If a Tree Falls......

....in the yard and you are calling to report a power outage, do you hear the thud?  Earlier last week we saw there was a dead tree hung up in the branches of the tree next to it.  The trees are on the adjoining property, in the thick summer undergrowth of any one of poison ivy or smilax or raspberry briars, not the ideal place walk.   Since it was hung up in another tree we were unsure of how to get it down without hitting the Magnolias.  

The tree broke off its trunk during a storm sometime ago.... we aren't really sure.  Wednesday night with another storm, it twisted, broke the branches of the supporting tree and fell.  It fell in the perfect place!!   The tree was about 40- 50 feet long, about 30 feet of it in our yard.

It missed all three Magnolias, missed a transplanted dogwood, missed all the daylilies, and missed the wax myrtle up the hill.  

You can see the rotted stump in the woods.  The rot came from the ground up.

Charlie got the chain saw out yesterday and cleared the tree out of our yard.  The fallen tree can remain in the property next door for the critters to enjoy.
I walked around the yard on Thursday to assess the damage and see if there was any poison ivy in the area where the tree fell.  Have all sorts of blooms--- here is a volunteer Great Blue Lobelia, Lobelia siphilitica.  The rains have caused it to fall over.  Hoping it will reseed and there will be lots next year!

A purchased Lobelia  speciosa, Cardinal Lobelia is blooming now in the bed with the daylilies and Magnolias.  The hummingbirds like it.

Another new plant that is finally blooming-- Heliotrope amplexicaule 'Azure Skies'.  Hoping this one will be happy enough to come back.  I have some areas in my back garden that plants don't like.   Have been watering this area more and have amended the soil with each new plant added.

Lots of foliage under the Edgeworthia chrysantha.  I planted Caladiums, Japanese Painted ferns, and the Corydalis I just bought.  It is a nice shady area, the ferns and Caladium are happy...crossing my fingers for the newly added Corydalis.

Clematis 'Prince Charles' is blooming again!  

A super long blooming daylily is Hemerocallis 'Strawberry Candy'.  It has been blooming since mid-May!

Finally I have a bloom on my Resurrection Lily!! Lycoris radiata has been in the ground for more than two years and it finally had a bloom!  

Love these long anthers!!

In the woods next to our property is a large stand of Aralia spinosa, Devil's Walking Stick.  Love seeing all the pollinators all over the blooms.   There was constant motion from so many wasps, bees, and butterflies.  

Speaking of plants that attract pollinators, Lantana camara 'Miss Huff' is a magnet!!  

Long-tailed Skipper Urbanus proteus (thanks Randy!!)

Hoary Edges, Achalarus lyciades

All these were taken in the span of a couple minutes.

Dark form Eastern  Tiger Swallowtail, Pterourus glaucus

So many butterflies and moths!!

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

I have been trying to get caught up reading all your blog posts.  At this point in time I have 100 posts in my Google Reader.....working my way through !!!!  Have made some headway--- there were almost 200!



©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Five Things Every Garden(er) Needs

Pass-along Peony from a neighbor in Virginia

A few weeks ago there was a gardening supplement in the local paper.  One article had a main topic as "Five things every garden needs."  When I heard the topic I thought I would ask some gardeners what THEY had as their five.  

I asked the question on Facebook's page "Soiled Again", a page that is billed as a 'Common ground for gardeners'.  I had a number of responses.  Many gave serious answers, others were rather funny.  One said , "Her and four burly guys".  Had a neighbor come see my garden today and seeing my bales of pinestraw sitting along the garden by the water, said that I needed to borrow her yard guy (her husband!).  I will get to spreading them (maybe tomorrow).  

Pretty Columbine from seeds from Lona 

Some answers were tool oriented; wheelbarrows, tomato cages, pruners, rain barrel, compost bin, fencing to keep critters out, shovels, and a soaker hose.  All great tools to have on hand.   I certainly use many of these tools, it would be hard to garden without them.

Kniphofia from a college roommate of my daughter's

Other answers were more design focused.  Items to be included in a garden to the design-minded gardeners were a focal point, a water feature, a place to sit, good pathways, an open gate, and an ATM! Love the humor.

Bloom on my culinary sage

Beneficials were also on the lists from many of the gardeners.  Worms for healthy soil, bees and other pollinators for all the blooms.  Birds and other critters were to be considered, native plants for food sources and host plants for insects.

Ajuga 'Black Scallop'

Passion, enthusiasm, patience, creativity, joy, flexibility are tools that the gardener should have.

Hibiscus moscheutos 'Kopper King', great foliage color
in addition to the soon to come blooms.

Finally plant material was mentioned.  Conifers for evergreen structure, Cyclamen hederifolium for cute blooms, seeds for sowing, 'Right plant- right place' is the mantra, and water are all included on the list.  

Clematis 'Rebecca' blooming like crazy this year!

One gardener said camera...funny, we ALL are using our cameras in the garden, I feel naked without my camera while in the garden.  The camera can be a tool to track plants from one year to the next or share some of your glorious blooms with others.  

Rosa 'Janet' full of buds already this year.

