A Spring-clean Dump and a Naked Burger

Yard waste "dump" cleared - with a  fresh layer of gravel added

When you have several properties and gardens that you are in charge of, it is never too early to get started with spring cleanup! And unless you have a "back 40" composting area, you need to find a place for all that debris.

With the cold and very dry weather, the city decided to open up the Butterworth yard waste facility yesterday, March 23, a little early--a place we affectionately refer to as THE DUMP. City street pickup will begin April 2, so I happily took my bags away, rather than wait--and/or pay.

I am glad  to have a free facility available. Eventually all the debris gets chipped up for mulch. City brown bags are $2.50. I would guess we had a $35 load. And when you go with a friend, it becomes a pleasant activity. Especially with such a clean space (see above) and no smell. (It is not like that in July, with all the steaming lawn grass piled high).

And then the reward of a little lunch or treat.

Actually, that is how I bribed friend O. to pick me and my bags up, in her very large SUV.

We found that the yard waste facility was not only spring-clean and cleared, it was devoid of any other dumpers when we arrived around noon. I referenced that it was like a ghost (town?) dump, although there were 3 city workers on hand. A women made sure we were residents and two men helped us unload and shake out the dozen or so brown paper and contractor size plastic bags. I guess they were bored, with nothing else to do there--but I never before in all these years have had any help with a car load of bags. One guy noticed one of O's tires was a little low...

Yes, I bribed O. with the promise of a naked burger. At the usual nearby Mc Donalds. She had a triple cheeseburger with no bun--that's the naked part! She is eating low-carb. I am trying to get on that wagon as well, although I indulged with two topless burgers--with just one exposed bun-top, turned upside down, lol.

Spring 2018

Crocus popping through the euonymus ground cover

Looking for blooming signs of spring in the yard on the afternoon of the Spring Equinox, I found very little color, a little green, and lots of brown. It was sunny and chilly on this first day of Spring.

About to sprout blooms are the petasites japonica (butterbur), little patches of light green that precede the emergence of the giant dark green leaves which appear much later. These slightly invasive plants do well pond-side, but have managed to survive in my dry side yard under the trees. Sometimes on hot July days they lay down flat on the ground, perking up again after a shower.

Butterbur

The Lenten rose only needs a few more warm days before beginning to bloom. I planted it last fall, digging it out from Joanne's yard. I don't know whether it will start to bloom before Easter.

Lenten Rose

That's about it for blooms. No daffodils yet. No Kaufmanniana tulips. The other tulips are about 3-4 inches high.

Orientals - Lilies, that is

Opening day for Lillium 'Casa Blanca' 

Late July is when the Lillium 'Casa Blanca' finally blooms with its intoxicating scent. It is an old favorite of gardeners and was an old favorite of Frank, who planted it in the church garden many years ago. I have already shared shots of this lily everywhere I could.

The backdrop for the lilies includes annual blue salvia and red dragon wing begonias, but just outside of this photo frame, patches of bright yellow tall African marigolds are adding a bright note to the garden. So even though pink predominates in much of the garden, we have the primary colors well represented as well.

There are four main lilliums, the easter lily, the asiatic, the trumpet and the oriental, although a recent hybrid is becoming more popular, the orienpet.

I remember Frank bragging about the height and high bud count of the Casa Blanca lily at his condo. I hope he would be pleased that the Casa Blanca lilies have survived for years here at the church gardens that he dreamed up--and dreamed about all winter!

Right next to the Casa Blanca is a pink lily with a name unknown to me and not nearly as stunning. I photographed it after the sprinklers had spread the stain of its pollen. I was a day late and even though these flowers last a few days (unlike DAYlilies), it is ideal to photograph them at their peak--when they first open.

Another oriental beauty

A Patch of Daylilies

This evening on the way out of Uncle J.'s place, I snapped a shot of this gorgeous daylily on my phone, zoning in on it with selective focus.

