News of Greenbow from Vinny

Good morning readers. I haven't been to visit Greenbow in awhile. I have much to do here. There has obviously been a lot of critters roaming without a guard dog on duty.

Yep, the garden looks a bit disheveled with drought and marauding critters. I will try to take care of the critter problem for now.  Nothing here... 

Hmmmm. This seems like a likely spot.

Yes, I believe there is a critter here. 

Snuffle snuffle snufffle. 

Hello, is anybody home? 

Excuse me while I sit here awhile to see if anyone comes home.

Post watch report: 1 Shrew dispatched.

THREE CHEERS FOR VINNY!!!

BusyGarden Fairies

Right before it got hot this week. I got a wild hair to make another fairy garden. This one I placed right where there was an existing fairy garden. Why didn't I just leave it alone?? It was so low you couldn't hardly see the minature plants that were growing amongst the other plants. 

This one I hoisted onto a brick plinth I stacked.  The neighbor's bricks left over from one of their projects have been quite handy for me to use here. They were glad to get them out of their garden. I was happy to use them.

Now you can get up close to see just what is going on in this little fairy world. 

The little cottage has a cobblestone walk up to it. There is Dwarf Golden Sweet Flag growing by the cottage. 

An equestrian fairy rides by a dwarf evergreen that I bought without a tag. To the right is a Filipendula hybrid 'Kakome', some Irish moss in the foreground. 

Of course the fairy is probably trying to keep the chicks rounded up in one area near the 'Cameo' minature hosta. 

She should probably be a little more concerned about the row of elephants about to tramp through the 'Cheatin Heart' mini hosta. As fairies would have it I guess all would be welcome. 

Coral Bark Japanese Maple

August has been it's usual self so far as far as rainfall goes. We haven't had much at all. The usual garden visitors have been flitting by.

The Ladies have popped up all around the garden. Showing off their pretty little heads. 

They are being well attended by the Hummers.

It has been unusually cool here. Temps only in the 80's. It has felt so nice out. I have been sitting on the patio a whole lot  more lately. While sitting out enjoying the cooler weather I started wondering what kind of sales Perk A Lawn, the local Nursery, is having. It is 'that' time of year after all. 

Imagine my surprise when I found a Coral Bark Japanese Maple on sale. Whoo hooo... I have wanted one of these beauties for some time. I just didn't ever want to pay a big price for such a treasure.  This one I couldn't resist.

My DB being such a good sport dug the gigantic hole that this tree demanded.  Thank you Dear.

Now I can sit here on the patio and see a beautiful tree year round.  I know I will enjoy watching it grow.

Have you been out to the nurseries lately to see what is on sale? Beware, you might find something you can't live without.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - July 2013

While there is a lot of the same things blooming at this time this year it seems that the plants are not under duress due to such hot dry temps. Especially after last years brutal drought.

This spring and early summer we have had record rains. The Strawberry Vanilla hydrangea is looking it's best ever surrounded by daylilies and the Purple Knight butterfly bush. 

Daylilies are blooming their heads off. 

This tall Legend Oriental Lily is just gorgeous. It is our first year for it in the garden. The bloom is huge. and there are several of the blooms. The paperwork states that it needs full sun. It gets very little sun here. I sure hope it survives. I am afraid that it might be much smaller and fewer blooms next year. We will see. 

Another newbie in the garden is the Tiger Lily. I have always wanted this beauty in the garden. It is in a position that it gets more sun than the Oriental Lily yet it didn't grow to it's potential. It is only about 2 feet tall. Hopefully next year it will stretch out some. 

The honeysuckle is blooming as good as it has all year to date. We have finally been getting plenty sunshine. I think it encouraged it to get busy and bloom.

Pink Phlox and Goose Neck Loosestrife are blooming together. 

I was so hoping that the tall white phlox would bloom along with the blue clematis to make this view with the Lucifer Crocosmia a red-white-blue patriotic display but the clematis had nearly given up that idea by the time the phlox decided to bloom. 