My five?  Color, fragrance, year round interest, native plants, and colorful foliage.  Those are my five TODAY, ask me tomorrow and I might have other items on the list.  We gardeners are a fickle lot.  Pass-along plants are always welcome.  How many of us have seen a new plant and lusted after it?    This is the case with this plant below.  I saw it in a garden in Virginia, marked the name in my mind and finally added it.

Gladiolus byzantinus, love that color!

Speaking of color, who can resist this glorious thistle?  It is pretty thorny, but it is in the front area by the street where we thought about a yucca or an agave....so in the meanwhile, the thistle can be here!  Native plants are welcome.

Look at this pretty bloom!

What would you include for your five?

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Update on The Family and A Few Others

Many of you know I have a family garden.  I searched for plants to have in my garden that have the same name as members of the family.  We are a family of four, Charlie, me (Janet), Rachel and Rebecca.  Soon to join the family is Alex, Rachel's fiance.  

I thought it was time for an update of
the family garden.  A few plants were bare root shipped last fall, so it is exciting to see them popping up.  Both  Paeonia 'Charlie's White' and Paeonia 'Rachel' came last fall and I crossed my fingers that they would be happy in the family garden hill.   My quest for finding 'Charlie's White' was a long one, finally found it in stock at a nursery just outside of Charlottesville, VA.  The closer you live to the place from which you order, the more likely your plant material will do well in your location.







Paeonia 'Rachel' was also purchased online, but the place was in Olympia WA.   'Rachel' is smaller than 'Charlie' right now.  Could be the variety or could be the different area of the country.  'Charlie' is a white bloom, 'Rachel' is red.

From last year, now in fullly leafed out -- Rosa 'Janet'    This afternoon Janet had some aphids on her, but since I took this picture we have had about 3/4 of an inch of rain.  Hoping that knocked off a good number of them.

 Also from last year, Clematis 'Rebecca' ...you know how they say vines sleep the first year, creep the second year, and leap the third year?  This is Rebecca's second year and she is really creeping well!  Last year she bloomed right after Rebecca left to go home after spring break.  Hope it opens for her this year.

Being the plant person that I am,  I couldn't pass up another 'Charlie'.  Found this at Park Seed last fall, really pretty lavender bloom.  Clematis 'Prince Charles' -- how perfect is that?

Additionally, I stumbled on another 'Janet' earlier this month.  OF COURSE I bought it!  It was through our locally grown farmer's market.  My buddy Julie from Garden Delights was the seller.  She is such a sweetie, she shared couple more!  Lathyrus odora 'Janet Scott', Sweet Pea.  I have 'Janet' growing next to Rebecca, so she can use the trellis as well.

So, what about Alex you ask?  Well, after searching long and hard I have found the perfect plant.  Hemerocallis 'Alexander the Great', a daylily!  There is a place up the road that sells it and they will be open soon.  I have the perfect place saved for Alexander the Great...right next to Rachel of course.

I found a Croc in the woods in the lot next to us last fall and ventured in once the colder weather came.  I also have an old pair of Crocs that I broke.  All three of these have been in the garage over the winter, waiting for me to do something with them.

Today I decided to harvest a few of the various sedum and other succulents I have in the garden.  We have an old tree stump along the edge of the garden in the backyard...perfect spot for the lone Croc.

I will have to get some other succulents for the pair of Crocs and figure out where to place them.  One step at a time!
Another 'person' in the garden I wanted to share is Admiral Semmes, one of my native azaleas.  Rhododendron 'Admiral Semmes' is blooming now and seems to be very happy with his planting location.  Bold color and fragrance as well, can't beat it!

Fragrance in the front yard with Admiral Semmes.  Fragrance in the backyard with Fothergilla 'Mt. Airy'.  If you don't have Fothergilla in your garden, you are missing out.  This honey scented bloom is outstanding in the spring and the fall color is out of this world.

As I was working in the backyard before the rain, I couldn't figure out what fragrance I was smelling, the Edgeworthia are about done, so it wasn't them.  This bloom is really a sweet one to have.  Buy it, buy it now!!
So, once Alexander the Great is added to the garden I will do another update.  Are YOU planning a family garden?



©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Stuck Between A Rock and A Hard Place and GBBD

Well, this isn't really a rock, but it is a hard place. This poor little Columbine grew from a deposited seed a few years ago. I have tried to pull many times. Look at it....it looks like it is looking at me saying---help me



When it was small I thought I could easily slide it out, thinking the root structure was not too large. Well, it couldn't be pulled and I haven't had the heart to kill it. So every year, I have a very pretty Aquilegia growing in the crack of the sidewalk and the house.




Miss Bateman, my bargain Clematis is starting to bloom. I have her behind the mailbox and she seems to be very happy.
.



More blooms opening every day



For those who didn't know what we in the South have been talking in reference to the pollen....here are a few examples. This is in front of my garage door....after it rained.


The yellow is the pine pollen from the Loblolly Pine primarily.  The fuzzy 'stuff' is the catkins from the oaks.   It is mostly the oak pollen that people have trouble with, though the pine pollen is more visible.




After a rain is puddles and settles in many places.  With hope another rain will finish off the high volume of pollen that is lingering.


And so for this April Garden Bloggers Bloom Day I welcome the first of the Tradescantia that is already blooming in my garden.  Please visit Carol  at May Dreams Gardens for more GBBD postings.







words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.