Uncategorized – Page 2 – Fine for Friday

March is still a lion 8 March 2024

There is a front coming through the Southeast US today. It is strong and large. We will probably have 3 inches of rain today with blustery winds. It will cool off for the next 3 days but no frost is forecast. I am grateful for that.

The spring inches forward and more green is appearing in the grassy areas and in the trees. The daffodils and hellebores are waning now but more blooming trees are appearing.

Here are my 6 photos for this week. If you like gardening, take some photos of your own and share them. Join us tomorrow for Six on Saturday. There will be cheery photos of gardens from around the world. Here is the link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

The hyacinth appeared a few days ago. It is a stunner. Last year, I had some in containers but I then planted them under some crepe myrtles.

The pink azalea has been in my yard for many years. Sorry, it has to be unnamed. The azaleas have just begun. Watch the Master’s in a few weeks to see many more in Augusta, Georgia.

The Pearl Bush is looking very good this year. The blooms do look like little pearls when the buds first appear.

I don’t consider the wild violet a weed even though it appears in the lawn. This one is being crowded out by some dogbane. I leave them too since they have a pretty daisy like white flower.

The anemone is new to me and it is a “keeper”.

The camellia was a little disappointing to me for a while. The blooms on the shrub hang down and seemed unimpressive. However, when it was placed in a small bowl in the kitchen, it looked magnificent.

There are many garden tasks to complete now. It is wonderful to be back in the garden and after the front is past, I will be back enjoying the weather.

Happy Gardening!!

Spring is Coming Closer 23 Feb 2024

New blooms are appearing daily now and of course the daylight is increasing. The forecast is favorable with warmer nights. We are soon to enter March and I know that there will be at least one more cold snap before the equinox.

This week I have some beautiful blooms to show you. I also have some wildflowers that I saw in the Birmingham Botanical Gardens. I am ending with a photo of a special day I spent this week at a friend’s large acreage in a nearby county.

If you enjoy spring and you enjoy blooms, come join our Six on Saturday group. It is exciting to see photos of blooms and plants taken by gardeners from around the world. Come join us at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk. Our Saturday online event is hosted by Jim Stephens.

Now on to my photos for this week.

Here are the two wildflowers. They are both spring ephemerals. The blood root is spectacular with the large bright white bloom and bright yellow stamens. The name is apt since the root is red. The early peoples thought it was medicinal for that reason.

The little anemone is not as showy but it has pretty texture.

The quince is just beginning to open. I moved this plant last year and I am very happy to see it bloom.

The blood red double camellia is unnamed by me. Its source information is gone. This bloom is also special to see because of the damage to my camellias from the deep freeze of December 2022.

The anemone was planted last year so this is its first blooming. It is an area developing into a moon garden.

I found these daffodils blooming and I do not remember planting this type. I am not sure this is the correct name but it is the closest that I came with a Google search.

Last week, I was invited to a friend’s property in a county 3o miles south. He has several stands of loblolly pines. He was performing a controlled burn to clear underbrush and promote the growth of sagebrush for habitat renewal. I had read about these techniques and was very pleased to be able to witness this and to provide some help.

As you can see, the road was cleared as a firebreak. Conditions were as required with almost no wind. The fire is begun in limited areas and is directed against the wind. The fire is set to only include a few acres at a time. Nature used to do this every 2 or 3 years by means of lightning. It is understood that the indigenous peoples knew this and cleared underbrush in this manner to improve hunting success.

Hope you marvel at this as much as I did.

Happy gardening!

Mid-winter 26 Jan 2024

It has been a mild week but there has been over 3 inches of rain. The weather gurus tell us that we needed it. We have been experiencing a drought and we have not yet had enough rain to remedy it. It is our rainy season so we will expect it.

The rain has limited gardening tasks this week but I did manage to transplant some onions into my raised beds. They are from Dixondale in Texas. I also started some perennials from seed in my seed starter.

Here are my photos for this week. If you want to see more, drop by tomorrow morning to see the Six on Saturday group. It is hosted by Jim Stephens. Here is the link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

The pansies survived the cold spell and are beginning to bloom.

Finally, the Lenten rose are emerging.

The Shasta daisies are healthy looking and getting ready for the warmer weather that will be coming in 4 to 6 weeks.

Oops, it seems that I only took five photos.

Here on the left is the resurrection fern on the Post Oak. It is the oldest tree in the yard. The fern greens up after the rain.

And lastly, I found this bug while I was planting the onions. Prehistoric looking creature isn’t it. It was slow moving when I disturbed it.

Happy Gardening!

Thanksgiving Fine for Friday 24 Nov 2023

We spent the Thanksgiving holiday with family in Hilton Head, South Carolina. These photos are not from the home garden but from the beautiful arrangement on the festive table.

