What a Difference a Week Makes

I know some of you think I fell in a hole, I haven't really fallen, just buried under home on the market stuff. Should be back to coasting for a while but I wanted to share a few pictures from the beginning of April and some from this past Thursday.
Here is The Learning Garden Wisteria floribunda 'Texas Purple' on April 1st (not an April Fool's Day joke).



And here it is ONE WEEK LATER!!


Many of you have seen the native Redbud, here is a Chinese Redbud from the Learning Garden. Cercis reniformis 'Oklahoma'.




Most everything in our area (to include North Carolina and South Carolina) is covered with yellow pollen from our Loblolly Pines and Oak pollen from many of the Red Oak family. It looks like White Oak flower later.
Native Aquilegia canadensis Columbine--- covered in pollen--

And Veronica 'Waterperry'


and Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia, picture will be added to my new page (see tabs at the top)


Native fern, Osmunda regalis, Royal Fern is starting to unfurl-


and a dainty little daffodils---Narcissus - bulbocodium conspicuus--


Solomon' Seal, Polygonatum odoratum var. thunbergii 'Variegatum', just emerging-


Leucojum, Snowflake-


A variegated Azalea 'The Robe'



And last but not least, my heavily pollen covered Forget-me-not, Myosotis Sylvatica.


I have been trying to get caught up with everyone's blogs. It seems as though I am trying to hold sand.....please don't feel slighted if I have not been to visit. I will get there eventually.
As for the tree postings-- "...tomorrow is another day" Scarlet O'Hara.





words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Lots of Color On The First of August

This beauty is Seashore Mallow, Kosteletzkya virginica. I have it growing in the garden at the back of my yard. It is a salt tolerant native. This time of year it has lots of blooms all over the plant. As many of you know, photos are better in either early morning or late afternoon or cloudy days. This Mallow closes in the afternoon, which doesn't make for good pictures!! The butterflies love this flower, so it helps attract more activity in the garden.

Another plant, many of you have is Lantana camara 'Miss Huff'. I have a couple of them. One is up by the backdoor to the garage. Not only do the butterflies love it, but I keep seeing a few of the hummingbirds checking out each and every bloom!


Do you ever have a plant that you plant one year, it doesn't do well, and you forget about it, then a couple years later you find you have about a dozen of them growing all over the garden? Well that is what happened with my Cardinal lobelia. I swear it died!! I chose it because again- salt tolerant and could handle wet feet. I am happy to have it. This is another one that the hummers love.


Out front, on the bank of the ditch I have Stringy Stonecrop, Sedum sarmentosum and reseeding itself within this Stonecrop is a bunch of Forget-me-nots. I like the contrast of the blue and yellow.



Guess what is happening tonight??
Yep-- another round of blooms from the Epis.
There are five blooms about to open.

Couldn't resist adding this --- the perfume is filling the air!

June Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Please visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens to see all the bloggers who have listed their sites for today.
With so many plants from which to choose, I will keep words to a minimum.
Remember the rose bush I pruned last winter? She is blooming up a storm. All photos can be clicked on to enlarge.

Hostas are all putting up their flower stalk.

Miss Huff Lantana


Oleander and Elderberry in the backyard.


Cosmos and Cleome in what was once the vegetable garden.


I bought a box of 50 Caladiums, thought most were Vole food, some are finally showing up and Impatients that have reseeded many times over the years.


This is a container at the end of the driveway with Gaura and Glechoma hederacea, on the ground behind is Sedum 'John Creech' Artemesia 'Powis Castle' and the Pennisetum 'Fireworks'.


If only you had smell-o-vision today..Dianthus 'Old Spice' wonderful! Achillea in bloom.


A couple Four O'Clocks still open this morning. The Yellow one in front of a bunch of Forget-Me-Nots.


More of the Japanese Asters blooming with the Spiderworts and an update on the front porch containers.

Blue and White

The colors that have been showing their 'stuff' in the last few days are blue and white. Of course I had to cut and bring in some of the Hydrangea macrophylla 'Nikko Blue'. You may recall I had forgotten to add the Aluminum Sulfate at the correct time, so I added some in the early spring. I think I will add more again, I want a rich blue color.


There are three Gardenias
in my garden. One is blooming
really well right now, it is
Gardenia 'August Beauty'.



Ok here is one I want you to guess what it may be...........

A Lily you guess? Nope, it is Hosta 'Frances Williams' I am always surprised to see how early the hostas send up their flower stalks.

In the same bed as the hostas is one of the Hydrangeas and a lot of Artemisia 'Silver Queen' (which I pull up in the early spring so it doesn't take over the bed...it is one of the rather invasive Artemisias)


These are some Forget-Me-Nots, though these are the annuals--and I believe it is the Chinese variety, the centers of these are not yellow with a white ring....so I am supposing these are Cynoglossum amabile.


Also in the bed with the Forget-Me-Nots is some Lacey Leaf Dusty Miller, Senecio cineraria.


I know many have Knockout Roses --I don't have any of them, but do have two Carpet Roses. This is White Knockout Rose, ROSA x Noaschnee. I have no problems with the Carpet Roses, little upkeep- I do prune a little in the winter (though the bunnies help with that).


Scattered throughout the garden, both front yard and backyard is Japanese Aster, Kalimeris pinnatifida. It spreads like Mums...not invasive, but there is enough to share with many many fellow gardeners. If you drive up my street you will see many offspring of these plants. This is a nice filler plant and it blooms from late May/ early June through the first frost! I will share more photos as it fills in during the summer. The bloom is a little bigger than your thumbnail, very delicate.

So- Happy Blue and White Day! Hope to be off to the Colonial Parkway to check out the Yorktown Onions this afternoon.