Gardens – Page 12 – Fine for Friday

It feels like summer 19 May 2023

It has been hot and humid with daily threats of thunderstorms here in Central Alabama. It feel like summer. The rainfall has been more than average. These are summer growing conditions for the garden and unfortunately also for the weeds. The list of gardening tasks is long.

There is a lot to choose from to show you in these photos. It is a pleasure to be able to have so many to choose from.

I have labeled them to make it easier to follow.

The yellow gerber daisy is a very bright yellow. I have several colors including a red and a pink. It survived the deep winter cold and is thriving. It seems to have few insects that plague it.

The Virginia sweetspire which is an Alabama native is now 3 years old. The pannicles of blooms are like a tail.

The astilbe is just beginning to bloom. I have a second clump that is white. These are now several years in longevity and perform wonderful in my shade garden.

The sweetshrub which is another Alabama native is also about 3 years old. It is also well established and problem free.

The Iceland poppy also survived the winter and is blooming nicely now.

The tall dahlia was started from seed and has proven to be a hardy perennial. I have it in part sun and the blooms are at about 3 feet. It is an understated beauty. There are about 2 dozen of them in this bed.

The daylilies are in glory.. I have misplaced the names but to paraphrase Shakespeare they are beautiful all the same.

Please join the Six on Saturday group. It is hosted by Jim Stephens. Here is the link. Gardeners from around the world share their gardens. It is a wonderful experience.

Here is the link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

Happy Gardening.

It is Spring 12 May 2023

A walk in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I have been vacationing at the beautiful Gulf Coast city of Destin, Florida this week. The area is beautiful and the seafood is world class. For your pleasure, I am posting photos taken this past week on a walk through the Birmingham Botanical Gardens where I volunteer each week.

Upper left is a mountain laurel, Kalmia latifolia. These native plants are outstanding this year.

Middle right is a group of pitcher plants. This is of the genus Sarracenia and are native to South Alabama.

Upper right is woodland phlox or Phlox divaricata which is native to Alabama woodland forests.

Lower left is Amsonia sp or eastern blue star.

Lower center is a native azalea which have been magnificent this year. I am not sure of species here.

Lower right is a striking native known as firepink or wooland pinkroot. It is Spigelia marilandica.

I am adding this one for you which is a dogwood by appearance of the leaf but with this. striking blooms.

Those are my six. They are natives and local. I will be posting photos from my usual locations next week.

Have a look at our Six on Saturday posts tomorrow. The site is curated by Jim Stephens. Find the link here https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Happy gardening!!

It is Spring 5 May 2023

A survey of the garden today reveals a significant advance this week. More shrubs that were damaged by December’s flash freeze are showing signs of new growth. This is noticeable with the lorapetalum, azaleas and now finally the gardenias and camellias. What a relief! I was not looking forward to replacing so many shrubs.

I planted tomatoes this week which I hope was not too brave a move. The onions are doing well and so are the potatoes. Even a few beets that survived the winter are showing signs of being mature soon. The ground temperature was 55 degrees F yesterday so I am holding off on some caladium bulbs.

Here are this weeks photos.

I have three hostas to show you. I am unsure of the upper left and lower center but the lower left is called guacamole. That lower center hosta shows some signs of slug damage so I treated it with diatomaceous earth. Hope that helps.

Upper middle is a pointsettia that I saved several years ago and kept in my cold frame. It just recently showed signs of festive colors. Better late than never.

Upper right is a magnificent daylily. Cultivar is unknown but it is beautiful whatever is its name.

The lower right is a Japanese persimmon which I acquired several years ago. This is the first year that it has set fruit. I am very pleased because the fruit is delicious.

Join our Six on Saturday crowd tomorrow if you are in the neighborhood. It is curated by Jim Stephens. The link is https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

Happy Gardening!!

It is Spring 28 April 2023

Spring continues to advance and here in the American South, green is the predominant color. The leaf canopy is filling and lawns are growing. Of course, that also means the sound of lawn mowers and leaf blowers.

The songbirds are in full throat and the adults are very busy foraging to find food for their fledglings.

