lily – Fine for Friday

Mid Summer 12 June 2024

The summer heat continues so the drill is to take care of gardening tasks in the morning. The rainfall has been sufficient and watering is only needed by the containers and window boxes. The summer blooms have been magnificent.

Last week, the two of us spent a grand time in the mountains of North West Georgia. Some mountain people might call them “cute hills” but they were grand. The constant breezes and lower humidity were especially welcome.

Its back to Birmingham now and the high temperatures and high humidity.

Here are my photos for the week. I will be joining the Six on Saturday group tomorrow and posting there. Come have a look. Gather six of your own and post along with us. It is such fun to join gardeners from around the world as they post each week. The link is https://gardenruminations.co.uk and is hosted by Jim Stephens.

I have shown the Rudbeckia earlier this summer but this gorgeous cluster of golden blooms is worth seeing again. Winter takes a high toll on this cultivar but this one has done exceptionally well.

The Tithonia is a show stopper. It is four feet tall and a favorite of pollinators.

The Casa Blanca is near its peak. This is a clump of about 6 tall stems now. Each bears 3 or 4 blooms and I have finally devised a satisfactory method of staking that displays them well.

I am showing you this zinnia because it is a volunteer that came up amongst the “Black and Blue” Salvia. The contrast is very eye catching.

The pollinators love this milkweed. I have not seen a Monarch cat or adult on it yet. I will start checking regularly for eggs.

This hosta has become quite large and showy. Its leaf color and markings really do justify its name. The blooms are beautiful this year.

Happy Gardening!!

May Is Here

April can be our dangerous month here in the American South. This year that was not the case. May often brings hot and sunny weather. True to form, that is true. We have blue skies and hot weather. The plants love it.

Every Saturday, I share my blog with the Six on Saturday crowd. This is a group of gardeners sharing 6 photos of the day/week. It is great fun. Come and have a look. If you would like, share 6 of your own. You are welcome.

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

Here are my six for this week.

The first plant is a Blephilia which is known as hairy wood mint. It is pagoda style.

I moved the Mock Orange to a morning sun location and I have been rewarded.

The cocotte lily is in a full sun location and it is thriving. Last year, I amended the soil with leaf litter and compost. It is working.

My first dahlia is blooming. It does get tall so I will be cutting this one back soon.

The second is a milkweed (Asclepius tuberose). It is the host plant for the monarch butterfly which overwinters on the Alabama Gulf Coast near Fort Morgan. I am anticipating their arrival.

The last is the poinsettia that I overwintered. It is looking glorious now that it is out in the sun and warm temperatures.

Happy Gardening!

Summer Heat 4 August 2023

This week, it continued to be hot but today and for the next 7 days at least the forecast is for cloudy conditions with daily rain chances. That will bring some relief. I was even able to get out into the garden this afternoon to begin to catch up on some much needed weeding. The fall catalogs and seed house emails are beginning to entice with offerings for fall and spring. I even have hopes to get a start on a fall garden.

The glorious summer perennials are definitely past their prime. The summer ball is over. Before long, they will be memories.

Here are my six for today. If you are available, check out the Six on Saturday gathering of gardeners from all around the world. It can be found at this link https://gardenruminations.co.uk/. It is hosted by Jim Stephens.

These Black eyed Susans have definitely taken the prize for spectacular this year. Purchased at Barton’s Nursery https://www.facebook.com/bartonsgh/, I am unsure of the cultivar but being perennials, I will be anxiously awaiting their return next year.

The spider plant is a surprise. I had one in a container at the front door and the next year, this one appeared in the flower bed nearby. It is very near the step and derives enough protection there that it has become a permanent resident. This is the first year that I have noticed the blooms.

This liriope caught my eye. They are frequently used by homeowners as an edging plant. The inflorescence is pretty although the plant itself can be a nuisance because it spreads readily.

The blackberry lily grouping were prolific this year. I entered this photo because the seedpods resemble Habanero peppers.

The Prairie coneflower is a native but it is fitting well into my perennial bed amongst the lantana and the lilies. It is past its prime but the seed cones are well loved by the local goldfinches.

The milkweed seed pods certainly resemble okra. These okra bugs certainly love to hand out on them. These pods will soon begin to dry and crack open revealing the seeds with their parachute like attachments.

Until next week, Happy Gardening!!

It is summer 16 June 2023

It is Father’s Day on June 17. I am grateful for my father and also my mother who are my inspiration for my love of gardening. My father taught me the basics of gardening: light, water and soil. My mother inspired my love of flowers.

The weather in central Alabama has changed from 3 weeks of dry weather to a week of daily rain with some thunderstorms with damaging winds. How about just a steady drizzle!

The heat is associated with increasing humidity so morning gardening is preferred but late afternoon also allows for some garden work time.

The annuals, perennials and shrubs are growing rapidly now and the blooms are rapidly emerging.

Here are this week’s offerings:

The Prairie coneflower on the left (Ratibida pinnata) is blooming so prolifically that the recent rains have knocked down the stems. Once the blooming stops, I have been advised to cut the stems down at least half which will encourage a second blooming in the fall. This native has attracted a lot of pollinators.

The chaste tree (Vitex agnus-castus) is thriving and the abundant purple panicles are a show stopper. Some owners prune it up to tree form but I prefer the shrub’s natural multi trunk look.

