July 2016 Garden Walk Part Two

I've been gone longer than I intended to be, hope you didn't get too bored standing around on the lawn.  I see some of you had a seat at the table, that's good thinking.  Now that I'm back, we can continue the tour.

This will probably be the last year for whichever trumpet lily this one is, 'Triumphator' perhaps?  Even with a few blooms, their fragrance is wonderful.

 Every year the stand diminishes a little more; in our northern climate lilies sadly don't last as long as we'd like.

 This hard-working lady is always making sure the pot is watered.

 I wish I could put her in charge of the rest of them.

 'Gardenia' (our other lady statue) doesn't water anything, but likes to mingle with the begonias.

Of all the hostas we have in the garden, the one plant which garners the most attention is 'Blue Moon', and a rather sad-looking one at that.

 I think the reason people notice this one so often is because of it's solitary placement.  In truth, this hosta embodies the proverbial 'between a rock and a hard place' because there are cedar roots continually encroaching, making any other plantings impossible.  I took a division off last year and planted it where there is no root competition and guess what?  No one ever gives the more robust division a second glance.  

Most people don't notice the dome; it's hard to see with all the trees.  This was the area Carl and I completely neglected in our last round of weeding.  (Good thing most people didn't notice it, right?)

Leaving the Formal Garden and heading past the Escarpment and Quarry.

 My goofy pruning on the large white pine and the smaller Scotch pines did prompt some comments. 

My favorite hosta, 'Liberty' is front and center.  

 Approaching the Quarry Bypass.

I limbed up another ailing blue spruce last week and needed something to put under the tree to make it look less ugly.  I went and grabbed the old grapevine balls (which are now more like grapevine blobs) and put them by the tree trunk and they have been enjoying a lot of attention.

Going through the bypass, not much to see other than our seedling hostas and a few named cultivars.

 Vistas are important; people usually notice the pyramid and the propane tank balls right away.

 We didn't get the balls repainted this year yet, but it's ok.  Soon enough we'll have people rolling around on them again.  There's a booyah party here in August.

 David last year, all dressed up for Best Man duty at Joel's wedding.  (He changed his shoes to steel toe for ball rolling, tuxedo rental shoes aren't suited to the task; in case you were wondering what to wear when it's your turn.)

 Ok, finally we're on the other side of the Quarry and the East Hill.

 Looking back at the Pyramid as we wonder what in the world this is:

Those of you who've been here before can say it with me.  AAAARRRGGGGGHHHH..........as in Castle, as in Monty Python, as in, It's a Silly Place.  Moving on.......

 Let's leave the stone thing behind and go through the Egress Gate.

Now entering Hosta Land:

 Our pouting angel statue that forever reminds me of David as a little boy.  I have a picture of him sitting on one of the big rocks looking pensive when he was four years old, over twenty years ago.  

 Walking down the lane where we've been slowly culling daylilies and replacing them with hostas for ease of maintenance.  (We'll see...)

 Almost done with this goofy tour; here we go through the Tardis Bed. 

 

When Willie the Willow was still with us, this bed was entirely shaded.  Now it's a half and half garden, shaded for most of the morning and then exposed to full sun after noon.  I've been slowly moving hostas out and daylilies, lilies and of course, my annuals, in.

Ruby Spider

 

What follows is another riot of lilies, I'm not sure of the name, possibly 'Shocking'.  

 Three separate clumps of delily-iciousness.

I don't recall when I planted these lilies, but for at least five years they've been cranking out amazing blooms, though they are growing shorter with age, and the stems are becoming more frail.  Their fragrance is amazing, I really need to look into planting new bulbs.

Willie's old bed is now planted with a Serbian and 'Fat Albert' spruce and a 'Sunkist' thuja occidentalis along with 'Karl Foerster' calamagrostis.   

Conca d'Or OT lilies have enough sun to thrive now.  And of course, I had to plant more petunias, new for me this year are 'Tidal Wave Red Velour' mixed with 'Tidal Wave Silver'.  The petunias are just off to a good start, soon I'm sure the rocks will be covered entirely.

 Ernie is still sporting 'Bubblegum' pink along with a 'King Tut' papyrus and he wears it well.

 Over by the shop, we have more 'Alumia Vanilla Cream' marigolds interplanted with celosia 'Fresh Look Yellow'. 

All right, we're back to the beginning again.   

That's it for the garden.

 The last part of the tour are the stained glass lamps, so come on in and check them out:

Some one asked me why I don't grow many roses.  I do have three of them in the garden, but they suffer with my indifferent care.  Apparently the only ones I can keep alive are of the glass variety.

 

Thank you for coming along on this year's garden tour.  

You've been fantastic guests!