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Queen Victoria Century Plant (Agave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta') 2007-08-05 11:51:00 Queen Victoria Century PlantAgave victoriae-reginae 'Compacta'(a-GAH-vee) (vik-TOR-ee-ay ree-JIN-ay-ee)Agavaceae (ah-gav-AY-see-ay)What an emotional draining day yesterday was. I still feel bad about the whole thing. I can’t wait to get back into the garden on Monday. There at least I know what to expect and do. I guess that is my little comfort zone.I saw this cute little Agave growing in a pot at Wave Hill. It only gets to 12 inches and is hardy to USDA Zone 7b. There used to be one in the conservatory at work but the person that takes care of the greenhouse watered it to death over the winter. I love the contrast of the green leaves and white stripes. This plant only flowers after many years and then dies.Here are a couple more shots from the Foreigner Concert on their 2007 Concert tour.Mick Jones. Like the Dire Straits song says “Oh yeah, the boy can play.” Shot with my cheesy $12 Star Filter.End shot. Left to right: Jeff Pilson: bass guitar, background vocals, Thom Gimbel: ...

Marigolds for a Friend 2007-08-04 09:02:00 Marigolds for a FriendToday I have to attend the funeral of a young person that Karen and I knew. At 27 Jason is gone long before his time. I decided to post this picture of Marigolds as one of the Mexican people I work with was explaining that Marigolds are used during the "Dia de los Muertos" (Day of the Dead) to help guide the souls of the departed back to enjoy the pleasures they enjoyed in life. With Jay it would have been friends, family and his two-year old twin daughters. I am not sure if I got the translation and meaning correct here but I sure hope so. The Day of the Dead is celebrated October 31st through November 2nd and is not as depressing a time as it sounds. It is quite the opposite, a time for happiness, family and life. I am going to try and use this to help build a little bridge to my trying to understand senseless tragedy. Not that I think I will ever be able to completely understand I will try and make peace with the situation and try and move on from there. Many p ...

Chihuly Glass at Fairchild Gardens, Miami 2007-08-03 05:32:00 Chihuly Glass at Fairchild Gardens, MiamiSince I stayed out late last night here are some archive Chihuly Glass shots from Fairchild Tropical Gardens in Miami. I have recently been going through my hard drives trying to get rid of some old pictures and came across these two. The first one is from the 2007 exhibit and the second one is from 2006.I went to the Foreigner concert last night. It was great. Even though it isn’t my favorite band they really put on a good show. I got a couple of pictures. The first two are Mick Jones the lead guitarist and songwriter. The other one is Kelly Hansen the lead singer with Jason Bonham (drums, his dad was in Led Zeppelin) and Jeff Jacobs. They played a lot of the ‘hits’ and a couple I didn’t recognize. Somehow I had bought front row, dead center tickets. I was sitting next to the mayor and his wife.Here are some other posts I have made on Chihuly Glass:2007 FairchildMore 2007 FairchildGardens and Glass, 2006, NYBG ...

Yellow Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans 'Flava') 2007-08-02 04:56:00 Yellow Trumpet VineCampsis radicans 'Flava'(KAMP-sis) (RAD-ee-kans)Synonyms: Yellow Trumpet CreeperIt is nice to post a flower that I grew. I am happy with my Yellow Trumpet Vine and I like it more than the species and red type I am also growing. It took a while for it to start blooming but now every year it is loaded with blooms. I planted it in the stone dust base of the gazebo terrace and trained up on to the roof, which it has completely covered. I often see Hummingbirds at the flowers as well as butterflies, bees and some ants. It really only requires an occasional clipping when it comes down to far over the edge of the roof. It has never had powdery mildew or any pest problems. It is sometimes referred to cow-itch vine because it can cause skin irritation in some people. I have never been bothered by it but you may want to wear gloves when pruning it. It is not recommend for planting near buildings and may become invasive under good growing conditions.Here is a picture of the f ...

Dwarf Red Tree Fern (Blechnum brasiliense) 2007-08-01 04:36:00 Dwarf Red Tree FernBlechnum brasiliense(BLEK-num) (bra-sill-ee-EN-see)Synonyms: Red Brazilian Tree FernThis is a beautiful fern that is native to Brazil and other parts of South America. I have seen it a few times before including the New York Orchid Show. I am not sure why they call it a Tree Fern because it doesn’t have that traditional stem that I so love about Tree Ferns. This photo is of the new growth rolling out. When it is completely unfurled it is a nice red color, it later hardens off to green. This fern is tropical and is hardy to USDA Zone 9. It was growing in the tropical plant section of the Bartlett Arboretum and was just spending the summer outside here in Connecticut. Some of the cultural tips I saw when I looked this plant upIt is again ‘ABC Wednesday’ over at Blog Catalog. This weeks theme is starts with ‘B’ and again I am using the scientific name, so ‘B’ is for Blechnum and brasiliense and Brazil.Here are some of the other participating blogs:mrs nesb ...

