Greenbow

Jenping

2012-01-25T15:29:00.000-05:00

This past spring I had the pleasure of visiting the garden of a local garden celebrity of sorts. Dr Emmert and his wife Nancy have a marvelous garden located here in my little town. The garden is situated on 7 acres. This past spring they hosted the National Azalea Growers Association. As you can see though their garden is a whole lot more than azaleas.

My timing for a visit was a little late for the big show.

Every time I go through the garden I see things that inspire me. It doesn't matter what time of year.

I also seem to learn something. This trip was no exception. I learned about the art form of Pinjing. Since I am usually the last to find out about such things I won't be surprised if you all say 'Oh yea that old art form'. For those of us that love bonsai and have never heard of Penjing I thought you might like to see Dr Emmerts latest craze.

The art form itself is older than bonzai. The Chinese have done this for centuries. They add a little more

to the arrangements than you would for bonsai.

Of course what you add to the planting is not to take away from the plants but to enhnace them.

Each arrangement is planted on a slab of stone.

I am amazed that they grow on this substrate.

These are a few that were along a dark pathway in the garden.

I thought Iwould share them with you so you might become as interested in them as I. Maybe these will give your winter gardening psyche something new to think about.

Happy Gardening thoughts.

Happy New Year - 2012

2011-12-31T14:32:00.001-05:00

On this last day of 2011 the temperatures were still moderate so we took Luna to the big park for a long walk. Along the trail we were surprised to see that a huge tree had fallen, all that is except this side that looked to be a nice big picture frame. I couldn't resist going over to have a picture made. This wan't the only surprise of the day.

When we returned home I went outside to pick up sticks and to see what all was going on in the garden. Here I found some Hellebore buds and,

daffodils peeking out of the ground.

There are oodles of mushrooms in the mulch.

The biggest surprise was a dandelion in full bloom. These and all the other plants that are acting like it is spring will get the surprise of their year when this wind brings in the cold weather that is to hit us New Years Day.

I want to thank everyone for commenting and sticking with me through my drought of blogging.

I hope that 2012 brings you all the best surprises to your garden along with good health and a wealth of blooming happiness.

Time For A New Garden Journal

2011-12-29T18:05:00.000-05:00

It is "that" time of year again. The build up to the New Year. One of the things I like to do during this week between Christmas and the New Year is to get my garden journals ready for action. I like to make sure the 10 year journal is up to date. It has very little space for each day but it is fun to keep daily temps or short accounts of what is going on.

Then I get my brand spankin new sketchbook/garden journal ready to place into it's leather cover. I can't tell you how disappointed I was when I discovered that Cranson had changed the size of their journals. It says it is the same size but it isn't. I can't even force it into the cover. This will be the first time in 16 years that I won't have this cover with me in the garden. I can't tell you how disappointing it is.

I know I just have to buck up and get over it. I took another sketchbook in hand and personalized it. It is the type with a cover that is canvas so you can personalize easily. The paper in the book is about the same quality. For the most part I write in it but I can draw on this paper if I am so inclined. It just doesn't feel right holding it though. It will show dirt easily and I won't be able to wipe it off but it will surely have lots of character by the end of the coming season.

I will get used to it as I do all changes in my garden. It is just that my garden journals are important to me. This cover has been a work horse for me and a constant companion in the garden. When it gets too hot for Luna to be with me she heads indoors. When my DB sees a big project formulating he usually gets busy else where. Not a problem because I can write down all my ideas and bring him up to date later. Do you have a constant companion in your garden in the form of a book/journal?

Naming Greenbow

2011-12-05T21:29:00.001-05:00

Now I know I have written about this in the past. I just can't find it in old blog posts so I will explain again for those inquiring minds. This time I will label it so I can find it if I need it again.

My previous house/garden was named Green Isle for reasons I won't go into right now. Anyway, my DB didn't know what kind of a gardener he had married. I needed to make a mark on this property. It was mostly unused. Just a typical suburban plot.

Shortly after my DB and I married I moved to this property where he had been living I started creating a garden I would be comfortable in. It wasn't long and I felt the need to name this garden where I now called home. Green being in the name of my previous garden seemed to need to be in the name. My maiden name also had the word green in it. So you see the green seems to follow me.

My DB mentioned that Weedy Wallow would be a descriptive name for it. Ha... that wasn't going to fly in my mind. Our garden is situated in the bow of a road. My last name now has bow in it. Are you following me now??

Now after several years of gardening, 17 years to be exact, the garden has gone through several modifications, there is a lot of green in it. So Greenbow has been created here on this weedy wallow.

These pictures are of the same area and taken from the same vantage point about 15 years apart. I hope you enjoyed my story and those inquiring minds are satisfied.

Story behind the name

2011-12-05T11:26:00.000-05:00

Monica over at Garden Faire was talking about how people choose their on line name. She has asked people to share their story. You can do so by going here to link into the conversation.

Mine is fairly short and simple. My blog name is Greenbow and so when I would comment I would sign off by saying Lisa at Greenbow because there are so many other Lisas out there. This way you know which blog I belong to and have a sense of who I am. How did you get your online name?

Foliage Follow Up - November 2011

2011-11-16T07:34:00.000-05:00

I am delighted to be able to tell you that the Hardy Cyclamen foliage has popped out just in time for Foliage Follow Up this month. Since this is the first year of the HC growth I didn't know what to expect. The foliage followed the first hard freeze of the season. It magically appeared just when I was thinking that there wouldn't be much to show you.

The Hardy Cyclamen foliage is very similar to the foliage of the wildflower Appendaged Waterleaf. The Waterleaf makes a great ground cover and these leaves will last well into the winter.

The rest are the usual suspects. The Arum is up and about looking to make itself useful in the garden until an extended period of frozen ground.

The hard working Viburnums, like this Leather Leaf Viburnum, are shining this fall. This plant hasn't had so many yellow leaves before. I think this droughty summer is taking its toll on the plant. I am hoping this is only a protest not a demise.

The winds have been horrible this fall. Even the normally sturdy grass has succumb to the winds. But the greenery will survive well into deep winter when it will turn tan. It looks fairly nice all winter against the red cedars.

When you start looking a little closer you can find that the Autumn Fern sitting there with Geranium Orkney Cherry and Perfectly Pink Phlox foliage. The red is a leaf from the Japanese Maple nearby. It is fun to see these bright red leaves making exclamation points all around the garden.

No, it hasn't been snowing. As Luna followed me around the garden she picked up this leaf, came and stood by me as if to say don't forget the burning bush that has faded to a pink.

I will leave you with a look at the window box dressed out for the winter. I cut some greens and grass seed heads for a bit of visual interest.

For more winter greens interest pop over to Pam's blog Digging to be inspired even for winter color.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - November 2011

2011-11-15T12:12:00.000-05:00

The gloom of this GBBD sort of matches what is going on bloom-wise in my garden this November. I think the drought this year took it's toll on the fall flowers. Of course the hard freeze we had this week didn't help matters any either. There are a few hardy blooms trying to hang in there. Like the mums by the front steps. They are protected by porch roof overhang and cement steps around it.

Below is the last button bloom on the Tansy.

My very favorite clematis Ramona has the palest viseage of a bloom that is hanging on. She so longs to please this gardener. She does a marvelous job.

The rest of the blooms are annuals. Alyssum in white and

purple hangs on. I think the purple looks as good as it has all season.

A surprise plant, to me is this bacopa. It has survived the summer and the freeze so far. I have it in pots and in the ground. These tiny flowers keep on blooming and the foliage looks nice too. This one happens to be the light blue one.

Most years I have Japanese Anemones blooming now but it was a rough growing year here what with the drought. What do you have blooming in your garden today? If you want to share your blooms with gardeners around the world you can go to Carol's blog to participate in Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Good Report

2011-11-02T09:25:00.000-04:00

I am happy to report that the little tree frog came out in the open last night. I knew that it was still with us the other day when I dusted and found frog poop on the table. I just couldn't find it during the light hours.

I was so excited to find it when I went to close the curtains for the night. He sat there awaiting a rolly polly bug to pass by. I didn't give him a chance at dinner this evening. I took its picture and then set it outside. I am so glad it was a mild evening. Today looks to be nice and warm too. It can find a good meal and then snuggle in for a long winter's nap.

Catch and release is a great way to begin a month of giving thanks.

If you haven't read the saga about our tree frog you can go here for the rest of the story.

Nutty Weekend

2011-10-29T11:51:00.001-04:00

This weekend is being sponsored by the most beautiful fall weather. The sun came out first thing this morning to melt the frost. The temps have warmed to a whopping 50F (10C) with sunshine this is marvelous.

My DB went out to check on the grill. It needs a screw to hold something in place and when I looked up he was standing at the back door with something in his hand. PEANUTS!

We were surprised by how many were at the roots of this plant. It didn't grow in full sun.

Just look at em. I am thinking about going all around the garden and digging up the nuts.

I will wait until the frost really knocks down the foliage in hopes that there will be enough for a snack.

Do any of you know how to process the peanuts? Maybe I can find out on line. What did we ever do withouth the internet??

My DB has been inspired to do a little weeding while out. He has plenty of help too. Luna is very casual about the whole thing. She does keep an eye on everyone. Oly, the toy poodle, is always following his own agenda.

Vinny, the Rat Terrier/Jack Russel mix, is the ever ready dog. Always on alert to any creature that dare come into the garden. Woe be it to any squirrel that dare set foot into this garden while he is on patrol.

Obviously we are dog-sitting this weekend. I am so pleased that they can be outside today. They will be ready for a nap this afternoon and will sleep good tonight with all this exercise.

I want to leave you with a picture of Ramona Clematis, one of the last blooms of the season. I hope your weekend is full of sunshine and lively companions.

Bringing in House Plants etc

2011-10-19T11:32:00.000-04:00

On October 3rd I brought in most of our house plants. This included this huge fern that has taken over our dining room. Yesterday I finally figured I had better give it a good watering and bring in the last few plants outside. I needed to get a good drip pan under this fern. It is in a long shallow terra cotta pot and it will be a long winter for it inside. I had it sitting on some heavy duty aluminum foil. I knew that wouldn't last because it is so heavy to move around.

My only choice for this job was a big stainless steel pan I had under the plants in the other room. So I gathered individual saucers for the other plants. Just imagine my surprise when I moved that big ole pan to the floor for the exchange I found a tree frog sitting in that pan. It appeared to be hunting sow bugs. I dashed back to my DB's room to ask him to come take photos for me.

Isn't he just adorable?

No, not my DB the little frog. Although my DB is adorable too.

We watched him eat at least 3 sow bugs. I didn't have sense enough to use the video setting on my camera to get the action. He was so fast. I was just amazed.

Then you could tell he was full. He didn't bother with them at all. He started hopping around the pan a little. Maybe he was looking for his winter home? We had set the pan back up on the table so my DB didn't have to stand on his head to take pictures. We (I) was so excited I took the cards in to the computer to see if any pictures turned out good.

Unfortunately while we were away he hopped out of the pan. We couldn't find him. All we could find was this and ...

this. Possibly his room mates. They weren't saying if he was staying with them or not.

His winter home was on the floor at the moment he departed the table top. I hope he found which plant he came in with and snuggled back down for a long winters nap. I played a tree frog call last night in hopes it might react. I guess it is just the wrong time of year. He wasn't to be fooled.

