Golden Elderberry-Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’

It, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’ is more functional than ornamental here, used to provide shade for seating in a prime garden viewing spot. Added: The original receipt was finally located for the purchase of this shrub, from Heronswood, shipped June 14, 2004.

It is not really a tree, but rather more of a large shrub, with judicious pruning required to keep the pathway clear underneath. But that’s okay. I like to prune.

The foliage was claimed to be golden, but it is more greenish to my eyes. But that’s okay, as well.

There are fluffy white flowers in mid-spring. The petals drop like flower shaped sequins onto the seating beneath as the breezes blow. It is not only okay, I love it. Sometimes when I go inside, there are tiny flowers in my hair.

Later the green multitudes of berries will turn very dark, like a rich red wine. Some people make wine from them, but here the birds devour every last bit of luciousness quickly. And that, too, is okay.

Some plant facts about golden elderberry, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’:

Common Name: American elder
Type: Deciduous shrub
Family: Adoxaceae
Zone: 3 to 9, some sources said 4 to 11
Height: 5 to 12 feet, about 15 feet here in southeast Tennessee USDA Zone 7a
Spread: 3 to 10 feet
Bloom Time: June to July, May here, sometimes even late April
Bloom Color: White
Bloom Description: White
Sun: Full sun to part shade
Water: Medium to wet, we don’t have wet and it is often quite dry in summer
Maintenance: Needs pruning
Flowers: Showy Flowers, Fragrant Flowers
Leaves: Colorful
Fruit: Showy Fruit, Edible Fruit
Wildlife: Attracts Birds, Attracts Butterflies
Tolerates: Clay Soil, Wet Soil
Uses: Erosion Control, Hedge, Rain Garden, umbrella to shade seating from the sun

Grow in average, medium to wet, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Best golden foliage color in full sun. Tolerates wide range of soils, but prefers moist, humusy soils. Spreads by root suckers to form colonies. (That must be in wet soil, there has been minimal colonization here.) Prune out dead or weakened stems in early spring.

A fast-growing deciduous shrub, Sambucus canadensis ‘Aurea’ is often seen as a broad, spreading, multistemmed plant, with pinnately compound, 12 to 14-inch-long yellow leaves arranged along the arching branches. But it can be effectively pruned into a nice, small, single or multi-stemmed tree with regular pruning to remove suckers growing from the base of the plant. When in bloom, golden elderberry is literally smothered with 6 to 10-inch-wide clusters of yellowish-white blooms. These are followed by a multitude of small, dark red berries which are quite popular with birds, and can be used in pies, jellies, or fermented to make a wine. Here, we let the birds have the berries, and greatly enjoy watching the birds feasting on them.

****
This post is part of my dear friend Gail of Clay and Limestone’s Wildflower Wednesday. Be sure to pop over there to see what other wildflowers are showing on the fourth Wednesday of each month.

Frances

What Looks Good Now-For Future Reference

It’s simple, really.
Above: Passalong peony from dear neighbors long ago, probably P. ‘Festiva Maxima’

Photos are taken of various parts and plants of the Fairegarden, they are then tagged with the date and held in folders until being used in blog posts.
Above: Gifted Iris siberica ‘Butter and Sugar’ from daughter Semi.

As garden plans are made, wish lists recorded and checked periodically, the archives of published blog posts provide handy dandy access to valuable information. What was blooming at what time of year and what else was also blooming or was planted nearby helps jog a sometimes forgetful gardener’s memory.
Above: Allium ‘Mt. Everest’ in the Lawn/Meadow

Sometimes plants do poorly or skip a year of bloom, or disappear entirely. Searching on the blog or using an internet search engine using the name of the plant and adding Fairegarden to the search brings up those posts containing just what we are looking for.
Above: The repurposed wheelbarrow now planter with the hummingbird favorite red Salvia coccinea ‘Lady in Red’ as the thriller.

We know the hummers love these red Salvias because photos of their visits in this garden in previous years exist out there in the sanctum of the world wide web.
Above: Nigella damascena and Salvia greggii

Attracting pollinators of the fuzzy or feathery kind is a high priority here.
Above: Monarda bradburiana and Rosa ‘Blush Knockout’ in the Heather Bed.

