Garden Photo of the Day

Cheryl’s Suburban Garden

Black eyed  Susans and Purple Sweet Potato vine.

Cheryl Moran's shares her progress in her suburban garden.

"Here are pics from last season showing the changes in the garden since I was last featured on the garden blog.  Trees are getting bigger in the last 2 years therefore I have added more Hosta's however I still put in more gardens for the 50 or so new dayliles I added. I was  luckly to get one of the last lots that backs up to the neighborhood park so you would never know that I am surrounded by 1600 homes in the northern suburb of Indianapolis. Winters are long here so its the photo and garden planning that gets me thru the winter!"

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Comments

  1. Sunshine111 12/01/2015

    I love all the varied colors, shades and tones of pink in the last photo!

  2. NCYarden 12/01/2015

    Very nice. Such pleasant blooms.

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    meander_michaele 12/01/2015

    Dealing with a gray and dreary day here, Cheryl, so your pictures are extra appreciated. So nice to see the bright and happy faces of daylilies... reminding me how much I look forward to their stretch of bloom time in my own garden. Good for you for continuing to add hosta to your areas that are gaining shade conditions...another plant to get easily addicted because of all the wonderful varieties.

  4. wGardens 12/01/2015

    Lovely! The daylily combination is great! Nice to have your Oasis amongst so many homes.

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    Tim_Zone_Denial_Vojt 12/01/2015

    What a stroke of luck to get such a great lot. It was nice to go back to the old posts to refresh my memory. Looking good! That lemony-yellow daylily almost has me considering adding daylilies to the garden. Gorgeous.

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    gringopeligroso 12/01/2015

    Cheryl!
    I would be at home among your palette of blooms!! You use many of the same characters in your place that I employ here on the edge of the Ozarks, altho your Platycodons, (Balloon Flowers) are MUCH happier than I've ever seen mine become!! I would grow many more if'n they'ld present themselves like they do in your neck of the woods!
    A pleasant surprise was the first pic. Is that our native Rudbeckia? (Black Eyed Susan.)
    Or is that a purchased treasure? I use the native volunteers here and encourage them to proliferate! I've many more than I need, if such a concept is even possible, and heartlessly cull the extras.

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      meander_michaele 12/01/2015

      Jesse, do you consider the black eyed susans shown in your picture to be a reseeding annual? I can't remember what purchase started it for me but for several years now, I have had delightful colonies of what I consider to be annual black eyed susans. Their color and face size have a lot of variety and each individual clump may differ quite a bit from its neighbor but they all get along (hmm, I wish humans did as well in the getting along department as these flowers). Here's some from this summer that just showed up from reseeding and gave me a happy surprise.

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        HelloFromMD 12/02/2015

        The same thing is happening in my garden. I started with Cherry Brandy R. hirta and now have a variety of faces. Great fun. They are so long blooming too.

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          meander_michaele 12/02/2015

          I just looked up the 'Cherry Brandy' and I gotta' say...oh, wow, if I ever see one of those to buy, I won't think twice about plunking down my money. I would love to see all the interesting reseeds that would come from it.

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        gringopeligroso 12/02/2015

        Meander, I DO believe it's the re-seeding annual or perhaps a short lived biennial. Or, like some of my salvias, Both! I DO know I've come to count on that colony for their June performance in that quadrant of the gardens, and actually plan other "playmates" around their show!!
        Yes, why can't we "higher" species learn from the quieter inhabitants of this beautiful land and get along?? I suspect we'ld find we also compliment each other just as much as a meadow of wildflowers work in harmony to blend and weave breath-takingly rich vistas and possibilities. Perhaps I ask too much. (But, I sha'n't extinguish ALL of my hope!!)
        I LOVE your "Volunteers" photo, above. While not planned, per se, the matching of this surprise with the cool-blue Picea sets BOTH off beautifully!!
        Like you and Mary-land (below!) I also experienced a reseeding from a named cultivar. I purchased and planted a Rdbk.h. 'Cherokee Sunset'. Rudbeckias have a real tuff time with our hot/dry summers and most don't make it through the Dog Days. When it came back this last season, I was, like you, surprised, as altho it wasn't the same plant, the show wasn't a disappointment, either! (There's no telling WHAT will flower Next Season!!)

        1. User avater
          meander_michaele 12/02/2015

          What a stunning clump...great coloration and, wow, is that a double petal thing happening? How cool! Your volunteers look like they picked a perfect setting for themselves esp. with the reddish large leaf tropical accenting their dark eye and the metal sculpture making its own statement. I would be quite pleased with this lovely vignette if it was mine.
          The nickname of my state of TN is the Volunteer State so, ha, I encourage my flowers to do their part to live up to the name.

  7. sheila_schultz 12/01/2015

    What a stroke of luck to land such a great lot backing up to the park. Your gardens are growing beautifully Cheryl, and I love the large swath of Black Eyed Susan's... they always make me smile!

  8. schatzi 12/01/2015

    Beautiful, Cheryl. I think we might be kindred souls - never met a flower we didn't like! The day lily is beautiful but the last photo is wonderful with all the shades of pink and blue.

  9. GrannyCC 12/01/2015

    Thanks for the breath of sunshine on a dull and rainy day here. That is a gorgeous day lily and I love the Rudbecika.

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    LindaonWhidbey 12/01/2015

    Beautiful photos, Cheryl. You've converted me with your last photo since I've never liked pink flowers very much but mixing them with the blue, yes, that works. While in WI, we did the same as you, studying those summer photos on snowy days to see where we'd make changes.

  11. nenitafranck 12/01/2015

    Beautiful colorful flowers. Nice looking open lot backing up to a park. What type of trees are growing and giving you more shade? Did you plant them yourself or did they come with the lot and park?

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    HelloFromMD 12/02/2015

    Hi Cheryl, my yard is increasingly shady too. Hostas can really light up the shade. I've added Old Glory, Climax, Afterglow, Mayflower Moon, Journey's End, and Stained Glass to get the brightness of gold. I'm curious as to what sort of hostas you're adding and who are your favorite vendors? Love the pinks and mauves in the last photo. Great combinations!

  13. greengenes 12/02/2015

    Beautiful colors on a dreary day...Great pictures Cheryl! I love your colors and contrasts! Enjoy the winter and I know you will be busy getting ready for an encore!

  14. nenitafranck 12/02/2015

    Chestnuts? Are they the type you can roast on an open fire and eat or use in stuffing turkeys?

  15. User avater
    gringopeligroso 12/02/2015

    Thank You, Cheryl!!
    As I've alluded to others on this morning post, we've recently moved and I'm still getting to know this new (to me) landscape. My experience is the same as your's with this delightful patch of happiness!! I've mowed around several "Wild Ones" which were here first and allow them to participate in "my" creations!! Well, mabey "Collaborations" would be a more accurate term!! I've also transplanted several other natives from our cabin to this place in a re-introduction effort.
    I'm thinking that it is either an annual, or a very short lived biennial? Either way, they reseed with abandon. My gardens usually look a little shabby around the edges from mid-summer onward due to the fact that I encourage so many members to procreate. This season just past, I removed some of the ripe seed heads from the original colony, and strategically placed the inoculations where I'ld like to see them in the season(s) to come. We JUST had our first freeze, and altho it was late, it was a doozy. (Upper teens.) BE-fore that chilly morning, I noticed some fuzzy seedlings emerging and getting my hopes up!!
    I've observed the same presentation with my little patch, here. Now you've got me thinkin' to transplant a few to give them elbow room and see what they're capable of!!

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