Lilium orientalis 'Casablanca'

 At work we have had these Casablanca Lilies for the last week or so.  Their fragrance is remarkably strong and sweet and intoxicating.  At the end of the day yesterday I caved and brought one home.  They are total deer candy out here in my neck of the woods but I couldn't resist.  Not sure where it will live down the road but for now it is situated on the porch, the fragrance inundating the space and gently wafting in to sweeten the living room just the right amount.  ...simply delicious.

Flower ID: St. John's Wort

Hypericum x 'Hidcote'
Hidcote St. John's Wort
small mounding deciduous shrub to 4'
full sun to part shade
tolerant of dry soil
prune late winter

Cornus mas (cornelian cherry dogwood) in bloom

Cornus mas is commonly known by most people as a cornelian cherry but it is not a cherry, it's actually in the dogwood family. Either way it is a great, easy deciduous shrub that can get to be a small tree if trained properly and one of the earliest shrubs in the landscape to make a real show before spring officially begins. Talk about flower power.

Vinca minor (periwinkle) in bloom

What a difference a couple days make! The carpets of Vinca minor, the ground cover you either love or hate, were awash with their perfect little blue-purple flowers. If not kept in bounds it can become quite invasive but I find that you can easily control it and use it to your advantage. Not to mention the glossy evergreen quality is wonderful and you can have a lot of fun mixing it with all sorts of other plants.

return of the Korean chrysanthemums

Yes, it's that time of year again. The 2000 or so Korean chrysanthemums up at the Conservatory Garden in the north end of Central Park are busting out in their annual late October show destined to make you smile and stare in awe at the range of colors and forms before you.
The seed of these classic mums was originally gifted to the garden by Mrs. Lasker in honor of her mother back in 1947 if I remember correctly. Every year the 2000 plants are grown locally and planted in the garden in May, then grown all season, pruned in order to be made bushier and more full, and explode with this amazing mix every fall.
Korean chrysanthemums are actually sun loving perennials but in order to make room for the 20,000 tulip bulbs planted each November these plants have to be treated like annuals and pulled every year. ...but don't worry, the plants are not just thrown away, they are transplanted and reused in other areas where they can continue to grow and flourish or they are recycled and become compost to feed next years crop.
(...and alas these would be the only shots I would get this year before the unbelievable storm that hit the last weekend in October causing such devastation to the park, including the premature razing of these displays along with the thousands of trees and shrubs horribly affected. but for pics of the mums from years past just click on the tags below. -aef 11.2.11)

Shrub ID: Rhododendron maximum (rosebay rhododendron)

I'm pretty sure this is Rhododendron maximum, the North American native rosebay rhododendron.
A broad-leaved evergreen, the rosebay rhodie is a big open shrub that can get 15' for sure, if not 30' over the course of it's lifetime for us down here in a Zone 6b or 7a. These guys are hardy to USDA Zone 3, which means well into Canada, where the species is apparently from. They usually bloom earlier, in June, but perhaps this guy was a new planting and therefore blooming a bit later. In any event, big fabulous clusters of white flowers are tinged with pink and yellow.
This guy is obviously just a youngster, weighing in at only 6-7' high and wide, but you can see the open habit and love for high shade or a little bit of sun through the canopy.

late May blues

In May we as gardeners get excited because so much begins to come into bloom in the garden. As I have mentioned already in May you have your peonies and roses and foxglove (among others) bursting forth in all their spring glory. ...different colors and sizes and petal counts reminding you of all that is possible in the garden. But I definitely have to put in a plug for some favorite late May blues. These shots I admit I took many weeks ago, and for a while was thinking because of the tardiness that I might as well forget posting them, but I hope that people still enjoy the shots and IDs for present or future reference.

These pictures were shot early morning so some of the colors are not entirely true to reality so I've made notes where applicable.

Iris sibirica is an iris that has slightly smaller, narrower leaves and an overall shorter size compared to the monster German bearded iris that most people have in their gardens. This clump comfortably takes up a few square feet in the garden and is quite easy to keep in check. I'd guess height to be about 1-1 1/2 feet for the foliage and little over 2 feet for the inflorescence of flowers with their graceful upright standards and down-turned falls.

