Category: gardening

Silent Sunday/ Before the Woodchuck Returns

Tall phlox, scarlet runner beans and zinnias are a perfect dinner for a woodchuck.

“Beauty For A Day”

The scientific name for daylilies, hemerocallis, comes from the Greek words hermera, meaning day and kallos, meaning beauty. The two terms together can be translated as “beauty for a day”. This term aptly describes the lifespan of the plant, as each individual flower lasts only one day.

Daylilies are at their height in Central Massachusetts right now. As I travel the area, colorful lily displays abound, most likely due to the consistent sun and heat this season. Below are a few “beauties for a day” that I enjoyed in my own garden recently.

Wordless Wednesday/Zinnia

Wordless Wednesday/Yarrow

I’ve read that rabbits and woodchucks dislike the strong scent, bitter taste and tough texture of yarrow, and will avoid it in my yard. Fingers crossed!

Orangeade

My yard is popping with orange this week.

Orange daylilies like this one abound everywhere I look. They are also known as “ditch lilies”, as they thrive in neglected areas like drainage ditches, fields, and railroad tracks. These humble plants are very hardy and extremely easy to grow. They don’t mind poor soil, tolerate pollution and drought, and prevent soil erosion. Ditch lily blossoms are edible, and sometimes cooked in a similar manner to squash blossoms.

The ditch lily softens and adds interest to this fieldstone foundation.

Asiatic lilies take up where the ditch lilies left off. Unlike the ditch lilies that grow from roots, Asiatic lilies grow from bulbs, are are highly prized for cut flowers. Here the lilies are placed in front of a spirea bush for contrast.

The aptly named “candy corn” spirea picks up on the orange theme with leaves that change from green to orange to red over time.

Candy corn spireas are topped off with raspberry blossoms.

Here, the Asiatic lilies contrast with evergreens nearby, lending a more “Eastern” feeling.

The plain ditch lilies thrive in front of a hemlock tree and a bucket of flowers. (The flowers in the bucket are fake, having been placed there earlier for some needed color, but are surely not necessary now. )
Hurrah for orangeade in July!

Silent Sunday/Radiance

Ancient Irises

A lightly edited reblog of a post from this day in 2021.

Iris means “rainbow” in Greek.

In Greek mythology, the goddess Iris carried messages from heaven to earth on the arc of the rainbow. Beautiful flowers appeared wherever she set foot on the ground.

Irises in a rainbow of colors are blooming in my garden this week!

The Wabash Tall Bearded Iris, introduced in 1936, an is an award-winning heirloom flower.

A group of Honorabile Iris. This vigorous heirloom bearded iris was introduced in Paris in 1840, and carried across the United States by the pioneers.

The Amas Iris was collected in Turkey in the late 1800s. It is larger than many other irises.

Pallida Sweet Irises are prized for their sweet grape-like or powdery scent. Many modern irises have only a mild scent, or no scent at all.

Pensées

The word pansies comes from the French word pensées, which means “thoughts”. For centuries, pansies have been given as symbols of remembrance, contemplation and love.

There are about 400 varieties of pansies. They are popular due to their hardiness and adaptability.

In Victorian times sending pansies as a gift meant “I’m thinking of you”. Coded messages of feelings or intentions toward another person were sent via the color of a particular flower.

Although the symbolism of colors might change over the years, blue often symbolized peace, tranquility and faithfulness.

Orange often meant energy and enthusiasm.

White most often symbolized purity.

Cheerfulness and happiness was symbolized by yellow; red could stand for thoughts of love.

Wishing you many colorful thoughts this spring!

Take a Seat…

and enjoy the possibilities within a garden.

Hydrangeas lend a “secret garden feel ” to this conversation area.

Tall phlox provide a shelter for solitary meditation.

This wooden bench folds for winter storage. A just-picked garlic crop dries beside it on an all season table.

Coleus and evergreens stay cool in the shadier area near the road where neighbors walk by or come to visit.

The hand made wooden bench in the zen garden was fashioned from recycled stair steps. It is a perfect place for reflection.

There is room under the apple tree for picnics and conversation. Potted young plants enjoy the shade, as well.

Silent Sunday- First Snow Shower

My Garden/ Holden MA

Cottontail Cottage

Holden, Massachusetts

The rabbits in my yard have been satisfied with clover so far this season. However, I’m still keeping a watchful eye on my:

Out of the Blue

Holden, Massachusetts

Displays of Mophead Hydrangeas are spectacular in Massachusetts this season, thanks to a mild winter. My bushes, which usually sport a handful of blooms, have been going non-stop for several weeks.

The More the Merrier

A recent trip to Bemis Farms Nursery in Spencer, Massachusetts proves that you can never have too much of a good thing!

Sunrise, Sunset

East Princeton, Massachusetts

Kaleidoscope Monarch

The butterfly bush in my yard has attracted the first Monarch Butterfly of the season.

A Growing Community

My town’s garden allotments are in full swing, despite some difficult weather these past weeks.

