No “Wordless Wednesday” post for me today. You want to know why? Cause I ain’t got nothing going on. Even after crawling around in the wet, nasty clay, I couldn’t find anything of interest, let alone anything blooming.

So just know that I despise all of you who have daffodils or crocuses or hellebores blooming.

In order to make myself feel better, I am giving you a post about a fave plant of mine – ‘Joan Senior’ daylily.

I am by no means a daylily expert, not yet at least. To get all the information you’ll need on all things Hemerocallis, check out this link –
http://www.daylilies.org/ 

Some quick nuggets on Joan Senior:

• 30″ tall by 24″ wide
• Survives zone 3-9
• Thrives in full sun to partial shade
• First flush of blooms are in mid summer with reblooming up until mid Fall (photo below is from 2nd week of November)

• Blooms are creamy white and about 5″ across
• The blooms have a a yellow-green throat (innermost section of bloom) and a pale yellow watermark (area above bloom’s throat)

• Each bloom lasts just short of a day but these plants have a high bud count

• As with most daylillies, they are tough as nails and survive in almost all soils
• To keep the plant looking fresh and clean, deadhead regularly and remove the scapes when all of the buds have bloomed (below is a photo of the buds which sit on the “scape”

• They are most definitely not deer resistant so it is a constant battle for me to keep the blooms

• The foliage is quick to emerge in late winter and I’ll take that whenever I can get it (the photo below was taken two weeks ago)         

Hopefully there will be some action in my gardens real soon so I can stop dreaming of April and May.

Until next time.
ONG

The original plan was to do a Wordless Wednesday post today, including additional photos from the Philadelphia Flower Show.

Well you know what? Screw that, I want to get down and dirty today. Let’s get ugly and real and blow off those precious blooms that I’ll never dream of replicating. Who’s with me? Let’s do this thing.    

Shit kicking boots on? Check
Hoodie on? Check
Camera? Check
Cell phone in case we get stuck in the muck? Check

You still here? Sweet … onward. 

I’m not sure what you call these creatures but I’ve read about them in an old encyclopedia. The term is “bird” and apparently they reappear here in the Northeast when the weather warms up.

What they said was true, Boltonia is tough enough to survive wet feet over the winter. Now let’s see if all this talk of re-seeding is true. If so, I welcome it with open arms.

Welcome back Lobelia siphilitica, you sexy little native you. You have been added to the tough perennial club for making it through the winter. Now let’s kick some ass all season.

Son of a $%^&%! The cool season grasses need to be cut back now and I need to get going on this gargantuan task.

ONG

I took the day off from work today and headed west into the “City of Brotherly Love” for the Philadelphia International Flower Show. It may have been cold and painfully windy, but the thought of seeing actual colors other than gray and brown was too damn enticing.

This year’s theme is “Springtime in Paris” and honestly, you could have told me the theme was “Cow dung time in Hell” and I still would have happily attended knowing there would be actual flowers this time of year. But I digress.

Upon entering the main room, attendees were greeted with quite the first impression:
         

And the Paris theme was immediately evident throughout the entire room:

But you know what? I was immediately taken by the smells more than anything else and these smells led me away like in the old cartoons when the dog would float in the air following the smell of a steak. I completely forgot about the theme of the event and was mesmerized by the PLANTS and only the PLANTS.

I’ve talked enough already, I leave you with some of the photos taken today and will have even more in the days to come. Enjoy.         

I present to you today my “top seven” reasons why I friggin love Nepeta (Catmint) ‘Walker’s Low’. Why seven? Because I don’t want Letterman’s people to accuse me of stealing any of their ideas. Plagiarism is a hot topic right now in the gardening world. For a super interesting read on this from an awesome writer, click here.

Anyhoo, when I photographed the small new growth on one of my Catmint plants yesterday, I was immediately reminded of just how much I love this perennial. And here are seven reasons why:

2)The blooms attract the bees in droves:

3)They are fantastic planted in large masses as edging plants:

4)They combine incredibly well with other perennials and shrubs:

5)The foliage emerges early and fills in quickly each Spring:

6)They take well to an early summer pruning and will bloom again later in the summer: 

7)They hold up well deep into the fall so they provide true three season interest:

You feelin me dawg?

