ferns – Fine for Friday

Still Waiting for Spring 7 March 2025

It’s been dry and then we had a heavy rain. It’s been calm and then we had 3 blustery days. It’s been pleasantly warm and then near freezing temperatures returned. I keep waiting for the sunny days of spring. Not yet.

The daffodils are up but they have not all opened. The bluebells are up but no blooms to show for it yet. The “Tommies” are up and blooming but the blooms don’t open until mid-morning. I am hopeful for the sunny days of spring. Not yet.

There are buds on the trees but only a few have leaves. The redbuds are blooming and so are the red maples. The blueberries are nicely budded but the blooms are not open.

Oh well!

I will be joining the #SixonSaturday group. Click the link and see what we are up to. Gardener’s eager to show 6 new things in their gardens for this week. We are ably hosted by Jim Stephens. https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Here are two of my overwintered dragon wing begonias. I am able to have them out in the sun at times. Mostly, they are still in my protected shelter. I will take cuttings next week and prepare 25 or 30 for window boxes and containers.

These white and purple “Majestic” pansies have fared well over the winter. The are hardy enough to have survived some freezing nights. I am proud of them.

The Heuchera also survived the winter cold. It is beginning show signs of new growth. I think this one is “Caramel”.

These are Narcissus “Orange Sunset”. I have shown them recently but these seem to be standing on guard in front of the pedestal fountain behind them.

The Asparagus fern has started to green up this week. It is Asparagus plumosus and is not really a fern but a member of the Asparagus family. It is a hardy perennial.

Happy Gardening! Hope the spring weather comes soon.

The Last Fall Colors

Frost is expected this coming week. There are still a few blooming plants but for the less hardy plants, the season is over. The garden needs the rest. It is the end of a glorious season. I am grateful.

The tender plants are placed in their shelter. The falling leaves are being chopped by the lawn mower and placed in the compost bin. The bulbs will be planted next week. The seeds for next season will soon be purchased. Holiday decorating is in progress. It is Thanksgiving this week.

This may be my last post for this year on the Six on Saturday group today. I will resume again when the spring blooms emerge in February. If you have time, come visit the group and see the posting of gardeners from around the world. If you wish, post to a blog or social media and leave a link. Here is the site hosted by Jim Stephens https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

I am featuring the persimmon again. It bore fruit this fall and is now bearing gorgeous leaf color.

The Oak Leaf Hydrangea (Hydrangea quercifolia) has a grand display of color as usual. The bloom heads certainly add to the display.

The indoor Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera sp) is blooming abundantly just in time for Thanksgiving. These blooms are a pink shade.

The two ferns (Dryopteris sp and Adiantum sp) have performed marvelously this fall after the intense summer heat passed. Sorry that the maidenhair photo didn’t turn out as well as it looked.

The hardy mum also wins a beauty contest this fall.

Happy gardening! To my American friends Happy Thanksgiving!

The Joy of Spring

The spring continues to bring new beauty every day. The leaf canopy is becoming full and the blooms continue to amaze. The summer perennials are showing signs of buds to thrill us soon.

This week, I visited a friend who has a marvelous garden and I will show you a few photos taken there.

I will be posting tomorrow morning with the Six On Saturday group. It is hosted by Jim Stephens at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. Every Saturday, gardeners from around the world share six photos of the day or six recent photos. Come visit. Post 6 of your own and join us.

From my own garden, here is an Eastern Tiger Swallowtail. It has its host plant, a tulip poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) just behind my deck. This is the state butterfly of Alabama.

Next is an Itoh type peony “Bartzella”. It is a large magnificent bloom. It has sturdy stems that don’t need staking.

The Jerusalem sage, Phlomis fruticosa is in full bloom and is making quite a statement just at the end of the perennial bed.

The next three are from my friend’s garden. The foam flower is a delicate shade loving perennial. He was generous to share some seedlings with me and I have some now in my shade garden

The cinnamon fern is a favorite of mine. This is in the same family as the Royal fern. This fern has a notable reddish brown fruiting spike.

The Iris were in a dappled shade area near a shallow drainage canal and were very healthy looking.

Our weather continues to be magnificent and so enjoyable.

Happy gardening !

The Lion is Weakening 15 March 2024

The vernal equinox is approaching. It is inevitable. In truth, the lion that entered March is wearing. The warming temperatures and spring rains are having their expected effect. The emerging green and increasing blooms are a steadily increasing pleasure.

