Fresh Blooms

I can't believe it has been almost an entire year since I last posted!  Time sure passes quickly when you are busy!  This spring was a little later then normal and has been quite cool up until now.  I don't mind the cool temperatures (even though it makes everything a little slower to grow) as it makes it more comfortable to work.  This spring has been full of edging, dividing, transplanting, mulching, composting, and plenty of weeding!  Out on a job site today in Cape Elizabeth I took a few photos of some really pretty blooms right now, the first is a 'Shasta' Viburnum (Viburnum plicatum var. tomentosum).  This heavy late spring bloomer fills it's lateral branches with lovely flower heads.  In the fall the leaves turn a nice dark red-maroon.

 

 

 

The 'Firewitch' Dianthus (Dianthus gratianopolitanus) is another bloomer right now with amazing hot pink flowers.  The silver-blue foliage and subtle fragrance make this a good choice for a spreading groundcover along a walkway or at the front of a garden bed.



Summer is only a few weeks away and I'm really looking forward to some warm days for canoeing, bike riding, and swimming.  I have a few small design projects I will be working on as well as many ongoing maintenance projects.  In addition I've started up another small business growing organic soil-grown microgreens for restaurants called Chickadee Greens.  I've had my first two customers so far and it is very exciting!  You can get more information about it by checking out the new website here (www.chickadeegreens.com).

Butterfly Gardens

I recently went to up to Bar Harbor for the first time and visited the Charlotte Rhoades Butterfly Garden, http://www.rhoadesbutterflygarden.org/index.html.  There were plenty of both blooms and butterflies, like the monarch I saw above on a butterfly bush (Buddleia davidii).  I highly recommend visiting if you are in the area and enjoy seeing beautiful flowers and/or butterflies!  There were some great planting combinations throughout of perennial and annual flowers.  I really liked the echinacea and liatris combo below.

Below is an updated picture of a "Bird & Butterfly" garden I installed a few years ago in Cape Elizabeth (you can see earlier pictures in the gardens section of the website, here).

I love to plant and work in gardens created especially to attract wildlife and insects.  They are not only beneficial to all of these critters by supplying a natural habitat for them to grow and reproduce but to the plants and you as well.  They help to pollinate flowers, keep pests at bay and you get to observe their beauty!

Early Summer Blooms

With temperatures hovering right around 90 the past few days it definitely feels like summer has begun.  The cool spring we had seemed to drag on for too long and slowed the growth a little bit on some plants.  This time of year sees many flowers coming into bloom including one of my favorites, the peony.  A large and stately perennial with gigantic blossoms, some of which smell so good!

Geraniums are another staple of the late spring/early summer.  There are so many varieties to choose from and can be used throughout the garden but are especially lovely along the border.  The geranium sanguineum mounds almost perfectly and is covered with pinkish-purple blooms.

Another of my favorites is Nepeta, or catmint.  The sweet smelling foliage and long lasting purple blooms are loved by both bees and cats.

I am also looking forward to getting some local strawberries too!  I've been seeing the pick-your-own signs out at a few farms in Cape Elizabeth and hope to pick some up soon, they are another one of my favorites this time of year.

Spring has arrived!

It took its sweet time, but it is finally here!  Daffodils and tulips have been blooming and the tips of many perennials have started to show themselves with all of the glorious sun we have had lately.  Luckily, later this week we will get some much needed rain.  Weeding, edging, mulching, composting and spring pruning will be taking up all of my time over the next month or so, along with a few new garden installations I am excited about planting next week.  I'll be sure to post some pictures once they are complete!

Fall Colors

Fall is my favorite time of year.  The air is crisp and cooler and the colors are spectacular.  Wonderful weather to be working outside in, although the days are getting shorter which in turn means winter is one step closer.
Thought I would share a few of my favorite colors this time of year....
Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria) has beautiful maroon foliage all summer but when fall sets in it's leaves brighten to a lovely red, which becomes even more striking when against a backdrop of White Pine.

Another fall favorite of mine is the Dawn Redwood (Metasequoia glyptostroboides).  A unique and graceful conifer tree that also happens to be deciduous.  Its green needles turn a lovely yellow-orange this time of year.  It is rare here in Maine but similar to larch trees (Larix sp.), another one of my favorites, in the respect that they are both deciduous conifers.

A real bright spot when mixed with evergreens is the Summersweet or Sweet Pepper Bush (Clethra alnifolia).  I know I have mentioned this shrub several times, but it really is fantastic!  Look at how amazing the bright yellow fall foliage looks when up against a Rhododendron and Pachysandra.

 

The next few weeks I'll be finishing up in a few more gardens.  Cutting back perennials and wrapping tender, exposed shrubs with burlap to protect them from harsh winter winds and piles of snow.  I am hoping for lots this winter (snow that is)!

Recent Blooms

The middle of July is a bright and colorful time in the garden.  So many plants are blooming right now, giving an abundance of colors, textures, and scents to enjoy.  Here are some pictures of a few of my favorites....

Shasta Daisies (Leucanthemum) are a classic, cheery July bloom that make excellent cut flowers.

Lavender flowers have such a wonderful smell and pretty color, and the bees love them too!

Astilbe are one of my favorite shade-loving perennials.  There are so many varieties, offering a number of colors, bloom times, and some even have a lovely subtle scent.  They make a great cut flower or can be dried for everlasting arrangements.

I have been busy lately dead heading old blooms on perennials like nepeta and coreopsis, some of which will bloom again later in August.  Lots of pruning and trimming to do as well.  Spiraea shrubs are finishing up their blooms now and need a good cut, as well as many evergreen shrubs like boxwood and yews.  There is always plenty to do this time of year!

Lots of work!

The month of May flew right by!  Weeding, edging, transplanting, dividing, and mulching filled the entire month for me.  Everything seemed to be about a week or two ahead of schedule due to the early, warm spring we had.  Even now, many things are flowering that normally wouldn't do so until the end of June.
I thought I would share a few photos of a garden in Cape Elizabeth I did a clean-up on a couple weeks back.  Below is before.......

After several hours of edging, weeding, and transplanting to fill in this is how the garden looks now.