Hard to Believe

March 8, we moved into our LI home. July 18, our entrance looks a lot more inviting!

New summer flowers are a weekly delight! Can hibiscus be flowering already??

Which Hydrangea is this?

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.

Summer Sunday at the Beach

Mid-July, 85 degrees, Sunday afternoon. What better than a trip to the beach! Long Island offers 50+ miles of Atlantic ocean beaches, and for those who like quieter water, Long Island Sound on the Island’s north shore.

Iron Pier Beach, Northville, Town of Riverhead

Summer Moves On

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 Second Spring?

Many trees in our area of eastern LI have been defoliated by this year’s brood of Gypsy Moth and Eastern Tent caterpillars. Oaks are their favorite, but many ornamental fruit trees are now also bare. This is the second year in what is typically a 2-3 year infestation, followed by a rapid drop in population. A roughly 10-year cycle of major infestation is common in this area of NY/New England.

Despite their almost total defoliation, most mature deciduous trees survive these three-year attacks (not so the conifers in the rare years they are infested).  Indeed the oaks typically grow a new set of leaves in July after the May-June defoliation! So we are now witnessing a strange combination of pines and fully leafed maples interspersed with bare oaks, some sporting new leaves. Summer, Fall and a Second Spring all at one time!

 

Climate Zones

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…