Tag Archives: Flower

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day-October 2013

Here’s my very late in the day, just under the wire Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day post!  I started it at 6:30 this morning (when it was technically too dark to take photos) and I was so close to finishing tonight that I just had to do it. I love reading all of the other posts, and while I don’t generally use the latin names, and some of my blooms may have been posted in months past, I find great satisfaction in participating.  So… here we go!

IMG_3781Our zinnias are still unfolding. I couldn’t live without zinnias.

IMG_3783The volunteer snapdragon carries on.

IMG_3784The cosmos continue, and so do the canoes.

IMG_3779A simple white chrysanthemum.

IMG_3785A pretty pink and white, very hardy chrysanthemum.

IMG_3786Classic yellow mums

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And one of the last roses of summer.  I dug this rose bush out of the Harrington estate on Essex Street in Salem right before a bulldozer scraped the top ten inches of soil out of that yard about thirteen years ago. It blooms in June then comes back a bit in the fall. I moved part of it here from my garden on Forrester Street when we bought this house in 2002. I believe that the other half is still living down on Forrester St.

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Of course there are chrysanthemums in a shade of rust. See what happens when you plant the hardy varieties rather than toss them?

IMG_3801The knockout roses forge on as well. You have to love them!

IMG_3817Zebra grass

IMG_3814Sedum

IMG_3807And while not “blooming”, our woods just below the garden are full of fall color!

Be sure to visit the other garden blogs at May Dreams Gardens!

Goodnight!

Michele

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day- July 2013

I have exactly five seconds to photograph, write and publish this post because I’m heading in to Boston for day two of Boston College new parent orientation this morning.  So busy and so much fun! Here’s what I’ve got at 6:08 am in Salem, Massachusetts on the fifteenth of July.  Have a great day garden bloggers and Salem Garden readers!  I’ll be checking out all of your gardens later!

Love, Michele

IMG_2110 IMG_2109 IMG_2108 IMG_2107 IMG_2106 IMG_2104 IMG_2103 IMG_2102 IMG_2100 IMG_2098 IMG_2095ps/ Be sure to visit Maydreamsgardens to see the other bloom day posts! Off I go!

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day– May 2013

How could it be the fifteenth of the month already? When I woke up this morning and saw another blogger’s Bloom Day post I had to quickly look at my calendar and check the date. It just didn’t seem possible. A lot has happened here in New England in the last month. The garden continues to soothe and heal all of us.

My long awaited dogwood is still in bloom. I know that I just have another day  or two with it so I’m enjoying every minute that I get.IMG_1318 Soloman’s seal is unfurling. This is “almost a bloom.”IMG_1302 Viola, lots of them, everywhere!IMG_1298 Lily of the valleyIMG_1289Crab apple
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My little girl’s favorite, the bleeding heart. She’s been able to identify this since she was three. IMG_1279

And there’s still plenty of pollen! I’m so allergic to it, but I’m hoping that in just a few more days or after another good rain (this afternoon), it will be better.

Be sure to check out the other blogs on maydreamsgardens.com to see what’s blooming all over the world!

Michele

Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day- April 2013

And now for something new and different–I  thought that I’d participate in “Garden Bloggers Bloom Day” this month. This is a group of garden bloggers from all over the world who share a post about what’s blooming in their gardens on the fifteenth of the month.  You can see all of the participants and link to their blogs here at maydreamgardens.com. It’s really fun to check out all of the beautiful gardens and see the huge variation by climate!

My one reservation about doing this is that it’s still early here in Salem, Massachusetts. I didn’t plant daffodils last year and everything is a few weeks behind due to the cold weather we’ve had. In spite of that I’ll show you quite a bit of green, and a little color. Don’t worry, in May and June we’ll be overflowing with blooms!

Since it hasn’t snowed or sleeted for the past three days the primrose popped out!IMG_0723This morning there was dew on the lady’s mantle.IMG_0695 And I had my first glimpse of the bride and groom plant that my mother gave me years ago.IMG_0699The chives are ready to enjoy.
IMG_0702 And the tomato cages are waiting. Our neighbors gave us the lupine plants last year. I’m hoping that these will be blooming as beautifully as theirs do soon.IMG_0705 This is largely a children’s chicken garden, as evidenced by the “sculpture” that Michael brought home recently and the three gnomes waiting for their summer assignment out in the garden.IMG_0706The chickens may not be blooming but they add lots of color and personality.IMG_0708

Lamb’s ear is poking out…IMG_0715 Siberian irisIMG_0716 And finally a little bit of bloom from the scillaIMG_0717and from the pansies that I planted a few days ago.
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Happy Spring from the Salem Garden! Thanks for visiting!

Enjoy everything!

Michele

A Spring Morning In The Derby Garden

I had a chance to pop into the Derby garden this morning. This garden is really precious to me. Michael and I helped with it’s installation about 23 years ago. At that time I had an appreciation for gardens but no experience or knowledge.  This is where gardening really started for me. The young couple who created it worked very hard to design it to represent a garden typical of this setting and the early 1700s time period. I should back up a bit and explain that it sits behind the home of the first American millionaire, Elias Haskett Derby, hence it’s name the Derby Garden. 

