White Lilies and Wisteria

WHITE ORIENTAL LILIES AND WHITE WISTERIA

What a nice combination, the oriental lily is "Garden Angel" from B & D Lilies in Port Townsend, Washington. Height about 4' and wonderful fragrance very similar to Casablanca, but blooming a couple of weeks earlier. The white wisteria is a tree form that I purchased from Portland Nursery a number of years ago. When it blooms its a big pompom of white cascading flowers on racemes about 1 1/2 to 2 feet long. At the time I planted it in the middle of the backyard, now it is in the middle of the back garden which can be viewed from the house and patio. The evening fragrance is amazing, this is the second blooming this year and there should get at least one or two more rushes of blooms before the end of the season.

Garden Angel Lily
USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 9

Wisteria Tree
USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 9

ORIENPET LILY "Scheherazade"

SCHEHERAZADE LILY

Another Orienpet lily that came into bloom here at Beech Street Gardens a couple of days ago. This was the first Orienpet lily created by The Lily Garden in Vancouver, Washington that can be found all over the world. I purchased the bulb from an event Garden Fever had sponsored about three years ago. This year the flower stock is 8 1/2' to 9' tall with at least 15+ blooms on it. I noticed yesterday there are five baby stocks that have come up around the mother plant. All of them are about 1 1/2' tall and have a single huge flower bud. More lilies.......... These fragrant flowers are dramatically curved at 6", a deep red edged in gold, shading into white with the throat showing the same color pattern. It is planted in full mid-morning sun and transfers into partial afternoon shade.

USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 10

Garlic

GARLIC FLOWER HEAD

Garlic is a member of the allium family which also includes leeks, shallots and onions. Individual cloves act as seeds. The bulbs grow underground and the leaves shoot in to the air. Although garlic is traditionally thought of as a Mediterranean ingredient it is also grown successfully in colder more Northern climates.
Garlic is a very friendly plant and grows well planted with other flowers and vegetables. I have a group that grows in the flower bed by the patio, they were there when Will & I bought our home. I never have dug any up, I like them for their ornamental value. The flower heads are about 4" across and stand at about 6'.

USDA hardiness zone 6

HEMEROCALLIS "LADY LUCILLE"

Once again, I have a great daylily blooming in the gardens called Lady Lucille. It is planted out in the side garden by the street for all the world to enjoy. This plant that was in the back garden last year and not viewed very much. Nice large plants full of flowers and oncoming buds. Flowers are 6" of intense, deep orange petals darker than sepals, with a deeper orange blush extending from the throat and a prominent whitish yellow midrib. The plant stands at 26" and bud loaded scapes at 32". This variety is known to rebloom later in the season.

USDA hardiness zone 1 to zone 11

ORIENPET LILY "Silk Road"

ORIENPET LILY

An Oriental lily with garden persistence, heat tolerance and

color of Trumpet and Aurelian hybrids

This is one of the most wonderful lilies I have planted at Beech Street Gardens. I purchased a single bulb from The Lily Garden three years ago located in Vancouver, Washington and now have three 6' stocks of fabulous flowers. I planted it next to the patio where the evening air is heavy with fragrance that is divine. The color is outstanding, huge white flowers that are about 7" across with deep, intensely crimson pink throats and secondary buds on the stems that extend the blooming time. Click on the link above and take a look at the wonderful selection of lilies this Pacific Northwest grower offers.

USDA hardiness zone 5 to zone 9

CLEMATIS "Queens of the Gardens"

The Clematis, the "Queen of the Gardens" and the "Aristocrat of the Climbers". I have a number of them at Beech Street Gardens and at any given time or season of the year there is one in bloom. The Clematis is an outstanding plant for flower color, size, shape and petal count. But the Clematis is not limited to being a climbing vine, I have two varieties that are a shrubby style in the back gardens. What a surprise when guests learn that they are looking at a Clematis.
What do you mean that you have not heard of a bush Clematis?

USDA hardiness zone 4 to zone 11

CLAIR Du LUNE

Clair du Lune is an outstanding show-off, I have it in the far east garden where it gets no afternoon sun. This way the flowers stay true to color and do not fade during the day. White with a dusting of lilac, darker stripe running down the center of the petal, and ruffly single flowers at 7" across.
This variety grows 8' to 10'.

