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Garden Bloggers Bloom Day 2007-09-15 06:10:00 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day-SeptemberI remembered on Thursday that the 15th would be on Saturday so I rushed around the garden to get a few shots for Bloom Day. I should have remembered about the 15th since it is my wedding anniversary also. I don’t remember how long we have been married so I will have to figure out a coy way of broaching that subject. It has been awhile at this point, over 15 years but fewer than 20. Since we work together our relationship has a slightly different dynamic then most couples.The Hydrangea at the top is ‘Tardiva’. It got so tall in this particular spot and is just a mass of white flowers. Long lasting and a dependable bloomer it is one of my favorite Hydrangeas.So here are the some more shots in no particular order:Rudbeckia nitida ‘Herbstonne’Always a pleasant plant to have in the garden. It is really tall but doesn’t need staking.Dwarf Pink AsterThis plant has been around a long time so it is a long lived perennial. I pinch it several times d ...

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day 2007-09-15 06:10:00 Garden Bloggers Bloom Day-SeptemberI remembered on Thursday that the 15th would be on Saturday so I rushed around the garden to get a few shots for Bloom Day. I should have remembered about the 15th since it is my wedding anniversary also. I don’t remember how long we have been married so I will have to figure out a coy way of broaching that subject. It has been awhile at this point, over 15 years but fewer than 20. Since we work together our relationship has a slightly different dynamic then most couples.The Hydrangea at the top is ‘Tardiva’. It got so tall in this particular spot and is just a mass of white flowers. Long lasting and a dependable bloomer it is one of my favorite Hydrangeas.So here are the some more shots in no particular order:Rudbeckia nitida ‘Herbstonne’Always a pleasant plant to have in the garden. It is really tall but doesn’t need staking.Dwarf Pink AsterThis plant has been around a long time so it is a long lived perennial. I pinch it several times d ...

Florist Mum 2007-09-14 04:59:00 Florist MumI took this at the nursery the other day. I must say it brought some memories. When I was growing up my parents had a large greenhouse/nursery operation. We had several glass houses that were used to raise seasonal crops including, geraniums, Easter lilies, Poinsettias and Chrysanthemums. I still to this day have trouble smelling Geraniums. Often times I would be drafted into service for propagating, watering, pinching and even helping to deliver the plants. I am not sure I would ever want to work on the production side of things again. I am much happier planting and trying to grow the stuff. This mum was about 4 to 5 inches across.Bougainvillea 'White Madonna'I took this Bougainvillea shot at the same nursery. I envy all the gardeners that can grow this shrub outdoors. We have one in the Conservatory at work and it is nice during February when it blooms the heaviest. The rest of the year it looks like a refugee and it is tucked in the back in one of the corners. I thought ...

Florist Mum 2007-09-14 04:59:00 Florist MumI took this at the nursery the other day. I must say it brought some memories. When I was growing up my parents had a large greenhouse/nursery operation. We had several glass houses that were used to raise seasonal crops including, geraniums, Easter lilies, Poinsettias and Chrysanthemums. I still to this day have trouble smelling Geraniums. Often times I would be drafted into service for propagating, watering, pinching and even helping to deliver the plants. I am not sure I would ever want to work on the production side of things again. I am much happier planting and trying to grow the stuff. This mum was about 4 to 5 inches across.Bougainvillea 'White Madonna'I took this Bougainvillea shot at the same nursery. I envy all the gardeners that can grow this shrub outdoors. We have one in the Conservatory at work and it is nice during February when it blooms the heaviest. The rest of the year it looks like a refugee and it is tucked in the back in one of the corners. I thought ...

Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana) 2007-09-13 05:01:00 Spider FlowerCleome hassleriana(klee-OH-me) (hass-ler-ee-AH-na)Synonyms: Spider Legs, Grandfather's WhiskersThis first picture is an abstract of a Cleome flower. Since it is an abstract it did go through some modification in Photoshop. This isn’t my favorite flower. I guess I am kind of neutral about this plant. At one time after mulching a large planting several sprouted and for years continued to self seed (which this plant does very well). Finally about two years ago no more came back and I was a little disappointed. I might have to break down and buy some next year to start the patch again. Since it is a tall annual with not much on the bottom it is best suited for the back of the border or in mass plantings. Beware of the smell for it is not pleasant. Kind of a weak skunk smell to my nose so you won’t want to plant them by the front door. There are several cultivars and colors available, these do not come true from seed however. I would like to try the Dwarf Spider Flower som ...

Spider Flower (Cleome hassleriana) 2007-09-13 05:01:00 Spider FlowerCleome hassleriana(klee-OH-me) (hass-ler-ee-AH-na)Synonyms: Spider Legs, Grandfather's WhiskersThis first picture is an abstract of a Cleome flower. Since it is an abstract it did go through some modification in Photoshop. This isn’t my favorite flower. I guess I am kind of neutral about this plant. At one time after mulching a large planting several sprouted and for years continued to self seed (which this plant does very well). Finally about two years ago no more came back and I was a little disappointed. I might have to break down and buy some next year to start the patch again. Since it is a tall annual with not much on the bottom it is best suited for the back of the border or in mass plantings. Beware of the smell for it is not pleasant. Kind of a weak skunk smell to my nose so you won’t want to plant them by the front door. There are several cultivars and colors available, these do not come true from seed however. I would like to try the Dwarf Spider Flower som ...

