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Petals At The Corner April 24

Blooms, Blooms, Blooms

My time is occupied with some repeating tasks. The plants I started from seed this winter need to be planted as they reach a good size. I am slowly accomplishing this task.

Since our rainfall has been sporadic, I also have the task of seeing that they are adequately watered, both before and after they are planted.

I have been organizing a plant sale for the benefit of the Corner Garden. There are plenty of tomato plants, pepper plants, Shasta daisies and milkweed. The sale is April 25. I have planned and organized as much as I can. It is now time just to go for it.

The Itea (Sweetspire) is a wonderful native. It has a clumping habit which I like. The hanging panicles are unusual but vcry eye pleasing. I know there are some cultivars available but I am pleased with his native.

The Climbing Hydrangea is another eye catching native. It is slowly growing up this water oak, which is about 50 feet high, as it reaches for the light.

The oak leaf hydrangeas has begun to bloom. This cultivar is ‘Ruby Slippers’. As the name suggests, the blooms will begin to redden along the edges as it continues to fill out.

The knockout roses are in their first mass blooming of the year. There is not evidence of saw fly damage … yet.

The photo on the left shows the Plant Sale offerings with the tomatillo showing out in the front.

The Flame Azalea on the right is a native. It is one of the natives from which many hybrids have been developed.

I hope to post on the Six On Saturday website tomorrow. If I don’t get that chance, it is because I will be quite busy with the Plant Sale in the morning. Hoping you are enjoying the spring season. Here is the website or Six on Saturday hosted by Jim Stephens. https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

Petals At The Corner 17 April

The Corner Garden continues to thrive in Vestavia Hills in Alabama.

The garden has continued to keep dry. The main task remains manual watering. The new plants continue to need watering daily. The nights remain cool in the evening so that is a relief. Soon though, the night temperatures will be rising. I still have many plants to be planted. It is delayed because I do have to keep up with the watering.

The main bloomers this week are irises and roses. I am also busy adding planters with coleus and caladiums. The shady area in the garden is filling up with hydrangeas, lambs ear, hardy geranium, sedge grass and ferns. It is a wonderful time of growth.

The iris on the left is thriving. It is a flag iris. It does get afternoon shade and is thriving.

The bearded iris is a beautiful blue. It is healthy and showy. It is along the busy street and it is very striking.

The stachys on the left is beautiful with the fountain in the background. It keeps well hydrated with the water spray and it is very happy.

The oak leaf hydrangea native is beginning to bud. I was eager to how it off today.

The red spotted admiral is hard to distinguish from other black swallowtail like butterflies. Inaturalist does identify this one with high degree of certainty.

The Carefree beauty is at its spring peak now. This grouping of roses was hard pruned this spring and it has responded very well.

Tomorrow, I will join the Six on Saturday group. Many other gardeners will post 6 recent photos to share with the group members. Here is the link. Come join us and enjoy. https://gardenruminations.co.uk/author/lairdstephens/

Happy Gardening!

Petals At The Corner 10 April

The danger of frost is past. The main task these days is planting seedlings and purchased plants. The shrubs have been pruned. The lawn is now in need of regular mowing. There is broad leaf weeds in it and the cool season grass poa annua. The poa annua will disappear as the temperatures rise and the broad leaf weeds will be choked out by the increasing growth of the turf grass.

The next most urgent task is watering. We are in mild drought conditions now. I am watering by hand and hose. Mostly, I want to reserve the irrigation for when it will be most needed in August and September.

The main show this week are the irises and the pair of nesting bluebirds that I introduced last week.

Tomorrow, I will be joining the SixOnSaturday group. Gardeners who share 6 photos at this link hosted by Jim Stephens. https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

The Iris virginica on the left is a shade of purple. It is a very reliable bloomer.

The bearded iris in the middle is part of a group I planted last year. They are large, showy and brilliant white.

The flag iris, Iris pseudocorus on the right love their location near the splash of the fountain pool. Their bright yellow blooms are visible from quite a distance.

The Tradescantia sp on the left is a native. Sorry, it’s a little out of focus. The stamens are golden in color and really stand out.

