I’m trying not to buy dozens and dozens of bulbs, because planting bulbs is such a pain in my hard clay soil. But here’s the count for this year:
6 Crocus blue moon mixture here and there
50 WFF crocus cream beauty in front garden
6 Tete a tete daffodils at edge of sunny border
25 WFF Spring Green Tulip Mix in containers (visible here).
12 WFF Tulip ‘Tom Pouce’ in containers
May it be a beautiful spring!
This gardening season has had its ups and downs, as usual, and I want to capture my ideas before they melt into the mist.
Spring brought some lovely blooms. The irises, which I sometimes despair of because this bed is so weedy, were lovely (if a bit floppy). I especially like the blue ones. Wish I still had the white ones I inherited from my mother, who got them from Bob Taylor decades ago. This was in mid-May.
Zepherine Drouhin is always lovely, but after she blooms, she’s a mess. Maybe add a clematis next year so there’s something else blooming there?
Despite my vow to sow annual poppies early, I failed. Luckily, this one self-sowed. I love the delicate shading on the petals.
Sarah Bernhardt was in bloom just in time to take her to Duck for the week.
Allium globemaster looked appropriately modern in a 60s sort of way. Plus, it lasted a long time. This was at the end of May.
The drumstick alliums were not quite what I expected, too tall. We’ll see if they come up next year. I was aiming for something like this
but they were very long-stemmed and flopped over. We’ll see if they come back next year.
By the end of June (after the wedding, and English garden pictures to come), long, spiky blooms appeared on the bottlebrush buckeye. The butterflies love them.
(And note the new fence, raw as can be but it should weather to gray eventually). Here’s one of the day lilies, though they seemed a bit meager this year. I love the dramatic dark reds:
And here’s the gallant calla zantedeschia that came as a bonus bulb from McClure and Zimmerman several years ago. If I’d realized its scale, I wouldn’t have planted it so close to one of the lush hostas, but so it goes. It comes up faithfully every year.
And look what’s popped up! A couple years ago I dug up a couple of plants that were just too big for their britches. This is a helianthus that just couldn’t be killed!
There are also signs that the amsonia is resurrecting itself, too. I may bite the bullet and pull it out, replacing it with a variety that has better fall color. We’ll see!
And this was the flowerpot on the steps this year. The pots worked well, but the railing planters were a mess: very dry, and I didn’t have any good fillers or spillers. I’ll add Soil Moist next year and go for something easy like calibrachoa to add color.
The houseplants enjoyed their spa vacation, as always. Note to self: you can never mass too many pots together.
Since this area is part sun at best, it’s all about the foliage here. Still, it could use a little more color but on the whole I was pleased.
Finally, the hyacinth beans I got on sale from C&T did pretty well, though what is apparently a stinkbug larva liked them, too. Never mind, the colors were delicious.
The other nice thing is that the shades of purple went well with the clematis and the Autumn Joy sedum, almost as though I had planned it (ha!).
Thursday was a shopping marathon!!! Our first stop was Ridhi Sidhi Textiles in Jaipur, which was absolutely amazing. 
Yes, an unpreposessing exterior, but wow! This is the main retail shop, where we all fell madly in love with the kantha quilts. You can see them stored on the shelves, with the overflow spilling onto the floor..
I bought five of them for presents, including one made of silks. There were several more rooms, filled with pajama sets, shirts, clothes of all kinds, and more fabric.
Then we moved on to the warehouse, where one room was just piled with quilts, wall hangings, clothes and who knows what all. 
We pawed through the piles looking for gold and in some cases found some. I came away with this old (how old?) quilted piece. 
A bit the worse for wear, and I don’t dare wash and block it, but I love these liberated stars.
In the main area were bolts and bolts and bolts of cloth. Wow! They use this electric cutter to slice through zillions of layers of fabric. (Sorry for the dizzying ending!) Again, I bought some yardage, of course.
Then on to the final warehouse/shop/business, where we saw the men doing block printing and tried our hands at it, too. 
Look at all those intricately carved blocks on the shelf behind him!
We also tried on lots of clothes (none of which worked for me but others struck gold), and bought more. Unbelievable! We ran out of time so we will return later to pay up.
After this, we were booked for tea at the Sujan Raj Mahal Palace, an 18th century building which has been converted into a boutique hotel for the rich. Tea was in a room known as ‘51 Shades of Pink’ and served by turbaned waiters.
