6 on Saturday – 15JUN2024 – Summer’s Eve

Chris Mousseau

Officially summer next week, with temperatures forecast to be very summer-like, but this week it’s still spring, with very cool days that have helped blooms last longer and two inches of rain Thursday overnight, encouraging the veggies, in particular, to put on bursts of growth. Jim hosts SIx on Saturday at Garden Ruminations and I’ll start my six today with a few flowering shrubs. This is Ninebark ‘El Diablo’ – Physocarpus – with gorgeous purple leaves perfectly framing creamy, purply flowers.

Next is one of two Mock Orange varieties I have – this is the first to bloom, Philadelphus ‘Starbright,’ looking better than ever since I chopped down an overhanging wild cherry last year.

Alliums will be a star of the garden most of the year. Currently on view are the giant flowerheads of A. cristophii – aka Star of Persia. Here are two photos – one with them widely spaced out, and one with some planted close together. Plus a closeup. The shades of blue/purple are a bit different depending on lighting conditions…

A pair of perennials now, looking like small forests from a certain angle. First is Stachys byzantina, Lamb’s Ear, and the second is a culinary sage – Salvia – that has come back year after year for a while now.

And finally back to the kitchen garden. We enjoyed snow peas in a stir fry last night, and the lettuce from a raised bed has leaves that are hamburger perfect. Have a great weekend everyone!

29 Comments

  1. Good morning Chris,

    Another interesting set of photos – thank you!

    Your garden is quite a bit further along than ours – and it looks terrific.

    Took your advice and went to Garden Ruminations – and was pleased to see his Rodgeresia. I have 3 – although they are not blooming as well as his. Still. You don’t see them too often. He is near-ish to Cornwall – Ontario I presume, and not the UK.

    In my garden, one of my favourite (and completely accidental) combinations is a burgundy scabioso and lady’s mantle.

    

    And my husband’s grandmother’s peonies look grand behind nepata (this has got to be one of the longest blooming plants I know)

    

    Anyway, I’m very much enjoying your blog – keep up the good work.

    Best wishes, Martha PS I’m seeing Jan and Mandy today for the Millbrook Garden and House tour.

    >

    Liked by 2 people

    1. How was Millbrook????

      Jim is in Cornwall, England! And you have Rodgersia! I had one plant in Toronto that I brought here when we moved…it has disappeared, I’m afraid. I think it just gets too dry in summer for it.

      I agree about Nepeta – one of the earliest perennials to bloom and it’ll last all summer. I’ve only had mine for three years; the clump is getting larger but it doesn’t appear to have spreading runners or anything like that, which I’m happy about. It’s growing amidst a patch of orange California poppies – you can imagine the colours!!

      Like

    1. I really love the flower on the Salvia which is a good thing since I rarely (if ever) know how to prepare the leaf to use as a herb when cooking. I’ve seen them deep fried on cooking shows but ugh – that doesn’t really appeal to me. Do I just let them dry, crumble then sprinkle on roasting chicken? Isn’t sage the integral part of Poultry Seasoning you buy in a tin or jar? I’m at a loss,

      Like

  4. The Ninebark is so pretty…fragrant? A friend just sent me something from facebook: if you have Alliums, cut the stem…as long as you want…& stick the stem in the ground or an arrangement. That way energy will go to the bulb & Allium bulbs will last longer…for years…just like you’re supposed to cut Tulips & Daffodils after blooming.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Thanks Alice – yes, there’s a debate about whether to leave the allium seedheads on or cut them down. Cutting them also prevents them from self-seeding everywhere, which can be a nuisance. It’s all about aesthetics but I’ve not seen or thought of cutting them and then sticking the stem in the ground! If there was a way to toughen up the stalk they would make interesting garden sculpture!

      Like

  8. A joyful collection of photos today. My mock orange bloomed this spring despite having been moved last year. The bloom of lamb’s ear surprises me each year. It is not what I would expect.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Wonderful that the mock orange bloomed for you! Flower and fragrance adds another few layers of enjoyment when walking about the garden, doesn’t it? I share your surprise about the lamb’s ear – I know the flower is purple but always forget the small size. I also always forget to deadhead before the seeds fly!

      Like

  9. The snow peas looks wonderful. I can never plant enough to get two servings! So I hoard them and eat them while my husband isn’t looking. I love the Alliums today. Oddly we can grow Philadelphus here, I haven’t seen that variety it is great looking.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. I think I planted the whole packet of snow pea seeds so we should get another meal or two! The Philadelphus variety is worth looking for – it was hybridized in Newfoundland (!!) and has really lovely, large fragrant flowers.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. I think the whole packet must be the secret. Nothing better than homegrown peas and beans. I realized at the end of our season I really wanted some fresh green beans. Philadelphus is another thing that doesn’t seem like it should grow here – and Newfoundland!

        Liked by 1 person

  10. After years of wanting to try it but never seeing it available, we suddenly acquired several ninebark for the landscapes here about two years ago. I do not remember the cultivar, but it has lighter bronzed foliage. I have enjoyed it as something that seems like it should inhabit more stylish gardens of New England. Mock orange, of course, grows wild here, but also looks stylish. Allium christophii is a relatively new acquisition for Tangly Cottage Gardening, along with Allium schubertii, and like ninebark, is something that I had wanted to try for quite a while.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. If you wait a few more years before pruning the ninebark you should see that it develops a quite lovely arching shape, and then the bark starts to peel, of course. Rejuvenation is required from time to time.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. That will be the difficult part. I tend to prune too frequently, and would prune annually if I could. However, because we lack assistance, these ninebark may not get pruned for many years, until they get overgrown. I already sort of like the bark, because I read about what it should look like. I also like arching form, such as forsythia and elderberries.

        Liked by 1 person

  11. This is a lovely six this week Chris. I am a great fan of both Physocarpos and Philadelphus. And your sage is really beautiful! My lamb’s ear has never flowered and I have no idea why – love those tall spiky flowers.

    Liked by 1 person

  12. Your mock orange stopped me. The only orange I know of, the trifoliate orange, is a nasty invasive here. I discovered that we do have a native mock orange, Philadelphus texensis var. coryanus, but it’s endemic to the limestone outcrops of west-central Texas. Are swallowtail butterflies attracted to mock orange? They adore trifoliate orange flowers; it’s one of the few places where they can be regularly found.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Your question intrigued me as I have seen a few swallowtails out and about this spring – apparently yes, they ARE attracted to Philadelphus blossoms! Now I’m even happier that I chopped down that cherry tree!

      Liked by 1 person

Comments are closed.