Flowers today - GBBD July 2011

Today flowers make my garden little more brighter and livelier.

Hydrangea arborescens Annabelle liked my last year very light pruning. I made it in August, when there was time for deadheading. No pruning in the Spring - only emergency removal of frost damages. This is only 1 plant - look how large it grew! Planted 6 years ago.

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra.

Lavandula, phlox, perovskia and Lythrum salicaria. This place was mistakenly planted by me at first. You may read about here. I am happy that tall ornamental grass was exchanged with lavender. Scent is better and lower plant looks much better here. Right plant, right place - always looking for best match. You?

Phlox paniculata was supposed to be white...

Do you see perovskia aka russian sage in the front? It was rescued self-seeded plant, growing in the pavement.

Flowering giant hosta Blue Angel (slug resistant). Big, but if giant? We'll see. Planted 2-3 years ago.

The only flower of Hydrangea macrophylla.

Heavenly scented Lillium regale.

Another heavenly scented plant - this time non problematic climber Lonicera periclymenum Serotina.

Pansies are still alive, but their days are counted!

Thanks Carol for hosting Garden Bloggers Bloom Day!
My previous July entries you may see here: 2010 and 2008. Happy gardening! 

Aruncus dioicus miserable flowers?

Are you also wondering why your Aruncus dioicus is having poor ecru colored flowers? I was wondering for some time why only 2 out of 7 plants I have invited to my garden, are showing off with their beautiful, white, fluffy flowers, while the rest 5 are sadly resembling same beauty.

This week I have discovered that Aruncus dioicus is 'dioecius' - which means females are separated from males. Ecru and more ascetic flowers are male and we don't want that in our garden. Female flowers are white and fluffy - and yes, we want them in our garden. Do you see the difference between flowers on both pictures?

I wonder why the sellers don't specify that. Actually why should I need male poor flowers in my garden, while there is no use of it? No fruits, nothing. Shops should supply only females with their beautiful feathery flowers. You can also spend your money better – right?

Aruncus dioicus - goat's beard - bride's feathers.

Santolina chamaecyparissus pruning time

We can do no great things, only small things with great love. ~Mother Teresa

Pruning Cotton Lavender now makes it looking better for the rest of the year. Even cutting back very short will do no harm - it will be fine. Next pruning time comes in August.

Look how much I have pruned it last year -- >> Santolina pruning 2009

Gardening indoor - hardy geranium overwintered

I have changed the soil 3 weeks ago and here it is - flowering. This is 3 years old geranium grown from seed.

It just goes to sleep right now! How to take care about poinsettia now?

My sweet poinsettias are not looking ugly yet, however they do loose leaves one after another. In previous years I was thinking that I don't know how to take care of them and this is why its happening, but today I know that it falls slowly in dormancy period!

Maybe you also have poinsettia right now, that doesn't look that well as you would like. Maybe you also think that you don't know how to take care of it and put all blame on yourself?

Maybe you could consider to not throw it away to compost heap?

This is Nature of Poinsettia - after blooming (these yellow tiny flowers on the top) poinsettia needs rest.

It is falling to that state slowly - all healthy leaves are becoming yellow and they fall, until only the colored ones will remain on the top. This is the time, when you should cut the stems at about 15-20 cm from soil - fresh stems will grow there after the plant will wake up.

Reduce watering – soil can dry up this time, although plant prefers moist conditions.
You may offer this plant lower temperature about 10-14 degrees C, but this is not necessary. Just colder windowsill will be good. The plant need a lot of light still.

In March/April - when plant is about to start to slow wake-up, take it out of existing pot and shake off whole soil (or whatever they put there - I call it soil here, but probably you also have kind of subtratum).

Transplant your poinsettia to the same pot, but full with fresh soil. Transplanting to larger pot will cause plant's larger vegetative growth, but it harder will be to get coloured leaves at the top. Add fertilizer every 2 weeks.

As result, anyway, you will get the plant which will be larger from previous size and those available in the shop, because manufacturers use special repressing growth substances, so plant is more compact. If you want to make it also more compact, use this special technique of pruning, that will keep it more compact. On the beginning of July prune every new stem about 2 cm. In August, cut off all new growth about 1-2 cm.

Poinsettia neeeds "short day" (10 hours of light a day) in order to grow coloured leaves. The night has to last at least 14 hours – even the tiny bit of light during dark hours will cause lack of colour.
One and a half month before appointed deadline, when you want to have coloured plant you may start to artificially darken the plant. You may close it in a wardrobe, cover with cardboard box. Choose the easiest way, because you will be doing this for 6 weeks.
If it don't do it, your poinsettia will get naturally color mid of January. Practically whole December and whole January day lasts shorter than 10 hours, so mid of January the leaflets will start to change color.

How to take care of poinsettia?
1. Keep her safe from cold air.
2. Draughts is killing the plant.
3. In sunny place.
4. Provide moist to the soil constantly. Manufacturers usually use very quickly drying up basis unfortunately, therefore it is difficult to keep th eplant moist all the tome. Ponsettia also can not be standing in water, soil should be only moist.
5. Do not cut flowers (these tiny yellow on top), because they are necessary to get coloured leaves.
6. In period of blooming add fertilizer every weeks.

I saw poinsettia growing indoor in the summer - it looked so beautiful to me - this is why I decided to keep mine and properly take care if it entire year.

What about you? Do you still have poinsettia around? Will you give it a chance?

Odontonia Samourai - fragrant orchid

Do you think it is beautiful? I couldn't resist to buy it, because when I smelled it, I discovered it is fragrant! Just to make sure, I asked my friend that was shopping with me and after she confirmed, there was no other way - only to cashier!
After coming home, I was so happy, I sniffed the flowers and ...all the scent was gone!!
I suspected the shop tricked me or plant is in shock.
Kathryn on Twitter told me, that it could smell at certain hours of the day - and she was right! Thank you!!.
This orchid is NOT fragrant only in the evening. Scent is very delicate.

