The Obsessive Neurotic Gardener

Tag Archives: leucojum

Garden tour – May 9th, 2018

Posted on by Posted in Bulbs, Spring .

The garden has arrived and I’m silly with excitement.

The difference one plant makes

If I may say so, the recent addition of this Persian Shield and its dark foliage brings this section of the garden to life.

As the surrounding perennials grow, so will this annual and by summer it will be a frickin delight to witness as you approach my front door.

 

We need to talk about the Bee Balm

It’s infiltrating the entire garden year after year and I’m still not sure if that’s a good or bad thing.

I appreciate how it easily fills in bare spots.

I appreciate how it smells (and how much the deer disagree).

I appreciate how it combines with others when in bloom.

The question becomes: When is it too much of a good thing?

 

 

It’s OK to open up

The relocation of my Trollius ‘Golden Queen’ can now be considered a success since they are blooming and looking healthy.

Still, year after year I wonder why the flowers don’t open up like this.

They never move beyond what you see in the pics below.

 

 

Daffo-delight

Narcissus ‘Decoy’

 

Narcissus ‘Green Pearl’

 

Narcissus ‘Mount Hood’

 

Other bulbs

The consistency and continued growth of Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ (Summer Snowflake) has not gone unnoticed by this easily distracted gardener.

 

I’m still getting tulips in year two. Hell to the yeah baby.

 

Soon enough …

 

Phlox yeah!

Always a welcomed sight to see the Moss Phlox blooming. The perfect groundcover along a walkway or in a rock garden.

The only issue I’ve had is in trying to divide it to make more plants.

Most don’t survive or struggle mightily. It may be due to their short root system.

 

 

Malus ‘Prairie Fire’

While fleeting in flower, nothing signifies spring like this Crabapple tree.

 

Fothergilla ‘Mt. Airy’

Happy to see flowers in spring.

Solid and healthy looking green foliage all summer.

To die for color in fall.

 

Oh deer

This was the worst year yet.

The deer bombarded the Viburnum carlesii one night this past weekend and devoured nearly all of the about-to-bloom flowers.

And they messed with me by leaving a few along the bottom of the shrub.

A big F You.

 

Up next

Baptisia time is right around the corner.

 

The first tour of my garden in 2017

Posted on by Posted in Spring .

Daffodils in bloom

Some of the Narcissus (Daffodils) are in bloom now, no doubt pushed by the 80 degree temps we had here in New Jersey yesterday.

 

 

 

 

 

Flowers soon to arrive

Viburnum carlesii.

 

 

The tiny Muscari.

 

Golden ragwort (Packera aurea).

 

Daffodils that will hide the recently cut down ornamental grass.

 

More daffodils, ‘Kokopelli’, on the way.

 

New foliage growth, almost as exciting as the flowers

This is Sorbaria sorbifolia ‘Sem’ or False Spirea. Say that 5 times fast.

 

I get a lot of anxiety in early spring, fearful of what plants didn’t survive the winter. While this pic of Hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ may mean little to you, it means the world to me. I’m so thankful to have her back for another year considering I recklessly moved her around three times last summer.

 

This is the plant I’m most excited to watch progress this year. It’s Filipendula rubra (Queen of the Prairie). This will be its third year in my garden and I hope it can reach upwards of 6 feet in height with plenty of pale pink flowers in summer.

 

This is Diervilla sessilifolia (Southern Bush Honeysuckle) with its variegated foliage emerging over a mass of Bee Balm rosettes. This combo should be killer by early summer.

 

Photos that make me think

Baptisia is here, yeah. So are the weeds, boo.

 

I like to sing the praises of Bee Balm (Monarda) and its agressive nature, but this spring they have marched into enemy territory. Enemy territory being other perennials. Here it is challenging Heuchera (Coral Bells). I think we know who will win.

 

I am way excited to see that tulips have, knock on wood, survived the winter and appear ready to bloom. Even better is the fact that this small ornamental grass will strategically cover the decaying tulip foliage as it gets larger with the warmer temps. Hopefully by allowing the tulip foliage to decay, it will energize the bulbs and provide a repeat display of flowering next spring.

 

I’m totally cool with the Leucojum aestivum (Summer Snowflake) expanding its colony even if it’s underneath this evergreen shrub. I say “evergreen shrub” because I can’t recall the name even after a search through my garden archives.

 

Finally, and I can’t believe I’m about to say this, but I can’t bring myself to cut down this pairing. I’ve loved it all fall and winter and can’t end it quite yet. It is Little Bluestem grass, with its stellar orange hue, and Mountain Mint with its still upright seed heads.

I’m going to enjoy it for a few more days before cutting them both to the ground.

Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’ (Summer snowflake)

Posted on by Posted in Bulbs .
I have failed miserably trying to grow tulips.
I have never been able to successfully get a hyacinth to bloom … even once. 
Even daffodils have been a bit of a challenge for me. 
I was ready to throw in the towel on bulbs all together a few years ago, considering my growing conditions – poor draining clay soil, numerous rabbits and deer. 
But after a Google search on “moisture loving bulbs”, I finally found a bulb that has survived for multiple years for me, the Summer Snowflake:

To actually see a bulb peaking through the soil in early spring is a thing of extreme joy for me:

Here is some information on the Summer Snowflake (Leucojum aestivum ‘Gravetye Giant’):
  • Size – about 18″ tall by 24″ wide
  • Survives in zones 4-8
  • Prefers full sun to partial shade
  • Typically blooms in late April here in zone 6B
  • Has been deer resistant to date

Some additional photos: 

The leaves are strap-like and glossy and form a vase shaped clump: 

As the blooms appear, the leaves and flower scapes take on a bit of an arching shape:

As for the actual blooms, each “bell” is made up of six equal petals each marked with a green dot at the tip:

While most of my bulbs are relatively young (3 years), I expect them to multiply as the years progress so I will soon be looking at some serious drifts each April/May.

The foliage has already emerged here with the warm temps and I am pumped to see how they perform.  
Now it is time to get out of here and do a Google search for some more wet tolerant bulbs …

John