What is blooming in your garden this July 15th? If you want to share and see what is going on all over the world pop over to Carol's May Dreams Garden and add your blooms to the bouquet.

Blooming in my garden now:

Tall garden phlox (white and pink)

Clematis

Crocosmia

 Hostas

Daylilies

Oriental Lily 

Tiger Lily

Russian Sage

Purple Cone Flower

Honeysuckle

Meadow Salvia

Mint

Mondarda (red, pink, lavender)

Spiderwort

Rudebeckia

Foxglove

Liatrus

Carmel Heuchera

Purple Palace Heuchera

Hardy Hibiscus

Nikko Blue Hydrangea

White (?) Hydrangea

Weigelia (red)

Little Bonnie Dwarf Spiraea

Green Peppers

Summer Squash

Cucumbers

Annuals

New Garden Denizen

 As I was saying in a previous post. When we returned from vacation we found that we had a new garden denizen. The Little Brat, LB for short, of course that was what I was thinking about the furry little beast that moved in while we were away.

At first it was difficult for me to be alarmed by the LB. 

I say, just look at that sweet face. 

LB even tried to make friends with the chicks that roam the garden. I could just hear him say "Come on gize, talk to me." Of course they wouldn't talk to a little trouble maker. 

After all they witnessed LB stuffing his pouches with sunflower seeds and then planting them in all the planters on the patio.

He even had the audacity to plant a clump in my orchids. 

I am finding little clumps of sunflowers popping up everywhere around the house. 

Even the fairies are getting into the act. The Prince of Fairies tried to talk some sense into him. Explaining that if his presence was not intrusive he would be welcome.

He wouldn't listen to anything the Prince tried to tell him. He just turned his back and went about eating sunflower seeds and planting his stashes everywhere. 

The other fairies are on the look out for LB.

They are watchful because they don't want globs of sunflowers popping up in their gardens. They are shocked at how he keeps misbehaving. 

 

 The really scary thing is that Midnight, protector of the Fairies, has been called into action by the Fairies. She thinks LB is such a tempting morsel. 

It will be interesting to see if LB lasts. He is quick as lightening. If all he does is plant a few sunflower seeds I won't be rooting against him.

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July to all of my USA celebrants.

I make a bouquet every year to take to my friend's house for their party. I hope everyone had a happy safe holiday.

June Highlights

I believe we have experienced the most beautiful June can I remember. I haven't had to water any except for when I planted a veggie garden, I did water-in those plants.

The roses I planted a year ago to grow over this tall arbor has begun to intertwine at the top. I sure hope they continue to mingle. EDIT: these roses have been in the ground for more than a year. Time does fly. The white one 'White Dawn' has only been in the ground since summer of 2011. I don't know the name of the red one. It used to be a coral color but has reverted.

This clematis (above photo) has been on this trellis for several years but has refused to go much higher than the first rung near the top. All of the rain has encouraged it up and over. 

The hydrangeas have been thrilled with the rain. The poor climbing hydrangea that almost died in the drought last year has responded to the moisture by blooming and making up for the die back.

We went on a two week vacation at the beginning of June. I almost missed the iris blooming. 

Luckily there were a few still blooming when we returned. 

The iris below is a bit of a disappointment in that when I bought it I was under the impression that it would be pink. Ha... Not so. Just a blush of pin in the middle. I forgive it though because it is so pretty. 

The mock orange has bloomed up a storm. Aaahhhh if I could only bottle that fragrance. 

The bees are buzzing with delight at the monarda beginning to bloom. 

The hummingbirds love the crocosmia as much as I do. 

Daylilies are blooming up a storm now too. I don't have any of the newer fancy daylilies. 

These old war horses brighten the garden.  They still make me smile.

I have a lot to look forward to next month. The blackberries are loaded. MMmmmm. I can almost taste the jam.

 Oh yes, I almost forgot. When we returned from vacation we found that a Chipmunk has moved into our garden. I am not so sure what I think of that yet.

I don't think the birds like it at all. More on this cute little seed stealing, egg robbing critter later.

I hope your June was as delightful as mine. Happy gardening