Five on Friday – Fine for Friday

Petals At The Corner Jun 11

For the last few weeks, I have been describing the debutantes at the Grand Ball. They are now assembled and the music has begun. But before I describe that further, I want to spend some time describing the supporting cast. There are some interesting plants that have made an appearance. Some of them are a complete surprise to me.

I will be joining the Six On Saturday group as usual in the morning. If you are interested, come see 6 photos posted by each of the group. Gardeners from global locations join in. Our host is Jim Stephens. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/category/six-on-saturday/

I found the nest on the left on a wreath situated on the front door. Google search suggested it is a House Finch Nest. They are frequent visitors to my yard. The front door is used only once for twice a day. I will be following this closely.

The mushroom caught my eye this week. It is about the size of my hand. The bright color really stands out. We have had regular rain with very warm temperatures so the conditions are right.

The Scarlet Bee Balm on the left is a native which appears in a corner of the yard. It is a welcome visitor because of the cheerful color.

The Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Summer Crush’ was added to my yard last fall. It started out very well this spring but then the deer took a liking to it and ate all the new growth. Of the deterrents that I have tried, the best seems to have been a spray of dilute peppermint and cinnamon oil. It has to be reapplied every week or two but I count it a success to be seeing some blooms.

This 5 leaved Arisaema is new to my yard. It will have a bloom in a year or two which is green in color. I did have the 3 leaved Arisaema triphyllum ‘Jack in the Pulpit’ in my yard this spring. It was beginning to form a bloom which the deer promptly ate. I hope the triphyllum will bloom again next spring. I do not plan on keeping the Dragon Root.

My last photo is of my blueberry harvest. These are from Rabbiteye blueberries which have done very well for me the last 3 years. Blueberry muffins, blueberry cobbler and blueberry ice cream are a special treat.

I hope you will forgive me for this extra photo.

Happy Gardening!

Petals At The Corner June 4

The grand ball continues. We are advancing steadily now. The colors are vibrant and the dancing is becoming more lively. The dance floor is filling up so that there is a sense it soon will be crowded.

The lighting is on for more hours per day now and the activity of the dance is creating more heat. It will get hotter soon but it is tolerable now. The warmer nighttime air and the adequate hydration is leading to a faster pace.

The pollinators are active. I am noticing several host plants this week.

I hope to post to Six on Saturday again this week. Several gardens post regularly. It is fun to see the gardens from different parts of the world. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk. Our host is Jim Stephens.

The Caladium on the left is Florida fantasy with its candy red shade. I buy caladium bulbs every year and plant them in containers when the ground temperature reaches 65 F. I have not had much luck saving them over the winter after the season is over.

The Hydrangea quercifolia on the right is a favorite. The blooms start out bright white but then develop this reddish shade as summer approaches.

Here are two bizarre photos for you to see. First, the one on the left is the seedpods of butterfly milkweed (Asclepias tuberosa). This is the host plant for the Monarch butterfly. As the pods mature, they will dry and twist and open before releasing the seeds which will be attached to a feathery parachute.

The right photo is Yellow passionflower (Passiflora lutea). It is a host plant for the gulf fritillary which is very common in my yard. I will post a photo of the butterfly as my featured image.

These are two dahlias that I started from seed several years ago. They can be seen from the bathroom windows. The plant stem can get very high but I cut it back to keep it no more than 3 to 4 feet high.

I hope you are enjoying the grand ball. Happy gardening!!

Petals At The Corner May 29

The dance of floral beauties continues. New entrants are appearing regularly. The colors are outstanding and the variety if breathtaking.. They are untroubled by the recent rain. In fact, they seem to relish it.

I will be linking this blog to the Six On Saturday group in the morning. You can find it here https://gardenruminations.co.uk. It is capably hosted by Jim Stephens and is joined by gardeners from around the globe. Come join us and see the beautiful gardens.

The unnamed Daylily on the left has been a consistent performer over the years.

The Stokes Aster loves its location and has been spreading regularly. What started as just a few plants is now several dozen. They are very jolly.

The close up on the left is identified by iNaturalist as an Asian Lady Beetle. I am not sure of that but nonetheless, it is on the Shasta Daisies which are just beginning to raise up their lovely blooms.

The reddish blooms of Sedum on the right is ‘Autumn Joy’. It is another reliable visitor.

The fountain on the left has been repurposed with hardy succulents. It is nicely framed by the Hydrangea paniculata ‘Limelight’ in the background.

The problem of the day is a broken sprinkler head. This had been run over by a wayward motor vehicle several months ago. The car had also ruined two Encore azaleas and damaged our beautiful Katy Road antique roses. I only noticed this damage today. Repair will be done soon.

May your days be made more pleasant by the joy of gardening.

Petals At The Corner 15 March

The big dance has begun with the appearance of coneflowers and daylilies. They are the debutantes in the ball gowns. Bright vibrant colors are their most notable feature. Accompanying them are the gang of pollinators. They travel from bloom to bloom in search of nectar. They do not listen to the current din about high carbohydrate diets. For the butterflies, that is their whole diet. The buzz is becoming noticeable.

