I planted two of them last spring expecting them to be annuals. Surprise! Not only did they come back but they are twice as big. I just deadheaded all of last years growth and flower bracts. Last winter was mild so I guess these will be year to year.

    I had a large Musa basjoo in my old garden that was hardy in the ground. Initially I mulched it for the winter with a cage of shredded leaves. Then it started turning into a grove so I stopped the winter protection.

    Zones are a funny thing. I was 6a in my old garden but could definitely push the zone envelope more than I've been able to here.

  • prairiemoon2 z6b MA
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Sue, I love Euphorbias but they've always died over the winter for me. It might have to do with my clay soil too. That is a large, good looking one. I hope it keeps coming back for you! Last winter was mild, but we had no snow cover to speak of and very little precipitation at all. Some of my garden came back this spring, smaller and needed most of the spring and a lot of rain to catch back up.

    That is pretty surprising that there is a hardy banana. Must have been a surprise to see it turning into a grove. [g]

    You're right, it's not just the zone, it's the microclimate in your particular garden too. I'm rarely trying to push the zone here, so I don't notice it very much. Although I would love to grow Camelias and I've tried them twice and even with those that were supposed to work out in zone 6, and with winter protection, they were a no go for me. With all the climate change, I would have hoped that at least my mophead Hydrangeas would perform better, but after last winter they were dead down to the base, maybe due to the lack of snow cover. I have 2 blooms out of 5 Hydrangea this year and they're wilting all the time in this heat. I have made up my mind to replace all of them. I can't wait for cooler weather.