The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Monthly Archives: July 2011

Ocean House – Watch Hill, RI

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While we were on vacation this past week, we took a trip to Watch Hill, Rhode Island to visit The Ocean House. When we pulled up to this resort, my jaw not only dropped open, it fell to the ground and began doing back flips.

The setting is like nothing I’ve ever seen before as it sits atop a hill overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. We were only there for lunch out on the “veranda” (check the room rates on the web site if you get a chance and you’ll see why we didn’t stay there) but it was worth the half hour trip. Oysters outdoors with the rich and New Englandy – good friggin times.

The grounds are stunning, loaded with beautiful gardens so of course, I wanted to share the photos with you. Enjoy:

Our vacation to Stonington, Connecticut

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My wife and I (sans children) just returned from a four day vacation at one of our absolute favorite locales:

This is not one of your ordinary beach towns that are so common up and down the East Coast. When staying here, you feel like you are immediately integrated into the community and not a tourist. At breakfast each morning, the staff at the inn would offer up the best of the local attractions and you could feel the sincerity behind it. We rarely needed our car as anything we needed was within walking distance. True village life.
One of the most enjoyable activities was a simple walk up and down the main street where we passed the locals walking their dogs or watering their gardens. I swear I could tell each and every one of them were stress free and thrilled to be living where they did. Here is a sampling of what we witnessed on these walks and I’m sure you’ll see why it was so enjoyable:          
          
You feelin me dawg? When can I move in? It was a garden lover’s dream to see it all and you could tell it was a community wide effort. I swear to you (and I know everyone says this when on vacation) we would move there in a second if all the particulars were worked out. You hear me Stonington? If you need an obsessive gardener and garden writer, call me. We’ll do lunch. 
Speaking of lunch, there are 4-5 restaurants within the village, all distinctive in their own way, that offer that local feel. We would have a margarita and guacamole at one and then eat from the raw bar at another. Along the way, we would listen intently to the natives talk about their adventures out on the boat or discussing the additions to their gardens or the new shipment of lobsters they just received. No where did I hear any discussions about the usual corporate crap and that put a smile on my face. 
Did I mention there were a number of local wineries in the area? Well now you know. We even purchased cheese and other deliciousness and had our own picnic inside one of the wineries while live music played:             

The back drop of the Long Island Sound wasn’t so bad either:

Each day we watched the kids at sailing camp and wondered if we could convince our kids to participate WHEN we move there:

Oh yeah, we also found a pristine unspoiled beach right over the border in Rhode Island (East Beach) and I didn’t long for the Jersey Shore for one second:

That is pure genuine happiness my friends:

One thing my wife and I promised to each other throughout this trip was that we would do our best to incorporate what we loved during this vacation into our every day lives. We know what we love and what we ideally would love to do professionally in the future. Now is the time to start working towards it. Thank you Stonington!

John

The dog days of summer

“Plant Combinations” from Fine Gardening magazine

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A funny thing happened last night after I posted yesterday’s rant about my frustration with gardening. In the mailbox, was a special issue from Fine Gardening magazine that could not have been timed any better:

While on Twitter recently, I had read a tweet where the magazine was looking to send copies of Plant Combinations to garden bloggers for their review. I jumped all over it as I have been a loyal reader of their magazine for years and the title alone fired me all up. The funny thing is, it has been chaotic at home of late and I completely forgot that this issue was on it’s way.

As soon as I had some time to sit down and read through it, I was immediately taken with the angle they took. It is all about using commonly known and readily available plants in combinations that are creative and unique. These consistent performers (purple coneflowers, black-eyed Susans, yucca) often aren’t trendy enough for some gardeners but the issue shows you how to reimagine them in an original way. My mind is still spinning as a result and I’m ready to start moving plants around again to try and mimic what is in this magazine. One that comes to mind is matching Yucca ‘Golden Sword’ with geraniums.    

Also, I was super psyched to see a bunch of photos of plantings that include brown sedges (Carex). I have talked about my love of these in the past and I now feel vindicated. Take a look at these and I guarantee you’ll be with me on it. Pinkie swear.