This episode made me glad that I don't put poison on my plants before I bring them inside. I just hose them off good and hope for the best. I think the best happened. Have you ever brought in more than your plants when you bring them inside?

Foliage Follow Up - Minature Shrubs

2011-10-17T12:36:00.000-04:00

For the foliage follow-up this month I want to show you what I did with the small shrubs I found at K&W Greenery in Janesville, WI. Picea abies 'Dans Dwarf' is a bun of Norway Spruce. Leaves are very small and light green. It gets 6inch by 10inches in 10 years. Another is Cham pisifera 'Baby Blue Ice'.It has darker blue foliage that looks icy, especially when there is new growth. The third one is a mini Chamecyperis 'mop' of some sort that I don't have a tag for. Darn the luck.

With these I have created another small Fairy Garden in a basket planter that I had. Here is what I had in this basket this summer...

This little guy will hold court in this minature garden.

Not only did I put these minature shrubs into this basket I left the minature hostas that had been there all summer. I added some dwarf mondo grass, chocolate chips ajuga and some Scotish moss to the mix. I think I will be very pleased with it when it all starts growing in.

This also gave me a place to display a few of my favorite rocks. The large one in the middle was given to me many years ago by a friend that brought a piece of Plymouth Rock.

For those of you that have Foliage Fever this time of year please do a post and link to Pam at Digging who hosts this meme each month. Right now she is busy promoting local Nurseries. I am happy to say these plants were all purchased at local nurseries. I should say Local in that they weren't purchased at Big Box Stores. I tend to purchase plants as I travel around. If you want a closer look at the small shrubs you can click to enlarge the photos. I hope you all are enjoying the lovely fall weather. Let us see your fall foliage.

Perfect Weather This GBBD

2011-10-15T20:47:00.000-04:00

This day 4 years ago Greenbow blog was created. I was encouraged by Carol at May Dreams Gardens who is the Hostess for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. People like me all over the world post their blooms the 15th of each month and then link on Carol's blog. If you would like to share your blooms put up a post then head over to Carol's and put the url to the post on Mr Linky. Thanks so much for hosting Carol and for all your encouragement to all gardeners.

A lot has happened at Greenbow over the past 4 years. Yet when I look around it seems like a lot stays the same too.

Blooming this month is the periscarias: Lance Corporal with it's wirey stems with little dots of red blooms is so unusual. Everyone likes them when they see them blooming. They are difficult to capture in a picture.

Red Dragon has these tiny white flowers that will last until a series of hard frosts take them out. They also do well in flower arrangements. They resemble baby's breath except they have red stems that lend another color to your arrangement.

The white Japanese Anemones are blooming up a storm. Unfortunately the Pink ones just didn't bloom well this year.

Two Toad Lilies are blooming. Togen and

"Empress" does impress.

Those sweet little hardy cyclamen are continuing to bloom.

A few annuals are also blooming...Hyacinth Bean Vine hits it's stride this time of year.

Begonias in the window box just outside my window.

Alyssum, Geraniums, Black and Blue Salvia.

All in all, despite the droughty fall we have a few blooms. What is blooming in your garden?

Shadow Shot Sunday

2011-09-17T07:27:00.000-04:00

I was out taking pictures of butterflies in the garden and as usual this one got away but not before I captured its shadow on the leaf where it was resting. You can see the wing of the butterfly in the upper left of the photo.

Happy Shadow Shot Sunday to all. For more shadow shots go here.

Droughty Fall

2011-09-12T14:47:00.000-04:00

The garden is sure looking sad this year. Usually at this time it is recooperating from the late summer drought we normally have. However this year has not been normal in any stretch of the imagination.

I will say that there are finally a few pretty bugs in the garden. The above Red Admiral looks a little tattered but it isn't the only one that has been to visit lately.

As this Gray Hairstreak is taking advantage of the holes that the hummers have been making in the hosta flowers so have the Red Admirals like the one on the header photo.

After having a sip from the butterfly bush this Monarch was seen on a milk weed vine. I wonder if it was looking for a place to lay eggs.

The Silver Spotted Skippers have been in evidence all summer. Nothing seems to put them off schedule.

It is a bit surprising to have honey bees but I am happy to see them buzzing around.

Another pleasant surprise this summer was the vine growing beside the compost bin. These big yellow-orange blooms started developing.

Then we started finding some little green fruits that developed into...

Yes, you guessed right, an Acorn Squash. The best part is this is not the first one we got from this vine. Let me tell you. This hasn't been watered this summer. It would be a good veggie to plant if you have dry growing conditions. As far as I can tell it hasn't had any bugs adversely bothering it.

I am trying to put on my happy face about this growing season but it is a struggle. I just keep telling myself that there are people out there with worse problems. When I look around and see the dwarf mondo grass dieing...

And the last of my standing dogwoods looking like this I begin to lose heart.

I haven't felt this way about the garden since my Mother passed away. It is difficult to even get the nerve up to go out and water. Oh well, enough of that. Buck up girl. I know I can do it. Just look at this pretty little wall hanging planter that was given to me at the beginning of the season. To read more about that you can go here. It has grown into it's own. I could hang it on the wall if I had a spot. I don't really have a place to hang it so it sits propped up on a shelf. It must be happy enough because a couple of the plants are blooming.

They have the sweetest little white bloom.

I have had another amazing discovery. Quite by accident too. It seems that Lowes had geranium starts and alyssum to practically give away so I put them in my knot garden for a little summer color. I am thrilled to say they have been watered only three times in the past three months and they look great.

On this happy note I am going to sign off. I debated on wheter to post this whiny diatribe about this growing season since it seemed like I went from Bloom Day to Gloom Day. I think I feel better about it so thanks so much for listening. I do want to let you know that we here at Greenbow are alive and hopeful. I hope that you are too.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2011

2011-08-15T19:32:00.000-04:00

My garden doesn't feel like it is full of blooms but when I walked around with my garden journal making a list of blooms I was surprised to see what all was blooming. It seems there just aren't masses of blooms. Blooms here and there. So here I am going to show a few of them.

Japanese Toad Lily 'Togen'. It is the only Toad Lily Blooming. I think it is because it is by a tree that I am watering to keep alive. This heat and drought is being rough on my garden.

This is an unnamed clematis that I bought at a sell out at one of the big box stores. I needed a vine to go on an arch. This one wasn't even blooming when I bought it. It was the right price. Luckily it is not one I already have. It has a deeper color than what is in this photo.

This rascally juvenile male Hummingbird has been working on the Hosta flowers. He is contemplating how to get at the nectar at teh base of the flower since the flower is too big for him to dip into.

Smart boy poked a hole at the base and sipped the nectar. This is a big reason why I don't replace these old fashioned dark green hostas in my garden. They make a wonderful back drop for other plants and the lily-like blooms are gorgeous and the hummingbirds would be so disappointed.

This last picture isn't really a bloom as yet. This night blooming cereus has already bloomed a couple other times. You can see the rag-like spent blossom in the background. I have another bud working its way to a blossom. I can't hardly wait. I don't know what has been different this summer other than the incredible heat. Maybe that is what it takes to make it bloom more. Usually it blooms only one time, often with more than one bloom at a time.

So what is blooming in your garden at this time? Anything unusual?? Below you will find a list of all that is blooming in my garden today.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day is brought to us by Carol at May Dreams Garden. You can go here to see blooms from all over the world. Thank you Carol for supporting our habit.

Surprise Lilies; Clematis 'Ramona', 'Unnamed' 'Jackmanni'; Hostas; Tall Phlox 'David' 'Robert Poore'
'Blue'; Rudebecia; Geranium; Hydrangea 'Lime Light', 'Nikko Blue', 'Elegant', 'SNowball'; Corydalis; Cyclamen; Lonicera; Datura; Coreopsis; Bronze Fennel; Red Monarda; White CLimbing Rose (1bloom)
Red climbing Rose (2 blooms); Butterfly bush; Toad Lily; Yellow Trumpet Vine; Comfrey; Russian Sage; Curly mint; Lucifer Crocosmia; Beauty Berry shrub (just beginning); Perescaria; Butterfly Weed;Echinacea; Pink Anemone (just starting); Joe Pye Weed; Crepe Hardy Hibiscus; Annuals in pots.

Sunday Safari

2011-08-07T20:40:00.000-04:00

Early this morning the day seemed to be starting out hot as it has been lately. The windows were fogged but I noticed a distinct difference. There was a tiny snail meandering through the moisture on the windows.

I am such a weenie during these heat spells. Unfortunately this entire summer has been a heat spell. So I stayed inside after we got home from our usual Sunday bird outing.

I wasn't alone though. I had several visitors at my window.

This guy wouldn't hardly take no as an answer to a request for me to come out and play.

I haven't felt lonesome at all the last few weeks. The poor bedraggled House Wren is busy feeding her second brood outside my window. The poor dear is working her tail feathers off bringing food to the little ones. It won't be much longer and they will be fledging. I can hear them calling for food when I am across the room from them.

I hope you all had a fine weekend. For more Sunday Safari notes go to Sherry's here and over to Cheryl's here.

The Big Splash

2011-07-18T07:34:00.000-04:00

The Gray Catbirds continue to entertain me this summer. Now that it has become so infernally hot the water feature is a great draw. You will have to pardon my photos as I took them through the patio doors. The water feature is just across the patio from the doors and the birds don't like it if I even open the door let alone sit on the patio to photograph them. Catbirds are very wary.

Ahh yes this water seems about right.

A good splash and she feels like she can go on sitting. I do believe they have a second nest going. I haven't found it as yet.

A good splash makes her feel better.

Why do I think it is "her" since you can't look at them and tell the difference? "He" is not too far away. Ever watchful. Escorting her to and from a certain direction where I think the new nest is situated.

He even watches as she has a bite of blackberry jelly before they depart. He doesn't dine while she is out and about. He is ever vigilant, his job is to protect her.

Of course the Catbirds aren't the only ones partaking in the cooling bath. The Robins take turns making the big splash. After a couple of them bathe I have to go out and add water. After all you can't have the water too deep because you don't want your birds to accidently drown.

Robins are the Masters of the bath. They don't like to share while bathing. All others await their finish before diving in. This male House Sparrow is patiently awaiting the Robin's permission to go ahead.

The House Finches are way back on the pecking order. They have to await some time before they can move in for a cooling bath.

Or they can do as some of the more shy birds, such as the Cardinals, and use a different bird bath.

Are your bird baths quite busy in the bird bath this time of year?

Foliage Follow Up - July 2011

2011-07-16T07:47:00.000-04:00

As the heat settles on the garden and we slip into those lazy hazy days of summer foliage plays a big part in the garden.

Green is the operating word here at Greenbow. Where in the flower beds there are a lot of greens and then take many forms. Barren Wort (epimedium), Ginger and Sensitive Ferns huddle together.

I saw in a magazine a picture of black grass popping up in a spread of golden creeping jenny. It works but the creeping jenny has to be tamed from time to time as it trys to take over the world. In my garden the "golden" creeper turns more green this time of year. I would like it better if it stayed its golden color longer.

Hostas play a big part in my shade garden. They tend to hold the colors that they are supposed to be.

Do you have any interesing foliage combos in your garden? If so Pam at Digging would love to have you post a foliage follow up to Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. I would love to see them too. So if you need inspiration for foliage in your garden head over to Digging and have a look at other foliage combos. Have a great weekend everyone.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July 2011

2011-07-15T08:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to all of you that have stopped by via Carol's, our hostess's blog, May Dreams Garden.

