The June Woodlands

When I woke up this morning Lou was already outside, watering plants. I walked out to greet him, and the air was refreshingly cool! But now the temperature is headed back into the 90s. The hot weather makes for thirsty plants, as well as people.

I am grateful for my big shade trees. The June woodlands are more temperate than sunnier areas, but the cool colors and shadows can be deceptive when the humidity and temperatures are both approaching 100! I shouldn't complain. In some parts of the country people pay a lot of money to put saunas into their homes. Here, we have it for free, all summer long. 

The rain we had last weekend was a refreshing drink to the garden, and I was out taking photos of the Woodland Garden soon afterwards:

Here are a couple of shots of a wilder part of the Woodland Garden:

There are few flowers blooming this time of year in the woodlands, but the gardenia in the top photo below makes up for it. The heady fragrance of this shrub permeates the nearby gardens. Below the gardenia picture are hydrangea 'Lady in Red' and a calla lily.

I planted several 'Snowflake' hydrangeas in the Woodland Garden last fall, and they also are blooming now. Below one can compare the ruffled blooms of 'Snowflake' with the single florets of the traditional oakleaf hydrangea shown in the lower right photo.

I couldn't write about the woodlands without a few shots of some favorite foliage:Top: A broken heart! (a fallen redbud leaf) Middle: Fothergilla gardenii; Holly fern. Lower: I may move this houttuynia. It is a ground cover with an aggressive reputation but has languished in the dry shade of its current location; a species rhododendron.

I was delighted to find a mockingbird nest. Cleverly disguised in a twiggy tree, Mama was sitting patiently on her eggs, but what endeared me was Papa, who was working hard, bringing treats to his mate!

Finally, here is a framed view of the blue bridge. The bridge adds a fresh touch, even when the temps are soaring!

Happy Summer!

Snowflakes in July

No, I'm not talking about frozen precipitation, though that sounds delightful as our temps and humidity head toward the triple digits. I am talking about Hydrangea quercifolia 'Snowflake'. I don't have any of these in my garden, but I was completely smitten by them when I recently visited Aldridge Gardens in Hoover.

Snowflakes are a native of Alabama. The blooms are double and last far longer than the species. I saw them a couple months ago when their blooms were white; and although they were pretty, I didn't note that they were superior to the species. On my most recent visit, their blooms were turning pink and were spectacular, with their ruffled blooms really standing out.

The world didn't know about these wonderful shrubs until the 1970's when Eddie Aldridge and his father, Loren, patented them and began propagation, using a single cutting from a shrub discovered in Libscomb, Alabama. Now they are grown worldwide. You can read about care and cultivation of Hydrangea quercifolia in my post Oakleaf Hydrangea for All Seasons.

My own oakleaf hydrangeas are well past their prime. Their pure white color has rapidly progressed through pink to rose to brown. Snowflake is far prettier!

My Lady in Red hydrangeas have also undergone changes in the summer heat. Here is what they looked like in May:

This is what they look like now. Still beautiful!

A few other hydrangeas, in different stages, are blooming in my garden now:

Clockwise from upper left: 'Annabelle' has turned from white to shades of pale green; 'Limelight' is just beginning to bloom; 'Niko Blue' has a single bloom remaining; I thought 'Endless Summer' was finished blooming, but it is now developing new buds. Maybe it will live up to its name!

I can't wait for cooler fall weather so I can add some Snowflakes to my collection!