I have been busy this week installing new plants that I purchased at the plant sales which are plentiful this week and last. The irises are blooming and the lilies are showing signs that they will bloom soon.

Here are this weeks photos.

Upper left is an ox-eye daisy planted near the front driveway. It gets plenty of sun and has two mates nearby. They are all showing out right now.

Upper center is a daylily ‘Stella d’Oro’. Although the blooms are not big, it will continue to bloom through the spring and summer months.

Upper right is a clematis which grows over the arch at the entrance to the garden. It is a brilliant white which of course the camera does not capture in its full glory. I do not know the cultivar. It has a purple mate which has not yet appeared.

Lower left is a new heuchera that I purchased yesterday at a local plant sale. This cultivar is ‘Delta Dawn’. I am working on a new section of my shade garden where I have planted several hostas over the last few years. This year I am adding two heucheras, a Godzilla painted fern and another heuchera. The soil is more than adequate so I am hopeful that will look very good by the end of the summer.

Lower center is a nemesis in these parts. It is Chinese privet, Ligustrum intense, which is an imported shrub. It has escaped activity and dominates edges of woodlands. I am showing you the blooms which have a very intoxicating fragrance. The foliage is bright green. For this reason, many people like having them in their yards. The seeds germinate readily so that I pull dozens of these seedling every month.

Lower right is a roof iris, Iris tectorum. It is doing well in partial shade and tends to naturalize which is what I had hoped for.

Our weather is very mild this week and we have had adequate rain. It has been excellent gardening weather.

I hope you are gardening or laying out your plans for the future.

Join the Six on Saturday crowd tomorrow. It is hosted by Jim Stephens and can be found at this link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk. Check out gardens from around the world.

Its Finally Spring 21 April 2023

Here in the American South, the season is advancing nicely. The tree canopy is filling in now. Because of the mature oaks and hickories that populate the landscape, the areas of shade are becoming much larger. The daffodils, tulips and Lenten roses have now mostly finished their spring fling.

The blooming shrubs did their best this spring despite the flash freeze in December. The azaleas, viburnums and camellias are now also finished their blooming.

My spring garden still is producing onions and radishes. My potato patch is well along and here’s hoping for some flavorful meals from them in another 6 weeks.

Here are my photos for this week.

#1 Top left is a bloom on my Meyer lemon. I take it in for the winter. It is now on the deck for the season and has begun blooming. It has done very well in a container. It is a small tree only 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide.

#2 Top middle is a Walking Iris (Trimezia gracilis). It is in the iris family. It seems a bit exotic so I keep two of these in containers and protect them in cold weather. The blooms are short lived but spectacular.

#3 Top right is an agastache. I don’t know the cultivar. It is making a wonderful filler in a container with some dwarf Helianthus.

#4 Lower left is a dianthus which is still blooming prolifically for several weeks.

#5 Bearded iris have begun to bloom. I have several large patches. Most are deep blue in color. I really like the sword like foliage which adds interest all summer. It makes a wonderful border plant.

#6 Hardy begonia has begun to appear in a shaded area where I had a terra cotta container with one several years ago. They were all volunteers so I dug several up and repotted them to domesticate them.

I have planted 2 summer cut flower gardens so I hope to be able to show them to you as the season progresses.

Don’t forget to look at #sixonsaturday group tomorrow which is hosted by Jim Stephens. You can find it at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Gardeners from around the world leave their contributions for the week on his blog. It is very interesting stuff.

Happy gardening!

Its finally Spring 14 April 2023

I started on holiday this week, so some photos are from the usual sites and some from the vacation days. It has been wonderful to take a break from spring gardening and enjoy the sights of the American Atlantic Coast from Charleston, South Carolina to Amelia Island, Florida.

The weather has been pleasant with warm sunny days and only one day of occasional rain.

Spring has been appearing everywhere we have been. It is comparable to home but with just a little bit of the tropical on the Atlantic Coast.

The photo of the upper left is of the pink rose I know as Katy Road Pink. This Griffin Buck rose is also known as the “Carefree Beauty”. It was developed by Dr. Buck at Iowa State University to withstand the cold, midwestern winters but it was also found to withstand the hot, dry summers of Texas. I have it in a group of 5 plants which stands out as a mass of pink.