To start our tour here at Greenbow I have to show you the Robert Poore tall garden phlox that is the absolute best phlox in the garden here. He pours the sweetest fragrance all through the garden. I have placed clumps of this through out my garden to have this sweet smell as one strolls through. It is fun to see how tall it grows in various places too. I am sure that light is a factor in some places but the height differences are interesting. Here by the fence it is about 4' tall. I have a spot that is almost 6' tall and it doesn't need staking. Then there are some short three footers too. All are generous with the scent.

This white phlox I have moved from the front garden to the back by the patio so we can see it more often. As I have often said I don't go out front much. Along the edge of the patio, behind the phlox you can see some hostas blooming and the last of those pretty yellow daylilies.

On the back fence the yellow trumpet vine is blooming up a storm. The hummers and other nectar feeders keep busy on this vine.

The red mondara and blue phlox are fighting to get some sun here. I do like the combo so I should move them out to the front of the border where they can gather the rays they need.

Russian Sage is so pretty in the morning light.

This is the latest Cranesbill that I have planted. It has been in the garden since last summer. It has small leeaves and blooms but it has ignored the drought and flood seasons here an bloomed up a storm. It is sweet how it spreads so willingly in it's alloted area.

The cushion blooms of the limey green tansy are going strong. The Lucifer Crocosmia that is right beside it is lying down on the job. hmmmm Must remember to stake the Crocosmia. It would look so pretty if it would stand up

The old fashioned hibiscus is beginning to bloom.

The Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea is blooming up a storm. I can't wait to see when the strawberry affect kicks in. It has been in the vanilla stage for some time.

The goosneck loosestrife is about finished blooming. There are lots of hosta blooms. the butterfly bush is blooming up a storm and several other things setting blooms.

I hope you enjoyed your boom tour. If you want to see other blooms all over the world do check out Carol's Blog. Or if you wish to participate do make a post and add your garden to Mr Linky.

Tuesday's Trifles

2011-07-05T08:44:00.001-04:00

I hope everyone survived the 4th of July holiday celebrations. Here we started out with a nice shower which made weed pulling rather easy. It was cool too so I got out and pulled a wheelbarrow of weeds. Easy to do here.

I searched the flower beds for some red, white and blue color combos.

I found some reddish and white.

Some reddish and blue.

But not just the color combo I was wishing for.

The 'Patriot' hosta is looking quite spectacular. It is a large hosta and it chose to bloom on the 4th.

Besides all the partying we do on the fourth we always look forward to the first blackberries of the season. We weren't disappointed. It appears that we will have a good crop this year.

We didn't even have to leave the house to see fireworks.

Our neighbors around us took turns setting off some beautiful displays. Obviously I don't know how to set my camera for clear shots. You can just use your imagination to focus.

Have a great week everyone.

Miscellaneous Monday

2011-06-27T12:05:00.001-04:00

So much is going on in the garden right now I don't hardly know where to start. Today has been a mix of summer weather. Thunderstorms and lightening this morning with the sun playing peek a boo before the next round is supposed to begin again. We got 5/8inch of rain this morning not so bad. The night before there was a worse storm.You can see as you walk down the gravel path that the 3.5inches of rain that came all at once washed the mulch out of the beds into the path.

Even worse was that my poor potting bench is on higher ground than the other side of the garden where the gravel path is and it had mulch piled onto the shelf that is 9 inches above ground. Geez.

I am hoping that the little House wrens don't decide to come out this afternoon. The young are beginning to become impatient awaiting food. They would fair better waiting until after this next storm.

Mom is still feeding as fast as she possibly can. It won't be long before they are out though.

I was delighted to get out between storms to see what all was happeningin the garden. Of course I had to pull weeds while the ground was so soft. The wheel barrow is full needless to say. I did find a new blossom in the garden.

My very first Lucifer Crocosmia is blooming. Thank you Randy. What a beauty it is.

Luna often comes to where I am photographing wondering what it is that grabs my attention. It seems she knows when something is special.

Not that she is nosey or anything.

She often grins like she knows she is in the way.

"Oh no Mom. I don't want to be in the way. I just want to help".

Back to flowers, I was sort of distracted. The daylily that I have named FIL (father-in-law) is blooming .

It was interesting to find the wild strawberries ripe. They dot the lawn.

It doesn't take long for a critter to find them.

Mushrooms are loving this wet weather.

All sorts of them are popping up in the mulch.

Sorry about this long winded post. It's just that I got tired of sloshing around in the garden and thought I would come in to visit awhile. Have a great week.

Jubilation in the Garden

2011-06-20T16:11:00.000-04:00

What can make this gardener jubilant you ask? Going out to casually walk around the garden and seeing what I think might be a miracle. Let me tell you a little back story on this sweet little bloom.

I have tried for several years to get some Hardy Cyclamen started in my garden. Firstly I have had difficulty purchasing the corms. They always seem to be out of them by the time I order them. Then this winter when I went to the Chicago Flower Show I found a vendor selling the corms. I figured if they were selling them there they should survive in my garden.

I didn't know just when to plant them so I waited until a little later in the year. Early spring I couldn't wait any longer. I planted them. All I read is that they needed really well drained soil and they liked it under a mature tree. Well I have well drained soil under a mature tree so that is where I planted them then my garden was inundated with 11inches of rain. Record making rain. Then a short drought occured.

I haven't seen one speck of green as in a leaf. I figured I could write off another try to get these little beauties started. Then this morning, there they were. Three little blooms just sitting there looking darling, waiting for me to find them.

I had planted a left over coleus in this spot thinking it would cover this bare spot under the tree. Ha.. Had I been patient the cyclamen would have filled in. Well, maybe not filled in but when I planted that coleus I knew it was close to where I had put the cyclamen. I couldn't remember exactly where they were but I didn't get any corm when I dug the little hole for it.

I sure hope that these little beauties take. I would have thought that the three big corms I planted would produce more blooms than these. I am not complaining mind you. I don't want to throw them into a pout so please don't tell them I was having an itty bitty whine. I wonder when the foliage appears? Have any of you grown these plants?

Nature's Happenings In the Sky

2011-06-17T08:58:00.000-04:00

We were out in the later evening hours this week. A brief thunderstorm blew through leaving a double rainbow in its wake. I didn't have presence of mind to snap the picture until they were about to fade.

The main rainbow stayed a bit longer. Even though I know what makes rainbows the child-like wonder of these beautiful works of art never fails to amaze me.

Not to be outdone the sun put on another show at sunset...

Despite the clouds.

Happy Sky Watch Friday.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - June 2011

2011-06-15T11:30:00.000-04:00

This Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden is surely a lush one here at Greenbow. Despite a sweltering 9day run of 90F heat and drought we had had so much rain before the drought that most things are blooming in stride with the weather.

The hydrangeas are beginning to set blooms. This Niko Blue is even showing a bit of blue without my interference of adding some Aluminum Sulfate to the surrounds.

The Oakleaf hydrangea is in full swing too. It pays no mind to the weather vagaries.

There are still some astilbe blooming.

The Goose neck Loosestrife are beginning to stick out their necks.

The ever dependable day lilies like Litte Grapette are blooming.

The Hostas are living up to their predecessors nick names of Plaintain Lilies. 'Love Pat' has these beautiful clusters of small lilies hoisted up above those cupped blue rumpled leaves just begging you to take a whiff.

We have all sizes of hostas in the garden. Dogs too for that matter. This little toy poodle named Oly belongs to a friend and is visiting us here in Greenbow. He belongs to a friend of mine and while she goes out East to visit he stays here. He is dwarfed by the big hosta 'Blue Angel'. In the planter right behind them is a minature hosta 'Mouse Ears' blooming. You can see the size difference.

Here by the fairy garden you can see up close a larger clump of Mouse Ears. It is tiny delight hugging close its small lily-like blooms.

Another lilliputin bloomer is this tiny sedum with its tiny bloom. You really need a macro lens to fully appreciate this tiny bloom.

On the other end of the spectrum a little spash of sunshine yellow hosta even has a flower or two.

And we don't want to forget those beautiful white lilies that people often throw out after Easter. It is much more fun to stick them into your garden and see them bloom the next year around this time. They will be even more beautiful on a warm summer evening shining in the dusky light while throwing that lovely lily scent into the air.

To the wilder side of the garden the butterfly weed is blooming nicely.

What is blooming in your garden today? Join us at Carol's May Dreams Garden and show us.

Sweet relief

2011-06-11T11:55:00.001-04:00

We are have a beautiful morning going here today. A great way to begin the weekend. We are receiving some much needed rain. I woke to find a good half inch of rain in the gauge. The rain paused long enough for us to take Luna for a nice long walk. The poor girl hasn't been able to walk very far due to the temps not being below 90 most of the day. When we got out to walk it was a lovely 68F. Aaaahhhh

In the garden the Asiatic lilies are blooming.

The above and below lilies were a mixed bag of 'Tango Blend' These were the only two colors that came up. I did want the yellow one too. Too bad it did show its face. I like the dark one best. I am drawn to dark lilies.

This dark maroon one looks almost like chocolate. Yummmm.

This dark orange one is marvelous too.

Of course I like the lighter side of lilies such as this 'Grand Cru' .

The daylilies are beginning to bloom too. This swathe of Song Sparrow are singing out loud.

This daylily below is one of my bird series. I am not sure if it is Screech Owl, Baltimore Oriole or something totally different. If anyone could enlighten me I would be most happy.

This one is ~~Big Bird~~ Tetrina's Daughter. It is sort of small because of how dry it has been. My poor garden has been assaulted by the weather this year. Spring was long wet and cool. Lately it has been hot and dry. I hope with this rain it sort of evens out.

The smaller daylilies are beginning to bloom too. This one is a small double named Bubbly.

This one is so old I have lost it's name. I brought it here from my previous garden 16 years ago.

This small one I bought many years ago too. I guess I was into those small yellow daylilies then. I am doing a little editing of this post as I found the names of a couple of these daylilies. The one below it June Bug. Cute name for a small daylily. My birthday is in June so this is probably why I bought this.

Isn't it interesting how our tastes in garden plants change over the years? I haven't bought a new daylily in several years. I am leaning toward upkeep now. My small suburban garden if fairly full. Now I have to edit to add. It seems that more shrubs are creeping into the mix. How is your garden evolving?

Momma Turtle

2011-05-29T14:04:00.000-04:00

I just never know what we will find when we go out in the county to do a Breeding Bird Atlas block. This morning was an exceptional morning. Not because of the birds that we saw, even though we did see some sweet birds. What was so exceptional is that I found a Snapping Turtle laying its eggs. I have read about this before but had never seen such an amazing sight.

As you can see she had to dig a big hole to lower her large body into. We stayed and watched for about thirty minutes. I could see her do a shudder or two then she would be quiet.

Her clear yellow eye was focused on her task. She must not have been at it very long because the soil on her head was still damp. The wind was blowing quite steadily this morning. I think the soil would have been dried on her head and even possibly fallen off if she had been there very long.

I will be worried about her nest. As we sat there watching her just down the opposite side of the field was a racoon heading for shade. He would make short work of those tasty little eggs no doubt.

