THE POWER OF THE PLANT

The Lupine is growing strong and after I cut back all the first blooms on the the purple Salvias, they flowered a second time, even fuller than the first. Both perennials look great under the River Birch. I placed a deep pink Astilbe in the purple bed, which will bloom shortly. I should have planted a white one but the white seem hard to find. Maybe next year I'll trade it out for a white one.

I have no idea what kind of iris this is because it was mislabeled at the nursery. I was anticipating a pink and orange two-tone iris but to my surprise the flower opened as a solid light purple. But I have to say it is truly a spectacular color and the flower itself is larger than most irises I've seen. Can't wait for it to fill in the small patch of dirt on the side of my house.

These Dogwood bushes look perfect in a grouping of three. When they were first planted the bark on the stems was bright red which was interesting all on its own. The variegated leaf gives great texture and color contrast in a mostly solid garden. Little white clusters of flowers appeared in mid-April. Nothing spectacular but very pretty up close. Since they will get 8' tall by 6' wide I'll have to trim  yearly.

I was getting worried that the new Blue Spruce was feeling a little shocked. It had been dropping brown pine needles and looked dry even when I watered it. Then I thought maybe I was watering it too much. After the long New York drought we are finally getting rain and all my plants are thriving. Thanks to good ol' Mother Nature. The tree is doing wonderfully!

I planted a River Birch to provide shade and privacy on my front porch. It's sparse leaves provide a screen without being overbearing in density. This River Birch is a beauty with its 3 upright trunks, all strong and equal. Looking forward to watching this grow.

History Rain chains (‘kusari doi’ in Japanese) in concept are not a new idea. For hundreds of years, the Japanese have used the roof of their homes to collect water, transporting it downward with chains and finally depositing the rain water into large barrels for household water usage. Japanese temples often incorporate quite ornate and large rain chains into their design. Rain chains have been spotted in South America, where chain is easier to obtain that machined downspouts. At the Bottom The Japanese often put a ceramic or stoneware pot beneath the chain which fills with water, so that when it rains, the water drips from the chain into the pot, creating a beautiful display. You can make a square out of redwood or cedar beneath the chains and fill it with small pebbles. If it is damp regularly, moss will grow between the pebbles. You can also place a single paver tile or a few medium size stones under the chain to break the fall of the water. from RainChains.com

I found a two tone white and purple Lupine that I planted in my "purple section" of the front garden and surrounded it with purple perennial salvia. Purple is a theme throughout my house since the house color is gray. The two colors together with white are gorgeous. This plant truly makes you stop as you are walking up the steps to my front patio and take a look. It's so different looking than most flowers that we are able to plant here in the northeast. I only have one Lupine but I might have to buy a few more!

This is very exciting. Here is a picture of what my side yard looked like before we created a privacy island and leveled off the top of the slope so that we have more usable space for entertaining. The process is not 100% complete yet but very close. The original intent was to build a retaining wall that would cut across the entire front lawn just before the tree. Seven of the eight contractors that we called looked at the space and gave us an estimate for pouring a foundation, using cultured stone

This dwarf Rhododendron 'Maiden Mist' is by far one of my favorites this spring so far. This is its first year with me and I couldn't be happier with it. Deep pink buds open to softer pink flowers that fade like water colors until all flowers are finally solid white. The flowers last a few weeks. I deadheaded the brown flowers and noticed new growth underneath  which I was pleased with. Click (read more) below to see the final color on my Rhododendron. More cool facts and awesome pictures at  atlanticrhodo.org .

Not the prettiest sight I know but it will be when I'm done with it! The entire house was covered with 50+ year old bushes that were overgrown and way to crowded. My first attempt was to take my chances with major pruning and reshaping but alas I hated the look so I decided to pull all the bushes out and since ivy had taken over the trees, lawn and fence I also needed to buy ivy killer and round up. I'm not a fan of using these products nor do I like to kill any living plant but the ivy was so invasive I had no other choice.

Beginning last fall and early this spring (really late winter) I pulled out all the existing trees, bushes and shrubs that were overgrown and unruly and have embarked on a planting excursion. I have in mind to use some standards, tried and true favorites and some unusual (atleast to Long Island, NY) plants, trees and shrubs. I'm a novice who has been interested in plants since childhood. I finally own my own house so my mother can no longer yell at me and direct me on what to purchase (not saying she won't or hasn't already tried) but I have final say! Join me as I embark on a journey to find interesting plants for my home and watch as I capture their growth and flowering habits throughout the year. I will capture each species in the four seasons to show growth rate, color change,