perennials – Page 10 – Fine for Friday

A Taste of Spring 8 April 2022

We are having a couple of blustery days but warming temperatures are coming next week. Good Friday is the day for setting out tender plants so next week the tomatoes will be planted.

The Birmingham Botanical Gardens had the Spring Plant Sale this week. Beautiful plants were available. I volunteered in the trees and shrubs section. There were beautiful native azaleas, hydrangeas, an ample variety of ferns and many others. This spring there seems to be a sense of expectancy.

Here is my picutres for the week.

First is this beautiful red azalea. This is the Indica type. I do not know the cultivar.

Number 2 are these beautiful bluebells. I like the way they clump.

Found another project that will need attention. This shed has some weather damaged wood that will need replacing.

This Creeping Jenny is alive and well. It is also called moneywort because of the small coin like leaves. It makes an excellent shade area ground cover. Soon, it will be spilling over the edge of the container.

Next is this striking Heucherella. It is related to the Tiarellas also known as foamflower. This is a favorite shade plant.

Finally, we are making progress on our paver project. The base is ready and we will be laying the bricks tomorrow.

Happy Gardening!!

Don’t forget the Propagator

What a glorious day!! 1 April 2022

It’s like magic. There are so many plants returning to life that it is impossible to remark on all of them. The air is almost still with just a faint breeze. The temps are warm and comfortable for a walk. Only disturbing things are the gnats.

We started a new project at the Mens Garden. It is a memorial brick paver ring which is around the flagpole. We had some hardwork marking it out, excavating, setting metal edging and adding crushed paver stone.

We did have some nasty weather here in the Southeast USA on Wednesday. A warm air mass from the Gulf of Mexico was meeting cold air coming from the west. It brought high winds with 50 mph gusts and rain of about 1 inch but it did not spawn any tornadoes.

Here are my photos for you this beautiful Friday.

First is this gorgeous “Red Emperor Tulip”. I like to use pine cones to keep the squirrels from using my containers for acorn storage.

Second is our paver project. Our next project will be laying the pavers.

Third is a project of completing our mulching with pine bark nuggets. I usually like pine straw but the nuggets do give everying a fresh look.

The Virginia bluebells are beginning to appear. Blue may be uncommon in nature but these are uncommonly beautiful. They are looking so fresh and majestic now.

I cannot let you not see some azaleas. If you are a golf fan or not, tune in to the Masters to see the azaleas at Augusta. The top photos shows the effects of the frost from a couple of weeks ago but the bottom picture shows the beauty of the azalea.

Finally, here is a blooming trillium. This native shall go unnamed but it is of the sessile variety.

That is it for this week from Alabama the Beautiful.

Don’t forget to look at the the propagator this week.

Happy Gardening y’all.

Spring Bloomers 25 March 2022

The weather is now definitely warmer and the forecast shows no sign of frost. This past weekend, my wife and I enjoyed a trip to the Alabama Gulf Coast where we visited Bellingrath Garden in Theodore and Mobile Botanical Gardens.

At home, more ferns and bulbs are emerging. Of course, along with them, there are also signs of the weeds and invasives.

Each day, there are more tasks to be done. In the Mens Garden, we have begun laying out a circular brick paver area around the flag pole. We will be placing engraved brick markers there if all works out.

On to this week’s pics.

First, I have some beautiful red tulips from Bellingrath. They keep them in the nursery until they are blooming and then place them out in the Garden.

Second, this is an invasive Cherokee Rose. This was found at Bellingrath near the estuary. It is native to Asia but has naturalized rapidly here in the SouthEast. It is a climbing rose with stems that grow up to 20 feet. It may be beautiful but it is truly invasive.

Thirs and at home, the Florida anise has begun to show its red star shaped bloom. It is always a good sign of Spring. Being an anise, there is a licorice smell if you rub the leaves.

Fourth, here are some Jetfire daffodils that I have out in terra cotta containers in the back yard. The photo does not do justice to the bright orange trumpet portion of the bloom.

Fifth, the red stemmed lady fern, Athyrium filix-femina, the “Lady in Red” is emerging. It completely disappears after frost but reliably returns in the Spring.

Sixth and last here is a wild violet that has some blue and white in the bloom. It only appears in the spring but it is worth watching for. Also, the white false indigo, Baptisis alba is emerging in its asparagus like form for now until the blooms appear.

Happy gardening.

Don’t forget to look at the Propagator for his blog Six on Saturday.

Frost and Spring

Five for Friday March 18, 2022.

The cold snap did some damage. The plants that were gloriously blooming are damaged. Those that were destined to be later, are beginnng to emerge with the rain and warmer temps as Spring approaches. As always, Mother Nature has ways of recovering. I am sure that the azaleas will still be beautiful in Augusta for the Masters.

Today, I have some photos of the damage in my yard and some of the beauties in my yard and from the Birmingham Botanical Gardens.

First, here is the damage. The pink azalea and the paperbush took a hit. They were really beautiful for several days. Better days are coming and there is always next year.

Second, here is the Johnny-jump-up violas. They were protected enough that they continue to dazzle. Just another reason to keep planting them each fall.

Third, here are some newly planted Oak Leaf Hydrangeas. Hydrangea quercifolia. It is a native here in the Southeast USA. It is a great woodland shrub. The left picture shows the new growth of the spring while the picture on the left shows the coloration of the fall.

