Emma Seniuk, PG Class of 2010

2010-01-04T13:29:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok. I know its been a long time since I've blogged but you haven't missed much. Between freezing rain and chilling wind, the weather hasn't been conducive with happy gardening. Below is an image of my winter container looking a little worse for wear. Included is Magnolia grandiflora, Ilex opaca, Ilex opaca 'Longwood Gardens', Cornus sericea 'Cardinal', Cornus sericea 'Flaviramea', and Celastrus orbiculatus, also known as bittersweet. Most of the bittersweet berries have dried up and dropped and the magnolia leaves are starting to turn a bronze color, but, hey, if you had to sit outside through a snow blizzard and sleeting rain you wouldn't look so great either.

I know this isn't Longwood related but I have to include a holiday photo of my mom, our dog, and a beautiful Douglas Fir from the Christmas tree farm I helped to manage.

Fall Container Time!

2009-10-04T18:15:00.001-07:00

I really love container planting and I feel as if I'm getting a bit better at it. My fall container has a great burgundy, purple, and pink theme and, although I feel confident about my plant choice, I feel as if I still need to work on the overall balance of my containers. Here is a list of the plants in my fall container: Heuchera villosa, Agastache mexicana 'Red Fortune', Lobelia 'Grape Knee Hi', Heuchera 'Southern Comfort', Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic', Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea', Lonicera 'Crimson Cascade', Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria', Muhlenbergia capillaris, Stokesia laevis, and Chrysanthemum 'Brandi'. I look forward to seeing everything fill out and am already starting to consider how to create winter interest in both my garden and container.

A few fall changes

2009-09-24T17:59:00.000-07:00

When the asters are in bloom you know it is fall. The Aster nova-angliae in my garden, which had previously been nibbled on by scavenging deer, is in full swing and is one of the brightest colors on the block. When I am walking home from work, I can see the brilliant purple of the asters from across the Castanea mollissima grove, which is also showing its autumn attributes by dropping delicious chestnuts. I moved the Aechmea 'Patricia' from my container and into my garden in preparation for my fall container display. It not only fills a hole from the still unsolved death of the Euphorbia, but has a fantastic architectural shape I am hoping will draw passerby into my path. The Salvia 'Lady in Red' is in full recovery from its haircut a few weeks ago and the Kniphofia is still sending up it's blooms. All in all, things are looking good!

Slowing down

2009-09-12T15:40:00.000-07:00

Not much to report since I've cleaned up my garden. Everything is behaving for the most part. My class is in the thick of finals so it has been difficult to spend any quality time working on the garden. I did have a few Celosia and a Euphorbia peter out in a section by my path, both a seemingly mysterious death. Here is a nice image of Gomphrena 'Strawberry Fields' poking up through Solenostemon scutellarioides 'Tilt-A-Whirl'.

Cut backs

2009-08-31T21:22:00.000-07:00

Finally able to spend some quality time in my garden today, I went in and did some deadheading, as well as cutting back anything looking remotely ratty. Feeling vicious, I clipped out bunches of Foeniculum vulgare 'Purpureum' and trimmed out the tops of some salvia and coleus.

A fantastic plant with great form and a wonderful wildlife attractant. I love the scent of the foliage when I happen to rub up against it at the opening of my path and am beginning to think this cultivar may be one of the best.

Dahlia 'Bishop of Llandaff' continues to bloom...

A look at my garden after my little hack session. I'm especially curious to note how quickly certain plants flush back or set blooms. I feel much better knowing there is more air and light circulation in my garden so as to avoid pests like white fly.

Hot Stuff Coming Through!

2009-08-24T15:20:00.000-07:00

A lovely evening picture of the sun hitting upon a few pumpkin leaves cohabitating with an unknown cultivar of Solenostemon and the Gloriosa on the fringes.

An example of one of my labels. An arduous task but well worth it.Hibiscus acetosellus at about 4 and a half feet tall, looking fantastic with a Cyperus papyrus.

