Front Slope Flowers Phase Two 2023

Front Slope Flowers Phase Two

Front Slope Flowers Phase Two Spring and Summer 2023

Drawing

Rocks

Place large oval rock by bearded iris and cornflower in the middle

Take the less flat blue stone from garden and prop up one of the middle beds.

Once established, move the rocks that are currently around the Spirea Blue Mist to support rose campion and nigella. Maybe find more med to large rocks, Freecycle?

Spring 2023

Blue Flowers

Salvia- Salvia Farinacea 

    annual in zone 5, but is a good self seeder, may not have to start seedlings every year

Salvia- Black and Blue

    unique black stems and blue flowers, but will probably not survive the winter. Replace with Spike Speedwell

Iris sibirica Blue Moon Siberian Iris - or Cool Blue Collection (bulbs)

Dianthus Siberian Blues Dianthus amurensis (seeds) Park Seed

Blue Globe Thistle Veitch's Echinops ritro (bare root) Holland Bulb 

Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia  

Catmint Nepeta 'Walker's Low' or Blue Wonder  Bluestone Perennials

Alium Azure and Zamin- Brecks (fall planted bulbs)

Nigella Miss Jekyll Nigella Mix Nigella damascena Hudson Valley Seeds

Blue Didiscous -Trachymene coerulea - Johnny's

Caryopteris Beyond Midnight- Bluestone Perennials

White Flowers

Phlox White Phlox Drummondii (seeds) Outside Pride

Zinnias White Wedding-  

    continuing the Delft (blue and white) theme, need some good white flowers

Zinnia Giant Dahlia Flowered White

Cosmos Psyche White- Burpee or White Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus seeds Johnny's

Tulips white- Pim Fortuyn- (bulbs)

Cornflower white Centaurea Cyanus  (seeds)

Rose Campion- White Evening Lychnis (seeds)

White Yarrow- Achillea Millefolium- (seeds) 

Gomphrena Audray White Gomphrena Globosa (Seeds) Hudson Valley Seeds

Winter 2023

Focus on only one or two new flowers for the front slope this year. Continue with what worked last year, Zinnia, Coneflower. Add more shrubs to increase the "structure" of the slope- two Hydrangea and another of the Spirea Blue Mist Caryopteris. Maybe the focus should be on making a white slope with blue and the "pops" of color as it is difficult to find blue flowers.

The more I think about this, I did not really have a clear plan or idea in my head what I wanted this to be when I started. I was was depressed over break and ran amok on the internet with my credit card.

I think I really want a more formal look with big clumps or groups of plants. Some of the plants that I choose (cornflower, Nigella, etc...) are more suited to a Cottage Garden. There are so few blue plants that I really should focus on white with occasional pops of blue.

New Blue Flowers for 2023

Dianthus Siberian Blue (perennial)

Nigella (hardy annual)

Delphinium (perennial)

New White Flowers for 2023

Phlox (perennial)

White Dianthus (low ground cover perennial)

White Rose Campion (perennial)

Blue Disc African Daisy (annual)

Monty Don Gardener's World- Season 53 Episode 25

    Color scheme for The Mound is soft yellow and soft blues

    Potentilla Fruticose Primrose Beauty- shrub, light yellow

    Creeping Blue Blossom- Ceanothus thyrsiflorus repens- blue 3' tall, 3' wide

        We have New Jersey Tea Plant (Ceanothus)

    Severn Sea Prostrate Rosemary- doesn't seem like any rosemary is hardy in zone 5

Fall 2022

Dig up Alium Milenium and give away because it is too purple. Plant Alium Azure (15) and Zamin (3) (fall planted bulbs) blue bearded iris (4 rhizomes) and Pim white tulip (10 bulbs)- along the middle swale. Planted September 18, 2022.  Alium may be too deep. 

Summer 2023

Add plants to expand bed to the left.  Continue to start seeds for annuals (cornflower, zinnia). Establish edging to keep grass out on left side. Remove shrubs on right side and prepare for more bed expansion.

Plant Type	Summer 2022	Summer 2023
Perennial	Spiked Speedwell Veronica (8)	Spiked Speedwell Veronica (5)
Annual	Salvia victoria Salvia (6)	Salvia Black and Blue Salvia guaranitica
Annual- may reseed	Coneflower Blue Boy (10)	Coneflower Blue Boy (10)
Perennial	Nepeta 'Walker's Low'- Catmint (2) bare roots	Nepeta ‘Blue Winder'- Catmint (2) bare roots
Perennial		Geranium 'Rozanne' Cranesbill (3)
Perennial		Perovskia atriplicifolia- Russian Sage (4)
Perennial		Veitch's Blue Globe Thistle Echinops ritro bare root
Perennial		Delphinium Belladonna Mix (seeds)
Perennial		Iris sibirica Blue Moon Siberian Iris - (bulbs)
Perennial		Siberian Blues' Dianthus Seeds
Perennial	Alium Millenium bulbs	Alium Zamin or Alium Azure  Allium bulbs
Perennial		Hydrangea macrophylla Endless Summer
Annual- may reseed		Blue and White Double Daisy Anemone mix bulbs
Perennial	Achillea Millefolium-White Yarrow (3)	Achillea Millefolium-White Yarrow (10)
Perennial	Stachys byzantina 'Fuzzy Wuzzy'- Lambs Ears (2)	Stachys byzantina 'Fuzzy Wuzzy'- Lambs Ears (2)
Annual	Zinnia White Wedding (10)	Zinnia White Wedding (10)
Perennial		Phlox paniculata 'David'- Phlox (3) or seeds
Perennial		White Tulips- Pim Fortuyn- (bulbs)
Annual- may reseed		White Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus seeds
Perennial		White Rose Campion / Evening Lychnis seeds

Echinacea purpurea 'Green Twister’ (3)- Move to new "Green and Blush" perennial border

Blue and White Flowers

Blue Flowers

Salvia- Salvia Farinacea 

    annual in zone 5, but is a good self seeder, may not have to start seedlings every year

Salvia- Black and Blue

    unique black stems and blue flowers

Cornflower- Centaurea Cyanus, Hudson Valley Seed

    dead head for re-bloom, succession planting

Delphinium Belladonna Mix, Guardian Blue, (buy potted plants? or seeds?)

