Three Hundred and Counting on GBBD

This post is my 300th posting.  It is hard to believe I finally hit the 300 mark.  Since we moved to South Carolina I missed two anniversaries.  I started this blog in early December 2008, so am into my fourth year.  It has been a great adventure and I am really glad I started blogging.  The wonderful friends I meet every day in the blogging world are just amazing. 

This coming spring I will get to meet many of the garden bloggers at the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling!  It is like getting to meet a penpal face to face. 

Today is the 15th of the month and that means it is Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, please make sure to go to Carol's blog.  She has been hosting this great gathering for a long time!  I just checked her sidebar, GBBD has occured 81 times!  wow.

So let's see what is blooming in South Carolina -- First is my favorite spring weed.  This was taken along the roadside while walking the dogs.  (Three dogs, a camera, and holding my jacket as it was warmer than I thought) These little flowers have four petals, ranging from lavender to dark purple.  I have checked my sources and I do not have a firm ID.  I think it is in the Houstonia family, but it is blooming in February!  Any ideas? 

Bloom day in the winter wouldn't be complete without another shot of my lovely Daphne odora.   Her blooms are few now, but I have great expectations for winters to come!

The Muscari I planted last year are starting to bloom.  They are circling a sundial next to the driveway.  If you look closely you can see some black ears...my shadow, Newton.

I believe this is Narcissus 'Foresight' blooming now.  I have three daffodil blooms open right now...but just wait a month!!

The red flowering Quince has some swelling buds.  Can't wait for them to pop open.

Over the last two years we planted eight Osmanthus fragrans, Tea Olives.  These guys have been blooming since last fall!  Their fragrance is out of this world. 

Coming into the backyard you find the Edgeworthia chrysantha.  I shared the close-up before, but I wanted you to see the shrub in its lovely naked winter glory.  I love this plant.   In the summer the leaves are large, oval, kind of velvety, and blue green, shading the ferns under them.

Many of the hyacinths are coming up.  I have pink and dark pink. 

Here is another view of the Edgeworthia,(there are two)  along with the Sarcococca hookeriana, soon the Sarcococca will be blooming.  Right now the buds are plumping, getting ready to open.   I made this photo larger... see the umbrella looking thing in the background?  It houses some Carolina Jasmine and a native honeysuckle.  Can't wait for it to be covered!

Also under the Edgeworthia is my Hellebore 'Pink Frost', almost open.

Lower in the garden towards the water are the other Hellebore, they are really blooming a lot more than last year.

One plant that hasn't done gangbusters, yet, is my Pulmonaria longifolia  'Diana Clare'.  She is full of buds this year and one is open.

While I was walking around the garden I noticed  I had some company.  These little anoles will rustle the leaves and I think somebody is walking up on me.  They are fun.

Blooms that you don't think about as 'blooms' are on my shrubs.  This is the Myrica cerifera, Wax myrtle. 

And this is the Cryptomeria japonica 'Black Dragon', busting with flowers.

Some forsythia in our area are blooming and mine, well, one of the buds is just about open.  Spring is on its way.....

Thanks for joining me on this Bloom Day.  I appreciate all the comments you all share.  This blogging experience has been a wonderful trip...here's to 300+ more!!

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

Protection, Birds and Fun

Little Carolina Chickadee, a regular visitor

This coming weekend is the Great Backyard Bird Count, Feb. 17- 20.   The website has great information about how to go about doing the count.  They even have lists of birds that are common in your area.  I don't have feeders up in the summer for any birds other than hummingbirds.  In the winter I put up suet cakes and have seed feeders.









 Seems like last winter I saw more woodpeckers.  Maybe it is just me being busy with other things.

Male Red-bellied Woodpecker

On the suet feeders we have the Chickadees and Tufted Titmouse, a few Nuthatches, some House Finches, some Goldfinches, and this little guy.

Pine Warbler?

See the yellow?  What a cutie.

Speaking of cute---
Couldn't help taking a picture of this VW Beetle while we were in town.  Perfect for the gardener! 

When we moved here we noticed there were a lot of donkeys.  Seemed like every field had at least one donkey.   The field near our house has four. 

When we mentioned something about all the donkeys, one of the neighbors said they were for protection.  WHAT?  Apparently they are used to protect livestock from predators.  Amazing, check out this info sheet from Missouri Dept. of Conservation.  We do have coyotes, fox, and some wild pigs.  These donkeys are protecting some Babydoll Sheep, goats, and lots of chickens.   I like seeing them hanging out in the front field, with our favorite view as a backdrop.
Don't forget to watch your backyard feathered friends !!!!

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

Super (Bowl) Sunday

As I took the dogs out this morning for their walk, I thought what a super day this was....a bit warmer than my cami and little sweater called for, but so lovely.  First thing I saw was my first open daffodil, will have to dig through my notes from last year to see if I can find the name.   As you can see, I haven't trimmed back my grasses yet.   What a great sunny bloom to see!

I have been planting the last week, cooler weather (compared to spring or summer) and hopefully a bit more rain, has made it a great time to plant.  Earlier in the week I planted two Daphne odora 'Aureomarginata', think I found two good places for this semi-picky plant....I love it!!  Can't you just smell that gorgeous bloom?

In addition to the Daphne, I found some azaleas that I planted in our front wooded area.  We have been cleaning this area out, a little bit each winter.  There are dead trees, vines (honeysuckle, smilax, and grape to name a few), and too many Sweetgum trees to be able to grow to a healthy size. 
Two of the azaleas I planted are native hybrids....one is one of the Confederate Series, 'Admiral Semmes'---   you can see the shed in the background.  These native azaleas are deciduous and promise to be fragrant when in bloom. 











Along the edge of the driveway rocks I have some daffodils that are starting to peek up out of the ground.  To keep the dogs from walking on them and to remember where they are (so I don't step on them as well) I use a stick.  Do you see the little leaves sticking up out of the ground?  The stick diverts the dogs to one side or the other, missing newly emerging foliage.

I still need to mulch with pine straw along part of the driveway.  That will dress up the edges a little better.

The other azalea I planted was an Encore 'Autumn Twist'.  It has nice dark green foliage and will put on a show both spring and fall.   This bloom is white with stripes of a purple red...almost looks tie-dyed in the picture on the tag. 

It is in the same vicinity as my Oakleaf Hydrangea.  Knowing this hydrangea will get large, I gave each plenty of room to grow.

Right now the hydrangea is a stick about three feet tall.

This is the other native hybrid azalea I bought and planted.  The name on the tag is 'Tallulah Sunrise'  and it says this plant will get to be 3 x 3 when mature.  If it is double that it is ok as there is plenty of room on this side for it to be as large as it wants to be.  I couldn't find any information online about this one, so if you have any info, please share!

Walking around the rest of the yard, Viburnum tinus 'Spring Bouquet' is full of tiny buds ready to open.

 Hyacinths are coming up....

Fragrance is filling the air from the Edgeworthia chrysantha....yummmm

 Finally the Hellebores are blooming-- what a great addition to the shady garden, something I didn't have in Virginia.

I have an umbrella trellis that has Carolina Jasmine, Gelsemium sempervirens, growing all over it...also getting ready to open.

The Distylium myricoides is full of buds, some open, some just about to open......

For those looking for something to fix for tonight's Super Bowl game....Corned beef roll ups.  Corned beef, cream cheese, and dill pickles.  Really tasty!! 

Have a wonderful Sunday!!




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