Butterfly Wings

(Short audio included at the end of the post.)

During my recent blogging break, I have been learning to play the folk harp.

This is a Fireside Harp from Backyard Music, made of cardboard.

The shape of the harp reminds me of the wings of a butterfly that visits my garden.

A rain storm came up just after these photos were taken, but I’ve included a short audio with a rainy backdrop, which can be played along with these photos.

Eleanor Plunkett, by Turlough O’Carolan, arranged by harpist and composer Anne Crosby Gaudet, performed by Julie Mankowsky.

Summer Sun

A variety of pollinators enjoyed my Buddleia (Butterfly Bush) in full bloom, as one of the resident rabbits watched the garlic harvest dry.

Flowers and Fresh Veg

Visiting woodchucks, rabbits, a racoon and even a bear made gardening more difficult than usual this year. Still, on a sunny July day, it seems worth all the extra effort.

Lillies overlook the beans, squash and hydrangea.

Tomatillos are a new veg for me this year. Salsa Verde recipes, anyone?

Hydrangeas sport a deep blue because of my slightly acidic soil.

Lady Belle Sweet Peppers growing on the deck.

Zinnias hiding from rabbits in the pots of Swiss Chard.

The parsley usually lasts right up until snowfall.

Perennial flowers topped off with a hanging basket of marigolds and nasturtium.

Salad Bowl Lettuce doesn’t seem to mind the heat.

Boston Pickling Cucumbers are a New England favorite.

Tall Phlox and Scarlet Emperor Beans share a trellis.

Basil and marigolds used as companion plants with tomatoes.

Hoping my French Haricot Vert Beans are “woodchuck proof”!

Garden Guests

I’m never alone on my “home patch”.

Lunch Break

From apples to zinnias: visitors can choose from a wide variety of tasty treats in my garden this week.

Eastern Cottontail Rabbit/ Scarlet Emperor Greens

Female Ruby-throated Hummingbird/Scarlet Emperor Bean Blossoms

Monarch Butterfly/ California Giant Zinnia

Digging for Gold

How fortunate that many of nature’s treasures are edible.

Now and Then

Even though it’s been a summer of extreme weather here in Central Massachusetts, most parts of the garden have thrived. Below, recent pictures are paired with those from late May, when the garden was first planted.

The pole beans are luxurious. The squash is holding its own, despite not being in full sun and hosting a mole that samples ground level fruits nightly.

Squash seedlings were barely visible in late May. Beans had yet to sprout.

Hard working Scarlet Emperor beans are on double duty attracting hummingbirds with jewel-like red blossoms and providing a screen from the road beyond. Additionally, the beans are tasty if picked when they are small.

The beans were planted in high planters as protection from hungry rabbits. Fortunately, rabbits have been few and far between during the past weeks.

The “Christmas tree” look of the heirloom Boston Pickling cucumber lends visual interest to the garden with its height and large leaves. A prolific grower, it is sprawling out on the ground in back of the “tree” as well.

Growing cucumbers vertically on bamboo canes makes harvesting produce much easier.

Eggplants that are ready to harvest are surrounded by marigolds for support. The plants cover the blue bucket they are growing in.

Marigold seedlings are barely visible in this picture. They bloomed so prolifically around the eggplant, I had to remove one to give the eggplant more room.

Kale has been continually harvested throughout the summer. Nasturtium and marigolds make good companion plants, as well as surrounding it with spots of edible color.

Lettuce (that had not germinated when this photograph was taken) was planted in between the kale. The kale provided shade for the lettuce during the hot July days.

In the Pink

Pink is a-poppin’ in my garden this week.

Luminosa Zinnias, Butterfly Bush and Morning Glories

How I Miss Them!

A mysterious bird disease is affecting the Southern and Mid-Atlantic states.

Birdbaths in my yard, usually a focal point for visiting birds, have been turned over at the urging of Massachusetts Wildlife officials. Although not yet reported in Massachusetts, a mysterious bird disease has affected many Southern and Mid-Atlantic states. Since late May there have been numerous reports of dying birds with swollen eyes and crusty discharge, as well as neurological problems. In lieu of the bright colors and uplifting energy our feathered friends provide, I offer these digitally altered photos, hoping the birds will be back flitting around my yard soon, and in good health.

Bees, Please

Doing my part to make my yard pollinator friendly.

Echinacea, calendula, zinnia and marigold blossoms are bedecked with bees this week.

Sparky, Marietta, Petite and Crackerjack

It’s marigold time in my garden.

I usually buy six-packs of marigold plants around Memorial Day. But last winter, dreaming of spring, I bought a set of four different types of marigold seeds. It turns out that four packages contain *thousands* of seeds. Now I have an explosion of color and texture weaving through the yard. And what a bargain! I have seeds left over to plant next year.

**Sparky Mix Marigolds** have wavy petals of orange, yellow, crimson, gold and bicolor. They are mid-sized, at around fourteen inches tall. These popular companion plants attract pollinators; they are “on duty” as a border around the squash garden.