Flowering Okra (Abelmoschus manihot) 2007-07-31 04:56:00 Flowering OkraAbelmoschus manihot(a-bel-MOS-kus) (MAN-ee-hot)Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ay)Synonyms: Sweet Hibiscus, Edible Hibiscus, Palmate-leaved HibiscusThis is probably going to be the most interesting flower that I saw all summer. It was planted at the Bartlett Arboretum in Stamford, Connecticut. The plant was not too much to look at (a bit tall and stalky) but the flower really captured my fancy. If it hadn’t had a sign (which I took a picture of for reference) I wouldn’t have known what it was, although I would have guessed the Hibiscus family. I actually used the flash on this photo, which is something I usually avoid like the plague. I guess it is the fear of the unknown type of thing. I think it is more like the on-board flash usually washes everything out and is difficult to control. I want a Nikon Speedlight for Christmas.Here is a link on the Flowering Okra. They explain everything better than I could.hibiscus.orgHere are a couple excerpts that I found interesting:“Th ...

Gooseneck Loosestrife (Lysimachia clethroides) 2007-07-30 04:41:00 Gooseneck LoosestrifeLysimachia clethroides(ly-si-MAK-ee-uh) (klee-THROY-deez)PrimulaceaeThis plant isn’t for everybody. It is way too invasive to be used as an everyday garden plant. It is good for certain areas where it can be allowed to spread. It isn’t good for borders, rich topsoil areas, areas adjacent to lawns and small gardens in general. My plants are in a rock planter but I still have to keep a careful eye on it. It is a really wet area and it can’t spread in two directions. I usually pull up any runners that are going outside their area a couple of times a year. I don’t have any mercy for them and I never plant them anywhere else in the garden or throw them in the compost. The flowers are attractive and a bit novel and they appear in summer when I welcome the color. I also love the fall color of this perennial. It is a great mixture of red, yellow and orange, really super. Carefully consider using this plant and if you don’t have the time or urge to maintain it get ...

Spice Island Foxglove 2007-07-29 06:30:00 FoxgloveDigitalis ‘Spice Island’This Foxglove probably isn’t new to anyone else but me but this was the first time I had seen it. It was obviously re-blooming because I could see the stalks that had been cut off earlier. The color is nice, a little strange but agreeable. The couple of references I found on the net said it was a perennial but only time will tell that. Basically I will believe that when I see it. I did notice the price was almost twice as much as the ‘regular’ Foxglove. I wish I had looked at the foliage closer as the websites I visited said the foliage is ‘felt-like’ and ‘evergreen’. I think this one is going to have to be tried out to get some first hand observation of the characteristics. This is the best thing I found on ‘Spice Island’:“A new evergreen foxglove that just doesn't know when to stop blooming! Unique and stunning peachy-yellow flowers are lightly dusted inside with nutmeg. They bloom on numerous densely-packed spikes which branch ...

Olympic Mullein (Verbascum olympicum) 2007-07-27 04:48:00 Olympic MulleinVerbascum olympicum(ver-BASK-um) (oh-LIM-pih-kum)Synonyms: Greek Mullein, V. longiflorum var. pannosumI saw this plant blooming at Wave Hill. It looked like a majestic perennial. The hairy leaves and flower stalks were quite tall and I liked the color of the flowers. I haven’t had much luck with Verbascum it always seems to be monocarpic. It has only come back once for me and then it died after flowering. I am not putting them down and now that I have seen this plant I might be tempted to try again. I am not going to give any growing tips because I don’t seem to be able to grow it. I do know some people that have been successful with Southern Charms Verbascum and I love the delicate color of those flowers. I have secretly always wanted to grow Arctic Summer Verbascum.Here is the same flower with an Oriental Beetle (Anomala orientalis) crawling on it. These things were all over the garden this year. Here is a link to a Wikipedia article:Oriental Beetle ...

Rose of Sharon Bud (Hibiscus syriacus) 2007-07-26 04:52:00 Rose of Sharon BudHibiscus syriacus(hi-BIS-kus) (seer-ee-AK-us)Malvaceae (mal-VAY-see-ay)Synonyms: Althea, Althaea syriacusMost gardeners are familiar with this great summer flowering plant. I bought about 20 of them and planted them in one area and it is just a riot of color right now. For a lot of years the deer kept the flowering down but they also made the plants bushier and more compact (trying to make a positive here). I have since taken to pruning them hard in the spring to keep them from being overgrown. There seems to be a nice range of colors and flower types available now. I am partial to the blue ones but like them all. I have seen them grown as a shrub, a tree and a hedge so they seem pretty versatile. Looking around the net I noticed a lot of people complaining about the seedlings and that plants are late to leaf out. I haven’t had a lot of seedlings but the ones I am growing are named varieties so they maybe sterile. As far as leafing out late I have never noticed that ...