Writing the full botanical name of the plants takes time and research to get the spelling and/or name changes correct, but that is the key to finding what we are looking for. It also helps folks who might be looking for information or photos of a particular plant, too. Sometimes a Plant Portrait post is written to supply both to be even more helpful. Click here and/or here for two such stories about the foxglove family.
Above: Digitalis purpurea, they attract fairies, you know.

Some of the gardens here change very little from year to year, such as the front gardens. It is nice to see how things continue to grow that were planted long ago.
Above: The view from the driveway of the front round and raised beds, written about here. Featured plants are Salvia x sylvestris ‘May Night’, Veronica austriaca subsp teucrium ‘Crater Lake Blue’, Geranium sanguineum, Rosa ‘Knockout’ in the lower round. In the raised bed are Oreganum vulgare ‘Aureum’, Acer palmatum var. dissectum ‘Atropurpureum’ and Chamaecyparis pisifera ‘Boulevard’.

Time consuming, yes, writing all of those plant names with proper capitalization and italicization, but those are their names, and writing them several times can help one to memorize them.
Above: The Knot Garden, with photos taken of this view of it was first featured in another of the earliest posts, here.

It is fun to see how it has evolved over time. Kitty photobombed this shot taken from atop the bench.

There are other features that are featured in blog posts besides plants. There are containers and glass art, too.

And that brings us to the final image, the newest feature of the Fairegarden. A gift from my husband, The Financier for my recent birthday was this beautiful Horn of the Unicorn made by sweet Barbara Sanderson of Glass Gardens Northwest. Finding just the right location to best showcase the cobalt blue horn led to it being installed atop the golden heath of the Yellow/White Garden, Erica carnea ‘Westwood Yellow’. This post will mark that event for future reference and future fun gazing back on times past.

Frances

May Bloom Day 2013

Nectaroscordum siculum
Welcome one and all to Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day for May, 2013. There is a lot to show you, so let’s get to it, shall we?

There will be featured some close ups, but the garden is much more chaotic than the macro shots would suggest. It is stuffed to the brim with plants, this garden, and I know each one of them personally. The lead off photo is thought of around here to be an Allium, at one time known as Allium bulgaricum. Those silly taxonomists… Onward!

Paphiopedilum ‘Pinocchio’
Our newest addition to the Paph collection.

Slc ‘Jewel Box-Scheherazade’
One of our oldest orchids, given an ultimatum last fall to bloom or be tossed. It worked.

Papaver orientale
A passalong from dear neighbors.

The longer view, these have never bloomed en masse, even though they have spread all over the Heather Bed. It is more of a one here one there effect.

Rhododendron ‘King Red’ and Rhododendron ‘Klondyke’
This is the first blooming for the deciduous native azalea King Red since it was planted and frozen down to the roots in 2007 by single digit temperatures in April for several days. The regrowing was slow but these flowers were worth the wait!

Amsonina hubrichtii
These are doing well and spreading in the Fairelurie. In the background is the crimson clover in the Lawn/Meadow, looking good.

Salvia x sylvestris ‘Mainacht’ aka ‘May Night’, Salvia nemorosa ‘Caradonna’ and Zizia aurea
Also in the Fairelurie. The golden alexander makes the dark blue stand out much more. It only took me four years to figure that out. For the story of the creation of this bed, click here.

Iris germanica ‘Indian Chief’ and Iris pallida
It has been a very good iris year so far.

Iris germanica ‘Superstition’
Growing in the Black Garden, naturally.

Clematis ‘Candida’
The clemmies are also having an exceptional year. There has been a lot of rain this spring, for which we are ever so thankful.

Aquilegia ssp.
The blue columbines are very promiscuous and have populated the Woodland Garden with every shade and hue. Hydrangea quercifolia ‘Little Honey’ has grown to become a presence in there after several years of being simply small stick size.

Clematis ‘Elsa Spath’
Growing on the bottle tree that is attached to the shed. That blue color is a favorite around here.

A fledging bluebird boy on a wire, awaiting wormies to be served up to him by doting parents, against the clear blue sky. It is good.

*****
Please visit Carol of May Dreams, the founder of GBBD to see flowers in bloom from all around the world on this fine May day.

Frances

Kniphofia Caulescens

They came with the property. Under the twinings of Japanese honeysuckle, wild grapevine and privet shrubs gone beserk were imposing pointy rosettes of thick dark green. Their identity was unknown, but the cluster was divided and moved to a blank space by the side of the house to wait and see what would develop.