The Asclepias tuberosa (butterfly milkweed) on the right have been grown from seed. This will be part of a fundraising plant sale in 2 weeks.

The blue birds do not live in a blue house. It is an aberration of the photo editing software that I used.

Both parent birds were very busy today. They seemed to be finding ample food in the lawn for their obviously ravenous hatchling.

I hope you are managing to spend a lot of time outdoors. May the weather and your garden please you.

Happy Gardening!

Petals At The Corner 3 April

Since last week, so much more has emerged in the garden. It’s like meeting friends that you have not seen in a while. The weather forecast shows no frost chances so I think its safe to plant tender plants now. So once my tomatoes and peppers are ready, into the ground they will go.

Most trees have their leaves unfurling now. Alas, the hydrangeas, paperbush and the early azaleas had frost damage from 2 weeks ago and it will be a while before their undamaged leaves are fully out.

Garden tasks this week have included tip pruning the frost damaged shrubs, potting up seedlings, removing the excess leaf litter around the shrubs and planting salvia I have grown from seed. In addition, I have planted some pulmonaria and carex grasses that I purchased recently.

Tomorrow, I plan to visit the Six On Saturday website where gardeners from over the oceans meet to share 6 photos of the week. Here is the website of Jim Stephens where you can also visit https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

I am starting out with the Yellow Flag Iris on the left. It is near the fountain and thrives there with the extra spray.

The bearded yellow iris on the right is magnificent. It is tall and stands out along the nearby street.

The native azalea on the left is R. canescens and is also known as piedmont azalea.

The azalea on the right is also a native azalea. It looks like R. austrinum but I am not certain.

The iris on the left is Iris tectorum. It is called Japanese roof iris. The foliage is evergreen like other irises but it is smaller.

The fern on the right is Autumn fern (Dryopteris erythrosora). It has an evergreen foliage but it has this more copper tone with spring growth and then again in the fall. It tolerates more light than other ferns. Its size and color makes it a special garden fern.

I hope you are enjoying the change of seasons. It is a special time of year.

Happy Gardening and Happy Easter!!

Petals At The Corner 27 March

The weather is sunny and the temperatures are pleasantly warm. The frequent question comes to mind “Is it time to plant?”

The grass is green and it could be mowed if only to remove the seed heads from unwanted grasses and broadleaf weeds. I have already begun to add some fertilizer and broad leaf applications to the lawn. I started to irrigate the lawn today but only because we don’t expect any rain for the next week.

Ornamental shrubs are blooming. The azaleas, camellias and paperbush have all bloomed. Some of them prematurely it seems since a mid-March frost ruined some of the early blooms.

I have planted some onion sets, cool weather vegetables and some zinnias.

Is it time to plant tomatoes? Is that what you mean? Even here in Zone 8, I will not plant summer vegetables for another 2 weeks.

Here is my 6 for this week. I will post on Six On Saturday tomorrow. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

The double daffodil on the left is a beauty. I have forgotten the name. Anyone recognize it?

On the right is Kerria japonica. It is also known as Japanese kerria and Japanese rose. It is very beautiful this spring.

The Spanish bluebells on the left (Hyacinthoides hispanica) have such beautiful blue blooms and have popped up in several locations this spring.

The little daffodil on the right was a surprise. The iphone plant identifier calls it a Rush-leaf jonquil. I’ll take that. It is a very delicate plant.

For your pleasure, here is a bluebird pair on the left that are very busy foraging today. They watched warily as I worked in the area. I could not hear cheeping and I could stare into the next box but I could not discern any gaping mouths.

The right photo is a cloudless sulphur sugar snacking at the coral honeysuckle.

I hope your weather is beautiful and you are enjoying some gardening.

If you want to share photos,

Happy Gardening!!

Petals At the Corner 20 March 2026

It’s Spring. It’s beautiful weather. The grass is waking up and the predominant color is quickly becoming green.

We had frost early this week and even a snow shower but the next ten days will be frost free. In fact, our likelihood for any more frost is very low.

The birds have been very active and more butterflies are appearing.

Here is the challenge. Take 6 photos and post them. I will be doing that with the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

The Japanese maple has leafed out. I think this is Acer palmatum ‘Bloodgood’. It is doing nicely in a large container.

