Tag Archives: Allium

In A Vase On Monday—Tall Summer Color

Time once again to join Cathy for In A Vase On Monday, her weekly invitation to fill and share a vase using materials gathered from one’s garden.

Mondays roll around quickly these days. Last Monday at my house we were preparing for Christina’s arrival, so I am especially happy to share today’s new glass vase. Tall and elegant, it was a gift from Christina during her visit and will be a valued reminder of the time we spent together. The vase is nicely proportioned, 4 inches in diameter at the top, 6 inches at the base and 11.5 inches high. It is higher than what I am used to working with, so luckily a beautiful tall and thick-stemmed red gladiolus opened just in time to experiment.

I searched for foliage with strong, long stalks that could support the flowers without mechanics. The chrysanthemum leaves looked fresh and the buds needed to be pinched back anyway so I cut a few stems. I also found fern-like Tanacetum vulgare or tansy, which always needs containment.

Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy) and Chrysanthemum foliage in new vase

Next I grouped and inserted seven tall stems of Allium Atropurpureum and added the dark red gladiolus.

Allium Atropurpureum and Gladiolus added to foliage

Gladiolus

Other long-stemmed flowers, Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower), which was used last week, and Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura), which is just coming into bloom, were added for a bit more textural interest.

My intention was to keep the design rather minimal but I had started with too much foliage. It seemed many more flowers were required, so I began sifting through vases of flowers that I had arranged earlier in the week, pulling out possible candidates. I added a salmon-hued gladiolus and Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower) and Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’ from last week’s vase were used to help fill out the arrangement.

Allium Atropurpureum, Echinacea purpurea and Gladiolus added to foliage

Gladiolus

No longer looking at stem length, I also included some saved peonies. When Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ and ‘Pink Parfait’ were in bud I cut about a dozen and placed them in a bottle of water in the refrigerator. I had taken them out a few days earlier. They took longer than expected to open, but I was able to use several of them in today’s vase.

Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’

More lighter flowers or foliage would have been useful. As often is the case the resulting design does not match my original concept, but I think these richly colored blooms work well together.

In A Vase On Monday—Tall Summer Color

Materials

Foliage
Chrysanthemum
Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)

Flowers
Allium Atropurpureum
Cleome hassleriana (Spider Flower)
Echinacea ‘Big Sky Sundown’ (Hybrid Coneflower)
Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)
Gladiolus
Paeonia ‘Festiva Maxima’ (Peony)
Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)
Gaura lindheimeri ‘Passionate Blush’ (Butterfly Gaura)

In A Vase On Monday—Tall Summer Color

Thanks to Cathy at Rambling In The Garden for welcoming everyone to join her in this addictive Monday diversion. Please visit her to see what she and others are placing In A Vase On Monday.

Red Hot At Mid-June

32 Replies

Hummingbird Moth on Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

A Hummingbird Moth was attracted to the scarlet flowers of Monarda didyma yesterday morning. I did not notice there actually were two moths until I saw the photograph below.

Hummingbird Moth on Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

The garden at mid-June is hanging on by a thread, or rather hanging on by a hose. If not for early-morning watering many plants would be crispy and brown, the way the grass is becoming. Fortunately a few things, like Monarda, are tolerant and seem to manage fine.

Rain would help, but with none in sight, heat is the main story this week. Today it is already 95°F/35°C at mid-afternoon. Expected highs on Monday and Tuesday are 98°F/36.6°C and 99°F/37.2°C—unusually severe for this early in the summer.

Alliums are generally short-lived in my garden but this group of Allium Atropurpureum has managed to return for the past couple of years.

Allium Atropurpureum

Last night I made an unexpected discovery on the back side of a border, a rabbit nest I think. Never identified much with Mr. McGregor and I will not be running around with a hoe, but I am definitely keeping the little blue velvet jacket if Peter snags it on the fence.

Rabbit Nest

Rain At Last

24 Replies

Finally a couple of nice rains this week brought a boost to relieve the stressed plants in the garden. Suddenly lavender is flowering, along with Cleome and Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage).

This morning six American Goldfinches were gathered around stalks of Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena). Bees are feasting on the lavender, Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm) and Tradescantia (Spiderwort), bringing a satisfying and familiar hum to the garden.

