On a dreary, 'fake-spring' afternoon I spent some time on my laptop going through photos from last summer. I deleted images I no longer wanted and re-arranged my keepers. I came across photos of this Asiatic lily that I just had to share. 'Suncrest' is such a beautiful lily. It is a hardy grower that I'm confident *anyone* could successfully grow. It grows approximately 3-4 feet tall and thrives in Zones 4 to 9. (I live in Zone 4.) It grows so robustly that I transplanted mine to partial shade to slow it down a bit! What I really like about this lily are the different looks that it presents. The buds are green with a touch of rose. When they first bloom, the flowers look lime-y green with burgundy speckles over a yellow base. As the bloom ages it morphs into a pale yellow color, as you can see in the third photo. At peak bloom it often looks like the plant grows two different color blooms simultaneously.

Suncrest is a Longiflorum-Asiatic (L.A.) Hybrid Lily. L.A. lilies are hybridized for better performance, bigger blooms, and a vase-life that is the longest of any lily. For those with allergies, they are virtually scentless. I purchased my Suncrest at the Saturday State Street Markets in Madison many years ago. As annoying and awkward as it was carrying this lily around in its pot, while trying to maneuver around tons of people at the markets (without whacking them in the head with my plant), it was totally worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

(And yes, the calendar says that it's spring, but I consider it 'fake-spring' until I can actually get outside.)

Every year, without fail, I grow Double Red Peony Poppies in my yard. I got a few peony poppy seed pods from a friend's garden about twenty years ago and have been growing them ever since. I love the grey-green foliage and the bright pop of color they provide early in the season, even though they have a somewhat brief bloom time. The flowers measure 4+ inches in diameter and the plants grow about 2-3 ft. tall.  Snipping off the flowers will extend the bloom. They are super easy-to-grow annuals. When they are done blooming I simply shake the seeds out of the dried up pods where I want them to grow next year, rough up the dirt a bit, and that's it! Then I remove the dried-up plants from the ground and compost them. It can't get easier than that!

Important: You may want to deadhead most of your poppies after their bloom to keep re-seeding in check. With hundreds of seeds in each pod, they can overpopulate fast. Often the wind can blow the seeds to places in your garden you may not want them.

Garden slip-ups are, without a doubt, one of the easiest topics for me to write about since I have single-handedly made just about every blunder that a gardener possibly could. As I've mentioned in earlier blogs, I did not grow up in a gardening family; my love of perennials came unexpectedly out of left field. Without a mentor I learned to garden by the trial-and-error method. Some of my gardening ideas worked (luck), but many others were an epic fail. It was then that I borrowed books from the library. The gardening books helped me achieve a much better outcome. And why is it that we never read instructions until we screw up or can't figure something out? Human nature, I guess.

Here are a few of the things I've learned (the hard way):

1. Pay attention to the actual width and height of a mature plant listed on the plant tag. Failure to do this causes extra work. The plant is no longer cute when it's massive and crowding out all the other adjacent plants.
2. Pay attention to the hardiness zone on the perennial plant tag. I live in Zone 4B and often see Zone 5 perennials for sale in our area. When buying plants, don't be swayed by a pretty face. Yes, they may survive during a mild winter or perhaps they will do okay if planted in a protected place, but don't expect them to stick around for the long haul. If you do buy out-of-zone, consider the plant an annual from the get-go so you're not heartbroken when it dies.
3. Pay attention to the sun exposure on the perennial plant tag. Here's specifically what these terms mean in terms of actual numbers -- very important!
   *  Full sun - More than 6 hours of direct sunlight.
   *  Part sun - 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. Afternoon sun is usually better (hotter).
   *  Part shade - 4-6 hours of direct sunlight. Morning sun is usually better (less hot)
   *  Shade - Less than 4 hours of direct sunlight.
4. Resist impulse buying. Before I buy anything, my rule is that I must have a place to put it. Cramming a plant anywhere doesn't do it justice, or the plants that already live in the flower bed you are cramming it into.
5. Planning ahead is best practice and really does save extra work down the road. If you don't want to do it twice, plan ahead.
6. Steer clear of walnut trees - There are several walnut trees surrounding our property. Their roots produce a substance called juglone that can be toxic to many plants. Luckily, my daylilies aren't bothered, but many of my other plants have a major problem with juglone. Also, be careful not to let walnut leaves sneak into your compost.
   
7. Never get lazy about spraying deer deterrent. You can't ever be too tired...it only takes one evening for a few deer to take out an entire flower bed full of blooms you've waited all year to see.
   

