Ever met a plant with a Facebook page?

I want you to meet Oscar. Yes, that's his name in the horticulture world.

Does he have friends? Yes, Facebook friends, that is.

In reality Oscar is a member of the butterfly weed family and is endemic in Africa. Gomphocarpus physocarpus is the botanical classification stemming from the Greek words for club and bladder, which are typified in the look of the seed pods. An annual here at Mohonk Mountain House, raised from seed in our greenhouse. Patience is in order as the seeds are slow to germinate and the plant takes 120 days to mature.

Friend him on FB.

Some September Scenes

Alas, we have been quite occupied cleaning up after our three storms.  Irene, Katia, and Lee left us with plenty to do. After the clouds finally drifted away and the rain gauges stopped overflowing, I headed out to document some of the remarkable plants that seemed unscathed by it all.  Over all we look quite chipper. See if you agree.

A second flush from Delphinium  'Pennant White'   always welcome.

The best of the new Phlox  hybrids,  'Flame White' (in my opinion).



Only 2 years old, a Hungarian species of daisy,  Leucanthemella serotina.



Pink ball Dahlias -- still putting on quite a show in the Lollipop Forest
of our Candy Land themed garden.



I always forget we have them and then POW, 

the autumn crocus, Colchicum autumale.




A new planting of Anemone japonica. 
This one is a cup-shaped hybrid, 'Rosenschale'.




New England Aster:

Aster 'Wonder of Staffa' and Artemisia 'Silver Queen' spill over a stone edge.



Clematis ternifolia covers a short rustic arbor and grows into the nearby birches.
Elegant!

I shouldn't forget our sentry, Moe - an immature red-tailed hawk who
moved in to work on our vole population. Job well done!

A Cacophony of Containers

In high summer, gardens in pots give you a huge color hit and can dress up small areas where you can't squeeze in a garden bed. 

Here are some nice ones I've seen in my travels:

   


Sensational succulents at Longwood.

 

Agaves, Santolina, and Sedum are all plants that can take the heat
and don't require constant irrigation. 



A collection of slate blue plants and pots at Longwood.



Blue combined with lilac and yellow in pots DTM (dyed to match) make an 'over the top' display. Somewhat imposing in stature, this group is certainly well thought out.  Agave, Salvia, Verbena, and Scaevola are the headliners here.



Shade can be colorful with begonias at Longwood.



 Begonias of all shapes and sizes complement
the large Breynia (Hawaiin Snowbush).





Tree hydrangea and friends at Longwood.



Hydrangea P.G. (tree hydrangea) is the standout in this group.

No fear in using hardy shrubs here! 



Another creative combo for shade at Longwood.



These are all moisture loving plants in appropriate
glazed pots with Petasites taking center stage.

Spectacular cane begonia at Longwood.

OMG! This magnificent cane begonia dripping with pink flowers stops traffic.

Get their attention at 45 mph in Port Jervis, NY.

Speaking of traffic... Canna, Petunia, Coleus, Salvia, and Begonia in hot colors cause rubbbernecking downtown.

Get their attention at 45 mph in Port Jervis, NY.

A closer look.

West Hurley Garage "Barrel-mania."

Canna, Coleus, Pennisetum, and Supertunias razzle dazzle at the pump.

Giant veggie pots at the Mohonk Greenhouse.

Squash, tomato, and edible greens are perfect for XXL pots.

Another giant veggie pot.

Give your squash a support to climb on so the fruit will not be hidden.

Not-so-simple basket at the Mohonk Greenhouse.

Fancy-leaved Geranium, Petunia Sangria,
and Plectranthus grow in a hanging burlap lined basket.
Fireworks!

Basil and lemons

Simple... Basil (African Blue)

Hope you enjoyed the tour! Until next time...

Gardenmeister

Chinese Dogwood

...just dropping a line or two about Chinese Dogwood or Cornus kousa.

These trees are spectacular this year after a meager showing last year. Our trees are fairly broad (15') and smothered in flowers.  This species of Chinese Dogwood seems to handle our locale better than the native American Dogwood, which we are trying to establish here.


 

That's it, short and sweet. I'm preparing a mega rose blog for next time.  Stay tuned!

Gartenmeister

Magnolias (not of the "steel" variety)

Magnolias are flowering trees that have been in cultivation for hundreds of years. I am reminded of how large they actually grow when the mature trees overwhelm us with those large, supple, almost edible blossoms each spring .  AND the fragrance permeates the air with a light, sweet aroma.

Here's a little lecture on several varieties growing at Mohonk.



Magnolia lennei



 

Magnolia lennei 

A hybrid of the original saucer magnolia with a more lily-like shape developed in 1853 . This one has darker outer petals* that eventually fade as the flowers mature. 



Magnolia 'Betty'



Magnolia 'Betty'

A hybrid with the species liliflora, developed in the 1950's.  'Betty' has a more lily-like shape, with very dark purple buds that open to orchid-purple blooms.  



