Bishop's Castle is in bloom again ...

Wednesday, August 20, 2008

All I can say is, Wow! Bishop's Castle is in at least it's third flush this year. It has by far has the most vigorous growth of all my roses (Bishop's Castle, William Shakespeare 2000, Jubilee Celebration, Abraham Darby, Red Parade mini and wild native roses).

William Shakespeare 2000 David Austin English Rose

Tuesday, August 19, 2008

William Shakespeare 2000 is in bloom right now, despite very little growth this year, I've had at least four gorgeous blooms this week, and they are the lovely crimson red that this rose is supposed to produce. Last year, the first bloom, they were much more purple-pink. It also has a lovely, strong, old rose smell. You don't need to touch your nose to the bloom, just standing near the flower bed is a real treat.

Bishop's Castle English Rose

Friday, August 15, 2008

I purchased this beautiful David Austin English Rose, "Bishop's Castle" from Jackson & Perkins and planted it in June 2007. At planting I mixed peat moss, cow manure and a little bit of Osmocote into the sandy soil, watered well for the first month and about twice a week for the rest of the season. I also treated it to occasional coffee grounds, egg shells and banana peels. This picture is of the first bloom, one year later July 4, 2008. I did not have any blooms on this plant until after I watered it with Miracle Grow Rose & Plant Food. I had two blooms in July. Since then I've had some nice lush dark green new growth. I fed it again one week ago with the Miracle Grow and now have another bloom and several buds. Now that I know what this rose plant's preferred diet is, I think I can expect a summer full of beautiful blooms.

Double Gold Day Lily

Friday, August 1, 2008

I planted two Double Gold Day Lilies in mid-June. They have not put out a lot of buds, but, as you can see, the blooms are impressive.

Lime Painted Lady Day Lily

Sunday, July 20, 2008

This Day Lily is called Lime Painted Lady. I planted two of them in mid-June and was treated to these gorgeous flowers in late July. They are planted in partial shade with only a couple of hours of direct sunlight, they brighten up the space and are a real eye-catcher from the road.

Asiatic Lily

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

Another unknown but beautiful Asiatic Lily from Freecycle. This one is a prolific bloomer and apparently the bees aren't disappearing at my house!

Asiatic Lily

Sunday, July 13, 2008

This unusual little Asiatic Lily was given to me by another Freecycle gardener. I don't know what this variety is called. The blooms are quite small, fragile and are pale peach-orange in color. They did not perform as well as my other lilies, I look forward to seeing whether they come back stronger next year.

Asiatic Lily

Saturday, July 12, 2008

This gorgeous, but sadly unknown variety of Asiatic Lily was another fantastic Freecycle find. Planted in mid-June, they are all in bloom one month later. Many plants have multiple buds, they're really putting on a fantastic show and haven't required anything but water and sunshine.

Cara Mia Day Lily

Thursday, July 10, 2008

I planted two potted Cara Mia Day Lilies in late June and by July 10th had this lovely bloom. I did not amend the soil in any way, simply made sure it had water and plenty of sunshine.

Rosy Returns Day Lily

Friday, July 4, 2008

I purchased this day lily about 4 years ago, when I still lived in an apartment. It was neglected in a flower pot, did not receive nearly enough sunlight, allowed to freeze without protection and left for dead. In spring 2007 as I was cleaning out old pots I found the shriveled up bulb and stuck it in the dirt, not expecting anything. It bounced back immediately, I've had these gorgeous blooms in early July two years in a row.

Columbine

Thursday, July 3, 2008

Thanks to Freecycle, I received this unknown variety of Columbine from another gardener in fall 2006. I moved it to a sunnier location in spring 2007 and have been rewarded with these lovely burgundy and white blooms during late June and early July for the last two summers.

Petunias

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

I don't do too many annuals because of the work and cost involved for only a few months of color. But I do fill up three hanging baskets and a few pots for the front steps. You can't beat annuals like Petunias for instant color that will keep coming until early fall.

Tiger Lily

Monday, June 30, 2008

Tiger Lilies are also commonly called Ditch Lilies. They are the wild Day Lilies that you see growing along the side of the road and come in various shades of orange. A large number of these were planted around my house when I moved in. This one is actually planted in full shade. Next year I'm going to move them all to a nice sunny location in the back yard, along the tree line, where I think they will look more appropriate and will really have a chance to thrive.

Flowering Quince

Thursday, May 15, 2008

This is a mature Flowering Quince bush that must have been planted many years ago. It blooms in early May every year.

William Shakespeare 2000 David Austin English Rose

Thursday, May 1, 2008

This picture is from July 2007. I purchased this William Shakespeare 2000 English Rose bare root from David Austin Roses in June 2007, less than 6 weeks later I had all of this beautiful dark green growth and two lovely blooms. It did not repeat any more that season, but I am hopeful that with some TLC this will be a really nice rose bush. It has been given the place of honor in my garden.