Welcome.

OK, now that we have that out of the way … deep breath … and we’re off.

I love Phlox paniculata ‘David’ with the phenomenal blooms, but for two years running now, the foliage slowly “browns up” in the heat of summer. Do I hide the declining foliage with other low lying plants and be done with it? Do I relocate them to true full sun? Do I just focus on the problem and take appropriate precaution?

I love my ‘Little Grapette’ daylillies but so does somebody else. Fight it out with the enemy, because I like their current location, or give in?

I need to get more creative with my containers and realize I can squeeze more in than appears possible.  Remember … thriller, filler, spiller … say it again … thriller, filler, spiller.

Is this Carex ‘Cappuccino’ ugly or unique? Do I really like it as much as I think I do? Can it really be combined with others?

Do I dare now prune any of my Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ shrubs knowing I will be cutting off the potential blooms? The blooms are beautiful but I really love these shrubs for the foliage. And they appear to need some rejuvenation. Maybe experiment a bit and prune one dramatically, selectively prune another and leave one alone? Like an experiment where I can share the before and after. Hmmmm … I am a genius aren’t I? That is good blog fodder … but maybe no one will care?

Hot damn, I love this stuff!
ONG

I have an idea.

I think it is fun and different. You, however, may think it’s horrific.  

I don’t know if it will stick, but that’s never stopped me before.     

You may know Wordless Wednesday or Wildflower Wednesday or even Fertilizer Friday. Well I would like to add another “day” to your list and it will keep with the alliteration theme. Without further ado, I give you …

FRIGGIN FURIOUS FRIDAY

 
Now before you tune me out and run for the hills, let me explain. Last year, I had one of those days out in the garden where everything looked awful and I felt like a total failure. I immediately jumped on to my blog and voiced my displeasure and questioned my abilities. This was where the original Friggin Furious Friday was born. While it was a very negative post, I felt so much better after writing it. I got it off my chest and I received great feedback from others as to what I could do differently or simple reminders to remain patient.

So, I thought FFF would be a chance for gardeners to voice a frustration, be it large or small, and readers could come to the rescue voicing their support. It may seem like a negative way to enter the weekend, but I like to look at it as a chance to remove the negative and move on. Plus, no other days of the week start with an “F” and I love the word “friggin”. We use it often here in NJ and I’m even OK with my kids saying it.

To kick thing’s off I’ll post my first FFF rant:

 

             
This is what many areas of my yard look like in spring or after a big rain. I have really poor drainage and it limits a lot of what I’m able to plant. I still can’t believe when perennials or deciduous shrubs survive the winter. I have done my best to improve the soil quality (compost) and to level low lying areas where needed, but it is still a nightmare for me. I no longer fight my conditions and just focus on those plants that can survive wet feet and poor drainage. Still, I would kill for a nice loamy soil.

Ah, now I feel better getting that out. Why not give it a shot yourself? It’s like garden therapy.

If you are willing to give it a shot, all I ask is that you provide a link back to my blog after you’ve written your rant. Let’s see where it goes.

ONG             

**BREAKING NEWS**

I JUST ATE THE BEST MEATBALL EVER.

I had not planned on posting twice today but I had no choice. I’m talking that good. And I consider myself a meatball connoisseur.

I arrived home from work this evening and when I stepped into the house, BOOM, I was hit with the smell. A smell that made me forget about my day. I immediately got my bib, tucked it into my shirt and went to town. I ate like a king. I’m talking three bowls of spaghetti and meatballs with the meatball total nearing 10-12. I am 6 ft 3 and 215 pounds so I  can handle it without a problem.

I asked my wife how she constructed these beauties and her response was, “I just kind of winged it.” I love her.

Well the “winging it” was a home run and I’m still in the afterglow of the experience. I think the actual recipe will now have to be kept under lock and key and maybe, just maybe, she can hand it down to my daughter. But only when she is old enough to handle the responsiblity.

But because we are all friends here, I will share with you a few tips I managed to squeeze from my wife:

• The zest of one entire lemon was used
• Instead of breadcrumbs, she used sliced bread soaked in milk
• The onion and garlic was grated into olive oil and then used to saute the meatballs
• Turkey was used 

That’s all I got but trust me, this was life changing.