The blooms are in the form of a large pannicle with numerous white blossoms. Very striking.

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Fourth is Alabama croton. It is a marvelous shrub. Now, the small but bright yellow blooms are quite striking. You can also see the small leaves which have a silver color on the reverse side. When the wind blows, they shimmer. The leaves become a bronze orange color in the fall. All this makes this small shrub nothing but a winner.

Fifth is a Carolina spring beauty. This is a Spring ephemeral which can be found on small woodland meadows. You have to look closely for it but it is worth the effort.

Sixth, as a bonus, I found this little gem near the edge of the yard which borders on a woodland. This is partridge berry or Mitchella repens. Linnaeus named it after his physician friend John Mitchell who used it to treat yellow fever.

I am unsure of its value for the fever but once its established it is a hardy perennial which the deer seem to love.

Here’s to the return of Spring and here in the US the Senate has passed a bill to make Daylight Savings Time permanent. I like that since it seems harder to adjust to time change with each passing year.

Don’t forget about the propagator.

Happy gardening.

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/

Daffodils and Winter Projects

Five for Friday

Feb 18, 2022

We have had some fine weather last week but as is typical winter reared its head again. Yesterday, it was blustery, thunderstorms and some heavy rain. This unsettled air will persist into next week but its time to look at the beautiful growth in the garden and finish up some winter projects.

The daffodils are pushing up and blooming this past week. It has turned colder these next few days after the rain and blustery weather yesterday.

From left to right, these are Orange Sunset, Barrett Browning and KIng Alfred.

These majestic pansies have struggled some this winter in the cold spells. When it turned fair last week, they were truly “majestic”.

This Autumn Fern remains evergreen. It shows some signs of winter damage but it will soon be glorious again. It tolerates enough sun that it is a wonderful garden companion.

This tea olive also known as Sweet Osmanthus is well established in my garden now. It is evergreen and delightful with the fragrance that comes from these tiny blooms. It is reliable to smell the new blooms after every measurable rainfall.

The compost bin has been very productive this year. We spread almost a yard of it around the shrubs and perennials this past few weeks. Added more leaves and fern prunings this week. Should be some grass cuttings before long. Don’t bag up and discard your grass clippings and fall leaves! There is garden gold in those bags.

Last week, saw the male bluebird bring his intended to this house. She did enter it and look around. Hope she liked it. Last year, it was used at least twice for fledglings.

This camellia is Sea Foam. It has such a beautiful and delicate shape. It is just a few years old, but it has been prolific since December.

Don’t forget to check out the Propagator tomorrow.

You might also like Globetrotting Grandpa.

In the meantime, enjoy the post and Happy Gardening.

A Winter Harvest

This is Titan parsley that I started from seed last summer. It is in a carport window box. It gets set back on cold nights but always snaps back in a few days. I have to remember that parsley is a biannual so it needs a new start every 2 years. It is so convenient to collect fresh parsley whenever you need it for cooking.

The winter still provides enough fresh items for cooking. Here are some other things that I keep growing around the yard in winter.

Here is some lemon thyme. As you can see, it does so well in the carport in winter. It is a great addition to home made soups. We save leftover chicken or roast to make soups in winter. We like the taste of the fresh thyme in those dishes.

This is Tuscan blue rosemary. It thrives in the garden. If I bump into it, it emits such a wonderful smell. I cut it back one third in the spring to keep it from getting too woody. We like to add it to soups, chicken dishes and pork dishes.

This is ginger. This is one called Big Kahuna Blue Ring. I grow it in a container so it can be brought indoors when the weather cools. Just cut a piece and you have fresh ginger for stir fry. It is a pretty plant in summer but I have not had it bloom. That is a pinecone you see. I cover the top of the soil in my containers with pinecones. That helps to keep the squirrels from digging in them.

This green is red sorrell. It does well in the carport windowbox all year. That microclimate is warm enough in winter and just enough shade for the summer. It adds nice color to a salad and has a pleasant taste.

This is some of my indoor nursery. The leopard lilies are not up yet but I have some dill started and a nice crop of snapdragon. I wanted to start the snapdragons last fall and put them out late fall but best laid plans did that idea in. These snaps are Madame Butterfly.

Remember I was inspired by #Six for Saturday thepropagatorblog.wordpress.com.

You will also enjoy this latest blog from Felder Rushing. Summer Mississippi flowers seen in England.

It’s New Years Eve

The mild weather is encouraging blooming. The leaves are all down so the color is a welcome relief.

This dianthus has been a treat for several years now. It is winter hardy and blooms prolifically in the winter and early spring. Just needs a haircut in the spring after blooming is done. I have this one in a container and I feed it in the fall and again in the spring.

This is Japanese Kerria. It has a cane growth like forsythia. It is deciduous and blooms early like forsythia and quince. The canes are bright green. The blooms are multiple and all along the canes.

This is a paper bush or Edgeworhia. It is a deciduous shrub but the branches are shapely and so there is a wonderful winter interest.

This is tea olive. It is blooming and very fragrant now as it always is after a rain. This shrub is evergreen and now is about 10 feet tall.

This elegant camellia is Sea Foam. It is young and now about 6 feet tall.

We are expecting some frost nest week so time to offer some protection to the tender plants.

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.