Iris-mania!!

Here we are towards the end of June and as of a couple of days ago...it's rained 18 out of the 22 days of June according the Channel 10. I think we are now 20 out of the 24 days of June where rain or some sort of water has fallen from the unrelenting gray skies. I'm officially sick of this weather. I noticed my basil is starting to rot in the container and now have fungal issues in the garden. Oh well...if gardening were easy, no one would need The Garden Consultant, right?? Back to discussing happier garden topics like photos and plants. The above photo is one of most favorite places in my yard and it's just to the right of my front door. I had made the mistake of dividing a lot of the hostas about 2 years ago when it looked just like it does now. Boy, was that dumb. I should have left well enough alone because it lost it's wow factor with the lean hostas. Now, it's back to it's lush glory. I don't know why people think they are plagued with shade because I, myself, love a good shade garden. How is that photo up there boring!!! (My friend Jen who reads this is having this very battle with her mom. **wink**)

I have seems to gained a bunch of iris over the past 5 years of being here. I have really learned to appreciate iris because they are so varied and just about any color scheme can benefit from the addition of iris. I have both German Bearded Iris and Siberians...and find the Siberians to be more on the low maintenance side. The Germans do need to be staked which is okay with what I have now...but as they mature and if I get more, that could be a pain in the behind. But...on to iris-mania! Below is Iris sibirica 'Sparkling Rose' (Siberian Iris) and I use this a lot in my designs. It came as a surprise to me with a clump of Siberian Iris 'Butter and Sugar' that a client had given me (you can see the white buds emerging in the back.)


This big clump of Iris sibirica 'Caesar's Brother' (Siberian Iris) is another freebie from a different client. I think it had only 3 leaves on it when I brought it home 4 years ago and look at it now. That basement window is actually my office window and what a view I get looking up at them when I'm at my drafting table. They are starting to die out in the center like Siberians do...so in the next year or two, I'll dig them up and rejuvinate them.


Below are some heirloom irises which I unfortunately don't know the name of from another client. Hmmmmm....I'm seeing a pattern of refugee gardening still happening in my yard.


LOL...now I know I have admitted this to some. But, I have been known to buy plants off of .....**GASP** ebay. Yes, it is true and I think most of the clients I have told don't believe me. Behold, the iris below was an ebay purchase. I have had good luck with ebay sellers because I am careful of who I buy from. However, those are not the colors that I had bought. This iris here is a stow-away and came with the iris I bought. I have no idea what it is and that is not 'Persian Berry" which I did buy. Thank god it works with my colors I love.


This iris below is Persian Berry. I consider my other stow-away iris a complete bonus!


This is the iris relative I have lost my love affair with. I had these yellow flag iris in my gardens for years and they just survived which kind of had me scratching my head. I hadn't known at the time what they truly were and didn't realize they need water. So, after some research last year, I learned they were a water plant. Off I go and potted them up and threw them in Lake Larson. Well, they grew, and grew, and grew....now they are busting out of their pots and going crazy. I didn't acknowledge at the time that they are deemed invasive in MA and CT. Ugh...they are going to get thinned and become residents of the compost bin. I may actually toss all of them because I really don't like them any more. At. All. Pretty, yes....too big for their britches, totally.


My last blurb in this post is something I think is of great importance. In RI, there is a wonderful organization called The Children's Garden Network (CGN) and their mission is to have a garden in every RI school by the year 2010. It sounds like quite an undertaking and it has been. I believe they are very close in acomplishing this. Myself and the executive board of the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association have met with CGN and are looking forward to working very closely together to bring horticulture to young people. Kids today are losing their connection with nature and CGN is showing kids who may not have the opportunity to see flowers grow or learn where vegetables come from. If you are interested in learning more about CGN or if they are at your children's school but would like to help out, please check out their website - The Children's Garden Network. They are always looking for people to volunteer with them with helping develop and maintain gardens with the kids. I know from my traffic tracker I get visitors from far flung places too...if you are interested in starting up something like this in your area, please contact CGN because they are the flagship organiztion for this subject and they will help others start up networks all over the world.