I wouldn't doubt that even a big Black Kingsnake such as this one wouldn't mind a tasty turtle egg or two for a treat.
As my friend Sandy has stated on her blog, you should be careful as you drive this spring. There are all sorts of animals roaming around, place to place over the roads. Do try to make them safe.
I want to thank my Dearly Beloved for being patient with me, sitting there while the bugs tried to carry us away. Taking pictures with his long lens so we didn't have to disturb anyone.

What's happin in the garden now...

2011-05-23T11:53:00.000-04:00

Mother Nature has finally stopped drenching us with deluges of rain. Now we are getting the usual tropical spring-like 1/4" here and there. Good for getting out and doing some weeding. It has been difficult to get pots planted and to keep up with the weeds that savor this weather.

I did a project with my Dearly Beloved this past week. I had this Red climbing rose that I planted under the apple tree. I had this vision of red roses blooming with the white blooms of the tree. Well, that never will happen because the tree blooms earlier and the rose simply doesn't want to go up the tree. So I had a dinky little trellis for the rose to go up and then I thought it would latch onto or at least lean into the apple tree to grow. The rose and I were not on the same thought path. It just flopped back onto itself on the little trellis. I couldn't stand to see it. I thought it had so much more potential.

I went shopping for a big tall trellis. There are none here in town so I got the ole thinking cap on and started looking at the farm stores. After consulting my post hole digger (my DB) I finally decided to have 4 posts put in and then we nailed a 16' cattle fence section to it. I think I am going to be very pleased with this. The rose has lots of room to grow.

I am also going to get that red and white flower color here. The Viburnum on the left side of the path is blooming along with the rose. Don't you just love those happy accidents. The poor rose had to be disentangled from the small trellis. It was a little shocked at its handling but I hope it will be the better for it.

Plus I will have room on the opposite side to grow another climber. I wish I knew the name of this rose. It blooms only once per year at this time. It has lots of blooms when it does bloom. It is a tough old rose too. It has been moved a couple other times before it landed in this spot which it obviously likes. I am not one to coddle roses either so it gets whatever is being fed to plants around it. Sometimes it gets a little black spot but I don't bother with that. I am usually too busy to notice really.

Do you have a project that you have completed lately?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - May 2011

2011-05-15T20:56:00.000-04:00

Today is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day that Carol at May Dreams Garden has hosted and encouraged everyon to list what all is blooming in our garden on the 15th of every month. This month is very nice in my garden despite the wet weather. I am going to show you some photos I took the other day since today is a cold 52F with mist in the air all day.

The iris show is almost coming to an end. The bearded ones are blooming. You can see behind these iris the wild honeysuckle blooming.

A few of the Japanese Irises are beginning to bloom.

I have several shrubs that are blooming. This buckeye is one of my favorites. There are also two types of viburnumns blooming.

As I was telling my Sister the other day about Comfrey, when it starts to bloom as it is now it will bloom until frost. The bees are most happy about that.

There are still some columbines blooming, the native and some white ones.

If there had been sunshine and warmth the past couple of days I would have had some minature hosta blooms and the Mock Orange shrubs are set to burst open at any moment. These will have to wait until next time. What is bloomning in your garden?

Other blooms:

Baptisia, Golden Alexander, Water Plant, White Japanese Iris, Amsonia, Perfectly Pink Phlox, Ramona Clematis, Climbing Rose, annuals.

Wild Wet Spring

2011-05-11T14:16:00.000-04:00

I'm telling you it has been a wet spring.

Of course some of us don't mind getting out in the garden and mucking around. Time will tell if anything in this corner of the garden will survive. It was like this in 2008 but this wet spell has lasted longer.

I have been a little frustrated that I can't plant anything yet unless it is in a pot. I can see the affects of the rain on this Baptisia. It normally gets as tall as this 4'fence behind it. It actually hides the fence but this year it is pouting due to the wet conditions. I hope it hangs in there. It has been in this spot some 10 years or so.

I have a couple of pea gravel walkways. I have been most happy with them this year.

I have some new edging along this section. My neighbor does small landscape jobs for people and she said a client wanted to get rid of this edging and offered it to me. I like it. On the left side of the path you can see the Pink Phlox I have been waiting to see bloom.

It being a wild flower it doesn't seem to mind the vagaries of spring. This sweet blooming clump of Practically Perfect Pink Phlox was given to me by Gail at Clay and Limestone. She is a Champion of Wildflowers. What with such weather extremes one can easily be convinced to use such beauties in the garden.

If you follow my blog you know that this end of the patio has had some major changes in the past few years. This spring was no exception. The Lilac tree just couldn't take any more stress. It fell over in one of the storms. The ground was so saturated we might have been able to push it upright but it was too large for us to do so. Unfortunately we had to remove it. So this end of the patio will be getting lots more sun until I figure out what to do here. I will miss those delicious smelling blooms.

We also learned where we need to add a gravel path so we can get around this part of the garden.

Things have dried out a little bit now. How are things in your garden this spring?

Neighborhood News From Fairy Manor

2011-05-01T20:58:00.000-04:00

This spring when I went to the Indy Flower Show I was quite taken by these three minature shrubs. Left is Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Silver Lode', middle is Euonymus japonica 'Rokujo' and right is Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Pin Cushion'. I brought them home not knowing for sure what I might do with them. I was delighted when the Garden Fairies that live in my garden expressed great interest in them. I asked them to come up with a plan and they did.

They gathered their gardening equipment and worked diligently.

Stopping to rest only a short while from time to time under their gazebo to rest.

Each took a corner to work on.

In no time they had Fairy Manor ready for company.

If you are ever in our area do stop by for a cup of tea and a biscuit.

They would be delighted to give you a tour of Fairy Manor.

We are wishing all a delightful week.

Wildflower Wednesday - May-Apple

2011-04-27T13:15:00.000-04:00

My contribution to the Wildflower Week Fest the May-Apple or known as Polyphyllum peltatum by you Hortheads. These plants usually have one or two leaves but they colonize as you can see in this photo

taken at the local park.

You can see the pretty little bloom that you usually find at the base of the petioles.

I have a small colony on the north/west side of the house. It is covering the down spout nicely.

I am not sure where the apple part comes in its name. It is listed as a perennial herb. Maybe someone else knows a little more about it.

If you want to see more wildflowers do go to Gail's Clay and Limestone blog. She is hosting a Wildflower Week. It is so important to preserve the wildflowers that we can. The bees and other wildlife will thank us for it.

Foliage Follow Up - April 2011

2011-04-16T07:13:00.000-04:00

When I had a little book buying spree a few weeks ago one of the favorite books I purchased was Debra Lee Baldwin's _Succulent Container Gardens_. This book is chocked full of container ideas. It fits nicely with my situation here. I love succulents and most of them, at least the ones I am drawn to are not hardy in my zone 6 garden. Containers of these beauties are a way I can enjoy them most.

I had an Echeveria that I over wintered this year. By this spring I couldn't tell which of the rosettes was the original large one of last summer it had made 10 pups. I don't know if the Momma plant died and the smaller ones took over or if it just shrank or what but I was pleased as punch to have all these little fellows to work with. I had a blue strawberry jar that I planted up. It looks a bit monochromatic right now but the tips of this echeveria has pinked up so I am hopeful that it will look quite nice in this pot when it fills. If some of them don't make the transfer I will look for some complimentary plant to fill its slot.

The rest of the pups I placed into this pot with some wooly thyme, black grass and Sedum hispanicum minus 'Purple Form'. I had some rocks that I thought would compliment this arrangement so they were added.

In this chicken planter I planted a taller succulent. I am not sure what it is but it survived the winter in a sunny window here. I like the way it looks like the chicken has a fancy tail. This tall thing is green and has those red leaves so I played off the red leaves and added a Sempervivum that is red and Sedum lydium that has red stems. I think when it fills in it will look nice. It can grow a long time in this pot as it is so big.

If you have some foliage that you would like to follow up the Bloom Day with please do so. Pam at Digging is the hostess for the Foliage Follow Up. For more foliage inspirations go to Digging.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - April 2011

2011-04-15T07:50:00.000-04:00

We have had a wonderfully warm April so far. The garden has responded to the warm wet weather. I have lots to show you this month. There aren't many daffodils blooming at this time due to the unusually warm weather.

Epimediums are abloom.

I took this picture during a rain this week. The dogwoods are blooming nice.

These sweet blue blooms of the Brunnera.

This is a new addition to the early spring blooms in my garden. A Iris cristata 'Powder Blue Giant'.

The White Lilac has many blooms this year. Mmmmm can you smell it??

One of the last daffodils to bloom in my garden each year. Sorry I don't know the type it is.

One last Hyacinth. Not the pure white of the ones growing out front but it is still a smeller.

The old fashioned purple iris that never fail me are beginning to bloom. Hopefully I will have some for the Easter dinner table decoration.

Virginia blue bells are blooming up a storm.

Purple carpet phlox is blooming. Now, if you have stayed with me long enough you get a bonus...

When I looked out my window this morning something caught my eye. It was a Nessus Sphinx Moth at the Virginia Blue Bells. WHooo Hooo. I have never seen this moth in my garden. I am so happy I can share it with you. Luckily my Dearly Beloved strolled by my room right when I spotted it. He grabbed his camera and got this shot. Thank you Dear.

Happy Garden Bloggers Blooom Day to you all. If you want to see more flowers blooming in gardens around the world go to our GBBD hostess's blog, May Dreams Gardens, for many more participants showing.

Spring Gifts

2011-04-11T14:03:00.000-04:00

The weather has been the greatest gift of spring lately. I realize I have complained a little too much about all that so I will try to refrain from whining any longer. Besides there has been nothing to whine about with this warmer than normal weather. Today we are getting one of those lovely spring rains that soaks in and makes things grow. The rain has knocked off all the doubl blossoms of the blood root but I will still have plenty of flowers blooming this Friday the 15th when it is time for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

It seems that every flower that is a spring bloomer is responding to the warm weather. It is such fun.

Not only are the flowers responding but the local resident hibinators are out and about. This Eastern Garter snake was not particularly happy to make Luna's acquaintance.

I was wondering why Luna was hanging around the water feature. She even proceeded to dig trying to get the snake. I don't know what she was going to do with it when she caught it. This snake was sticking it's tongue out as if to say "nah nah nah nah nah" to Luna when we came to the rescue.

Other winter hibinators are trying to take over the mail box. I don't know how it got in there in the first place but it is taking care of the one cell of their nest that they managed to build this weekend while we were away. Today with the cool rain falling it didn't even want to move when I opened the door to retrieve the post.

This weekend we had our first Falcate Orangetip butterfly in a long time. Unfortunately it wasn't in our garden but along a roadside where we were birding. There were several along this road. It was amazing to us because this isn't a butterfly that we get every year. There were 6 flitting along the roadside. None but this one lit for even an instant for a photo op. My DB was very patient in trying to track this down.

Another great sighting was a Trumpeter Swan. We don't often see these beautiful swans. It was hunkered down in the wind until we came upon it. Then it stood to take off. We saw no tags or bands on this bird. It must have been a wildling, young at that. It is amazing that these huge birds can fly. Just look at the size difference between it and the Ring-billed gull standing in front of it.

I hope you all have been enjoying the spring weather.

A difference in a few hours

2011-03-28T16:25:00.000-04:00

What a difference just a few hours makes in the garden. The snow had melted and the Narcissus doesn't look too bad for what they have been through.

