What’s in Bloom

Among the many beautiful trees on the grounds of The Frelinghuysen Arboretum, there is a very nice example of Taxodium ascendens ‘Nutans’ (Pond Cypress) at the end of a planting strip in one of the parking bays. This tree is native to the coastal plain from Virginia to Florida to Louisiana. A deciduous conifer growing to between 30-70 feet, its foliage turns orange brown in fall and its bark is gray/brown to red/brown.

The seed pods on Magnolia grandiflora cv. Victoria (Southern Magnolia) are an architectural marvel resembling pine cones but are actually an aggregate of many smaller follicles, or seed casings. In this photo the follicles have not begun to open exposing the bright red fruits that provide high fat, high energy food for many birds and mammals.

Last, but not least, a bright spot in the garden provided by a large red Coleus (sadly I don’t know this one’s name); note the much smaller Fishnet Stockings Coleus in the upper left hand corner of this photo. Members of the mint family, Coleus plants come in many colors, from deep reds to pinks to chartreuse and forms, from mounded, trailing to upright. We know them as shade lovers, but newer varieties can tolerate full sun.

Lisa Bencivengo shared the following photographs she took at the Arboretum recently. A close-up of the luscious, lemony yellow flowers of Kirengeshoma palmata (yellow wax bells). Read the attached article by Bruce Crawford to learn more about this lovely plant.

Another pretty yellow flower in the Rose Garden behind the Mansion is the richly lemon scented, soft yellow David Austin Rosa ‘The Poet’s Wife’. And, for something different, here’s a photograph of the striking, open seed pod of a Paeonia obovata (woodland peony).

September is a beautiful month to enjoy the gardens at The Frelinghuysen Arboretum; make plans to visit soon!

Thank you Lisa for these lovely photos.

I took a walk around The Frelinghuysen Arboretum last week, and, as usual, found much to see and enjoy. The Cottage Garden next to Matilda’s was gorgeous, full of blossoms, bees and butterflies; my eye was caught by a beautiful Dahlia flower framed by the airy, delicate purple flowers of Verbena bonariensis. On the pergola, a new passion flower vine has been planted. The vine is young but full of amazing red flowers; the gardener I spoke with couldn’t recall the exact variety, perhaps Passiflora ‘Lady Margaret’? – regardless of her name, she was lovely to see. A sunny sunflower and a magenta flowered Bougainvillea standard behind the Crescent Garden were also a delight to the eye.

Plan to visit soon, September is a lovely time in the garden!