Beautiful Blooms

Thought I would share a few pictures of some tree and perennial blooms that are really stunning right now.  Above is a Bradford Pear tree (Pyrus calleryana) which is grown mainly for it's blooms, as it produces no fruit.

Creeping phlox (Phlox stolonifera) is a great early blooming perennial.  It is a quick spreader and looks best in a rock garden or creeping over a rock wall.

This weeping cherry tree (Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula') is one of my favorites this time of year.

The warm weather we had early on in March has put everything a week or two ahead of schedule, depending on location.  I've been keeping busy pulling spring weeds, dividing overgrown perennials, edging, mulching, and composting.  This work will continue through the first couple weeks of May.

Welcome Spring!

Although yesterday was the first day of spring, the temperatures here this week are more like mid-summer.  While I have been enjoying the sun and warmth it is a bit confusing, not only to me but the plants.  Bulbs are popping up and blooming just about everywhere, even in places that are normally covered in snow this time of year.

I am happy to get outside and back to work.  These next few weeks will be filled with plenty of spring pruning and weeding.  I pruned this row of beach roses (Rosa rugosa) yesterday, and I am still pulling the tiny thorns from my knuckles.  These roses are prolific around here on the coast and can be well regulated with a good spring cut.  To achieve the height you want, prune them 2-3 feet below where you would like them to be at the end of the summer (they can even handle being chopped to an inch or two above the soil line).  This row will reach about 6 inches above the fence by August.

Last steps

I only have a few more projects left to finish up the season.  Just a couple more days of removing the last of the fallen leaves and trimming a few branches before the long winter sets in.  I am looking forward to the snow and colder temperatures!
I thought I would share a couple of the photos from my work these past few weeks...

This flowering kale I pulled while doing a fall clean-up was still showing some amazing color and seemed to ignore the few hard frosts we had recently.

Planting the last of the bulbs!  These crocus were part of a larger grouping I planted along with Chionodoxa (Glory of the Snow) and Galanthus (Snowdrops) and were a mix of purple and white varieties.  I always plant bulbs with a healthy sprinkling of Bulb-tone, a natural and organic 3-5-3 fertilizer made by Epsoma.

Signs of Fall

I'm not quite sure where the month has gone.  Time gets away from me this time of year as I hustle to prepare gardens for the long winter ahead.  We had our first frost this morning in the Portland area, which seems quite late.  Inland areas have had a few frosts at this point going back to several weeks ago.  I will spend the next couple of weeks continuing to cut perennials back, planting bulbs for next spring, wrapping shrubs, and pulling the last remaining weeds of the season.

Sweet Autumn Clematis

As fall sets in here in Maine there aren't too many shrubs and vines left flowering.  Yes, there are plenty of hydrangea blooms and some lingering Rose of Sharon (Hibiscus syriacus) around, but now is the time of year that the Sweet Autumn Clematis really shines.  The small white blooms exude a fantastic fragrance that even Monarch butterflies seem to love (one stopped by to sample some nectar right as I pulled my camera out). 

Clematis paniculata is a quick climber and can grow up to 30 feet.  It is best to plant is an area where it can spread freely, up a large trellis or arbor, along a fence, or even up a tree.

Rainy Day Field Trip

While we are in the midst of several wet and dreary days here in the northeast (the remnants of Tropical storm Lee), my friend and I decided it was the perfect weather for a field trip to a greenhouse.  We took a half hour drive north to New Gloucester, Maine to visit Wood Sprite Orchids.

This quaint little spot is a real hidden gem.  The very knowledgeable owner (who lives right next door to the greenhouse) has the largest collection of tropical orchids in Maine.  The blooms were fascinating and beautiful.

Besides the orchids he also had a few Staghorn Ferns growing and some wonderful specimen plants, like this large Jade (below on the right).

Wood Sprite Orchids is open year round at 43 Depot Rd. in New Gloucester.  Orchids from seedling to blooming size plants are for sale.  Their website is:   http://www.woodspriteorchids.com/enter02/

Irene's Damage

While most of the Casco Bay region of Maine didn’t experience much damage from Hurricane Irene, the plants at the Lobster Shack in Cape Elizabeth sure did!  The 40+ mile per hour winds combined with salt spray from the ocean created damage like I have never seen before.  

 

It was amazing to see how the plants (shrubs, perennials, and annuals alike) directly in the path of the strong southeast winds were brown and black while others seemed unscathed.

Can you tell which way the wind way blowing?

These Rosa rugosas were heavily damaged on the southeast side, while right around the corner they remained lush and green.

After cutting back all the dead leaves, branches, and flowers the gardens looked very sparse, almost like spring!  I am going to go back and fill in with some late bloomers like yarrow, crocosmia, asters, a few more mums, and some flowering kale.