Dirt Therapy

We were spared the bad storms over the weekend but something did happen late Friday night that messed up our phone lines, security system and disconnected our Internet service. Michael's brother and family were spending the weekend with us and they said that a huge bolt of lightening hit and was so loud it rattled the windows. The thunder woke me too but I drifted right back into my coma. AT&T came today and the guy said that the ADT security system seemed to be the problem. The phone is working again. Still no Internet connection although I can connect perfectly fine with my laptop. In the midst of all this, I decided to change my blog template (nice timing Phillip!) and of course that hasn't went smoothly either. I have now lost my blogroll and I'm attempting to rebuilt it from memory. If you come across any technical difficulties with the site, do let me know. In the meantime, if anyone knows how to get the Blogger menu bar back along the top of my site, please...

We have rain and thunderstorms on the way so I took some photos this evening in case the blooms are ruined. We desperately need the rain and I could gripe about it coming on the weekend but I'm not going to. First, the iris have started to bloom. This is my favorite, a variety that I've lost the name of - that is the rose "Carefree Wonder" in the background. Another unknown iris An old-fashioned blue iris Siberian Iris Beauty Bush (( Kolkwitzia amabilis ) Azalea "Gibraltar" Clematis "Josephine" The early roses have already started. This is "Fortune's Double Yellow". Notice how it is growing up into the Rose of Sharon. The David Austin rose "Tradescant" "Lady Banks" is still going strong "Mutabalis" is an interesting and beautiful China rose (and one of my favorites) Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

If yellow is the predominant color of March, then white must be the star of the April garden. Although the yoshino cherries were short-lived, the dogwoods have been spectacular and long lasting. In addition to dogwoods, there are many other white flowering shrubs and trees in the April garden. Here are some of the whites in our garden: "Maureen" tulips - this is the only tulip I've ever grown that come back year after year. These tulips have been in the garden for over six years. You can see the "Lady Banks" rose in the background covering a portion of the garden wall. Azalea "Delaware Valley White" growing next to "Crimson Queen" Japanese maple. Climbing Raspberry ( Rubus rosifolius 'Coronarius' ) - I love the blooms which are reminiscent of an old rose. A tendency to sucker and spread doesn't diminish my fondness for this beautiful plant. Viburnum "Shasta", not as pretty as she used ...

The random number generator chooses "4" which means the winner of "The Gardener's Color Palette" goes to Sunita of The Urban Gardener ". Thanks to everyone who entered! Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Chinese Wisteria ( Wisteria sinensis alba ), Spirea 'Vanhoutte', Rose 'Lady Banks' April is a riot of blooms! I think gardeners should get the entire month of April off from work because there is just too much work to do and too many plants to behold. I can't keep up with this madness! Solomon's Seal ( Polygonatum commutatum ) One of my favorite shrubs, Easter Rose ( Kerria japonica ). This is the double variety. I also have the single variety (below). The shrub itself though is rather puny as compared to the double variety, which is quite vigorous. Euphorbia 'Despina' next to a tree peony. Chinese Witch Hazel ( Loropetalum chinense ) Jacob's Ladder ( Polemonium reptans ) Virginia Bluebells ( Mertensia virginica) Phlox subulata Carolina Jessamine ( Gelsemium sempervirens ) Azalea 'Koromo Shikibu' I discovered this azalea in Pam Harper's book "Time Tested Plant...

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Jan, at Thanks for Today , is hosting the Garden Bloggers Sustainable Living Project , in recognition of Earth Day, April 22, 2010. She asks bloggers to write about things that we have done to promote a greener lifestyle and contribute to protecting our environment. Lots of nice prizes are being offered (including a rain barrel, oh yeah!) so if you haven't joined yet, time is running out! So I've been mulling this project over in my mind, trying to decide what to write about. I know I'm a very environmentally conscious guy. I'm obsessive about recycling. Our city accepts almost all recyclable items, except for glass (that irks me!). But I won't complain because many of our neighboring towns don't even have recycling programs. Other things I do: Composting - It is not the greatest compost pile and I don't tend to it like I should but any garden wastes and proper kitchen scraps are thrown in. Chemicals - I don't use them except in cases of extr...

I'm giving away a brand new copy of "The Gardener's Color Palette" by Tom Fischer with luscious photographs by Clive Nichols. The book profiles 100 garden plants, in chapters arranged by color, along with growing requirements, companion plant recommendations and a pronunciation guide for each plant entry. To enter, just leave a comment with either your e-mail address or a link to your blog or website that provides a means of contacting you. A winner will be randomly chosen next Friday, April 16th. Good luck!

It has been years since I've planted tulips and you may recall my post back in January about getting these in the ground rather late. No worries though, as they have come up nicely and we've enjoyed them for the past two weeks. I thought that most of these tulips would be red but they are all orange, pink and yellow. Tulips have always reminded of big fat lollipops. I had a few extra bulbs after planting the border and stuck those in the pots on the patio. Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

( Prunus yedoensis ) If it wasn't 85 degrees out, you would think it was snowing with all the Yoshino Cherry blossoms flying through the air. Yes, it was 85 on Friday. I sure hope this won't be one of those years where winter goes straight into summer. I hate that. Today was cooler, in the low 70s, after starting out with a rainy morning. I was wise to photograph the Yoshinos before the rain because it looks like the show is now over. I'm miffed about this. The trees were only pretty for about a week this year and I know they lasted longer last year. There are two Yoshinos in the garden. This was the first tree I planted on the property and I vividly remember the cold January day I planted it (that is saying a lot because I have a terrible memory). The tree is now 17 years old, the same age as the garden, and is about the same height as the house. In the following photo, taken from across the street, you can see both trees. The smaller one on the left is the youngest and wa...

( Prunus subhirtella 'Pendula' ) This tree is planted right next to the house, right beside the patio. We have to remember to look up to see it. It is really spectacular this year. Stay tuned for the Yoshino Cherry trees! Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy