Choice Morsels

Garden project this week was re-adjusting the pavers edging my Hosta bed on the north side of the garage. They were in a bit of a mess. Just one Garden Pic today: a nice shot of my Final Touch Daylily blooming amongst white Vinca's:  

  Today's garden photos are about what's growing: Numerous Flower Seeds in Seed Sprouting Tray: Rows of mostly various flowers, either purchased or saved seed, such as rubeckia, coneflower, dwarf marigolds & hardy hibiscus; a couple kinds of basil; some catnip and a few seeds I saved from last falls Bell Peppers.  What's Planted in the Raised Bed So Far: One tomato and 2 mounds, each with a different bush squash. (marked with red arrows.) One is a type of spaghetti squash and the other is Zucchini. Bush squash don't sprawl vines everywhere. Instead grow fruit from the center making them ideal for a small space garden. Left to Go to Seed: I left behind 2 heads of lettuce in the bed to flower and go-to-seed. This worked so successfully last spring, I thought I'd just let them do their thing again.

 Actually getting this written on Wednesday this week! Swallowtail Butterfly Caterpillar on Parsley: It's not been a good year for butterfly caterpillars over-all. I've seen numerous eggs and tiny infant caterpillars, only to find them completely gone. I think wasps or spiders or something pick them them. But I managed to save this one---I covered the container with fine netting to keep away insect predators.  He or she is full size now, so I removed the netting today. Soon he'll wish to depart to cocoon and I didn't want the net to interfere. I love the striped and spotted pattern. A Flower Mix Out Front: I thought the Purple Shamrock leaves mingled with the Dusty Miller, plus a Shamrock flower and the orange buds from the Hen & Chicks was really pretty.  The Dusty Miller and Shamrocks surround a strawberry terra cotta pot of Hen & Chicks.

Here's a little bright spot for the day: My first blooms of Clematis! I've never grown Clematis before. I just planted this one last spring and it bloomed, then during winter it was just brown stems on the trellis. I wasn't even certain it was still alive. I read it blooms on "old wood," meaning last years growth, so I didn't touch it. I decided to wait and see and, indeed, it did break out in fresh growth and blooms along last years stem at every joint. Plus a new vine has sprout from the roots. This particular Clematis is a compact breed that stays less then 5 feet, which is why I chose it. It naturally climbs. The blooms are lovely and I look forward to it filling the trellis eventually. Other Garden Tasks: Monday Hubby and I worked together to clean up the south side beds that are on either side of the front door. Mostly blowing out winter leaves, then raking out excess pine straw, mowing it, then I put those mowings back down where it was...

Once upon at time I bought a couple bags of red lava rock for landscaping use. It's red pumice and readily available by the bag in most big box store garden centers. Over time I noticed moss liked growing on lava rocks located in shady areas---particularly on the north side of the house.  Then I figured out I could pick up a moss covered lava rock and move it to a shady teacup with succulents or other container and the moss would continue growing and spreading. In general, moss thrives in deep shade, but it also likes dappled sunlight. In nature, it prefers the North side of a tree or rock. Today's Wednesday Pic is a couple extremely pretty mossy lava rocks in a novelty container in my front garden.  Moss blooms, then makes seed pods. Those little green things are seed pods or  maybe spore pods. I don't think I've ever had a close look at them before taking this picture. There's 3 rocks in this container 2 years ago; just one had moss already when I put i...

Our Christmas tree, a live Frazier Fir, is decorated with memories. (the photo is of our Christmas tree this year, 2018) When my sisters and I were kids, beginning when I was about 10, we started getting fancy pin ornament kits in our Christmas stockings. These kits contained a pattern for decorating a foam ball and all the pins, sequins, bits and ribbon to create it. Many were spectacular designs back then. I was talking on the phone with Mother about this and she remembered it all got started because my younger sister got an ornament kit on her birthday a couple months earlier. After that, we were hooked and got a new kit every Christmas. When I left home and was in the Air Force, I continued ordering these kits every year for myself from Wards craft catalog. Mother said she didn't know that. So, today I'm going share a few photos of ornaments I made after I left home: This little Santa in a Chimney pin ornament is a fond memory to me because it was the first orn...

After 3 days of rain from a tropical storm, the sun is finally out! The rain garden has been full of water---maybe some of the Rain Lilies will be prompted to bloom this week! So much water, though---I don't know if all the veggies will survive. My Curly Parsley has become a nursery for Black Swallowtail caterpillars. There were quite a few, but caterpillars have a high mortality rate because they're a food source many insect predators: wasps, spiders, various bugs.  Originally there were nine. This morning there were three; now there is only one who is nearly full size. The good news is that leaves plenty of Parsley is still available for another round! Today's Garden Pic is one of my cheerful yellow & burgundy Day Lilies from my front bed.

I came home from shopping at Walmart today, walked in the garage and was appalled that my garage stunk like a permanent marker! It gave me a headache immediately and I opened the garage door to let air in.   It smelled like spray paint--yet I hadn't used any. On investigation, I quickly found the culprit was a near empty can of Krylon spray paint had sprung a tiny leak in the bottom and it's contents had oozed out onto the shelf and dripped to the floor. Now the garage smells like Pine Sol. It's still airing out. **** Today's Garden Pics: When we came back from the Conference I found my Pink Gerbers fresh, green and eagerly putting up blooms! That bottom bud is actually a fully open flower now! Newly Sprouted Garlic: I planted garlic cloves in this pot a couple weeks ago. In the Deep South, you grow garlic during winter. I just used a store-bought bulb, split off the biggest cloves, then planted them a couple inches down. Hopefully, this rich Miracl...

It's getting to be sweltering in the early afternoon, so I headed out  by 10 a.m. to get when it was still below 80 to mow the back yard.  I did a little clean-up on spent day lily stems and my Cannas with diluted Neem to give them a little protection and being further devoured by Leaf-rollers. (The lavre of Long-tailed Skippers!)  But it's been long enough; they should be done now. I saw my first butterfly today, a Gulf Fritillary!  lenty of Pondhawke dragonflies about, though I haven't caught one on camera this year--yet! (These are one of the few dragonflies that will perch and rest long enough for a picture!) I've got a pair of Thrashers, which is type of large brown bird, eager to pick up any popcorn or chips I throw out on the ground! Plus, I was delighted recently to see the courtship ritual of not just one pair of Cardinals, but two! He offers her a seed. She accepts and that seals the deal for one nesting season! Today's featured pic is a collage I p...

Today, I mowed the front yard and put down some top soil in a couple places that needed it. I also planted the two Million Bell plants (latin name: calibrachoa) that I  purchased about 10 days ago. I'm trying a different location then in past years. They seem prone to mildew if overly wet from rain or watering, but I have a one pink one that keeps coming back year after year and even survived the 16 degree freeze. So they can be a very good investment for the perennial garden.  I also noted my Queens Tears Bromeliads that lost all their greenery to this winters deep freeze are showing signs of new growth along their root bases. (Mine live outside in a dry, shady location. The girl who gave them to me kept them in pots outside as well.) Shows just how tough a "tropical" plant can be! Today's garden pic is a rare & lovely picture of one of my German Iris that decided it wanted to bloom this year: Gorgeous! This one has been a no show for at least ...