Monthly Archives: May 2012
… doesn’t necessarily have to completely stay in Vegas.
My wife and I, along with two other couples, hit the City of Sin this past weekend. All six of us will be turning 40 within the next few months so we figured let’s test our intestinal fortitude and live like rock stars for a few days.
While I cannot provide you with a lot of the details (the six of us did agree to keep some things quiet) I can tell you it was a fantastic time, we lost very little money, ate like champs, walked miles a day, drank gallons of gatorade, people watched like never before and enjoyed all Vegas had to offer as the adult Disney World.
I could have stared at the “strip” all night as it was a sensory experience that will never be forgotten:
We rented a cabana with a personal waitress, fully stocked bar, mister, air conditioned room and private patio. That = good times in the Vegas heat:
And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we spent time in an “ice bar” that was -5 degrees Celsius. The glasses are completely made out of ice, as were the stools, tables and light fixtures:
And just to prove to ourselves that we could still “hang”, we partied at a rooftop club with the young ones:
Maybe some day I’ll reveal some of the other details, but for now, I’ll leave you with some pics of the gardens at Bellagio (keeping it real with the topic of gardens):
Ornamental grasses are typically thought of as plants with late summer/fall/winter interest.
But I’m here today to sing their praises as a great spring/early summer performer as well.
I feel like most of my ornamental grasses took a huge leap forward this past week and I couldn’t be happier. While they aren’t anywhere near their peak, they still lend an airy awesomeness to the garden.
Some examples:
Panicum starting to already show it’s hints of red color on the leaves:
Miscanthus ‘Variegatus’ emerging over some of the smaller perennials:
Miscanthus ‘Gracillimus’ doing the same:
Calamagrostis ‘El Dorado’ already showing early blooms:
Pennisetum a nice color contrast next to Penstemon ‘Husker’s Red’:
Looking at a blooming Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ through a Panicum:
Chasmanthium latifolium (northern sea oats) rounding into form:
Calamagrostis ‘Karl Foerster’ in it’s nice upright stance:
And this is only the beginning. The next few months will be an ornamental grass-palooza and I’m sure you’ll be sick of all my hyperbole by then.
Enjoy the long weekend!
John
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| First Iris versicolor (blueflag) bloom |
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| Obnoxiously blooming Physocarpus (Ninebark) ‘Summer Wine’ |
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| Geranium ‘Karmina’ |
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| Astilbe ‘Deutschland’ backed by Physocarpus |
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| Weigela ‘Wine and Roses’ |
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| Peony bud – enjoying them while they last |
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| My new hiding spot to ensure the deer inflict no more damage on the peonies |
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| Hypericum ‘Albury Purple’ backed by Nepeta (Catmint) |
I was traveling for work this past week (St Louis, Missouri to be exact) so I suffered through some separation anxiety from my garden.
I considered asking my wife to allow me to Skype with some of the newly blooming perennials but that would have been weird, right? I mean who is attached to their plants so much that they can’t go without seeing them for four days? A real friggin wacko if you ask me.
So early this morning I set foot outside to catch up on all I’ve missed since last weekend (They grow up so fast, sniff) and was immediately taken in by the newly blooming siberian irises (‘Snow Queen’):
Such a crisp and clean color that immediately pulls you in. Just awesome stuff.
From there, I was psyched to see that for the first time in three years, my Spirea ‘Snowmound’ was blooming:
Some times patience does pay off and I’m pretty proud of myself.
But then, out of my peripheral vision, I spotted a long familiar beauty. She stood out like my wife stood out when I first met her in college. A beauty like no other that pulled me in and had me stammering over my words (please apply that to my wife also). I took the requisite 12 steps from where I was standing to view the first peony bloom of the year:
There I was, ogling this “bowl of beauty” and taking photos of her from all different angles like the paparazzi. As I contorted my body into all sorts of odd shapes, I was blind to a development that still has me reeling …
The son of a mutha f’n deer devoured 75% of all my peony buds. They’ve never touched them before, not even one bud/bloom. Are you freaking kidding me? No plant has more of a build-up to their bloom period than the peony and it marks the transition to summer. And you’re going to ruin that for me?
Just a few days ago they looked so promising:
What a slap to the face. This means WAR. Once again, I was too lax and let my guard down. No more you tick carrying, skittish SOB’s.
I will hunt you down day and night. I will throw bars of Irish Spring at your ass. I’ll drop hot sauce from a helicopter above. It is on … it is on like Donkey Kong.
John
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| Viburnum bracteatum ‘ Emerald Lustre’ |
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| Nepeta ‘Walker’s Low’ |
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| Iris siberica ‘Snow Queen’ |
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| Itea ‘Henry’s Garnet’ |
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| Camassia esculenta |
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| Physocarpus ‘Summer Wine’ |
This weekend was my annual trip to the Bowman’s Hill Native Plant Sale in beautiful Bucks County, PA and I actually managed to stay under control and only purchased the plants you see below:
As usual, I did my research ahead of time and focused solely on plants that are “wet tolerant”. This has worked like a champ in the past so why mess with a good thing.
I’m pretty thrilled with my choices and would love to hear your feedback on any of the plants I purchased.
Never mind, scratch that, I only want to hear positive feedback as I’m not emotionally ready to hear anything negative. Not yet at least.
Anyway, here is what I came home with (click on the photos to get to the original link) :
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| Chelone lyonii (Turtlehead) |
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| Marshallia grandiflora (Barbara’s Buttons) |
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| Aconitum uncinatum (Monkshood) |
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| Eupatorium perfoliatum (Boneset) |
So what do you think? Do you approve?
John
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| Lady’s Mantle starting to bloom |
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| Amsonia bloom |
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| Spiderwort ‘Sweet Kate’ |
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| Allium ‘Purple Sensation’ and Catmint ‘Walker’s Low’ |