Sovereignty Farms

New Blooms

I love waiting for the daylilies to open.  They have started...

Night Embers in the front yard:

I think this is Pixie Beauty:

Raspberry Pixie:

This is the Jasmine that I thought was dead - growing on the gazebo:

Another "Better Late Than Never" is my favorite Hosta.  I thought it was a gonner, but she is poppin' up:

This is my current heartbreak.  You can barely see my beautiful Lady Banks roses, the split leaf Japanese Maple, Hydrangeas, Weigelia, Spirea, Daylilies and Irises because of the horrid Kudzu growing everywhere:

The Lilies are opening:

And lastly, the balloon flowers - just the purple ones, not the white ones.  This is the first year that they are blooming with the stokes aster.  They are the exact same color - and it looks great.

Pictures of blooms

Only new thing today is another kind of daylily (Forever Red) - here are pictures of some things in bloom.

Rose Veil??????????

What's in bloom

We got some really great rain today.  I did not harvest and could not plant, but I am not complaining.  We needed that rain.

This morning Cooper and I walked the garden and this is what we saw:
 - small red daylily just opening
 - a white lily with three open blooms that I do not remember planting - it is really pretty
 - a few stokes asters are all purpled up
 - one of the itea finally has a small flower spike
 - the jasmine on the gazebo is blooming and smelling lovely.  better late than never; i think it just needs healing from the storm
 - agastache blooming but hidden behind the tall orange daylily
 - the kudzu is taking over

MOPS Recipe

Got some Garlic Expressions Salad Dressing from Alana for Favorite Things Day.  Here is the delicious recipe she gave with it.

Mixed Salad Greens
Onion (I like a red one)
Tomato
Cucumber
Craisins
Salad Toppings
Pecans
Can of rinsed/drained black eyed peas
Bacon

More Crops

Picked lots of snap peas today - all large ones.  None on the first or third rows - all on the second.  They were really good, too.  And pulled some lettuces. The collards are ready - I'll get them  tomorrow.  It kind of makes up for having a horrid looking veggie garden this year.  And I am keeping up the tomato pruning.

I ordered a bag from the local CSA today. I'm pretty excited about that.

More red lilies and cone flower should be out shortly. The dark pink fairy roses look nice (see picture). And another daylily is blooming - Rose Veil (picture below).

Finally got some daylilies and irises in the ground.  And a gardenia, 8 deutzia, the maple from Pa and Linda, 9 azaleas (I hope they make it - they should have been planted long ago), 5 geraniums, and some pinestraw. There is still a lot more to go. And the weeds have not been kind enough to wait until I finished the pinestraw before showing themselves.

I still have irises blooming, can you believe it? And the roses look better than ever.  The old one is blooming so nicely - I think I already posted a pictures, but I am adding another one here.

New Plants

Master Gardeners sent out an email saying a lady down the road was selling plants from her dying mom's yard.  So, I went. I got daylilies and irises, a redbud, japanese maple, gardenia, azalea and geranium, and a birdbath. Here is a picture before they get in the ground.

Here are some newly blooming flowers

This is the maple Pa and Linda got me for mom's day.  You can see the Deutzia (and my tennis shoe) in the background).

The Fairy I moved last year that Linda salvaged for me after the storm.  You can see the perennial Hibiscus in the background. It is the one from Uncle Bill that is beginning to take off.  And a red lily on the right is about to open.
 

Dunwoody Dream Garden Tour

Posted pictures without commentary (yet)

Signs of Summer

Walked the garden this morning and saw many signs of summer.  The iris are fading, the roses are blooming, and the first daylily of the year has bloomed in my garden.  There is still so much to do, but the garden is looking much better now.

Here is the New Dawn growing on the gazebo.  The string looks a little tacky, but it needed support and hey, work with what you've got, right?  It will not be long and there will be no evidence of the string.

Close(er) up of the pretty flowers

I saw a Japanese Maple at the garden show that had pink tips (new growth I think) and I really liked it.  Turns out, I have one.

Good growth on 2 roses that were here (and dying) when we bought the house

The pink knockouts are still white - and I am happy with that

A new iris

First daylily bloom

GardensOyVey Post Pt 1

This is a great article from GardensOyVey's newsletter.  Here is the original article.  However, you never know when someone is going to remove something from their website, so I copied the content in this post.  Please check them out - here is their home page.