With the sun coming back out it makes me want to get out in the garden to do some little jobs that are on my todo list. I can't quite drag myself outside yet. Today I received a new book _Garden Up_ by Susan Morrison and Rebecca Sweet. This book is chock full of ideas for either a small or large garden. I have found so much inspiration here. Not to mention that I have a head start on some projects since I won the Succulent Living Picture. I don't know why I was surprised to see it highlighted in the book. You will have to forgive me for being a little slow on the uptake. Rebecca is a friend of Pam's. I can see why Pam was happy to promote her friend's book. It is a must have if you have any desire to Garden UP. The how to instructions for some unique plantings and the after photos are just marvelous. Did I mention the beautiful photos??

Pam and Rebecca are in the round table group that gives advice about different garden related subjects. It is so much fun having some of these great ideas in a book you can peruse over and over again.

No, no one asked me to promote the book. As a matter of fact I waited until I had it and had a chance to peruse it to say one way or the other. I can say that it is a keeper. Now you will have to excuse me while I go look at the walls around my garden in a new creative way.

Spring Snow

2011-03-27T11:10:00.000-04:00

We woke to 2.5 inches of snow on the ground this morning. Not exactly an unusual sight for March but it does make one hope it is the last snow of the year. My Dearly Beloved and I got out to take some pictures of the snow covered garden.

For some reason it just didn't seem right this time.

We had already got the Casa put up for the summer season. This is the first time it had been snowed on. I am glad the roof didn't fall. It looks a little wonky on one side. We will have to straighten that.

The snow won't last long. The sun is to come out and it will get to 40F today.

I just hope that all the blooms that were exposed will not be ruined.

Some of them look pretty sad.

Some of them look like they might be protected from the cold of last night.

The birds weren't deterred from the feeders. They just dove right in.

Anyway I hope you all have had a nice weekend.

Succulent Gardens

2011-03-24T19:27:00.000-04:00

When I got home from work today there was a package on the front porch. I asked my DB what he had ordered and he said nothing. So he retrieved the box from the porch and when he said that it was from Succulent Gardens I was thrilled and surprized that the Succulent Picture Kit that I won on Pam's blog Digging came so quick.

I ripped the box open to find everything that I needed to put the Living Picture together. There was a bag of succulent pups, a sack of soil and the picture frame of course. The frame is made of recycled redwood with a 1/2"grid of hardware cloth for the succulent roots to grow through and entwine. This way they will stay in if you decide to use it as a vertical hanging.

There was more than enough soil. When I looked at that sack of little starts I wondered if there would be enough. It was just perfect. I was so pleased that I didn't have to go out and get soil and extra starts to fill in. As you can see in the picture below, not only were there enough but an intersting variety of succulents to make this picture look lively even in it's infancy. I can't wait until the little starts begin to puff up. As this beauty grows I will show you how they fill in and puff up.

When I went to the Succulent Gardens web site I discovered that they have several sizes of these living picture kits. They have other kits, such as a wreath too. This was so easy it could become addicting.

I want to thank Pam for offering this give away. I want to thank Succulent Gardens for sponsoring this give away. If you like succulents you should go to their site and see some of the wonderful succulents they offer. I know that if their speed of response, quantities and quality match this give away you certainly be as delighted as I am.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - March 2011

2011-03-15T11:13:00.000-04:00

While the sun was out Saturday I took a few pictures of the flowers blooming in my garden for today. Carol encourages us all to post what flowers are blooming on the 15th of each month. I have few to report today. What is blooming I am so pleased to see. Like this Lady in Red Hellebore.

This freckled one I have forgotten the name of but I think those freckles are so cheery.

This one is sort of plain but it has such a sweet delicate quality belying the toughness of the plant. After all its leaves are green all winter. Just needing a little trim of the dead leaves to be able to fully enjoy their bashful blossoms.

We have some of the Prince at the top of this photo with buds set. It wants a little warmer weather before it opens all these buds. Not so with the crocus. All it needed was a little sun to encourage them to open. Look at the bottom of this picture. Why it's....

My first pollinator of the year. Yipee. I just know it won't be long now until the garden is buzzing.

Is there anything blooming and/or buzzing in your garden yet?

Chicago Flower and Garden Show

2011-03-09T16:11:00.000-05:00

I was blessed to be invited to go to the Chicago Flower and Garden Show this past weekend with Beckie and Rose. Below is a picture of the small group of Garden Bloggers Mini Meet. It was great fun to see everyone again. From the left Diane, Rose, Monica, Me, Beckie and Linda. We lunched, talked, toured the displays, talked and generally enjoyed one anothers company.

While the show was almost as entertaining as the company we kept I must say I was a little disappointed in what the displays had to show us. I guess being from such a small town without the large pool of suppliers to draw from I thought I was going to see something spectacular, or a larger scale, and more of it while there. What was here was fabulous.

The theme this year was "Sport of Gardening". The gigantic croquet set was fun to see since we like to play croquet in our garden.

The balls for this croquet set were made of gigantic white Orchids. I have no idea what kind they were but they were the largest I have ever laid eyes on.

My favorite display in the show was Silent Poetry: The Confluence of Stone and Plants by Rich's Foxwillow Pines Nursery. I walked around and around this display. The varieties of plant materials ran from the tropical fillers to the Conifers that this nursery is noted for. There were also stone Shona sculptures from Zimbabwe interspersed artfully through out the setting. I could have done a whole post about these beautiful carvings.

It seemed that sprinkled throughout were scrumptious succulents. They were used in window boxes, pots, and in the landscapes.

Of course any of you that read my blog know of my desire to have chickens in our improperly zoned garden. Sigh~~ Here they showed a sweet little hen house/enclosure that was a kit. It could be tucked into amost any sized suburban or even urban garden. It was stocked with two chickens who seemed to ignore the masses oogling them and their domain.

The table scapes that were made gave me plenty of ideas for Easter dinner table settings.

Rose was quite taken with the tulip display as we all were. Of course her named tulip was one of the prettiest. I on the other hand was quite taken by these...

No they aren't cow paddies. These are the corms of the Hardy Cyclaman. I have been wanting some of these for my shady garden. I don't know why I couldn't ever get some but they were being sold by a vendor in the market place. So I came home with them and a lot of fond memories of the day. There was a whole lot more I could go on about, such as the Raptors that were on display.

The childrens area with BIG bugs you could hold and observe.

The most unusual hats.

Something for everyone.

Sunday Safari - Deer

2011-02-27T20:18:00.001-05:00

My Dearly Beloved and I went out for awhile this morning. We drove to an area that is being converted back to wetlands. We were lucky enough to see two more Whooping Cranes. They were tagged so I am sure they are being monitored. They looked quite happy to be in this renewed wetland. We also saw a small herd of White-tailed Deer. They took off running when we stopped to look at them. I asked my DB to try to catch those tails upright. He did a good job for the few seconds he had to capture them. If you click on the picture you can see them a little better.

The Red-winged Blackbirds are on territory. This is a sure sign of spring.

For more Sunday Safari experiences go to Sherry's at Q's Corner. Were any of you out taking a Safari this Sunday? What did you see??

Diminutive Darlings

2011-02-23T07:46:00.000-05:00

I can't tell you how exciting it is to walk out into the garden and see the first of the early spring plants popping up. I don't know if it is my imagination or are they always so short?? I think not. I really think they usually coaxed out into the world with a slow warm-up rather than the Nascar-like warming we had just a few days ago.

It didn't take long and the plants that need just a little warmth to emerge started peeking out.

Even some Hellebores are showing their pretty little faces on short stems. I don't mind that I will take a bloom any way it wants to present itself at this time of year.

You can go to Gail's blog, Clay and Limestone, to see all that is written about native plants and get a lot of inspiration as she encourages us to post regarding these beauties. Of course these plants aren't natives here but as Frances says they are someplace.

I hope you are beginning to see some life in your garden.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - February 2011

2011-02-15T15:17:00.000-05:00

You can tell it has been a long cold winter. My poor Snowdrops seem to have been stunted. They are barely 2 inches tall. I don't mind becasue it was so much fun to go out there and see them actually blooming today.

The pussy willow is also beginning to fuzzz up. It is fun seeing them too. I had to cut a few of them and bring them inside.

That is all that is blooming here now. There is some anticipation for next months stars that will be honored for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day hosted by Carol at May Dreams Garden. If you have some blooms to share or just want to see blooms from all over the world pop over to Carols Blog for more.

Hyacinth Blooms

2011-01-24T12:13:00.000-05:00

I was so pleased when the first of the bulbs started to bloom. They are pink not the apricot that the photo on the package suggested. I don't mind because they smell good and look beautiful.

Look beautiful that is until... Like Tim Conway on Laugh In... it started to tip over.

Timber! Obviously the shape of this vase is not such to keep the heavy head upright. It still smells good. What is a person to do?? I will just have to prop it onto the window I guess.

Are your bulbs blooming? Do you have such trouble?

The Wild Side

2011-01-17T13:47:00.000-05:00

We had such a good time this weekend. We birded every day and we weren't disappointed. The photo below show just a few of the Snow Geese that were coming into the lake where we bird. It is an amazing sight and sound.

If you look right in the center of this photo you can see the Barred Owl that flew across the road in front of us and landed in a tree. We stopped and watched it for a few minutes. All the while it watched us. When we tried to get closer it flew back across the road where it came from.

I must stay that the most fun was watching this skunk foraging at the side of the road. The road we were on was down a grade from where the skunk was foraging so we were almost eye level with it. It trundled along so I drove ahead of it and stopped the truck so Gary could get a good picture of it.

All went well until it heard the clicking of the camera. Huh? What was that??

It turned face on, lifted that tail and stomped its paws into the ground. Fare warning to any human crazy enough to cross that line. Needless to say it didn't have to go any further. We sat quietly.

It turned and strolled away from us.

Did you notice that this skunk didn't have a stripe down the middle of its back? Most skunks around here do. They are Striped Skunks after all. It looked quite interesting with a white top knot and a white tip to its tail. Did you have an interesting encounter this weekend?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - January 2011

2011-01-15T15:19:00.000-05:00

Today is January 15th and we all know that the 15th of each month is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day as brought to us by Carol at May Dreams Garden.

Sitting in my kitchen window I have a trio of Hyacinths that are sitting on regular little vases and a small jar. I can't tell you what color they will be because my neighbor gave them to me. She thinks they will be an apricot color. We will see.

I am most happy to report that there are buds on one of them. That counts doesn't Carol?? For us that live in the Zone 6 or colder I think that buds should count for today.

Another bud going here only outside is on a pachysandra. I checked the Hellebores but they haven't been fooled by the meltdown occuring today. They haven't set any buds as yet. Just as well. This way I hope to have something to show you next month.

Do you have any blooms in your garden today? If you do won't you post them for all to see? For more blooms around the world go to May Dreams Garden.

Snow, Luna and The Birds

2011-01-11T20:22:00.000-05:00

This morning we had a heat wave for a few minutes before the cold front came in. So Luna and I decided it was time to get out into the neighborhood and test out the new fallen snow. I guess we had 4".

She loves to be the first dog on the block to break snow. There wasn't another critter track in the driveway before we went out.

Several people have asked me if I can see her in the snow. It is difficult but you can see her. That is why I have to keep her teathered. Besides I am afraid that someone driving by wouldn't see her and there would be trouble.

By the time we got home she had snowcicles on her whiskers. She loves this kind of weather.