The Limelight cuttings on the right is a spring project. All 20 cuttings taken 2 weeks ago seem to be thriving.

The Spanish bluebells (Hyacinthoides) are very impressive this spring.

The Ajuga is a volunteer but it is serving as a welcome groundcover. It is a welcome addition.

The daffodil is all alone in its part of the garden. I have forgotten the cultivar.

The Amaryllis is a surprise. I bought the bulb in the fall and forced it in the house for the Christmas decoration. After it had bloomed, I planted it in the yard for summer blooming. It quickly recycled and bloomed early in the yard.

Those are my 6 for today. What are your 6?

Happy Gardening!!

Petals At The Corner 14 March 2026

There are many new petals to see at the Corner Garden this week. The pine pollen is blowing pretty freely the last few days. I washed my car and it lost the yellow look but it was just 2 hours later that my car was covered with it again. The water oak is also putting out a lot of its pollen. It is covering the ground and crunches when you walk on it.

The weather is warming but it is still March so it is no surprise that we will have a frost threat early next week. As protection, we banked the Shasta daisy cuttings with leaves. The hydrangea cuttings will be protected in the shed for those days. We potted up some fern divisions today that will also be sheltered in the shed for the frost risk days.

I will be posting this blog on Six on Saturday tomorrow. Come look and see the 6 photos of the week chosen by gardeners from around the world who also post there. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

The first two photos are of azaleas. I don’t know either of the cultivars. The one on the left is a bright Kurume type. The one on the right is a lavender which I believe is one of the Encore series.

The white azalea on the left may be Satsuki but it is on the verge of a breakout of blooms.

The Knockout Rose on the right is a red. This cultivar has responded very well to the pruning of 2 weeks ago. Last year, we had three bloomings from this group of roses. They have been bothered by sawflies last year but responded well to Neem oil treatments.

The Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) is beginning to leaf out. This Alabama native is a favorite. The dried pannicles are still on the branches and you can see the attractive bark which persists all winter.

The sixth photo is also an Alabama native whose photo I had posted last week. It deserves another look this week since the bloom has opened. This is the Wakerobin Trillium (Trillium decumbens). It is a stately plant.

The garden is continuing to wake up and show off its beauty. Weeds are beginning to appear so it is time to consider a layer of pine bark mulch after a thorough weeding.

Another plan for the future is low voltage up lighting for 6 or 7 shrubs and trees as well as some lighting along the walkway.

Happy Gardening! Drop by and see us again next week.

Petals At The Corner 7 March 2026

The weather is great. The spring temperatures and the longer days are bringing on the much appreciated progress in the garden. Everyday it seems there is a new delight in bloom and more old plant friends emerging from the soil.

This past week, I found a source for more mulch and compost in the form of spent mushroom compost blocks. I have begun to spread it in the perennial beds. The source told me to expect a good crop of earthworms. I can’t wait. It is easy for my garden to become compacted so I hope this will help overcome that problem.

I am enjoying writing the blog. Share it if you like. I will be joining the Six on Saturday group again in the morning. Come and see. Gardeners from around the globe post 6 recent photos of their gardens. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

The kurume type Azalea on the left just opened this week. There are red blooms here and others that have pink and white blooms but have not yet opened. That will be for next week.

The holly fern on the right is evergreen. In the spring, I remove last years stems and you can see the new stems unfurling. This has been a very resilient fern in my garden.

The trillium appeared last year. I believe it is Trillium decumbens also known as trailing wakerobin. The bloom will be a deep red wine color when it opens. As you can see, it is in a thick layer of leaf litter.

The speedwell on the right is an early blooming groundcover but it thrives in full sun and near the street at that. It is a species of Veronica. I am hoping to use it as a groundcover in other locations in the garden.

This Lorapetalum chinense has beautiful red blooms. It likes to grow quite tall but I have pruned it to a 4 foot height. It responds well to the shaping.

The common blue violet on the right is a native (Viola sororia). It is a spring ephemeral that appears in the lawn and along the woodland edge. I let it be. As the weather warms and the grass grows, it is managed by the lawnmower. It returns faithfully each spring.

