Coleus in a Vase on Monday

The Coleus (C. scutellarioides) plants in my outdoor pots were top-heavy. So, after deadheading them, I decided to create a display dedicated to Coleus, alone. Last year, I made an arrangement with foliage, alone, but it included foliage from several plant genera and species. This arrangement, in this post, (above) is simply several varieties of Coleus.

I gathered as many plant tags as I could to ID them, and while I didn't get them all, among them are 'Wizard Jade,' 'Rainbow Multicolor,' 'Red Green,' 'Wizard Scarlet,' 'Kong Lime Sprite,' and 'Black Dragon.' Here they are, in no particular order:

They provide plenty of color and variety for their vase.

For more arrangement ideas from around the world, check out Cathy's 'In a Vase on Monday' meme, over at Rambling in the Garden.

Vignettes for Six on Saturday

For this "Six on Saturday," I'm focusing on plant combinations and "vignettes" that have met or exceeded my expectations this summer. The first is the grouping in the center of the back garden under the middle Oak tree.

At the center, Wild Senna (S.  hebecarpa) isn't blooming yet, but its tall, healthy stalks provide structure. In the pot, the purple Shamrock Oxalis (O. vulcanicola 'Zinfandel') is happy in the partial shade. Patches of lavender Alliums (A. tanguticum 'Summer Beauty') flank the sides, and ground covers and Ostrich Ferns (Matteuccia struthiopteris) frame the front and back.

My potted plants in this partially shady spot just off the patio are colorful and overflowing, as usually happens by this time of the summer. They get dappled sun, off and on all day. The pots combine a mix of various Coleus, Impatiens, Dracaena Spikes, and Callas.

In the side garden--which gets continuous, western sun all afternoon--the Mexican Sunflowers (Tithonia rotundifolia 'Goldfinger') and the False Sunflowers (Heliopsis helianthoides) are performing beautifully this year, with bright and complimentary colors. While I've planted them near each other in the past, they seem particularly happy this summer.

Nearby, the Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) seem happy, too, paired with 'Autumn Joy' Sedums (Hylotelephium spectabile). I had to plant some new Butterflyweed seedlings (Asclepias tuberosa), because the plants in this spot sadly disappeared during the winter (not enough snow cover?). Hopefully, they'll return and fill in next spring and summer. Fortunately, I have other Milkweeds in other locations for the monarch butterflies.

Another combination I've planted together in the past pairs Tropical Impatiens (I. hawkeri) and Angelonias (A. angustifolia). This duo is SunPatiens 'Compact Purple Candy' and AngelDance 'Violet Bicolor' Angelonia. The colors are luscious, and the plants are great companions in the pot.

Finally, I added 'Summer Beauty' Alliums (A. tanguticum) around the mailbox a couple of years ago. They've filled in, they're VERY happy in this spot, and they're covered with pollinators of all types. More on that later...

Thanks to Jim for hosting the "Six on Saturday" meme! To join, head on over to Garden Ruminations.

Six on Saturday: Rose Blooms at Peak Display

I'm "borrowing" an idea AND I'm cheating for this Six on Saturday. The borrowed idea is to focus on one type of plant/bloom, in this case Roses. I'm cheating because I'm including one that isn't quite blooming yet (on the arbor in the first photo above), but I'm including a bloom from last year:

1. This is Climbing Prairie Rose (Rosa setigera), and for some reason it's simply taking a little longer to bloom this year than last year. But it's a beauty when it happens.

All the others here are blooming or have just finished blooming:



2. Here's an unknown cultivar that was here when we moved to this property more than 20 years ago, and it wasn't marked. It's a short little buddy, but it has a beautiful color and shape.



3. Next is Rosa X Oso Easy Double Pink. It's perhaps the hardiest and longest-blooming Rose in my garden. I started out with two shrubs of different sizes, and over the years the smaller one has caught up with the larger one.



4. Rosa X  'At Last' is such a lovely color, and the scent is amazing. It doesn't bloom as long as some of the others, but it's a beautiful flower, and sometimes a repeat bloomer.



5. Another unmarked Rose that greeted us when we moved in all those years ago, this one above is ruffly, hardy, and a deep Fuchsia color.

6. Finally, here's the Rose my paternal great-grandfather created, we think by crossing a tea Rose with a wild Rose. The story of its beginning goes back to a farm in Minnesota (northern U.S.) in the early 20th Century. Our family nicknames for it are 'Sweet Mary' and 'Grandpa Buffham Rose.'

