Tag Archives: lychnis

A Few Flowers In Early May

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More irises are slowly beginning to open after another week of overcast skies and cool temperatures. This white ruffled one was shared with me three or four years ago by a friend and former neighbor.

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Another iris came from a neighbor in my former neighborhood back in the late seventies, passed along by her mother’s friend, who grew them to supply a florist.

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Iris germanica (Bearded iris)

Most pass-alongs come to me without names but this lavender iris finally has one. Touring some other gardens today with some knowledgeable gardeners helped me finally identify it as Roof Iris. It tolerates part shade. The leaves have always looked unhealthy, whether in sun or shade, and I am not sure if there is anything I should be doing about them.

Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)

Iris tectorum (Japanese Roof Iris)

Yellow Bearded iris in the southern side path have been blooming for several weeks. Nearby Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) seems reluctant to open.

Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)

Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion)

A few other plants in this same area are beginning to add some color though. The Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ is in full bloom this week and the Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ is ever so close to flowering.

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' and Clematis 'Jackmanii' at Southern Entrance

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’ and Clematis ‘Jackmanii’ at Southern Entrance

Clematis 'Jackmanii'

Clematis ‘Jackmanii’

January Winds Down

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On this fifty-seven degree sunny afternoon, a mild breeze lifts the fragrance of Daphne odora wafting into the air.

Held up by a very cold winter, last year the hellebores began blooming by February 19 and continued through June 20, 2011. This winter they began blooming a month ago on December 30, 2011.

With its scent noticeable for a few weeks now, the aromatic Monarda didyma (Bergamot, Scarlet Beebalm) is growing. Beebalm is native to this area.

Monarda (Scarlet Beebalm)

Another native, Cercis canadensis L. (Eastern Redbud), is volunteering under the back steps, at least I think this is a redbud.

A Volunteer - Redbud?

Magenta Lychnis coronaria (Rose Campion) will be back in the garden this year thanks to a neighbor who shares my passion for these old-fashioned flowers. The garden is full of white rose campion grown from seed, but for some reason the magenta ones, which had been passed-along many years ago by a dear cousin, had disappeared. Rose campion are not native but generally do well in this climate, reseeding easily.

Rose Campion