Magnolia 'Elizabeth'

The first of the yellow hybrids introduced in 1977—not named for a queen or cosmetics mogul, but a benefactor from the Brooklyn Botanic Garden where it was hybridized. ‘Elizabeth’ has upward facing, pale lemon yellow flowers that bloom later in the season than the first two varieties. 

Magnolia 'Elizabeth'

Magnolia 'Elizabeth'



Magnolia 'Butterflies'



Magnolia 'Butterflies'

A popular recent introduction in 1991. We hope to acquire one soon, but I managed to take a picture of ‘Butterflies’ from a local estate just off the mountain.  Exemplified with darker yellow flowers, the plants are described as "loaded with butterflies" when in blossom.








Magnolia 'Judy Zuk'

 

Magnolia 'Judy Zuk'

 ‘Judy Zuk’ is a very recent acquisition as of 2008. Newly introduced in 2005, it is another yellow variety from BBG.  This one starts off gold, then matures to a butter yellow with darts of purple at the base of the bloom. Ours was a gift and it claims prime real estate at the end of the long arbor.




*Magnolias don't actually have petals. Since the sepals (bud covers) and petals look alike, the botanists have proclaimed them tepals (as with tulips).

First Anniversary

This week marks one year of blogging for Mohonk Mountain House (horticulturally speaking). I hope you've enjoyed the journey as much as I have. It’s always good to look back at all the happenings (because I forget so much these days).

So, on this special day I can only default to my obsession with white flowers. Last weekend in the afterglow of the royal wedding I found myself, yet again, in Litchfied snapping shots of white narcissi at White Flower Farm. I'm looking for inspiration for new plantings in our white border. These triandus types are quite stunning and will make a nice addition next spring.


White narcissi



White narcissi

… and for a short while, we albaphiles get to enjoy the soft white of the yoshino cherry trees. Sometimes the best way to showcase these blooms is to look up into them as we have here. Our trees are young, but lovely nonetheless.

Yoshino cherry tree

Yoshino cherry tree

So remember, white flowers are timeless and classic. The finest gardens in England all have white gardens.

The Perfect Perennial?

We were just talking today about these particular plants and I said, "These are the perfect perennial!" Check out some of the traits of this plant:

• Winter hardy


• Evergreen foliage


• Deer resistant


• Very early Spring bloom


• Groovy seed pods

What plants am I referring to, you might ask? Helleborus x ericsmithii. These are hybrids from a famous English breeder from Hadspen Garden. YUP, you guessed it, Eric Smith. We find here at Mohonk that the foliage really holds up all winter and this hybrid has a particularly long bloom season. What a pleasure to find the white flowers jumping out of the leaf litter on a rainy, cold spring day. Hope you enjoy them too, our perfect perennial.

FOXGLOVES!

We never are this lucky.

Our perennial Digitalis always rot so it is rare if we get this.

We were circumspect and in the eleventh hour (November), mulched heavily with beech and oak leaves.

Our plants (thanks to adequate snowfall) came through like this.

We always have this,

The Digitalis grandiflora is tried and true.

And now all the yellow can be joined with all this pink.

...........You too can insure your perennial foxgloves make it through by providing protection against harsh winter temperatures. And they fool you because they look so lush and indestructible in the fall. Do not be fooled, those leaves are sensitive and wither when the thermometer plunges. On top of that, if ice forms in the crown, dead.

So, we can't wait for June.

Field Trip - Philadelphia Flower Show 2011

For the third year in a row, I had the honor of judging at the most prestigious flower show in the states, in Philadelphia. As an added bonus, for the second year I judged the "Best of the Day." Ten judges on a select panel choose one overall winner from the recommendations of ten judging panels. It was great fun, so I wanted to share some highlights.


Wisteria, standard care of Mrs. Samuel Hamilton:
This was the "Best of the Day" for Friday; skillfully grown and timed to flower at just the right moment (I didn't vote for it, I fell in love with the Lewisia).



Clivia “Sir John Thouron":
Also belonging to Mrs. H; stunning, 12 spikes, pale lemon yellow, to die for, most passersby were drooling.

Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis - hideously grotesque, and attracting all the local carrion flies. Don't you just love it? (It's an orchid from Java by the way, an island in Southeast Asia.)

Lewisia hybrid - the darling of the show and it did muster 3 votes for "Best of Day." I was smitten! This plant that would fit in your hand was loaded with bloom and perfectly fresh. Someone did their homework.

Viva la France - a 1/4 scale version of the Eiffel Tower surrounded by carousel animals (see accompanying giant butterfly). By the time I got near this display the place looked like a subway platform so I had to rely on a dear friend who was wise enough to take some early shots.



Well, that summarizes my 3rd year judging the most prestigious flower show in the states and the largest indoor show in the world. Oh, we do have our "cross to bear."

Meanwhile, back at Mohonk we have a flower show of our own: