Eliza, Judy, Catherine – New England gardeners – what variety of hydrangea is this? Large leaves with purple edges, pink/white flowers. I have not seen this one before, but have just inherited it from the previous homeowner… I think a sunnier location might yield more blooms.
The 4th of July is past, and summer moves on in the flower beds. Pale pink Astilbe, Coneflower, New Guinea Impatiens, Begonia, purple Petunia all add to the changing palette. Hydrangea struggle to bloom after being cut back too far last Fall, but Forsythia rejoices in being cut back late this June.
A string of warm sunny days and now we have an abundance of summer flowers – from annual bougainvillea, petunia, geranium to perennial peony, lily, rose. June is the best month in the garden!
June 1, and LI flowers are blooming – despite a cool and wet May!
When we moved to New Hampshire after retiring, I did not realize how much I would miss my flower garden on Long Island (zone 7a, winter low +5 to 0 deg F). Creating a perennial bed in NH (zone 5a, winter low -15 to -20 deg F) was a challenge! After three summers I was happy to have gathered about 20 perennials hardy enough to survive a NH winter.
But day-lilies, lupin, phlox, daisy, coneflower, coreopsis, salvia, rudbeckia, astilbe, knockout rose and hibiscus braved the strong north-west winds off the lake and the -20deg lows, and put on a brave show of NH color by our third summer!
Now we are back on Long Island, remembering the delights of our half-acre 10 years ago, and hoping to recreate at least a miniature perennial bed in our new small yard! Bleeding Heart, honeysuckle, peony, astilbe, phlox, tea rose, hydrangea, hibiscus loved the long mild growing season.
Take a look and see the difference two climate zones makes! Can you tell which zone is which? (OK, you gardeners know at first glance!). Each is beautiful in its own way. Given time, you can not only survive, but flourish, wherever you are planted…
May 1 – around homes, the color of the week here is red: Japanese Maple, Pink Dogwood, Red Azalea. In the woods, White Dogwood in Brookhaven State Park.
Blossom in mid-April in the middle of the Island
