Last of the cutting garden

The cutting garden was definitely a mixed success this year.

The sunflowers were great, but rather too big for my arrangements, the bachelor's buttons were pretty but very floppy, and most of the rest either didn't come up at all or smelled like poop (daisies, I'm looking at you!)

 

But let's remember some successes.

The volunteer cosmo patch up in the vegetable garden was gorgeous, and brightened up a few bouquets.

 

Bunny tail grass, or Lagarus ovatus, planted in my daughter's garden, was a favorite of us all.

Those little seedheads were every bit as soft and fuzzy as they look.

With their long arching stems, they added a bit of whimsy and touchability to several bouquets this summer.

Since I generally rototill the garden every year, this clump got dug up, divided, and replanted in 3 different spots out in the front flowerbeds. I hope it thrives up there!

 

Bless the zinnias.

They came through splendidly, wherever I planted them.

These were in the cutting garden proper, but the ones in the garden did great, as well.

Hardy, long-lasting in the vase, and bright cheerful colors.

That's a combination that's hard to beat!

Beautifully floppy bachelor's buttons.

If I replant these next year, they'll have to go in a spot that get a little more sun.

Maybe the vegetable garden.

[What? I do have actual vegetables in there, too, you know...mostly.]

Looking down toward the cutting garden.

The daisies have since been divided and planted between the lilacs and ninebark, all the way down the terrace.

 

As for next year's cutting garden, I may try starting some seeds inside in the spring, so that I have more young plants to put in. Also, not sure I'll do sunflowers again, though they were fun to look at. That is, unless I can find a variety with smaller blooms that I actually know what to do with in a vase.

 

It was a good experiment that I feel like I learned from.

(Like everything I do in gardening.)

The Cutting Garden

After perusing some flower farmer blogs and visiting our local u-pick flower farm again, I decided to make a dedicated cutting garden on the end of our side terrace.

 

In May I pulled out all my flower seeds--varying ages, most at least 1 year old.

I weeded like crazy, (it had already been rototilled earlier), then planted my little seeds.

I waited, tried to remember to water, and waited.

 

And....not much came up.

These are the first pictures, because most of the summer has seen only very small struggling plants surrounded by (yes) more weeds.

 

So, to begin:

These daisies were a gift from a friend, and after taking a month or two to recover from transplanting, they're actually blooming again!

 

Funny story about them:

I was making a bouquet to give to a friend, and came over for some daisies.

As I was snipping them, I thought, "Wow, you can really smell the compost in this bed!"

Then later, in the car, I really thought I had stepped in something.

I checked my shoes, I was looking for the source of THAT smell.

Oh yes. It wasn't the compost, my friends.

So, fortunately, I have some pretty white daisies.

UNfortunately, those daisies smell like poop.

Therefore, they will have to be moved elsewhere in my garden, because flowers in my cutting garden aren't allowed to stink that bad!

 

My current plan is possibly moving them down the terrace, between each of my new lilac bushes.

Ever-loving zinnias.

These are the best!

They're the 'Cut and Come Again' variety, and they have all sorts of fun and different forms in the same seed packet. As you can see, most were pink this year, but that's okay, too.

 

These bachelor buttons grew from 4 year-old seed!

They sure are pretty, but also are super floppy, which made them hard to use in arrangements.

They must not get enough sun right here.

 

Sunflower mix.

Tall, stately, and beautiful.

I'm still figuring out how to use them in a mixed bouquet.

 

So out of maybe 10 varieties of seeds planted this year, so far I have 3 things growing.

I've got some work to do!

Roses, Daisies & Salvia: GBBD June 2014

Better late than never, right? 

 

The bad news is: the irises are already done.

 The good news is: I've got all kinds of other stuff blooming right now.

 

Let's get to it, shall we?

 

In the back, shade bed:

 I still have some columbine going strong.

There are some violas and pansies back here, as well.

 

On the shady side of slope, the hardy geraniums are battling valiantly against the grass.

 

Slope, sunny side: we've got wild daisies and wild lupines

I just love that combination!

Back flowerbed: 

'Yellow Topaz' rose

You can't cut this one to bring in, as the petals fall off at the slightest bump, but it's a star right now in the June garden.

mockorange starting to open up

 

Between the Topaz rose and the mockorange, this section of the backyard smells heavenly.

 

My poppy bloomed! I was so excited, as I just put it in last year.

I love that color, too.

 

Heading to the front:

Dutch iris

 

 The salvia really bring some great color to this bed.

And of course, that dianthus won't be ignored, either.

 



 I was tickled to see so many blooms on this peony this year.

This is its 3rd summer and the first time it has really bloomed.

More salvia, with lamb's ear going for broke, and a few small petunias.



Believe it or not, these daises are wild.

They just happen to grow right here at the end of the flowerbed proper, and they're doing so well I decided to leave them.

The daises in the background along the side of the house: also wild.

Some people pull them out as weeds.

I don't mind them a bit.

 

I can hardly believe how huge this salvia has gotten.

I like the contrast with the foliage of the Sem False Spirea right next to it.

 

 

Speaking of spirea, this little shrub is blooming again.

Last but not least, the 'Watercolors' rose that I moved up front.

 

Take a look at other gardens, too:

http://www.maydreamsgardens.com/

 

Happy Bloom Day, friends!

