Iris 'Frans Hals'

◼ Often called the "Mother's Day Flower," Dutch Iris blooms in late spring, after the Tulips, with glorious, orchid-like flowers. at Wayside Gardens

Can't resist

They STILL Have 'em! Gargoyle Downspouts... Must be a good seller! Improvements

I want, I want...

Pottery Barn's current outdoor catalog is an amazing visual treat. Everything is cool, the colors are cool, the hanging bed and benches, the umbrellas...every single page, awesome!



OK, so I don't live in Oahu, and the tropical colors may not exactly work here, but the concepts, the blocks of color - get the look. And don't be afraid of color. This is as much fun as a bulb catalog. Lots of things circled.

PS: I'm liking this digital clipping. The colors won't fade like the magazine photos, and I can link to the source, or anything related.

The next coolest thing

Flagstone Mats... perfect for laying around the pond, on the sidewalk or driveway... Saw this on HGTV a (long) while back, just got a call from a rep... see all their products at Peninsula Rox Pro Delivered price for the Autum Horizon patio mats....5.4 sq ft per mat is $4.45/sq.ft

This is Autumn Horizon.

Bargain - Copper Rain Chain

Copper bell cups turn down spout runoff into a musical fountain. Attach at the end of a rain gutter or any steady flow of water Reproduces the sound of a stream or fountain
Each cup is 3-3/4" diameter x 4-5/16" L Cups link together to form a chain ITEM 94542-1VGA reg.$59.99 Now only $39.99

Found this at Harbor Freight Online. Have to see if they have it instore. Can't tell how LONG it is, that will be the determining factor as to whether this is a deal or not.

I've gotten a few things at Harbor Freight - real reasonably priced solar lights, which I figured I'd experiment with. The steel pathway lights have been lighting up every night for about a year now, I have one mounted on the greenhouse, and I just added some solar "rock" lights. They have the best price on adirondack chairs, not the highest grade, but they'll give you three or four years worth of use (painted). So I just buy more every year - the price is $29,99, $39.99 on sale, something like that.

◼ http://www.rainchainsdirect.com/
Rain Chains are relatively new to the United States and the western world in general. But in Japan they have been in use for hundreds of years. Called “kusari doi” in Japanese, rain chains have traditionally been used as a decorative downspout on both temples and domestic residences in Japan.

They were both aesthetically pleasing and functional, as they guided rain water run-off from the roof...

The coolest thing

Solar Cap And Wedge Lights
Solar Cap fits 4" and 5" square posts and has four bright LEDs.
Solar Wedge has three bright LEDs that cast a beam of light up to 15'.
2 or more Cap Lights/$49.95 ea. Wedge Lights/29.95 ea.

Mission Cap Lights Powered By The Sun - No Wiring Required!
These are at Plow and Hearth.

Chinese or Japanese Wisteria?

Photo from sheridangardens.com and Monterey Bay Nursery

☛ Wisteria floribunda -- JAPANESE WISTERIA -- deciduous vine with pinnate leaves, usually 15-19 leaflets per leaf. Long, airy flower clusters open sequentially from top to bottom, extending bloom but lacking the spectacular showiness of Chinese Wisterias. Gives a more vertical, delicate look, especially when hanging down through supporting arbors. Flowers are faintly fragrant. Begins blooming just after Chinese Wisteria. Needs full sun, average to little watering.

☛ Wisteria sinensis -- CHINESE WISTERIA -- similar to above, but with more rounded, full clusters of strongly fragrant flowers opening more at less all at once. Leaflets usually 13-15. Same growth requirements.

I think I'm going for the Japanese.

☛ Worth noting: the support must be very sturdy, because old wisteria can grow into immensely strong and heavy wrist-thick trunks and stems. These will certainly rend latticework, crush thin wooden posts, and can even strangle large trees.

YIKES! Read the reviews at Dave's Garden! Invasive. don't sleep next to it the vines will kill you, can uproot your foundation, tear your house apart, constant pruning... maybe I'll stick with the jasmine, it's a little less invasive.

You'd have to plan before putting it in, provide for a sturdy support and keep it away from the house.

Looking for a DARK DARK purple lilac

Not maroon purple, real purple.
L200 Yankee Doodle - Single Dark Purple Heavy Scent Up to 8’ Tall
An upright grower that is among the deepest and darkest of the purples. Limited supply

L500 Adelaide Dunbar - Double Dark Purple Heavy Over 10’
Named after John Dunbar’s wife. He created “Lilac City” in Rochester N.Y. Limited supply.

at Fox Hill Lilac Nursery

The search for a Shooting Star Hydrangea

I had picked up a Shooting Star hydrangea in the supermarket in Montana a couple of years ago. It didn't survive. Been looking for one ever since. Found this blurb online: ...the true name of this variety is Hanabi which means falling or shooting star in Japanese. That's a real loose translation, some say it means Fireworks or Sky fire. There are several varieties of hydrangea that are close and have the same bloom and cascading effect - Fuji Waterfall maybe Shirofuji.

