Friday, September 11, 2015

IRIS CIRCLE PROJECT

    When we decided, that we are going to live here, I started to make a plans of my garden. And in the back of long and slim backyard I decided to make an Circle project. At first in my plans was daylilies. All circle of daylilies could look great. But when I start to dig, soil looked good just for irises. So all plans switched to IRIS CIRCLE. Large circle of grass make it look dramatic. Tree, that grow in it doesn't make it plane. So no centrifugal impression. Sometimes it look nice, but this area is too small to make it nice. So tree was saved and keep as part of it. Beds was arranged as sunshine first. But that doesn't look nice to me. Also, soil condition doesn't satisfy me. So while I was in States, parents bought truck of top soil without peats. Because I have enough of them in other parts of garden if I ever need. Also irises do not need them. And when I go back from States - full of inspiration started to draw some ideas of how to make it dramatic. And get inspiration from pattered daylilies or reflecting water. So I just offset circle contour to paths and make beds. So easy to maintain and reach blooms when bloom. Also from side look nice.
    Other task was to add some perennials, that could bloom after main iris season. Because when irises done their show, that part of garden no longer look attractive. So make gaps for some perennials. Already I add some small verbena plants with clear blue candle blooms, few salvias, daylilies, aquilegias (Aquilegia's bloom in same time as TB irises, but there is other story. I ordered aquilegia seeds from UK National Aquilegia Collection. Seedlings do not that good. But I have several that might bloom next season.) and a lot Echinacea seedlings. Echinacea is my third favorite plant after daylilies and irises. Maybe in spring I have others to fill empty gaps. So nice to keep some small room for unexpected new plant from fair or nursery.
  Panorama photo show all circle. But beds look too big. Actual they are just in borders of circle. Not that big. Circle dominate. Also in photo you can see both corners, that was behind me. So that make sense of how panorama is made.
   Detailed photo of my favorite part in this circle. Strong lines give formal look. I could not imagine irises in free style garden. Always look nice in classical or formal gardens. So tried to play with forms and display my irises as best as I can. Other task was to make them look as flower beds, not nursery rows. So now look even better. Even not that organized as before in straight lines, but I could get nice clumps in near future. Maybe true experts notice that they are too close to each other, but that was the best way to fit them all.
   Same area, just from other point. You clearly see corners of my garden. Usually garden designers try to cover them. I did that too. I planted hedge. But it is too small to be visible in photos. But in few years it will cover that ugly fence and neighbors gardens. Street is small. Only few cars drive per hour. But still I planted it and want to cover from noisy eyes of people who stop and stare in my garden. At the moment I want to create for myself and enjoy it with my friends. But not for all. My gardening friends and people who care about my works want to see something new. And this project is recently thing I have made. From the day I go back from States. It is done for week now. But I wanted to capture it in when all beds look alike.
   I planted these beds during hot and dry days. So that keep all works really slow. But inspiration was stronger and I make some nice area in my garden. Next year it will be glorious.
   Thank you for reading my blog. There is almost 20 thousands views. So that is powerful. It means, that I am not alone, writing for more than my friend abroad. Now I start my third year in university. So that keep me very busy. Some huge projects. But I always find some time to enjoy my garden and try to share my joy with you all.

Best wishes,
Yours Lithuanian daylily and iris garden owner
Edvinas



Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Tower Hill Botanical Garden

Remembering trip to States one of the most important and special day was DAYLILY EXHIBITION. I already wrote about it, but that was not all from that day. Exhibition was in beautiful Tower Hill botanical garden, which I can explore during brakes from exhibition of daylilies.
Entry from parking lot to botanical garden. I have not seen such a things often, so was surprised to see gazebo as entry. Interesting point, that each gap of structure is like frame to wonderful view created around. Sadly photos doesn't look that nice, so hope you can imagine it. What I liked during my visit to States was daylilies. I saw them everywhere. Parking lots, street green zones, parks, public spaces - everywhere I saw daylilies. And this garden show great point of using daylilies as landscaping plant. People used to say, that they doesn't look good enough in modern gardens. But I think that we have to found perfect daylily for each spot. And plant it with others or alone with combination of hardscape.
Weeping Katsura tree (Cercidiphyllum japonicum f. pendulum). That was my first touch with this form. It look very nice. I like it as special tree of garden. It look nice from far. But there is nice features when you come closer. Leaves are same as usual specie. But features of weeping tree is like waterfall. It could give dramatic view in garden. If anyone found this tree in Baltic countries, please get in touch with me.
Alley with bench in back look nice. But I am not sure why it doesn't invite to go and see it closer. Need something on borders to look more dramatic. I see it is shaded area, but there is some nice plants for shade, that could give nice view and invite to explore these long borders.
Some times daylilies look nice alone. I think this point is just for practical uses to reach plant for breeding or take close-up pictures. I like background in this picture.
As I was fanatic to fabaceae family plants and this themed bed with Baptisia plants amazed me. They are huge. And I saw labels, that few are same as I bought this spring. So I have to keep that in mind before plant some companion plants. I know that they might be smaller, but still keep more room to grow and look good. They look Royal in this botanical garden.
I worked in Kaunas Botanical Garden and saw problem of where to plant small succulents in display and during this visit I saw nice way for that. In this section beds edged with thyme pillows and there planted sedums. Easy to maintain and looking nice.
Fern collection. These are just few varieties and species to chose from for shaded areas. I like them. Sadly have almost no shade in my garden at the moment. So wait till trees and hedges grow more and then can add few ferns to my garden.
Some times rose garden can be made with one variety and without companion plants. That is interesting and simple. For my own opinion I would like to add other perennials, but that was main idea to make it simple. Other borders around look fancy. So this make more relaxing area.
This palm ( and others) are in large pots and moved from big conservatories where they grow over winter. During summer time they are placed outside. And look nice in combination with other plants, that used to grow there all the time. I am not sure about their experience, but some of these plants are annuals in Lithuania. So they mix annuals, perennials, shrubs and ornamental grasses. In this way they create seasonal changing garden. I hope there was some bulbs for spring impression and then plant annuals when they turn brown. Grasses give amazing autumn view and evergreen trees and shrubs make static winter view, which might gone during summer.
Following photos are captured in motion. I have limited time to see this area of botanical garden. So almost run with never ending snapping. I had about 230 photos from this area only. Lots of them blurred or half blurred. So show just the best. I enjoyed this fast tour.
Main area with unusual form lawn make big impression. Green edges give a feeling like I was in nature. No distractive views, only plants and me.
That area might be bigger, but they reflected paths adding beds. That give more private places to enjoy plants and relax.
Statues give theme and nice feelings. They doesn't look like monuments in center lines. So surprise us, when you came from corner and saw one.
All area. I liked display of daylilies. Yellow bloom spots give class to this area.
And this is same gazebo which I show first, just from other side. That was great day to visit garden. Not too hot and not too sunny. So photos went perfect. Memories from this botanical garden is very bright. I get enough inspiration and sense of freedom.
If you even plan your trip around, you have to visit this botanical garden.