The garden tasks now are water and weeds. The debutantes demand water if they are to perform. The weeds are popping up easily now because they are weeds.

As usual, I hope to join the Six On Saturday meme this week. Here is the link

The daylily is the first deb today. It is a rich rusty red color. It shall remain nameless since I have no name tag.

The purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea) is a native deb. Its a rich reddish color is a winner. The pollinators visit this one with great energy.

The bumble bees really love this Stachys sp. It is near the fountain and it is a steady bloomer throughout the late spring and early summer.

The Salvia on the right is also a bee attractor. This ‘Meadow Sage’ type does very well in the dry summer weather that we are about to experience.

Another perennial popular with the pollinators is the Coreopsis grandiflora native. It does get a little messy looking but it can be forgiven because of the bright yellow flowers.

The Rose campion does spread around the garden but the bright cheery flowers make up for its unruly behavior. I may have featured it earlier this year but if so, it deserves an encore performance.

The featured image today will be the glorious Monarch. I visited the butterfly house at the Huntsville Botanical Gardens last week where they were releasing Monarchs. It was a magnificent display.

Hope you enjoyed the ball! Happy Gardening!

Petals At The Corner 8 March

Some of the top late spring bloomers are beginning to show. The bare spaces are beginning to fill in as the garden continues to grow. Much needed rain has made a significant contribution to it and I hope that will continue. I would consider this to have been a wonderful spring so far.

I have some new additions to my garden to show you but I am also pleased with my veterans. The bees and butterflies continue to be busy. My summer vegetables have been seriously damaged by big critters. I assume it is deer but I have seen evidence of rabbits and I have seen a groundhog. There is a cost to living near a woodland. They are leaving the perennials alone except for the purple coneflowers.

Even though I will be out of town, I hope to post this blog with the Six On Saturday website. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

First, a pair of veterans. The Japanese painted fern is off to a good start. There are several in the shady parts of my yard.

The veteran on the right is the pagoda plant (Blephilia ciliata). It makes a good ground cover plant since it has a tendency to slowly spread.

The newcomer on the left is Denver daisy which is a cultivar of Rudbeckia hirta. It is a drought tolerant and a deer and rabbit tolerant beauty which is a good thing for my yard. It may be a short lived perennial so if it follows its advertising, I will have to start it from seed again in a year or two.

The veteran on the right is Stella D’Oro daylily (Hemerocallis sp). It is a very hardy perennial.

The newcomer on the left is Nicotiana alata ‘Crimson Bedder’. I started these from seed this spring that I obtained from Baker Creek Heirloom.

The milkweed on the right is ‘Asclepias tuberosa. The small orange blossoms are a pollinator magnet but the real story is that this plant is a host for Monarch butterflies. The monarch (Danaus plexippus) has become famous because of its color and its migration story (from Northern Mexico up to Canada). It took it a while to become established but I have several clumps now.

The featured image is Magnolia grandiflora which has begun blooming this week.

I hope you are enjoying gardens and pollinators wherever you are.

Happy Gardening!

Petals At The Corner 1 May

It is much easier to find six photos for my weekly blog now. The garden is becoming more crowded looking and more colorful every day. Last weekend, we held our plant sale and it was a success by my standard. Most of the plants offered were sold and the surplus was donated to a local non-profit.

The deer have done some damage to my tomato plants and to my Echinacea. Other interesting activity this week was a groundhog but I did not have my phone handy to take his picture.

My raised bed continues to produce tasty onions. I have some beets that are making some wonderful progress and I did spy a yellow squash flower. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

I will post my blog on the Six On Saturday blog this week. Here is the link if you want to stop by https://gardenruminations.co.uk

The heavy rains come. Mild pleasant weather. Tasks continue to be garden planting and container managing. Working on shade garden. Working on native plants.

The rains came this week. I recorded more than 4 inches of rain. Soon thereafter, the sweet shrub on the left bloomed. This is Calycanthus floridus.

The pretty bell shaped flower on the right is Penstemon calycosus. That tubular flower makes it a wonderful nectar plant for butterflies and hummingbirds. I started these from seeds last year.

The Mock Orange (Philadelphus sp) has been a challenge. I moved it two years ago and it has resisted. I have had to prune it several times because of dead branches. It is doing better this year.

The Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ on the right is another edit job. I repotted it in the fall and I am grateful that it returned. It is responding well to its new surroundings. I could have waited to take a photo in the fall when the blooming portion turns its beautiful bronze color.

The blue bloom is Stokes Aster (Stokesia laevis). It has done very well in the garden and spreads peripherally in a mannerly way. Beautiful late spring bloomer.

The bearded iris is a beauty. My iris have not bloomed well this year. We did have a significant cold snap in mid March which I think led to this poor show.

Hope you are enjoying your garden !

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!!