Lovely little cakes and sandwiches, and, of course, tea. 
We walked through an elegant Anglo-Indian drawing room on our way to tea. Here are the current owners:
A vintage American car was parked under the canopy outside. Very fun.
All in all, a good day, and here’s the group picture outside Ridhi Sidhi to prove it!
Today we traveled out of Jaipur to a dye shop to meet an award-winning master dyer and to dye some fabric ourselves. First they showed us beautiful examples of tie-dyed fabric with an explanation of how they do it, carefully rolling up the fabric and tying it tight.
The workspace was cluttered, but I’m sure they knew exactly where everything was. 
The precision of their results is amazing. Here’s the reveal of one of their scarves, and you can see how tightly it’s wrapped.
Then it was our turn. We climbed up steep marble stairs (no hand rail, of course!) to the rooftop where we spread out on blankets in the sunshine to fold, pleat and tie our dampened fabrics. 
As you can see, you loop the fabric around your big toe, pull the fabric tight, and proceed to tie it. There is a trick to tying tightly which I only sort of mastered, but they were there to help us. In fact, one of the men kindly took the fabric away from me and redid it correctly (that’s my useless toe in the corner of the shot.)
Here are the well-worn scissors we used to cut the string.
Then we went back downstairs to the dye pots for the first dip,
after which we air dried our pieces 
and then gave them a second dip.
Then the master showed us his antique textiles. Pink is a color only for royals, we learned. 
This gold embroidered piece was made by his mother, so probably about 100 years old.
The master showed us how to wrap a turban, and Sujata and Amy tried them on, to everyone’s delight.
Then it was time for the great reveal as we untied our knots and spread open the fabric. All were gorgeous! Here are just a few:
We took the bus back to Jaipur for some shopping at the state-run handicrafts emporium. I picked up some lovely fabrics and sets of bangles for Cai and Sarah. After that, we walked along Mansagar Lake, a lovely body of water with the iconic Jal Mahal (water palace) at its center. 
The trees on the lake were busy with birds, I wish I knew which kinds. 
We saw camels
waiting for tourists to ride them, also this painted elephant that Cathy paid a small fee to feed. 
Back at the hotel, we picked up our tunics from the hotel shop, had drinks in the bar and then went on to dinner. Afterwards we were offered henna painting that was fun, and I love the outcome, even on my wrinkly hand. 
And so to bed for a good night’s sleep at last!
Today turned into a relaxed day, starting with the City Palace, so much better preserved than the previous palaces we’ve seen. Jaipur was a planned city, built in the early 18th century, and the palace dates from 1699. Along with numerous buildings, courtyards, galleries and offices, it houses the royal family.
Here is a touristy shot of me at the palace with two of the royal guards. Notice my beautiful scarf, a present from Sujata and Amy on our first evening.
Inside are gorgeous spaces, including these beautiful blue rooms. 
You can see why this is also a wedding venue.
Other rooms featured mirrors and jewels. Here you can see the group taking pictures like mad, we couldn’t stop ourselves!
Another view
In this room (above) a guide turned out the lights and showed us what it would look like by candlelight.
In the courtyard are beautiful gates, each dedicated to a different season and each beautifully decorated. This is the green doorway dedicated to Lord Ganesha.
And this is the lotus gate.
The peacock gate is especially intricate.
After lunch and a much-needed liedown we headed to a pottery center with a plan to watch a master potter at his craft. 
Unfortunately, he was away that day, much to Sujata’s disappointment, and we would not have a chance to paint the pots ourselves. Nevertheless, we rallied enough to do some shopping and I bought a big vase that when carefully wrapped was big enough to fill half my suitcase. I loved the colors and the shape…
Sadly, the TSA unwrapped it and it arrived in pieces, but I did manage to bring home intact a floral tile and a small head of Durga.
On our way back we had another tourist opportunity, this time to get a picture of the Hawa Mahal or “The Palace of Winds” or “The Palace of Breeze,” built in 1699 and recently restored. 
Women in purdah could look out of one of the 953 small windows and watch the world go by unseen.
A day filled with colors, sights, shapes, beauty!