I hope you are enjoying the outdoors and I hope your garden is flourishing. Happy Gardening!!

Late Winter Green 27 Feb 2026

The garden is waking up. I am seeing more green and more blooms. The branches look plump and more and more buds are appearing. There is more activity at the bird feeder and I have seen some bees at the blooms that have opened.

Our 2 day episode of overnight freezing temperatures passed without much damage seen in the yard. The forecast is for spring like temps over the next 10 days. We had a substantial rainfall over the last 24 hours. Conditions are favorable for a time of great advances in the garden.

Last week saw the completion of the majority of pruning of beauty berry, roses and Rose of Sharon (Althea) at the Corner Garden. The Limelight hydrangeas are next but not until buds begin opening on them. This year, cuttings will be taken to propagate Limelight hydrangeas. Today, Shasta daisies were potted up for a Spring Sale planned for late April.

I managed to capture drops of rain lingering on the Salix sp (Pussywillow) buds. You can just see some green below those buds.

The Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ is advancing well. It has survived the winter in its container and it indeed looks very spry. It is a delightful plant.

The Roses were pruned back very hard last week. As you can see, they are beginning to respond well. This variety is Katy Road Pink also known also known as Carefree Beauty. There is a collection of 7 of them now.

The Lambs Ear (Stacey’s Byzantine) is beginning to spread out again. It never disappears. Rather it slows down and gradually turns a grey dried out color. Now it is beginning to show the pretty blue green color. It loves its location near the fountain.

Here are the Shasta daisies that were potted up today. I harvested them from one of the many patches present at the Corner Garden. They will be available at the plant sale.

I am showing the Corner Garden fountain in its splendor after last year’s renovation. It was made possible because of a fundraising project. The main elements of the fundraiser was a GoFundMe project and a plant sale.

This year’s project will be to enhance our lighting. This would include uplighting on several trees and shrubs as well as some pathway downlights. It may also include some colored lighting for holidays.

I will be joining the Six on Saturday group in the morning. Come join us at this website https://gardenruminations.co.uk. Join in. The rules are on the website. Gardeners from several countries join in to post 6 photos from Saturday or the previous week. It is very interesting.

Happy Gardening!

Late Winter 20 Feb 2026

This has been a beautiful week of weather. It has been warm with several mostly sunny days. There is a cold front coming. It will bring some frosty nights for 2 days so winter still has some punch left in it. It is so wonderful to have the increasing amount of daylight. The plants have all benefited.

I have spent my week pruning shrubs. The beauty berry, hollies and viburnum all now have their spring trim. I have also cleaned up containers that are holding pansies and sedum. There are a few trays of perennials that are ready to be planted but that will wait a little longer.

The most impressive bloomers in the garden right now are the daffodils. I am also enjoying crocus and the winter lettuces and the onion sets that are making substantial progress.

These red Camellia japonicas are glorious at the moment. The earlier blooms were damaged by a significant frost but thank goodness for sequential blooming. The mild weather has brought out an abundance of beautiful blooms. I do not know the names of these cultivars but they are magnificent.

I have shown the Edgeworthia ‘Paperbush’ a week or two ago but indulge me since these opening blooms have a beautiful, bright golden color. In addition, the fragrance is intoxicating.

The Star Magnolia is also blooming and fragrant. The white strap flowers make this a very showy shrub. It is about 12 feet high but it is having a struggle with crown rot. 2 of the 3 trunks have been lost and the third trunk is beyond remedy I fear. I identified the problem too late to do much about it. There are some azaleas underneath it that will benefit from the additional light. C’est la vie.

The daffodil is ‘Ice Follies’. It is tall at 12 inches. The yellow cup stands out against the white. I have a very nice crop of them this year. Many other varieties of daffodil are now blooming and I intend to show you more next week.

The nest box is for bluebirds. The male was courting the female today. The flew around it several times. They did not settle in because of the activity around them but it was exciting to see their interest. I didn’t capture a photo but here is one from another time.

I will be sharing this post with the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. If you want to see photos from gardeners from around the world, here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

In the meantime, happy gardening!