This is a special holiday because in America it is the 4th Thursday in November and that long weekend means that most Americans spend it with family. The meal is most associated with turkey, vegetable casseroles and for dessert pecan or pumpkin pie. Here in the American South, we favor turkey, squash casserole, cornbread dressing and pecan pie.

Yesterday’s table was adorned with fresh cut local flowers. I photographed them and present them to you for your pleasure.

I will be posting these on the Six on Saturday sight tomorrow. Come join us if you are able. Jim Stephens hosts us. The link is https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

The zinnias were still very beautiful. The Helianthus is unnamed but it is a looker.

The last 3 are a chrysanthemum, another sunflower and the back yard of our lodging in South Carolina.

We are returning home today and I hope to join you again next Friday with photos of my yard.

More Fall Colors 10 Nov 2023

After a very dry fall up until now, the forecast is for a typical November rainy period for the next 10 days. That is refreshing since the ground has been parched and the plants show signs of drought stress. Maybe, it will soon be time to plant bulbs and move some plants. Despite all this there are still plants that show plenty of color. There is no frost in the forecast so this should continue for the foreseeable future.

I love this time of year in the American South. The moderate temperatures make the outdoors so pleasant. It is cool enough for a sweater or jacket in the morning but that needs to be shed by mid-day. The garden work is easier since there are much less weeds and the bugs are minimal.

So let’s walk and look at the colors that I lured you with. I know you will enjoy the colors.

Perhaps, you would like to join us tomorrow morning with our Six on Saturday group hosted by Jim Stephens. Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk

The ageratum came as a surprise. I have a large container filled with sedum and Mexican petunias. I do not how the ageratum arrived there but it is a keeper.

The azalea was a solid pink color at its last bloom in the summer. Now, many of the blooms have this white variegation. I will have to keep an eye on this.

The coneflower began blooming in April and it is still blooming. It has self seeded in several locations in the garden over the last few years.

The Croton alabamensis is now flashing its beautiful fall foliage. It is a small shrub and has managed to reseed itself in a few locations near the original plant. I have been able to replant these seedlings in other locations in the yard.

The Shasta daisies stopped blooming several weeks ago but this straggler appeared this week.

The Virginia creeper is an annoying vine most of the time. Here is it in its fall finest. I cannot be annoyed with such a display.

Hope you enjoyed your visit.

Happy gardening!

Fall 6 Oct 2023

Yes, fall Colors continue to attract our attention. In many ways, fall is second only to Spring for floral attractiveness here in Central Alabama.

Take a stroll with me through the yard and let’s see what catches our eye.

Here are my six for this week. Come and enjoy the delights of the fall garden.

The Cashmere Bouquet plant has a very fetching bloom. Native to China, it is a tall plant with dark green foliage. It favors part shade. It can be thuggish but I have confined it to a woodland edge and not my perennial bed. I may eventually grow it in a container.

The Autumn fern is beginning to take on its bronze fall hue. I like this fern because it will tolerate a part sun location unlike other ferns here in the South. I have been able to adapt it to several locations both shade and part sun. In addition, it does quite well in a shallow container.

The dahlia patch is continuing to bloom. These are tall plants which I have had to stake. This is in a small rock garden set against an oak leaf hydrangea.

Late boneset is also known as Late Flowering Thoroughwort. It is a native here and is now quite noticeable along the easement near my yard. It is striking mixed among the emerging Goldenrod. The bees seem to love it.

The hearts a bursting is Euonymous americanus. It is also known as Strawberry plant. This native shrub does have these most unusual seed heads. This is the fourth season for this shrub in a shaded location with some afternoon sun.

The oak leaf hydrangea graces us with 4 season of attraction. Here in the fall we get to enjoy the reddening leaves and the coppery flower pannicles. It is in a part sun location along side a walkway into the backyard.

Six on Saturday is a group that shares gardening photos every week. It is hosted by Jim Stephens. Come join us to see gardens from all around the world. Perhaps you would also like to share your photos. Check out the requirements for posting. Here is the link. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Happy gardening!

Five for Friday 10 Feb 2023

The weather continues to be beneficial to the garden. We have had sufficient rain and many bright sunny days. A few leaves have begun to emerge on azaleas, camellias and tea olives which has diminished my anxiety that they had been irreparably damaged by the December deep freeze.

It is, of course, too early for most transplants but I have planted some onion transplants. The varieties are Candy and Texas Sweet. My greenhouse is filling up with seedlings getting ready for the spring planting.

Today’s photos show other signs if the continuing advance of nature.

First, here is a blended shot of a Kurume type azalea with large cup daffodils in the background. The Kurumes are characterized by early blooms.

Here is a close up of the bloom. Sorry that is a little blown out.

Second, here is my Crocosmia ‘Lucifer’ emerging. It will spread so it has to be corralled to limit that trait. I like the bright color of the blooms and its ability to bloom in partly sunny locations.

Third is a Star magnolia, Magnolia stellata. It is an early bloomer and it is in abundant bloom now.