The horrors, of course, are the many manifestations of Covid-19, aka the coronavirus, aka the pandemic, the global pandemic, the quarantine, etc. Starting around March 13, when everything shut down with only a few hours’ notice, we have been living a different life from anything we were imagining before. No socializing, library and schools closed, businesses shut down, restaurants only providing takeout (and several with groceries available, too), curbside pickup at stores, no going out to eat, listening to music, having meetings. Don’t even think about traveling, not an hour up the road to Washington or across the ocean to Vienna, as was our plan for September. It’s not so bad for people like me who have money and access to food and supplies, but it still wears a person down, especially given the criminal negligence of the government. But that rant will remain unwritten here.
On the other hand, it’s been a lovely spring. The cool weather has persisted with none of the 80+ degree days in April that cook the tulips. Instead, long stretches of cool, sunny weather with even frost warnings a couple times in the last week. We’re down for the year, but for the month our rainfall is right on track. I can’t complain!
Narcissus ‘Sunlight Sensation’ and ‘Baby Boomer’ not only bloomed prolifically but lasted and lasted. This is ‘Sunlight Sensation.’ Would definitely buy more next year to strew under the maple tree.
The tulips were a bit meager this year, with a few exceptions. The ‘Happy Generation’ tulip that was supposed to bloom with this ‘Pink Charm’ narcissus barely grew a leaf or two. Tulips in pots seemed to be particularly weak or non-existent. Voles??
On the other hand, these dark pink tulips seem to be perennial (so far) and dutifully bloomed at the same time as the viburnum (just out of the frame).
The unfortunately named tulip ‘Bud Light’ was particuarly beautiful, though I don’t have a good picture from my garden. Here’s one from Jackson & Perkins, and it’s just about how it looked for me, too. 
Another one I’d buy again.
The oak tree garden, as always, was an absolute delight, starting with the winter aconites in January. Here they are on February 9th, interspersed with snow drops. 
And a wider view, on April 11,
when the aconites are gone except for their foliage, and the bluebells, star of Bethlehem, columbine, Japanese roof iris and bleeding heart have taken over.
A closeup of the bluebells in late March: 
Not to forget the hellebores! They bloom so early, last so long in bouquets, and are so incredibly lovely that I don’t mind that they breed like rabbits and self-seed everywhere. This one was blooming on February 9th. 
So many beauties that I had to make a slide show for you.
But wait, don’t forget the peonies and roses! This was a hand-me-down from my friend Susan Hepler, known to me always as the Hepler peony. 
The ‘Sarah Bernhardt’ has tons of buds but no blooms yet.
‘Zepherine Drouhin’ is one of my favorites, though it seems to have a fainter scent this year. Maybe because of the cooler weather?
The ‘souvenir de Ste. Anne’ is an Earthkind rose, 
the very palest of pale pinks.
Then there is this neglected part of the garden:
The oakleaf hydrangeas that were supposed to grow six feet tall and help to obliterate my view of the neighbor’s shed never did grow very tall. Then last year we had lots of rain at one point, and this corner of the garden tends to get soggy. I think they have given up the ghost, and a great culling will happen here soon. Edging, obliterating the hydrangeas and forsythia (at least some of it) and cutting down the maple saplings that have taken root. What a mess! Welcome to spring in Virginia!
As summer comes to a close – complete with drenching rains, high humidity, more rain, and none of the September weather we loved in the olden days – here are a few lessons learned in the garden.
Plus: you might see Monarchs eventually!
Next year will be even better!!!
I’ve been wary about growing roses. Their reputation is for finickiness and the prevalence of diseases that call for chemical sprays. The plant itself is not lovely, at least not usually.
But when a friend brought me a blossom of “Zephirine Drouhin,” I fell head over heels in love. That color! That scent! Plus, it is almost thornless and can tolerate shade. I must have one.
But the first one died. And the second one, found at Roxbury Mills and planted in 2009, did well for a while. 
Though I only got a few blossoms, I was in love. But sadly, I had an infestation of voles (I’ve since learned that the vole population waxes and wanes. It’s on the wane now, for which I’m grateful.) The voles ate the roots and it was adieu to Zepherine.
Undaunted, I bought it again from White Flower Farm in the spring of 2015, and this year it just went to town.
Here is the current, third attempt.
As you can see, the plant itself is not handsome, but those blossoms! You should have smell-a-vision to get the full glory.
On a more serious note, here is a list of its potential problems:
Aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, scale, caterpillars, sawfly larvae, cane borers, Japanese beetles, rose stem girders, rose midges, rose slugs, rose chafers, leaf-cutting bees, black spot, rust, powdery mildew, crown gall, canker, dieback, downy mildew, viruses.