Iris sibirica Blue Moon Siberian Iris - or Cool Blue Collection (bulbs)

Dianthus Siberian Blues Dianthus amurensis (seeds) Park Seed

Blue Globe Thistle Veitch's Echinops ritro (bare root) Holland Bulb 

Russian Sage Perovskia atriplicifolia  

Cranesbill Geranium 'Rozanne' 

Catmint Nepeta 'Walker's Low' or Blue Wonder  Bluestone Perennials

Alium Azure and Zamin- Brecks (fall planted bulbs)

Nigella Miss Jekyll Nigella Mix Nigella damascena Hudson Valley Seeds

Blue Didiscous -Trachymene coerulea - Johnny's

Caryopteris Beyond Midnight- Bluestone Perennials

White Flowers

Phlox White Phlox Drummondii (seeds) Outside Pride

Zinnias White Wedding-  

    continuing the Delft (blue and white) theme, need some good white flowers

Zinnia Giant Dahlia Flowered White

Cosmos Psyche White- Burpee or White Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus seeds Johnny's

Tulips white- Pim Fortuyn- (bulbs)

Cornflower white Centaurea Cyanus  (seeds)

Rose Campion- White Evening Lychnis (seeds)

White Yarrow- Achillea Millefolium- (seeds) 

Gomphrena Audray White Gomphrena Globosa (Seeds) Hudson Valley Seeds

Seed Orders 2023

Seed and Plant Orders 2023

Burpee

Chadwick Cherry tomato 

Borage Borago officinalis - Strictly Medicinal Seeds
Nasturtiums- Empress of India-Strictly Medicinal Seeds  These did well this year, grow again next year from saved seeds.

Will also try Burpee Troika Cream 

White Sage- Western Mugwort, (Artemisia ludoviciana)- Strictly Medicinal Seeds    

Direct sow: White Sage- may be invasive, came on REALLY slowly in the pots. Maybe will do better once it's in the herb bed.

Basil- Burpee

Lavender- This year, try Munstead Lavender from the Hudson Valley Seed Company. These are supposed to be cold hardy lavender. Remember that lavender take two years to establish anyway.

Marigold- Strawberry Blonde- Burpees- Might not be worth the extra cost. PLant from saved seeds.

Seedlings or Crowns

Rhubarb- Chipman's Canada Red Rhubarb Gurney- Order another plant since the first one got eaten by something. It might come up, otherwise, you still want lots anyway! Wait to harvest the second or third year.

Front Slope Seeds to Start

Salvia- Victoria- Burpee-Didn't really do much this year, never flowered. Try again.

Cornflower Blue Boy- Burpee- These came up fast and maybe I waited too long to get them out, they were already flopping over, so they were not strong. These plants are really tall and need supports. Might be a good idea to reuse black wire fencing to give these support.

Zinnia White Wedding- Burpee- Start as many seeds as possible, and then direct sow the rest to separate the "blue" flower sections. Saved some seeds from last years flowers. We'll see how well that works!

White Yarrow- Achillea Millefolium- Outside Pride Didn't really do much this year, never flowered. Try again.

Veronica Spiked Speedwell- Outside Pride- Didn't really do much this year, never flowered. Try again.

Salvia Black and Blue Salvia guaranitica -  Truly blue flowers

Perovskia atriplicifolia- Russian Sage (4)

Delphinium Belladonna Mix seeds

White Cosmos Cosmos bipinnatus seeds

White Rose Campion / Evening Lychnis seeds

Slope- Plants 

Catmint- Nepeta ‘Blue Winder'- Catmint (2) bare roots 

Silver Carpet Lambs' Ear - ordered 02/6/2022 High Country Gardens

    Zone 5 Shipping begins the week of April 25, 2022

All four of these did okay this year. Maybe they need a year to get established. Perhaps I should buy four (4) more to continue to fill in. Also give away one or two to Teagan (Karys' sister). 

Veitch's Blue Globe Thistle Echinops ritro bare root

Phlox paniculata 'David'- Phlox (3) or seeds

Wildflower Bed 

Eastern Pollinator Mix-  From Hudson Valley Seed Co. - Annual and perennial mix contains Partridge Pea, Purple Coneflower, Coreopsis, Indian Blanket, Wild Sunflower, Perennial Lupine, Butterfly Milkweed, Wild Indigo, Spiderwort, Eastern Columbine, Lemon Mint, New England Asters, Showy Tick Trefoil, Black-Eyed Susan, Lavender Hyssop, New England Asters, Plains Coreopsis, Spotted Bee Balm, and Gray Golden Rod.

Herbs

Herbs to try next year from Hudson Valley Seed Co. 

Lovage- fresh flavor that tastes a bit like citrusy celery

Anise Hysopp- Once established, its heavily-scented, slightly fuzzy purply-green leaves are some of the first to emerge in the spring. 

Thyme- English thyme from Hudson Valley Seed Co.