Comments for The Gardener's Eden

Comment on Into the Garden, Dreaming . . . by Jen

Jen — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:58:55 +0000

Oh, what a shot.

Comment on Enkianthus campanulatas ‘Red Bells’ Rings with Rosy, Late Spring Blossoms & Glorious Beauty Beyond Bloom . . . by Michaela

Michaela — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 11:28:53 +0000

Hi Laurrie,
Enkianthus does prefer partial shade, however it will grow in mostly sunny locations with protection from mid-day sun. The most important —key in fact— requirement for Enkianthus is soil acidity and moisture. Soil pH must be below 6.5 (lower is better, as with blueberries), in order for this plant to thrive. I have successfully planted Enkianthus in mostly sunny spots with moist, acidic soil —including a mostly sunny spot in my own garden— with success. Like Vaccinium, Kalmia and Rhododendron, Enkianthus will fail to thrive in neutral to alkaline or alkaline soil. If blueberries grow well on your site, Enkianthus should also work. I would not site Enkianthus where it has no protection from hot, mid-day sun. Morning sun would be fine, or even northwestern exposure, late afternoon sun. Mostly sunny or bright light is fine, but if your site has non-stop, glaring sun, this shrub will probably not work well. Again, Enkianthus does prefer some shade, but not full shade. The most critical issues are soil acidity and moisture.
Hope this helps!

Comment on Enkianthus campanulatas ‘Red Bells’ Rings with Rosy, Late Spring Blossoms & Glorious Beauty Beyond Bloom . . . by Laurrie

Laurrie — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 04:14:15 +0000

A beautiful plant that I would love to try. I haven’t planted it, thinking it needs shade (I have very little), but you say it does well in mostly sun. I may have to get enkianthus now! It really is a beauty.

Comment on The Alluring Scent of Lila & Muguet: Treasures Lost & Found in the Rain. . . by Michaela

Michaela — Sun, 26 May 2013 14:17:46 +0000

Hi Jen, I find that now that I’ve raised the topic of floral fragrance, all sorts of interesting conversations are happening on the phone, at the dinner table and on various social networks! It seems that our olfactory senses, opinions and attached memories are very strong indeed! I can remember a very cloying bouquet at my grandmother’s house when I was a child. It contained hybrid Hyacinth, among other springtime bulbs. To this day, although I love the scent of Hyacinth out-of-doors, I find the fragrance overpowering in a small room.
Interestingly, I can never get enough of certain fragrances —usually the delicate ones— which may be why I notice and prefer the slightly spicy Viburnums, Daphnes and the incomparably alluring, ever-coquettish Viola odorata.
I love this discussion! What a great thing to think about. :) xo M

Comment on The Alluring Scent of Lila & Muguet: Treasures Lost & Found in the Rain. . . by Michaela

Michaela — Sun, 26 May 2013 14:02:45 +0000

Hello there, Yes, the English Bluebell (Scilla non-scripta or as it is now known, Hyacinthoides non-scripta), is without a doubt the more fragrant of the wood hyacinths. Even within the native English Bluebell species (the English native is a deep, violet blue and yes, small, nodding blossoms on one side), the scent does vary quite a bit depending upon cultural conditions (and the gardener's nose). And yes, although it isn't nearly as strong, there does exist a delicate fragrance to some of the heirloom Spanish Bluebells (Scilla hispanica) as well. Hyaninthoides cultivars ---with colors ranging from blue, violet, pink and white--- also vary quite a bit in characteristics; including the scent. Interestingly, the hybrids ---called Hyacinthoides x massartiana--- seem to have lost considerable amount of fragrance as the colors have expanded. Although most of the bluebells in my garden are Scilla non-scripta, I do have both Scilla non-scripta and Scilla hispanica as well as hybrids. If you are interested in creating a fragrant woodland of English Bluebells ---like the native bluebell woods in Great Britain--- I would stick to the Hyacinthoides non-scripta aka S. non-scripta. Good question! M

Comment on Scott Farm’s Springtime Renaissance: Above the Orchard, Beauty in Full Bloom by Michaela

Michaela — Sun, 26 May 2013 13:40:37 +0000

Thank you Anne, and welcome! It’s wonderful to hear from blog readers and especially lovely to find a message from a new guest. Seeing the landscape from inside the sky has inspired and given fresh perspective to life on the ground. I love to fly and love sharing the experience ;) M

Comment on The Alluring Scent of Lila & Muguet: Treasures Lost & Found in the Rain. . . by TheProspectOfBees

TheProspectOfBees — Sun, 26 May 2013 13:27:45 +0000

We had heard that Spanish blue bells (bells all around the upright stem) had no particular scent as opposed to proper English blue bells (bells on one side of arching stem). Is there any truth to this? The former seem easier to come by but we have been avoiding them for the latter.

Comment on The Alluring Scent of Lila & Muguet: Treasures Lost & Found in the Rain. . . by Jen

Jen — Sat, 25 May 2013 19:13:27 +0000

Too easy to get distracted while in our gardens! I’ve been known to forget piles of mail in the grass next to a garden that needed weeding on the way back from the mailbox. Glad you found your shears.

And yes, the scent of spring is heady, for sure. Sometimes it seems that once brought indoors, the scents are never quite right. They become a little too much for the space or smell like they’re hurrying to decay after I’ve cut them, or not proportioned correctly with other scents. As if by the time I’ve got them in vases, there’s already a melancholy about them, nostalgia for what they smelled like outdoors. But I still bring them in and wish I could make the dizzy outdoor scent last a little longer.

Comment on Scott Farm’s Springtime Renaissance: Above the Orchard, Beauty in Full Bloom by Anne

Anne — Sat, 25 May 2013 15:34:50 +0000

Lovely photos! Aerial shots are always fascinating for me, all the patterns that are revealed, sometimes quite unexpected ones.
I just encountered your blog, I am enjoying reading it.

Comment on Apple Blossom Love in the Afternoon . . . A Little Romance at Scott Farm Orchard by Michaela

Michaela — Wed, 22 May 2013 18:04:25 +0000

Thank you, Emily! So happy you enjoy the photos of Scott Farm :) M

Comment on Apple Blossom Love in the Afternoon . . . A Little Romance at Scott Farm Orchard by emily

emily — Tue, 21 May 2013 12:14:26 +0000

Oh my goodness – oh my goodness! These photos! I can almost smell the apple blossoms. So pretty.

Comment on Scott Farm’s Springtime Renaissance: Above the Orchard, Beauty in Full Bloom by Michaela

Michaela — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:29:37 +0000

Hi Deb, Zeke and the team at Scott Farm do an amazing job with the orchard. One of the things less visible in aerial photos is the overwhelming variety of fruit trees grown there. Walking through the rows —both during the blossom and the harvest— the colors and fragrances shift constantly. It’s such a beautiful and inspirational place for growers —professional and backyard homesteaders— to visit and learn. Zeke has an incredible amount of knowledge, and he is an amazing resource for this, and the greater, horticultural community. ;)M

PS I also like the presence of fundraising ads, like the MJF Parkinson’s ad, from BlogHer. It’s a fantastic publishing network for blogs.