Yesterday I noticed a few daylily buds and then today, a bloom. This first daylily is open a full week earlier than last year. The plant was dug in 2006 from Roger Mercers’ daylily fields in Fayetteville, NC during a special outing with my sister and daughter.

Hemerocallis (Daylily)

A couple of years ago I planted ~~Allium Atropurpureum~~ Allium sphaerocephalon (Dumstick allium) and they finally are taking off. The florets are small but I really like the dark, rich color.

Allium sphaerocephalon (Dumstick allium) [ I had misidentified as Allium Atropurpureum]

In front of a grouping of Dusty Miller and Tradescantia in the western border, a foxglove is about to bloom. This is Digitalis ferruginea (Rusty Foxglove). I am not especially fond of this color but it returns faithfully each year and sometimes that’s enough reason to be pleased with a plant. My reasoning does not hold for the Tradescantia though—I love the color but am still trying to get rid of it.

Digitalis ferruginea (Rusty Foxglove)

Mid-June Musings

19 Replies

The garden at this point in June seems like an entirely new one—so different from the early spring palette. A salmon-orange Gladiolus from years ago brashly turned up in the Southern border today. I almost admired it for being so bold, but in the end I cut it and placed it in a nice vase indoors. Beebalm is in full bloom, Echinacea is maturing in many parts of the garden and last year’s Allium ‘Drumstick’ is back. All are attracting bees. A hummingbird visited the beebalm yesterday. There have been a few other hummingbirds this year, but now that the beebalm is blooming perhaps there will be many more.

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm) In Southern Side Garden

Monarda didyma (Scarlet Beebalm)

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Allium ‘Drumstick’

Foxglove

A Foxglove mystery may be solved. This Foxglove has been in the garden since 2008 or 2009 and I thought it had caramel in the name, but never could find the tag. The coloring is creamy when the flowers first appear. Inside the flowers are yellow with reddish-brown veins and a hairy lip. Today I researched it a bit and hope I have it identified properly now. Could this be Digitalis ferruginea (‘Gelber Herold’, ‘Yellow Herald’, Rusty Foxglove)?

Digitalis ferruginea (‘Gelber Herold’, ‘Yellow Herald’, Rusty Foxglove)

Almanac

Today the weather was clear, hot and very humid, reaching 93°F. before severe thunderstorms passed through this evening. The winds overturned a bench and a flowerpot, but otherwise things seem ok for us. Some of our neighbors are reporting trees down, cable service lost and even roof damage.

Thunderstorm Approaching

Irises and Spiderwort

Iris Border

Despite the heat I chose today to dig up some of the dozens and dozens of Spiderwort that have aggressively expanded throughout most of the borders. I had to dig up many irises in order to get to the roots of the Spiderwort, so now there is a lot of work to replant some of the irises and find a good home for the rest. Fortunately the high temperature tomorrow will be a nice 81°F. so the work should be enjoyable. The irises have needed division for years, but actually they bloomed incredibly well this spring anyway. The amount of Spiderwort I managed to dig today is just a small portion of the total I want to remove.

Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

This white one looked so innocent and beautiful this morning. Actually this particular clump has not spread like the others, but it is getting very large.

Tradescantia (Spiderwort)

Garden Fauna

A variety of birds fill the garden with color and song. Fireflies or lightning bugs have been out in the evenings for several weeks. Frogs sing frequently and incessantly, though I have not seen one in the garden. A couple of little bunnies are nibbling Thyme in the meditation circle. No sign yet of the 17-year cicadas.

May Garden Interests

10 Replies

While irises have captured most of my attention in the garden this spring, other plants have competently played supporting roles and many more are leading the way as transition toward the warmer season takes place.

An amaryllis I have been watching to develop surprised me today when it opened up and was white, not red. I also found one with a red bud nearby. These flowers did not bloom well last year and I had forgotten the particulars of them.

Hippeastrum (Amaryllis)

Pincushion Flower is an enchanting name for this plant, nicer sounding than Scabiosa. This plant seldom last more than a couple of seasons in my garden and this is year two. It has been blooming well this year, starting just over a month ago. The cooler temperatures and plentiful rain this spring seem to have kept it happy. If I can force myself to do regular deadheading it will help.

