ferns – Page 2 – Fine for Friday

Heat Wave 17 June 2022

Greetings from the sweltering Southeast USA. We have been in a heat advisory for the past few days. It is expected to continue for another week. Highs are in the upper 90’s and heat index is topping 100 every day. My plan is to limit outdoor work to early morning and just before dusk. Plenty of liquids are also in order.

The plants are flourishing regardless. They have an ample supply of water after the heavy rain of a few days ago. I am watering the newest plants from this spring.

I did do some volunteer work in the native plant area of the Birmingham Botanical Gardens so I am including a shot or two from there.

The first shot is this beautiful tall Tiger Lily. The plant identifier is calling it an iris.

This next is a Prairie Coneflower. Ratibida sp. I started these from seed a few years ago. They had a tendency to sag when in bloom but this year they are strong enough to stand tall.

The hybrid daylilies are beautiful. So many vibrant bright colors. This one stood out.

This garden cherub is shaded in the fern garden amongst the Natchez crepe myrtles. The fern is a Southern shield (Thelypteris kunthii). This stately fern is slowly covering the shaded area but it is deciduous and allows the daffodils to come through in the late winter and spring.

The blephilia is blooming again.

Thought you might enjoy this native hydrangea (Hydrangea aborescens)

Another native hydrangeas showing off is this oakleaf with the red tinted flowers of the pannicle. Hydrangea quercifolia.

It is hot this week but these floral displays are grand. Hope you are able to get out and do some gardening. Mine will be limited the next two weeks.

Don’t forget the the propagator

Ferns and Colors

A cool Friday

Its been cooler today. The rain came in early this morning. Waiting on an early delivery of pine bark mulch at the Vestavia Hills Mens Garden, I could feel the temperature dropping. It will be in the upper 30’s tonight but gratefully it is not as cold as weather further to our west. This past week the temperatures have been in the 70’s so a lot of new growth is emerging.

I especially like to see the ferns emerging but there is more color to report this week.

Here we go:

My asparagus fern is beginning to show its new growth in lime green color. Its a slow grower but its beginning to fill this styroam box. It may be full enough to display on the deck this year. This variety is cold hardy and does well in the yard for the winter.

This is maidenhair fern. This variety is the northern maidenhair or Adiantum pedatum. It is native to eastern North American forests but is very adaptable to shady gardens in the South. Here, I have it draping over some rocks on a slightly sloping hillside beside a pathway.

This is Southern shield fern. It is very adaptable in the yard. It will grow in shade and will even tolerate sunny locations. It dies back completely in the winter but it is beginning to reach out of the ground this week. It looks great in the summer and here in the spring it is patiently waiting for the daffodils to finish their thing. It will later in the year completely drape over the daffodil shoots.

The paper bush is now showing the fragrant, golden blooms. There is still little evidence of leaf formation but that will come soon. It seems to be doing well on the shady side of the yard.

The hyacinths are really doing well in the containers where I planted them in the fall. This beauty is Jan Bos. It is fragrant even in this early stage of blooming.

This is a native that I bought last spring. It is a toothwort called a two-leaved toothwort. Its scientific name is Cardamine diphylla. The native peoples of North America used it as a medicinal. It will have a cluster of white spring flowers on a stalk about a foot high. The plant likes woodland conditions with an acidic soil so it seems to like the pine straw I spread around it.

One more for you today. This is pennywort. It is strictly speaking a weed in shady areas.. It grows low to the ground and spreads. Seems to make a good ground cover amongst my hydrangeas so I don’t plan on trying to eradicate it.

Don’t forget to check out the Propagator who inspired this blog https://thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com/?s=propagator

I also like Dotty Lovelady Rogers. https://dottieloveladyrogers.com/2022/02/15/hunger/

Dec 26 Stroll through Birmingham Botanical Gardens

It is that beautiful weather that teases us in winter. The temp is in the 70’s and the sun is shining. It is temporary but so wonderful. Today we strolled through the BBG and found bloomers and buds to enjoy. All these could be found in yards in Central Alabama.

This is a Hellebore commonly called Lenten rose. This one is called Joseph Lemper. It loves shade and goes well near ferns. This is about the time of year to see the Hellebores blooming.

This pink camellia is just perfect. I couldn’t find a tag with its name. This is a cultivar of Camellia japonicus which graces us in January and February. They seem to do best in light shade or with morning sun.

This is an eye catching snapdragon. Many people are unaware that if you plant them in fall you will get some winter blooming. Then by spring it will be multistemmed and bloom abundantly until July.

This small fern like plant was doing very well in a large container. I think it may be a button fern. It also prefers some shade and will do well in a container as a “filler”.

Another beautiful hellebore in a variety called Ice and Roses Red.

This plain faced yellow pansy lit up the little garden where I found it.

Merry Christmas

Just two days before Christmas and we just had our first frost this morning. I checked on the Mens Garden this afternoon and there seems to have been little frost damage.

Here are my Five for Friday one day early.

These beautiful camellia blooms are outstanding. These are the Camellia japonica type which just started blooming last week.

This lantana was not harmed by the frost. Sorry this shot is a little out of focus. This bush like plant will die to the ground in winter but grow to 5 feet tall by fall. It is a prolific bloomer.

This holly is full of berries. I don’t know the cultivar name but the leaves are smooth edged as you see.

This is Gaura. The blooms are pink. It has bloomed all summer and into fall. It is a very reliable perennial. Loved by the bumble bees.

This black eyed Susan continues to bloom. Rudbeckia is the genus and I think the species name of this one is fulgida. This is another hardy perennial.

Adding this shot of our sign. Many thanks to the woodworking group from Vestavia Hills UMC for this one and to Fred Dyess for finding the marble for this sign.

Merry Christmas to all and God bless us everyone.