As their name suggests, **Dainty Marietta Marigolds** are quite small, and known for the bright yellow petals with maroon centers. They have been the most difficult marigolds for me to nurture, but their delicate flowers are delightful.

**Petite Mix Marigolds** are only 8 to 10 inches in height, but they bloom in all colors. They are in containers around the yard, and used as annual borders. They are so abundant, that even if the rabbits find them, there is enough to share.

At three to four feet tall, the **Crackerjack Marigolds** are eye-catching, with large ruffles of yellow and orange blooms. They lend a festive feeling to the yard.

Hide and Seek

An Eastern Cottontail rabbit has arrived in my garden.

Knowing rabbits appear each summer, I protect my garden plants as much as possible. Still, many plants are within reach of curious furry friends.

Little feet and ears are hiding just behind the cucumber and basil plants. Tomatoes, lettuce, herbs, eggplants, beans, peppers, marigolds, calendulas and more are nearby–a veritable feast for a half-grown bunny.

It ventures out from its undercover safety, and surveys one side of the garden….

And then the other.
What will it choose?

Sweet, green clover left in the lawn just for rabbits.

Books and Bee Balm

I grew up in a rural town in Western Massachusetts, where a large patch of bee balm featured prominently in our garden each summer. One day an elderly couple, complete strangers, stopped their car to ask my father what the fiery red blooms in the garden were.

“It’s bee balm, a perennial. Would you like some?”

He dug up a clump for the pair to take to their summer home at the edge of town.

A few days later, the couple reappeared with a box of children’s books. They were retired teachers, who had noticed my siblings and me playing in the yard.

“We have collected so many books over the years, and since we are retired, we don’t need them. Would your children like some?” they asked my father.

That summer, and for many summers thereafter, the couple brought boxes of books of a variety of genres. Some were almost new; some were gently worn. Each box was a thoughtful gift.

The sight of bee balm might bring thoughts of insects, bright flower petals in a salad, or perhaps herbal tea to most people.

But me? I simply think of books.

Bees, butterflies and hummingbirds are especially attracted to bee balm, which is a member of the mint family. Monarda, bergamot, horsemint, and oswego tea are other names for this plant. It has many uses, being found in everything form skin salves to digestive teas to salad toppers.

The blooming time for bee balm is July through late summer. Cutting back the blooms as they finish flowering will encourage regrowth and extend the blooming period.

A Silver Spotted Skipper butterfly visits.

Although bee balm likes sun, it tolerates partial shade, as shown here growing in a mix of ferns and Queen Anne’s Lace.

Vigorous bursts of bee balm contrast with the calm of the apple tree in my yard. Time to sit in the shade and enjoy a book!

The *Little Pear* books by Eleanor Frances Lattimore were favorites from the book boxes. These books related the adventures of a young boy living in a small village in China long ago. First published in 1931, they continued to be published until 2006. (The book pictured above is the edition I remembered as a child.) They are considered popular vintage books today.

Yellow Celebration

A coat of paint on one small structure can sometimes uplift a whole yard.

A coat of paint on one small structure can often uplift a a whole yard. — A fresh coat of yellow paint on the backyard hut led me to consider the many shades of yellow vegetation to be found throughout the yard.

A coat of paint on one single structure can sometimes change a whole area. — The yellow stair rail extends the color theme. Queen Anne’s lace, orange daylilies, and red bee balm pop out against the bright backdrop with white accents.

Queen Anne’s lace seems to float on a yellow wall.

A lemon yellow daylily remains vibrant after yet another shower.

Erin Lea lilies show ruffled yellow petals tinged with brown.

Stella d’Oro daylilies, white yarrow and rose campion contrast with the cobalt blue birdbath.

Amber and gold-toned calendulas are companion plants throughout the vegetable gardens.

The blue chair lends a “primary colors” touch to this area.

Purple D’Oro lily with a buttery yellow center.

Pineapple yellow non-stop begonia with blue hydrangea in the background.

One final touch: a mint green ladder hung on the back wall lightens up the shady side of the hut, and provides a year round color contrast.

Rainy Day Vegetable Blossoms

The various blooms popping up in the vegetable gardens are an appealing sight, especially during wet and gray weather.

Trailing Nasturtium (Flowers are edible.)

Orange You Glad…

An extravaganza of orange in my garden.

I planted Pacific Beauty Calendula seeds in early April, and they survived a Spring snowstorm.

The Asiatic Lilies started as one plant a few years back, and expand every year without my help.

Just try to stop those orange daylilies!

Peony Present

My neighbor, a fellow plant enthusiast, appeared in my garden yesterday with this gorgeous peony bouquet. What an exquisite gift for me and my garden!

During the pandemic, neighbors have been walking by my yard more frequently than in years past. This has offered us all opportunities for friendly chats and shared interests, making the year much more pleasurable.