Each Little World

August rain!

It's August, which means that it's my chance to redo any spot in the garden that just isn't working in my opinion. I've got the time, the ideas and the plants. I've just been waiting for the rain.

 As of Wednesday afternoon (8/16) we'd had less than a quarter inch of rain so far this month. It's not really unusual for August to be hot and dry, but the extreme amounts of rain we had in July and July suggested that August might be different this summer.

 Finally late yesterday afternoon we got our first significant moisture this month as it began to rain just around 6 p.m. I'm happy and the garden is very happy. The total overnight rainfall was 2.22" (5.63 cm.). 

In a vase on Monday: Kelly's creations at Stout's Island Lodge

Stout's Island Lodge is surrounded by gorgeous gardens all tended by the same woman for 20-some years. Every day she also creates numerous arrangements for multiple locations in the main lodge. Fireplace mantles, windowsills, tables on the screened porch — no matter where you look Kelly has worked her magic.

Given that there are only so many plants in flower at a given time, she manages to make every bouquet a unique creation. Below are a some of my favorites. As someone who's been participating in Cathy's "In A Vase on Monday" meme, I could not pass up the opportunity to share the inspirational work of someone filling vases everyday.

Yews can be found all over the island, both in the formal gardens and growing wild. I have them in my garden as well, but have never thought to add them to a summer bouquet.

More Yew cuttings . . . 

The panorama photo on the wall in the entrance to the main lodge building shows Stout's Island Lodge in its early days when it was a private retreat.

Hydrangea and Phlox echoing each other.

The most incredible blue Hydrangea I've ever seen.

This tin pitcher of lilies was at the end of the bar in the Great Room. I love how the flowers echo the old yellow books in the carved wall niche.

To see what other gardeners have put in a vase today, visit Rambling in the Garden who hosts this meme.

Stout's Island Lodge: The landscape and gardens

Another long post but mostly views of gardens, water and woods.

It had not occurred to me that Stout's Island Lodge would be surrounded by lush gardens. I expected woods and water, but I ended up spending a great deal of my time enjoying the gardens and roaming all over to be sure I didn't miss an interesting plant or flower. 

THE GARDENS

The trees, shrubs and perennials on the island were all familiar to me and would be to any Midwesterner. They were not particularly unusual or unique just beautifully grown to perfection. 

A quick scroll through these images will show you Phlox, daylilies (Hemerocallis), Hydrangeas, salvias, true Geraniums, Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla mollis), daisies and lots more.

I also spent time talking to Kelly, the woman who's been the gardener at Stout's Island Lodge for a long time. I could see Lilacs and Iris and Peonies that all bloomed earlier in the season when she said the garden and woods are a swath of blue.

You can tell this is the work of a real hands-on gardener and not a landscape company from the design to the color and texture combinations. I love the Ninebark with the pink Phlox and Hydrangea and that splash of orange Tiger lily picking up the color of the logs. I've never seen such sturdy, mildew-free Phlox anywhere ever!

Hollyhocks seem to do best in Wisconsin in Door County and locales more northerly and less humid than we are in Madison. 

Admiring the flowers with my friend Rita.

Kelly admitted she planted snow-on-the-mountain years ago when she was new to gardening. Like any of us who did the same, she's been trying to get rid of it ever since. But she let it stay in one area that was in the "L" created where two buildings met. The entire bed was low Yew shrubs in sea of variegated snow-on-the-mountain. It was an elegant effect and there was no question that the Yews could hold their own.

I asked Kelly about this baneberry (Actea rubra) as I've never seen one so shiny and with such a striking cherry red color. This photo does not begin to capture its beauty. Turns out it's a native that grows on the island and Kelly has never seen it elsewhere, though she gardens in a number of off-island locations in the area.  

A few more favorite garden scenes.

When Mark and I and our friends were down on the dock waiting for our 7:15 p.m. sunset cruise, Kelly was just leaving the island after a full day of working — which explains why the gardens are so noteworthy.

THE ISLAND LANDSCAPE

We stayed in Clara's Cabin on the west end of the main island. (Double click the map to read the fine print). We hiked around the main island together, but all four of us ended up traversing the East Island from point to point on our own. I didn't take any pictures, but it turned out that everything that had caught my eye had captured Mark's attention and his lens.  

In a number of the photos you can see how narrow the East Island is in places and how big the white pine trees are. Lots of places to sit and enjoy the view and a small party pavilion with a stone fireplace as well. Here's Mark on the bridge that leads to the East Island. 