The daylilies are the stars of the July garden. Last year deer jumped a back fence and dined on every single bud in the patch of daylilies pictured below. The bud counts are high and the stalks are about half spent now. I removed some of the collapsed "mushmummies" to tidy the appearance a bit. A few weeds remain in the mix, but these daylilies were certainly dominating the scene in gorgeous style today!

Turning an Endless Summer Hydrangea Blue

At the church where I am in charge of the flower gardens once again this year there are 10 Endless Summer hydrangeas that bloom in various shades of pink. There are three shrubs in the lower level shadier garden and I decided to try to turn them blue this year. I made sure I got the right stuff (purchased Espoma Organic Soil Acidifier in a blue bag) but I didn't apply it until early May. The instructions are to re-apply in 60 days or until desired shade is reached. Well, it might be too late for this year, because they are breaking into bloom this week, after a week of highs in the low 90's.

The above photo was taken today. One of the three hydrangeas is trending bluish! There is one blossom that is actually trending purple. 

Another established hydrangea which gets more sunshine is loaded with blooms, but nary a blue one yet--even though I treated them with similar amounts of the sulfur acidifier (otherwise known as aluminum sulfate).

Endless Summer Hydrangea loaded and ready to bloom big.

I have also planted (white) diamond frost euphorbia, white Sun (New Guinea) impatiens, white (the new hybrid) Bounce impatiens and blue/white lobelia, with the hope of a complete blue and white theme.

Oh well. Maybe next year I will achieve an all-blue look ...  if I remember to apply the sulfur!

But I think that the confused, multi-colored look is looking plenty gorgeous!

A Bouquet of Roses

Mother's Day flowers

For three days in Maitland, Florida I awoke to this fragrant bouquet of pink roses. I hope a few roses are still looking okay, one week later. I just couldn't take them with me on the plane. Anyway, I was allowed only one item, which required me to stuff my purse into my backpack and sort of shove it under my seat.

This bouquet looked so great in the clean all-white guest bathroom!

 By posting it here, a few more people can appreciate it.

Thanks so much, my favorite and best first-born daughter!

Liquid Fence and Tulips (with their heads chopped off)

Tulip head nipped in the bud

This morning I took a walk around the yard, the morning after a great spring rain, and found this tulip bloom snipped off and tossed aside into the sweet woodruff patch.

I got out the Liquid Fence and sprayed the tulips once again, and hit the emerging lilies as well.

I also decided to count the tulips in bloom (including a few bitten off heads) and those still with a viable bud.

I got to 96, with at least 6 blooms nipped in the bud, probably by squirrels. I have seen very little bunny damage this spring. I think they know my yard is stinky. Can squirrels smell?

I used to have over 150. I will have to start planting fall tulips again. My numbers are dwindling!

My patch (16) in the front lawn, at least 25 years old now, is blooming happily under my constant watch!

Cherry Trees are Blooming in the New Japanese Garden!

Cherry Tree Promenade - entry to Japanese Garden

Last year the new Japanese Garden at Frederik Meijer Gardens & Sculpture Park opened after the cherry trees had already bloomed, so this was the first year to experience the Promenade of Cherry Trees at the main entrance to the Japanese Gardens. The trees are young and still modest, but they were in full bloom when I visited the gardens midweek. They seemed unharmed by the snow and cold we experienced in early April. The day was overcast and the colors are muted, but I was happy to have the opportunity to walk the grounds and avoid any crowds of visitors

Another view close to the enormous rock

A contorted variety

Three Okame cherry trees were planted in 2012 near the entry to the garden.

Cherry Promenade from across the pond

Weeping cherry

A loaded branch

Two favorite rocks

Pine "leaning in"

Closeup of budding branch

A favorite secluded bench

The immaculate Zen garden 

The Japanese Garden is a remarkable place, a great place for a stroll, or a place to sit and meditate--if you have the time! Even when it is not yet all fully budded and bloomed, the garden has great beauty of design, gorgeous rocks, calming waterfalls--and today, all those pretty cherry trees!