The endearing little nooks my garden has are naturally created by my rock wall. This adorable plant is Asarina scandens 'Joan Lorraine' and she's just about to bloom.

This Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana' just won't give up. It continues to be a show stopper in my garden and a fun one to photograph.

A cute Knifophia I've been waiting on. The first bloom was nibbled off by deer and I'm glad this one has made it. With a great habit and a wonderful texture to the foliage at the base, I will definitly buy Knifophia 'Border Ballet' again.

Still growing

2009-08-18T15:09:00.000-07:00

The Lobelia cardinalis is in full swing! I don't think it would have made out so well in this site if not for all of the rain we've received this year. This plant and the Coreopsis tripteris were a gift from my former place of employment, Mt. Cuba Center in Delaware.

I managed to make this sign one evening. It took me a few hours but it will last a lifetime. The copper was very thick and thank goodness my name is only 4 letters!

Its been quite the busy week and have only gotten out into my garden to weed for the upcoming garden evaluation. Things are looking good and I've been working on hammering out a few copper labels using an old fashioned type set. I must admit, though, my mind is already turning to what I will do next year in this space....

Get it while the growing is good

2009-08-10T08:43:00.000-07:00

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary,
How does your garden grow?
With silver bells and cockle shells,
And pretty maids all in a row."
-English nursery rhyme

My Gloriosa superba with my Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' is still looking superb.

My Ipomoea lobata has finally put off some blooms! I started this plant from some seed a friend had collected and given to me so I was quite happy when I saw this plant on its way to looking good. It's a nice accent on the eastern side of my garden wall, just where the stones start to slope downward. Hooray!
Gladiolus bulbs I had planted on the western side of my ornamental plot have finally come to fruition and I must say they look fantastic. There appears to be a bit of spider mite damage on the foliage which is to be expected since I can see a similar situation on my neighbor's glads.

This week my first Dahlia I've ever grown bloomed! I had started 'Bishop of Llandaff' from a tuber in the greenhouse and, once started, planted it out with another tuber of the same cultivar next to it. The one started in the greenhouse is the one blooming and the other tuber has sprouted now. I am hoping the two varied times will produce extended Dahlia blooms for me.

More showers, more flowers

2009-07-31T07:22:00.000-07:00

Well, the rain hasn't really let up over the past week and most notable was a fierce storm Sunday evening that knocked out power at the Row. The blooms keep on appearing though so I am happy. Above and below are some images of a flower on one of my pumpkin plants.

This beautiful image is of an okra bloom, a vegetable I've never grown before. I was finally able to catch a picture of this Arctotis 'Sun Spot', which only opens fully during the day. As you can see, my garden is really filling in and making for some cool plant combos.

This is a jamming little corner in my garden right now. Especially with the Gloriosa superba 'Rothschildiana' heating up the scene. This thing is so hot its practically on fire!

Another great combo with huge pumpkin leaves setting a perfect backdrop for the fennel going to seed and, of course, my weekly shot of how much my garden has grown.

My container is in there somewhere...

2009-07-23T18:04:00.000-07:00

Well, these hot and dry July days have the plants shooting to the sky. Featured above is an angle that I often photograph of my garden to map the growth over the season. The plants have been filling in well and I am pleased with my first ever ornamental garden. I must say my lemon thyme miniature allee is looking full and makes a good entrance to my ornamental section. Soon I will have to make a change to my container though as it is gradually being overgrown by surrounding material and other plantings in the pot have been filling out oddly around the central feature of the bromeliad. More fantastic weather these past few days and just a few showers... perfect.

New Blooms!

2009-07-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

A few new blooms in the garden this weekend. My Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' has been getting rave reviews from the students who know Echinacea. It is, after all, one of the hot new cultivars and supposedly the only true red Echinacea. My Knifophia 'Nancy's Red' is looking quite nice, as well as my Salvia 'Lady in Red'. Another bloom that has been getting a fair amount of attention from neighbors is Asclepias 'Silky Deep Red', although I must admit I prefer the native Asclepias for it's attraction of insects. Weather is still holding up well with a few light showers and generally beautiful blue skies with big puffy cumulus clouds.