I have a large choice of photos for this week but I have six to show you. Every Saturday morning, a group posts there 6 photos of the week on the Six on Saturday meme. Come join us. Better yet, post a photo of your own.

Here is the link https://gardenruminations.co.uk hosted by Jim Stephens.

Here are my 6 for this week.

This pink azalea was on my property when we moved here 40 years ago. It has reached for the sun since this is the northeast side of the house. It is magnificent this year.

I think the native iris in the center is Iris virginica.

The dwarf blue iris on the right was one of a group planted last fall.

The tassel fern on the left Polysticum polyblepharum is waking up and doing well.

The Southern maidenhair fern (Adiantum pedantum) is also enjoying the welcome milder weather.

The final photo is Carolina spicebush also known as sweet shrub Calycanthus florida. Its most unusual bloom does have a sweet smell.

I hope you are experiencing now or soon the same explosion of spring growth in your yard.

Happy Gardening!

Winter 12 January 2024

The garden continues to mostly hibernate. Closer looks reveal some early appearance of early spring bloomers. It is still difficult to find photos for the blog.

The upper reaches of the USA are experiencing a wintery blast. This will be enough that it will probably make the newscasts of Europe and the rest of the globe. We here in the Deep South will experience some snow next week and one night when the temps will be low enough to threaten less hardy plants. I will do my best to protect the plants I am overwintering. Their protection is best called a cold frame and is not a climate controlled greenhouse.

Here are my six for this week. If you want to see more, come join the Six on Saturday group tomorrow. Our host is Jim Stephens and the link is here https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

The poinsettia has a serious bloom on it now. I have kept it now for three years.

The Hellebore should bloom soon. It is the traditional white (H. orientalist). Fortunately, it produces plenty of little seedlings which I have transplanted to other shady spots. I have no problems with snails and slugs.

The anemone is a new one for me. It is in a “moon garden” just at the front door.

I am showing you the little shed where I keep my less hardy ferns. The doors of the shed are well sealed and if I keep a light or two on, the ferns will survive.

The pansy will survive the cold which is coming next week especially if I cover the pansies with some leaves or pine straw.

The last photos are of my seed starter. I bought, for modest cost, the stainless steel cart and hung the uv lights. I bought a timer so that I can vary the light as needed. It works great. Here you can see the Cleome that is already of a reasonable size. It will be ready for spring.

I hope we don’t have serious damage to my tea olives (Osmanthus) and Camellias with the coming cold week.

Happy Gardening!

Winter 5 January 2024

I am back posting this week after a short hiatus. It is the New Year and the end of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Tomorrow is Epiphany.

I am still trying to get over the block of remembering that it is 2024. It will remain odd for awhile. That I am sure.

There seems to be little happening in the garden but a deeper look provides some surprises. I went out to take photos and there is more happening than meets the casual eye.

There is a group of gardeners from far and wide who post on Saturday mornings. If you are curious about the ingenuity of this group of gardeners come join us and see. The website is hosted by Jim Stephens at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/.

Here are my photos.

These two Camellia japonicas are showing signs they will bloom soon. The tea olive is blooming which it does regularly after a rain or after a warming spell. It is one of four that I have which sustained significant frost damage one year ago. There are significant signs of joyous recovery if we do not have a repeat of that weather.

The autumn fern is faring well. It will remain evergreen although the foliage will be more golden than green. The Siebold’s fern is well protected and I expect it to remain green throughout the winter.

The crocosmia is a beginning of a new project. I am going to try them in containers. Left alone in the garden they have been too “thuggish”.

The daffodils are emerging. This little patch has reliably appeared for the 40 years we have lived in this house. They are trumpet type but variety unknown.

Hope you enjoyed my little discoveries.

Happy gardening!!

Winter Solstice 22 Dec 2023

It is finally here. Even though a snowfall is nonexistent and unlikely, our weather has brought plant growth to a crawl. The sunrise seems so distant and silent. The few birds are also silent but they do come to the feeder.

This is the last post for 2023 but I did find some interesting photos for you.

Come join us tomorrow for our Six on Saturday group hosted by Jim Stephens. The link is here https://gardenruminations.co.uk.

The blueberry leaves are a beautiful red and standout in the landscape.

The brown eyed Susans are still putting out some blossoms.

