Border for all seasons

This is part two of the post "I think I am done changing this border" with a different perspective of the main garden path borders than I shared with you here. I will be less consistent in the angles because I lacked an easy marker to stand for my shots. I guess I was distracted with what was blooming at the time.

So lets start the season with an April picture: 

April 16, 2013

There are only a few bulb blooms at this time: Scilla siberica, Muscari, Anemone blanda as well as some mov English primulas. The borders are painted with some semi-evergreen or evergreen foliage of Asarum Europaeum (z.4-7), Carex brunnea "Variegata" and Euonymus fortunei "Emerald Gaiety" (the white and green foliage z.5-8). The sedums in this border are very hardy and are always there with redish tones after the snow melts. Fresh emerging foliage of Boltonia, Brunnera, Campanulas, Hardy geraniums, Lysmachia, Mysotis, Sedums and Pulmonaria. As I was looking at this picture I decided that the April borders needs more blooms. This fall I planted ten new clumps of daffodils, tulips and muscari. I can't wait for next April!

May 7, 2013

In only three weeks, the border changes to a canvas of fresh foliage and textures. Stylophorum Diphyllum (a native here), are blooming with yellow poppy like flowers by the foundation of the house. Dicentra "Gold Heart" steels the show with gorgeous chartreuse foliage and pink blooms. More chartreuse foliage is given by little hosta "Friends" and Lysmachia nummularia "Aurea" or Creeping Jenny and Doronicum Orientale (yellow daily like flowers) which create an anchor at the end of the outside border. The burgundy or brown foliage is given by Heucheras "Binoche" and "Encore" (to the left side) and Heuchera "Plum Pudding" as well as Pentestemon digitalis "Husker Red" (to the right side). The caramel foliage is Heuchera "Caramel" 

May 18, 2013

Japanese Candelabra Primulas in shades of magenta, pink and white are starting to bloom. The burgundy blooming plant between the two clumps of Heuchera "Plum Pudding" is Hardy Geranium phaeum "Samobor". This plant got a lot of attention during the summer garden tour due to its beautiful foliage that maintains through the whole season if given a little whack after the blooms are over. It seeds itself somewhat so I am able to share it with friends and create repetitions in the part of the border not shown here. Mysotis (Forget-me-not) are blooming at this time in this border and other borders around the yard. 

May 21, 2013

The cedar trellis in the above picture  was built this spring by my handy husband Nick for my new "baby" : Hydrangea anomala petiolaris which appears to be a slow climber. The border by the house is semi-moist all day and only gets between 2 and 4 hours of sun. The right border gets between 4 and 5 hours of sun. 

June 1, 2013

There are more blooms now in the border. The white creamy feathery bloom at the foreground is a new perennial for me called Filipendula "Flora Plena" and it loves the wet conditions from this low point of the border. Japanese candelabra primulas, White Japanese iris, pink Hardy Geranium cantabrigiense "Karmina" , pink and creamy white Digitalis purpurea "Camelot mix", and the burgundy Hardy Geranium phaeum "Samobor" are blooming. Far view shows a colorful patio border surrounded by Rhododendrons, Knock Out roses, pink Lupines ,rose Oriental Poppies and Wisteria frutescens "Amethyst Falls" on the far arbor.

June 12

Yellow/orange Trollius "Golden Mondarch", Heuchera "Caramel", a giant woodland specimen of Arisaema tryphyllum (or Jack-in-the-pulpit), Liriope muscari variegata, a large clump of Chelone lyonii 'Hot Lips' (z.4-8), pink Hardy Geranium cantabrigiense "Karmina" and pink Digitalis purpurea "Camelot mix". 

July 2, 2013. 

On the left the variegated plant with yellow blooms is Lysmachia punctata "Golden Alexander". Near by Spirea Japonica "Magic Carpet" has a caramel foliage in the spring matching the Heuchera "Caramel" near by, but in this picture is almost green. Filipendula Rubra (or Queen of the Praire) about to bloom gets very high (6') by the time it blooms in July with airy pink blossoms that lean toward the driveway or sunset. At the end of the right border Malva Alcea is blooming in long blooming Foxgloves and Geranium. The low corner of the right border shows a lot of foliage color and texture that carries through the non-blooming season of this corner:white edge Hosta "Fortune", Asarum Europaeum , burgundy Heuchera "Encore", Hosta "Aureo marginata", Heuchera "Caramel", Sedum sieboldii . You also see a large Hosta "Sum and Substance" , Matteuccia struthiopteris fern behind it and the beautiful Kirengeshoma koreana.

August 2, 2013 

The borders get painted with the Echinacea "Pink Mist", the red blooms of the Lobelia Cardinalis (z.3-9) , purple Lobelia gerardii "Vedrariensis" (z.3-8), "Fireball" Hardy Hibiscus (z. 5-9) and the shorter Lobelia cardinalis "Ruby Slippers" flanked by a Athyrium "Red Beauty"  (Fern). The yellow orange bloom at the front is Ligularia Dentata "Marie-Britt Crawford" (z. 3-9)

August 4, 2013. 

Still lots of blooms continue from July. The near white "Joan Senior " Hemerocallis is the end of the blooming. The burgundy foliage is a pot with Coleus "Mississippi Summer" (annual here in z.5).

September 3, 2013. 

The white bloom on the arbor is Clematis terniflora. It is an aggresive plant but I keep it under control. The same arbor has Lonicera x heckrotii "Gold Flame" blooming in May to June and a Clematis "Comtesse de Bouchaud" blooming July-August. A bit crowded! To the right, annual Cleomes in white and pink that come back from seed every year. Anemone tomentosa "Robustissima" or Japanese fall anemeone are blooming in pink. The bright hosta on both sides of the arbor is Hosta "Sun power" which gets lighter and lighter as the season progresses (if it gets sun).

September 10, 2013 . 

The pretty Kirengeshoma koreana or Yellow Wax bell is in bloom and Sedum sieboldii's flowers are getting dark red. The blue flowers are Campanula" Blue Waterfall Serbian" which blooms for a long time. The foliage plants become more important at this time of the year especially in shade.

October 1, 2013 

The white clumps are Boltonia asteroides (z.3-9) and a favorite for the month of October. It is very easy to grow, doesn't need staking and is less tall if I cut it in half two times before July 4. More Cleomes (annual here) in the background with the last bloom of the roses. 

I hope you enjoyed walking this main garden path and the surrounding borders for every month of the growing season. More photographs of the successful plant combinations in this borders will be posted soon.