As the stout stalks arose, excitement escalated. As the tops formed titillatingly, there was a hint of what was to come next. Kniphofia ssp. of some sort, most likely Kniphofia caulescens was determined in the big reveal. These had never been seen growing in real life, but had been noticed in catalogs, books and magazine articles. I thought they were more of a tropical plant and was thrilled to be able to grow them here in USDA Zone 7a Southeast Tennessee. As they began to bloom here, several more clusters were noticed around the neighborhood, perhaps the result of friendly passalongs over the years.

These are big plants that need some room to best show off their charms. They have been moved multiple times and at one point were deemed too large to even live here at all. The lot was dug up and given to my daughter Semi to help fill in her hillside that is even steeper than my own slopes. But there must have been a piece of root left in the ground, for the unmistakable foliage rose again from the soil. Thank goodness.

A couple more moves has found the perfect, for now, location to grow these fine fellows, in the Gravel Garden amongst the tall Calamagrostis x acutiflora ‘Karl Foerster’ grasses in the back of the bed. There are some irises in there, as well, Iris germanica ‘Cinnamon Girl’ is showing off at present.

In all the growing spots of the tall flower stalks around here as time has passed, birds have been noted feeding on something unknown as the blooms open from bottom to top, turning from the reddish orange buds to pale yellow petals. Quizically but with gusto, the birds are finding a treat there. Bugs? Seeds? Something.

The finch family, cardinals, goldfinches and male and female purple finches that are featured in these photos, a downy woodpecker and even a hummingbird have been seen this year feasting on the flaming torch like flower heads. The common name of red hot poker is apt, as is torch lily, another moniker. Even stripped bare, the stalks give vertical interest until they are cut down in late winter to make way for new spring growth.

Some plant facts about Kniphofia caulescens:

Meaning: Named for Prof. Johann Hieronymus Kniphof, 18th century botanist
Pronunciation: nip-HOFF-ee-uh
Alternative Pronunciation: nip-HOH-fee-uh
Hardy in USDA Zones 7a to 10b, also listed hardy to Zone 5
Size: 4 to 6 feet tall and wide
Siting: Full sun
Bloom time: mid spring
Drought tolerant, clay tolerant, deer resistant
Acid to neutral soil with good drainage
Native range: is native to the high grassy slopes of South Africa’s Drakensberg Mountains
Propagate by crown offset division

Once bitten by the Kniphofia bug, the search was on for more varieties. So far two Kniphofia uvarias, one white and one a nice yellow, shown above, have been added, from mixed seed grown by Ruth at Mouse Creek nursery, Kniphofia ‘Little Maid’, a diminutive, one foot tall, micro mini in pale yellow and Kniphofia rooperi from Plant Delights Nursery that has yet to bloom after several years in the ground here. The last two species have also been moved to the Gravel Garden for better growing and the better to see you, my dears. If there are future blooms of these, photos might be added to this post, if I can remember to do so.

As you can see, the yellow/red flowers that might be off-putting to some, fit right in with the no rules color scheme of the spring blooming extravaganza here.

Frances

For All You Mothers Out There

For all the mothers out there….

….You know who you are.

Mother’s Day is not my favorite holiday, for many reasons.

My own dear mother and dear mother in law are both gone now, and they are sorely missed.

So it is a sad day for me, even though I am the mother of four wonderful offspring, two of whom are mothers themselves, and a new mother daughter in law that I love dearly.

While it is a good idea, I suppose, to honor our mothers on a special day, why not honor them every single day, as they so deserve?

Sometimes, one does not know what they’ve got until it’s gone.

Let us never forget our mothers.

*****

Please forgive the self indulgent pity party tone of this post. Sometimes a person needs to wallow in sadness for just a little tiny bit to better enjoy the happy times of life, of which there are so many.

Frances

An Uprising

There is an uprising of sorts going on around here.
Above: Tree peony, Paeonia suffruticosa ‘Kamata Fuji’, maybe.

It involves the reaching of stems for the sky, pardner.
Above: The view from under the garage deck.

It is a happy striving, searching for the unobstructed sun.
Above: Iris ‘Cinnamon Girl’ looking sweet and spicy.

