Thursday, May 21, 2026

Salvia Back To The Fushia

 



Name:   Salvia
Variety:  Color spires back to the fushia
Type: perennial 
Height: 24"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  fushia
Bloom Time:  may
Fragrance:  none
Location:  center of flower garden next to garden
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall

purchased at Plymouth Nursery

Tuesday, May 12, 2026

Bloomerang Lilac

 


Name:   lilac
Variety:  bloomerang ark purple dwarf
Type: shrub 
Height: 5' x 5'
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  dark purple
Bloom Time:  may
Fragrance:  lilac
Location:  south west corner of garage
care:  fertilize yearly with stakes, dead head first bloom when blossoms die, don't prune after the second bloom

Purchased at KBK Garden

Wednesday, April 29, 2026

New Plants 2026

 

Name:   arborvitae
Variety:  thuja occadentalis hetz mdge
Type: evergreen shrum
Height: 30x30"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color: none
Bloom Time:  none
Fragrance:  none
Location:  south east of deck stairs
care:  fertilize yearly with stakes 

purchased 2 at Home Depot

Name:   yarrow

Variety:  achillea firefly diamond
Type: perennial 
Height: 24"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  white
Bloom Time:  mid summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  flower garden to the north next to garden
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall

purchased at KBK Garden


Name:   clematis
Variety:  duchess of edinburgh
Type: vine
Height: 121'
Sun: morning sun, afternoon shade, shade roots
Flower color:  white
Bloom Time:  mid summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  trellis on upper deck south east
care:  fertilize monthly with bloombooster.  type 2 plant.  Cut down in the late fall after dormant.  spray with neem oil for pests.


Purchased KBK Garden

Name:   hydrangea
Variety:  endless summer macrophylla
Type: perennial 
Height: 3' x 3'
Sun: morning sun afternoon shade
Flower color:  pink to blue
Bloom Time:  mid summer--rebloomer
Fragrance:  noneLocation:  north fence back yard between spirea and forsythia
Zone:  4
care:  fertilize with soil acidifier  bloom boost weekly during bloom time  do not prune  in fall mulch with pine bark mulch  remove blossoms in march

purcahsed Lowes.



Name:   ajuga
Variety:  princess nadia
Type: ground cover
Height: 8"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  lavender
Bloom Time:  spring
Fragrance:  none
Location:  perennial garden next to veronica
care:  fertilize weekly with bloom booster

purchased at Jackon Perkins



Name:   Butterfly weed
Variety:  asclepias tuberosa
Type: perennial 
Height: 24"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  orange
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  perennial garden next to yellow mellow butterfly weed
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall

purchased at jackson perkins--one root

Name:  Garden Phlox    
Variety:  Hybrid fashionably early crystal
Type: perennial 
Height: 32"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  white with touch of lavender
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  back of gated arbor on south side
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall


Purchased at KBK

New Plants from 2025


Name:   Bee Balm
Variety:  Rockin Rapsberry
Type: perennial 
Height: 20"
Sun: Fu"ll Sun
Flower color:  rapsberry
Bloom Time:  mid summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  south of the east arbor next to the other bee balme
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall

Purchased at KBK Garden

Name:   lilac
Variety:  bloomerang ark purple dwarf
Type: shrub 
Height: 5' x 5'
Sun: Fu"ll Sun
Flower color:  dark purple
Bloom Time:  may
Fragrance:  lilac
Location:  south west corner of garage
care:  fertilize yearly with stakes

Purchased at KBK Garden

Name:   Salvia
Variety:  Color spires back to the fushia
Type: perennial 
Height: 24"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  fushia
Bloom Time:  may
Fragrance:  none
Location:  center of flower garden next to garden
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall

purchased at Plymouth Nursery



Name:   Lily
Variety:  Asiatic Summer Sky
Type: perennial 
Height: 24"
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  Pink with cream
Bloom Time:  summer
Fragrance:  none
Location:  south of garage in front of agarve
care:  fertilize in fall with bulb tone

purchased at Meijer



Monday, July 22, 2024

Switch Grass Shenandoah



Name:   Switch Grass
Variety:  Shenandoah
Type: perennial grass
Height: 3 ft
Sun: Full Sun
Flower color:  None
Bloom Time:  none
Fragrance:  none
Location:  planted south side at the east end of the garage
care:  fertilize monthly with bloom booster.  cut down to ground in fall


Purchased at Arbor Farms.  It was cropped.

Summer Sweet



Name: clethra alnifolia
Variety:  Ruby Spice
Type:  Shrub
Height:  6' x 6'
Zone: 3
Sun:  Partial Sun to Shade
Flower Color: light pink
Bloom Time: late summer
Fragrance:  yes
Location:  se back yard border north of vibernum
Care:  Fertilize with spikes in spring.   Dead head early spring.

Purchased at English Gardens

Monday, June 24, 2024

Vegetables

 1 pack yellow onions --Sells
1 Sweet 100 --Sells
1 grape tomato--Zwicki
1 large tomato glamour--zwicki
4 early girls --zwicki
+ 4 paper pots from our seeds

8 california wonder, green pepper--zwicki
4 zucchini--zwicki
4 red cabbage--zwicki--failed
4 red romain--swicki
4 celery--zwicki
1 cilantro--zwicki

Seeds:
gutter garden with black seed lettuce
10 snow peas
12 red onions
2 cucumbers
5 swiss chard
2 brussell sprouts
couple dill seeds 
3 long beans
6 green beans
2 rows medium long carrots
gutter garden bunching onions

Planted 2 pots marigolds around the green beans, 1 pot plus onions around the swiss chard, 2 pots plus pack of 4 around in front of the north side lot.   




Red Hot Poker

 


Name:  Kniphofia 
Variety:  Red Hot Poker Pyromania Hot and Cold
Type:  Perennial
Height:  36"
Sun:  sun
Flower:  varigated white to orange
Bloom:  early to mid summer
Fragrance:  no
Care:   Mulch in fall  Zone 5b.  Fertilize weekly in summer.  Dead head spent blooms

Friday, May 24, 2024

Geranium Bloodred Max Frei



 Geranium Bloodred Max Frei 


Name: Geranium sanguineum
Variety:  blood red max frei
Type:  perennial
Height:  6"
Zone: 4
Sun:  full sun
Flower Color: light to dark pink
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  no
Location:  west side perennial garden middle between balloon flowers and sedum 
Care:  liquid fertilize weekly in summer.   cut to ground winter

Purchased Abbotts nursery

Two Toned Iris

 



Name: Iris
Variety: Iris
Color: light purple and dark purple flowers
Type: Perennial
Height: 3-4'
Sun: Full sun

Bloom Time: Late May
Location:  Back of perennial garden by garden north of light purple iris
Care:   Fertilize with liquid feed weekly.  Dead head when blooms are spent. Cut down in fall.

We purchased this from a liquor store that had irises in their parking lot.  Dug it up, planted in spring and it came again the next year.

Clematis Bee's Jubilee

 

Clematis Bee's Jubilee


Name:  Clematis
Variety:  Bee's Jubilee
Type:  Vine
Height:  10'
Zone: 4
Sun:  Partial Sun to Shade
Flower Color: fushia with dark fushia stripe
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  no
Location:  lattice on deck south side  
Care:  Dead head as needed during bloom.   Fertilize monthly with liquid fertilizer.  Cut back to 12" from ground in fall.

Purchased at English Garden
s

Annuals

Window Box:--4 red rios from Home Depot.

Front:
2 door pots: 1 each queen tut from Plymouth
  3 colors of sunpatiens for each pot from Zwicki
2 park bench pots:  3 each vinca.  purchased later in season.
2 step pots:  1 each white out superbena from Bonatai

Back:
Upper deck boxes:  3 supertunias each in 2 colors from Plymouth
Step pots:   1 each begonias from Zwicki
Rock pot:  2 begonias from Zwicki
Small table lower deck pot:  1 geranium elegance from Plymouth
Small table large arbor:  1 new guinea from Zwicki
Under chiminea:  16 impatiens from Zwicki
Large arbor hanging pot:   3 double superbells 3 colors from Bontatai
Gate arbor hanging pot:  1 Minifamous Neo Double Pink Calibrachoa Monrovia--Lowes
Upper deck hanging pot:  1 Minifamous Neo Double Pink Calibrachoa Monrovia--Lowes
Shepherd's hook hanging pot:  2 each pots superbells in 2 colors from Plymouth
2 Large square pots:   4 each white allysum, 4 each pink snap dragons Zwicki

Stock:
Front bench pots:  2 snow flurry caladiums
Front long pot:  1 splashed wine, 1 red flash, 1 lemon blush
Front  large Brown Pot:  1 red flash, 1 lemon blush
small brown pot:  1 flash flash
small dark brown pot:  1 fast flash
copper pot:  new orange double begonia from Holland 
back gray pot on gray stool--Dutch carnival dahlia
Back large table pot:  Dahlia top mix red
Tomato Stand:  new orange double begonia from Holland







Wednesday, May 8, 2024

New Plants

 

Bee Balm Grape Gumball

Name: Bee Balm
Type:  Perennial
Variety:  Grape Gumball
Height:  24"
Sun:  sun to shade 
Flower Color:  grape
Bloom Time: Early Summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  east side in front of summer sweet
Care:  Fertilize weekly throughout summer.   Cut back in fall

Purchased from Sells 

Bushel and Berry Berry Bux

Name:  Myrtille Arandano 
Type:  bush
Variety:  Berry Bux
Height:  2-3'
zone 5
sun:  sun
flower color:
Bloom time:  summer
Location:  large pot on deck

Bushel and Berry Pink Icing

Name:  Myrtille Arandano
Type:  Bush
Height:  3-4
Zone 5
Sun:  Sun
Flower color
Bloom time Summer
Location:  large pot on deck

Both both shrubs at Stark Brothers.  Came in the mail in quart containers
Repotted into gallon containers with special acid soil from Amazon
Sunk pots into larger pots 

Care:  Fertilize in early spring with holly tone.  Prune out any dead branches
After harvest prune out fruit bearing branches



Report For 2023

Front:

Dianthus did great in the park bench pots but petered out at the end.  Need white flowers. 

Caladium tubers:   Fill 4" pot half way with potting soil.  Water.   Put in the tuber and cover to the top with potting soil.  Water.   Place on cutting board on heat mat on cart by the north alcove window.   Keep wet but don't over water.  Start the first of April.

South:  

When lilies break the soil for spring, uncover the mulch and spread insect killer plus diatomaceous earth on the ground.  Spray lilies as they grow with insect killer and watch carefully for any signs of damage.

Snow peas.   Start the first of March in paper pots in window sill.  Plant once growing strongly--harden in cold frame.  In Middle of July start in paper pots outside.   Plant after cucumbers.

Banana peppers.   Grow 2 plants from seed starting same as beans and cucumbers in grow tent.  Set out by the end of may.  Place on the west side of the west most planting area.   

Onions.   Plant onion seedlings to grow into bulbs.   keep tops pruned back.  Purchase red onion seedlings from Sells.   From seed.  Germinate in warm place in doors first of February.  When sprouted put under light keeping cool.  Plant middle of april.  

Strawberries.   Trim off flowers and runners until the first of July.   Once berries are formed cover with grow cloth to let the berries ripen.  Fertilize monthly with miracle grow performace organic.   Fertilize well in fall with balanced fertilizer espoma berry fertilizer.

Long beans--start the middle of May in 4" pots with potting soil.   Transplant when big to south side of big arbor.

Brussell Sprouts--start in pots first of June with potting soil outside.  When plants are robust transplant them into the soil.

Dill--direct sew seeds middle of May at the sw corner of the large arbor.

Carrots--start pots in tent.   Sew more pots when garlic is harvested.  Fall planting--plant right after garlic is harvested in the ground.  Plant marigolds on both sides

New Guinea impatient.   Plant in copper pot on table.  Keep moist as flowers will need more water.

Cucumbers:  water twice a day--morning and afternoon.  start in grow tent--see spread sheet.

Pots:

Direct sew swiss chard into pots the first of may.   Try small garden in back of hostas.   Plant marigolds in front of them.  

Direct sew radishes into gutter garden first of April.  Spread osmocot buried in the dirt.   

Direct sew seed tape green onions in gutter garden first of May.


Back:

Germinate beans in grow tent.  transplant in may to garden making a tent with cloth and posts and chicken wire on top.

Tomatoes and peppers.   Start in grown tent and transplant in May.   Need 8 tomatoes and 8 peppers

Tubers:  dahlia and cala lily.   plant directly in pot after first frost.    begonia tuber.  plant in 4" pot at the same time as caladiums and using the same planting method.  Geranium; plant in pot same time as caladiums 

Zinnias:  Plant in paper pots Middle of April in grow tent.   Plant first of  June in garden.






Monday, July 17, 2023

Orange Daylily

 



Name: Daylily
Type:  Perennial
Variety:  Orange--unknown from Wayne's garden
Height:  24"
Sun:  sun
Flower Color:  orange
Bloom Time: Early Summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  south side of house by steps
Care:  Fertilize weekly throughout summer.   Cut back in fall

Friday, July 14, 2023

Dianthus Magenta

 




Name: Dianthus
Variety:  Paint the Town Magenta
Type:  Perennial
Height:  8"
Zone: 4 
Sun:  Sun
Flower Color: Deep pink
Bloom Time: Summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  SW corner of perennial garden 
Care:  Fertilize weekly.  

Thursday, July 6, 2023

Lily Hotel California

 


Name: Oriental Lily
Variety:  Hotel California
Type:  Bulb
Height:  30"
Zone: 4 
Sun:  Sun
Flower Color: Yellow with burgundy inside
Bloom Time: Summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  side of the garage in between the orange and the agarve
Care:  Fertilize with bulb tone in fall.  Cut to ground.  In spring move mulch and add diamesious earth and sevin to kill bugs.   Spray with Captain Jacks dead bug as they grow and Neem oil with any signs of grubs.

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Coreopsis


 

Name: Coreopsis
Variety:  Sun Kiss
Type:  Perennial
Height:  14"
Zone: 4 
Sun:  Sun
Flower Color: Yellow with deep orange inside
Bloom Time: Summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  under gold dush bush 
Care:  Fertilize weekly.  Cut to ground in fall.

Wednesday, June 21, 2023

Lily Orange Sensation


Name: Lilium
Variety:  Tiny Orange Sensation
Type:  Bulb
Height:  16"
Zone: 4
Sun:  Sun
Flower Color: Orange with deep orange inside
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  south side of garage

Care:  In fall fertilize with bulb tone and cut to ground 

Rose Anna's Promise


Name: Rosa

Variety:  Anna's Promise
Type:  Shrub
Height:  6'
Zone: 4
Sun:  Sun
Flower Color: salmon with yellow highlights
Bloom Time: summer
Fragrance:  None
Location:  rose garden north east corner
Care:  Fertilize bi weekly--with bio advanced once a month and bloom booster grainuals once a month.  Trim stakes in late fall and wrap for winter.