Dreamland Red and Uproar Rose

I've decided to keep a spot open along my front-entry garden for the planting of annuals each year, and next year I will edge my borders with Zinnias! The seeds are cheap and are said to germinate easily even when sowed directly onto the ground, and I think these annuals will add some much-needed FLOWER POWER to that area of my garden, especially during the hottest months. Perhaps I'll even throw in some "Swizzle Cherry & Ivory" just to mix things up a bit, and I just cannot wait to see it all in action. It's gonna be awesome!



(http://www.swallowtailgardenseeds.com/annuals/zinnias.html)

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens

My Garden Club explored the serene wetland paradise of Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens, located in urbane Washington D.C., and the Guided Tour by a National Parks Ranger was excellent! This was my 2nd visit to the park, having first visited in July 2006 to attend the Lotus & Water Lily Festival. This time we went on a quiet Sunday afternoon, and as there were torrential downpours all morning and right up until our tour began, only a small number of visitors were at the park and it was so much more tranquil.

Dead and Dying

The demise of my Ilex Crenata Helleri Holly bushes are near complete, and I didn't even see it coming. These were newly planted in early-May, and since we had a very wet Spring I was not in the habit of watering my new installations. The month of July was dry with about a 4wk period of no rain, resulting in a death spiral for these shrubs, and I just didn't see it coming. I am now in the midst of doing an Intervention to try to save some of the other Ilex Crenatas, and I hope it's not too late for them to recover.

Peony Dreamin'

I ordered a half-dozen Peonies from Peony Meadows, a local grower, and I am just bursting with excitement at the prospect of their arrival in the Fall. I will plant them in my front-entry border amongst the day lilies in groups of 3, and it's gonna look awesome! The below pictures are from the grower website, and next May/June I will compare and contrast to see if the pictures match reality. Peonies are next to perfect, their only flaw is that they bloom for so very briefly a time that their pleasure is only fleeting. I staggered the group and hope to be blessed with a full 6-8 wks of Peony flowers, but we'll see...

{{Photos from Peony Meadows website}}

Early/Mid-Season: Red Charm and Pink Hawaiian Coral




Mid-Season:Do Tell and Mt. St. Helens




Mid/Late-Season: Moonstone and Louise Marx

Pretty Norfolk Harbor

I spent the 4th of July weekend in Hampton Roads, where we attended the 33rd Annual Harborfest and watched the fireworks over Norfolk Harbor. During the day we strolled the Waterside Walk, and I was impressed with the wide array of interesting flowerbeds all along the way. Summertime in Virginia can be so hot and brutal that many flowers wilt, but everything in Norfolk seemed so fresh and lively, almost "Spring-like" especially with the Crape Myrtles blooming. This all served as a wonderful inspiration for me, and now I hope to implement a better strategy in my home garden to achieve applause-worthy results. Mainly, I need to always be careful to match the plant with the light that is available, LIGHT IS GOD in a garden. My shady backyard simply won't support petunias spilling from baskets or rose bushes and lilies (my heart is breaking), yet my front yard gets so bright that even the vinca are scorched! Next season, I hope to get it right.