Daylily pictured: Grey Witch

I'm in love with black petunias! I grew these annuals for the first time last summer. The petal texture resembled soft black velvet fabric. Most plants that are 'black' are truly dark purple, but I was unable to see any purple undertones. The combination of the lime green leaves with the black flowers was exquisite. They looked perfect every day and required little to no care on my part. I planted them in a southwest exposure, so they endured the hottest sun possible.

So I want to buy these petunias again next year, but I have no idea what variety they are. I bought them on clearance and unfortunately they had no tag in the pot.  After searching online, I suspect they may be 'Black Velvet' or 'Black Cat.' Next spring I'll plan to go back to the same plant hut and hope they use the same supplier as they did last year.

Black petunias were developed by Jianping Ren at Ball Horticulture in the UK and  introduced to the public in the spring of 2011. They created quite a buzz because of their unique and unusual color. It is said that they don't perform as well as other petunias, but mine seemed to do just fine, as you can see. They may not get the same spread as a Wave petunia, but who cares -- I love the unique color. I used my black petunias as a specimen  planting.

In the top photo you can see a clear mason jar with solar LED lights that I placed next to the petunias. The mason jar lights remain lit up all night until morning. I was able to look out the window and see my black petunias at night!  Can you see me in the photo? I'm the one inside the mason jar taking the picture.

As I patiently wait for my daylilies to bloom, I am definitely enjoying my Asiatic lilies in the interim. Here is a hardy and reliable mini I grow named 'Tiny Padhye' (pronounced Pad-high). This cutie was a gift I received from a friend about six years ago. I got the bulbs in early March and placed them in my refrigerator until mid-May when I planted them in the ground. As you can see, they really took off!

This bi-color Asiatic was developed the Netherlands. You can grow it successfully in full sun or part shade (mine are in full sun). It is an easy-care plant that lives in normal, sandy or clay soil that is neutral, alkaline or acid. This variety is also showy in containers, rock gardens, and in front of the border because of its petite size. Tiny Padhye grows approximately 16" to 18" tall. They are said to be deer resistant, but I can't be sure about that since I regularly spray deer deterrent on all of my flowers. The deer in our area seem to eat just about anything and everything. I take no chances.

Today I'm sharing photos of my friend Donna's 'Friendship Garden.' What makes this garden extra special is that every plant has either been shared or gifted by a friend. And as you can see by the photos -- she has many friends!

Donna's garden has evolved and grown quite a bit since I have known her. After a busy day she enjoys relaxing on the deck and loves the tranquility that her garden provides. The flowers are a reminder that her friends are always with her.  Donna told me that her husband  appreciates the flower garden as well; not only is it pretty, but there's less grass for him to mow!

My three burgundy  ornamental fountain grasses have grown to almost 5 feet tall in front of our sun room. For fall landscape plants, they really makes a bold statement. When I planted them in spring, they were so tiny it seemed like they would never fill up the large space they were in. As you can see, they not only filled up the space -- they almost ran out of space!

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum' (commonly known as Red or Purple Fountain Grass) is native to Africa, southeast Asia and the Middle East. In the U.S. it is hardy in Zones 9-11. In all other zones it is considered an annual. The genus name comes from the Latin penna meaning feather and seta meaning bristle referring to the flowers looking like feathery bristles, and rubrum means red.

I have done next to nothing as far as taking care of this grass. I just made sure it was watered well until it was established. Other than that, I pretty much just admire it. At only $4.99 per plant, it was totally worth it. I don't buy too many annuals, but this burgundy fountain grass is always a must-have.

Last year on July 2nd I already had 74 daylilies blooming in my garden. Today there are only 16. Huge disparity! I know the calendar says it's summer, but the cold spring weather has really slowed things down. There may not be many daylilies showing their faces, but here are some photos of what is blooming in my yard right now.

June is full of anticipation and impatience for me. I feel like a little child waiting for Christmas to come. Countless daylily scapes have appeared, and after a year of being patient I'm looking forward to bloom time. My job right now is to spray deer repellent so the scapes remain in existence. And wait...

Pictured: 'Schnickel Fritz' on June 16th with no less than 30 scapes ready-to-go; I counted.

I've been kind of obsessed with lupines lately. And there is (of course) a story:

At my office, Vonnie is the resident plant whisperer. She has this mystical ability to convince ANY plant to grow and thrive, be it inside or out. She created a perennial garden by the front office entrance to greet visitors with bright colors and greenery. In this garden Vonnie planted some beautiful hybrid lupines. I have watched these plants grow and bloom like crazy. One of them has blooms that remind me of candy corn! If the spent blooms are cut off, they keep on blooming for well over a month. Lupines do not like hot temperatures and grow best in northern climates. They are toxic if ingested and may cause some discomfort, but I seriously doubt that any office visitors will feel the need to eat these beauties. Lupines do best in soil that is not amended and, well, kind of crappy. Isn't that every gardener's dream? Another plus is the early bloom in a spring garden where not much else is going on.

