Wisteria Vine

Wisteria is a beautiful perennial flowering vine that I've always admired. It's hardy in growing Zones 5-9, so is a perfect candidate for New York weather, our Zone being 5. Wisteria has long, purple flower clusters, similar to lilacs. 

A couple years ago, my associate gardener (hubby) erected an arbor at the entrance to the perennial garden path which looks bare without something growing up and over it.  So, I ordered a 2 year old, 3-foot wisteria vine online which arrived in a couple days in beautiful condition.

         It's been planted next to the arbor for about three weeks and I'm already noticing some new      

         sprouts.  Hopefully, it will continue to thrive and survive through the winter.  Maybe I'll get flowers next year.

Community Garden Update

There's a garden where the peppers

Were all growing on the vine,

The tomatoes and the pumpkins

And the string beans very fine.

Harmony had been so perfect

In this garden where they grew;

And the sunshine and the showers came to nourish them, they knew...

~

Gertrude Tooley Buckingham

The Community Garden is in full swing this time of year, producing a continual harvest of organically grown vegetables and flowers. Basement grow lights enabled me to start the Cherry Baby and Big Beef tomatoes from seed in April, ready to plant in our parcel the end of May after danger of frost.  The cucumbers, Marketmore 76, resistant to a variety of diseases, were seeded directly into the ground. I usually direct-seed the beans, but had good results this year from little nursery-grown starter plants.  The lettuce is a slow-bolting crisphead variety that is resistant to the heat, called Superior 1.  

In addition to the above vegetables, I planted Spanish onions, red onions, hot banana peppers, sweet bell peppers, beets, eggplant, carrots, dill.  The flowers in our parcel include violas, zinnias, stock, marigolds, milkweed and cornflowers to attract butterflies and bees.

Bon Appetit

We love watching the deer, but eating our landscaping, not so much.  Hostas and mulberry for the main course; euonymus for dessert  : (   It happened sometime during the night.

Monarch or Viceroy?

Monarch

Viceroy

At first glance, monarch and viceroy butterflies look similar in appearance, but the viceroy has a black line that runs across the hindwings.

Summer Bouquet

Hazy, Hot & Humid

It's been a hot, steamy summer, perfect for relaxing in the shade of the locust tree or on the porch with a gentle breeze cooling the air.  The rose of sharon and butterfly bushes are coming into full bloom.  I watched a female monarch butterfly fluttering through the milkweed, so I'll have to check for eggs when she's not looking.*  A hummingbird was nectaring at a pot of colorful zinnias and the Early Girl tomatoes are just starting to ripen. 

*Update:  Found 5 Monarch Butterfly eggs!  Here's one on the tropical milkweed.

     

Rain!

We're dealing with drought conditions in our neck of the woods, so it was a relief to have a good soaking rain this morning, quenching the thirst of our plants at home and in the Community Garden.  

Pink coneflowers are in the background and purple pincushion flowers below the birdbath. 

Welcome!

Oenothera

Evening primrose ~  At dusk the flower bud peels open and the petals unfurl, revealing a lovely lemon yellow bloom.  By sunrise the next morning the flower has closed.  

Blooming continues throughout the spring and summer.  The plants seed down and multiply quickly.  Evening primrose a low growing border plant about 6" in height.

Kite in the Clouds

Daylilies

There are about 50,000 named hybrid cultivars of daylilies in a range of sizes.  Some are fragrant.  Below are a few varieties in our garden.

Butterflies

The caterpillar does all the work, but the butterfly gets all the publicity ~ George Carlin

Community Garden

Essential advice for gardeners:  grow peas of mind, lettuce be thankful, squash selfishness, turnip to help thy neighbor, and always make thyme for loved ones.

 author unknown

To supplement the small vegetable garden in our yard, we've rented a parcel at a Community Garden, just 5 minutes from our home.  It's a space 4' by 25' which we've planted with flowers and vegetables, organically grown.  The photos below were taken at the beginning of the planting season.

Extra produce is contributed by the gardeners to the Share Shed for use by a church food pantry and other garden members.

Views from the Path

Balloon Flower

Asian Lily

A re-blooming Daylily called "Fooled Me"

Monarch Waystation

The plant on the left is common milkweed (asclepias syriaca), a host plant of the monarch butterfly.  Behind the milkweed is a butterfly bush (buddlea) and to the right are coneflowers (echinacea).  Monarchs will only lay eggs on milkweed (any variety) and when the eggs hatch, the caterpillars feed on the leaves.

 Female monarch nectaring on butterfly bush

Monarch caterpillars feeding on common milkweed

Welcome to the Perennial Path