Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Mock Orange & Orange Rocket Barberry

My mock orange, Philadelphus coronarius, is blooming in profusion but it's planted well away from the house. I had to trek down the driveway and across the lawn to get a close up and to take advantage of it's fragrance. That isn't easy with my bum knee, hopefully with Medicare eligibility in the very near future I'll be able to afford to see what's going on.

This is a shrub that should be planted near the house or a patio so the blooms and fragrance can be enjoyed during it's season.

Usually the red variety of barberry, Berberis thunbergii,  is grown but I spied this barberry at the nursery last year and was taken with it's unusual color. This is orange rocket barberry and it's well worth searching out this cultivar for your garden.

Although the plant is deciduous it makes up for the lack of leaves during the rest of the year. There are other barberries worth planting such as lime glow or crimson pygmy. These special cultivars of berberis have been developed for their unique color and there remains a plant patent on them till it expires.

I've had so many indoor projects and then so much gardening to do I haven't been able to get my kiln loaded. I wanted to get the outdoor projects finished before the really hot weather is upon us.

I've managed to make a few pieces every day in the studio which are under wraps. Hopefully I can load the kiln today since storms are expected later in the week.

I know the studio is calling me as I woke up after a dream about loading a kiln they lay sideways and it opened all the way up in the middle. Is there such a thing? Strange dreams. Thanks for reading and for all your comments.

12 comments:

  1. You are so knowledgeable about plants and trees. The flowers are beautiful.
    When pottery creeps into our dreams, we know it's time to get to work.

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    1. Hi Michele, thanks, the plants are like my little children, each one is a joy to behond.

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  2. You have such a green thumb. I remember that you used to have a lavender farm in NM... Hope the knee is OK. There's a few good things about getting older. Medicare and a few senior discounts at restaurants.

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    1. Hi Turquoisemoon, thanks, I love all the plants and still miss my garden in California which is where I had the lavender farm, each place I've lived I've had a garden except in Florida where I had too many things going wrong medically and then the heat was a deterrent.

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  3. What beautiful blooms! Glad to see you've got pots waiting to fire. I need to be outside working on my little patch this morning. It's very cool right now, so pretty soon. Just planted sunflowers and transplanted aloes. Want to get some catnip started in pots, and repot lots of things that wintered over and are root bound.

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    1. Hi Barbara, thanks, I had hoped to get a flower garden planted last year but never happened, have the space set aside this year hope I can afford a few hardy perennials to put in there, trying to find some in the four inch pots, less money and easier to dig the holes.

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  4. We have a tea olive and jasmine planted near our back deck just so we can enjoy the fragrance. Your blooms are beautiful.

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  5. Hi Lori, thanks, what wonderful plants to have near your deck. I once planted a night blooming jasmine near my window in the SF Bay Area when I lived there, the nursery owners said it stayed small. In a couple of years it was taller than my house and it was almost too fragrant when it was in bloom. I learned to look up all plants growing habits after that one. Ha.

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  6. Mock orange I know and have. Barbery? I am going to have to explore our nurseries.
    The garden is a wonderful place. Lots of hard work, lots of blood, sweat and tears. And all worth it.

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    1. Hi Sue, thanks, I was looking at the various barberries around the globe and I think some come form Africa, berberis, is the botanical name, hope you fine it, some have thorns - forgot to mention but beautiful round leaves.

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  7. How beautiful those blossoms are. I'm sure you could steal a few ideas from the Mock Orange in your pottery, Linda. :) Just a thought!

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    1. Hi Lee, thanks, you can hardly see the leaves for all the blossoms, it is a plant worth growing for sure.

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I love suggestions, questions, critiques, thanks for your comment