Peony Time

Peonies are one of those trigger plants that evoke memories of times, places, and people gone by. They are one of only a handful of plants that many of my clients actually know (and often request for their gardens). Peonies are valued by both Western and Eastern cultures — being native to China — and have been cultivated in gardens and featured in many art forms for centuries.

Most folks are familiar with herbaceous peonies that die back to the ground every winter. Today's photos feature a tree peony that I photographed recently at Denver Botanic Gardens.

white tree peony frames a moon gate at DBG

There are peonies suitable for almost any Front Range garden; they're quite durable, once established. For more information on peonies and how to grow them, visit Peony's Envy; they offer a wealth of information and lots of luscious photos. Note: this is not a sponsored link, I just like to share the good stuff when I find it.

Wordless Wednesday 4.29.2015

teaser: my new lawn-free front yard!

Wordless Wednesday 4.22.2015

Admelanchier x grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance'

Despite last week's winter-like weather, the serviceberry blooms on. Looking forward to plenty of delicious fruit this summer!

Wordless Wednesday 4.15.2015

grape hyacinth with F/X, Muscari spp.

Ahhhhh, April!

Malus spp. in bloom April 1, 2015 (photo courtesy Garden Style, LLC)

If the crab apple trees are blooming, then it must be April. Warm days, blue skies, and the occasional snow shower to keep things interesting:

blue skies and snow on the serviceberry April 3, 2015

There are plenty of activities to keep you busy and entertained in the garden this month!

Thinking about planting a tree for Arbor Day (April 24th)? The type of tree you select is important,  and how it is planted is critical for hearty growth and longevity.

Need some new ideas and inspiration for your landscape? Join me at Echter's Garden Center on Saturday, April 11 at 9:00 AM for my presentation Creating Beauty from Chaos.

Wordless Wednesday 4.01.2015

Tulipa spp. (and friend)

Happy Spring!

colorful crocus, harbinger of Spring

Spring is a new beginning — a great time to assess your current garden and consider some new ideas, too:

Add a New Dimension to Your Landscape
Welcome butterflies, bees and birds into your garden with these tips from the National Federation of Wildlife

It's All About the Tomatoes!
Get this new app from the American Phytopathological Society, TomatoMD, and keep your tomatoes healthy and happy.

Garden Clean Up
Cut back the dead stems and foliage from your ornamental grasses before the new growth gets too tall; once those pretty new tips are snipped they wont grow back, just look awkward all season.

Asses Freeze Damage
A result of the sudden and severe freeze we had November 10, 2014 is tissue damage to many of our landscape plants, but particularly non-native evergreens. Only time will tell if the result will be fatal to the plants or merely disfiguring.

Yew, Taxus spp

Arborvitae, Thuja spp.

An encouraging sign on this young Austrian pine is a green (live!) terminal bud.

Soft, flexible branches are another indicator that your plant is still viable.
Give your plants a chance to emerge from dormancy this Spring and begin actively growing before you commit to any radical pruning or plant removal.


Have a great weekend!

Wordless Wednesday 3.18.2015

Viola!  Aren't those scalloped leaf margins sweet?

This is Normal

Plumbago, Ceratostigma plumbaginoides, is painfully slow to emerge in the spring.

mid-May appearance of plumbago, also known as leadwort

But never fear, once it gets growing it takes off quickly to form a dense mass of foliage about 8" tall. By mid-summer the lovely blue flowers will begin to emerge,

and this lush groundcover will keep flowering through fall.

mid-September and full of flowers

As autumn progresses, plumbago's leaves shift color from rich green to oranges and reds.

Plumbago is a true ground cover and creeps via its root system. Plant in full sun or part/filtered shade. Moderately drought tolerant, once established.

Wordless Wednesday 5.21.2014

Allium christophii

S%*# Happens!

Oh, Spring, you are so fickle!

May 12, 2014

Most plants will bounce back from this storm with little or no damage. Appreciate the insulating quality of the snow and wait a few days to asses your plants. Prune back any broken branches or soft tissue that has been frozen (tender annuals may need to be replaced). Before you know it, we'll be enjoying real spring weather once again!

