Grasses and Blooms in October

We continue to have some gorgeous days in October.  The garden is still growing, fall is the best time to plant and transplant in our area.  My native grasses, Schizachyrium scoparium, Little Bluestem,  have started to reseed a little and I am happy to move the babies to spots that need filled in.

These grasses were planted along the driveway to help slow water runoff.  Some of the grasses have done very well, others, not so much.   I love the no care attitude with these grasses.  I have a soaker hose that sits on the top of the ridge where I have some trees and shrubs planted, but these grasses are on their own, subject to whatever Mother Nature has to offer. 

Another native grass I have in the yard is Panicum virgatum, 'Dallas Blues'.  The idea initially was to put this blue grass along the side of the yard where I have Callitropsis glabra 'Blue Ice' and Cupressus arizonica 'Carolina Sapphire', repeating the blue color.  Well, as you can see in the photo below, it got lost.  

I decided to move them from along the right side of the yard to the left side, up on the ridge.   We had a tree go down last year, almost on the property line.  It doesn't bother me so I am leaving it down.  There had been a redtwig dogwood shrub in this open spot, it didn't do well (that is code for it died).  

Adding the three blue Panicum was a good idea, they will do well with minimal care....less water needs than the shrub.  Here they stand out better, showing off their great blue color.

Also along the driveway, closer to the Bluestem grasses, is a little gully.  In that gully is where I found the Cranefly Orchid, Tipularia discolor, growing a couple years ago.   I looked for the blooms this fall, none were found.  I thought perhaps the plant had disappeared, but look what I found the other day.

 The winter foliage of the orchid emerging through the pinestraw!  Hooray.


Some more happy findings-- my Snail flower Vigna cararalla is blooming, oh so fragrant!!  I got this plant from Julie at Growing Days.  It took so long for it to bloom, I thought it may never happen.  So happy it bloomed!!  It is an heirloom vine, seeds from Monticello, a lovely vine grown by Jefferson.  It is a tender perennial in the South, crossing my fingers it makes it through the winter for another year!!

 

The cooler temperatures have spurred my Janet rose to bloom again.  Love the hint of yellow/coral in the center of this delicate pink bloom.

The buds are so pale pink with a hint of peachy yellow.

Wonder how long I will continue to have blooms?  Wow.

 Another fall bloomer is the Mexican Sage, Salvia leucantha.  Love these purple blooms on long stalks!!  There are four of these subshrubs in the yard, each full of blooms. 

The Gerbera daisies are coming back into bloom again.  Really had wanted red ones, these are more tomato soup red.

Finally, the Coca-cola box I got from my mom is planted with succulents and ajuga, making a nice addition to the area where my planted Croc is .  It is really dry in this area and there are some tunnels -- voles?  Maybe, who knows, but they do leave the Euphorbia alone.  This is  Euphorbia x martinii 'Ascot Rainbow'.

How is your fall 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.

Why Here and Not There? Why There and Not Here?

Last night was a Blue Moon.  I am sure many of you were able to get fantastic photos of the moon as it rose in the sky.  We saw it on our way home from dinner, but because of our location, it wasn't until it was higher in the sky that we were able to see it from our property.    A grainy but interesting photo of said Blue Moon. I do like the jet trails in the sky.  

That photo was taken at the top of the driveway, some of the neighbors had a much better view of the rising moon.  Their views over the lake face east....ours is north.  I am glad I don't have the rising sun shining in my bedroom windows.  

At the top of our yard, by the street is pretty untamed.  I find interesting plant material up there.  The newest find is a Liatris, probably possibly  Liatris graminifolia  or perhaps something else.  My books say the Liatris in SC are difficult to distinguish.  I thought it might be a Carphephorus bellidifolius, but don't think so.   There are two plants at the edge of the woods.  I haven't seen this anywhere else in my woods, yard, garden, or along the street as I walk the dogs.  Hope it reseeds and there are more next summer!

Everywhere in the woods, I find this little Euphorbia.  This one was previously IDed for me by Daricia.  E. corollata or E. pubentissima.  Either way, it is cute scattered among the other wild things.  

Curiously, I have two Helianthus sp. in the woods outside my dining room window.   I see it blooming along the roadways all through the area, except in our neighborhood.  These two are the only ones I have seen.  Curious.  I love the bright yellow in the woods, the color just pops.  

When I take the dogs for a walk I keep my eyes open for something other than chinese lespedesa or blackberry brambles....the two most commonly growing things on vacant lots.  

Both last year and this year I have seen this plant in the photo below, in ONE location.  To me it looks like Mountain Mint, Pycnanthemum pycnanthemoides.   This is as close as I got to it,  about 6- 8 feet away.  Perhaps in the later fall, if there is still some vegetation left, I might venture in to see if I can find a squared stem or leaf arrangement.  Currently I am in my fifth consecutive day since May without a bug bite needing 'After Bite' or Cortisone Cream or Benedryl Cream.  I would like to make at least make it a week!!  I have had more bug bites this year, mostly chiggers, though some might be spider bites.  

Funny this is nowhere else in the wooden lots along our street.  Believe me, I am always on the lookout!!  

The Passiflora incarnata mentioned in past posts, growing near my tiny Sassafras tree is another mystery.  For those who know this vine, it has amazing underground rhizomes  that travel great distances.  There should be a lot of these vines in my location, if there is one, there must be a lot.  I have many other vines that fill the woods, surely there must be some other Passion vines.  Haven't seen any, zero, nada.  Maybe this one is the pioneer seedling, dropped by a bird, left to germinate and grow in my yard along the driveway.  Again, very interesting. 

  Finally, I leave you with a picture of the sunset last night.  If we go down to the water, out on the dock, we get beautiful evening skies.  I suppose it all comes down to location, location, location....and we sure love ours!!  Happy Labor Day weekend to all!

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

Just a Beautiful Day

Yesterday started early, got to watch the sun come up.  Our oldest dog has an internal clock that gets her up at the crack of dawn.   I love seeing the sunlight sparkle through the trees.  The problem is that it is so early.  Once she settles down, I go back to sleep.

Having cool nights as the lake is warming up gives us fog rising off the water in these wee hours.   Fog is always a great photo opportunity.

This morning I got to get see sunrise and more fog.

The gardens have been calling for me to come out and explore the new growth and lovely blooms.
Come walk with me through the yard ---

Euphorbia 'Ascot Rainbow' 

Red Buckeye, leafing out
Aesculus pavia

A daffodil from a mixed assortment, variety unknown

Hellebore 'Pink Frost'

Muscari 'Blue Sky'

 This sweet light blue Muscari is planted by the blue Cypress ... a little color echo going on.  Hope it reseeds and spreads in this area a bit more.

Callitropsis glabra 'Blue Ice'  and Loropetalum 'Ever Red'

Viburnum tinus 'Sweet Bouquet' with Narcissus 'Tahiti' behind it

A butterfly on the Edgeworthia chrysantha, this screams 'SPRING'!

And finally Magnolia x 'Jane' is blooming, another year or two and she will be quite a stunning focal point in the front gardens.

At this point, I am happy Jane is alive and growing.  There are difficult areas in my yard.  Do you have any spots that drive you crazy?


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