Happy Valentine's Day!

 

"Daffodils"

"I wandered lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils; 

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a bay:

Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance

The waves beside them danced; but they

Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:

A poet could not but be gay,

In such a jocund company:

I gazed -- and gazed -- but little thought

What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie

In vacant or in pensive mood,

They flash upon that inward eye

Which is the bliss of solitude;

And then my heart with pleasure fills,

And dances with the daffodils.

William Wordsworth - 1804

Thinkin' Sunny!

Sorry I've not posted of late but I'm embroiled in some projects that are taking up my blogging time. Soon, I'll talk about it but for now I thought I would post something "Springy!"

I'm sorta itchin' to plant some flowers in our city yard as there isn't much here to attract butterflies - another passion of mine. What would I do without my Dallas Red Lantana and my Old Fashioned Asters? Can I possibly live without walking through a cloud of butterflies every day? Photographing them has become an impulsive joy.

Which flowering plants have proven successful for you in attracting butterflies and bees? And, do you know of any shade loving plants that also attract these wonderful creatures?

Also, I'm trying to ID this particular sulphur and think it MAY be a female Cloudless Sulphur. It's important. Anyone?

Spring Photo Journal

Popping outside to check the yard, I was thrilled to see things blooming (and living) after our recent torrential rains and gale force winds. I love rain. The gold berried Byer's Gold possumhaw has a few tiny blossoms but will soon be filled with them...and the wasps and bees that help with pollination.


The gold berried possumhaw is a delightful vision and it literally buzzes with life all day long. My other possumhaw, the Ilex Decidua, may actually live, I think. She took several hits from severe weather and last year was very stressed, as evidenced by blooming and berrying at the same time. Many branches died, and her trunk now leans due to wind damage. She needs some help this year - some gentle time to heal. She's leafing out again, and I'm hopeful.


The variegated weigela is simply stunning this year. A neighbor gave me this plant several years ago. It was just a sprig at the time, and rather sickly. He'd ordered two and one wasn't doing well so he thought he'd give the second one to me to see if I could save it. To this day, he covets my weigela. It is huge and gorgeous and stops traffic when it's in full bloom - one of my favorite shrubs.


This weigela is located in my east side bed next to the garage. This bed came together without a plan, but is one of my favorites. The colors, sizes and textures just work perfectly here. The photo below is looking at it from the street toward the lake, which you can barely make out in the lower left above the grass. The doublefile viburnum is in the back. This huge, 8'x8' shrub filled with solid leaves and bright white flowers is the perfect backdrop for the two other plants. The variegated weigela is in the middle a little closer to the garage, with long drooping limbs that dance in the winds that funnel through this opening. In the front is a Japanese red maple which was a seedling from my mother's yard. I just love this combination.


After enjoying the east side yesterday morning I walked around the sidewalk heading inside to download the photos. The winterberry was blazing in the early morning sunlight, and it's new leaves were poking up between the bright red berries.

These photos don't quite do it justice, but the sight just took my breath away. You just had to be there. Birds are flocking to these shrubs now, eating the berries and enjoying the safety of their location.


Soon, the Cedar Waxwings will be here, and the Tree Swallows will come through on their usual migratory path. Monarchs are already heading north, and more and more butterflies are being seen. I've heard the hummingbirds are beginning to show up. The big questions are 1) will the Baltimore Oriole build a nest in my tree again, and 2) will the Great Crested Flycatchers nest in the dead branch once more? We've been watching the Mockingbirds frolic, the red-headed woodpeckers wooing, the finches building nests, the killdeer protect their nests, the doves flit and fly, chasing each other, and bluebirds call to each other. I love Spring!

Purple and Chartreuse

My mother's front bed is exploding colors of deep burgundy-blue-purple of some special barberry and the bright chartreuse with red tips of a mounded spirea. The combination is breathtaking.

The barberry's tiny white flowers attract honey bees, which were working hard yesterday.

The blue glass garden globe complements the barberry and spirea.

Luscious.

The spirea will soon bloom tiny lavender flowers as the white flowers of the barberry fade. Within weeks the Virginia Sweetspire in the back will be draped in white columns of flowers. Her yard is so beautiful that cars stop to gaze at the colors.