May 9, 2014

Wordless Wednesday 4.30.2014

Monday Mash-Up 4.28.2014

Cameo quince, Chaenomeles speciosa 'Cameo'

1. The showiest bloomer in my garden right now is this quince. I can't quite capture the elusive salmon color.

2. A great article about avoiding the hard-sell for Emerald Ash Borer pesticide applications.

3. Yes, now is the time to prune your roses. Here is a brief "how-to".

4. This is my favorite garden of the week on Pintrest. These days I'm drawn to designs that feature strong contrasts between formal and informal.

5. Overwhelmed with debris from your spring garden clean-up? You can recycle it here rather than sending it to the landfill: Mountain States Wood Recyclers, 2300 W. Radcliff Ave, Englewood  CO, 303-789-3356.

Gardening Day

'Red Riding Hood' tulip

Get out in the garden today before the snow flies! Here are my suggestions for things to do in your own garden, or visit your local botanical garden, xeriscape display garden, or arboretum to see what's blooming now.

Wordless Wednesday 4.02.2014

flowering now — a favorite small bulb:  Puschkinia scilloides var. libanotica

Wordless Wednesday 3.19.2014

crocus!

Signs of Spring

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and this somewhat ratty garden looks beautiful to me! Spring green shoots are pushing their way up through the winter debris and into the sunshine. In a couple of months all of these little sprigs will look like this:

Allium christophii

Another sign of spring today:  The temperature this morning was a chilly 20°F, yet this afternoon I saw my first butterfly of the year.  Do you know the Mourning Cloak butterfly? They're very common in Colorado, and typically one of the first butterflies to come out of hibernation. There's a great write up about them here.

What signs of spring have you seen lately?

Ladies and Gentlemen, Start your Engines!

It's time to move full speed ahead with plans for the 2014 garden season!

Adding new trees or shrubs to your landscape this year? Take the time now to do your research so you can make an informed choice come planting season.

European larch, Larix decidua, is a beautiful tree that needs careful site selection.

Want to try your hand at growing your own edibles?  Think about what you and your family actually like to eat, not only in terms of specific veggies, but also types of cuisine. A focus on cuisine may open your eyes to some fun and interesting new plants to consider. And don't forget the herbs!

Romanesco broccoli and rhubarb. Yum (though maybe not in the same dish!).

Need help seeing the big picture for your property or finding solutions to problem areas that are driving you crazy? Contact me to set up a consultation:  jhcstudios(at)yahoo(dot)com.

One of my favorite landscape designs, beautifully maintained by the owner.

What are you dreaming about for your garden this year?

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day 5.15.2013

Spring has been incredibly slow to arrive this year.  Only now, in mid-May, are we beginning to see the flowering trees and shrubs that usually entertain us in March and April.  Here is a photo of my front entry garden that I took yesterday.

compact Oregon grape holly, Japanese tree lilac, and 'Cameo' quince

This is the same view that I photographed last year for the APRIL 2012 Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. Although last year was considered an "early" spring, this year we are a good 4-6 weeks behind "normal". (It's all so confusing!)

Same view, April, 2012

If you're curious, here are links to my Garden Blogger's Bloom day posts in MAY 2012 , MAY 2011 and MAY 2007!

It amuses me that a couple of tulips are blooming now that are complete opposites in character.
One is a small (8" tall) species tulip that forms lovely, perennial clusters in the dry prairie garden. The warm, multi-hued colors are cheerful and engaging in a sophisticated way.

Tulipa 'Little Princess'

A fancy, fringed black tulip — located in a more moist setting —  is a bold and beautiful show-off .

Tulipa 'Vincent Van Gogh'

I'm hoping to have many more blooms to share with you in June!

Head over to Carol's May Dreams Gardens blog to find the master list of today's participating bloggers.

Wordless Wednesday 5.08.2013

candytuft, Iberis sempervirens