The canna lily is also a show stopper. The large blooms are appearing rapidly now. The striped leaves are very attractive. Later in the year, the leaf roller will damage the leaves but I have learned to cut those leaves out and allow new healthy ones to grow.

The Rudbeckia (Indian Summer) is a returning bloomer that survived the December deep freeze. I am glad since the blooms are so beautiful.

The Shasta Daisy is just beginning its lengthy bloom period. I think the cultivar is “Becky”. These usually bloom into September.

The Leopard lily is Iris domestica and is also commonly called blackberry lily. It is a tall 3 foot plant. I collected seeds from it last year and was surprised how successfully they sprouted. I planted the new plants this spring and they are off to a good start.

This is one of a pair that came in to my garden yesterday while I was picking some blueberries. It is said to be mostly a nocturnal creature. I have never seen a live one during the day. It primarily roots for grubs in lawns and perennial beds. I am not too happy to see them so I hope they will move on.

Don’t forget to check out the Six on Saturday blog hosted by Jim Stephens tomorrow. You can find it here https://gardenruminations.co.uk/

Happy Father’s Day to all the Dad’s out there.

It feels more like summer 26 May 2023

This week it is definitely warmer and the forecast is for little or no rain for the next 10 days. The sky is becoming a little hazy as the humidity rises. The grass is greening up and the lilies are blooming while the caladiums are breaking through the surface of the soil.

It feel more like summer this week.

School will be letting out soon so the traffic will thin. This is Memorial Day weekend so the city will be quieter as families will be headed to the Gulf Coast or lake houses for the unofficial first weekend of summer.

Here are my six for this week.

The walking iris (Neomarica sp) continues to put out blooms. I have it in a container since I do not think it will survive winter in the ground. It is a one day bloomer. It is very easy to propagate by layering the stalk with the spent bloom into a plastic pot.

The Lamb’s ear (Stahys sp) is able to survive the winter and then looks glorious in the spring. It has begun to bloom now which is also a very showy display. It makes a wonderful ground cover in sunny or part shade areas.

The Cocotte lilies are making a grand display now. The plant is about 3 feet tall with at least a dozen blooms on each stalk. It seems to able to support itself without any staking which is a bonus.

The bottlebrush buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) is native to Alabama and will flower soon. This one has a shrub like habit.

This iris has a very deep blue color not captured in this photo.

The magnolia (Magnolia grandiflora) has been blooming about a week. This bloom is nearly a foot across and the scent is lemon like. The tree itself is about 30 feet high and about the same across. It is set back on the property where the leaves don’t disturb the grass and other garden plants. The leaves are very dense and slow to degrade so they can be messy in the garden.

Thanks for joining me today and please return tomorrow on Six on Saturday where Jim Stephens is hosting our group. Gardners far and wide share their Six on Saturday blogs there. The link is https://gardenruminations.co.uk/category/six-on-saturday/

Happy Gardening!

Bird Project 15 July 2022

I noticed that my bluebird houses have attracted pairs of Eastern Bluebirds for the second time this year.

I have several houses at home and one at the Mens Garden.

I have followed the recommendations of the Audobon Society in building them in order to keep other birds away. I built them out of red cedar donated by a friend.

https://www.audubon.org/news/how-build-bluebird-nest-box

Bluebirds are almost exclusively insect eaters. They capture insects, crush them and feed them to their young. As you can see from the nest placement, they prefer to nest near a lawn or farmland so that they can capture insects easily.

I also inspected the trees nearby since they are abundant sources of caterpillars for the bluebirds and for other birds.

I know I have hackberry trees host to 6 different butterflies including the hackberry emperor.

I also found a shagbark hickory which is a host plant to many butterflies included the hairstreak.

In my search, I also found this in my side yard. He was perfectly still until I emerged enough to take this picture.

Finally, I hope you enjoy this Casablanca lily which just began blooming this week.

Happy gardening!

Be sure to check out the propagator

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

Some Gulf Coast Photos 13 May 2022

I have been away at the Beautiful Alabama Gulf Coast. It has been marvellous weather. I am including some photos from there as well as some from home in Central Alabama. No matter where you travel in Alabama, you will be blessed with natural beauty.

This first photo is a Solomon’s Seal in bloom. It doesn’t bloom for long so you have to be watchful, especially so since it is in the shade garden.

I found this luna moth hanging out on the Encore Azalea. Its host plant is the tulip poplar which is in bloom just across the street from the Men’s Garden.

I found this iris on my walk at the Gulf Coast property where I have been staying. It resembles the Iris virginica at the Mens Garden.

Found this skink hiding in the iron plant. It must think I can’t see him.

Here is some cucumber leaved sunflower and sea oats framed against the beautiful Gulf waters. Makes you want to put up a sun umbrella.

Don’t you like this walking iris? It is sad that the bloom only lasts a little more than 24 hours. I have been able to propagate it easily. Just put the new growth that appears after the bloom fades into a small pot with some potting soil.

Found this magnificent Great Blue Heron lurking in the lily pond near our rental property on the Gulf Coast. He was probably feasting on some fish or crustacean found in the brackish water.

So, a mix of flora and fauna for you today.

Don’t forget to follow the Propagator. He is the inspiration for this blog.