One real reason I love my job...

Here's a posting from a client's blog -

Inner Sanctum - plein air in the artist's garden

They just finished planting phase one this year and this painting is part of it.

This makes my heart smile.

Silent Sunday....

Ribbitt.....

Long time no posting....

Once again, as spring comes and I vanish almost like clockwork. I am happy to report that this spring and early summer has been a good one despite the economic climate. I have been busier than I had been in a season and that is truly a wonderful thing. I think the one thing on the green industry of RI's mind is this weather! Luckily, I haven't been too impacted by the never ending rains unlike a lot of my friends who install and maintain landscapes. One of my colleagues who in the turf industry told me this morning since April 1st, we've had only 13 days where the sun has made an appearance for more than 5 hours. As we look at another 5 - 6 upcoming days of rain, the bright side is if you have planted things this year, your hose has been on vacation.

Even though I haven't been writing much, I have been taking photos of the gardens every chance I can and I have quite a collection. The rains have definitely made the gardens happy (with the exception of my herbs yellowing in their containers) and lush. Tonight, I'll share some photos of drier and sunnier days from April.

Coralbells!

This is one of my favorite varieties - Plum Pudding. It didn't take them long to break out of their winter blahs to springtime glory.

True Blue - grape hyacinths brighten up an April showery day.

An unknown daffodil I inherited from a client. I love that peach corona.

I misspoke in my last blog posting...that plant peeking out of the ground wasn't scilla. It's Chionodoxa or aka Glory in the Snow. How cute are they??

Last but not least....the survivors of the winter window box! Most of the pansies I had planted last fall in the front window actually made it through the winter which completely floored me. It had been cold and snowy most of the winter. The only thing I can think of is the house and the sun kept the soil warm enough for them to survive.

Friday Flora Funny

I saw this on a landscaper message board...I'll admit it, I giggled. :)

Gardening's Better Than Sex

Here are the top reasons why gardening is better than sex:

#26- You can garden outside in front of all of the neighbors without being arrested.
#25 - Gardeners are not embarrassed explaining the birds and the bees to their kids.
#24 - If your regular gardening partner isn't available, he/she won't object if you garden with someone else.
#23 - It's absolutely acceptable to garden before you're married.
#22 - The Ten Commandments don't say anything against gardening.
#21 - You don't have to shower and shave before gardening.
#20 - You'll always be able to garden, no matter how old you are.
#19 - You'll never hear anyone say: "Is gardening all you ever think about?"
#18 - You don't have to hide your Gardening magazines.
#17 - Telling gardening jokes, and invite co-workers to garden with you is not considered workplace harassment.
#16 - Email with gardening content is not considered offensive material.
#15 - When you become famous, you don't have to worry about pictures and videotapes of you gardening being shown on the Internet.
#14 - Your gardening partner doesn't get upset about people you gardened with a long time ago.
#13 - It's perfectly respectable to enjoy gardening with a total stranger.
#12 - When you see a really good gardener, you don't have to feel guilty about imagining the two of you gardening together.
#11 - Every time you garden, you hope to produce fruit.
#10 - Nobody will ever tell you that you will go blind if you garden by yourself.
#9 - When dealing with a gardening pro, you never have to wonder if they're really an undercover cop.
#8 - You don't have to go to a sleazy shop in a seedy neighborhood to buy gardening stuff.
#7 - You can have a gardening related calendar on your wall at the office.
#6 - There are no gardening-transmitted diseases.
#5 - No one objects if you watch the gardening channel on television.
#4 - Nobody expects you to garden with the same person your whole life.
#3 - Nobody expects you to give up gardening if your partner loses interest.
#2 - You don't have to be a newlywed to plan a vacation primarily to enjoy your favorite activity.
#1 - Your partner will never say, "Again? We just gardened last week!"

And no....I am not an undercover cop. LOL

Well, it's about freakin' time

My Scilla peeking it's head above ground to see if it's safe to make an appearance.

