If you're as passionate a gardener as I am, you'll love the gorgeous specimens I received from The Spheres Horticulture Plant Collection.
Not long ago, during a trip to the Pacific Northwest, I visited The Spheres in Seattle where Amazon holds thousands of amazing cloud forest plants from around the world. This week, I received a gift of more than two dozen different plants from the collection - from tiny Staghorn ferns to giant leaf Anthuriums and striking begonias. For me, it was like Christmas in October.
Here are some photos, enjoy.
I was so happy to see all these plants looking so beautiful and healthy after traveling all the way from The Spheres. All these specimens are from their Horticulture Plant Collection.
There were plants of all sizes, and every single one so interesting and pretty.
Everything was packed perfectly in paper and tape – most of them in this huge box.
Here is the leaf of a large Anthurium. Anthurium is a genus of about 1,000 species of flowering plants, the largest genus of the arum family, Araceae. General common names include anthurium, tailflower, flamingo flower, pigtail plant, and laceleaf. The leaves look similar to a knight’s shield, and hang down on the end of long stems.
Rare anthuriums are grown for their foliage. The leaves are oval-heart shaped and vary in size and shape.
Hatiora salicornioides, the bottle cactus, dancing-bones, drunkard’s-dream, or spice cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family. It often grows as an epiphyte, natively in eastern Brazil and ornamentally elsewhere. The name Dancing Bones comes from its slender stems’ distinctive, skeleton-like structure. Dancing Bones Cactus grows rather slowly, with the stems reaching about six to 12 inches.
This is Platycerium ridleyi or Ridley’s Staghorn Fern. I love Staghorn ferns and have several giant ones in my collection. This one is still small, but will be mounted on a block as it develops.
Pyrrosia longifolia is a species of fern growing in Southeast Asia, the Pacific region, and Australia. It has stiff strap-shaped fronds, and rigid rhizomes. It is a slow grower and prefers semi-shade and moist, humid conditions.
I am also very fond of begonias. Begonia is a genus in the family Begoniaceae. It contains at least 1500 different plant species and numerous hybrids. They are native to Mexico, Central and South America, Asia and South Africa – regions with tropical and subtropical climates.
Rhizomatous begonias are grown for their interesting and spectacular leaves. They come in an array of sizes, colors and textures, and can be small or large, smooth or veiny, decorated in bold accents of red, copper and silver or subtle shades of green.
And here is the back of the same leaf with beautifully pronounced red veining.
Begonia pustulata is a rhizomatous species from Mexico with a distinctively textured leaf. The silvery variegation is thought to prevent insects from laying their eggs on the foliage, therefore preventing the leaves from getting eaten.
Begonia phuthoensis is a rhizomatous species from Vietnam with unique round leaves in light green.
Philodendron melanochrysum is a spectacular vining philodendron that when mature produces two-foot long leaves of iridescent black-green with pale green veins.
These are the leaves of Vriesea gigantea. The Vriesea gigantea is also known as the giant Vriesea and is a stunning bromeliad species prized for its impressive size and vibrant spineless foliage when mature.
Lepismium houlletianum, also known as Houllet’s Lepismium, is a cactus native to the tropical rainforests of Brazil. It has long, slender notched green stems that can grow up to six feet in length.
I am so excited to have all these plants in my greenhouse. Thanks Amazon! I’ll share how I select the proper pots for these specimens and how to plant them in an upcoming blog!
Creating a perennial garden takes time, patience, and thoughtful planning.
The perennial hydrangea border across from my chicken coops has long been home to a selection of colorful hydrangeas. In more recent years, I expanded it and added other plantings, such as irises, ligularia, phlox, Aruncus, Euonymus, and catnip. Yesterday, my gardeners planted more hydrangeas to fill in bare spots, including Berry White, Strawberry Sundae, and Vanilla Strawberry. They also added a few more varieties of phlox, including Bubblegum Pink, and Coral Crème Drop. The plants are part of our recent delivery from First Editions Shrubs and Trees.
Enjoy these photos.
I’m always expanding and improving my gardens. Most of the time when plants arrive, I already have in mind where they will go. Many of these hydrangeas will fill in my perennial border across from my chicken coops.
I also plan to add some phlox to the same garden – both plants in shades of pink.
I began expanding this bed In 2020. I planted more hydrangeas and perennials I knew would do well in this location with sunny mornings and shady afternoons.
It’s developed nicely over the years, but my head gardener, Ryan McCallister, and I keep an eye on it and supplement it with other plantings to fill in any voids.
This year we’re adding some of the First Editions hydrangeas. Now that it is fall, these hydrangeas are beginning to fade, but they’re all in excellent condition and ready to be planted.
This is a Berry White Panicle Hydrangea, Hydrangea paniculata ‘Renba.’ It has strong, upright stems and large cone-shaped flower panicles. The flower color starts white in July then progresses to dark pink, beginning at the bottom and developing up to the top of the panicle.
Strawberry Sundae is also a panicle hydrangea. This one is perfect in small hedges or as part of mass plantings. The flowers emerge creamy white in midsummer and change to pink as night temperatures cool down.
The Vanilla Strawberry™ Panicle Hydrangea features enormous flower heads that are held upright – first white, then pink, then red in later fall.