Lupines have never been on my radar -- until now.  I decided that I *needed* a hybrid lupine of my own. So over lunch hour last week, I bought one to try out. I went with the two-tone lemon variety named 'Gallery Yellow.' And I may have to (gasp) move a daylily for it to have a spot.

 The tall irises have finally started blooming in Wisconsin. A few years back I made a trade for an iris I wanted badly (Batik - shown in the background). Much to my surprise, in the middle of the now established clump, a completely different white iris with purple edging popped up. Note how unusual the top view is. It is gorgeous; a definite keeper. Life can surprise you in small and unexpected ways. So call me grateful!

Tulips never fare well in my garden. Between the deer, rabbits, and moles I don't see much of them. So I have developed a bad case of tulip-envy. And I have *extreme* tulip-envy for my friend Mary's flowers. She puts me to shame. Every year she grows the most gorgeous bounty of tulip varieties. She has dozens of varieties so blooms last for well over a month. This year I talked Mary into sharing a few of her tulip photos so you could enjoy them too. These photos are just a small sampling of what grows in her yard - more or less a snapshot of what was blooming last week.

Mary's tulips were purchased on a budget, quite inexpensively; most of them from big-box stores. She was very pleased with her bang-for-the-buck. From year-to-year she fertilizes her tulips with bulb booster granules to keep them blooming robustly.

These Pasque flowers grow happily in my front garden. They are a harbinger of spring and begin blooming early -- at the same time as my daffodils. Attractive fuzzy heads of seeds follow, so these flowers continue to look good for many weeks. The fuzzies on the plant help insulate it. Like tulips, Pasque flowers close up towards evening, so I posted an open and closed photo. Also note: Deer will not touch these.

Pasque flower is a tundra plant that grows in the northwestern U.S. all the way to northern Alaska. In fact, it has been the state flower of South Dakota since 1903, where it grows wild. Pasque flowers were used as a medicine by native Americans for centuries.

The plants propagate by reseeding themselves. Every spring I find mini-Pasque flowers growing in locations that I didn't plant it, but by no means is it invasive. The new plants are random and few. It grows about 8-12" tall in my yard. Pasque flowers are ideal for sunny rock gardens, crevice gardens, and any spot that is very well drained. I got my original plant from my friend Sally many years ago and continue to enjoy it every April and May.

If you grow daylilies, you can take the madness a step further and collect plants with specific topic-related names to comprise a theme garden. To date, there are 83,487 registered/reserved cultivars, so finding a theme is quite easy.

For instance you could choose:

• Names  - Let's say there's a 'Jean' in your family. I searched the American Hemerocallis Society Daylily Database and came up with dozens of daylilies with 'Jean' in their name. You could even assemble a special tribute garden for a family member who has passed. There are numerous daylilies with "heaven" and "angel" in their name.
• Holidays - I searched Halloween and  came up with "Halloween Costume," "Halloween Candy," "Halloween Face Paint, " and "Halloween High Jinx." There are others like "October Thirty-First," and "Trick or Treat."
• Native American - "Cherokee Memories," "Cheyenne Bride," "Comanche Drums," "Topguns Pawnee Princess," "Pueblo Sunrise," "Geronimo's Spirit," and "Navajo Blanket."
• The state you live in - For 'Wisconsin' I came up with  "Teasing Wisconsin, "Wisconsin Cream," and "Wisconsin Warlock." I also found "Packer Backer," and "Cheese Head."
• And finally, Led Zeppelin songs: "Kashmir," "Stairway to Heaven," "Heartbreaker," "All My Love," "Moby Dick," "Dazed and Confused," and "Over the Hills and Far Away." I did this search just to prove you can find daylilies related to just about any topic, no matter how obscure.

Once you've decided on a theme, then comes the fun part -- finding the daylily vendors and buying the plants.

Pictured: "Tholian Web" (2004) You could add this daylily to your 'Sci-Fi' garden, since its name originates from an episode of Star Trek entitled 'The Tholian Web' that was aired in 1968.