Fourth, this is a flowering quince Chaenomeles sp. This cultivar has white blooms rather than the more ubiquitous orange-red one.

Fifth is a Pieris japonica ‘Temple Bells’. The delicate hanging bells make this a winner.

Finally, here is a fine collection of large cupped daffodils.

Join the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. It is hosted by Jim Stephens who does a fine job curating this group. Gardeners from around the world will display their Six photos of the week.

Find it here. Come join us. It is a wonderful, enjoyable task to take and post the six photos for each week.

21 Sept 2022 The Heat is Back

It was too soon to be true. The cooler mornings and days were so pleasant. Today and yesterday we were back into the mid 90’s. I guess that is is 35 degrees C. It will settle back down again this weekend and also bless us with some rain.

On another note, it has been such a wonderful experience watching the majestry and pageantry of the queen’s funeral and farewell. The ceremonies have been magnificent. I am so taken by the meaning of institution and tradition. In this world today, in which there is a tendency to want to cancel, this is a lesson in why these constants are so important to us. Bravo!

Here are my lot for this week.

First, there is a combination of Salvia and Dragon Wing Begonia. The tall salvia seems to thrive in the heat.

The next is a Japanese anemone. The leaf shape is a nice additional feature of this flower. It comes in more than this color. I do prefer the white. It likes part sun and part shade and blooms a long time.

The third one for you is this oddball of a tomato hornworm infected with some parasitic wasp eggs.

Here is a photo of a wax myrtle (Morella cerifera). There was myrtle in the wreath on the Queen’s casket. It is a sign of love and prosperity.

8D3A3F5E-836D-4D68-B7CE-CF245E2CD9DB

The next photo is of some fungi seen in the woods. I think these are oyster mushrooms.

The next photo is a day flower. I also found this in my walk in the woods.

Finally, this is an Eastern hemlock. These are usually associated with Northern forests. By some quirk, they are present in the American South. Thank goodness because they are beautiful.

Hope you enjoyed these.

Butterflies and a Ginger Lily

In the American South, we are having more below average temp and some rain chance most every day. It has been possible to get out and do some shrub pruning. The garden is beginning to look tired and a little ragged but some fall flowers are appearing.

Butterfly numbers seemed to be below normal this summer but this week I have been surprised to find much more butterfly activity.

Here is the collection.

Here is a hardy mum. Unsure of name but this is thriving enough that I have divided it and have it in three locations now.

The vitex of chaste tree is very happy and continues to bloom.

The American beautyberry is beginning to show off its purple berry collars. It is a very reliable native shrub.

The “Katy Road” rose is showing some new buds with the let up in the heat. It is such a beautiful pink. The leaf beetles really get after it but I am trying to keep them at bay with some weekly Neem oil applications. Sorry that it is a little fuzzy.

The encore azaleas are really showy this week. I just had to show them off again. They really look good along this paver path.

Here is a gulf fritillary on the profusion zinnias. The host plant is a passionflower. I would show it but the caterpillars have chewed it up.

Here is a monarch. These zinnias are right next to the butterfly milkweed. I just had to stand between the two in order to get a good photo.

The ginger lily bloomed this week. I have them in some pedestal containers at the garden entrance. I was not expecting them to bloom this year so it is a surprise.

Hope you have some rain and moderating temperatures this week. It makes the gardening such a treat.

Remember the inspiration of this blog, The propagator blog.

Blooms and Buds

March 4, 2022

It has been a very warm week here in Central Alabama with daytime highs reaching 80. The forecast is for several more days like this before some rain and cooler temps arrive in a week. We may get some freezing temps then. It is tempting to plant tender plants now but I am avoiding that action. I have potted up my tomatoes and peppers yesterday. I have some rudbeckia and daisies that I hope to pot up today.

Here is the Five for Friday.

This is a holly fern with the large fiddle head visible. This is part of a group of hollies at the entrance to the Mens Garden that was transplanted a year ago. They are very happy and sheltered enough that they have stayed green all winter.

This is a star magnolia. It is Magnolia stellata which is a native of Japan. The blooms are small in comparison to the massive Southern magnolia.

This is an early blooming azalea. I hope it doesn’t get stung by next week’s colder temps. I do not know the name of this variety.

This is Veronica prostata or prostrate speedwell. It is native to Europe and unlike its cousins, it forms a nice groundcover and is everygreen. This one is in an open area and may have to be transplanted. It is forming a slowly spreading mat of foliage.

This is Trillium cuneatum. It is a native to the eastern US. It will open up to a reddish tinted bloom. The trillium natives are spring ephemerals so after blooming, they will disappear until next spring. We are glad it hides out in the Mens Garden for the year.

The last two are a late blooming Camellia with an unknow name and a sedum. I believe this sedum is Autumn Joy.

Happy gardening and enjoy the weather wherever you are. Don’t forget to follow the Propagator. He is the inspiration for my blog.