Greetings from GardensOyVey

For the next few weeks I will be writing about Hydrangeas
as they are in bloom at the Nursery and I will try to sort out for you all the different species.

This weekend the Hydrangea serrata are showing first signs of bloom.
They will be in full bloom May 15 to Early June.

I discovered Hydrangea serrata with the help of my Friends, Greg Touliatos and John Griffin.
I expressed my dissappointment with the Big Blue Mopheads and Lacecaps (Hydrangea macrophylla) that we all think of
when we hear the word Hydrangea. For me, here in zone 7 they had lost their blooms when Lovely Late Delicious
Too Warm Winter Days...turned to Miserable Late Spring Dissapointing Frost. Killing the macrophylla blooms.

Greg had told John about 'Blue Billow' Hydrangea serrata. I bought it, planted it, and watched it bloom every year side by side with my sorry Hydrangea macrophylla. So I have abandoned the use of Hydrangea macrophylla after 20 YEARS! of frequent dissappointment. (Hey I don't give up easily!) (Although this PERFECT Spring will make a fool out of me with the macrophylla.)

Since then I have collected every available Hydrangea serrata.

I have found them to be a curious and delightful addition to the Shade Garden. (I can't help myself.)

Hydrangea serrata are Japanese Mountain Hydrangea and perhaps this is why they do not wake up too early to be fooled by late frost.

They come often as Lacecaps, or as Halos of Stars floating among the foliage. I only know of two
varieties that are Mopheads, 'Little Geisha' and 'Preziosa'.
'Preziosa' has the large foliage of Hydrangea macrophylla as does 'Veitchii' and 'Greyswood'.
I suspect there are Macrophylla in their woodpile!!! However 'Veitchii' and 'Preziosa' never failed to bloom for me.

These Beauties also range in size from 2' to 5'. The smallest at 2 ft. is 'Shirofuji', next come 'Little Geisha' and 'Kurenai' at 3 ft. Followed by 'Blue Billow' and 'Tiara' 3-4 ft. up to 5 ft. with other varieties.

For photos and details click here.

The Bloom Scedule for Hydrangeas here in S.W. Tennessee is serrata first, along with macrophylla,
INCLUDING some and followed by, Oak Leaf Hydrangea and Hydrangea arborescens, (Annabelle
and her cousins). Lastly come the Panicle Hydrangea: Limelight, Pee Gee, Chantilly Lace ect.
By including a few of all of these species you can extend bloom time from Mid May thru July.

These all can be viewed and described on our website. NOTE!!! TO OUR ONLINE CLIENTS!!
Only H. serrata and H. macrophylla will ship well all summer. Oak Leaf Hydrangea and Hydrangea arborescens
and the the Panicle Hydrangeas will only ship Fall, Winter and Early Spring.

Of all of these the Oakleaf, Arborescens and Panicle are the Most Drouth Tolerant. Native populations
can be viewed throughout the Hot Dry Southeast enduring years of Drouth like Steel Magnolias.

The Serrata and Macrophylla could perhaps be as Drouth Tolerant. In the Early 1980's when I moved
to Memphis there were many of these living near abandoned rural homes and in depressed urban neighborhoods
with nairy a drop of water.

It is my own experience that when we water we make plants more dependent on water.
The Serrata and Macrophylla do wilt in the heat of the afternoon, picking up again after the sun moves towards evening.

SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! Water the first few years. Water to make yourself feel better. Wait to Water
till you have noticed them in the morning light, as this reflects their true need for water.

One more note on Watering. Memphis is a Rain Forest in the Winter and a Desert in the Summer. Whenever possible,
plant the majority of you Landscape in November/December to minimize the necessity for water.

Next Week I will describe the Oakleaf and Arborescens Hydrangea
for your Reading Pleasure.

Also Blooming Now! 'Snow Queen' and 'Ellen Huff' Oak Leaf Hydrangea,
Moser's Hypericum, Deutzia 'Summer Star's','Little Henry' Itea,
'Veilchenblau' Thornless Rose and the Louisiana Iris.
The Perennials are Poised to Pop! For the next Three Weeks!

For Hours and Directions go to our main web site @ 901-867-8367 or 888-617-7390

We look forward to your visit. Diane and Wolfgang GardensOyVey

Peony opened tonight