Sun = Sunflowers...

Today is a perfect summer day, blue skies, white clouds, warm temps, gentle breeze and we are enroute to our cabin for a few days....

A quick stop at Stacey's to peek at her flowers and talk gardening a bit.... she wasn't home, but the dogs were!
Denny got out his stash of dog bones while I admired her sunflowers!  I don't grow them so I couldn't resist a picture or two to share, just in case you also don't grow them!

Doesn't this just make your heart sing!

 

 

Raingardens.......grow rain?

Nope, raingardens are for collecting rain and snow melt to utilize that moisture for a low maintenance, but attractive, flower garden!

 

 

 

Who would realize this garden bed is a raingarden?  My friend, Cindy A., established this full sun one several years ago and it gets lovelier every year!  Primarily she filled it with dramatic appearing native plants.   
She gardens on a sloped yard that leads to a small lake.  Controlling the runoff where it naturally flowed was important as well as lowering the maintenance of this garden bed.  Works great!

For information on developing a raingarden check out this site: 

http://www.rochesterstormwater.com/Attachment%204%20How%20to%20Install%20a%20Raingarden.pdf

'Quick Fire' lights up gardens in July.....





Some hydrangea varieties begin blooming in June and continue to grace us with their majestic beauty until fall.  Mine don't begin blooming until August so I admire them in other gardens while I wait to enjoy mine.  I may have to find a spot for this one!  Quick Fire® Hydrangea paniculata 'Bulk' PP: 16812

'Quickfire' usually begins blooming in July in MN and comes in both shrub and tree form, whichever you prefer!  My friend, Rita B. has her 'Quick Fire'  hydrangea in tree form accenting a flower bed at the corner of her home. Stacey has hers in the shrub form midst a perennial bed.  Both forms are fabulous.  I'll try to get pictures to share with you in the fall when the color changes to light pink and deepens to a deep pinky-red shade.


'Quick Fire' Hydrangea tree form July 2014

'Quick Fire' Hydrangea shrub form July 2014

'Quick Fire' blooms about a month before other Hydrangea paniculata (hardy hydrangea) varieties.

You can check out the details by searching on the internet for "Hydrangea Quick Fire".

   




July is more than fireworks exploding....

'Becky'

 

I simply must have daisies in my garden beds!  Not just any daisy will do for me!  This one is a perfect striking white accent for every garden.

 

'Becky' blooms during those peak days of summer, has nice tall thick stems to handle even brisk breezes and rain drops as well as look fantastic in floral arrangements.  I love a vase of her with purple coneflowers and heuchera blooms as a filler with a few hosta leaves.  She's equally lovely in a bud vase also.  I mourn her last bloom when I deadhead.

 

She's reliable especially if you mulch her well for the first two MN winters.  Because she's also popular shop for her early in the spring before she's gobbled up by other gardeners. 

 

Shasta Daisy - Leucanthemum 'Becky'

Mature Height: 3 feet
Mature Spread: 18-24 inches
Mature Form: Mounded
Growth Rate: medium
Sun Exposure: full sun
Soil Type: normal, sandy, clay
Soil Moisture: moist

 

 

It's the little things.....

What a clever way to add a bit of whimsy to your block wall!

Yep, found this in Kelly and Dan's gardens!

  

Those hens and chicks will settle in any spot and be happy!

Doesn't he just make you grin?
 

Red is always a great accent color!

Doesn't this scene just make your day bright and happy!
It just fits the personality of the gardeners, Kelly & Dan T.
So glad they were on the Hosta Society Members Only Garden Tour this year.  Always a fun garden to visit!

This Monarda is bright red but photographed with a pink cast to it!

Asclepias tuberosa   Butterfly Weed





Window Boxes are not just for windows......

Isn't this the most striking garden shed you've ever seen? 
 
The color is a perfect background for this display of plants!  I spotted this on a garden tour, of course, in rural SE MN.  I will be sharing many photos of the Fischer's garden beds in posts to come.

Garden Tour is more than gardens to view.....

The local Garden Club I belong to does an annual garden tour for our community as one of our fund raiser activities.  It is  a self guided tour using the map we provide.  The 5 gardens on it also featured artists, musicians and garden related activities in them.  The tour begins at a unique garden at our local college which is designed and maintained by students in the Horticulture Department.  Garden related crafts are demonstrated while customers stroll along after being served ice cream in the gazebo!  This year I brought along 15 Fairy Gardens to help tell the story of how to create them.


Cindy A. shared ideas and instructions on creating unique garden art objects!

Barb V. telling Gerry M. where to find the various flavors of Cold Stone Creamery ice cream to serve.

e

  

Jean M. & Penny R. serve ice cream to Nancy H.



Sharon P. demonstrating how to make a concrete looking trough out of a Styrofoam box.



What are these people looking at?