When we got back to the house I made a hot cup of tea and did a bit of bird watching. We had quite the influx of field birds. Brown headed Cowbirds and a few Starling joined the masses of House Sparrows at the feeders. They have a game they play. First you see them...

Whoops...

Now you don't. Ever vigilant for the Cooper's Hawk that patrols the garden. One can't blame them for being so skittish.

The temperature dropped all afternoon. Quickly getting into the twenties and upper teens. This will be the high tomorrow what with the wind whipping through here.

I am glad the snow is insulating the garden. I hope you are all warm and safe inside.

Garden Journal Beginnings

2011-01-04T20:31:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year my fellow Gardeners. It is time you seek out that special journal to keep this years musings, plantings and dreams recorded. I have my trusty 5.5x8.5inch Cachet sketch book settled in it's leather cover. The front page is sketched and I am ready for the new gardening year to begin.

While it is too early to actually get out there and do much until it thaws I like to take this time and do a little dreaming.

I was passing through the Rural King while purchasing some bird seed for the feeders and came across this magazine about Chickens. I know those of you who read my blog regularly know my dream of having chickens. Just a few layers would be delightful to me. You probably know by now I can't have them due to city ordinances. I just have to bide my time this winter reading about the darling little feathery egg factories.

My poor Dearly Beloved gets mighty nervous when I start sketching ideas in my garden journal. He is worried that "something" might happen. I try to explain to him it is just "that" time of year. Things are slowing down. I have time to think, to dream. I tell him it is like these men who purchase Street Rod magazine and drool over the pages. They don't have the wherewithall to have such a gem but hey, it doesn't cost much to dream.

Do you have any dreams crowing at you this winter regarding your garden?

Azalea Path

2010-12-30T07:23:00.001-05:00

This last day (oops I should have said last post) of 2010 I wanted to show you a place I had been this past spring. I wanted to save it for a time when the snow was blowing and we had our minds set on warmer weather. This is the time with the snow blowing and our wishes turn to spring.

A friend of mine and I set out to find the Azalea Path that we had heard a lot about. It is a Private Garden nestled in the back woods of South West Indiana not far from where I live. Driving through the winding road that leads to this little piece of paradise we were surprised to see this sign indicating we had arrived at the gardens. We didn't know what to expect.

We turned down the drive that takes you into the heart of the garden where you park. There was no indication of which path to take. This garden encompasses 50 acres more or less. It is difficult for this person that lives on a 1/4 acre to wrap my mind around this much acerage.

However once you start walking the paths you just become engrossed in the beauty of nature.

The bit of tweaking of azaleas planted about everywhere you look enhances what Nature has given.

You can certainly tell that the human hand has made its offerings too.

Of course every large garden must have a waterfall. This garden doesn't disappoint.

There are several bridges to traverse.

Large and small ponds to explore.

There is even a childrens area. The play house and small furniture is for their Grands.

Big kids are welcome too.

If your tastes go more toward modern art there is a section that has several nice pieces. I wish I had written down what artists were displayed. I sure I did but I am sure I have lost that information.

If the modern are is, well too modern, you will find more conventional art to peruse.

There are benches everywhere. You can stop and relax, take in some of the majesty of the woods.

Some of the benches are even incorporated into the art.

In one large section, my personal favorite, a tornado came through and ripped out a huge hunk of the tops of the trees. They hired a chain saw sculptor to come in and do their magic.

These were only a small portion of the carvings. This angel seems to watch over this area now. Obviously one of my favorite areas of the garden.

Oh, did I forget to mention the Azaleas??

Since we were told we had missed the grand display due to the hot weather we had in early spring we will just have to go back.

If you get a wild hair to join me on a visit to the Azalea Path I would be delighted to be your guide.

They also have a page on Facebook. You can go there and see the garden shrouded in snow. It is equally as beautiful then.

The Week Before Christmas and all through the house

2010-12-18T09:32:00.001-05:00

No one was stirring. Not even me. I was sitting here by the fire trying to thaw out, feeling so lucky to have the tree trimmed, the house straightened (as much as usual), gifts bought and wrapped. Yes, life is good now.

We have even taken time to do the first of the Christmas Bird Counts that we participate in this time of year. The sky was so beautiful at dawn. The fact that it was only 2degreesF to start the morning didn't dampen our spirits.

Owls were out on this cold morning looking for the last morsel to keep them warm through out the day. The skies turned to buttermilk as the morning wore on. There wasn't any more of the sun to be seen for the rest of the day as the clouds congealed and filled with ice and snow to be later dumped on the area.

We won't complain because we saw 60 species of birds. Quite good for these kind of weather conditions. We were a small part of a team of 45 hard core birders at the Goose Pond Christmas Count this year. When all was totaled there were 104 species of birds seen. One of the teams found a Ross's Goose in with a flock of Canada Geese. This was a first for this count. While this was a special find since this bird is a rare species for this area my favorites are always the more common birds. The Short-eared Owls flying around barking at each other and a Tundra Swan taking flight from a pond edge that was open. These usual characters make me think it is all worth getting out on a cold winter day.

If you would like to read more about last year's count you can go here. It will be a few days before this year's official numbers and species are counted and published. I hope everyone is doing the fun things they want to do on these cold winter days. Take care and keep warm.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

2010-12-14T07:29:00.000-05:00

This is how the big snow and blow started in our area a couple of days ago. The sun was trying its best to peek through those snow clouds.

When the clouds started dumping the snow it was a slow process. It took all night to get about 3 inches of snow accumulated. This picture was just at the start.

The next day despite the temp not rising out of the teens the sun made it seem like it wasn't so cold.

The outside christmas decorations got a bit of a flocking making them seem a little more authentic.

I hope everyone is toasty warm and enjoying the season.

Last Blooms with a Foliage Follow-up

2010-11-16T11:56:00.000-05:00

While Carol at May Dreams Garden keeps us on focus about the blooms in our garden all year long I am afraid that these are the last of the blooms in my garden. While there has been an Indian Summer here I managed to get the front door painted. It is a color of foliage which Pam likes for us to show the day after Bloom Day.

While we don't have so many blooms in the garden we do have foliage. The boxwood by the front porch is always green. I like to think it is a nice welcome to our home. The Akebia vine that insists on twirling around the rail will stay green until it gets really cold and stays cold. It is protected by the porch overhang. Yes, those are some holly berries and no I don't remember which holly. Obviously it is decidious. No matter because the berries are so striking and the birds leave them until the last to eat.

The pyracantha has that deep green of the cold months and there are plenty of berries to keep the Mockingbird happy for a long while. That is if he can keep the Cardinals out of them.

We have had a bit of moisture lately so a few of the bittersweet berries have shown themselves. The foliage on this vine is somewhat protected by the Locust tree nearby so it stays green until all the leaves are down from the Locust. If there is another frost the berries will be exposed.

The berries on the False Bamboo is rarely bothered by the birds. It must be because there are other more palatable berries available. I had read that birds like them. Maybe one will get brave some day and taste one.

The foliage on the Oak leaf hydrangea is still colorful and beautiful. The other hydrangeas foliage are all but lost.

I have read time and again that Burning bushes have fallen out of favor but at this time of year a person would be hard pressed to rip one out. It is so striking with those leaves aflame.

My two favorite viburnams are still gorgeous. The one on the right will lose its deep plum colored leaves this winter but the one on the right, Leatherleaf, will keep those leaves all winter.

I will leave you with a look at my window box as it appears now decked out in its fall finery. I hope you have that warm glow of fall in your sights.

Finding Ghosts in the Garden

2010-11-08T16:58:00.000-05:00

It is that time of year when you begin seeing ghosts in the garden. No I don't mean that your deceased Auntie is strolling around admiring your work, I mean that many plants that don't like frost and cold weather begin to fade.

Occasionally you spot a bit of color but it too will soon be gone.

Rose was asking if anyone had anything ugly showing up in your garden. Oh, I guess if you look real close you can find the plants that have given up for the year. They could be called ugly. Like this Cardinal Vine. It looks pretty pitaful after a couple of heavy frosts and some record cold nights.

If you step back like I did today and just look around I wouldn't call it too unsightly yet. It was warm enough that Luna and I sat out in the garden today. I sat where the Casa normaly is set up. It has already been tucked away for the winter. I was looking here...

and there making mental lists of chores I should be, could be and will be doing. It is sort of sad that you can feel the end of the gardening year approaching. Yet it is nice to be able to sit there and think about what all can be accomplished yet.

Even at this time of year there are little surprises in the garden. Like these two Pine Siskins that are the first of the winter birds that I look forward to seeing every year. They have been at the feeders the past few days. They are such cute little things.

I hope there are some cute things in your garden now and not just a lot of ghostly figures and mush. Excuse me while I get the last of the bulbs in the ground while the sun is shining.

Silver Lining - Fall Color

2010-10-25T14:28:00.000-04:00

Another disappointing conclusion to a prediction of rain. Not even a sprinkle graced our garden this weekend full of chances.

Let us not dwell on the disappointments of this fall season. Let us look at the silver lining of those storm clouds that passed right over our area. The tall native asters refuse to not show their beautiful colors against the tiger sumac.

Jodi at Bloomingwriter asked the question of what is your favorite fall colors. While the aster mentioned is a great one I think my very favorite is the American Beauty Bush that turns this chartreuse color and has those gorgeous lavender berries. On Jodi's blog she shows some of the most beautiful colors including the burning bush that gets that gorgeous red during fall but I think Beauty Bush has so much more to offer.

The Bittersweet won't even turn its berries to orange yet. I am sure it is just waiting for a good rain to moisten the coverings so they can pop into their orange show.

The new shrub Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea is showing some of its strawberry coloring now. It is going to be a keeper no doubt if it can deal with the drought. Of course I am helping it and all the shrubs along with some watering.

If you like a darker more sultry look in the garden the Ninebark 'Summer Wine'. It looks great sitting beside a Beauty Berrry or a Clethera that turns that chartreuse or yellow in fall.

What plants bring that special fall color into your garden?

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - October 2010

2010-10-18T14:23:00.001-04:00

I enjoy this Garden Bloggers Bloom Day the most because it is the anniversary of the first blog post I ever made. That was three years ago. Carol who hosts Garden Bloggers Bloom Day here was most encouraging to me to start a blog. I thank Carol for this encouragement because blogging has certainly imporved my gardening skills. Learning from generous encouraging garden bloggers in the world. I do mean all over the world.

The blooms I had here three years ago are mostly the same this year with a few additions.

Such as this beautiful new variety of hydrangea that was gifted to me by Cheryl another blogger I was fortunate enough to meet this summer. This hydrangea is an ever bloomer named Vanilla Strawberry Hydrangea paniculata 'Renhy'. I am impressed by its will to live and bloom in this drought. Of course I am keeping it watered since it just arrived here.

One of my succulent pots has had a bloom on it for a couple of months. Unfortunately I cut the bloom part off in this photo trying to get a picture of the mums at its feet. The blooms on the succulent isn't too showy but it is a bloom.

Another mum that has been in this spot for several years. I like it little button shape and the yellow center. I have no idea what variety it is. All I know is that it must be hardy growing here where it gets little to no extra water.

Of course making a big splash over the fence this time of year is the white anemone. It is such a stalwart plant. It held its buds stubbornly until I decided to give it some water then it opened to say thank you and please don't forget me later when you water again.