I just had to share the beauty. Enjoy your days.

Chilly Sunday

Brrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!!!!! Yesterday's storms turned out to be a non-event in our area. Most of the storms developed east and south of us - I hope there wasn't any damage. This morning's walk stunned me with fierce winds that made the power lines whistle and vibrate. No snow. The photo above was our only snowfall this year, and the blue berries in the lantana were striking. Today, just gray skies and cold temperatures and a hellish wind gusting to 25 mph that's rattling the rafters. Where'd Spring go???!!!

Red Sky at Morning...

Sailor Take Warning, Red Sky at Night, Sailor's Delight...

Spring storms are rumbling through and I'm so grateful that they are. I adore a good thunderstorm although I'm not fond of the occasional tornado. These storms bring beautiful gifts of colorful clouds and fresh, clean air. Rains cleanse the air of pollen, so much so that our roadways are mushy with the greenish-yellow stuff. Cars leave their tracks within it much like snow slush.

Glowing sunrises alert us to rains on their way. The plants are all greening up, sprouting, blooming, reaching for the skies as their roots dig deep into the drenched soil. Happy Spring!

Will Trade....

Here it is. My usual Spring post about Red Buckeyes blooming. They are in the bud stage now - this image was captured last week when the spidery leaves were emerging. The little white flowers are some pretty little weed, but they go nicely together, don't they?

Red Buckeye Seedpod - November 2005

I was pondering what new bit of information I could possibly say about them this year so I Googled "Red Buckeyes" and found an ad: "Will Trade Red Buckeye Seeds for Feeders." Really? For heaven's sake. There are apparently people out there interested in Red Buckeye seeds. Red Buckeyes bloom in the spring just in time for the hummingbird migration. It's the first thing they see here in our neck of the woods, so I've let those on our riverbank grow wild. Every Spring I'm entertained by a riot of red blooms with hummers flitting about and every Autumn there are an abundance of seeds, which are huge, beautiful, cinnamon colored pods.

Red Buckeye seedpods in my hand - November 2005

Is blogger acting up, or is it just me? Anyway, seedpods work best planted in the fall while they're still plump and moist. I have a pottery bowl filled with dried ones just because I think that they're pretty. That, and I'm a sticks & twigs kinda gal - I have rocks and driftwood and shells and rocks and feathers and dried leaves and ... did I mention rocks? all over my house. They make for great decorations. Once Elgin thought my bowl of dried buckeye pods were chocolates and plopped one into her mouth. She spit it out immediately, thankfully, and told me my chocolates had dried up, bless her. So here it is - the Red Buckeye Post.

Byer's Gold Possumhaw Holly

I chose a Byer's Gold Possumhaw Holly as my "signature tree" when we first moved to the lake. I have 4 possumhaw hollies in my yard - Ilex Decidua, Winterberry, the Byer's Gold and a very happy male who pollinates them all. The hollies this winter were outstanding. The gold berried is still laden with berries even as the spring green shoots emerge. The Mockingbirds are in heaven.


One mockingbird keeps trying to nest in this tree but the continual flow of people too and from is too frustrating to him. Still, I always find him perching in the gold berried holly, laying his claim to it.

Everyone loves to shoot spiderwebs drenched in dew, and I'm no exception. One foggy morning last week the fog and dew were extraordinary. Naturally, I have to share since my blog is so random.


I love the quiet stillness of a damp, foggy morning. Providing I do not need to drive in it, that is.

You can see the gold berried possumhaw in front of the window. In hindsight, I wish I'd planted it about a foot further into the yard as I have to continually clip branches that threaten our eyesight. But this tree is a show-stopper. The winds that whip through the narrow opening between the houses have twisted the tree and made it lean. I'd no idea the winds would be that strong on the lake - lesson learned. See the little fence to the right? It's always all bent up as well after winter and has to be adjusted. There are two of them hiding an ugly utility box where I planted two Knockout Roses, one on each side. That'll be my next task - weeding and mulching. Spring is here!