'Miscanthus sinesis Morning Light' is one of my favorite ornamental grasses. Used as a specimen plant, its appearance is very striking. The slender blades of grass are pale green with very thin, white margins that give the plant a silvery sheen when viewed from a distance. It has an attractive vase-like shape and never, ever flops over. Morning Light is considered to be one of the best Miscanthus cultivars. So far this has been a very carefree, low maintenance plant. It grows between 4-6 ft. tall, and from 2-4 ft. wide, so give it some room!

This grass grows best in full sun. I know this, because I originally had it in part-shade. It languished there, so I moved it into full sun, and it immediately took off and grew like crazy! Although the plant tag says this is a Zone 5 plant, I took a chance on it at because it was a half-price closeout at the end of the season. (I live in Zone 4b.) I have had it for about 6 years now and it overwinters well.  The gamble paid off!

When Morning Light produces flowers, they are beautiful reddish-bronze plumes that appear in late fall. As the seeds mature, they become cream colored and fluffy; they look great with the wheat-colored winter foliage. This accent grass can be enjoyed all winter long as it sways in the cold winter winds. Come spring, be sure to cut it back, close to the ground before the new growth emerges.

The top left photo was taken in July, the top right was taken in December and the close-up photo of the plumes was taken in October.

These July photos bring back memories of a fun day seeing all the riotous blooms in my friend Mary's garden. It had just rained that morning, but let up long enough for me to take these photos. Actually it was a perfect day for photos without the bright sun! As you can see, Mary's gardens are meticulously manicured. All of the perennials and annuals get lots of special TLC. She has put great thought into her color combinations and her flowers are all arranged for strategic bloom.

What you can't see in the photos is the large deck behind Mary's house where you can relax and overlook the botanic garden-like setting and enjoy all of her beautiful flowers. Truly an oasis!

Pictured is one of my very favorite coneflowers, 'Coconut Lime.' I love the green and white combination! This echinacea starts blooming in July and grows approximately 24" tall. And if you deadhead the old blooms, it will continue producing new ones all summer and into fall. Echinaceas love full sun, regular watering until they are established, and well-drained soil. The coneflower blooms look quite a bit like a daisy at first and over a week or two gradually transform into pom-poms with little white skirts. The bees and butterflies love them! And the really good news? The herds of deer by our home never go near them! Although my photo was taken in late September, Coconut Lime is still happily in full bloom today despite a couple of light frosts here in Wisconsin.

The genus name, Echinacea, comes from the Greek word echinos meaning hedgehog or sea-urchin in reference to the spiny center cone. Coconut Lime was introduced by AB Cultivars in the Netherlands approximately a decade ago. So not only is it beautiful, it's well-traveled...coming to us all the way from Europe!

Echinacea Coconut Lime is pictured with Sedum ' Autumn Joy.'

Now here's what you don't expect to see blooming in September...an iris! I took this photo of "Immortality" yesterday afternoon blooming alongside "Pat's Mum" in my backyard. Immortality is a fragrant, reblooming, tall bearded iris that has multiple blooms in both spring and in fall. It thrives in Wisconsin's Zone 4 weather. The cooler late summer nights seem to prompt rebloom.

As you probably know, some iris can be extremely robust, needing to be thinned out quite often. Immortality is a moderate grower that does not need frequent division. In my opinion, that's a really good trait! This pure white iris grows approximately 36" tall and I have yet to see it flop over. It is a multiple award winner and very popular. I don't grow a lot of iris, but Immortality is one of my favorites.

Rebloomers do like more water and fertilizer since they need an extra boost to flower again. You can fertilize them in early spring and again just after 4th of July. Iris like fertilizer with a low nitrogen content so as not to promote bacterial rot. Be sure not to put the fertilizer directly on the plant but sprinkle it on the ground around root zone area. You will be rewarded!

My white "Sweet Autumn Clematis" died more than five years ago. I have grown this type of clematis before and it seemed to be short-lived. It would grow full tilt for about 3 years and then just mysteriously die--probably a Wisconsin thing. So when my third one died I really didn't think much about it, other than I knew I had to replace it with a different variety that wouldn't die after a few years. So I planted the pink "Comtesse du Bouchaud" in its place. Comtesse has been happily blooming for the last five years. Loved it! Problem solved.

But weirdly enough, a year or two ago, I noticed some different color vines mixed in with Comtesse. Then, come fall, they bloomed. It was the very same Sweet Autumn Clematis that had died years ago! So now my arbor is on overload. It is filled with massive clematis vines that bloom from spring to fall. I also have a purple "Jackmanii" clematis in the mix. The pink and purple clematis bloom during the summer and the white one begins blooming in September. The pictures show the different faces of my arbor over the summer. Gotta love mother nature!