At first glance over the fence it may look a bit barren and gray, but if you slow down and look closely you’ll see that the beds are about to spring to life.IMG_0415

I believe that these are the first few leaves of hollyhock.IMG_0409There are plenty of snowdrops.IMG_0384They really are one of the first signs of spring. These will be there for a few more days before it’s time to say goodbye till next year.IMG_0385I’m pretty sure that these are small daffodils. I’ll have to try to check back in a few days to confirm.IMG_0387Something from the allium family? Time will tell us exactly what.IMG_0388CrocusIMG_0390A beautiful carpet of green, maybe grape hyacinths? IMG_0407

This apple tree bears small, tough fruit but I’ve made a pie or two from here.IMG_0406

Here’s the view looking out toward the water. We lived in the blue building to the left when we were first married. It was a perfect honeymoon loft for us. We have lots of good memories from our days on Derby Street.

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I loved thinking about how we were looking at the same view that the Derbys did when they lived there.

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It has changed a bit but their spirit is here.  I can feel it. Especially when I spend time in the garden and imagine what they might have grown and raised in the yard.

Enjoy Everything today!

Michele

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Potting Benches, Daffodils and Crocus…

The other day  my husband saw that I had posted this photo here.
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A few hours later I looked out there and saw this…
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LOL, he’s a really good guy. That’s all I can say.

In other news~

My favorite daffodils are about to bloom down on Palfrey Court. I’ve been following this patch for the last twenty four years. I know from experience that even if it snows tomorrow they will be just fine.IMG_0268

And we officially have crocus here at The Salem Garden!  Photo by my little guy!
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Happy Monday!

Enjoy Everything!

Michele

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What’s Happening in the Garden–September 26

I’m a little bit behind on my What’s Happening update.  Soccer, dance and golf (and school) are our main focus right now. Garden time is precious, as is blogging time.   Blogging makes me motivated to get things done out there. Right now I’m wishing I’d gotten fall veggies in. I missed the window, but this is life with a large busy family. I really try to take one thing at a time and enjoy it all!

Anyway, out to the garden we go!!

Bye-bye Black-eyed Susan! These will need to be cut back soon. If anyone who lives nearby would like some please let me know. They need to be divided.

We are still enjoying the zinnias! and that poor window box needs some attention. It gets lots of sun so if we miss a watering it suffers  a lot. 

There are still some peppers coming along. Just a few every few days, but we enjoy them.

Mesclun! Love, love, love this!

And the tomatoes are still producing too. I’m watching the frost predictions, we should be okay for a few more weeks. I guess I could bring them in but I don’t really have room and I like when they ripen on the vine.

Hello chickens! This one is cute but she’s a little bit aggressive for a buff orphington.

They really love the dust bath?

I don’t get it, but it’s fun to watch.

I would prefer this nice soft nest if I were them.

Lupines for next year! My neighbors Becky and Mags brought these over and I plopped them in. I’m looking forward to blooms next June. They are gorgeous over in their yard.

And this whole area needs to be dug out and reconfigured. Michael and I keep talking about it. This side of the yard makes me edgy because every time I set foot in here I find a snake. I hate snakes. For some reason I think I won’t see them just across the yard in the fenced in “garden”.. That chrysanthemum really popped out when the tree that used to be to it’s left was taken out in the spring.  Good light means everything.

This Japanese Maple tree came from Mrs Landi’s yard. Mrs Landi is a very dear friend of my Mom’s. I’ve had it in this pot for several years because I can’t decide where to plant it. It’s looking a bit weather worn right now but it actually does very well like this. When it gets colder we’ll put it in the garage for the winter and just water it a little bit. Next spring it will be back and beautiful again. Someday I may plant it but I like to move it around and I enjoy it so much in the pot.

This is a stream of consciousness post if ever there was one!

Please leave me a comment so I know you were here. I keep seeing all the views and wondering who is actually reading this..

Off to clean, cook and take kids places!

Thanks for stopping by! Love,  Michele

What’s Up With This Hydrangea?

A few days ago my friend Blaire sent me the photo below with this question:

I am attaching a picture of my largest hydrangea bush. I love it, but for 2 or 3 years it has had pink AND blue flowers- fine with me- except i don’t know why.  I have seen others like this, so the soil is acidic and base?  One year it was pink and turned blue; acid rain?  Originally it was a pink plant.  I have a white bush next to it that stays white; a newer different species pink that has stayed pink and a container “blush” pink that has stayed that way.  Any ideas why the one bush does that?

So I’ve been looking for an answer to Blaire’s question and I really can’t find one. There’s plenty of information on the basic concept that acidic soil produces blue flowers while alkaline soil produces pink. There’s also lots of information about how to change flower color and what species of plants favor each color. I’m curious now too about what would cause a consistant multi-colored bloom.

What do you think? Help us solve the mystery!

What’s up with Blaire’s hydrangea?

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