The survivors of the 2008 Crocus/squirrel massacre.

Finally! After this cold, snowy winter, dare I whisper it - spring may be here. Granted, today is cold, gray with showers threatening later in the day but you know what they say about April Showers. I haven't had much to say on here this winter. That's mostly because there hasn't been a whole lot going on outside and worth writing about. I do have some lovely orchid blossoms right now and I should take some photos of them for you all. But, I took a long winter's nap from the landscape.

I started puttering around outside two weekends ago and started my spring clean up. I think everything came back this year but the jury is still out on some of my marginal Carex who made it through last year. Last year was a treat, I had annual salvia that made it (I'm not hopeful about that this year.) I have a plan to move all of the herbs out of the raised beds and into containers on Deckzilla. The method behind that madness is to a) make them more accessible (I hate fumbling around out there in the dark) and b) to make some more space in the beds for veggies. I have been waiting for some more consistant weather to come before I seed lettuce and peas out there. I think this weekend, I will go for it. I can no longer deny it, I have been seriously considering buying one of those upside down growing systems for the tomatoes. Gardener Supply Catalog has them and I think I'm going to get one and see how they do. No guts, not glory, right??

All of the inhabitants of Lake Larson seem to have made it through another winter! There have been reports of a heron flying around earlier this winter. I told Eric he should place the nets out soon and I plan to buy some water lettuce as soon as the threat of frost lessens. I haven't done much serious work with the pond because the water is frigid. This is the year I buy waders to work out in it...

Spot and Chunk (Yes, we named the gold one after the Goonie :)~ )

Ugh, I have some work to do....

Movie Night for Trees

Movie Night for Trees!

Presented by the Providence Tree Advisory Committee

When: Friday, April 3, 5:30 – 7:30

Where: Eddy Hall, Bell Street Chapel, 5 Bell St. (just off Broadway, parking lot behind on Grove St.)

Cost: Free

More info: Call Doug Still, City Forester, 785-9450 x219

Come celebrate the arrival of spring and a new tree-planting season! Please join the Providence Tree Advisory Committee for a viewing of two films that will raise your spirits and inspire you to roll up your sleeves.

The Man Who Planted Trees

Based on a short story written by Jean Giorno, this animated film is an allegorical tale about a shepherd who single-handedly reforested a desolate valley in the foothills of the Alps in southern France. The winner of many awards including an Oscar, this one will tug on your heartstrings!

Taking Root: The Vision of Wangari Maathai

This documentary is the story of Wangari Maathia, the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate from Kenya whose simple act of planting trees grew into a nationwide movement to safeguard the environment, protect human rights, and defend democracy. This award-winning film directed by Alan Mater and Lisa Merton was shown last year at the RI International Film Festival.

The final product

Honorable Mention in the Non-Profit category!!

Well, I survived the 2009 flower show this year! LOL...I did take today off and spent it straightening up the house and with the boys. It amazes me how much that week kicks my butt! However, I do think it gets easier with each year. This show went by fast...I'm not sure if it was because I know what to expect now or the hordes of visitors. I noticed a huge difference in the number of people who attended the show this year...lots more and more from further away. Thankfully this year, we had no snow which caused a day last year to be a complete wash out. I am so excited to have met so many people who are excited about the upcoming spring as I am!!!

I am taking a hiatus from designing the exhibit for the 2010 flower show because of my being busy with the Presidency of RINLA. It's okay though...it's time for someone else to get their moment in the spotlight!

RI Flower Show 2009; Part II

Here are the rest of the photos from today's progress -









As we do more detail work tomorrow and make the finishing touches, I'll keep taking photos and post them again. I'm still in the same booth - 313 - as in year's past. Come by and say HI!!!!

I have to laugh, I use my Witch Hazel as my signal for the Flower Show...it has bloomed Flower Show week each year since I planted it. The Show is a week early this year and I figured the Witch Hazel would miss it and bloom next week. Nope, she's blooming outside (not as strong as normal) but she's got the timing right. How did she know!!!! :)

Rhode Island Flower Show 2009!

