Showing posts with label lilacs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lilacs. Show all posts

Saturday, July 19, 2008

THE SUMMER GARDEN


poppies. mimulus ,crocosmia. lisianthus

We're well into summer now. At this point in the season most of my garden flowers have bloomed, are blooming or are about to bloom. Some of the flowers were outstanding this year, poppies, crocosmias, dames rockets. The fragrant shrubs, lilac, mock orange bloomed like crazy and and did a good job of perfuming the air. On the down side, my heliopsis are infested with red aphids again this year. (I tried a strong water spray but think I'll need to get out the Safer Soap.) My favorite annuals, lisianthus, are doing very well. I purchased a flat of them in May and distributed them among my many containers. The mimulus or monkey flowers are blooming much better than last year. These flowers are so interesting, with their cute little faces. Nicotiana, tobacco flower, self seeded and the white tubular flowers are perfuming the night air. Another "fragrant at night" plant is the jasmine. It overwintered successfully and its smallish, star-like flowers are just beginning to open.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

BACK TO DOW GARDENS

In April I purchased a season pass to Dow Gardens and promised myself I would visit often. Today was my third visit. I could hardly believe the changes. The tulips that were barely sending up leaves my last visit were now in full bloom. Beautiful pink flowers traced the graceful structure of the Red Bud . The delightful fragrance of Lilacs was everywhere. Crab apples were overloaded with blooms and the Rhododendrons were about to open. Enjoy some of the highlights of my walk in the Garden.