Garden Holiday- It's Gonna Be Good

Hi!  I'm back from a little "stay-cation" and speaking of "back" the rain has returned!  Now the gardens are pumped up for the upcoming  
Garden Holiday. I've written previously on a few of our highlighted speakers and although I can't get to everyone, I want to mention three more here today.

Walt Cudnohufsky

Mobee Weinstein

Lorraine Ballato

First Mr. Walt Cudnohufsky, a well loved and respected as a guru in the Landscape Architecture field. He has a dedicated local following of professional horticulturists who will travel great distances to hear him.

Victoria Coyne of Victoria's Gardens in High Falls said, "Walt changed the way I look and speak about plants.”

My eyebrows certainly rose when I learned he started the Conway School of Landscape Design. That's big!  Feel free to visit his website for deeper insight http://wcala.com.  Walt will spend most of Monday, August 27 with us and what a treat that will be!

Now Mobee Weinstein, Mobee is the foreman of gardeners at NYBG. It is always a pleasure bumping in to her judging the Philadelphia Flower Show. We thought it would be fun to try some "Courageous Containers.”  The planters we'll use during the program are still under wraps but I thought I'd pop in some recent planters I thought were groovy.

Mobee Weinstein

Courageous Containers 

Courageous Containers

We are going to have a blast experimenting en situ in this interactive workshop.  Mobee and me? Now that's COURAGEOUS!

Let's not forget Lorraine.  I met Lorraine Ballato at the Mike Dirr pilgrimage last February and she is a very motivated, enthusiastic woman that is delighted to share her knowledge and passion on a wide variety of gardening subjects. We picked, "Not your Grandmother's Roses"—should be enlightening and entertaining to boot. Roses are a never ending topic of discussion that is sure to inspire. 

Visit www.successfulselfwateringcontainers.com to get more of the scoop.

I know, I know, I haven't covered all the speakers for the week—long program.  Let’s not forget about the wonderful Diana Weiner, Phil Eisner and all of the talented Mohonk staff. They're all old friends and they'll understand. 

Come and join us for an overnight perhaps? And as always here on the mountain day meal guests can participate in all—day programs!  What a deal for the price of lunch!  Hope to see you at Garden Holiday or any day at Mohonk Mountain House!

-gartenmeister 

Garden Holiday - "The Hydrangeas"

In Part II of my highlights of upcoming Garden Holiday presentations, I want to talk Hydrangeas and Vinnie Simeone. Hydrangeas have to be the most popular garden shrub today with their many new hybrids all revolving around the Endless Summer Series.



Hydrangea Quercifolia 'Snowflake'

The Endless Summer series are hybrids that bloom on both old and new wood. This gives guaranteed bloom no matter how cold your winters are. On top of all that excitement the renewed interest of some our native species is a welcome addition to all this Hydrangea chatter.  Who better to introduce to this whole new world but Vinnie Simeone from Planting Fields Arboretum in Oyster Bay N.Y. 



Hydrangea Marcophylla 'Blushing Bride'

Vinnie describes his talk as follows:

“The Ever Changing and Exciting World of Hydrangeas”- Hydrangeas are one of the most popular and beloved garden plants in the world. With so many new species and varieties now being introduced into the horticultural trade, gardeners have unlimited possibilities. While these possibilities are enough to make the average person crazy, a crafty gardener can illuminate the landscape with a wide variety of foliage textures and colors as well as flower types and colors.

This lecture and walk will provide a diverse selection of hydrangeas to enhance the garden. Specific information on cultural requirements, pruning and landscape use of hydrangeas will also be discussed.    

Vincent Simeone has worked in the horticultural field for over 20 years and specializes in woody plant ID, culture, use, and selection. He has appeared on “Martha Stewart Living” and “HGTV.” He is the director of the Planting Fields Arboretum State Historic Park in New York.

Those of you who might want a little background should read this:
Vincent Simeone's Complete Biography

 And here is what he looks like:

Vincent Simeone



Hydrangea Arborescens "Annabelle"

So are you excited?  I am... and remember Mohonk meal guests get to attend all programs that day. Why not join us for lunch and Vinnie on August 29th?

-gartenmeister

Garden Holiday - "The American Potager"

It's high summer on the mountain and as we put the last plants in the ground (spring plants that is) our focus leans toward August and the annual Garden Holiday program. This will be a first of several posts featuring some guest presenters this year.  I would like to introduce you to Karin Skalla who will be discussing 'The American Potager."  A recent description of the class went like this, the American Potager whether in the ground or potted on the patio brings the melodious melange of edibles and ornamentals to the gardener's door step. Karin Skalla shares her love and horticultural expertise on this tres chic subject.

Karin was gardening at Mohonk some 10 years ago and went on to pursue her love of painting and planting for private clients. When Karin is following horticultural interests or those on canvas, she dabbles in all things equestrian.

