Open Garden Scenes

Mona and Rick have many awesome mature hostas we can admire along with shade and part shade companions! 

Awesome combination - Alliums and ferns!

A striking young Rhododendron

"Open Garden Party"

It's like an "Open House" party only the celebration is Spring Gardening!  But it is held in someone's garden! 

The hosta society we belong to celebrates the season with a member hosting an evening "Open Garden" event for our members and their guests!  We party it up with treats to eat and drink, door prizes, a silent auction and usually an educational presentation!  A great time to greet gardening friends and view those glorious hostas and spring plants which are at their peak of freshness!

This year we were at Mona and Rick's paradise!  Cindy, an AHS certified leaf judge provided tips on selecting and preparing leaves for a competitive Hosta Leaf Show! 

Hosta Liberty welcomes us as we arrive!

Tulips are done blooming...now what?

In Minnesota by now we have enjoyed our tulips and are left with a ragged looking bed of spent tulips, tulip stems and green leaves that are only going to look worse until they die back and can be removed!

What next?  The leaves continue to feed the bulbs so they will bloom profusely again next year and each succeeding year so it is important to leave the leaves to continue to feed those bulbs for next year!  Also, it is important to cut the seed heads off the flower stalk to direct the most energy back into the bulb instead of allowing the seed heads to develop!  Just pop off the top two inches of the stem. 

For care of tulips after they are done blooming CLICK HERE!

That time of the year!

Yep, on the third Wed. of May, each year our Garden Club gives our community one of the best opportunities to obtain reasonable priced plants with most of them pieces of perennials we have growing in our own garden beds!  

This year we  braved heavy rain storms breaking during our opening and ending time on our first sale period!  4 PM to 7 PM.

Yet, gardeners are a hardy people!  We had an awesome successful sale!  There may have been fewer customers but they relaxed once inside  the shelter of our huge building and took their time shopping and ended up with buying more plants per person than usual!  Would you believe $10,000 purchased during those four hours!

My favorite club activity indeed!  Such fun work with gardening friends (new and old) for a few days as we price and arrange the plants we donate then share knowledge and assist customers with their selections!  Gardeners are great cooks and it seems we work best wth lots of goodies we bring along to provide us with energy!

That's me on the left with my hosta area partner, Jean!

Our garden club volunteers ready for customers to come in!

Part Shade - Part Sun - Shade - Sun?

So, what's all those descriptions we find on plant material really mean?

Especially,  what's the difference from Part Shade to Part Sun?

This morning I found the best descriptions I've seen yet!

Sharing it with you!

Click here for the details:

Kokedama

Basically it's a new trend in using a Japanese garden art and a variation of bonsai style of planting!

I had an opportunity, with two friends, to attend a Minnesota State Horticulture Society class/workshop and make one this week!  Was a fun outing with gardening friends and an easy project to learn.  The class was only an hour and hands on, so we all left with a completed Kokedama featuring a beautiful miniature orchid to enjoy!

Literally, Kokedama translates as "Koke" moss and "dama" ball.  It's a unique way at to present and display plants.  We saw finished examples of succulents, ferns, and misc. house plants completed!  They can be displayed by hanging with the twine used in wrapping the moss and soil into a ball or displayed in a dish/container. 

I definitely will enjoy my Kokedama and am looking forward to creating some more!

Learn more about Kokedama CLICK HERE

This is also popping up in Barb's garden!

WOW!  The hosta 'Liberty' puts on a show the minute the leaves start to open up!  This is the end of March in MN!

Wait until you see it fully open and mature!  Liberty is a big one and makes a big statement!  It yells out "See me!  I'm so happy!"  You want a focal plant?  This is it!

(Mature Size: 28"T x 60"W)

American Hosta Growers Hosta of the Year 2012

'Liberty' is a sport of 'Sagae' that features a much wider yellow margin.

The thick leaves are topped in early summer with lavender flowers.

This is what's blooming in Barb's neighborhood!

Actually, it's in her own garden!

What is it?

Epimedium!

Delicate looking blooms, huh?

It's an herb?   It's a perennial?  It's a flower?

To check this out, CLICK ON THIS LINK!

What's blooming in your neighborhood?

My favorite, solid yellow large face pansy plants!   I find them at Greenwald's Plant's in the cabin neighborhood!   One for me and one for my neighbor, Mary, for our front steps at home!