Scabiosa columbaria ‘Butterfly Blue’ (Pincushion Flower)

Slow to open this year the peony flowers show some browning after heavy rains this week. In the previous two years this ‘Pink Parfait’ bloomed by May 11, but this year, still waiting.

Paeonia ‘Pink Parfait’ (Peony)

A Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ purchased last year is beginning to bloom. I enjoyed it last year so purchased 3 new ones this winter by mail order, this time ‘Red Fox’ Veronica. They arrived bare-root and are still very small.

Veronica spicata ‘Pink Goblin’ (Speedwell)

This black iris has a few more blooms open today.

Iris germanica (Bearded iris) Black Iris

Verbena bonariensis (Tall Verbena) has been blooming for a couple of weeks and now several thymes are also beginning to flower. Echinacea is shooting up in many of the borders and forming buds. In the meditation circle Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ and Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ both opened today.

Echinacea purpurea (Purple Coneflower)

Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red’ (Beardtongue)

Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ (Beardtongue)

Every Southern garden should have hydrangeas and, thanks to Jayme at EntwinedLife, my garden has a healthy hydrangea that not only has survived, but is forming flowers. Thank you Jayme.

Hydrangea macrophylla

This year I ordered an Allium Raspberry and Cream Collection, which is in fact a mixture of Allium Nigrum and Allium Atropurpureum. One Allium Nigrum is open this week.

Allium Nigrum

To end this this garden tour today I will mention my family’s old-fashioned rose that my grandmother and mother grew. This was passed along eons ago by my mother’s cousin and my dear garden mentor. She shared with me so many of her favorite plants and they have become my favorites too.

Old-fashioned Rose

Late June — Ahead Of The Heat Wave

14 Replies

Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox)

Phlox paniculata (Garden Phlox) used to be a garden highlight at this time of year in my previous garden, but foraging deer like it way too much here in this garden. So a couple of years ago I finally just removed all the Garden Phlox, except that a piece here and there still shows up occasionally. As soon as the errant phlox starts to bloom it is snapped up by deer with an eerily keen sense of knowing. This happened just last week, but this morning held a nice surprise. I spotted several phlox that managed to bloom and not be eaten.

Despite a very late planting ten Allium ‘Drumstick’ bulbs are beginning to form flowers on rather thin 24-inch stalks. These are very small, one-inch flowers and look very charming. The bulbs were a gift and were purchased at Biltmore House in Asheville, NC. The package states these have been in cultivation since 1766 and are deer-resistant.

Allium ‘Drumstick’

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’ is nearly 5 feet tall now and seems so, so close to blooming, just as the weather forecast is for a few days of excessively high temperatures and high humidity. Today’s 87° F. will give way and move toward extremes, reaching 105° F. on Saturday and Sunday.

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Irish Eyes’

Meditation Circle

The entrance to the labyrinth in the meditation circle was still in shadow during this morning’s garden stroll. In the foreground spent spires of Penstemon mexicali ‘Pike’s Peak Purple’ jut in every direction. Last year I did not cut them back after blooming, but this summer I plan to try deadheading it (soon). This penstemon is still blooming and should continue throughout the summer, but certainly not as prolifically as a month ago.

The low-growing Thymus x citriodorus (Silver Edge Thyme) has yet to bloom, but it was in flower last year on May 5. The last few weeks a little bunny has been nibbling at it a bit. I am considering planting more thyme to fill the central area surrounding the gazing ball. This Silver Edge Thyme did not impress during the winter but it now looks very healthy.

In the circle’s center well-behaved mounds of Iberis sempervirens ‘Purity’ (Candytuft) are green and lush, with the newest ones added this spring almost catching up in size with those planted last year. Around part of the outer edge the annual, Angelonia ‘Blue,’ adds intense summer color next to a few specimens of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker Red.’

Meditation Circle

pbmGarden

Sense of place, purpose, rejuvenation and joy

Tag Archives: Allium

In A Vase On Monday—Tall Summer Color

Red Hot At Mid-June

Rain At Last

Mid-June Musings

Foxglove

Almanac

Irises and Spiderwort

Garden Fauna

May Garden Interests

Late June — Ahead Of The Heat Wave

Meditation Circle