Keep Your Eyes Peeled in the Garden

This has been a busy week, sorry for no tree post.  One of the trees I had photos of turned out to be another tree....another one I wasn't sure of which tree it might be.

I have been planting a lot of new plants in the garden.  One of the wholesale nurseries in our area had their yearly end of season sale...

As you can see, I had a couple wagon loads of new goodies to plant.  Some azaleas, heucheras, coneflowers, penstemons, and a Rodgersia- a new plant to me.  The azaleas were planted in spots where I had hydrangeas.  These poor struggling shrubs needed to be moved to get more light.

This is more of a post about CREATURES IN THE GARDEN....
because I was digging and exploring in the garden, I found many little creatures.  Some of these photos were posted on Facebook, but I know many of you are not on FB, so for those who have seen two of these pictures, I am sorry for the repeat.





Digging a hole for the hydrangea's new spot, along the side of the house, where there is a lot of activity....I found this little cutie--

I was worried the shovel might have injured him or another, so gently digging around I found his brothers...

Best guess from online info these are Eastern Box Turtles

After a quick photo-shoot they were returned to the spot in the garden where I found them.  I checked a couple times to see if they were still there or moving about.  After a few hours they were no where to be found, they blended into the garden quite well.  While looking for them there was a lot of leaf-rustling in that area....this is who I found.   A little Fence Lizard, he was probably about two inches from nose to tail.

Planting new plants, one needs water.  After one is done with the water, the hose needs to be put away.....carefully.

According to FB friend Christopher, this snake is all kinked because it is getting ready to shed its skin.  Believe it to be a Black Rat Snake.

Black Racers are fast movers, this one wasn't moving quickly, so my guess is Black Rat Snake.

But wait, there's more.  This is a Virgin Tiger Moth.  Very interesting markings.

A posting on the wildlife in my garden isn't complete without an Egret on the dock photo.  These birds migrate in the late fall and return to the lake in the spring. Our dock is a good fishing spot...for the birds, not so much for us.

We have all sorts of frogs and toads in our area, some are so small.   This little guy waited for a few pictures to be taken before he hopped into the garden.

Here is a close up of this nubby toad.

And finally, one of the reasons some of my plants have been eaten.  We have grasshoppers and this cleverly disguised muncher, a Katydid.

What creatures are in your 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.

Tuesday's Trees- Chinese Chestnut

This past spring there were some trees that had a long white flower on it.  From a distance, driving 55 mph, it could have been mistaken for a Sourwood except I knew that Sourwood did not grow this large and full crowned.  But what was it?  These trees were sighted along the highway in someone's yard, not really the place where you can stop and look closely.  

Well, as I headed to my friend's house for art class, I saw one close to my friend's house.  Since my friend is a tree person too I asked her if she knew what it was.  We hopped in the car, drove up there, looked at the tree, gathered a small branch and research began.   

See the flowers?  These long panicles of small flowers look similar in form to Sourwood FROM A DISTANCE!! up close, not similar at all.   After a great deal of looking, we decided it was a Chinese Chestnut, Castanea mollissima.  Chestnut was in my mind once I saw the beginnings of the nut.  The long white flowers are the male flowers and the little sputnik looking one is the female.  The Chestnut is monoecious.   The flowers appear late spring/ early summer.  Apparently the male flowers are quite fragrant, though I didn't notice it.  Another website says the flowers are foul smelling....glad I didn't get any scent from them.

The leaves are alternately arranged, large simple, pinnately veined, toothed margins.  The leaves can help identify Chinese or American Chestnuts.  The American is more  deeply serrated and slender.  This website has a good side by side comparison, from VA Tech.

These are the immature seeds, maturing late fall.  The stems on a Chinese Chestnut are grey in color.  (another difference between the American and Chinese)

The size of the seed pods are another major difference, the Chinese Chestnuts are larger.   How did I get a picture of the pod?  Well, the first fall I lived here I went up to Asheville with another Master Gardener and we went to the Bountiful City Project, an Edible Forest Ecosystem.    The fruit is edible and also eaten by squirrels, deer, and other mammals.