It came labelled Cambria, but after comparing many sources and many pictures, I am sure it is misabelled. This is also mentioned in some sources, that producer labelled Odontonia by mistake as Cambria.

Odontonia is intergenera hybrid and easy to take care of - recommended for beginners (same level as Phalaenopsis).

Any other fragrant orchid kind you know and would like to recommend?

Experiment on replanting Hydrangea

As the young garden gets older, year by year the plants are changing sizes and shapes. Flowerbed carefully planned and planted one day becomes a mess - this is natural and happens in every garden everywhere the world. If you see it happening in your garden, it doesn't mean that you are a lousy gardener! This only means, that your garden needs redesigning approach again :) And this is what you do, as soon as possible. Beacuse the later you do it, the more difficult it gets.

You just take pencil and make some arrangements on the paper again :) When Autumn or Spring arrives - thats the best time to move plants - this is what you've heard, right?

I made transplanting in all possible months - so I feel like an expert now. Somebody said, that expert - this is somebody, who made all possible mistakes in his field...

Today I would like to share a picture with you - it shows the difference between Autumn and Spring transplanting of Hydrangea macrophylla. Both were bought together and planted together 3 years ago - I prune them pretty heavily every year.

When that particular bed, one year ago was in the need of reapproach, I decided this spot is perfect for Hydrangea, as they love sun in the morning and shadow in the afternoon.

Before transplanting both looked exactly the same. Hydrangea on the left was moved in the Autumn - in October. Hydrangea on the right was moved end of March/beginning of April following year. The soil was prepared in exactly the same way, at the same time.

You may judge the difference by yourself!

Left one, was thinking entire season whether she liked moving or NOT. I was expecting kind of reaction... but no... no growth, no flowers, no bye bye...

Same with majority of other plants - it may be treated as general rule, but there are always exceptions, that prove it. One of them is Robinia (mophead) - that should be moved in the spring only - it has difficulty to adapt in the cold.

Majority of plants, planted or transplanted in the Autumn, are at least 1-2 months ahead of those planted in the Spring, because even if the upper part of the plant is dormant, the roots keep growing - they stop only when soil gets frozen.

If you want your plants to grow best in the next season, it is much better to move them in the Autumn - they have much better start in the coming growing season, as they don't loose time on adaptation and roots in new place are already established.

What about your transplanting adventures?

Easiness of propagating succulents - drought resistant plants...

Ultra extremely easy... you just pick a piece, without roots, simply piece of the branch and stick it into the soil. No watering is needed. The speed of growth depends on the kind - on the picture, you can see: tiny pieces planted on 19th of August (L) and same plants today (R), which is after one month. Two of them almost tripled its size, rest starts to get wider by sprouting new branches. That is ootdoor.

On the windowsill, indoor, little leaf of that lovely plant fell on the soil.

Can you see growing roots and new leaves?
By the way - I forgot its name, do you know it?

Bottle Brush Plant - Mountain Witch Alder

Bottle brush plant - Fothergilla major - mountain witch Alder
Now when the bulb flowers get our Bye Bye, some other flowers are overtaking the stage in the spotlights. One of the favourite plants in our garden is currently blooming shrub Fothergilla major. It came to me as a little plant 2 years ago.

Doesn't grow too fast, but it has 4 lovely features.

1. Shape of flowers - little bottle brushes.

2. Flowers are somewhat fragrant - there is not enough frangrance in the garden - right?

3. It has glossy, dark green, rounded leaves with toothed edges. These turn brilliant shades of red, orange and yellow in autumn - utterly spectacular colors.

4. Is troublefree - isn't it important to not spend all the time in the garden while working? Pottering about, laying on the sun, watching thoughtlessly the sky and checking what is going on there...

... wait a sec, this cloud resembled me North American continent - or my eyes are fooling me?

When these flower appear in May, they make me smile whenever I look at it. I am very happy it came to my garden :)

Exposure: full sun, partial shade will be tolerated (it grows in partial shade in my garden and is doing well)

Hardiness: hardy to zone 5

Soil type: well-drained/light, acidic

Height: 260cm

Spread: 250cm



It is recommended to combine with Pieris japonica "Mountain Fire", Pyracantha angustifolia, Hydrangeas.

Beautiful, easy plants and carefree plants all year round...

I am always short of time when I go to garden - so many things to do and the day is so short. I look for reasonable solutions that will cut amount of work, without make my garden look dull or neglected.

During my last inspection in the garden I had closer look at each plant and as always in the spring I am amazed how sweet and beautiful is Sedum spectabile - this on on the picture is Autumn Joy that grows especially well.

Must have in every garden.

This little beauties is also sedum, but red one Vodoo (Sedum spurium).
Carefee, durable and giving stunning contrast.

They are also great for growing in containers on the hot spots :)

If you don't have too much time, thats great solution for you :)

They are carefree, beautiful, durable, fast growing and long lived. For zones 3-11, deer and drought proof :)

Click Here to learn How To Design, Build, Set Up, Grow With And Maintain A High Density Garden To Provide You And Your Family With Fresh, Wholesome And Tasty Vegetables.

Fern and cactus friendly Cohabitation

I just discovered that my tiny Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) decided to host self-appeared seedling of Adiantum raddianum. I do not have this fern since one year - it died of unknown reasons :( To make it more misterious I assure you, that I picked new segments of cactus in the spring - which is after my fern fade away - and sticked it to new pot. Where did I take the soil from? hmm... don't remember.