2014 Review of the Garden

 

A review of photos from last season shows that the garden made a lot of progress in 2014.  Above is a shot of the west garden from June 10, because I didn't want to start with a bleak winter photo!  The 'Teasing Georgia' climbing rose at top center was especially magnificent last year.

The season started with flooding when the air temperature shot up while the ground was still frozen.  This photo shows the southeast part of the backyard on March 5.

I didn't take many wide views of the garden in early spring, as the small early bulbs don't show up well unless you get close, and the evergreens were stilly spindly and small.  So here we skip to April 29, when the tulips were in full swing in the front yard.

Peony-flowering tulips bloomed sweetly in the southwest corner of the backyard on May 7.



Also on May 7, 'Axcent Blue' Aubrieta, basket of gold (Alyssum), tulips and 'Blue Spike' muscari made rhythmic pops of color in the west garden.

On May 9 in the northwest corner the pink crabapple trees ('Royal Raindrops') bloomed with 'Victoria' rhubarb and creeping phlox.  In fall we planted several hundred pink and purple tulips in this area, so next spring there will be more flowers to photograph.

The northeast corner was all shades of green on May 25.  The chartreuse 'Sutherland Gold' elderberry shrubs (Sambucus) on either side of the swing set doubled in size by the end of last season, so they'll make a bigger impact this coming spring.

Also on May 25, softly colored flowers brightened the garden on the east side of the house as lilac shrubs and dogwood trees bloomed above.

The west garden looked better by the end of the month (May 25) as green leaves filled in around the flowers.

 

After the burst of spring color, the crabapple trees quieted down to maroon leaves (still May 25).  I added quite a few more perennials to this area in 2014, so in 2015 there should be more flowers in the late spring view.

 

The angle of this May 28 view actually frames my neighbor's house, but you see how nicely the 'Walker's Low' catmint billows among all the greenery before the 'Coral Supreme' peonies and English roses burst into bloom.

On June 1, white bleeding heart (Dicentra spectabilis 'Alba') made a nice backdrop for the backyard fountain.  Maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedatum) and white-flowering heuchera leaves covered the front of the pedestal.

When the 'Eglantyne' (above) and 'Abraham Darby' English roses were covered with blooms on June 10, passersby could smell the fragrance from the sidewalk.  'Eglantyne' has an old rose scent, while 'Abraham Darby' smells citrusy.

In this shot of the west garden from July 2, early yellow 'Stella d'Oro' daylilies were in the middle of their main flush, while many other daylilies around the garden were getting ready to open.  Rosy-orange Asiatic and Orienpet lilies reached above the lower perennials, and golden 'Early Sunrise' tickseed (Coreopsis) echoed the color of the daylilies.  Somehow I didn't get any good shots of other daylily areas this month, sorry.

On August 10, most of the flowers in the northeast corner of the backyard came from hydrangea shrubs and the long blooming 'Rozanne' hardy geraniums.

Also on August 10, the view facing northwest included a few little 'Thumbelina Leigh' lavender shrubs and some unruly 'Cranberry Double Click' cosmos off in the distance.

On August 10 the White Garden included blooms of 'Green Jewel' coneflower (Echinacea) and 'Green Mist' laceflower (Ammi visnaga).

 



Also on August 10, this view of the backyard included mostly shades of green, though butterfly bushes (Buddleia) bloomed just outside of the frame to the left.  It's just as well that there are fewer flowers in August, as I'm always tired of deadheading by that point in the year.

The southeast section of the backyard (still August 10) sported plumes from 'Autumn Bride' heuchera, a few late 'Sunday Gloves' daylily flowers, and a stalk of 'Casa Blanca' Oriental lilies in the back, just right of the bench.

Apparently I didn't take any wide view photos in September, as this next shot was from a wonderfully warm afternoon on October 7.  The golden 'Shademaster' honey locusts were about to drop their leaves, while the maroon crabapple trees were just starting to change color for fall.

 A final shot of the west garden, also from October 7, highlighted the yellowing foliage of the daylilies.  The catmint was still covered with lavender flowers and on warm afternoons, bumblebees and cabbage white butterflies. 
Unusually warm weather meant the roses kept blooming until Halloween, though a blast of Arctic air shut down everything in early November.  In thinking back over the year, I realize that I made quite a few changes and additions.  2015 will include some different vignettes.  Hopefully some areas of the backyard that haven't worked yet will come together in a pleasing way.  Now that the busy holidays are over, I'm ready to get out in the garden again, but I'll have to wait a couple more months to do so.