Move Over Continuous Blooms- Patience is the Hardest Garden Lesson to Learn

I was chatting with a fellow gardener on facebook about a growing hardy geraniums and she shared that she will have to wait untill next year for hers to reach the pillow effect she likes. We both agreed, patience is one thing you have to have as a gardener. Which got me thinking; we talk about all there is to learn about gardening and how to be a fine gardener but maybe the one thing, the most important thing, we should remind ourselves is without patience, all hope is lost.

Lesson #1

With Patience we Learn --- How to have Continuous Blooms in the Garden.  We are all seduced by the flowers in the garden center and we cannot be blamed for that- they are stunning!  Unfortunately our cars are filled with plants to carry home that are blooming in the moment because we want that color, that beauty now.  And our newest garden friends don't stand a chance. They see fabulous photos in books, magazines, even your garden blogs and say, I want that! So, they head to the garden center and buy what is blooming.

The problem is, unless you are heavily into annuals your garden will shine as bright as can be, but in a few weeks green will be the main color. Now this is not a bad thing if you picked great foliage plants and plants with varying heights and forms. But seriously, many of us are new gardeners and we are seduced by the blooms. We aren't thinking about the more advanced garden design concepts like texture, form and the Sky-Man-Earth design rule.

Wouldn't it be great if garden centers had large posters of gardens filled with plants that will be blooming in a few weeks or at the end of the season? Sure the tags show us the blooms, but those are tiny pictures. With gorgeous posters of the summer and fall garden in bloom those plants would fly off the shelves.  We would still need patience to make it through the season to enjoy the later blooms, but at least we would have that image to carry us through.

Yellow is the New Purple

Yellow is the new purple in the sun garden. It wasn’t too long ago that the purple irises were center stage in this little plot in the sun.  Passing under the Magnolia grandiflora and up the steps to the adopt-a-plot gardens, the sun garden is one of the first gardens you will see.

The punch of color from the generous stands of purple iris was a welcome sight after months of neutral colors that dominate much of our Cincinnati winters.  But now, with summer in full swing, it is the bright yellow that catches my eye and has me lingering near this little pocket of color and blooms.

 

Loosestrife, Yarrows and Daylilies almost glow they are so rich in color. The cool, relaxed look of the mint softens what verges on being too much bright yellow while blurring the line between sidewalk and garden.

A few pops of yellow are in the adjacent rock garden - which is, by the way, screaming for another major edit- unifying the two plots.

Morning Haze

Mornings at the park are solitary. There often many people about the park in the morning. The grounds are quiet and still sleepy from the night. The air is alive with bees, signing birds and the hum of lawnmowers. Photographers, walkers, even joggers keep a respectful distance from each other. Like a well-choreographed ballet we move with each other, at a great distance from each other. We each have our own space in which to come awake and take in the new day. We are alone yet in the company of others.

This morning the haze had no yet lifted and it enveloped me. I had to trust that the pavilion still stood, for at the far end of the main lawn where I passed, it was lost in the haze. Only the occasional flash of color from a runner’s bright jacket or reflection of light off a dog’s collar gave any indication that the other morning visitors were about. Even the sound of the mowers was muffled.

If you can grade a haze to be good or bad to walk in, I would say this was the perfect morning walking haze. It reminded me of snorkeling in the Caribbean surrounded by fish that always kept themselves at a safe arm’s distance.  I was surrounded but never crowed by the fish. The haze was this way. Within my bubble was clear, crisp air, and just beyond a bone colored curtain obstructed my view. I do not care for misty days or heavy, foggy mornings that leave me feeling chilled and damp and needing to refresh myself before heading to work. This was a soft haze. I could see the water in the air as the sun streamed through the open branches of the magnolias but I remained dry and warm as I cut through those very bands of suspended water.

I took this photo, one of the last photos taken from that morning’s visit to the park, not terribly enthused with what would result. Now it is one of my favorites.

This Week in Bloom - The North Garden

This is by no means a complete log of all that is in bloom in the North Garden this week. I came up with the idea to photograph all the blooms in one of the main gardens each week as I was driving to the park early this morning. I blame the Buskin's coffee I was sipping on my way to Ault Park for emboldening me to think that recording all the blooms in one morning, before I head to work as being perfectly doable.  But you know, once I get ahold of an idea I hate to let go.

Next week I will allocate far more time to record what is blooming in the South Garden.