Hyacinth Bean for ABC Wednesday 2007-09-12 05:37:00 Hyacinth BeanLablab purpureus(LAB-lab) (pur-PUR-ee-us)Papilionaceae (puh-pil-ee-uh-NAY-see-ay)Synonyms: Dolichos lablab, Bonavista bean, Egyptian bean, Lablab BeansIf you are visiting for Wordless Wednesday scroll down to the post below this one.I have grown this vine before as an ornamental. The beans are edible although some people report a toxic reaction to them. Eat them at your own risk! It is said that one or two water changes during boiling reduce the risk of a bad reaction. Livestock and wildlife don’t seem to have any problems eating them and it is a good source of protein for them.As an ornamental plant this vine is wonderful. It grows from seed although when I have grown it I bought the plants already started. The flowers are beautiful as is the foliage. It is a ‘heavy’ grower and needs a strong support. It does self-seed so deadheading is recommended if you don’t want to have volunteers next year.I wondered why it is called the Hyacinth Bean, as the flower doesn’t ...

Hyacinth Bean for ABC Wednesday 2007-09-12 05:37:00 Hyacinth BeanLablab purpureus(LAB-lab) (pur-PUR-ee-us)Papilionaceae (puh-pil-ee-uh-NAY-see-ay)Synonyms: Dolichos lablab, Bonavista bean, Egyptian bean, Lablab BeansIf you are visiting for Wordless Wednesday scroll down to the post below this one.I have grown this vine before as an ornamental. The beans are edible although some people report a toxic reaction to them. Eat them at your own risk! It is said that one or two water changes during boiling reduce the risk of a bad reaction. Livestock and wildlife don’t seem to have any problems eating them and it is a good source of protein for them.As an ornamental plant this vine is wonderful. It grows from seed although when I have grown it I bought the plants already started. The flowers are beautiful as is the foliage. It is a ‘heavy’ grower and needs a strong support. It does self-seed so deadheading is recommended if you don’t want to have volunteers next year.I wondered why it is called the Hyacinth Bean, as the flower doesn’t ...

Wordless Wednesday At The Gallery 2007-09-11 17:42:00 ...

Wordless Wednesday At The Gallery 2007-09-11 17:42:00 ...

September 11th Remembrance Rose 2007-09-11 04:45:00 Hybrid Tea ‘Peace’ Rose“A rose is an argument. It proclaims the triumph of beauty over brutality, of gentleness over violence, of the ephemeral over the lasting, and of the universal over the particular. The same rose bursts into bloom on the North Cape and in the Sahara desert.”Alain Meilland ...

September 11th Remembrance Rose 2007-09-11 04:45:00 Hybrid Tea ‘Peace’ Rose“A rose is an argument. It proclaims the triumph of beauty over brutality, of gentleness over violence, of the ephemeral over the lasting, and of the universal over the particular. The same rose bursts into bloom on the North Cape and in the Sahara desert.”Alain Meilland ...

Flower Buds 2007-09-10 04:56:00 Zinnia elegans 'Zowie Yellow Flame'Since my friend in Germany turned me on to bud photography I have been enjoying trying to capture emerging flowers. Sometimes they are as pretty as the flowers themselves. This is a little collection of flower buds I got on Saturday at the Queens Botanical Garden. Since I have had a little more time to reflect on my visit I have to admit how much I enjoyed it.Rose Mallow BudWeird Clerodendron Bud AbstractKaren and I went to the Irish Festival yesterday and it was a fun afternoon. We saw some dancing and a couple of bands. One thing that was not happy, we both agreed it made it long to return to Ireland. Lucky I didn’t drink too much, I only had a pint of Guinness so there are no after effects today. It takes awhile these days to bounce back from drinking too much. I have a big week at work planned and I have to start to think about my winterizing plans. There still is a good bit left to the season but I have found in the large garden it pays to th ...

Flower Buds 2007-09-10 04:56:00 Zinnia elegans 'Zowie Yellow Flame'Since my friend in Germany turned me on to bud photography I have been enjoying trying to capture emerging flowers. Sometimes they are as pretty as the flowers themselves. This is a little collection of flower buds I got on Saturday at the Queens Botanical Garden. Since I have had a little more time to reflect on my visit I have to admit how much I enjoyed it.Rose Mallow BudWeird Clerodendron Bud AbstractKaren and I went to the Irish Festival yesterday and it was a fun afternoon. We saw some dancing and a couple of bands. One thing that was not happy, we both agreed it made it long to return to Ireland. Lucky I didn’t drink too much, I only had a pint of Guinness so there are no after effects today. It takes awhile these days to bounce back from drinking too much. I have a big week at work planned and I have to start to think about my winterizing plans. There still is a good bit left to the season but I have found in the large garden it pays to th ...

Queens Botanical Garden 2007-09-09 08:08:00 Queens Botanical GardenFlushing, New YorkYesterday I left early and visited the Queens Botanical Garden in Flushing, New York. I wanted to kind of make a clean sweep of the NYC Botanical gardens having already visited the New York Botanical Garden and Wave Hill in the Bronx, Brooklyn Botanical Garden and the Staten Island Botanical Gardens this summer. It wasn’t as much as an adventure as getting to the Staten Island Garden. I drove to the Metro-North Railroad Station in Katonah, New York and got the train to Manhattan. I then bought a Metrocard and took the #7 Subway train to its terminus at Main Street in Flushing, Queens. It is about a 40-minute ride on the Subway and then I walked the eight blocks south on Main Street to the garden. I took the bus back to the station and you may want to consider taking it to the garden.The new Visitor and Administration Building at the Queens Botanical GardenThe garden was nice, smallish compared to the others but it really had a country atmosphe ...