HAKU OOKAN

What can I say about Haku Ookan, nothing about the color except gorgeous . This is the second blooming this year, it took up residence in a pot on the patio where it has lived for three years. It is a smaller variety growing about 6' to 8'.
The flowers are about 5" wide.

HEMEROCALLIS PARADE

RASPBERRY SMOOTHIE

ORCHID CANDY

LITTLE GRAPETTE

Now that the weather is on the warmer side, the plants are out of control. There are flowers everywhere, the daylilies are the biggest show in the gardens right now.

Raspberry Smoothie is a small variety in the very back garden with Long Stocking, the plant is 24" to 28" high, scapes about 32" and the flowers are 4" wide. Deep rose pink with white and a rich chartreuse green eye.

Orchid Candy, this plant also a small variety located in the front garden came from Gail Austin, about 20" to 24" high, scapes at 26", and the flowers are on the smaller side around 3" wide. The colors are amazing, pastel pink with the center ring of delicious boysenberry and that great chartreuse green eye.

The last photograph is Little Grapette located in the back garden where you can view it from the yard or patio, a gift from my good gardening neighbors Steve & Patty. This plant is a dwarf variety, but the only dwarf part of the plant is the flowers. The plant stands at 22" to 24", scapes at 28" and the flowers are only about 2" wide. A wonderful rich purple color with a yellow center.

I will have more postings in the next week. I have a wonderful orange variety called Lucille that I want you to see. A great orange with 5" flowers.
Its outstanding.........till then, get dirty in your garden.

USDA hardiness zone 1 to zone 11

HEMEROCALLIS "Long Stocking"

This has become one of my favorite daylilies in the gardens, "Long Stocking" a spider variety. Beautiful deep coral rose with a golden yellow center. The plant is on the smaller side, 28" to 30" high, scapes at about 36" with 7" to 8" wide flowers. I decided to move it this fall, I have it in the back garden and it needs to be closer to the house to enjoy it more.
Daylilies are a very important plant to include in the drought tolerant garden or any garden. Once established they are quite an amazing plant, taking full sun to partial shade. There are two main types: evergreen and herbaceous. Evergreen best suited to warm climates and herbaceous for colder. With over 60,000 cultivators to date there is a color, size, and flower shape for any spot in your garden. I trim my daylilies back to about 4" from the ground as soon as the entire plant is done blooming. Something I was taught by a good friend, Gail Austin a great daylily hybridizer here in Portland. She has since retired, but still has one of the most gorgeous gardens I have ever seen. It is partly her fault that I decide to change our gardens around, which meant that most of the grass was going to have to go.........I'm glad that happened. Include daylilies into your gardens, the flowers are amazing, a new one each day.

USDA hardiness zone 1 to zone 11

Opuntia erinacea var. columbiana

This Opuntia was planted in the front garden in the cactus bed three years ago. The flowers are a beautiful golden yellow with red centers. It originally comes from the Hills Canyon of northeast Oregon with several other Opuntias. Classified a mixed blood, it is adorned with white and golden spines on clumps. Grows 6" to 8" in height and a space about 3' wide. Opuntias like full sun, sharp drainage (lots of pumice), and the occasional summer thunderstorms.

USDA hardiness zone 5

Echinacea

ECHINACEA PARADOXA

Bush's Purple Coneflower

The Echinacea pictured above is a species plant that I picked up at a garden sale from one of the local clubs two years. It is an outstanding plant, about 4 foot tall X 3 1/2 feet wide and the yellow flowers are big at 4" across. A perennial native to Missouri, Texas, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

I have a number of Echinaceas planted here at the gardens. Late last year I purchased Tomato Soup, a variety that is true in color to its name. Looking forward to seeing it bloom this year. Pick up the August issue of Fine Gardening magazine, they have good article on Echinaceas. The great thing about this particular plant is the variety of colors, different petal shapes, and plant sizes. They are drought tolerant once established and do not like having wet feet. I always mix a good amount of pumice in when I'm planting.

USDA hardiness zone 3 to zone 8