Between reading all of your comments last night and diving into this magazine, my bipolar gardening personality is swinging back in a better direction. If you can’t find this issue in stores, click here to buy it on-line. It is absolutely worth the price.

John                    

Garden Photo of the Day

I need to meet with a garden psychologist

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I don’t want to garden any more. I’m done.

What is supposed to be a nice relaxing “hobby” or diversion from real life is making me insane. I never stop analyzing how things look and what I love one day, I’m ready to uproot and move the next. Maybe it’s time to take up knitting or scrap booking or even stamp collecting as my new pastime.

And who gets this crazy over gardening? It’s not like I’m entering my gardens in contests or growing food that can actually be eaten by my family. It’s mostly ornamentals that are just supposed to look nice together. An extension of the home if you will. Instead, I treat it like it’s more important than the troubled economy. I should just be happy that anything grows successfully at all considering my poor growing conditions. If a few plants look nice together, be happy and move on. Not this schmuck.

Little background – I worked like mad to get my garden beds to look “complete” the past few weeks. This included weeding, mulching and filling in any open spots that were available. I planned it out well and chose plants that would work where they were to be placed. I got it all done and was happy … for like 3 minutes. As I walked around the yard like an inspector the past week or so, clipboard in hand, I began to question everything I had put together. What I thought looked good together only a week ago, now seemed “eh”. Here’s a sampling of my deranged thought process:

I love Purple Coneflowers and Russian Sage. Great combo with the contrasting bloom colors and flower shapes:

But when I take a step back and look at the bed as a whole, it seems distracting. Too many contrasting colors and textures. I really need to cut down on the number of different plants I use and focus more on increasing the number of plants used together:

Tradescantia (Spiderwort) ‘Sweet Kate’ really works considering my growing conditions:

But not when placed so close to daylillies with similar foliage:

Here is a combo of Spirea ‘Goldmound’ and Calamagrostis (Feather Reed Grass) ‘Karl Foerster’. Doesn’t inspire me all that much:
But just a month or two ago, I liked the combo when the spirea was a much more vivid yellow. Do I accept that it looked OK then but doesn’t do much as the summer rolls on? Find another pairing? Everything can’t look perfect all the time, right?:

I like the pairing of Hydrangea ‘Endless Summer’ and Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Diablo’ … but wouldn’t it look even better with blue blooms? Time to up the acidity:

OK fine, I like Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) ‘Gateway’ and Miscanthus ‘Morning Light’ and don’t plan on changing it any time soon. But this is the exception rather than the norm:

Who in their right mind would add this purple leaved annual to a red container? It pains me to look at this. What the hell was my thought process when planning this (Bowing my head in shame):   

This Asclepias incarnata (Swamp Milkweed) is growing like mad but it’s hiding the Itea (Virginia Sweetspire) ‘Henry’s Garnet’ behind it. I’ve read milkweed doesn’t take to transplanting very well but this is eating away at me like mad:  

I continue to struggle with what to match up with this. What colors and textures work well with dead plants? Would love your thoughts. Ideally, it would frame the deadness of this plant and really let it shine:

Bitch session complete and I feel better.

John

Wordless Wednesday – Vacation

Tree-mendous suggestions

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When I first started garden blogging, like many, I had no idea what I was doing. I never had the intention to really keep up with it. At best, I thought it would be a chance to show off some photos of my plants with my friends and family.

Then one day I received a complimentary email from a woman who is the nursery manager at my local garden center – Rutgers Nursery. You mean people I don’t know actually read my nonsense? Sweet! That note gave me the confidence to keep on writing and taking photos and I haven’t looked back since. I’ve always wanted to share that story with you all and today made the most sense. Why? Because Leslie recently recommended two new trees she knew would fit my conditions and so I had them planted by the nursery. I am so super psyched with them already and again, thankful for her wonderful feedback.

By the way, before I forget, Leslie blogs for Rutgers Nursery here and also blogs on her own here. I highly recommend that you check them both out.

