Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Yesterday

I have no photos of the garden today . This evening was grocery store day and cook dog food day . The dog food cooking is so funny . I got the idea from Connie at Hartwood Roses . As is my weird way, I modified her recipe of ground turkey, rice, kale, carrots and green beans . I added chicken livers, lamb neck bones or shank and switched from white rice to brown rice . This is the third time I've made a batch which was 22 cups today since I forgot to add dry dog food which I'm sort of glad I did . The funny thing is that Ellie knew exactly what I was doing while I was making the second and third batches which are about six weeks apart . It doesn't matter how many people meals are cooked in between . She knows when I'm cooking for her, and she's very attentive especially when I'm scooping from the food processor and filling the containers at the end . I always give her a taste . She absolutely loves this food . I add a heaping tablespoon to her half cup of dry food twice a day . It makes me happy to see her eat it all down in one breath . So thank you, Connie, for the idea .

However, yesterday I took a quick walk through the garden with camera in hand. Here follows the day-old news .

'White Maman Cochet'
I have tried to compost with variable success, so since much of my debris is rose cuttings I usually donate it to the city .
I wanted to show you 'Mme Abel Chatenay', such a lovely healthy and lush Hybrid Tea albeit from 1894 . She's just putting out new growth for her next bloom .
'Pink Gruss an Aachen' was a transplant over the winter . She's doing much better .
I have several echinaceas . This is the oldest plant and the one with the most blooms . Ones grown from seed this year are not blooming yet but are close .
'Bermuda's Anna Olivier' - when she's on, she's stunning . When she's not, she's a mess . The heat is here so I guess she'll decide to do her best .

Above and below 'Pearl Harbor' is a lovely show-off . I can't decide if I have enough yellow daylilies or if I should fill the garden with them . The decisions of a gardener!
 

This is the only Fordhook phlox seed that actually survived to maturity . Actually, I'm quite impressed . I had no clue what phlox was so this is a total win-win . It flopped from its earliest days and has been a sprawler, but I have never seen any spent flowers . It always looks like this . Can't vouch for its tolerance of our humidity since it hasn't really arrived yet .
The femme fatale of the garden, of course, 'Souv de la Malmaison' .
A 'Full Moon Rising' bud
'Secret Splendor', evergreen mid-late rebloomer
'Duquesa' Tea rose
My mounding dianthus are scattered everywhere . They take the full sun all summer and stay green all winter even at temps under 20 degrees F . They come in shades of pink, burgundy, red and variations of white with pinwheel patterns out the ying yang . These photos are each a different plant . Unfortunately, the deep reds and fuschias are often beyond the reach of my camera and simply explode out of focus much of the time . I really love them . They're only about 10" tall, and when they need deadheading, I just give them a haircut .
 


Flax Lily and 'Aaron' caladium
Clematis texensis 'Princess Diana' blooming again
'Le Vesuve' - a partial full bush shot . She tends to bloom on one side and then the other side . Don't know why .
A closer view from the other side and farther back (below) . Her non-blooming side is out of frame to the right .
 

'Leonie Lamesch' is in a pot with canes almost 5' long . She is turning out larger that I thought she was going to be. I need to find a spot in the ground for her . I wonder who's on the bubble .
Daylily progress is slow and minute, I think because the plants did not have much root system at arrival . Thankfully, they're tough and are able to grow a root system and then grow leaves .
 
Several of the daylilies aren't showing any new growth yet .

Above and below is 'Blush Noisette' which is a shrub right now, but I understand it can be a climber, too .
 

Above and the next two below is another noisette 'Princesse de Nassau' from before 1829 . I have it climbing on a pillar .
 

'Crepuscule' - a Tea-Noisette climber from 1904
 Old news is good for more than just wrapping fish, don't you agree?


7 comments:

  1. Love to see your garden, Sherry ! So many plants ! So beautiful flowers !

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  2. Your header photo is so pretty. You will love the phlox more and more every year. It is hard for me to read the font so I skipped a lot.

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  3. The dog food 'recipe' is definitely a work in progress. I use brown rice, and I have completely eliminated any corn, added more carrots ... or whatever I have in the freezer. It takes a lot of food to keep weight on an old dog, and it's good to see my 14 1/2 year old Emma enjoying her meals the way she does.

    You're the only person I know (besides me) who grows Princesse de Nassau. She's lovely, isn't she?

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  4. How wonderful to be surrounded by such soft and frilly blossoms everyday...proof that your plants respond to your loving care. I can see a part of your irrigation system in a couple of pics. It would be great if you would do a post on your system and its water-saving benefits...especially as we're experiencing drought situations and watering limits.

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  5. The dog food project is interesting. Our ancient Standard poodle and old German Shepherd sure deserve it, but I'm not certain I'll do it.
    Beautiful roses. I love the clusters of Blush Noisette. Noisettes won't grow in our cold, cold climate, but I love seeing photos. Thanks for sharing!
    Sandra

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  6. Your garden is doing so well in this heat and drought. All the new growth on the new daylilies is very encouraging. That 'Duquesa?' tea rose is my hands down favorite of this group.

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  7. Sherry, I never get tired of your roses and lilies. The pictures are so lovely. Duquesa is a rose that isn't mentioned often but I think it's breathtaking.

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