I usually attach a color idea of orange and yellow to July, maybe because of the bright light, or the fact that many flowers in those hues are in full bloom in this month. But pink is still a garden color that while warming towards salmon in many of July's bloom choices helps to cool things down a bit. Even "hot" pinks when combined with blue fescue grass or the white of lilies or baby's breath is … [Read more...] about Color Harmony: July Pink
summer
Arrange the July garden around lilies
Every month has it's supreme leading lady flower of the garden; June has the Rose, but July has the Lily. Especially now that the "Orienpets" have been created. They were the belle of several beds at the Inniswood Gardens Metro Park, and I would love to have some in my garden next year. "Orania" was the one I was most taken with because of her blonde and blush coloring, but there were others that … [Read more...] about Arrange the July garden around lilies
Fourth of July, High Point of Summer
For me, the Fourth is the watershed of summer....everything builds to this place of heat, picnics, and fireworks, and is downhill from there on through to the last gasp of summer, Labor Day. Maybe because the mystery is gone by the fourth of July. I know whether my seedlings thrived, what the insect populations are likely to be, I've already harvested the cool crops and the tomatoes are at their … [Read more...] about Fourth of July, High Point of Summer
Summer Poem
Looking for GoldA flavor like wild honey beginswhen you cross the river. On a sandbarsunlight stretches out its limbs, or is ita sycamore, so brazen, so clean and so bold?You forget about gold. You stare—and a flavoris rising all the time from the trees.Back from the river, over by a thickforest, you feel the tide of wild honeyflooding your plans, flooding the hourstill they waver forward looking … [Read more...] about Summer Poem
Winding up the Month of June
The GGW contest for rose photos has announced the winners, and they are truly beautiful shots of a flower that is so beloved that there are millions of photographs taken of it, in all its glory and variation. Sample a few. No, I didn't win anything... but I gained more than enough from the inspiration provided. Thanks to Debra Lee Baldwin for all her hard work. As June ends so does the rose … [Read more...] about Winding up the Month of June
Roses in June
Thank you, whoever ordered A Year of Roses! It reminded me to take time soon to visit Whetstone Park of Roses, soon. Last year I went at a time when the heirloom roses were over and I would really like some pictures of them. I grow a few here, but I have them scattered about and would rather create more of a feature of them. Each year I try to grow them from cuttings like my mother did so … [Read more...] about Roses in June
Scenes from the Garden
More pictures :)Here are some of the things presently blooming in the garden at the end of May this year. I came back from Georgia and found the lupines and roses all abloom! I hadn't grown Lupines since my city garden more than twenty some years ago, but put some in last year- they are doing famously well (I may be the only one making them famous- but hey!)The peonies are in their glory, as are … [Read more...] about Scenes from the Garden
Imagination In the Garden
A garden is a place for imagination. Joanne, remember that huge forsythia bush in your Arcadia backyard when we were children? that was a favorite imagination place for me. And the old, ravine side, ruined grotto by Flora Holly's house? I came across a video that made me think of the creation of such places in a garden. Maybe I will create one somewhere in my yard... for fun, for whomever :)*** … [Read more...] about Imagination In the Garden
Rain, finally
We've had thunderstorming on and off for the last few hours. Thank You, God. Now I hope to do some of the planting and perennial dividing that needs to be done. I had gotten around to trimming and tieing up the 'Wisteria Vine That Has Never Bloomed'. Not in more than the fifteen to seventeen years or so that I have had it... but it has pretty leaves....Anyway, so I pulled out the old bird nesting … [Read more...] about Rain, finally
Flowering Kale
Kale For Sale It's time to think of the autumn phase of the garden already. When we picture autumn we picture the trees ablaze with color, at least here in the Midwest, and in the Northeast of the USA. Other players on the stage, perhaps with a supporting role, but many of them bring lots of color and add to the tapestry of of the season... and one of those is in the cabbage … [Read more...] about Flowering Kale
Plan to stroll in the garden on Sunday
photo by Aisling, August 31, 2008The Quiet Country House has a lovely idea for blogging Sunday Strolls in the garden.It is on Sundays that I often visit public gardens, so I think it is the perfect opportunity to write about it. I regularly take a tour around my garden and property, but I don't know if it is always on a Sunday... I think too much of the unfinished jobs I need to do and start … [Read more...] about Plan to stroll in the garden on Sunday
Garden Update August 2008
Wild GoldenrodAfter all the heavy rain of spring we have fully entered the usual "drytime". This is very stressful for most plants, but the grasses of the plains just go dormant and bide their time. That is probably what made this area a prairie. Other than that the weather has been quite cool for this time of year. I'm not complaining- I hate it when it is too hot. However, I completely wasted … [Read more...] about Garden Update August 2008