The Chinese Chestnut is smaller than the American, reaching a mature height of 40- 60 feet.  It is tolerant of many soil conditions except wetlands.   According to one of my sources, landscapers use this tree as a nice landscape tree where the dropping fruit pods will not bother people or pets walking near/under the tree.

You can see the fall colors starting to show, its fall color is yellow to copper.  It is a great shade tree and has few pests.  It is not native (Chinese) and was a good substitute for the American Chestnut that was hit by the chestnut blight.  

The bark is gray/brown to brown.  It has ridges in the bark with no clear pattern.   A mature tree has a rounded crown, forming a lovely tree.   It does not transplant well, it has a coarse root system.

One more look at the size of the leaves...they are quite large.   My sources online are VA Tech, Ohio Public Library, and University of Florida. 

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

It Is Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

It is always nice to walk around the yard and document what is blooming each month.  Some of the flowers are waning just a bit, but there is still a lot of color.  Walk with me as we see what's blooming.  At the top of the pathway in the backyard are three Russian Sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia.  All summer the bees have enjoyed this great purple bloom.

Sages on the right, and recently planted on the left, Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Longwood Blue'.   The stamen look like long eyelashes.  I have wanted a Caryopteris for a while and lucked into a few at the end of season sale at Park Seed.   Mine are now blooming and  I am really glad to have some more purple/blue in the garden.

At the bottom of the pathway are a couple more new plants.  These are recent purchases.  They are taking the place of a couple Helenium 'Mardi Gras' that had to be removed because of aster yellows.  After a repeat planting of another batch of Helenium earlier in the season, I decided to change the type of plants.  Don't you just love the color of this one?  Agastache 'Heatwave'.   The hummingbirds have been checking this one out.  Hope it comes back well next year!

 Another replacement for the Helenium is a Black and Blue Salvia, Salvia guaranitica.  Have/had a small one that came with me from Virginia.  I finally conceded it wasn't in a good spot, moved it, and now it has disappeared.  Glad I bought a new one! You can see my 'helpers' in the background.  They wanted to be in each photo or on top of whatever bloom I was taking photographing.  Some got stepped on...a lot.   Rotten dogs.

 Continuing to the bank along the water, I have two Abelia x grandiflora 'Kalidescope' flanking the steps.  They are both in full bloom and doing well.  Love these red stems.

 Remember I mentioned that  I bought a few Caryopteris?  Well, on the bank there are three Caryopteris x clandonensis 'Sterling Silver'.  Love silvery foliage against the yellow of my Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Gold Threads'.

Here is another shot of the silvery foliage.  

Also on the bank is a nice stand of Catmint, again with the silvery foliage and blue/purple blooms.  There was too much activity with a certain dog and a blue ball, so we left the area before a good picture was taken.  Just above the Catmint are three rosemary bushes, in bloom.  Going with the blue blooms again...just love it!

In the woodland area my Cyclamen hederifolium are blooming. Such sweet little blooms.  I bought five corms and last year only three showed up.  So far this year only two have blooms.  The clumps are getting larger which is nice, just wish the others would show up.

In the family garden Clematis 'Prince Charles' is continuing to bloom.  This one has bloomed on and off all summer long.  Right now it is entwined in the gardenia bushes.  

My Pluchea camphorata is still blooming.  This dusty rose color is really nice against the woods.  When it goes to seed I will be gathering some of the seeds to scatter elsewhere.

And finally, please indulge me another photo of the toadlily, Tricyrtis formosana 'Gilt Edge'.  This is such a cool looking bloom, the desire is to get "THE" picture of it.  

This brings our stroll to a close, thanks for joining me.  Please go over and visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens for this month's Bloom Day.



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