When I could, I added the name of the plant. A few names are alluding me and some – I honestly do not know.. I will try to update as names are provided.

Tiarella cordifolia

Hellebores

Pulmonaria (Lungwort)

Cherry Tree

Daffodils

Sessile Bellwort (Wild Oats)

Primrose?

 Korean Spice Viburnum

Virginia Bluebells

 Wheeping Redbud

Iris

Bergenia cordifolia, or pigsqueak

Magnolias

These are the Days Gardeners are Born

As I strolled about the park yesterday morning I couldn’t help but wonder, how could anyone not fall in love with gardening on a day like today?  It was the perfect morning at the park. The sky was clear, the breeze soft and spring and summer were meeting with a gentle embrace.

The Star Magnolias are letting go of their flowers and white petals drift to the beds and walkways, gently covering spring flowers and newly emerging perennials.

Throughout the gardens, signs of spring and hints of summer can be seen; daffodils with sunny yellow faces, hellebores (one of the first harbingers of spring) are lush and heavy with blooms and irises are blooming. The Spicebush Viburnum is also starting to bloom. The scent of the shrub’s blossoms, carried by breezes around the gardens, stop visitors mid-stride as they inhale deeply, taking in the intoxicating aroma and ask, what is that wonderful smell? As if awoken from a winter’s trance, they look about the gardens with fresh eyes, seeing spring for the first time.

I love this time of year when everyone is light and happy; relieved to be free of the burden of cold, gray days and heavy clothes. At last we are free to be outside and in the sun.

When the gardens begin to come to life it is not only gardeners who are bent over, studying every new green shoot and promising flower bud, everyone appears to be deeply fascinated with seeing what is emerging in the gardens. Leaves are gently pushed to the side by curious onlookers, releasing the distinct aroma of rich soil that has been warmed by the spring sun.  

This is the season of reflection, planning and much planting. As I roll a clump of dark soil in my hand to feel its life giving force against my skin, I study my gardens. I am not alone. Everywhere gardeners are studying what is needed for this season’s gardens.  We are remembering what we loved and what we felt was a bit disappointing in seasons past. At the park, I compare notes with my fellow gardeners, seeking their advice and inspiration. As we formulate plans for our gardens, park visitors are asking…  What we are going plant? What is that coming up over there?  When will you plant your new plants?   

This time of year, we are all gardeners..

Trees In Bloom Act Two- Cherries

Few events drive visitors to the park in such numbers as the blooming of the Cherry Trees. It may be the ultimate sign that spring has arrived to Cincinnati. Ault Park is adorned with countless delicate, blushing pinks blooms.  

Entering the park via Observatory guests gently turn to the right between two lawns generously planted with Weeping Cherries. Any other day, we zoom past this spot unaware that for a few fleeting days, or a week or so if the weather is kind, this spot is magical.  Joggers pause, cars pullover, photographs takes countless images (I am one of them!) and this is the place to while away a morning or decompress after work.

The lawn adjacent to the soccer field (below) was planted to commemorate the park's 100th anniversary. A mulch path weaves around the cherry grove; an excellent place for quiet reflection and meditation.

Trees in Bloom Act One - Star Magnolias

The Star Magnolias are in the spotlight at Ault Park and all around the neighborhood.  I have been watching the buds closely the last few weeks as our weather took us on a roller coaster of a ride. Warm Saturdays followed by snowy Sundays had me nervous and I am sure the plants were perplexed. 

The outer shell of the buds began to ease open a few days ago, revealing glimpses of the white petals within. Then, as if on cue, the stars came out with their blooms announcing spring has arrived.

Star Magnolia, Magnolia stellata is a small tree or large shrub, 15 to 20 feet tall with a 10 to 15 foot spread. When left untouched the multi-stemmed tree forms a pleasing round shape with branches low to the ground. Usually I see this tree planted as a specimen or focal tree in the landscape. I would love to see it used more as a privacy screen or backdrop for a perennial garden.

At the park, Star Magnolias line the adopt-a-plot lawn. The lower branches have been pruned creating a stunning effect. The branches reach out over the gardens creating a graceful canopy. The architecture of the tree is more pronounced when it is limbed up and it is easier to appreciate the light grey trunk.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of selectively pruning the Star Magnolia is the winter interest they provide. Many flowering trees can get lost in the background once their blooms fade away, but the magnolias at the park, with their strong features anchor the gardens and the landscape of the adopt-a-plot lawn year-round.