I have a couple more Rose varieties in the garden, but they will have to wait for another post. Thanks to Jim at Garden Ruminations for hosting Six on Saturday!

A Simple Early Summer Bouquet

I prepared a very simple vase this week, for reasons I'll share at the end. Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday.

The star of the show is Ornamental Onion Allium 'Globemaster.'



Just as lovely, and supporting the star, is Cranberrybush Viburnum (V. trilobum). The blooms are a little more open than last week, but still good elements for the arrangement.



The Viburnum foliage is fun, too. It forms the framework, along with the three Hosta leaves.



The Siberian Irises (I. sanguinea) are blooming now, as well, so I included a couple stems in the arrangement.



Here's a view of one out in the garden.



So, it's a simple collection. Head on over to Rambling in the Garden to share your garden arrangements, and to see others from around the world.

I'm taking a little break from blogging for a few days, as I'll soon head to the Garden Fling in Memphis, Tenn. The Fishman is caring for the puppy, kitty, and garden while I'm gone. I'll have many things to report on when I get back!

Monday's Vase: Experimental and Tried-and-True

It's a time of transition from spring to summer, including for garden plants and blooms. The elements for arrangements are plentiful, and will continue to expand in the weeks ahead. Thanks to Cathy for hosting In a Vase on Monday.

For this week's vase, after a little research, I've included some blooms and foliage I haven't used much in the past, along with some reliable standards.



I've used Cranberrybush Viburnum (V. trilobum), but perhaps not enough. It's a perky bloomer that brightens the bouquet, and its Maple-shaped foliage adds visual interest, too. The vase life is somewhat short (four to seven days), but that's long enough to make it worthwhile.



I don't recall cutting Wild Geraniums (G. maculatum) previously. They're beautiful flowers and currently very plentiful, in nature and in the back garden. I was surprised to learn they have a long vase life, so I'll likely use them more in the future.



Another native wildflower I included is Virginia Waterleaf (Hydrophyllum virginianum). While it apparently has a short vase life, it adds some nice filler to the arrangement for a few days.



Moving on to standbys I've frequently used for arrangements: Bleeding Heart (Lamprocapnos spectabilis) adds structure and brilliance to any arrangement.



Angelonia (A. angustifolia 'AngelDance') is somewhat understated, but lovely as a spiky companion in the grouping. It has a short vase life but, again, worth it for a few days of beauty.



Hosta leaves add structure, depth, and visual interest. I don't know what species or variety this is. So many Hostas were here when we moved in more than two decades ago, and I've never purchased any new ones.



The combination of elements seems to work, and most of the cuttings even perked up after several hours in the vase. Yay.



I'm cheating a bit, including this little vase of Lilies of the Valley (Convallaria majalis). They're finished blooming now, and this vase was from a few days ago, but I enjoyed the simplicity.

Finally, I share some blooms I wish I could include in the arrangement...





We have two Korean Lilac shrubs (Syringa meyeri), which, because of unseasonably cool May weather have been blooming much longer than "normal." Experience has taught me that, sadly, their blooms only last a couple of days in a vase. But their beauty, scent, and form make them the current stars of the garden.

Head on over to Rambling in the Garden to share your garden arrangements, and to see others from around the world.

For those in the U.S., have a meaningful and blessed Memorial Day.

The Butterflies of 2024

Monarch

Happy New Year!

It's winter outside my door, of course, but during the "warm" months, I enjoy tracking and counting butterflies during my hikes and garden adventures, and then reporting my sightings to wisconsinbutterflies.org.

This post includes a few of my butterfly sightings of the past year. There were many more; I tried to include one photo of each species, but I included two monarchs (and some monarch eggs) and two common buckeyes...just because. I also saw some great spangled fritillaries, but the photos were not good. And, of course, I saw many more butterflies that I didn't photograph.

This exercise reminds me why I so enjoy spring, summer, and fall in my part of the world. Winter, meh. Anyway, here goes...

 

American Lady

Black Swallowtail

Cabbage White

Common Buckeye

Fiery Skipper

Eastern Tailed Blue

Least Skipper

Monarch

Monarch Eggs (and Ant)

Mourning Cloak

Common Buckeye

Northern Broken Dash

Orange Sulphur

Painted Lady

Eastern Comma

Pearl Crescent

Red Admiral

Silver-Spotted Skipper

Red-Spotted Purple

Sachem

Clouded Sulphur

Summer Spring Azure

Viceroy

All photos were taken in local natural areas, at botanical gardens, and on my own property. I miss the butterflies, and I look forward to many sightings in the year ahead.