On to my trees:

Amelanchier grandiflora (Serviceberry) ‘Autumn Brilliance’:

I had an area on the side of my driveway begging for some height that also had to be able to deal with clay soil that can remain wet at times and is also browsed by the deer. The tree also had to fit into this bed that contains mostly native plants. So far, so awesome:

I’ll need to dig up some of the grass to incorporate the tree into the bed but no biggie. I love the fact that this tree (or large shrub if you wish) is multi-trunked as it just feels right based on it’s location:

I look forward to the white blooms in April (click on the photo for the origin of this photo):

But most importantly, I cannot wait for the fall color (hence the cultivar name):

From what I’ve read and researched, the purple/black berries that mature in the summer on this tree will be devoured by the birds. A dream come true!

Crataegus viridis (Hawthorn) ‘Winter King’:

I have had a tough time photographing this tree just right but it has already changed the look and feel of the front of my home. Before this tree was installed, there was this eyesore that I’ve threatened to remove for two years now:

This Hawthorn will also bloom white but a little bit later in spring which works well with the other trees in my yard and their bloom times (click on photo for the original location of the pic):

And in the name of “multi-seasonal interest” the tree will deliver berries that should persist late into winter:
I’ve also learned that the bark on this Hawthorn will peel over time to expose an orange color similar to that of a River Birch. Hot damn I’m happy!  
Thank you again Leslie for the suggestions and as always, they were installed to perfection. 
John

Reunited (with the garden) … and it feels so good

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We just returned from our annual week’s vacation at the family cottage on a lake in Connecticut … but I’m holding off on THAT post for now. I love my kids and all, but I need a break from them. Instead, today’s post is all about what I returned home to out in the garden.

The second I stepped out of the car upon arriving home, I attacked the task of watering full throttle. It was a super dry week and all of the plants were begging for a beverage or two. After their thirst was quenched, I had some time to check out how things had progressed since I had left. Here’s what I discovered:

Phlox paniculata ‘David’ is in full bloom and smells amazing:

I was even smart enough to cover up it’s ugly legs (I had a joke in here originally about the cover up of legs but no matter how hard I tried, it came off creepy):

I recently relocated a few Caryopteris (Bluebeard) ‘Sunshine Blue’ to a more prominent location but did so in the dry summer heat. I was happy to see they haven’t wilted under the conditions:

I am anxious for the late summer blooms that were hidden the past few years:

For whatever reason, no plant reseeds worse that this one as I have seedlings all over the yard. I need to remember to not let the seeds mature this fall:

I love Lobelia siphilitica (Blue cardinal flower) and the blooms are so close:

I smelled the blooms of the Clethra (Summersweet) ‘Hummingbird’ before I actually noticed it in full bloom and I friggin love it:

As do the bees:

I planted a few Physostegia (Obedient plant) ‘Summer Snow’ last fall and they are thriving; some times it’s so damn easy:

I know I’m a broken record, but I love me some Eupatorium (Joe Pye Weed) ‘Gateway’. It is so imposing, in a good way:

Yeah for me, I actually successfully grew some annuals from seed, and they are still alive:

Oh yeah, the ornamental grasses still are rockin and rollin:

Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’

Chasmanthium latifolium (Northern Sea Oats) 

Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ 

Pennisetum ‘Karley Rose’

But the absolute coolest thing, was finding these three little guys nestled in an arborvitae. I made sure to disrupt as little as possible:

It’s always fun to get away from the garden for a while and then return to see what has transpired. Good times indeed.

The vacation post will be delivered soon along with a post on two new trees I just had added.
Garden on my friends!
John “ONG” 

Wordless … umm … Thursday

A different view

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In preparation for my son’s birthday bash this past weekend, I spent my early mornings (I’m talking like 5:00 AM) weeding and cleaning up the garden beds. Out with the old (boring blackeyed susan’s, dying and wimpy joe pye weed ‘chocolate’) and in with the new (tough as nails bee balm, moisture loving spiderwort).

I have a tendency to spend all my time planting and transplanting while ignoring the weeds and under performing plants but I was determined to finally “clean up”. Task somewhat accomplished with some work still remaining.

Today I wanted to take a step back and show you a better view of the gardens as a whole now that they are sort of presentable. No close-up bloom pics or rain drop covered foliage. I have a ways to go but I’m happy to be thinking “big picture”: