Author Archives: Kari Koskinen

flower, gardening

California Poppy

California Poppy1

A newcomer to my flowerbed. I am surprised how easy it was to grow and even though the summer has been cold the flowers are doing well. I guess the name just suggested that it is for a warmer climate.

They do though seem to have an ability to predict the weather. If it is going to be cold or rainy the flowers close themselves a way ahead. It is always good to have a weather station of your own.

I already ordered two new colors for the next year. If everything goes well I will have white and red ones to accompany the orange.

Now I am just waiting my other new experiments to bloom.

Califormia Poppy2

 

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flower, gardening, Uncategorized

Baby Blue Eyes

Baby Blue Eyes1

Beaten by the heavy summer rains but still blooming nicely. Baby blue eyes is very reliable and one of the early bloomers when it comes to the annuals.

It seem that some of the seeds made it through the winter since I have flowers growing in places I did not expect.

Simply adore the color blue the blooms have. Like the summer sky at its best.

Baby Blue Eyes2

 

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gardening

Rhododendron

Rhododendron

It sure has been a good year for rhododendrons up here in the north. Every plant is blooming. Have seen many wonderful pictures taken by many of my friends.

My father’s apple of his eye – a violet rhododendron which he cares with devotion is also does its best. Last year went without any blooms but this year is totally different.

It has been the only one he has had but in the spring I bought him a pink one. Now we just wait and see if that one makes it through the winter.

rhododendron2

 

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Snowball

Snowball1

Snowballs are here again! The bush seems to be full of white flowers.

Hope that the branches are able to take the extra weight brought in by the racemes. They have promised heavy summer rains and it might be too much to bear.

I have been so happy this one bush that I decided to try to have few more. Trying to have new saplings by bending the branches to the soil and waiting them to grow roots.

Snowball2

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flower, gardening

Siberian Poppy

Siberian Poppy

Why orange? Siberian poppy comes in many colors – white, yellow, red. But for some reason only the orange ones are able to make it through the winter.

Do not know why but now all the ones I have are orange. Only in the autumn the colors are many due to the seeds I have added in the spring.

This year I have added many other poppy varieties. Hopefully those will bloom in the autumn. Just have to wait and see.

Siberian Poppy2

 

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flower, gardening

Amazing Parrot

Amazing Parrot

The slowest ones of the tulips have made as well. Due to the cold weather the blooming season for the tulips has been exceptionally long this year. Normally the tulips are long gone by this time of the summer.

Cool and whimsical weather just seems to continue. Today we have had beautiful sunshine, thunder, rain, hails and temperature is only 12 degrees Celsius.

Luckily the tulips survived the hails. Amazing Parrot is a new variety for me and it made through the winter well. All bulbs bloomed which is quite unusual up here.

Amazing Parrot2

 

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flower, gardening

Flag

Flag1

Flag tulips are doing well up here in the north. Planted a mix of them in the autumn and they seem to enjoy the shady place under an old apple tree.

Must buy more of them in the autumn to make sure that we can enjoy them in the fourth coming spring.

We are a bit behind the usual summer schedule this year. Tulips usually bloom two weeks earlier and typically they are already gone by the mid-summer.

Well it has been cold and dry spring. Not an ideal one for the garden. Many of the plants were take by the frost but at least some are doing well.

Flag2

 

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flower, gardening

Tuolumne Dog’s Tooth Violet

Dogs1

Erythronium tuolumnense is known by the common name Tuolumne dog’s tooth violet. Originally from California Sierra Nevada from the Tuolumne County. Not a native plant to this continent.

I bought the bulb several years ago and ever since it has bloomed every spring. Tried to plant three more last autumn but failed. None of them made it through the winter. Better luck next year. Have to have more of them.

We are still waiting for the tulips. The first ones should start to bloom next week if we are lucky.

The spring has been cold and try. No rain during May. Not a single drop. Coldness and dryness have slowed down the plants and it seems that this will be one of those summers where there will be plenty of challenges for gardeners.

Dogs

 

 

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Chive

Chive

Time to harvest. After very many years my chive finally looks good.

I do not know what went wrong but for many years the chives we have looked poor and modest. Maybe they just needed time and the right weather.

I have tried many different varieties and to be honest not sure anymore which was the one that was successful. Main thing is that I now have many flourishing hassocks.

 

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flower, gardening

Verbena

Verbena1

It has been a cool and cold spring up here in the north. Now all the snow is finally gone and the lake is free of ice. The crocuses just started to bloom few days ago but we still have below zero nights.

Luckily that does not prevent me from buying flowers to the balcony. Was not able resist the temptation and bought few verbenas. Hope they make through the nights and survive the bite of cold they are going to face.

Have always admired the verbenas my mom have had. The flower can tolerate heat well and blooms the whole summer. Colors they have are bright and many and I might be able to enjoy the blooms next half of the year.

Now I just wait impatiently that I can plant more delegate flowers. Still few weeks to go for that.

Verbena2

 

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