And yes, I’m still stalking the robins:
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Most years, our St. Patrick’s Day celebration consists of green bagels for breakfast, maybe a little bit of Irish Soda Bread and a Guinness or five for Dad. There ain’t an ounce of Irish in any of us, but we still enjoyed the day in our own way.
Fast forward to last year when my exuberant daughter declared that if you leave your boots outside on St. Pattie’s Day Eve, they will be filled with candy and the leprechaun’s will then enter the house and wreak major havoc. This was news to us old folk but we decided to play along. That is the kind of effect my daughter has on us. Her enthusiasm and zest for life is contagious and you can’t help but join in. Corned beef and cabbage alone won’t cut it.
So the boots went out Saturday night and sure enough, they were filled with Skittles, Twix and all sorts of other similarly healthy snacks come this morning. Girlfriend was right.
As we then made our way through the house it was quite obvious that the lepechauns were good and liquored up late last evening. They toilet papered the entire house:
Danced on the kitchen table with their green painted tiny shoes and even painted a rainbow for kicks:
I can’t even describe some of the other stuff those heathens were responsible for. Let’s just say one disgusting joke involved a sock puppet, a toilet and a plunger. Need I say more?
After we all recovered from the inhumanity, we calmed things down a bit by resorting back to one of our safe go-to St. Pat’s breakfast of green bagels:
We could feel the sense of normalcy return and all was good.
Later on, while the kids were bouncing off the walls on a sugar high and my wife was making sure the f’n leprechauns didn’t steal any valuables, I ventured outside to my happy place. Those little green bastards can TP my house, turn my milk green or even swing from the chandeliers, but they better not have touched any of my plants.
All looked OK upon further inspection, except it was damn frigid outisde and there was still a decent amount of snow lingering around. Enough already!
I did observe that some of the daffodil blooms are further along than others: 
And I jumped for joy when I saw that the bulbs I planted on a whim back in the fall, in a super soggy part of the garden, made it through:
But then again, look whose bulbs I planted in that spot
Martha knows best.
Quick aside – There is no better comedy on the radio today than Martha Stewat taking callers questions over the phone on her radio show. Her inability to relate to the “common folk” or to even try to put herself in their shoes is hilarious. I honestly believe she thinks every single one of us has a few maids and laborers at our beck and call or have access to French batards we can have flown in overnight. Genius radio. Oh yeah, she also clearly eats while she is taking these calls. Total Gangster.
And we’re back.
A few additional observations from my walk in the garden today:
This is one of maybe five buds that has survived the deer on my Viburnum ‘Aurora’ (Maybe I should call Martha for advice):
The Dappled Willow (Salix) has managed to hide from the deer to date (and of course I just jinxed myself):
I think the Rosemary has managed to make it through the winter; a bit beaten up but still alive and kicking:
Welcome back Geranium ‘Karmina’. We expect big things in year two:
Two weeks ago the grasses were cut down and now they are covered in snow. C’mon man:
We are looking at continued cold here this week but as far as I know, the leprechauns are headed back to wherever it is they came from.
John
When I am designing a garden (and I use that term loosely; althought it does sound all sorts of professional, so let me role play for a minute) I find the biggest challenge to be how to best account for plant “change”. And when I say “change”, I mean how to take advantage of plants at different stages of their growth, be it in their prime while blooming or taking advantage of their fall foliage color.
Designing also incorporates hiding plants when they are not at their best (think deciduous shrub in the early spring or bulbs after they have bloomed). This little “dance” where you account for change can be maddening but challenging and fun at the same time. It’s what keeps me up at night and puts the “obsessive” and “neurotic” in this blog title.
This all came to mind this weekend as I witnessed the bulbs first emerging out of the soil. The bulbs can hide things now but will need to be hidden in the not so distant future.
