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Six on Saturday: A Few More Surprises

The unseasonably relocated roses that I had been so concerned about for the past month or so continue to surprise with more growth and bloom. So do a few other species. These first three happen to be from Tangly Cottage Gardening. The following two happen to be white. The last happens to not be of horticultural orientation.

1. Canna ‘Stuttgart’, along with a few other fancy potted Canna, unfortunately needed to be relocated from the deck that they inhabited at work. However, it seems to be happier after relocation, and makes larger and more ornate leaves, which is what it is grown for.

2. Persicaria amplexicaulis ‘Firetail’ bloomed lightly but on time for early summer, and then bloomed again before the original bloom faded completely. The secondary bloom is only now fading, with a backdrop of duckweed and watercress. (This is an older picture.)

3. Hesperantha coccinea, crimson river lily was not expected to bloom because it was so dinky when it arrived late last winter. I thought that its bulbs would need to mature for a year or so before they would be mature enough to bloom. Apparently, it wastes no time.

4. Albizia julibrissin, silk tree blooms white instead of pink, although, because it blooms on top of its high canopy, not much of it is visible from the ground. It finished blooming already, but some minor pruning recently revealed a few of these aberrant white flowers.

5. Rosa spp., rose is another of the few roses that were not expected to bloom after their unseasonable relocation. It seems to be a climbing type, with long and limber stems, and trusses of small flowers. I am impressed that it not only survived, but is growing so well.

6. Heather fails to be as impressed by these developments that I find to be so surprising.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 6 Comments

Six on Saturday: Bud to Bloom

As mentioned last week, I got pictures of the roses that were in bud at the time, in bloom now. It will be autumn on Monday, though, and cool season annuals are replacing warm season annuals.

1. Unidentified Salvia was added to one of the landscapes by someone who was here for the summer, just prior to his departure. Now, I have no idea what it is. I could ask, but I feel that I should recognize it, or at least be able to identify it. I like its pure white bloom.

2. Viola is now in season, whether or not it seems as if it should be. We must rely on the date as much as the weather. While the weather suggests that it is still summer, the date insists that Monday will be autumn. These viola will be safe with several days of warmth.

3. Lobularia maritima, alyssum makes the transition from warm season annuals to cool season annuals difficult. It is still too pretty to remove. Technically, it could perform as a short term perennial until individual plants get too old. By that time, it can reseed itself.

4. Rosa spp. of an unidentified cultivar produced a few notably plump rose hips like this to remind me that I have been negligent with deadheading. Now that subsequent bloom is unlikely, I could leave them to ripen. However, the new roses are continuing to bloom.

5. Rosa ‘Sheer Magic’ rose is one of the new roses that surprisingly bloomed after brutal and unseasonable relocation. This is the same flower that I posted a picture of while still in bud last week. A few more floral buds continue to develop but will lack time to bloom.

6. Rosa spp. of an unidentified cultivar is another of the new roses. This is also the same flower that I posted a picture of while still in bud last week. I have reason to believe that this rose is ‘Chrysler Imperial’, which should be red, but very often blooms reddish pink.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 2 Comments

Six on Saturday: More Impressive Roses

Again, it makes sense at the end.

1. Rain dampened the landscapes for the first time since last spring. It was not much and did not last for long, but was fun while it lasted. Actually, it was barely more than drizzle and made only a few tiny and grungy puddles. Pavement had not been rinsed in months.

2. Agapanthus orientalis, lily of the Nile confirms the end of summer by finishing bloom and necessitating deadheading. One last bloom looks silly and lonely at the center of this big colony. It may be cheap and common, but lily of the Nile happily blooms for months.

3. Pelargonium X hortorum, zonal geranium has left the building. The Post Office looks better without its shabby planter boxes that were so predictably bashed by parking cars. Some believe that we must replace them with other prominent potted plants. I disagree.

4. Rosa ‘Sheer Magic’ rose was actually labeled as such. I misidentified another rose that was blooming last week as such because I thought that it looked about right. I found the label afterward. This is the only one of four recycled roses that retained its original label.

5. Rosa, rose is one of the other three recycled roses that did not retain its original label. It looks as if it is about to bloom red. Perhaps I will get a picture of it for next week. Any color would be nice from roses that were not expected to survive an untimely relocation.

6. Rosa ‘Proud Land’ rose is not one of the four relocated roses, but is from my own rose garden. It was too pretty to not show off. I planted it with two others in about the winter of 1984 or 1985. Although I did not choose it, ‘Proud Land’ is likely my favorite red rose.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 11 Comments

Six on Saturday: Impressive Roses

It will make more sense at the end.

1. Pelargonium citrosum, citronella, like the scented geranium that I featured last week, is one of three scented geraniums here that technically remains unidentified. This name is merely a guess. It is most aromatic, but its bloom is not as pretty as that of the others.

2. Amaryllis belladonna, naked lady is not so cliche or mundane with white bloom. I am so fond of these that I separated their bulbs for relocation to a distinct colony, as well as my home garden. There are not many, so it will be a while before there are any to share.

3. Passiflora edulis, passion fruit vine blooms nicely, but with perpetually shabby foliage and clingy tendrils. Its flowers are really more purplish than this one seems to be in this picture. I have no idea what cultivar this is or even if I like it, but I want to see if it fruits.

4. Anemone hupehensis, Japanese anemone does not bloom quite as white as it seems to be in this picture. It is not exactly blushed with pink either. It is just dingy. I know that a few happier pups in more favorable conditions will eventually bloom more impressively.

5. Rosa spp., rose might not look like much to brag about, but is blooming like this after getting hacked back and removed from its original garden during the middle of summer. Its survival alone is impressive. Its bloom is even more impressive. It is not the only one.

6. Rosa spp., rose is one of the others. A third has floral buds that will likely bloom prior to next Saturday. There are four altogether, so only one is not trying to bloom yet. One is ‘Sheer Magic’, perhaps the pink one above. The other three lack identification otherwise.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/

Posted on by tonytomeo · 8 Comments

Six on Saturday: Major, Minor & Unidentified

Two of my six for this week were purchased, which is rare in my garden. Two were gifts. Two were acquired by other questionable means.

1. Sorbus americana, American mountain ash does not conform to my theme. It is about average and identifiable. I merely wanted to show it off because it is the only seedling to grow from several seed. It can be reasonably productive without another pollinator tree.

2. Cerinthe major, honeywort grew from seed from Tangly Cottage Gardening. This is its first bloom here. Because I did not sow all the seed this year, I could sow more next year. If it self sows here, it will likely only do so within gardens which are generously irrigated.

3. Vinca minor ‘Alba Variegata’, small white variegated periwinkle was another gift from Tangly Cottage Gardening. Although white is my favorite color, these little white flowers do not look very impressive against the background of their yellowish variegated foliage.

4. Pelargonium graveolens, scented geranium, like two other scented geraniums here, is unidentified. I think that the other two are lemon and rose scented geraniums. This one has a less distinct or identifiable foliar aroma, but has prettier and more colorful bloom.

5. Dahlia is also unidentified. I know what it is not, though. It is most definitely not any type of assorted dinnerplate dahlia, which I purchased it as. Although pretty, its flowers are only about three inches wide. Foliage stands about as tall as that of a bedding dahlia.

6. Canna is the third unidentified subject of these six; but it is one of the most important of the many Canna here. It is a souvenir from the funeral of an old friend two years ago. It did not bloom last year, so this is the first time that I confirmed that it blooms yellow.

This is the link for Six on Saturday, for anyone else who would like to participate: https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/2017/09/18/six-on-saturday-a-participant-guide/