Field Trip

Roses at Swarthmore College (complete with raindrops)

.....just a wonderful conference last week at Swarthmore. Perfectly run and the highlight was the final speaker Piet Oudolf. A genius in the landscape design field.  Checkout his website

Roses at Swarthmore College

Roses at Swarthmore College

Roses at Swarthmore College

....another field trip, this time Brooklyn Botanic Garden. We were hosted by long-time friend, Betty Scholtz. I was particularly impressed with the Bonsai (pronounced bone sigh). You should see it.

Bonsai forest of Trident Maple BBG

Cloud pruned conifers at the Japanese Garden BBG

Look at the "hips"on this Rosa 'Windrush'

We are at it again, planting spring bulbs for candyland, Chocolate and Peppermint Tulips, Penny Candy Hyacinths, and more! Stay tuned!

Scenes from Mohonk Show Garden bulb planting shenanigans

Scenes from Mohonk Show Garden bulb planting shenanigans

Scenes from Mohonk Show Garden bulb planting shenanigans

Gartenmeister

Columbus Day has gone and went

Being outside is time well spent...................Oh no, not more poetry!

Yes, more poetry...

Feast yours eyes on the Lion Mint

The orange heads are odd

This fall it has another stint

Intriguing and and quite mod

The shaggy and everpopular Leonotis leonurus

Our mums start as others wain

The first of them unfold

They're as Asian as the crane

And lovely, truth be told

The very first of the Korean Mums

The chilly nights are just a warning

It is time to move inside

On each and every frosty morning 

Another plant must abide

Andrew and Tom have at the Lantana standards

There you have it....off to Swarthmore for the perennial conference.  I'll report next week.

Gartenmeister

Le Jardin Bleu

Finally after 2 years of planning, the Blue Border has arrived! You probably remember the blog on sheet mulching from weeks back, well the process has come to completion. Thursday, we (the remaining grounds and garden folks) put to task on transplanting 15 beds from the show garden and planted along the west side of the upper cutting garden. Terrific teamwork made it a smooth operation.

Iris fans looking for their seats

 

Ben and Tom uprooting 'Nepeta'

Trevor wrestling with 'Buddlieas'

These photos show various stages along the way featuring the weapons used in such a project. Shovels, spades, forks, and knives were implemented. (What no spoons?). 

Mud gloves and hori knives

Giving advice to the photographer

Getting leverage on every hole

Many thanks to Kim Fusaro, Trevor Harvey, Ben Helt, Tom Kievitand, and our official photographer Tom Wright. Here is a list of the plants:

     Buddliea 'Adonis'

     Panicum 'Dewey  Blue'

     Nepeta siberica

     Iris 'Princess Caroline'

     Linum perenne

     Echinops ritro

     Nepeta 'Joanna Reed'

     Nepeta 'Walker's Low'

     Veronica 'Darwin's Blue'

     Veronica ' Royal Candles'

     Aquilegia 'Barlow Blue'

     Lupine 'The Governor'

     Caryopteris 'Blue Myth'

     Delphinium 'Royal Delphinium Society Hand Pollinated Blues'

I hope I didn't forget anything.
Next bulbs, like Muscari and Camassia.   

I know it looks wilted, but that's just  a little transplant shock. 

The Big Picture

p.s. Not too shabby some begonias on my front stoop

Begonias at MY place

It's Not Over Yet

Not much to report...

Too busy with those September garden chores (I know its October). I hope you are out there -

• transplanting perennials
• putting organic fertilizer down
• sharpening your trowel for all that bulb planting
• placing orders for plenty of paper whites for indoor forcing
• drying off the Amaryllis 
• keeping the beds clean
• and dodging the raindrops. 

See! No wonder I have no time!

Lotus Pool at Chanticleer 

White Caladiums at Longwood

Potted Plant Extravaganza
at Cornell Plantations

P.S.
      All these pictures are inspiration to keep going...it's never too late to prepare for next spring.


Gartenmeister