 

Flowerbed Tour: Front Beds

 

June 12:

 

Middle Terrace

 

This time I started at the East side and worked my way around towards the driveway.

Some of these shots I will also post for Garden Blogger's Bloom Day, but I thought it would be worth it to see the progression. 

 

wild daisies

 

Sem False Spirea and salvia

I love that bright green on the false spirea.

 

Coming around the corner, burgundy iceberg rose, knautia.

The big empty space in front is where the burgundy blanket flowers were.

They didn't get enough sun here, and were very floppy.

I dug them out and gave them to a friend.

salvia starting to crowded out by lamb's ears

Hmmm...one of those may have to move, or the lamb's ears may need to be cut back next year.

 

Coming on around, you can see the oriental lilies at the bottom of the picture, with dianthus, daylilies, and Shasta daisies just coming into bud at the top.

I love this time of year with these terraces!

 

Just past the daisies, we have the pink salvia, more dianthus, some purple salvia, and you can just see the peony at the top of the picture.

 

A bit more salvia and that gorgeous peony.

 

closeup of the peony 'Top Brass.'

 

That's where I stopped as far as going bit by bit along the whole terrace, but here's the view from across the street of all 3 terraces.

Once again, I've arranged the pictures left to right, if you're looking at the house.

 

 

 The part-shade corner

Middle

I really like the repeated colors.

The barberry on bottom echoes the dianthus, which repeats down the bed as well.

Here's a little closer view of about the same place, in the middle.

 

 

Then coming on around a bit.

 

For some reason, the view from the mailbox and driveway was completely neglected this time around.  Maybe I'll catch it next time. 



March Flowerbeds: Front

 The overview:

(right panning left)

 

 

Top bed:

The elderberry and snowball bush both have leaf buds that are just barely breaking out.

 Got all the vetch weeded out of this bed yesterday.

 

Middle Bed:

 

 

Tulips about 3 inches high.

Front right: Shasta daisies

I need to decide quickly if I'm going to divide them or not this year.

 

I haven't gotten to this end of the bed for spring cleanup yet.

I may be transplanting the guillardia that got so long and floppy last summer.

 

Bottom Bed:

A few patches of crocuses blooming.

Daffodils just barely starting to poke up behind the English laurel.

A bit of new growth on the irises, and the boxwood starting to turn green again.

Going Bushy

From eight years old on, I grew up in Alaska.

We first moved to Akiachak, a tiny Yupik Eskimo village along the Kuskokwim River.

The heart of the Alaskan Bush District.

 

Like many places, I suppose, Alaska has its share of local terms.

For example: "Outside," meaning "anywhere out of state," as in "We're going Outside for vacation this year." Yes.

  Or "dividend check" meaning "Free money! WAHOO!"

 

Living in the 'Chak, as we called it, we became familiar with another unique Alaskan term:

"Going Bushy."

This did not refer to an abundance of facial hair, though it was the one and only time I ever remember my dad growing a beard.

Rather, it was used to describe a person who had gone completely crazy. It was understood as a given that living out in the Bush had in some way led to their unhinged mental state. 

 

This lavender has definitely gone Bushy.

 

In the 2 years we lived there, there were 2 such instances of the dreaded disease.

The principal of a neighboring village went Bushy, and proceeded to lock himself in the mailroom. He refused to come out, or let anyone in to get their mail. Finally (several days later!) he had to be forcibly removed by the State Troopers.

 

Then, just days after we had moved a young man from our village went Bushy. He hid in the fireweed right next to where we had lived and started taking shots at the people going by on the boardwalk.

State Troopers were once again called in to handle it. 

[Does this make anyone want to be an Alaska State Trooper someday?]

 

What I'm saying is: Going Bushy was not pretty.

It was not a desirable state.

It usually took several people to contain the situation.

 

Shasta daisies, though in a bush-like state, are too pretty to be Bushy.

 

So when I say that something in my garden has gone Bushy, I don't mean, "there's a few extra shoots here and there, tra la la, isn't everything grand?"

What I mean is, this plant has a crazed gleam in its eye and has started taking down the neighbors.

It's about time to call in some reinforcements.

Just so you know.

 

Exhibit A: the oregano crossed over into Bushy weeks ago.

The rosemary hasn't been seen since.

A Study in Contrasts: Garden Appreciation Society

I never would have thought to use hosta leaves in a bouquet until I saw Erin do it for the Garden Appreciation Society.

Once I decided to use them, then I started seeing the other leaves around that were green and white, which led to the euonymous.

The first round of Shasta 'Becky' daisies is about done, so I gleaned a handful from there. Then since we had large and small leaves, I thought it would be fun to have large and small daisies as well.

The dog fennel (also called Mayweed chamomile) is blooming like crazy along our east side, where we need to put grass in this fall.

Hey, nothing like using the weeds--um, wildflowers at our disposal! 

The roses were to add a little sparkle and color.

 

As a sidenote, I just planted the Burgundy Iceberg Rose this year, and I love it!

The deep purple and red tones are gorgeous next to the other plants in my front flowerbed.

 

Top View

This is not a bouquet for sniffing.

Dog fennel is called that for a reason! It stinks!

Fortunately, you have to get up close to really smell it; otherwise, I wouldn't have brought it in the house!