Return of the Amaryllis

March 11, 2016

Yes, my one amaryllis bloomed again in early March, long before Easter this year. I even set it outside for a day in the sunshine. Two side shoots are forming. Will they bloom, too?

Summer Storm Returns

Hibiscus 'Summer Storm'

Today this bug-riddled Hibiscus returned in full glory, with four full unblemished blooms. I don't know what is eating it but I will find the insecticidal soap and hit it tomorrow.

Virginia Bluebells Return

Virginia bluebells return, blooming under the magnolia.

A Canna Blooming in my Sun Room

The daffs, a few Lenten Roses, pulmonaria and some early Kaufmanniana tulips--that's about it for color so far this Spring, but the cannas which I retrieved from M's yard waste can last November have come back to bloom again, a happy bit of yellow which I am anxious to get in the ground or a larger pot soon. But freezing night temps are predicted again this week and patience must prevail.

Amaryllis Blooms Again

Once again, the Amaryllis bloomed in April, blooming with one stalk, in triplicate. I did repot it last winter with a slightly larger pot. The first bloom happened while I was in NYC, first seen on April 6. This photo was taken on April 12. No second stalk evident so far, but again the bloom was very tall and striking.

Photo of the Day - Ornamental Kale

Here in zone 5 (5B or even 6A) this ornamental kale returned for a second year, becoming quite monstrous. We had heavy snow cover here in Michigan most of the winter, but I have never seen this kind of regrowth before. I am always pleased to see these kinds of anomalies in the garden. It keeps things interesting!

A second kale also returned (bottom right), out of the three that had been planted the previous fall here in client P's front yard, but remained more modest in size.

Photo of the Day - Pink Hibiscus Hedge

On a street near where I live my eye caught a whole lot of pink blooms today. I turned my car around to take a photo. It was a whole hedge of hibiscus. Wow.

Photo of the Day - Asiatic Lily after the rain

Photo of the Day - Juneberry aka Serviceberry or Amelanchier

Lupine in the Church Garden

Planted in May of 2013, the three lupine plants in the church garden came into their full glory in early June this year. Like over-sized exclamation points, they demand notice. Blooming simultaneously with the iris, they dominated the small annuals, planted the previous week and struggling to establish in the hot sun. The spectacular flowers of the lupines (or lupins) are not to be ignored, but sadly, they soon fade like most perennials. Their foliage usually remains interesting. I hope they survive the heat of summer in this sunny location and return another day.

The Perfect Pink Peony

Photo of the Day - Lupine

Photo of the Day - Branch of Coralburst Crabapple

Amaryllis Blooms for Hubby's Birthday

Okay. I'm actually getting bored with this photographing this amaryllis. I applied some Picassa magic--to hide the exercise bike in the background! However, this is the second stalk, and it also developed 4 flowers, this one opening a few weeks later, about the time of the husband's birthday. He could care less, but this bloom is a little hard to ignore on the dining room table. But 8 spectacular blooms this year! I am a proud mama.

Photo of the Day - Amaryllis Blooms for our Anniversary

So excited that the amaryllis has once again bloomed, this time with 4 blooms and a side shoot yet to open. It usually blooms for me at Easter (rather than Christmas) but Easter is late this year.

March Blooms in Michigan Found Only Indoors

My poinsettias are still holding up. But they represent WINTER.

 This week the sun was out and the massive Michigan snows are beginning to melt. I broke down and purchased a pot of tete-a-tete daffodils. For the first time in months it felt like winter's back had finally been broken.

The mini daffodils I planted last fall at the front of the church garden are buried under mounds of cold snow. Who knows when they will emerge this year?

It will take weeks to melt the near record snows of this winter, but a few sunny days near 30 degrees bring hope that March will indeed end with lambs and bunnies romping through green grass and daffodils.

In the parking lot of the store with the daffodils I found this Michigan snow mountain:

Snow mountain with footprints and melting edges

Photo of the Day - Dahlia

Many dahlias are blooming around the borders of Aunt V's vegetable garden