The petite pavilion

Neither Mark nor I can resist moss, lichens and fungus.

 Looking over to the Main Island 

The other direction

 Chairs for a little rest at the far end of East Island before you turn around and head back.

We don't always share information about Wisconsin's hidden gems like Stout's Island Lodge. We just let folks make jokes about "flyover country" and keep our secret treasures hidden from those who don't appreciate what the Midwest has to offer. But I know that doesn't include any of you which is why I'm sharing all these lovely images!

Lily season!

Lilies are the stars of the garden this week and next week too, if I'm lucky with the weather.

Lilium species lankongense is a newly-planted beauty, though I am not sure she works with that red daylily, H. 'Earlybird Cardinal'. I think the rabbits spared this lily group because they're planted at the top of the driveway wall and they rarely visit that spot. Given the color of the Alliums and Astrantias that are nearby, I think I will swap the red daylily for one of my purple ones like 'Little Grapette'. 

I have a few daylilies planted in the very back garden — like H. 'Lady Inora' (below) — but most are by the street in the front. H. 'Lady Inora' is the sweet companion to all my orange lilies. 

I planted L. henryii in memory of my late father-in-law whose name was Henry. I love these lilies at every stage of growth as their buds swell and spread out like a chandelier.

L. henryii is a knockout in full flower. Happily it is still blooming after our week away. I was afraid they would bloom and finish before we got back home, which would have been very disappointing. 

I think I am going to have to try to dig this pair out and move them elsewhere as they are getting just enough shade to make them less sturdy than their neighbors.

The opposite side of the path has a yellow and red scheme typified by the red ends and yellow flowers of L. leichtlini.

More reddish tones are provided by 'Orange Rocket' Barberry and 'Little Grapette' daylily.

L. superbum has been shy about appearing. I think I planted them in too much shade and perhaps too much moisture, so it was exciting to finally have a few of them come up and bloom this year. Maybe the loss of a nearby tree finally gave them the sun they wanted.

L. lancifolium flore pleno is a double form of the tiger lily. This is my first year growing it and I am in love with it. These came up beautifully and are nice and sturdy so they definitely have found a home with me.

Home again, home again

Lots to share after a week away from Madison. We arrived home last night with just enough energy left to walk through the garden; not enough to put together a bouquet for this morning. Instead here are two of my favorite arrangements put together by the gardener who scattered beautiful bouquets throughout all the public spaces at Stout's Island Lodge where we stayed last week. 

This is the view outside the main door at one side of the lodge (above). The little vase of white Hydrangeas and roses was one of a pair that sat on a table in the Great Room the day before. This gorgeous bike basket filled with a fern was outside the pair of double wooden screen doors at the other side of the main building.

And these incredible gargoyle wooden gutters greeted you as you entered the entrances at the main building. These views give you a little teaser of the gorgeous historic Wisconsin location where we spent the last few days.

To see what other gardeners put into a vase this Monday, visit Cathy at Rambling in the Garden. She's the host of this meme that so many of us consider the perfect way to start our week.

. . .

Thanks to everyone who commented on last week's blog while I was away. Whenever I was near wifi I checked the blog and posted your comments, but usually did not manage any replies. Back to regular programming this week!

A moment to enjoy

Though I've probably spent too much time this summer complaining about our above-average rainfall, I well remember droughty years and know my garden is better with water that's not coming from a hose. Individual plants and the garden as a whole can only be described as lush.

I've been going out every few days to try to capture the same area from different viewpoints and at slightly different stages. Without this visual reminder I know that I will be hard-pressed come winter to remember what it all looked like — and if there really were any bare spots that needed even a tiny little plant that I should order in January!

The scenes above and below are at the back edge of the header pool that flows down the waterfall into the stream. The above view is to the left of a narrow Weeping Serbian Spruce (Picea omorika 'Pendula') while the view below is on the right side of the Spruce.

Come around the upper pool and this is what you see. Notice that open spot in the Hakonechloa macra 'Aureola'? A bunny has picked it as his favorite placefor a nap!

Continue to the left of the above scene and you can see it again behind the Ligularia stenocephala 'Rocket.'

The following images are in the big bed opposite the area above. This is the second summer for Astilbe taquetii 'Superba' and I am in love with it. It will make quite a show when all the orange lilies in this bed bloom. That's Sambucus nigra 'Black Lace' to the left and Kirengeshoma palmata/koreana group to the right of the Astilbe.

Agastache 'Blue Fortune'

Thalictrum 'Ankum' is only in its second year and is huge, though it's currently flopping from the various rainstorms.

