What’s in Bloom

One of the great things about gardening is the ability to create planters to place around your property to fill in an empty space in a flower bed, or to create a focal point. There’s no limit to your creativity since the planters can be placed wherever needed and the contents can be as exotic as you want.

Here are three that can be seen around the Haggerty Education Center: A large terracotta planter containing Billbergia cv. Hallelujah Queen’s Tears, orange Zinnias and a delicate white Bacopa. Another pot placed in the shade behind the handicap ramp contains Bacopa again, a couple of bright red flowers (perhaps a Begonia and Petunia) and a large leafy tropical all nicely backed up by an Oakleaf Hydrangea in full bloom. The third planter has a trellis for the pink Mandevilla to twine up plus a dark leaved vine to provide contrast between the pink and white flowers. I call this one Pretty in Pink!

There are more planters scattered around the property, so why not visit and try to find them all!

Picture credits: Margery Ennist.

I had a chance to walk around the Arboretum grounds this week, even in the heat, I was able to find shady spots and cool plantings such as the crisp, green and white combination of Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ leaves and Hydrangea macrophylla cv. Tokyo Delight lacecap flowers (Wolf Eyes Japanese Dogwood and Tokyo Delight Bigleaf Hydrangea) next to the first bay in the parking lot. A large planting of purple Stachys officinalis (Bishop’s Wort, Betony or Wood Betony) completely surrounded the shady base of a tree at the end of another parking bay. As I strolled along, I happened upon a lovely view of the driveway coming up from Hanover Avenue, beautifully framed by shady greenery.

Come for a visit and discover your own special shady places!

Photo credits: Margery Ennist

June is here, the traditional month for weddings and bridal bouquets. Even though all brides don’t choose all white flowers for their bouquets, some of the blossoms to be seen at the Arboretum would certainly make lovely ones. For example, Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Snowflake’ (Oakleaf Hydrangea) and the appropriately named, feather-like flowers of Astilbe ‘Bridal Veil’ (False Goatsbeard) would make a stunning combination; also the beautiful flowers of Stewartia pseudocamellia would provide an eye-catching focal point in any bouquet. For a totally different look, how about adding a deep red Calycanthus raulstonii ‘Hartlage Wine’ (Raulston’s Allspice or Sweetshrub) to the mix?

Make time for a visit soon, there is so much to see and enjoy!

Many thanks to Heather Emelander for this week’s photographs.