A case in point:
Here are daffodil bulbs first emerging in front of an ornamental grass that was cut to the ground in late winter:
And the bulbs further along in growth and beginning to truly shield the dormant ornamental grass:
Eventually, the daffodils are in full bloom and the ornamental grass is pushed out of mind:
Another example is here where the daffodils are hiding a hydrangea that has only begun to leaf out:
When I walk up my front walkway, I don’t even notice the hydrangea:
Eventually, those bulbs are a distant memory as the sedums take center stage and hide the hole left by the now dead and gone daffodils:
And that once dormant grass is now the show-stopper:
As mentioned earlier, change in the garden can also be seen when comparing how plants look as they are in their growing stage.
The photo below shows a catmint (in front) and an astilbe (in back) in spring after they just started growing: 
A pretty cool color combo with nice contrast for a week or two.
But soon after, by early summer, the true combo appears when both are in full bloom:
After the blooms on the Catmint are spent, they are cut back by a 1/3 and the spent blooms on the Astilbe remain, still attractive and ornamental.
Even one plant can impress like mad as they change throughout the season. Take the red sedum below.
They offer much welcomed color in winter:
And look fantastic in late spring, albeit in a different color shade and much fuller:
Times they are a changin … and let’s celebrate the hell out of it.
John
Promise of a better day:
As this moves to the rearview?
One can only hope.
Today is February 1st and you know what is within shouting distance now?
Note: I originally posted this as “photo only” and then realized it may appear that these were all taken current day. That couldn’t be further from the truth. These pics are all from last year. I was just daydreaming of a better day on this arctic-like morning.
John
Here is the mindset for today:
- I am sick of hearing myself complain about all of the deer damage out in the garden so I can only imagine how y’all feel.
- It couldn’t be uglier outdoors of late. Nothing but fog and drenched soil. “Soupy” is the perfect description. I’d kill for snow cover to hide it all.
- It is the 15th of the month, AKA “Garden Bloggers Bloom Day” and I ain’t got squat going on right now. Of course I wouldn’t expect to have anything this time of year, but you get the point.
The flu and other ailments are all around us as it is a cacophony of moans and coughs and sneezes.Pretend the prior sentence isn’t there as my family has been relatively healthy to date and I don’t want to jinx that.
So in the spirit of … raising spirits … here is a … spirited series of bloom pics from the past year that will hopefully serve as inspiration as we churn through the heart of the winter.
Let’s pretend for a day that we are in the middle of May or June or even July.
The daydreaming has commenced:
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| Joe Pye Weed |
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| Catmint |
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| Geranium ‘Brookside’ |
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| Catmint |
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| Geranium ‘Karmina’ |
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| Bugleweed ‘Chocolate Chip’ |
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| Viburnum ‘Aurora’ |
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| Candytuft ‘Snowflake’ |
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| Viburnum ‘Shoshoni’ |
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| Bellflower ‘Joan Elliot’ |
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| Eastern Bluestar |
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| Iris sibirica ‘Snow Queen’ |
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| Iris versicolor |
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| Iris sibirica ‘Ruffled Velvet’ |
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| Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’ |
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| Viburnum ‘Emerald Lustre’ |
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| Catmint and Astilbe ‘Amethyst’ |
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| Astilbe ‘Deutschland’ and Catmint |
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| Yarrow ‘Moonwalker’ |
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| Coneflower ‘Fragrant Angel’ |
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| Rose of Sharon ‘Lavender Chiffon’ |
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| Summersweet ‘Ruby Spice’ |
“If at first they succeed, buy more and more of that plant already.”
I just made up that quote on the fly. Pretty good stuff, eh?
But seriously, when you have limited plant choices like I do (due to poor draining soil, deer, rabbits, etc.) shouldn’t you relish those that thrive? And by relish, I mean buy a bunch of them for your landscape. It is a smart investment and helps fill areas of the yard that require filling.
Do I follow this rule? Of course not … that would require logic and common sense … both of which I am sorely lacking.
But enough about me, for today I wanted to share with you a shrub that has worked for me since the day I planted it and requires virtually no maintenance. It is Clethra (Summersweet) ‘Hummingbird’:
A quick run-down of why I love it:
Native to the Eastern U.S. – check
Thrives in wet soil – check
Deer don’t dig it – check
That’s all I needed to know. Count me in.
