You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

The Blues (and Whatnot)

I really love blue flowers. I think they add so much to a garden. They especially look good with my yellow/apricot/orange roses and daylilies. I've been adding lots lately to The Garden of Good and Evil. I recently planted Penstemon heterophyllus 'Electric Blue', Echinops 'Plantinum Blue', Campanula persicifolia 'Coerulea', Veronica teucrium 'Royal Blue' and Delphinium 'Delfix Blue'.

Geranium 'Brookside'

Angelonia angustifolia


Delphinium 'Delfix Blue'
Delphiniums don't do very well in the south, but this is a smaller one, and they were selling it here, so I'm giving it a try. It's the most beautiful shade of blue.

I think I've obtained my goal of filling up this garden. I love that all-smushed-together cottage garden look. Plus it cuts down on weeds.

Lilium 'Tango Ladylike'
I love the unusual coloring of this asiatic lily. It's just about all faded out here. My lily love is fairly recent. I didn't like them for years and years. Now I think they're a great addition.

A few years ago, wild snapdragons (Linaria vulgaris) starting coming up everywhere in this garden. I like their delicate look, and they're great for filling in. They're really easy to pull out anywhere I don't want them.

I've received my last roses of the season. These are from Roses Unlimited. They send the healthiest, most beautiful plants. Now I just have to figure out where to plant them all. Only one has spot so far.

I got 'Clementina Carbonieri' (Replacing 'Mme. Charles' in Good and Evil. Now I have to figure out where to move 'Mme. Charles'.), 'Mrs. B.R. Cant', 'Duchesse de Brabant', 'Buff Beauty' and 'Adam'. I'm going to have to expand!

I'm finished ordering/buying plants. For this year. Maybe.


I adore garden statuary. I have several small ones. I so want something large and prominent. I don't even know where to look. Maybe I should hit the flea market.

Good and Evil Girl


Flower Girl, my favorite

This is a busted up statue girl from my mother's garden. She used to be part of a fountain. I'm thinking of using her in my future Ruins Garden.

OK, here are this week's roses:

'Graham Thomas', a favorite

'Mrs. R.M. Finch'

'Fair Bianca'

'Irene Watts'

'Martine Guillot'

'Martine Guillot'


On my back porch:


Some critters:
Henderson, being cool

Max, being Max

AmieRuth, being all proper

Clementine and Magloria, being sweet

Look at my lotus! It's huge and so so beautiful!

Please bloom, most glorious lotus!

10 comments:

Randy said...

Oh I think I've found a new favorite place to visit! :-) This statement is so true: You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt. I so glad you found us so I could link back to your blog.--Randy

karenleigh said...

Randy, yay! I love your blog and am very happy you came to mine. That statement has been so true for me too. Gardening is definitely my therapy and has saved me so many times.

karenleigh

Susan Morrison said...

Blue is fabulous in the garden, and you're using some of my favorite plants, although I prefer G. Rozanne to Brookside, as it seems a little heartier. Once upon a time I thought white flowers were an easy garden choice because they're neutral, but I know now that blue is actually the most unifying color. I especially love it mixed with peach blooms and it looks like you do too!

karenleigh said...

Susan, I think I may have Rozanne planted in my little garden by the road. I planted some geranium there last year, but I can't remember which, and it hasn't bloomed yet.

I agree that blue is unifying. I can't get enough of it (obviously).

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

It all looks very pretty. I think I just bought that angelonia today or at least a very similar one. I hope you get a lotus bloom or two or three!

Randy said...

I, too, love blue flowers! Blue is my favorite color and is stunning in the garden. Any hue, shade or variation thereof is fine with me ;0) Great post! Oh! And what garden would be complete without a friendly feline lazing about?

--Jamie @ J&R

karenleigh said...

Catherine, I love how orchid-y angelonia looks. It will bloom all summer long. Oh, thank you for your lotus bloom wish! That would be such a thrill. It seems so exotic.

karenleigh said...

Jamie, another blue lover, yay! I will plant just about any blue flower. They make every other color look better.

It's amazing to me how cats (I have another one also) and chickens can co-exist. I was so worried about that, but they don't even pay attention to each other. I agree that a garden isn't a garden without a cat around.

Thank you!

tom | tall clover farm said...

Karen I'm so glad you dropped by Tall Clover Farm for an online visit, because now I get to discover your lovely site and gorgeous garden.

Your zone is a little colder than mine which is perfect, b/c if you can grow in 7b NC, no doubt the plant will thrive in a milder zone 8.

And since you love blues, let me share one of my new favorites, a west coast native, Penstemon heterophyllus ‘Blue Springs.' It appears to be tough as nails and a real eye catcher.

karenleigh said...

Tom, I'm so happy and flattered that you came to my blog. Your farm and life are beautiful, and I've loved reading about it all the past few days.

I'm envious of your land. Fruit trees! And I would so have some goats!

Thank you for the Penstemon tip. I'm always excited to discover new blues.