Since blogger won't let me upload more photos I will just say that I have Toad lilies blooming and a few annuals as well. Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

Wildflower Wednesday - Chelone lyonii

2010-09-22T16:03:00.000-04:00

I think this Pink Turtlehead is a must have in a garden. It is such a great performer in shade or sun. A late bloomer as you can see. Once it is established you can just forget it is there. I have lots of shade so I am always looking for a plant that performs well here. This one does not disappoint.

Luna excavated a small cavern right up to this clump of Turtleheads to keep cool and it hasn't shown any sign of wilting. It's 3'tall stems are still showing some blooms through this drought too. The dark glossy leaves make a nice background for any plants in front of it. You can't deny those sassy pink lips with a little white tongue sticking out are sweet.

For more wildflower inspiration head over to Gail's at Clay and Limestone.

Unique Opportunity with Special Guests

2010-09-21T00:44:00.000-04:00

When my cousin Beckie mentioned that she and Rose were having visitors from England and asked would I like to come meet them I immediately said yes. I wouldn't have passed up this opportunity for anything because her visitors were Cheryl who writes Take Time To Smell the Flowers and her precious MrP. They came all the way from England for this visit.

Beckie and Rose had the best itenerary arranged for us.

We first went to Meadowbrook Park. Here they have a section of prairie. It appeared to be a sea of yellow what with all the Goldenrod blooming. There were plenty of bees and bugs to keep the camera shutters fanning.

There was also some interesting sculptures scattered through out the prairie.

At one end of the park was a cultivated garden. There was also an herb garden.

The next stop was at the Idea Garden. This is where Rose spends some of her time doing her Master Gardening hours. There was much inspiration of color for the garden here.

There was also unique grasses and other plantings.

We went to a Pollinatarium to watch bees busy at work. I learned so much during the short while we were there. It was facinating watching the bees coming and going in the hive with glass sides.

We walked on through another garden kept by the University of IL.

There was so much to see. We had such a grand time. Rose entertained us at her home and garden one evening.

Then Beckie entertained us in her home and garden. We enjoyed one anothers company like we were long lost friends come together again. Who else could you sit with on the patio, enjoy watching the wildlife, talking gardens and Grands.

The only bad thing about this visit is that it was too short. We said our goodbyes in the parking lot.

I hope that we have another chance to visit and tour together in the near future. I can't thank Beckie and Rose enough for putting together the tours and making us feel so welcome.

Until we meet again...Bon Voyage.

Six Word Saturday #1

2010-09-04T19:14:00.000-04:00

Beautiful Sunshine, Cool Breezes...

Content Dog

For more Six Word Saturdays go here.

Luna isn't the only one contented by the cooler, breezy weather. We are all sighing with relief. Now all we need is a nice slow rain.

HOPE - Garden Bloggers Muse Day - September 2010

2010-08-31T21:02:00.002-04:00

Hope is a subtle Glutton-
He feeds upon the Fair-
And yet-inspected closely
What Abstinence is there-

His is the Halcyon Table-
That never seats but One-
And whatsoever is consumed
The same amount remain-
----Emily Dickenson

I guess this poem spoke to me this month because I am ever hopeful that with this brand new month rolling around there will be cooler weather, plentiful rain. Yes, I will keep hoping. Aren't we as gardeners always hopeful with every seed started, every flower, shrub and tree planted?

For more muses for your garden delight head over to Carol's Sweet Home and Garden Chicago blog.

Sunday Safari - August 29, 2010

2010-08-29T19:31:00.000-04:00

We got out early this morning trying to beat the heat. As you can see the heat was blanketing the area.

Sherry over at Q's Corner does a post every Sunday about what is seen in and around her garden. Sunday Safari is what she calls it. Since I had been out and somewhat successful with some photos I thought I would play along.

It seems that our garden has been taken over by the Tigers. Tiger Swallowtails that is. There appears to be many sizes of these beauties. I thought at one point there might be something different as some were so much larger than others. No such luck.

Another beauty that is plentiful at this time is the Buckeye. This must be high season for the second brood since there are so many around.

Even though Dusky Wings aren't as colorful as the other butterflies they bring a nice calm to the garden.

The butterfly caterpillars seem to all have disappeared. I hope that they weren't all eaten by the birds in the garden. I have been occupied with watching the House Wrens bring in bills full of bugs. Food goes in and...

food goes out, in the form of fecal sacs.

Just today while we were away the young ventured out. I was so hoping I would be sitting here when the took flight. It was not to be. However I have seen them in the garden so things are going well. There are still plenty of bugs in the garden for them.

Of course there are other predators of caterpillars. You can see here that this poor little Catalpa Moth caterpillar has been parasitized by wasps.

This big ole leaf-footed bug let me get in close for a portrait. I couldn't figure out why. I thought it might be because it was missing one of its hind legs.

What I discovered was that it was laying an egg.

I hope you all have had a great weekend. Did you have a successful Safari Sunday?

Heat Relief

2010-08-25T07:04:00.000-04:00

This has been an August for the record books around here. This native sensitive fern is one of the toughest plants in the garden and it is showing how dry it has been.

Other ferns in the garden are really taking a beating too.

The hostas that I showed you in my last post are the ones that get a bit of water since they are closer to the house. Unfortunately most are further away. This brave little 'Wolverine' still sent up some blooms. I don't know if it will make it or not. I have had hosta come back from the brink before.

On a happier note the bugs have thrived in this heat and lack of moisture. This big ole bumble bee it too big to get far enough into the hosta bloom to get a good drink so it gnaws a hole at the bottom of the bloom to get at it. This is also good for the hummingbirds. They seem to know where the holes are and take full advantage of the bumbles work.

The smaller bumbles like the Tortinias. They fit in there perfectly.

There has been a few Monarchs passing through the garden. They are usually so active I can't seem to get a decent picture of them.

There is evidence that they have been elsewhere in the garden. This is the only Monarch caterpillar I have found. I hope that there are others already in a cocoon somewhere.

I hope you all are getting some fallish relief from the heat and drought, or rainy weather. What ever has beset your garden this long summer.

Foliage Follow-Up August 2010

2010-08-18T19:43:00.000-04:00

I am a little behind with my foliage follow-up. I hope Pam, our organizer, doesn't toss me to the curb like a used plastic pot. I just had the time to get out there and snap a few shots. The foliage in my garden looks a little crispy around the edges. I am not going to show you those crispy edges though. I will start with right outside the patio doors I have this little vignette of greenery. The hosta 'June' holds court. Slugs and other critters don't like her and she thumbs her nose at drought. Besides, lets face it it is right outside the patio doors so I do keep this watered a little better than most places.

Out in the center garden there is a whole lot of texture going on. It looks a bit wild. Someone was in my garden today for the first time and she said "oh I just love the way your garden looks so wild". That about say it all. I took it as a compliment because she is another nature lover.

She was the perfect guest in that she didn't mention any of the weeds including this hulking beast. I have no idea what it is but it is about as tall as I am (5'6") and has rough leaves. I have left it in this place because I want to see what kind of bloom it has. I might be able to figure out what it is when it blooms too. Oops, I digress.

The next spot that wasn't too crispy was out by the blackberries. This is a piece of Sum and Substance I placed here where the bird bath used to sit. It hasn't grown to full proportions yet. It is filling the hole that developed when I moved the bird bath. The poor little Toad lily has lots of buds on it. I think it is waiting for a good rain before it opens.

I hope you all enjoyed seeing a few spots in the garden that aren't all that crispy. For more foliage follow ups to GBBD go to Digging, Pam's blog to see others. Or if you want to participate make an entry and go comment on Pam's blog.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 2010

2010-08-15T15:39:00.000-04:00

It has been so hot and dry here that the garden looks as tired as I am with this month. The Robert Porre garden phlox is holding a few blooms. The hostas are blooming despite the dry conditions.

The pots are looking alright but even they are starting to show signs of decline. Happily a few of the vines in the garden are stilll blooming. Hyacinth Vine is blooming up a storm as is the Cardinal Vine, Yellow Trumpet Vine and the native Honeysuckle.

Other plants blooming are: Cone Flower, Monarda, Sunflowers, Phlox David, Yellow Tansy, Pink Anemone, Turtlehead, Joe Pye Weed. I hope this GBBD finds your garden full of blooms, plenty of rain and empty of weeds. For more GBBD from all over the world go here.

Atomospheric Conditions

2010-08-11T10:24:00.001-04:00

I am not going to whine about the heat any more. I just feel so sorry for the wren that lives just outside my window. She and her consort are trying to nest the second time in this box. The poor little dear hangs her head outside the box trying to get some relief. This reminds me of a story my Mother used to tell me about when she was nearing the end of her term of pregnancy while carrying me. This being before AC was the norm, she would sit with her head out the window of the house trying to catch some relief. She would watch for when my Dad would come home with a chocolate malt to soothe and cool her.

The Mr Wren is vigilant. He makes sure she knows when a cat creeps by. He chases away the song sparrow, house sparrow or any other bird that dares to pause to rest near their house. He also scolds her for leaving the nest. When she quickly returns he rewards her with a big fat moth. True love.

All of these photos were taken through the window of my studio. What is happening outside your window today?

Hints of Autumn

2010-08-07T15:53:00.000-04:00

Not only are the leaves beginning to color and drop but the wolly worms are beginning to be found crossing the road while we are out on our walks.

The Staghorn Sumac is putting up its horns and has fruit on them.

Back in the garden the later blooming sunflowers are blooming.

I even have an Anemone blooming. I was surprised that the new Anemone tomentosa 'Robustissima' has actually been showing a few blooms for over a week now.

It is blooming before the established white anemones are even setting buds. I don't know what that is all about. I guess they just don't know any better. I am pleased with it no matter when it decides to bloom.

The American Beauty Bush is even showing a bit of color.

The mums out front are showing a little color. It just makes me realize that autumn will be arriving shortly. Even the weather has given us a bit of a reprieve this weekend. It has been wonderful to be outside without feeling like one might faint of a heat stroke. I hope you are having a great weekend too. Have you seen any signs of Autumn in your garden?

Wildflower Wednesday - Butterfly Weed

2010-08-03T14:03:00.000-04:00

Alsclepias Tuberosa is the most amazing butterfly weed I can imagine. It is supposed to grow and bloom in full sun. Here in my mostly shaded back garden I am pleased to say that I have a small stand of it blooming its little head off.

I have seen mostly bumble bees nectaring on it. They have obviously done their job because on one plant there are seeds absolutely about to burst open.

When it does it will look like this one with the delicate angel hair.

I will allow these to be planted any place in my garden they care to alight. The next big storm should do a fine job of planting these seeds.

This plant also hosts nymphs of bugs other than butterflies. I don't know what these are but they do appear robust as they suck on this seedpod.

For more Wildflower Wednesday chat go to Gail's at Clay and Limestone.

P.S. Gail, I am sorry I am so late.

Manic Monday

2010-07-19T21:22:00.000-04:00

This morning was a typical beginning to a hot summer's day. I got out early to pull weeds out front and lowandbehold I found the small crepe myrtle bush blooming. I was wondering what kind of bush it was. I had forgotten that I had it. I almost pulled it out early this spring. I am glad I didn't. A friend of mine gave me a couple of starts. I put one out front and one in back. This is the sole survivor.