The glossy green foliage on this deciduous shrub is a bit late to emerge in spring but once it does (like mid April for me here in zone 6B) it fills in quickly. The blooms then emerge by mid July and for four years running now, completely fill the shrub:
And once the shrub is in full bloom, it is an absolute bee magnet:
And if you get closer to the computer screen, I swear to God, you can smell the clove-like awesomeness:
Some other tidbits for your reading pleasure:
- Survives zones 3-9
- Typical size is a compact 3′ x 3′
- Works well for me in full sun but can also bloom in abundance in almost full shade
- Adapts to most soil types including my aforementioned wet clay
- I’ve noticed it has become a staple of many commercial landscapes in my area which would lead one to believe they are quite low maintenance
By mid to late August, the blooms transform to brown seed capsules and stay that way all through the Winter giving the shrub just a bit more interest:
Contrary to what has been written about this shrub, I have yet to see any great fall color. It is “decent” at best:
But that’s OK, I can live with that.
Oh yeah, back to my original point at the beginning of this post. Why I own only one of these is beyond me. They beg to be massed and that is my plan for this year. Add a bunch more and get some serious impact out of it. Enough of the onesies and twosies; let’s do this right.
On top of that, these shrubs are known to “sucker” so a few can go a long way.
May the spring come soon before I forget all of my good ideas.
John
It has been a while since I spent any significant time out in the garden. Truth is, it hasn’t been since the end of October when I planted the last of the spring bulbs.
We had the devastating Hurricane Sandy, we were on vacation for a week in November, it got cold quick at the end of November and then there was the tragedy in Newtown, CT. Collectively, these events kept me indoors and admittedly, a bit disinterested in all that was going on outside.
But that all changed today. I woke up this morning (after a day of illness for both me and my wife which was a lot of fun – but that’s a story for another day) with the sun shining bright and I felt an energy for the outdoors like I hadn’t felt in a while. It was a mix of enjoying what the garden holds this time of year and the excitement of what is to come in a few short months. With the holidays behind us for the most part, it was time to get back to garden planning and dreaming for 2013. Woo f’n hoo.
So I grabbed the camera, my trusty gray hoodie and wandered aimlessly through the garden. And it felt awesome! Cold and crisp, but beautiful. Invigorating.
And here are some pics from my little journey:
Blooms that were left on the plants for winter are always a welcome sight this time of year: 
As are the colorful stems of the Willow and the Red Twig Dogwood:
And if you’ve read this blog before, you know my love of ornamental grasses:
Even old,dying foliage is appealing now:
As is the subtle changing color on many of the evergreens:
Or the fabulous peeling bark on the River Birch trees:
Even the sign of anything “green” is welcoming with brown dominating the landscape right now:
Of course, it wouldn’t be my yard without those wonderful pools of water that are so common winter into spring:
Oh well, I can ignore those for now and focus on what looks good.
Good to be back and good to be back in the garden as well.
John
I’m not here today to debate gun control or mental health in the wake of the brutal tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, CT last Friday. Instead, I wanted to share something with you all that has tugged at my heartstrings since last Friday.
A classmate and friend from high school lost his daughter on Friday. This news brought these tragic events even closer to home. Having two young children myself, I can’t even begin to imagine what the family is going through and will go through in the days/weeks/years to come. There are no words to describe it.
The first thought was “How can I help in any way possible?”. The words of support on Facebook are overwhelmingly supportive but the truth is, what can we really do in a time like this? I have mulled it over for days and could not come up with anything.
But then I saw a new group that was formed on Facebook supporting the family’s wishes to have those looking to donate not send flowers to the family, but donate to the Animal Center in Newtown, CT. The family’s daughter Catherine was a huge lover of animals and what better way to honor her memory than to donate to such a worthy cause.
So I am here today not to pressure anyone into donating, but if you are willing and looking to donate in some capacity after this tragedy, please consider donating to The Animal Center.
You can access their Facebook page here.
And their website here.
You can also read the story of this beautiful little girl here.
Thank you for taking the time out to read this.
John