Perfect June blooms and foliage

With the Peonies blooming (two weeks later than last year), it's a perfect day in my USDA zone 5 garden as I write this post for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (a day late!) and Foliage Follow-Up.

This is the time of year when I can't imagine a better place to be than right in my backyard. Of course, there are gardens 'round the world just as lovely (in fact, most are better maintained and much more impressive), but I'm perfectly contented in my little space during late spring/early summer. There's a light scent of Mock Orange in the air, it's warm enough for summer water sports but not too hot to sit outside comfortably, and the days are sunny (with occasional thunderstorms in the evening).

In addition to the Peonies, here are a few additional bloomers that captured my camera lens:

Bleeding Hearts of various types (Lamprocapnos spectabilis, Dicentra formosa) are still blooming and quite lush and healthy this year.

Cushion Spurge (Euphorbia polychroma), though past its peak, is adding its chartreuse and yellow glow to the landscape.

Purple Sage (Salvia nemerosa) is dominating the potager garden on the west side of the house, and attracting plentiful pollinators.

The Lantanas (L. camara) are beginning to "leap" after a slow, cold, wet start to the growing season.

Drumstick Alliums (A. sphaerocephalon) are about to burst into bright purple puff balls.

The sight and scent of the Mock Orange (Philadelphus) shrubs fill their own perfect corner of the garden.

The fuchsia Roses of unknown classification (shown in this blog's top banner with their second, later season stage of blooms) are bright and healthy.

Transitioning to foliage, here we see the scale and contrast of the fuchsia Roses with their neighbor Hostas and Bishop's Weed.

My first Barrenworts (Epimedium 'Creeping Yellow' and E. warleyense) seem happy in their new home. I love the way their leaves sparkle and flutter when watered.

The Golden Hops (Humulus lupulus 'Aureus') are filling in nicely on the obelisk.

Planters with my favorite Coleus mixes have a healthy start.

Our new Dwarf Dogwood (Cornus pumila) shrubs are growing nicely and have unexpectedly lovely, veined chartreuse foliage.

And finally, my first succulent planters are holding their own, though they have some issues, which I plan to describe in a future post.

All in all, it's a great time to be in my garden. I plan to spend as much time out there as possible in the days ahead. Happy Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up, and thanks to Carol and Pam for hosting! (And Happy Father's Day!)

Coming soon: The Garden Lessons Learned wrap-up. Please share a post or your thoughts about lessons you've learned during the past few months. To join in, click here to leave a comment with a link to your post. Thanks!

Do you ever throw caution to the wind?

Have you ever weighed the risks and benefits of doing something, and decided to go for it? Ever plunged headlong into an activity because you didn't want to miss out? If so, how did it turn out for you?

Last weekend, our master naturalist class took a field trip to the Kettle Moraine State Forest, about halfway between Madison and Milwaukee, Wis. While a good portion of the property is forest, the Scuppernong River Habitat Area is also within its boundaries. The Scuppernong Prairie is owned by the Department of Natural Resources, and was designated a State Natural Area in 1952.

Natural prairies are hard to find these days. Most here in the Midwest were snatched up by our European ancestors for agricultural land, because the soil is deep, rich, mesic silt loam—perfect for growing crops. The Scuppernong River Habitat Area, through partnerships with numerous state and federal agencies, has the potential of becoming the largest low prairie east of the Mississippi River.

This unique habitat is home to many plants that need very specific growing requirements. Our group had an opportunity to hunt for these unique plants ... but there were risks:


1. Tall grasses harboring wood ticks and deer ticks, which sometimes carry Lyme disease; and


2. Uneven ground, presenting the risk of twisting an ankle.

Most of us decided the rewards outweighed the risks. Happily, the rewards were great. Here are some of the treasures we found:

Blue-Eyed Grass (Sisyrinchium montanum)

Wood Betony (Pedicularis canadensis)

Prairie Phlox (Phlox pilosa)

Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)

Wild Indigo (Baptisia bracteata)

Blue Flag Iris (Iris versicolor)

White Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium candidum)

Yellow Lady's Slipper (Cypripedium parviflorum)

Prairie Smoke (Geum triflorum)

Was it worth the risks? Yes, but then again I didn't turn my ankle and I didn't find any ticks. If I had, would it still be worth it? Probably.

In any case, prairies are full of little treasures that you can't see unless you go into them. Walk gingerly, though ...

I'm linking this post with Donna's Seasonal Celebrations meme. One of my favorite summer activities is hiking.
To join the Lessons Learned meme before it wraps up on June 21, click here to leave a comment with a link to your post. Thanks!

Plant of the month: Viburnum opulus

Until recently, this Viburnum shrub was an unappreciated plant in my garden. I think I was too busy planning graduation parties and attending dance recitals and parent/teacher conferences. No complaints about that stage of life, and I wouldn't trade it for the world!

But because April, May, and June were always so busy, I didn't capture Viburnum opulus at its peak of beauty--when the inner florets were just breaking bud and sporting a soft peach tint.



