The New, uh, Not So Red House!

I've been away from the blogosphere lately because... 

we finally moved into our new house!  

And here is your first peek at the new Red House (which is, sadly, not very red):

our new, not-so-red house

We ended up finishing a house that had already been partially built.  The exterior is vinyl, so it will stay its current green color.  Of course, we couldn't but add a nod to our past beloved red house..

behold, the red... door!

I might be rather busy for the next little while setting up our new house, but I will eventually be back in full force as I plan and create my new Red House garden!

Happy Gardening!

Can You Tame This Goose?

Ah, what a pretty gaggle of garden geese..

  I am, of course, referring to Gooseneck Loosestrife, that plant whose flowers are named for.. well, you can see for yourself!

Does it resemble a goose's neck?

This plant has a long bloom time, is easy to grow, and has received the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.  Not to mention, the bees seem to like it.

Sounds like the perfect plant, right?

Except for one teensy, itty-bitty problem...

Gooseneck Loosestrife - a lot of it

Scratch that, make that an expansively BIG problem!

Gooseneck Loosestrife is so easy to grow, that it tends to take over!

Good thing that wall is there to stop this goose invasion!

Native to China and Japan and hardy from zones 3 - 8, this perennial is vigorous to the point of invasiveness.  Spreading both by seeds and by underground runners, Gooseneck Loosestrife is most invasive in loves sunny, moist soil, but it's not picky, tolerating a good number of growing conditions.  (Hey, maybe I should have planted this when I lived in North Carolina!  It can even tolerate heavy clay!)

Here Gooseneck Loosestrife is duking it out with pink-flowered Rose Campion, also known to be an enthusiastic grower.  I think you can see which one is winning..

If you are thinking about planting this beautiful flower, just beware - you might want to place it in a more challenging site to slow it down.  Like a dry, shady spot or heavy clay.  

Or in a container.

I think here in Massachusetts, I will just enjoy it in the neighbor's yard.  

I don't want even these gorgeous geese running amok!

A Dark Cousin

Many gardeners know about Rose Campion, with its screaming-bright magenta flowers that are dotted atop beautiful silver colored foliage.

Rose Campion

 Rose Campion, meet your cousin - Arkwright's Campion.

Arkwright's Campion 'Vesuvius'

Also a short-lived perennial, this Campion makes an equally impressive, if different, statement in the garden.

The flowers are a molten-orange color, only made brighter by the dark foliage that acts as the perfect foil.

There's a reason that the cultivar 'Vesuvius' was named after a volcano!

Like Rose Campion, Arkwright's Campion likes sun or partial shade. It first flowers in late spring or early summer, with deadheading encouraging more flowers.  This hybrid perennial is supposed to be quite short lived, but it should self-seed with plants that are similar to the parent flower.

According to some sources, Arkwright's Campion is more temperamental and not as hardy as some of its other relatives (which might actually be a good thing, since others in this family can become invasive due to their prolific self-seeding).  This is the first year my mother-in-law has had it in her garden, so we shall see!  

So far, we're loving it.