New Additions

2009-07-09T17:08:00.000-07:00

Of course I had to go to Groff's, the trusty and local nursery, for a few more plants last weekend. Some new additions in my garden are a few basil plants with the name of 'Purple Ruffles', which is self explanatory. I bought Ricinus, also known as a Castor Bean, and Physocarpus opulifolius 'Diabolo', filling out a nearly empty corner of my stone wall. A new Gaillardia aristata 'Galo Red' was put in where another Gaillardia had kicked the bucket and a Ratibida grandiflora 'Red Sundance' was installed, both of which are featured in my photos. I also planted a few things I had started in the greenhouse, namely Ipomea lobata and Crocosmia 'Meteore'. The weather has been really fabulous with sun and clear skies.

Get it while its hot!

2009-06-30T19:44:00.000-07:00

So here are a few plants I have discovered this year and a few which are in bloom right now. My garden is looking good but I am slowly collecting a few more plants to put in once others are finished blooming. Above is my Euphorbia 'Sticks on Fire', which I was very happy to find tucked away in a local nursery. Also featured in my photos is a crowd pleaser, Crocosmia 'Lucifer', and a more subtle bloom that I have fallen for, Gomphrena ‘Strawberry Fields’, which stands up lovely in the garden on a tender little stalk. The real killer though is the low growing Mimulus annual I found at Chadds Ford Greenhouses. It wasn't labeled but I had to have it! I planted it next to my stone wall, where the stone work has tapered off, and it has been blooming ever since. This plant has been good to me, blooming through rain and holding up beautifully in this sudden shift to hot weather. I can only glean from the internet that it is a Mimulus x hybridus and have been very impressed, both with it's stamina and it's exotic-looking blooms.

Coming along...

2009-06-20T18:24:00.000-07:00

As the summer finally sets in and the rains let up, my garden is beginning to take form. I am a little disappointed that my Musa is wider than it is tall but besides that I am extremely pleased. My container is also filling out nicely, although I will have to remove the Aechmea soon. The once steady rain has petered out nicely, with just a few showers spaced in such a way that I have no need to water. Some of my plants are beginning to bloom and I will be sure to include pictures of flowers in my next post. Stay tuned...

Container Time

2009-06-10T10:47:00.000-07:00

I put together my container with the same fiery theme as my ornamental plot with a large Aechmea 'Patricia' as the centerpiece. Around the base I planted Beta vulgaris 'Bright Lights', Lonicera 'Crimson Cascade', Lobelia cardinalis 'Queen Victoria', Celosia 'New Look', Colocasia esculenta 'Black Magic', and a golden creeping Jenny, also known as Lysimachia nummularia. In the back of the container, I have a few Hamelia patens and Dipladenia or Mandevilla sanderii 'RioTM Deep Red' hanging out the back for good measure. Hopefully the bromeliad will hold on through all of this cold wet weather.

Ornamental Plot Planted

2009-06-01T18:14:00.000-07:00

On Sunday I planted my ornamental section of my garden, as well as mulched and watered it in. I am happy to have all the plants in the ground since I have been babysitting them for what feels like months. I had decided early on that I would need a theme for my garden to narrow down the plants I would be collecting and decided to focus on red, my favorite color. In the process of looking for plants, I spread into deep purples and oranges as well. With the addition of a giant red Musa, I am really excited to see everything start to grow. There will be other additions, of course... and my stone wall needs a bit of persuasion from time to time.

Almost up and running...

2009-05-17T19:10:00.000-07:00

So I have finally finished my design for my vegetable plot and I am really pleased with how it turned out. Once the vegetables are in place and thriving, I believe it will be a fantastic effect. A few more stones and a lot more vegetables and I might be satisfied.

As for my ornamental bed, my stone wall idea is getting conceptually smaller as I struggle to fit the stones together in an aesthetic and stable manner. I am glad my veggies are going in now though, due to the especially rainy and erratic weather we have been having.

Hopefully its clear skies ahead.