Moosewood Maple (Acer pennsylvanicum) 2007-07-25 05:27:00 Moosewood MapleAcer pennsylvanicum(AY-ser) (pen-sil-VAN-ih-kum)Synonyms: Striped Maple, Whistlewood, Goosefoot MapleI wanted to post a Wordless Wednesday but some of the people over at the Blog Catalog Forum want to start a group effort called ABC Wednesday. It is a nice very knowledgeable group over there. So the theme is easy, just photograph something that starts with ‘A’ the first week, ‘B’ the second week and so on. I thought it maybe interesting and give me a reason to go and make sure I shoot a picture on Tuesdays. Of course I found several plants with the right starting letter and maybe posting a few more over the next couple of days. It is open to anyone so if you feel like joining in by all means do it!'A' is for Acer.The genus Acer is an important one to gardeners. It is rich with ornamental trees and even some shrubs. There are only a few I don’t care for like Norway Maple and Silver Maple but those are far outweighed by the ones I do like. Like today’s tree. ...

Meadowsweet (Filipendula 'Kakome') 2007-07-24 04:29:00 MeadowsweetFilipendula 'Kakome'(fil-ih-PEN-dyoo-luh)Synonyms: Double Meadow-sweet, Dwarf Meadowsweet, 'Kahome'I took these pictures at the nursery in Long Island though I have been growing this plant for several years. I have it sited in a part shade moist area and it seems very happy. I know it can grow in almost wet conditions also. I like it better than Queen of the Prairie (Filipendula rubra) and Queen of the Meadow (Filipendula ulmaria) mainly because it is a dwarf form (12 inches) that doesn’t flop or sprawl. It has been in the garden a long time and hasn’t needed to be divided yet. The flower and foliage color is good and it has shown deer resistance. The flowers are corymbs that look a lot like Astilbe.Here are a couple more pictures from the ferry. There were two Jet-skis that were putting on a show riding up the wake of the ferry. It was better entertainment than the usual feeding Doritos® to the sea gulls. To be fair I wanted to post the power plant that is on the P ...

Garden Phlox (Phlox paniculata 'David') 2007-07-23 04:58:00 Garden PhloxPhlox paniculata 'David'(floks) (pan-ick-yoo-LAY-tuh)PolemoniaceaeThis is a beautiful cultivar of Garden Phlox. It is the most resistant to the dreaded Powdery Mildew in my experience. The bright white blooms are fragrant and don’t need staking in my garden. Phlox is such a classic flower and it is nice to see it in the border. It does need good air circulation and it is best to water the plants at the base. I wanted to find out a little more about Powdery Mildew and I found these pages:Plant Clinic Cornell.eduGarden Guides.comThankfully it hasn’t been a bad year for PM. I haven’t seen it on the usual suspects, Bee Balm, Lilac, Phlox or Roses.This is another Phlox that I am growing. I think it is ‘Laura’ but it might be ‘Little Boy’ as the tags got all mixed up. I found pictures with both of the names on the net.I went to Long Island to buy some perennials on Saturday and everything was blooming out there. I took the ferry and passed the time shooting a few ...

Sunrise Coneflower ( Echinacea 'Sunrise') 2007-07-21 04:17:00 Sunrise Coneflower Echinacea 'Sunrise'(ek-in-AY-shee-uh)This is another of the ‘Big Sky Series’ that Richard Saul at Itsaul Nursery in Atlanta, Georgia has been developing. This is my second year with this particular plant so it wintered over in Westchester County, New York. Although our wacky winter probably wasn’t the best to judge its hardiness on. I actually like the color and size (plant) of ‘Harvest Moon’ better but I have had no luck growing those. I might try again but after you have been burned by a plant a couple of times it is hard to keep buying it. I am just considering it for a more protected location. ‘Sunrise’ has been growing out in the open and has been mingling with the regular Purple Cones. It is quite tall and can seem to hold its own among the purples. It seems to have been blooming for an awful long time, which I have read is one of the traits of the Big Sky Series.I planted a Coneflower garden last year and holy mackerel did they grow. It is a s ...

Red Daylily (Hemerocallis) 2007-07-20 05:04:00 Red DaylilyInspired by 1-2-3 Go Garden’s great collection of Daylily photographs and Ki’s post on July 18th I decided to try and take a picture of the nicest Daylily at the Estate. We don't have a lot of different cultivars for two reasons. One, the people don’t live there in the summer and two, the amount of deer we have. There are a few nice ones and I got the nifty fifty from White Flower Farm a few years ago but they are pretty much planted around the house and in the courtyard for protection. Like I said this red is the nicest and I think I bought at a Wave Hill plant sale many years ago. It got transplanted several times and finally has found a home next to the greenhouse and just behind the Weeping White Birch (Betula pendula 'Youngii'). I took a close up too.Just a quick post as I got in late last night. I went to a Chef’s Table at a local restaurant and went for a couple of nightcaps after. The Chef’s table is fun and delicious. Two fellows that own a local rest ...