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Friday Favorites: Late Bloomers

September 14th, 2018

This time of year I’m always thankful for late blooming plants. In particular, I like varieties of favorite plants that happen to bloom later than most of their family members. Take this hosta ‘Bridegroom’, not only does it have stunning fine, whorled foliage all summer, it starts blooming when all other hosta blooms have been long gone.




I got this beauty at Hidden Gardens a few years ago and am so happy I picked it up. The plant is just getting mature, which means it’s time to split it to make more of these beauties to grace the garden. I’ll definitely be looking around the garden and trying to figure out where I want to add color at this specific time of the year.

Do you have any favorite varieties that bloom later than others? What’s blooming in your garden that you’re enjoying now?

Echium

September 11th, 2018

Back in 2009 I visited Longwood Gardens and spotted this echium growing in a container.

I’ve been wanting to grow one ever since, though sourcing the seeds has been tough. There’s a blue variety that I really like Echium pininana ‘Blue Steeple’, which I found seeds for but haven’t purchased yet (maybe now?).

Have you ever seen these in person? What’s a crazy plant you’ve seen that you’ve always wanted to grow?

The Garden In September

September 10th, 2018

September is one of my favorite times in the garden. Late summer flowers are coming into bloom, many things are super lush with an entire season of growth on them. It’s an exuberant time, one I try to soak up as much as possible before the days get cold and the snow starts to fall. Here are a few photos in the main vegetable from last week:







What are you loving in your garden right now?

Late Bloomer

September 7th, 2018

Here in Maine, the hardy hibiscus is a late bloomer. In fact, I always think it didn’t survive the winter and then, suddenly, I notice growth. This beauty just started blooming two weeks ago.



I got this plant from my mom’s garden the first summer we lived here in Maine. She always had loads of them in her garden, mostly red and white ones, which cross pollinated to this lovely pink. Since I wanted pink and not red or white, I dug up a proven plant from her garden when I have visiting one summer. I’m so happy to have this beauty blooming each summer, reminding me of my mom’s garden.

Do you have any plants that you think never make it but always prove to be hardy?

Winter Color

September 6th, 2018

I just finished up an article for Northern Gardener about the winter garden. As I look through all my photos to find ones to accompany the article, I’m finding lots of great ideas of things I want to start planting/adding to my current garden. Specifically, I need to add plants with twigs/branches that are colorful during the drab winter months. I came across a few, some from my garden, others from Kingwood Center. The yellow/orange plant is a Coral Embers Willow.




I have a redtwig dogwood in my garden, and got a new yellow one last year. They’re easy to propagate, so I’ve been slowly making new shrubs to use in a mass planting.

What are some of your favorite plants for winter interest in the garden?

About

This is a daily journal of my efforts to cultivate a more simple life, through local eating, gardening and so many other things. We used to live in a small suburban neighborhood Ohio but moved to 153 acres in Liberty, Maine in 2012.

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