Spikes punctuate the space….
Above: Kniphofia caulescens nearing the zenith. Hummingbirds have been seen visiting this spike, looking for an opening from which to dine.

…Holding promises of petals.
Above: Gladiolus byzantinus held erect with a fence of hazel.

In the lawn/meadow, a joyous sight makes us want to sing…
Above: Crimson clover, Trifolium incarnatum, click here for more.

The Dianthus are dancing…, click here for more.

Towers of tiny trumpets rise to the heights.
Above: Scilla peruviana, not from Peru but referring to a ship by that name that was the first to bring bulbs to England from Spain, by the taxonomist Linnaeus. Added: This beautiful plant is native to Portugal, actually. Thanks to Jaime of Jardim Suspenso for setting the record straight!

The gardener walks up and down and all around the paths, often getting down eye to eye to better view the process.
Above: Tradescantia virginiana, a native now approaching invasive weed status here.

The deciduous azaleas welcome all the revelers along the Azalea Walk.

Hummingbirds and butterflies enjoy the crowds of colorful, cheering cups. A well placed chair nearby allows for some comfy photojournalism.

It is a free for all!

Frances

Miracles, Mystery and Wonder

It is a time of mystery and wonder in the Fairegarden. Flowers are blooming, twigs and branches are leafing and the animals that call the garden home are out and about. This squirrel jumped from the nearby silver maple to land on Free Bird, read about the mossy creature here. It was raining hard and I was inside the addition, sitting in the lazyboy and daydreaming. The movement caught my attention and I quickly grabbed the camera and started clicking. What the image does not reveal is that the squirrel was swaying to and fro as the rebar stake reacted to his or her leap onto the verdant landing pad. Yeeeeee-haaaaaaw!

In between rain events, for which we are ever so thankful, there have been miraculously clear mornings. The deciduous azaleas are blooming, the first one to open always is Rhododendron ‘Admiral Semmes’. For much more about these native flowering shrubs, click here.

In the midst of the Azalea Walk, the name for the bed where most of these shrubs reside, is the bluebird house. We have been watching the house hunting, the courtship and now the nest building phase of these much beloved birds. It looks like Mrs. Bluebird is doing most of the work!

In the Fairelurie garden in front by the driveway the planting of spring blooming bulbs is close to the dreamed of sea of blue. Camassia leichtlinii and Camassia cusickii, the lighter blue are large enough to be seen from the street. It is good.

Up at the shed, newly painted last year, the resident Carolina wren is ahead of the rest of the birds with the birthing process, feeding hungry babies now. At one time, these tiny but bold birds built a nest inside the shed that was so large it was feared that rats had moved inside. The story begins here, and is solved here. A photo sent to the local extension office waylaid our fears of rodent invasion, saying it was the work of the little wren. These wrens are always flitting about the shed and still get inside on occasion. The sweet birdhouse, a hostess gift from my dear friend Gail of Clay and Limestone seems to have met with their approval.

The colors of spring foliage is a wonder indeed. Erica carnea ‘Westwood Yellow’ anchors the block corner of the Yellow/White bed with aplomb.

Another wren, this time the little sweet singing Jenny wren, or house wren has made a maternity center in the acorn birdhouse, a gift from my dear sister in law, Lynn. Please forgive the poor quality of this shot, these birds are quite shy and I had to sit very far away to capture the comings and goings. If you think this photo is bad, you should see the discards.

The morning light reveals hidden wonders in the leaves of purple cabbages planted in the purple container.

Rays of sunshine bring out the pinkness of the Catesby trillium, Trillium catesbaei. The flower hangs downward, making photographing it in the usual manner impossible. The only way is to stick the camera under the bloom, click and hope for the best. It takes several tries to get a usable image.

Clicking is what we do when out in the garden, some might call it mindless clicking even. Trying to capture the beauty that the eye sees remains an unquenchable thirst. But on this special day, by the pond and the Fairy Garden area, someone graced us with her presence, showing pale blue in the lower right corner of the image. Miracles, mystery and wonder.

****
The title of this post was inspired by the genius poet and songwriter Paul Simon. At first I thought it was from the song Graceland, from the amazing album by the same name, but searching found it belonged to The Boy in the Bubble. Miraculous music, indeed.

Frances