The upper middle is a flower I found along the streets of historic Charleston. I believe it is an American Wisteria in early bloom. It will grow as a vine to as much as 40 feet.

The upper right photo is a native known as fleabane or dogbane. The genus is Erigeron and can be seen across most of the US. It is widespread at this time of year.

The lower left is a jasmine vine. It is Trachelospermum jasminoides. It is known as star jasmine and also Confederate jasmine. It grows in the Southeast US but is originally Asian and the name confederate is derived from the Malay confederacy.

It is intensely fragrant with beautiful deep green foliage with a vining habit.

The final photo is of a bluebird which is one of the pair nesting in the birdhouse I erected last year.

Hope you enjoyed this grouping. In honor of my holiday here are two other photos from the seashore.

A therapeutic morning photo

A restful sentiment for you

Be sure to join our SOS (Six on Saturday) group hosted by Jim Stephens.

You can find it at this link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Gardeners from around the world join in.

Happy Gardening!!

Its Finally Spring 7 April 2023

We are having mild spring weather today in the American South. As you can see if you are watching the Masters, it is. sunny today but a front is arriving later today and Saturday which will bring thunderstorms and rain over the next 48 hours.

The garden is advancing and the gardening duties are multiplying.

Here are the photos for this week.

Photo#1

This beautiful pink rose is known as Katy Road Pink. It was first identified in rural Texas as being very tolerant of hot and dry temps. This photo does not do it justice.

Photo #2

This is a native azalea which bloomed this year for the first time. I believe it is the native flame azalea.

Photo #3

This little blue beauty is the spiderwort. Tradescantia virginiana. It can be a little weedy but it is a welcome spring sight.

Photo #4

This is a firecracker plant which is loved by the hummingbirds. I have some early hummingbirds coming to feed at it the last few days. Russell sp is the scientific name. Species may be equisetformis. I am sorry the bloom is not in focus.

Photo #5

This is a mysterious iris. The mystery is that I cannot find the name.

Photo #6

This is another native azalea which has bloomed this year for the first time. This is a mountain azalea Rhododendron canescens.

Photo #7

This is another native iris called the southern blue flag or Iris virginica for your pleasure.

I hope you get a chance to watch the Masters this weekend. From what I have seen so far, the grounds are in immaculate condition.

Check out our Six on Saturday group tomorrow hosted by Jim Stephens. There will be gardens from around the world. This is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

Happy gardening!!

Its Finally Spring 31 March 2023

The pace of daily change is accelerating. Each day, I find evidence of plants that are showing signs of life. It is great news considering the deep freeze of December could have caused so much more destruction.

I am beginning to contemplate taking outdoors the tender plants that have spent the winter indoors. I say contemplate because I have not yet enacted that plan. There is no harm in waiting a few more days.

I do have many plants out in the cold frame and I have planted many more plants that I consider hardy.

Now on to the photos. The first is a project that I recently began. After pruning the limelight hydrangeas a few weeks ago, I started this project propagating the cuttings. So far, they are off to a very good start as you can see. They are in potting soil after dipping the lower ends in rooting hormone.

Limelight hydrangea project

The next photo is of some bluebells from the hyacinth family. They are a reliable early Spring sign.

Bluebells

The next photo is a Lenten rose with the seed ovaries quite visible. These hellebores began blooming in January.

Lenten Rose

The next is a Florida anise or Illicium floridanum. It is native to our area and it is a shade to partial shade lover. The red star shaped blooms are very noticeable right now.

Florida anise

The next is Solomon’s seal with its temple bell flowers. The genus is Polygonatum. It looks lily like and thrives in our temperate climate. It has just emerged from the ground this week.

Solomon’s seal

This next one is a beauty. It is a Viburnum macrocephalum that is commonly called a Chinese snowball viburnum. It dropped its leaves at the end of December with the hard freeze. I thought it was a goner. However, it has put on a show like it does every spring for the last 30 years. It is about 15 feet high so I took this shot from the deck where all you can see are the blooms.

Viburnum macrocephalum

This last shot is the fruits of my winter garden. The onion transplants are quickly filling out and the carrots are delicious.

