Monday, August 18, 2014

Foliage Plants -Foliage Follow Up- August 2014

Pam at Digging has a monthly meme about foliage. I wanted to share my last two acquisitions that fit the meme.  This Golden Dwarf Hinoki Cypress. It absolutely gleems in the sun. 
I have it situated with red, blue pink and white foliage plants.
The other aquisition is this Emeral Spreader Yew 'Monloo'. I know yews are a bit out of vogue but this one has the tiniest little leaves. It doesn't get too big and I fell in love with that deep green color. It will bring a sense of calm as it...
 sits at the south end of this line of various colors of foliage. I think it will bring a calm to the situation. 
What sort of foliage plants do you have in your garden?

Saturday, August 16, 2014

Belatedly Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2014

 I am running way behind in my posting as usual. This month I thought I would show the blooms of flowers that are attracting some fine insects. Insects and birds are some of the many reasons why I garden. 
The pink and white phlox both have butterfly visitors
This yellow and orange Gallardia 'Oranges and Lemons' is a new introduction to my garden this summer. It appears to be mostly Lemons in color but it does attract the wildlife. 
One of my old faithfuls Periscaria 'Dragons Tongue' offers this delicate white bloom that the bumbles like. Plus these blooms last a long time in a bouquet. 
Of course the Butterfly bush lives up to it's name with butterflies swarming around. This plant died back to just a couple of tall stalks this winter. I thought the entire bush was a gonner but is snapped out of it. Right behind the butterfly bush is Vanilla Strawberry hydrangea. The buttterflies and bees usually check it out too as they float around the garden. 
Butterflies aren't the only lepridoptra that live in our garden. While I am not out a lot at night to see the moths in the garden it is obvious that the Milkweed Tussock Moths have been here since there are several of their caterpillars on the Butterfly weed. 
Oh, and did I mention birds?
I enjoy watching the American Goldfinches eating seed from the sunflowers that are drying up. 
The House Sparrows have quite the condo built at the top of the Holly Tree. At the foot of the holly you can see Pink Phlox, Black eyed Susans and a Snowball bush blooming. For August things are looking pretty good here. We have has some rain. Still behind a little in totals for the month but really, I am not complaining because the temps have been mild for August and there has been enough rain I don't have to drag around the hose daily.
For more blooms from around the world you can hop over to Carol's May Dreams Blog many more gardens to peruse. Carol started this meme years ago to keep track of blooms in her garden. We all like to join her now. See you there...

My Bloom List:
Gallardia 'Oranges & Lemons'
 Chalk Fingers Senecio Talinodes Mandris 'Blue'
Jackmanni
Ramona
Autumn Clematis
Pink and white Phlox
Black-eyed Susan
Joe Pie Weed 
Butterfly bush
Butterfly Weed
Russian Sage
Purple coneflower
Sea Oats
Snowball bush
NikkoBlue hydrangea
Strawberry Vanilla Hydrangea
Lime Light Hydrangea
Elegant Hydrangea
Coreopsis
Lucifer Crocosmia
Perscaria 'Dragon Tongue'
Lirope
Carpet Rose
Cigmifuga
Purple Palace and Carmel Heuchera
Crepe Myrtle
Hostas...
Annuals:
Cleome
Black and Blue Salvia
Cardinal Vine





Monday, August 11, 2014

Path Edges

Ever since we changed our front sidewalk I have had this huge pile of concrete. I think the contractor thought I had lost my mind when I told him I wanted all that concrete. What he didn't know is that my mind was lost long ago. I didn't want the concrete to just go into the landfill for no reason. I had a plan.
You see, I have this path that runs up the West side of my garden. It is pea gravel and pea gravel likes to migrate when it gets squished with continual tromping.  This is before. You can hardly see the path. As we were having a cool spell I decided to implement my plan. 
My DB came out to help. He sorted the pieces and removed the heavy reinforcing wire that was sticking out of some of the pieces. 
I pulled up the rotting timbers that did line the path, dug a small trench and set the stones. I also had to pull/dig out plants that had crept into the path. 
Here you can see that we got this portion finished.I like having a bit wider path. Mostly that was accomplished by taking out the encroaching plants. It feels all neat and tidy. Of course those plants will recover and I will have to stay after them to keep them out of the pathway. 
The pile shrunk. I have more places I can use this. I (we) were worn out with it now. I will go at it again sometime. 
This is a view of the path as it starts from the patio. You walk to the little intersection and turn left.
This is how it looks walking from the patio to the path. 
As an aside along the path I made a little seat under the Japanese Maple with some of the larger pieces. Here I can sit,  
Watch and listen to the Wood Spirits while they are in concert. 
A quiet little place yet lively.



Saturday, August 9, 2014

August Happening

So far this August has been one for the books. It is unseasonably cool and we have had enough rain that I even had a friend comment that she has never seen my garden look better at this time of year. I must say I agree with her.
I went out the other evening to do a twilight lap around the garden. 
As I returned to the patio I found that the night blooming cereus was about to bloom. I had been watching the buds swell the past few days. Both of them.  I was surprised that the Cereus didn't develop more blooms what with the mild weather. Maybe it prefers the weather to be hotter and drier. 
As the sun was going down the buds began to open. 
Amazing how if you sit there long enough you can almost see the movement of the bud opening. 
I waited and waited to see if I could get a shot of a moth coming to the bloom. I wasn't fortunate enough to see a moth but it was still fun watching the blooms open. 
Just me and the moon out there.
Have you had any exciting happenings in your garden lately?
Tomorrow is another Super Moon. You know I will be watching. Will you be watching?


New Blogger, Old Blogger

     All I can say it is difficult to deal with change. This new Blogger format is not as user friendly in my opinion. I guess I will get us...