Ryan also places some of the new phlox in the garden. It’s always a good idea to position the potted plants first before planting in order to visualize best locations and experiment with design layouts.
Phlox is a hardy, long-lived perennial that blooms from mid-summer to early fall. I grow a lot of phlox in my flower garden. This Bubblegum Pink Phlox is fragrant with bright blossoms accentuated with dark pink eyes.
Josh digs all the holes before planting, which is faster and more efficient when planting in numbers.
As always, holes should be at least twice the size of the plant’s root ball.
Once dug, Josh sprinkles fertilizer in the hole and in the surrounding soil. For these, we use an all-purpose formula with a good balance of nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium from Miracle-Gro.
The plant should sit at the same depth it was in the pot. Josh backfills, tamping the soil lightly at the end to ensure good contact.
In gardening, the “rule of odds” dictates it’s best to plant in odd numbers such as three or five because it creates a more natural and visually appealing look compared to even numbered groupings.
Josh scarifies the next plant. I have the crew scarify all root balls, meaning make beneficial cuts, before planting to encourage new growth and make the plant more stable.
This hydrangea will fill in this void nicely. Remember, perennials grow slowly the first year, faster the second year, and then usually reach full size in the third year.
Josh digs a hole for this Endless Summer Collection hydrangea.
Depending on the variety, some hydrangeas can bloom all the way through fall.
These are macrophylla hydrangeas, commonly called big leaf hydrangeas – deciduous shrubs with a more rounded habit.
All these hydrangeas and phlox will flourish in this garden and make nice additions to the already established plants. Develop gardens thoughtfully and they will provide many years of enjoyment.
If you live in an area where foliage changes with the seasons, you know how exciting and beautiful this time of year can be.
I love autumn and although the season hasn't quite hit its peak here in Bedford, New York, the changing leaves are providing lots of fall color. I've planted hundreds of trees at my farm, so it's a fantastic place to take in the season's changes and enjoy all it has to offer.
Enjoy these photos.
Here at my farm, one of the prettiest times of year to walk the four miles of carriage road around my home and through the woodland is now, when the foliage on so many trees and shrubs show off their fall colors. This is one of the most popular views – the road leading to my hayfields and the woodlands beyond.
In the Northeast, some trees change early, others late – usually from October to November.
Here’s a look up at a canopy of golden sugar maple leaves. Because of changes in the length of daylight and changes in temperature, leaves stop their food-making process. The chlorophyll breaks down, the green color disappears, and the yellow to gold and orange colors come out and give the leaves part of their fall splendor.
The trees around my hayfields display such wonderful shades of orange, yellow, amber, brown, and green. I love the layers of color created by the changing leaves. Although some autumn coloration occurs wherever deciduous trees are found, the most brightly colored foliage is seen in Canada, the northern United States, Scandinavia, northern and western Europe, the Caucasus region near the Black Sea, Russia, eastern Asia, Argentina, Chile, southern Brazil, Korea, Japan, and New Zealand’s South Island.
Autumn leaves have already filled this stream bed in the woods.
Here, the evergreen on the left will keep its green colors through the year, but soon the trees on the right will be bare.
These are Japanese Stewartia trees. Native to Japan, this tree is known not only for its brilliant shades of orange that emerge in fall, but also for its interesting exfoliating bark and delicate blooms. I love Stewartia trees – do you know why? Here’s a hint: it’s in the name.
These are the changing leaves of my Nyssa tree near my Winter House terrace. This beautiful Nyssa sylvatica, or black tupelo dark green leaves in summer, but in the fall its foliage turns yellow, orange, bright red, purple or scarlet – all colors that may appear on the same branch. It’s just starting to transform.
Ginkgo biloba, commonly known as ginkgo or gingko, and also known as the maidenhair tree, is the only living species in the division Ginkgophyta. It is found in fossils dating back 270-million years. Native to China, the ginkgo tree is widely cultivated, and was cultivated early in human history.
Here’s a close look at the leaves showing the changing colors from bright green to yellow.
At my farm I planted many different types of trees in hopes that they would shade, provide climate control, and change color at different times, in different ways. It’s so beautiful to see them change through the seasons.
The older, innermost needles of Eastern white pines often turn yellow all at once. The needles are usually a paler and more yellowish color than other pines, but still quite attractive this time of year.
These are my blueberries. In summer they are filled with sweet, delicious fruits. And then in autumn, the leaves turn a variety of colors, including red, orange, yellow, and purple. The leaves often start out as a blend of colors and end up a deep red.
Viburnum leaves change colors in the fall, and may turn red, burgundy, and yellow, depending on the species.
Here’s a view of the autumn woodland landscape. I tour the entire property every day I am home.
While it varies from tree to tree, once leaves start changing color and falling, it typically takes a few weeks for most of them to drop off completely. As temperatures drop, trees produce a separation layer at the stem of the leaf, causing it to detach.
My outdoor grounds crew is already very busy blowing all the leaves.
This sugar maple is planted in my tree peony bed. Maples and sugar maples are usually the first trees to change color in the fall, typically turning orange, yellow, and red.
At the edge of the back field is the giant sycamore tree – the symbol of my farm. The foliage of American sycamore trees is a crown of large leaves. In autumn, they turn shades of yellow and brown. I hope you can enjoy some of the season’s colors where you are.
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