The asparagus fern has tolerated the little frosts that we have had. They will brown up once the frosts are a little deeper but they are hardy.

The holly ferns are evergreen unless we get a very deep frost. Even after last years December deep freeze they were only a little brown at the tips.

The tassel ferns are also hardy and easily remain evergreen if there is just a few degrees of frost.

The Southern shield fern tolerates heat or shade and is still green. It is not as hardy as the other two here but it is far more spreading.

That’s it for 2023. Happy Holidays! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Fall is Here 29 Sept 2023

The thrill of the garden all summer has been the appearance of colorful flowers ever growing larger and brighter. The buzz of insects and the erratic flight of butterflies was the other most notable experience.

Now the summer colors are less vibrant. The sounds of insects are less noticeable. Different colors and hues are appearing.

The air is clear. The days are shortening and the calendar confirms it is now Fall. It is time to look for other features that signal this change.

Come lets stroll along the garden paths and glimpse the change for ourselves.

The goldenrod began to bloom this week. The tall waving stems of solidago are streaking the green with yellow stripes. The allergen laden ragweed must be closely.

The Brown eyed Susan began to bloom this month. The bright yellow is the main color of the garden.

The Holly Fern is beginning to have a tint of yellow.

I noticed this Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum sp) which is now much more evident as its neighbor’s become less gaudy.

The croton is beginning to take on its golden hue. You can still notice the silver underlay which flashes as the wind blows.

The dogwood is flashing red now and you can just see the appearance of the seed. Alas, this native small tree which is a stunning herald of the coming of spring with its abundant white blossoms is in danger of extinction. The primary cause is the dogwood blight.

Thanks for joining me on my stroll. The end of summer and its flashy color is being replaced by the quieter but welcome appearance of the subtler shades of fall.

Join us for SixonSaturday hosted by Jim Stephens. Link is here https://gardenruminations.co.uk

Happy gardening!

English Garden 8 September 2023

Assiniboine Park, Winnipeg, Manitoba

The English Garden in Assiniboine Park was in full bloom when my wife and I visited there on our trip to Winnipeg. The day was gorgeous with warm, sunny weather.

The interesting feature to me was that many plants were the same genus seen in our region in Alabama but of course with different species. Birmingham, Alabama is in Hardiness Zone 8a and Winnipeg is Hardiness Zone 3.

So come walk with us as we stroll through the garden.

The perennials were outstanding.

The castor bean plant is a source of ricin well known as a near toxin. In front of it were four o’clocks.

The dahlias were truly outstanding.

The catalpa has a species in the South known for the worm that feasts upon it. Those worms are prized for fishing.

The ostrich fern is known for the central seed stalk known as a gametophore.

The bright red geraniums were a welcome site at the windiest corner in the world.

The statue of the Lady in the Park was a special honor to those who enjoy the tranquil space of the park.

I hope you take the time to enjoy this treasure.

Five for Friday 20 Jan 2023

It has been a month now since the record cold here in Birmingham. The weather has been seasonal since, which means warm days with rain and sunny days with near freezing temps. A close watch on the garden continues to reveal many hopeful signs that plants are entering their late winter/early spring phase. There is even a daffodil bloom to feature for this post.

First, is the first sign that the Southern Shield Ferns (Thelypteris kunthii) are beginning to rise out of the ground. There is the characteristic fiddlehead.

Second, is a chrysanthemum. There are increasing numbers of newly emerging growth stalks. These are hardy mums and they bloomed prolifically last fall.

Third is a photo of Shasta daisy awakening. It took a significant hit but prospects of a good summer bloom are increasing. This is the ‘Becky’ cultivar.

Fourth is Stoke’s Aster (Stokesia laevis). It seems to be well recovered and in better condition than the Shasta. It is a native which explains the better response.

Next are two other natives. The resurrection fern which always freshens up after a rain and the leatherwood (Dirca palustris). The leatherwood is now 5 years old and this is the first bloom that I have seen on it.

Finally, the prize goes to the first daffodil. I am unsure of the cultivar but it may be ‘Ice Follies’.

We will have rain this weekend with continued seasonal temps. The hellebores are making good progress so I hope to have photos of them next week.

In the meantime, tomorrow, wander over to the Six on Saturday forum and see gardens from all over the world as our group shares. Jim Stephens hosts our group here and it is a pleasant place to gaze as you enjoy a morning beverage.

Until next time, Happy Gardening.