Perennial geraniums I've learned from my various bosses and mentors have great merit in the mixed border. Geranium 'Johnson's Blue' is this guy. Sure enough the way the sun is hitting the flower in the pic above it appears more light and purple, but don't be fooled. The plant with it's finer dissected foliage and delicate blue is a wonderfully soft option for the forefront of a display and a welcome 2-3 foot filler of a plant.
The color below is a little more right-on. Geranium 'Johnson's Blue'...

And ah, yes, the beginnings of the blooming Clematis. Let this slightly woody vine grow in as much sun as possible and keep the roots well protected and moist as best you can. Wonderful for climbing up a structure, whether that be a wire fence or your favorite shrub rose or small tree, when they come into bloom you will undoubtedly be elated. This beautiful lady is Clematis 'Ramona' and her color is really a perfect purplish-blue that you have to have just the right light for in order to properly capture on film, ...or digital memory card as the case may be.
Clematis 'Ramona'
The shot below begins to give a slightly better idea of the purple tones in the sizable 4-5" flowers.

Like geraniums, budding gardeners should know about the value of perennial Salvia cultivars now common throughout the trade. Salvia 'Blue Hill' is this tight, mounded sun lover which blooms well twice a year. Famed public garden designer Lynden Miller in her lectures loves to include this in her plant list, especially for those managing and designing college and university campuses. The reason as Lynden would explain is because they put out their first strong display of upright blue flower spikes in May as school let's out for the year and graduation is celebrated and then they bloom again in fall as the next semester commences and the students return to campus. Very smart.
Easy to deadhead and maintain and another great addition to the late May blues you can also find Salvia 'East Friesland' quite commonly and they are all worth playing with.

Happy shopping.

Narcissus of note: 'Decoy'

Now, I know, there are a million daffodils out there and we all like different ones for different reasons, but c'mon, look at this guy!
Narcissus 'Decoy' is a Division 2, large-cupped daffodil photographed here in late April.
The color is really what made me highlight this spring bulb over many others I've come to know and love this year. White Flower Farm describes the color well by saying that the cup goes from rosy-red to salmon-pink. In real life it looks like it's got a little lipstick on, it's a great little creature to look at.

Tulip Gallery, 2011 edition

a few old favorites and a few new loves. taken at the Conservatory Garden in Central Park the last week in April. enjoy.
Tulipa 'Ballerina'
Division 6 - Lily Flowered tulip

Tulipa 'Pink Impression'
Division 4 - Darwin Hybrid (seen above with Muscari 'Valerie Finnis')

Tulipa 'Cream Jewel'
Division 4 - Darwin Hybrid

Tulipa 'Prinses Irene'
Division 3 - Triumph

Tulipa 'Rembrandt's Favorite'
Division 3 - Triumph
Like daffodils (Narcissus), tulips are divided into many different Divisions, based on flower morphology (shape and design), plant size, and bloom time. Here's a decent link that lists the 15 Divisions if you are curious to learn a little more.


...and of course I have to mention the 20,000 tulips blooming in the north (French) garden.
This year a mix:
Tulipa 'Rosalie' (purple)
Tulipa 'Violet Beauty' (violet)
Tulipa 'Negrita' (light pink)
Tulipa 'Moonlight Mist' (yellow)
Tulipa 'Mariette' (hot pink)

white flowering crabapples of the Conservatory Garden

Finally the white flowering crabapples in the Conservatory Garden are blooming their heads off.
I had a few minutes to get these shots this morning and as I'm sitting here editing I can still smell their sweet, ever-so-subtle fragrance.

Love spring.

more spring pics finally posted - scroll down!

The crabapples in the Conservatory Garden in Central Park burst out on Monday. The heat has moved the flowers along quickly but they were still looking (and smelling!) stunning today. This week I've taken well over 100 pics so it is going to be a little while before I get them all up. The main point is, if you live near Central Park and haven't treated yourself to a walk recently, you should! This couple below was loving life. She was crashed in the sun and loving it, and he didn't look too miserable himself. As I said to the two guys I was chatting with at the end of the work day, "how can you go wrong with 20,000 tulips?" More pics from "the office" to come soon. ...and as always click to enlarge.
cheers,