I was so pleasantly surprised. I am probably the only person you know that could forget about a bush being planted. I have had an Almond bush in this spot before. It didn't survive. I guess I just didn't expect much.

I have never had luck with crepe myrtles before. Looking at these blooms up close makes me appreciate it even more. So delicate. Almost like tissue paper. That lovely yellow center really pops.

I stayed out until it heated up then headed in to clean up and cool off. Unfortunately the day took a turn for the worse in the garden. A terrible thunder storm with high winds swept through. It doused the garden with a shot of water. It turned the daturas inside out. Quite a feat since they are so tough.

The worst part is that it broke a big limb off of the apple tree. The little family of House wrens had quite the ride no doubt. Their little abode was askew. They must have survived alright because I saw one of the parents taking a fecal sack out of the nest.

I know what I will be doing tomorrow. We will have to get that limb up off the plants all the while trying not to disturb the wrens too much.

Luna won't be able to make her usual rounds until we get the limb off the pathway. We are lucky though since it didn't damage the fence. I hope you all are safe and sound after all the storms running across country.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July 2010

2010-07-15T21:03:00.000-04:00

Here it is the 15th of July and it is time to make an assessment of what is blooming here at Greenbow. Carol has us keeping track of our gardens in this way. A great way to compare years and blooms.

I am happy to note a new clematis I planted this summer is blooming despite the heat and droughty conditions. It is Viticella Venosa Violacea. The flowers aren't as big as they will be when it gets established but I like that it seems to be a tough clematis and will take hold where I want it to grow up one of the arches.

The datura is blooming at night now. It seems that many things are drying up sooner than they normally would have. They have been blooming for some time now.

The Susan's never fail to bloom. They appear a little ahead of schedule this year. I still have some bubble gum pink mondara blooming. After seeing the posts of monarda with those big lilies coming up through them I know what I am going to plant where as soon as I can get a hold of some of those lilies.

I hope you all have your list up so we can see what is blooming in your garden.

Other plants blooming here are: Tall garden phlox, Cranesbill, hosta, gooseneck loosestrife, annuals.

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day to you all.

Bon Voyage

2010-07-06T17:27:00.000-04:00

I want to wish everyone going to the Garden Bloggers Buffalo 10 gathering a great time. Several have asked if I was going this year. NO, I am unable to attend. I will be here at Greenbow anxiously awaiting all the posts that will take me there vicariously.

I want to encourage everyone that goes to take copious notes and photos so I can ooo and ahhhh over all the gorgeous gardens that you will see. I want to see all the participants too. Again, have a great time.

Blue Potatoes

2010-07-03T19:42:00.002-04:00

Yes, you read the title right. BLUE potatoes. I went to the Farmers Market today. I saw these blue potatoes. I just had to try them. I had some fresh green beans so I peeled the potatoes and threw them into a pot with the green beans. I don't think I would have had to peel the potatoes because their skins were so thin but I don't really like potato skins so I did peel them.

I also threw in a vidalia onion.

Oh my gosh. They are wonderful tasting. They keep their color when cooked. It was really a tastey potato. It has a different texture. A mildly nutty flavor. I will be going back for more. If you would like something different to grow in your potato patch you should try these.

I hope everyone has a great 4th of July.

Friday Flowers

2010-06-25T06:09:00.000-04:00

While the hydrangeas pout about the weather I have tried not to complain. They are doing a good job of complaining for me. They appear as I feel in this record setting heat we have been having.

The daylilies on the other hand have not sucumb to the elements.

They put on their cheerful faces.

Bloom their little hearts out.

Not one complaint is heard from them.

Even though their foliage doesn't add a lot to the overall look of the garden, I can't deny that their cheerful blooms put a smile on my face.

Even the small ones that flirt with the gazing ball.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Stay cool. Enjoy all those smiling faces in your garden.

Hydrangea Heaven

2010-06-08T21:03:00.000-04:00

At this time this year it seems to be hydrangea heaven. I believe it is the best year I have ever had for my hydrangeas. I attribute this to no late spring freeze this year. Now I don't have any of the new fancy hydrangeas with the bicolor blooms but I have a variety of lacecap and mopheads that I just dearly love. Come stroll through the hydrangea path with me.

Here on the left are some of the lacecaps. You can see their blooms are a lavender. They are supposed to be blue but you know how hydrangeas are. They color up by the nutrients in the soil. Here we have sandy clay so there isn't much to make them blue. I just can't get over how many blooms these plants have. To be truthful they have been a disapointment for some years. They used to have varigated, white/green, foliage. They even lost that for the most part but at least they still have their lacy caps.

Just past them is a nice sized Oakleaf Hydrangea. It also is full of blooms. You can see the Nikko Blue mopheads peeking around the Oakleaf hydrangea. I have been giving them a bit of Azalea food and they have responded well.

Across from this hydrangea is the climbing hydrangea. It is full of blooms at the bottom of the plant. It is just now beginning to climb the arch that was built for it.

After we leave the hydrangea walk and walk around to the front of the yard barn you can see the small pink hydrangeas blooming. The poor little things have almost been swallowed up by the big old fashioned hostas behind them.

Out front one of my favorite hydrangeas is blooming the best ever. I can't remember the name of this hydrangea but it has varigated yellow and green leaves. It isn't known for its blooms but for this varigated foliage. Of course in this soil it is losing its varigation as it is going to some white and green leaves but if it continues to bloom like this I won't mind much. The delicate blue hue has not been altered by any additives. It just is.

If you haven't had your fill of hydrangeas here you can pop over to Phillip's blog Dirt Therapy and see what he has blooming. He has some fancy ones. He also has a lovely garden to wonder and admire. Do you have hydrangeas blooming this year?

Squirrels Viewpoint

2010-06-01T15:17:00.000-04:00

Elizabeth wrote a post here about her garden as she sees it from her second story window. I don't have a second story window but I liked the idea of looking at my garden from that high. So my DB got the extention ladder out so I could take a few photos before the sun got too high the other day. I thought I would show you around from a squirrels viewpoint. I must warn you this is picture heavy and not a lot of narration. Don't get dizzy and fall off the ladder. You can see here how the knot garden was revamped after I lost so many bushes last summer. It still needs work of course. Don't worry I am working on it, or at least thinking about it.

As you have noticed I have made many flower beds as circles so the Mowerman doesn't complain too much about having to stop, back up etc. Luna is under the apple tree.

When I first started taking these photos Luna was wondering what in the world was going on. Here she is looking towards the east side gate where my DB has stepped out of the photo.

Looking straight down from where the ladder was standing you can see a little pathway off the patio toward the east side gate.

If you look off to the west of here you can see the length of the patio.

Straight out from the ladder is a half round at the E end of the patio.

Excuse me, I need to move the ladder. Here I am looking back toward the east.

Now we are going to look straight out from the west end of the patio.

Another look just a bit Westerly.

At the West end of the patio there is the path that leads out toward the Casa if you take the left fork or toward the West gate if you take the right fork.

The pathway.

Excuse me again. I must move the ladder. I took it out under the Locust tree to show you the back side of the garden. Looking East you can see that the sun is getting up. You can see the back side of the knot. Luna is now thinking that this game isn't much fun and it is getting hot out here.

Here we are looking back toward the house. You can see the back side of Lincoln and where the new Tricolor Beech is planted.

When you look West you can see the path that takes you to the Casa.

This is the path that runs behind the blackberries. Sort of a no mans land. Poop patrol is ran here regularly as Luna thinks that no one sees her back here doing her duty. She is right of course because the shrubs and blackberries are growing thick here.

Excuse me while I get off this ladder. I can't photograph this last part becasue of the trees hanging over the path. This wide open area is in front of the yard barn and the big back gate. I have visions as to projects that could go in here but my Mowerman starts shaking his head no and turning purple at the mention. However I don't give up easily.

I hope you enjoyed the Squirrels viewpoint of my garden. Do you have a squirrels viewpoint of your garden? I would love to see it. Be careful if you get up on that ladder.

First Pea Blossom on Sky Watch Friday

2010-05-28T07:58:00.000-04:00

I was so pleased this week to find the first blossom on the Norli Sweet Peas. I may get some peas yet this spring.

A bonus is the beautiful blue sky that I can share with you today. Happy Sky Watch Friday.

With our area having a couple of days of record breaking heat I will surprised if the peas hold out very long. Here is hoping for a good crop.

Tricolor European Beech Fagus sylvatica 'Tricolor'

2010-05-23T15:43:00.000-04:00

Just look down through here. Do you see anything different?

Lincoln said "Yes, look right behind me. See that pinkish looking thing peeking above my back?"

It is a beautiful 6'tall Tricolor European Beech. I can't tell you how thrilled I am about our latest acquisition. This tree has been a long time coming to our garden.

Ever since we toured Missouri Botanical Garden several years ago and saw a mature Tricolor Beech I have wanted one. They get pretty darn big, 25 to 35 feet tall, 18 to 25feet wide. I don't mind this. It is in the middle of our back garden. It is a slow grower so I figure I won't have to worry about it too much. Ha... In the mean time I am going to enjoy its striking foliage. It is pink with some white rose borders. It will have the protection of the other trees and it can just grow and spread to my and its delight.

We had noticed that several Tricolor Beeches had been planted in the park that we walk in frequently. That got us to thinking about it again. I am so happy that my Dearly Beloved found this tree at a local garden center.

We lost a tree out front in our garden. A big beautiful blue spruce blew down in a wind storm in 07.

We thought we would try the beech out there. However at the time these trees weren't as available as they seem to be this year. The only one I could find was marked $175, and it wasn't as pretty as this tree. I just couldn 't face paying that much for the tree since you never know if they will live. So once again my resourseful DB looked for a cheaper one. Well, he found one through a mail order place$25 and $25 for shipping. A $50 tree sounded a lot better at the time. When they sent it I about rolled on the floor laughing. It was a stick in a one gallon pot. Here is a photo after we planted it. Obviously it didn't look very good. It did put up a valiant fight but the rabbits thought we were just setting out refreshments for them so it didn't survive.

I want to thank you my Dearly Beloved for pursuing this dream of mine even after I had put it on the not so probable list. All I can say is that if you have room for one of these beauties I would highly recommend it.

Foliage Follow Up - May 2010

2010-05-16T22:29:00.000-04:00

I was looking out my office window and it seemed that the ferns were waving trying to get my attention to remind me to make a foliage follow up post. Our host for this meme is Pam at Digging.

Since my garden has so much shade I rely on lots of shade loving plants. I don't want you to be shocked at all the hostas in my garden. I love their structure and they aren't the least bit demanding so they are sprinkled librally around my garden.

Walking some of the pathways you will see other plants of course.

If you keep seeing arbors and wonder if you have been that way before...

you can always take a seat under the apple tree and just wonder about all those hostas.

If you look closely you will see other plants. Daylilies are such charmers to me. They don't mind some shade. They do like to wait until it gets hot to show off their blooms though.

I also have quite a few ferns.

I am quite like Kim when she said that this spring she planted some things before other sprouted and they are too close together. However I can't claim it as a rookie mistake. I must say it is impatience that causes me to do something like this. I knew there was a hosta there but the Cigmafuga needed a home and I knew the colors of the leaves would look good together. Well, I am going to leave this dark cigmafuga and see how it fares with this hosta shading its roots.

You can click on any of these photos to enlarge them so you can see that I do have something other than hostas in the garden. Don't be surprised at what might pop up in the foliage though.