Black Clover

I love this color combination and it both confirms a plant I was contemplating getting- the Heuchera Marmalade and provides an idea for combining a Black Clover with the Creeping Jenny thats already in the beds. This color palette that combines Dark Leaves, limey greens and bronzes is continued though the length of the bed that fronts this house on Commercial Street. I love that the palette continues into and complements the porch paint colors and the color of the porch chairs.

Picket Fence

One of the great things about being on vacation as a gardener is the chance to look at other gardens and enjoy the variety of different kinds, be inspired by interesting combinations and ideas or simply enjoy as in this photo a classic composition of roses tumbling over a white picket fence against a dark backdrop of weathered shingle. One of many beautiful Cape Cod gardens that I will be capturing over the next week or so.

Vervain

Purpletop Vervain or Verbena Bonariensis is one of my favorite plants. I love its height and airy structure -great for weaving through other perennials. Too bad the photo here wasn't taken in the garden- it was taken in the Perennial Garden at the New York City Botanical Gardens. I did try it a few years ago planting three fairly large plants but they didn't return the following year. This stand of them at the Botanical Garden has reminded me to try it again perhaps in another spot.

Clematis Jackmanii

The Clematis Jackmanii has decided that it's going to have a good season this year. It popped up early and already has grown quite profusely with many blooms. Securing it to the porch pillar has filled it almost halfway up, drawing the eye to the middle of the garden and upwards.

Rosy View

The idea behind how the images are presented on this site is that of looking out of a window into the garden which is why I chose to frame them heavily. I've also set the framed images against a darker background so that what you see seems more intensly lit by the outside light. The idea actually came to me looking through the very window pictured here- from inside the barn looking out. The view right now is one of red roses climbing up and around the window. Here's what they look like on the outside.

Buttercup Yellow

When I saw this plant with the beautiful buttercup yellow flowers at the plant nursery the first thought that popped into my head was Ranunculus so when I read the name on the label - Trollius Europaeus - it didn't register at all. I planted it in front of some Iris and as you can see the arching form of the flower stalks contrast well with the straight lines of the Iris leaves. The cut leaves with five indents are also very pretty and the indigo flowers of the Baptista Australis in the background harmonizes nicely. I put the plant label in my back pocket to take home and look up and it promptly got lost in a pile of laundry only resurfacing yesterday. It is indeed a member of the Ranunculaceae family - common name Globe Flower.

Blown

I missed the peonies. I couldn't come up up last week and this is the price -no wonderful color and scent to bring back to my apartment as I did last year. As you can see there were a gazillion buds a few weeks ago ready to burst into bloom as they do reliably every year. I very sadly had the chore of removing the spent blooms which was the theme of this weeks gardening - being class monitor - trimming, cutting back and deadheading making sure everyone was being well behaved.

To Be Planted

This is what I'll be planting tomorrow. A Bronze Fennel that I got at the New York Botanical Gardens store, three dark purple Nicotiana's, a Black Krim heirloom tomato and a Long Red Narrow Cayenne Pepper that I got at the Union Square Farmers Market.

Crimson Alabama

The breakout star of last summer was the Crimson Alabama Honeysuckle. We planted it last June when it was already fairly mature and it immediately had star presence in a highly visible spot leaned up against a corner of the barn. This year its come back strong, full of early blooms. Remember those Hosta Leaves I cut and took home to NYC - they're still going strong on a shelf in the kitchen.