Late winter garden

I hope you are planning and planting like we are here in the American South. Spring is finally here and what a joy and relief it is.

Be sure to join our Six on Saturday group hosted by Jim Stephens. Gardeners from around the world are showing 6 photos from their gardens from this week.

You can find the link here https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

Happy gardening!!

Its Finally Spring 24 March 2023

The calendar says that its spring now. Nature has agreed and so the last few days have been beautiful with warm sunny days. Since we have had sufficient rainfall, the plant world is definitely making steady progress.

The effects of the hard freezes this winter have definitely left their mark. However, signs of new leaves and growth are steadily appearing.

The first picture today is a daffodil which I think is Poet’s Narcissus. It has a beautiful shade which may be orange.

Poet’s Narcissus

The next photo is also a daffodil. It is a yellow trumpet type but I have lost the name.

Daffodil

The third photo is a yellow flag iris. They are very reliable and so noticeable with the bright yellow color.

Yellow flag iris Iris pseudocorus

The next photo is of the blooms of a sweet shrub Calycanthus floridus. It is also known as Carolina allspice. This is the second year for this shrub which a friend let me dig from his yard. It is a native.

Carolina allspice.

This azalea bloomed so well this year despite the cold of December. It is in a protected spot which helped. It is of the variety known as Kurume. They are compact with relatively small flowers. Notice the Lenten roses just in front of this which are still blooming.

Kurume azalea

The next photo is a climbing hydrangea or Hydrangea Barbara which is native to Alabama. This is its fourth year and I am hoping it will bloom this year. It has climbed about 20 feet up a water oak.

Native Alabama climbing hydrangea

The final photo I have for you is a Zizia aurea or Golden Alexander. It blooms in late winter so we will not see the blooms much longer. You can see the golden colored blooms. The white blooms nearby are from a Dewberry which is also an Alabama native.

I hope your gardening is progressing like mine. If you live in colder climates, I hope you are anticipating the coming of spring.

Join our Six on Saturday group tomorrow hosted by Jim Stephens.

You can find it at this link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Happy gardening! See you next week.

Late Winter 17 March 2023

It is St. Patrick’s Day and we should be thinking green. It is definitely progressing in that direction in the garden but there is a threat of frost this weekend. I have resisted the temptation to plant prematurely so my caution has been well deserved.

I attended a Native Plant Conference this past weekend so my photos are from that event. I hope you enjoy them.

The first is a red buckeye or Aesculus pavia sometimes called a firecracker plant. It is native and deciduous and widespread. Found this one in the native plant garden at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

This second photo is a purple phacelia but I am not certain. The purple phacelia is also known as Fernleaf (Phaelia bipinnatifida). It is found in rocky forests such as where I found it at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

This third photo is a Wild Blue Indigo or Baptisia australis. I found this one at the Ruffner Nature Center here in Birmingham. It is not the best photo for which I am sorry. It does reveal the bluish green stems and the flowering stem which is about to burst forth. These are hardy perennials which die back in the winter but reliably reappear in the spring. The blooms can be blue or white.

This next phot is a blood root. Again, I am sorry for the quality of the photo but you can see the beautiful bloom and unusual leaf. This plant Sanguinaria canadensis is a spring ephemeral. The red juice of the underground stem was used by Native Americans as a dye for baskets and clothing.

These are the blooms of the silver bell tree. The genus is Halesia and I think this species is diptera. These beautiful blooms were very abundant. It blooms at approximately the same time as the dogwood Cornus florida and since that native is on the decline from disease, many people think the Halesia is a good substitute.

This photo is Zizia aurea or Golden Alexander. It is very abundant right at this time and this one is in my yard. The white blooms you seen underneath is a dewberry which is a prickly native vine. The Zizia is a host plant for several butterflies so it is a useful plant in the garden. It is a member of the carrot family.

I hope you enjoyed the photos. It is a departure from my usual mission of showing garden photos but since we are still not quite in the abundant blooming season I took the license to post them.

Don’t forget out SOS Six on Saturday group hosted by Jim Stephens so capably. You can find the group at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

Happy gardening!!