The inner florets are fertile, and the outer florets are sterile, according to the Missouri Botanical Garden. I believe the variety in my garden is V. opulus var. americanum. Its synonym is V. trilobum, according to the USDA Plants Database. Common names include American Cranberrybush or Highbush Cranberry.

A few facts about this shrub:

• Native to all of Canada and the lower 48 U.S. states, but now found mostly in the north (the European variety is very similar);
• Hardy in USDA zones 2 to 7;
• Prefers full sun to part shade (mine is in heavy shade);
• Low maintenance and medium watering requirements;
• Attracts birds and butterflies; and
• Grows to 8 to 12 feet tall, and to the same dimensions in its spread.

Even as the florets fully open and wash out to a more universal white color, the blooms form a pleasant, lacy arc above the foliage.


Though it fades into the green background during the summer months, if you look closely, the foliage is beautiful in its own right--Maple-shaped and deeply veined. The leaves capture precipitation in interesting patterns.

Public Domain: USDA-NRCS Plants Database / Herman, D.E. et al. 1996.

In the autumn, the foliage turns a reddish orange color, and bright red berries add autumn and winter interest (if the birds don't eat them first).


This shrub resides in an embarrassingly unkempt section of my garden that I hope to rearrange and replant next fall or spring. Still, this Viburnum adds a touch of grace to even the most informal garden.

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Just a quick reminder that the "Lessons Learned" and "Seasonal Celebrations" memes are live until June 21, when we'll wrap up for the season! To participate, simply leave a link to your post or add your comments here. Thanks for joining in!

This post is linked to Dozens for Diana. Thanks for hosting!

Garden lessons learned: spring 2013

What have I learned this season? I honestly don't know where to start. I've learned and relearned so many facts during the past few weeks, that one post can't cover it. My training sessions through the Wis. Master Naturalist volunteer program at the Wehr Nature Center will wrap up in mid-June. Here's the ring binder:

You can't really see it, but it's quite thick. Did I read every word? Pretty close. Will I remember everything? Extremely doubtful.

Not all the material applies directly to this blog or to gardening. But a lot does.

The focus is on reducing the footprint. As John Muir said, and the nature center proclaims on its signage, "When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world."

That philosophy isn't really new to me, but the training has given me a deeper appreciation for, and knowledge of, my state's natural resources. Here are just a few things I've learned through the experience:

• If you have an opportunity to take a class that interests you, go for it! The master naturalist training has been an incredibly rewarding experience. If your state offers master gardener and/or master naturalist training--and you have the inclination and can make the time for it--don't hesitate.

• You're never too old to "go to school." One of the best parts of the training is all the new friends I've made--from young folks in their 20s to retirees; men and women; and people with all kinds of backgrounds and areas of expertise.

• The transition from early spring to late spring is even more dramatic when you only visit a place once a week. Each drive over to my class near Milwaukee was different--and Southern Wisconsin sprang to life before my eyes from April to June.

On a more practical level, here are a few plant-specific lessons I've learned--some from class, and others in my own garden:

• Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica) is an exotic invasive shrub in the Midwest. Not only does it crowd out light to native understory plants in a forest, it also threatens wildlife. Recent research reveals that Buckthorn releases a chemical compound into amphibian breeding grounds that disrupts their embryo development and hatching. Click here for more information regarding the research.

• Fens and Sedge meadows are among the rarest plant communities in North America. Only a select group of plants can tolerate their unique wetland conditions. They have a disproportionate number of rare, threatened, and endangered plant species, compared with other plant communities in the Great Lakes Region.

• Various species of insect-eating warblers occupy different parts of the same tree. They minimize competition by using different parts of trees to find food. Bay-breasted warblers tend to hang out in the tree canopy, for example, while myrtle warblers occupy the lower branches. Other warblers prefer other sections of the same tree.

• If you're planting Clematis in a garden with large deciduous trees, do it as early as possible during the growing season. This will give its growth a head start before the trees leaf out. Also, if rabbits are a problem in your garden, surround the Clematis with as many barriers as possible. Place aluminum foil at the base to help repel the rabbits. It might not look nice, but it will give the plants a chance to grow. Once established, you can remove the foil.

• Hold off planting Hyacinth Bean seeds if you're having a cold, wet spring. I planted some a couple of weeks ago, and while they've sprouted, they haven't shown much growth. Recently, I've read on a few blogs that they don't like cold, wet soil. They actually rot if the soil isn't warm and dry enough.

• Wild Ginger can be an effective deterrent to Garlic Mustard. For more information, read my previous post on this topic.

I could go on, but now it's your turn. What gardening and nature lessons have you learned this season? If you live in the Southern Hemisphere, how is your harvest?

Please join in the Lessons Learned meme by sharing a new or a previous post you've written about what you've learned this season. Instead of using a Linky this time, feel free to add the link to your comment on this post.

Please also join Donna at Gardens Eye View for the Seasonal Celebrations meme. Posts that cover both memes offer a chance to reflect on the past season and look ahead to the next at the same time. Both memes will be active until the solstice, when we'll post the wrap-ups. Happy Summer!