You see why I was reluctant?
But then I learned from a rose-growing acquaintance about Earthkind roses, developed by the Texas Agri-Life Extension Service. The Earthkind designation is only for “those roses demonstrating superior pest tolerance, combined with outstanding landscape performance.”
I knew I wanted a rose with fragrance, not too big, either yellow or pink. The Earthkind site led me to a small shrub rose, Souvenir de Ste. Anne.
“This sport of Souvenir de la Malmaison was bred in England by Thomas Hilling. It was found in St. Anne’s Park, Dublin. The pale pink petals glow with translucent beauty and are very fragrant. It is an excellent choice for mass plantings and borders. Few hips are produced. This cultivar is so outstanding that it was named “Earth-Kind® Rose of the Year” for 2009 by the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.”
Since I had not only culled the columbines but dug out the problematic Helianthus ‘Lemon Queen,’ I finally had some space for a plant that likes sun and good air circulation, so I placed my order with the Antique Rose Emporium.
Well, after all that build-up, here’s what I got, 
but remember! This had been in the ground less than a month when it bloomed, so I give it props. (It would also help if I could figure out how to capture pale pinks, yellows and creams without washing out all the color.) I’m feeling quite hopeful.
Just a few random notes from the garden this fall. This has not been a very active gardening year for me (wait till next year!!), but I wanted to mention a few things.
First up is this picture of a woodpecker on the yucca plant. When the plumbers dug up the front lawn, they broke off a lot of leaves on this guy, and he was looking pretty sickly. Nevertheless, I think it must be a cast-iron plant, because it has recovered nicely. I left one bloom spike on it for no particular reason, and now I know why: it’s for the woodpecker!
Blurry because he was pecking so fast!
A quick trip to Roxbury Mills so that I can plant the outdoor pots resulted in:
sternbergia lutea (fall flowering) because I love the ones I already have
tulips Maureen and Canasta (fringed) 
for front door pot
Boxwood Winter Star (so-called, probably North Star) for the front pot – I saw something like this somewhere and copied it. Apparently if it is North Star it will grow as a globe but right now it’s small and upright. When the pansies expire and before the bulbs come up, there will still be a presence there.
Daffodil concerto or more likely a tulip, I think for the front door pot
A couple of Allium purple sensations planted in the front of the sunny bed
Then, from Bluestone, Cream beauty crocus, Lilies both Oriental mix and Stargazer, and Pink impression tulips planted today 11/15 – Stargazer lilies in the pink bed, mixed lilies in with the iris, pink tulips in the pink bed and with the mixed lilies, didn’t get to the crocus today
Geranium macrorrhizum ‘Ingwersen’s Variety’ on backorder
Still in bloom on Gardener’s bloom day:
cornflower (note to self, get more for next year)
dragonwing begonia (they go on and on, caught this just as the setting sun lit it up)
physostegia still holding on
random morning glories that pop up everywhere
a little purple everlasting that quietly goes on and on – will try to get a pic later
rosemary blooming white
remains of wild white asters
Like most people, I see what hasn’t worked and what needs to be done more than I notice the garden successes. To remedy that, a few high notes:
The clethra has finally bloomed abundantly and is just as fragrant as I’ve been told. The bees love it, too. This is ‘Ruby Spice.” I saw a clethra somewhere recently that was as big as a small tree, so I’ll have to keep an eye on this. At least it is finally in a site where it can thrive.
The pink garden is coming right along, helped by the bright pink verbena I bought on a whim, and the pink Mandevilla vine that my neighbors planted. Here you see the crepe myrtle (is it Cherokee?) looming over the fence. It rains down tiny pink blossoms that fall onto the greenery below.
I finally tore down the thuggish morning glory that is self-sowing EVERYWHERE and didn’t look so good, despite this picture of the blossoms at their best.
But you can already see that the leaves are being eaten by something, and the whole thing was looking shabby. I’ve planted some beans in its place.
Finally, the scarlet runner bean, which actually has orange blooms, is doing well on one side of the trellis, while the elegant cardinal climber vine with its finely cut leaves and small, brilliant red flowers is carpeting the other side. They really don’t go together, and although the bean attracts myriad bees, you can probably tell which I prefer.
Caroline's Garden and Travel Record 