2011 Trek to Cottage Gardens Daylilies

Every year a couple girlfriends and I make the drive out to Medina, NY to visit Cottage Gardens Daylilies. We would all tell you it is worth the visit. This year was sunny and warm, perfect for strolling around looking at the flowers.The daylily field is quite the site to see during the month of July.

This year I bought the following four.

Alpine Mist


Only Believe


Minstrel Boy, yes I know terrible name, but the flower is gorgeous.


Skinny Dipping, very tall, just what I needed.

Brent Ross, the owner, is always helpful and friendly.


His wife Debbie and he have created a beautiful house garden containing other complimentary plants and even a water garden complete with water lilies.


I take so many photos of daylilies there, it is hard to pick just a few to show you. But here are some of the beauties that were blooming.

Plucky Pixie


Darlington County


Primal Scream


Twist and Spin


Mask of Eternity


I Wanna Piranha


Hope you enjoyed the pics!
If you would like to see all the photos on my photobucket album, Click Here.

Parade of Roses

Delphinuim and 'Vineyard Song'

I'm busy busy right now so I can't discuss much, but suffice it to say that June is my favorite month in the garden. I love my roses! So I'm posting some of my rose photos for you to to enjoy. : )


'Just Joey', Hybrid Tea


'St Cecelia', English


'Belle de Crecy', Gallica


'Hawkeye Belle', Buck


'Reine Des Violettes', Hybrid Perpetual


'Prairie Sunrise', Buck


'Darlow's Enigma' in a corner of the vegetable garden


'Mme. Ernest Calvat', Bourbon

Hope you enjoyed the pics!

Sometimes You Get Lucky When You Though You Were Not

Unidentified Old Rose

So 6 years ago on a warm day in Feb. I dug up my Bowl of Beauty peony to relocate it in my garden. I had it next to the front walk and it is much to tall for there. I posted on GW for trades of the extra when I dug it. I did a few trades.

One lady offered me a piece of an old rose she had. Her description was this, ""my heirloom rose which originally came from my husband's grandmother's house in Binghamton NY so it should thrive in your location. It has very fragrant double yellow blooms about 2 inches across, very thorny stems and shoots up new growth from the ground up at least 6 feet high--then with blooms all along the stem." So I said sure.

She sent me a dinky hardly rooted rose stick for the beautiful many eyed piece of peony I sent her. I was disappointed to say the least, but I didn't complain. Others sent better quality plants, and it really all works out in the end with trading. You always seem to end up with more than you wanted.
I managed to keep the stick alive. It grew a bit and the next year, I knew it was more of a species type rose. It never bloomed. The next year again it didn't bloom, but I posted pics of the bottom canes and foliage on the Antique Rose Forum on GardenWeb.



Everyone agreed it was probably Harrison's Yellow. This is a nice bright yellow rose, but not on my list of wants. So the next few years grew some and didn't bloom. I was getting quite annoyed with this little rose. I even contemplated ripping the darn thing out. But it had been so tough to stay alive, I didn't have the heart.
A couple days ago it finally started to bloom. I was expecting those bright Harrison's Yellow blooms, but that isn't what happened at all. The blooms are a pretty buttery yellow brushed with red giving an apricot coloration to them.


They fade to a creamy pink color.


So I posted these pics and a couple more on the Antique Rose Forum for ID. No one so far knows what it is besides that it is a hybrid spinosissima. I searched through the list on HelpMeFind.com to no avail.
It is ok though. I have a pretty rose I could of never bought in a garden center or even mail order it seems.


If someone comes along and IDs it, I'll let you know.

May, Going Out With A Bang

Poppy 'Princess Victoria Louise'

Many first blooms happened today!


Kevin's Theme Tall Bearded Iris blooming near the grapes.

As many of you in the northeaster part of the country know, we had the worst spring ever. It was the rainiest it has ever been, and I am not exaggerating. It was also cold. Well we went from that straight to summer. It was hot yesterday and today was about 90! So this really kick started the blooms.


Hansa, a rugosa rose

Hansa is reliably early. Most years it does begin to bloom by the end of May. Once in full bloom, it smells fantastic. The scent travels a long way.


Iris tectorum(Japanese Roof Iris)

I was thrilled to see these! I thought they were Iris cristata when I got them. These things happen sometimes. So Iris cristata needs to be acquired.


Hemerocallis lilioasphodelus syn. H. flava (Lemon Lily)

Ok so it is not a very good pic of this daylily, but I had to include it since it started blooming today. Most years it is even earlier. I see people complain about this flower, that it has too short of a bloom time. I say who cares! It is a daylily blooming super early, and it smells good too.


Viburnum trilobum (American Cranberry Viburnum)

So this one has been blooming for a little while now. I don't often see it advertised, but this shrub's blossoms smell good. Later in the year, it will make edible fruit which the birds love. If you don't grow viburnums, you should!! They are wonderful shrubs. Even when out of bloom, they look attractive. I have this one, V. Carlcephalum, which I've posted pics of before, and V. dentatum 'Chicago Luster' (Arrow Wood Viburnum.) Chicago Luster still is in bud at the moment.
I was at first afraid of them not doing well since the open spots I had were in full sun. Viburnums are often though of a part shade shrubs. I've found that as long as the soil it good and well mulched, they are happy.


Tree Wisteris, that I trained

Lastly, I leave you with this pic. No it is not blooming now. It is done, but I didn't get around to posting anything when it was in its height of bloom this month. I wish you could see how wonderful this looks in person.