Wisconsin summer

Mark belongs to a book group that meets the last Sunday morning of the month. I join in when the book interests me and I'm willing to give up time in the garden. I went along this week as the garden is too wet to work in. The drive was absolutely lovely and reminded me again of what I love about where I live.

Drive ten minutes outside of Madison and you're in the country. We saw fields and terraced hills of corn as far as the eye could see. 

This natural area, however, was almost as far as our friend's house about an hour from town.

The roads were lined with Queen Anne's lace and Chicory, a site that says summer in Wisconsin to me.

We also saw some low lying fields that were water-logged and the crops planted there had rotted away. A very sobering site. I may complain about my wet garden but it's not my livelihood like these crops are for farmers.

We could also see where the high winds had come through in the recent storms. Lots of huge branches and big old trees were down by the roadsides. There were a couple of downed trees where I hoped the vibrations from our truck driving by would not cause them to fall onto us.

It made driving on twisty and hilly roads with tree canopies meeting overhead a little disconcerting this time instead of its usual charming.

But our journey proved safe and uneventful. We arrived home to discover a little rainstorm had visited while we were gone. And we ended the day with a turkey play date in the garden. We've discovered the turkeys are nesting in the black walnut tree in the neighbor's yard. 

A pair of moms (yes, two of them!) came for an evening stroll in the garden with a hoard of little ones. I guess that's what happens when you spend twenty years creating a beautiful habitat around your house — there are always visitors stopping by.

 

In a vase on Monday: Prunings

I'm not a big fan of most Hosta flowers but after trimming a big clump of the plants, I couldn't bring myself to just toss perfectly good flowers. I plopped them in a big vase and kept adding things as I went around the garden pruning. 

There are stems of bamboo that were blocking the stone steps up to the Tea House and Spirea blocking a view. At the last minute I added a big stem of water baby's breath that had fallen intp the pond. 

Not much thought went into this display but the scale of the plants and vase give it a certain drama. Plus it was a nice addition to the deck on the night of the tour of our garden last Monday. Thus a Monday vase, just a week late. To see what other gardeners have put into a vase today, visit our host Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

Enough already!

Ok, enough is enough. Tornado sirens kept me in our basement Wednesday evening while Mark was in the basement at the PhotoMidwest meeting he was at. Given that my bother-in-law's house was at the epicenter of the Stoughton tornado and my sister's home got hit by Hurricane Irene, we take these storm warnings seriously.

We got 2.87" of rain overnight on Wednesday bringing the July total so far to a fraction under 9". More rain is forecast for today and tomorrow. 

The moss and lichens are loving this weather but all my lovely tall lilies and Thalictrums took a dive from the storm.

I went out into the middle of this jumble later in the day on Thursday to retie the lilies to see if I could get them back to a vertical position. 

Re-tied everything but I think it's only a temporary measure. Clearly I will need to get much taller stakes to keep them vertical as the flowers open, especially since it looks like we're not out of this weather pattern yet.  But I did get some souvenirs to show for my efforts.

Foliage Follow-up: July 2017

Saturday and Sunday were perfect days to garden, so that's what Mark and I did to the exclusion of most other things including blogging. I took these pictures before our last major storm so there are no hail slashes in all the large leaves in this image. The morning after the storm I thought I must have imagined hearing hail during the night. It took a few days before the cuts and slashes dried out and started to turn brown making the damaged foliage very obvious now. Don't know when's the last time the garden has had hail damage. 

From left: Tricyrtis hirta 'Variegata', Glaucidium palmatium, Trillium similie (?) in the back row. Helleborus foetidus 'Dunham' and Carex socialis 'Cohoma' in front.  

The monster Hosta 'Krossa Regal' fighting for space with Paeonia rockii, Carex siderosticha 'Banana Boat' and Aquilegia 'Nora Barlow' seedheads. At the far right of the photo below you can see the clump of Toad Lilies in the picture above.

Saturday night we had yet another rain storm bringing our July total to just over 6 inches (15.24 cm.) and that's on top of June's 8.50" ( 21.59 cm.). If you enlarge the photo you can see the wet foliage. 'Orange Rocket' Barberry and Calamintha nepeta ssp. nepeta are the two main plants in this photo; different size plants but similar size and shape foliage. The Heuchera and Sedums are bits and pieces scrounged from around the garden with no id's attached any more. This group is at the top of the new driveway wall at eye level which makes it easy to enjoy.

Though I'm a bit late joining this meme, you can see lots more lovely foliage if you visit our host Pam at Digging.