Shooting Star is a re-named plant that is really Hydrangea macrophylla Hanabi. A tissue culture firm introduced Hanabi to this country under the name Fuji Waterfall. So H. m. Shooting Star equals H.m. Hanabi equals H.m. Fuji Waterfall and also H. m. Fireworks. Just to confuse you, there is also a hydrangea serrata Fuji-no-taki (and that translates to Fuji waterfall). http://www.hydrangeasplus.com/product.php?productid=213">
Sources include
Wilkerson Mill Gardens, (770) 463-2400 hydrangea.com
Hydrangeas Plus, (866)433-7896 hydrangeasplus.com.
I also found links to Amazon - they sell Shooting Stars, potted, at Christmas time, in bloom, but they are not available now.

Ordered a 'Fuji Waterfall' Hydrangea yesterday from Hydrangeas Plus. Two actually. To increase the chances for survival.


Also found this version: ‘Hayes Starburst’ (H. arb. radiata) A superb new Hydrangea with completely sterile, dome shaped flower heads comprised of fully doubled star-like flowers. Hayes Jackson of Anniston, NATIVE: North America. Zone 4, 3-4 feet, gr 1, It's at springmeadownursery.com They have Shirofuji, too.

Update! Wow! My Fuji Waterfall's arrived today - and they're nice! Big! And in little pots! Not just bare root. The packing material still moist, keeping them safe.

I'm very impressed - and I definitely recommend Hydrangeas Plus!

July 4th - picked up a 'florist' Shooting Star in full bloom. With three working for me - I should be successful. Gotta say it is GORGEOUS. Subtle hints of color, spectacular flowers. Really really nice! And so far surviving quite well, potted, and outside.
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◼ General Care

Step 1: Provide at least partial shade. The shooting star hydrangea grows best in morning sun and afternoon shade. Full sun will scorch the plant.

Step 2: Surround your shooting star hydrangea with an inch of organic mulch in the spring before it begins to bloom. This will encourage flower growth and reduce weed growth.

Step 3: Fertilize your hydrangea once in early summer with balanced (10-10-10) slow-release fertilizer.

Step 4: Prune immediately after the blooms start to fade, as the shooting star hydrangea is an old wood plant. This means that the blooms develop on the second-year wood.

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◼ More info:
Shooting Star is not the same plant as Fuji Waterfall. Shooting Star is a Hydrangea macrophylla (Big-leaf) and is most likely a renaming of H. mac 'Hanabi' (Fireworks) and is sometimes listed as 'Sumida no Hanabi' (Fireworks of Sumida), developed as an indoor, potted plant for the Florist market.

'Fuji Waterfall' is a H. serrata (Mountain Hydrangea, small leaf) and is said to be the same as the Japanese cultivar, 'Fuji no taki', which means "Waterfall of Fuji"

The confusion developed when a nursery began distributing 'Hanabi' with the 'Fuji Waterfall' label, whether knowingly or unknowingly and since the florets of the two are similar, no one questioned the name.

...Since the fertile flower colors of both, H.macrophylla and H.serrata, are pH sensitive, you will need to maintain the current acidity level of your potted plants, to retain the blue color (tinge). A small amount of Aluminum sulphate, applied 2 or 3 times each year should suffice. but be careful not to apply too much. Fertilizers containing a small amount of Sulphur can also maintain the correct pH.
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The ongoing saga: One, planted in the front yard has languished until this year, finally a couple of sturdy branches, with rich, healthy, macrophylla leaves, AND a bud emerging. Two more, still struggling to keep a couple leaves going, in pots.

Meanwhile, two full grown large potted hydrangeas, a pink(red) and white, doing great. Going to put the white one (with slightly chartreuse leaves) in the Japanese garden corner under the Bloodgood Maple. Seems funny to be reaching backwards and going with hydrangeas, but they're big, lush, flowery, rewarding and virtually indestructible.

July, 2013 - YEARS down the road, just bought TWO Shooting Star Hydrangeas at the local nursery, so they've finally made it to the nursery market. These two aren't blooming yet, so we'll see if the they're properly named. But they're big and they're healthy, in gallon pots.

July, 2016 - They're big, lush, healthy, and blooming beautifully. Love them. White with that delicate hint of blue, just spectacular. Haven't seen any in the nursery this year, so i am glad I got those while they were available.

SUCCESS! Big, beautiful and lush! Worth it!