Below a recent photo shows Karin and yours truly hovering over a XXL pot loaded with flowers, herbs and veggies that Karin will feature here in August. Her inherent sense of color and style is readily seen when she selects plants for combinations.  The most important thing is that it's not just pretty- you can eat it too!

Not only will we be discussing pots but we have been inspired to turn our greenhouse garden into part Potager, very exciting.

Karin will be coming to Mohonk Wednesday August 29th- don't miss it!

-gartenmeister

Always a pleasure

Each year we hope that the Chinese Wisteria will bloom simultaneously with the Tree Peonies. This year we've been rewarded once again and the combination is breathtaking.  Wisteria requires specific types of pruning so one doesn't get excess vegetative growth and if the rains are too heavy the tree peonies shatter. So far so good and our efforts come to fruition.



Chinese Wisteria



Tree Peonies

On a side note the flowering season seems back on track, although the laurel looks like Memorial Day and the herbaceous peonies about the same time. Back to the planting boards...

-gartenmeister

The Merry Month of May

WOW a month has gone by since my last post. You must have been wondering where I was. Well in between hot spells we had sub-freezing nights which kept things at bay for a while. The night time temperatures seem to be holding steady now and we are planting in earnest.

korean azaleas

Most lovely in the spring shrubs are the korean azaleas and several hybrids of Rhododendron yakusimanum. These 2 are hardy souls that deserve a place in your garden. Korean Azalea (Rhododendron poukhanense) is a delicate shade of lavender but I just found a white form (good news). We also found they bloom with Daphne 'Carol Mackie', an added bonus.

hybrids of Rhododendron yakusimanum

Iris

I can't resist showing you the first bloom on Iris 'Feedback' it is the second variety of re-blooming Iris we have tried. We are looking forward to another flush in October. Wish us luck!  Now back to planting frenzy...

-gartenmeister

Something Old, Something New

Boy, spring came on in a big hurry and then BAM- it came to a screeching halt. That's good news for gardeners who need to catch up. So, as we carry on with chores like pruning and raking, there's always time to catch up with old friends and meet new ones. Plant friends that is. Topping the old friend list is Helleborus. I know I go on and on about these perennials but, "Why not?"  Their colors are exquisite, the flowers arrive early and the plants remain evergreen all season. Our new friend is a fall planted bulb called Corydalis solida.  Fumewort in the encyclopedia, is a European that looks much like Dicentra but a month earlier. Let's see how this new kid measures up to mountaintop living. Got to go, no rest for the weary you know!



Corydalis silda

Helleborus Orientalis 'Winter Joy Bouquet'

Another Helleborus Orientalis



- Gartenmeister

p.s. Here’s a list of plant recommendations for Deer infested gardens- feel free to share!

On this first day of Spring

Lucky me, I had the honor of visiting Cheryl Karpeichik, the Head Gardener at
White Flower Farm to share trade secrets on the culture of Tuberous
Begonias. I always say, get advice from successful people and Cheryl was
most obliging. We are pictured here in a warm propagation house looking for
signs of growth pushing up through the soil. WFF still supplies the finest
varieties the world has to offer from the House of Blackmore and Langdon in
Bristol, UK that is.

We at Mohonk raise the finest varieties from California, highlighted in
this display off the Lake Porch. I find the growing conditions to be quite
ideal there. Filtered morning sun and protection from high winds or
torrential rain is the key.

So as spring arrives one month early and gardeners are scurrying about
preparing for the season, we still take time to expand our knowledge base
and make more friends.

Featured below are English Hybrids grown by Cheryl Karpeichik, the Head Gardener of the White Flower Farm.

More from the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show...

I still don't know how "they" get all these to bloom together 

Here I am with fellow panel 9 members, Marco Stufano and Judy Becker. Marco, of course known for his heralded career at Wave Hill in the Bronx and Judy has been growing and selling unique conservatory plants in her Salisbury Connecticut greenhouse for decades. We make quite a trio, although I seem to look like the jolly "brown" giant next to them.



2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show

Check out some of the great photos I've captured yesterday while judging at the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show.

Talk about your vertical Salad

Yet another grand Clivia miniata lutea

Bulbs, bulbs and more bulbs

The best find from our panel. Anthurium superba

For more information about the 2012 Philadelphia International Flower Show,

Click Here

A glance at the display featured in the New York State Museum show in Albany

Here’s a shot of the display for the New York State Museum show in Albany. Well, after assessing available flowers at the market in winter we went with plan"B.” Changing  the color palette to a more analagous group I did my best to duplicate the style of last summer's poster child. All in all it came out OK. New York in Bloom was a "best ever "success with 15000 attendants in 3 days. The show featured some interesting interpretations of museum displays.  It was an exciting challenge duplicating an arrangement I made last July.  It was a challenging week at the market with many varieties not making it from Holland and boy do I appreciate how well we grow flowers here on the mountain. You can't buy delphiniums like that.    Next week…Philadelphia Flower Show