Red Buckeyes

Spring is just around the corner and I'm so excited! The narcissus are peeking up through the mulch, yellow heads waving in the breezes. Forsythia is beginning to bloom.....again. The red maples are already blooming. There are plump buds ready to burst open on both the sweetspires and the red buckeyes.

These red buckeyes are on our bank - the riparian zone between our house and the lake. They are critical deterrents to erosion, along with other native foliage. As well, they offer brilliant red blossoms every spring. Our bank looks like it's on fire, there are so many red buckeyes that we've kept and maintained. The hummingbirds love them and seek them out immediately when they return from points South.

Red buckeyes appear rather alien at the beginning, much like Invasion of the Body Snatchers pods or something. As beautiful as they are at springs first blush, they appear awkward in the budding stage, with gangling fingerlings of new leaves unfurling and a brainy looking mauve bud slowly emerging from the center. The buds burst into candles of bright red blossoms which last well into the first of summer. By mid-summer the leaves are already turning yellow and dropping off, which makes them questionable specimen plants for a front yard but perfect for riparian protection. These are one of my favorite native plants. They can become a small dogwood-sized tree or can be pruned into shrubs. Red Buckeyes. Lovely.

Dreaming of Butterflies

My nursing skills have definitely gotten a workout these past 2 months. Kayla's been sick which means I've been other-oriented, still. She's recuperating and I'm taking a moment to breathe. Dreaming of springtime, dreaming of butterflies and what to plant this year to attract them. I've always gone with lantana - the Dallas Red has been stellar here, and seems to be a favorite along with my old fashioned asters. However, I'm considering changing (gasp!) and planting Butterfly Weed. Anyone had any experience with Butterfly Weed that they can share? The butterfly above is my all-time favorite....as of today...the dark form Tiger Swallowtail. At least I think that's what it is. If you know it to be something else please enlighten me.

...back to the teen...

Come on SPRING!

DOUBLEFILE VIBURNUM

I'm ready, ready, ready for SPRING! I've been sick since the holidays and need some sunshine and flowers, butterflies, the smell of mulch and dirt under my fingernails. I want to work hard until my body aches with pleasure, and then stand back and water in new plants. I can't wait to clean out and clean up, rake and hoe. The best part is daily monitoring green shoots emerging, flowers unfolding. I'm even looking forward to the insects - preying mantis, spiders and all manner of beasties. Bring it on.

Despite the drought, most plants seem to have fat buds awaiting Spring's e-mail telling them to open up. The Doublefile Viburnum should be glorious this year. It's well over 8 ft. tall and loaded with the typical lateral budding. This winter I pruned out the weird watershoots and odd branching that had started to occur, and the result is a nicely shaped shrub with lots of open air for breathing.

VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRES

The sweetspires are doing fantastic. These are native plants and the drought hasn't bothered them one bit. In fact, I think they've thrived on the heat as I'm having to beat them into submission so that they won't take over the sidewalk.

BRYER'S GOLD POSSUMHAW HOLLY

My possumhaws are struggling. My golden berried possumhaw didn't berry at all this year, The Ilex Decidua berried weakly, but also bloomed at the same time. Not a good sign. Natives, they've been performing well but obviously they're struggling. Keep your fingers crossed.

ROSEMARY

Have you ever planted something in the wrong spot entirely? My rosemary is taking over the front walk. It's huge. I've pruned it so much it looks horrid. It's trunk is like a tree trunk. What to do? It's beautiful and I use it for cooking - my neighbors get clippings for their recipes. But it's HUGE! Proof positive that even Master Gardeners make mistakes.

SIBERIAN IRIS

You can't go wrong with a Siberian Iris. These are so beautiful. The lesson THESE guys have taught me is to thin them out yearly. My friend, Carroll, helped me last year and we were only able to hack out (literally) a small section. They are thick and entwined and it will take a stick of dynamite to separate them. So, you know what? They're on their own.

I've many plants that haven't been immortalized digitally but since joining Blotanicals I thought perhaps I should actually do a "gardening" topic instead of worrying about missing birds. The woodpecker is still on guard, still no signs of eagles, and the songbirds are elsewhere so I'm moving on. Time to concentrate on my yard and make plans for SPRING!