Yes! I am back at the show for my fourth time as the RINLA exhibit and as a marketplace participant. The theme of the show this year is "Gardens of the World" and our garden is based on Tuscany/Italy. I'm channelling my inner Italian (I'm a quarter Italian!) and came up with this year's design. We're on the second day of the construction at the show site but the building itself has been in the works since December. I've been taking a bunch of photos along the way as we have been building.

The hardscape and the building were the bulk of the work on Sunday (I wasn't there for that) and yesterday. We had gotten a couple of the plants spaced out and planted...but we had to wait for the walkway completion before we got too far.






Today, all of the plant material came from Lake St. Garden Center up in NH. They force a good part of the flowers we use in the exhibit. We tweaked the walkway and the patio a bit today and incorporated another type of block and made a border and some neat features in the patio. So, once the landscapers got that all done, I was able to start placing and planting the remaining plant material. There were some challenges with this exhibit because the layout had changed and I didn't have enough space in some places and too much in others. Some of the plants didn't come and some I had both more and less numbers of what I needed. I followed my plan more or less as a guide and did a lot of designing on the fly. I am pleased with the outcome despite some uncertainty with layout and plants.

I'm going to make another post with more photos...this post is going to be ridiculously long if I don't.

Well, this is definitely news worthy...

There was a smaller inauguration which happened in Rhode Island at the Rhode Island Nursery and Landscape Association annual meeting today. Yup...I am writing to you as the new RINLA President for 2009. I am so excited about the opportunities this will bring and the work I have in front of me. Change is also a catch phrase I have heard throughout these past couple of weeks and especially today from the RINLA members. I have a great board of directors backing me and I think we all can make some good changes to the organization. I am ready for this challenge and new direction for The Garden Consultant.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

Here we are on another snowy day in Rhode Island. I've been taking it easy this past holiday week. I'm caught up with projects and waiting for the holidays to pass and clients to get home from travelling. It was much needed. For a quiet snowy day, it's been a flurry of activity around here with both Bird Central and engaging in Rottweiler Games outside. Since there's not much to do outside in the garden, Lars shows me how to truly enjoy a winter storm warning!

Bah! Who cares about 20 - 30 mph winds and a 6 degree wind chill!

I was the party pooper and made us both come inside because a) my lens started to get covered in snow and b) and I wanted to go back to feeling my extremities. I had been watching the feeders myself today (but it wasn't a count day today) and was pleased to see a ton of birds. I did get two new feeders for my safflower and my thistle seed - one of them is really squirrel proof from what I can see. Eric fixed my heated bird bath which had been smashed by a falling tree limb last year. I have to find and extension cord that will reach to the garage. I've had a bunch of chickadees, juncos, goldfinches, nuthatches, house finches, carolina wrens, titmice, and the pair of cardinals.

His and Hers feeders. :)

Before this week's snow it was close to 60 degrees this weekend. I popped outside and snapped a couple of pics of cool things in my landscape (granted there are just a couple.) Below is one of my yellow foliaged heathers (yes, the foliage is yellow in the summer and changes red) I planted two falls ago. I have to look up the variety and figured it out from deductive reasoning since it didn't have a tag when I bought it. I can't wait to get good sized. I think I have a new love affair with heathers, especially since they love my sand.


I'm dying to see what this hellebore does! This is it's first year in the garden and it's starting to set buds. Hellebore flower in a weird time of year - winter. I think I will cut these and bring them in to enjoy them. They are tucked in behind the grass and the witch hazel near the water garden because it would get the shade it needs there. But that doesn't lend well for viewing and it being winter time doesn't help viewing either.

Move over Poinsettia, there's a new holiday flower in town

I am so psyched at this unexpected floral gift! I haven't had my passonflower bloom in the winter before...and I can't help but think the Faux-electra had something to do with it. Totally cooler than a Christmas Cactus or a Poinsettia -

Seasons Greetings!