Fairy Gardens!  It kept Harriett K., Rita B. & myself busy talking to all the people about how to make them!
 



A fun day was had by all!





n



Greetings and welcome to ......

While I was at Bonnie's the other evening I just couldn't resist taking a few pictures to share.  This entrance is stunning, welcoming and announces you are in for a real treat inside.
Her hospitality is always so gracious, comfortable and warm.




Note:  The Annabelle hydrangeas Bonnie usually donates  some of  these to the annual  Garden Club Plant Sale in May.

Note the use of hostas in containers! 

Grrrrrrrr....Tiger Eye Sumac!

I am always admiring Tiger Eye Sumac!  I had a spot all picked out at the lake but Denny says "No, it's too  big!"   He's just a spoil sport....just because he thinks he should have space to put the dock and boatlift in and out! 

This one is at Bonnie S.'s home.  One Tiger Eye Sumac perfectly placed so it gets admired from several views! 
.

 

I just gotta keep looking around my yard to find a spot!

Maybe when I downsize the garden beds to minimize the maintance labor more?

 

A garden to remember....

This was my 4th visit to this garden.   I really want to bring everyone I know here!  Thankfully these gardeners are willing to share their corner of the world.  It would take a whole website to share their entire story.... this is just a small peek!  If you get a chance to go to Waseca, MN August 3rd for their Garden Walk event  you'll have the opportunity to visit this garden personally.  You won't regret a moment of your time and effort to visit here!  

Wow, what a welcome to my home statement!

This simply took my breath away.... The accent color and the planter lights up a shady entrance to this home!   

 

The garden shed everyone wants......

Lucky Kim, her husband built her a garden shed of her dreams (and mine).  Complete with running water, electricity and a lovely skylight in the ceiling!  Not to mention the window with a window box and porch to rest on while you enjoy your own private park with walking paths, pond, fire pit, hundreds of hostas, etc.!  What more  could anyone want in life?

Yard art......

Unique yard art always catches my eye!  Found these gems on that recent  garden bus tour to the Mankato area with garden club friends. 

He would be magnificent at my daughter's lake home in Northern MN!

I think it won't fit on  the bus?

Oh my, I have to find out where she got this!

Hmmmm....
 my Denny could make me on of these!

Down to earth digs....

Gardens in south central MN were toured by my garden club recently.   42 members and guests enjoyed our Annual Educational Bus Tour.  This garden is in a rural setting providing us with a little bit of heaven!  It has everything, mature perennial beds, greenhouse, raised beds vegetable garden, pond, chicken coup with chickens, and a playhouse for family and friends to relax in. 


Green house and vegetables garden fenced to keep critters out.

Raised bed gardening is a joy to work in!



Rabbit Run Cottage, a playhouse for the family!



Display of antique sprinklers



 

If you subscribe to Country Gardener magazine you found this garden on the cover with a feature story inside.

To learn more about this unique garden and gardener check out her blog at downtoearthdigs.com

 

Garden Tour Season....


This the season for garden tours!  I so enjoy them!

They are opportunities to take time to grab a friend to go with you and admire what other gardeners have created, get new ideas for your own garden beds and containers and also identify plants you may want to grow.  Truly a wonderful photo opportunity!

 

 

This garden entrance makes a promise that you will see something special ahead!  What a fence!

 

 

 A water feature always adds sound, color, movement , texture and  an opportunity to pause and admire!

 

 

This fence surrounds the entire back yard providing a special private environment to relax in as well as a fabulous background for plantings and other features!

 

 

 

 

The view out my kitchen window.....

This view greets me when I walk by my kitchen window or sit down at the table!

  How great is that?

I don't know the name of it because my granddaughter, Heather, called me one day after she moved into her current home and said she had some plant growing up the side of her garage and if I wanted it to come get it now! (My Heather is not a gardener!)  So, I did and recognized it as a climatis,  but color unknown.   So, I found a new home for it just outside my kitchen window and the next July I was greeted with this view!  I call this climatis  "My Heather".   (That's what her brother called her when he was little) I think of them every time I pass by this scene recalling so many wonderful memories since they came into our lives so many years ago!   Oh how I enjoy special plants connected to people in my life!

Lights, Camera, Action.......

 What an exciting interesting morning today!

A new experience for me anyhow!

Our local Fox TV channel is launching a new  local morning TV show in August!  It will feature a variety of topics including local happenings and interests.

A gardening friend had suggested a segment on fairy or miniature gardening featuring me and my fairy gardens!

 India and her camera person, Shannon, arrived at 10 AM  to shoot video in my yard/gardens.  It was a fun experience to teach India how to make a Fairy Garden. 

I can't wait to see the resulting segment on TV! 

pi
 




This is the finished Fairy Garden featuring  larger scale accessories than I usually use.
The colors of the plants, flowers and accessories all blended together so well!
India happily accepted her created garden as my gift for her patio! 

A good time was had by all!