Until next time
ONG           

My soil conditions stink … I’ll give you a moment to provide your sympathy … OK, thanks, I appreciate your support.

The truth is, I have very poor draining clay soil (which I’m sure many of you do) and I am surrounded by herds of deer who venture closer to the gardens each year. The threat of my dog (well not really a “threat” since she is a labrador retriever) is no longer a concern for them.     

While this has limited many plant choices for me, it has also taught me a lesson to appreciate what the garden gives you and to “work with what ya got.” I have leaned heavily on native plants and they have proven to be very successful over the years.
 
Today’s featured perennial, Lobelia siphilitica (Blue Cardinal flower) was a new edition in the spring of 2010 and so far I have been pleased with the results.    

A few quick facts on this beauty:

• Reaches a height of about 24″-36″ with a spread of about 24″
• Survives in zones 4-9
• Prefers light shade but can handle full sun (or so I’m told, we’ll see, I have them in partial shade and full sun).
• Has an intense blue bloom from late summer to early fall. The hood-like blooms start from the bottom of the spires and work their way up.
• Can handle wet conditions (woo-hoo) and can re-seed heavily (woo-hoo again)
• Is a butterfly and hummingbird magnet  (I can confirm the butterflies)
• The siphilitica name comes from it’s supposed ability to cure syphilis back in the day 

As I mentioned before, this is a relatively new addition for me so I’m hoping to see big things in year two. I’ll be able to compare how they perform with different light conditions and to see if I can keep the deer away again (fat chance, but I’m determined to give it all I got.)    

Here are some additional photos from last summer: 

 
Thanks for reading.
ONG

This weekend was the tale of two vastly different weather days. We had a high 60’s day on Friday and that led to what I am officially deeming “The Great Melt of 2011”. I think two feet of snow disappeared in the course of a few hours and damn if that wasn’t needed. Here is an example:      

Friday afternoon

Thursday afternoon

I greeted my Yucca ‘Golden Sword’ with open arms and was even OK with gashing myself as I tried to hug her. Seriously, the blades are sharp as hell. I dare any of the deer to just try and give it a bite. On another note, I am so glad I finally gave these a try. What a welcome sight in the winter, just hope they continue to work well with all of their neighboring plants.  

I know I will look back on the following photo and say “Really, was that blog worthy? A little bit of green and you act like it is an award worthy shot.” Well, eff it, it’s the best I got right now and I’m going to savor it.”  

Saturday rolled around and it was like Friday never happened. We are talking some serious winds (upwards of 60 mph) and back to the nasty cold temps. Overnight, a hockey rink was constructed in our back yard. I even got a call from the New York Rangers asking if they could use the backyard as a practice facility. 

Regardless of the weather, my wife and I dropped the kids off for the night with their grandfather (can I get an amen?) and headed into New York City (or as we call it in the metropolitan area, “The city”). Even though the winds were brutal, there is no energy like there is in NYC and we could have cared less about the weather. We were “adults” for a day and enjoyed the hell out of it. We saw the musical “American Idiot” based on the Green Day album of the same name and absolutely loved it.    

I have the album ranked in my top 10 of all time so I was like a school girl screaming the entire time. The lead singer had a part in the play which made it even that much more exciting. I highly recommend it.

After the show, it was drink time and a chance to just chill along with the other couple who came with us. It was fantastic, I can’t get enough of drinks with fresh herbs in them, but hot damn was it expensive. Not that I should be surprised, but a $120 bar bill for only eight drinks is seriously insane. Oh well, what can you do, when in Rome …    

We then had an actual adult dinner at a finer NYC establishment at a very leisurely pace of about three hours.

We headed home after dinner fully satisfied and reminisced about what it was like before children. We love them to death, but it is pretty sweet to dump them off sometimes and do our own thing. I think they need it too, a chance away from evil mom and dad.

Sunday was a chance to chillax and we did just that once we were reunited with the little ones. I don’t think they missed us one bit, but that’s OK, we felt the same way (I kid). The weather was still awful and I spent most of my day longing to get out in the yard. That wasn’t going to happen, so pathetically, I just stared at the soon to be blooms on my Meyer lemon tree.          

 
We’ll get there soon, right?
ONG