A couple of weeks ago we featured Cheryl Moon’s southwest Missouri garden wrapped in snow, and she’s back today with some images from warmer times.
I was pleased with the response to my photos, and I agree that many of us need some spring and summer color to brighten our winter days. We are sitting in the firing line of a new storm making its way across Kansas, so I am enjoying the summer colors in this set of photos.
I thought it would be good to start with some “macro” pictures of how our gardens looked this year.
This is a wide angle of our front beds, taken from about halfway up the driveway. Front and center is Viburnum dentatum ‘Blue Blaze’ (‘Blue Blaze’ arrowwood viburnum, Zones 3–8), now in its fourth year at our home, though we moved it to a pot for a couple of years after the fire, until it could be replanted. There is also Lamium maculatum ‘Purple Dragon’ (‘Purple Dragon’ dead nettle, Zones 4–9), Heuchera ‘Purple Petticoats’ (Zones 4–9), native celandine poppy (Stylophorum diphyllum, Zones 4–9), and some Aronia melanocarpa ‘Low Scape’ (‘Low Scape’ black chokeberry, Zones 3–8) on the left.
This photo is taken from our second-floor balcony of the same front bed about two weeks later. Some of the blooms you saw in the first picture have faded, but now you can see Lilium ‘Landini’ (Zones 3–9), Agastache foeniculum ‘Golden Jubilee’ (anise hyssop, Zones 5–8) filling in behind it, and, toward the front right, Achillea ‘Terracotta’ (‘Terracotta’ yarrow, Zones 3–8) in full bloom.
This photo was also taken two weeks later and is of the corner of the front bed that was further to the right, hidden in the first two pictures. Here I reveal my love for oakleaf hydrangeas (Hydrangea quercifolia, Zones 5–9); the tall one is ‘Snow Queen’, and the shorter one is ‘Sykes Dwarf’. There is a Weigela ‘Spilled Wine’ (Zones 4–8) among the front border of mixed heuchera. The echinaceas are ‘Cheyenne Spirit’, which seem to persist better here than some of the fancy tissue-cultured plants. Our local grower always has a good supply, and I wait until they bloom so I can choose the colors I want.
I took this photo of oakleaf hydrangea ‘Little Lime’ and Heuchera ‘Electric Plum’ in early June.
Here’s a September picture of ‘Purple Prince’ zinnia (Zinnia elegans, annual), Euphorbia × martinii ‘Ascot Rainbow’ (Zones 6–9), and Caryopteris ‘Lil’ Miss Sunshine’ (Zones 5–9). The weigela is another ‘Spilled Wine’.
I just couldn’t stop taking pictures of this coleus ‘Campfire’ (Plectranthus scutellarioides, Zone 11 or as an annual) showing tinges of purple mixed with the orange. Here it is flanked by ajuga ‘Chocolate Chip’ (Ajuga reptans ‘Valfredda’ Zones 4–9), Oxalis regnellii var. triangularis (purple shamrock, Zones 6–10), and Thuja occidentalis ‘Anna’s Magic Ball’ (arborvitae, Zones 3–7).
Here is ‘Campfire’ coleus, this time with heuchera (I think it’s ‘Sweet Tea’) and Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ (‘Autumn Joy’ stonecrop, Zones 3–11). This is what I see out my kitchen window in September.
An experiment I will do again: This is ‘Purple Majesty’ millet (Pennisetum glaucum ‘Purple Majesty‘, annual) that I started from seed. I didn’t get a photo until September, so it is starting to look a bit tired. So far, none of our local birds are showing interest in the seed of the millet, but they are a picky lot. Normally only the mourning doves will eat millet around here.
Appropriately, this is ‘At Last’, a delightfully fragrant and disease-resistant rose.
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Comments
Just truly breathtaking. Thank you for sharing your photos again. I have written down many names of plants from your photos and cannot wait to try them out in the spring.
The ones I've mentioned are the survivors - there have been other plants that just haven't been able to take the intense sun we now have with several of our large trees gone. Good luck!
Delightful gardens. Especially on a cold winter day. I love all the wonderful photos of your gardens. Thank you so much for sharing.
Thank you for your kind remarks.
Good morning, Cheryl, your walk down memory lane photos from your previous spring and summer growing seasons are the perfect visual treat since my outside view is of snow at the moment. You have a talented gardener's eye for putting together very pleasing plant combinations...like the white hydrangea bloom nodding over the purple heuchera. Is the little round shaped evergreen that you seem to have several of 'Anna's Magic Ball' arborvitae? I'm asking because I have one and am hoping it keeps that nice shape.
Hi, Michaele - Yes, they are Anna's Magic Ball, and this is their third year. So far they show no inclination to change their lovely ball shape. It is 13 here this morning, and will get even colder tonight, so 'I feel your pain'! Thank you for your praise.
Cheryl - can you tell us more about the unidentified shrubs with unusual foliage color seen in the shot taken from your second floor?
I will try listing them from left to right, in the bed in front of the white sidewalk: There are 5 Anna's Magic Ball arbrovitae (listed above in the first picture of the coleus), the green blob next over is Abelia Rose Creek, then there is a purple smoke tree (Royal Cloak, if I remember correctly, then the lilies and agastche already mentioned; to the right of the last arborvitae is the caryopteris mentioned above; then the larger bluish-purple mass is sambucus Black lace, and below it aralia Sun King. The yellow shrub clost to the door is the hydrangea quercifolia "little Lime"; the shrubs in front of the windows are cornus
Muskingum, a low growing cultivar of our native grey dogwood. The tall growing juniper loaded with berries had no tag on it when I purchased it, but is believed to be a Juniperus chinensis "Hetzii Columnaris" originally pruned as a 3 tier poodle tree, but reclaimed for a more natural look. Did I miss one?
Oh, I did miss one: just below the lilies is the caryopteris mentioned above.
Love the teapot in the millet photo - so charming!
You have a truly beautiful garden and house - thanks for sharing.
Thank you. Our local grower always has a craft fair several Saturdays before Christmas, so this was locally made. The millet was much more purple earlier in the season, but the Purple Dome aster wasn't blooming then....
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