A Weekend at the Farm July 28-29, 2012

In this picture are Moonlight Caladiums (which I love and think are so beautiful), Pam Puryear's Pink Turk's Cap, Oakleaf Hydrangea, and gingers.

• Blake and Mr. H came for the weekend.  We swam all day and then went in to Brenham for the Hot Nights Cool Tunes show.  Fun
• I saw a Zebra Longwing butterfly in the Orchard on Sunday!  I've never seen one before, very rare here.  I couldn't believe it.  I tried to get a picture, but they move really fast. 
• The butterflies were everywhere.  So many different varieties.  Beautiful creatures.  I watched them throughout the weekend.  I find it very entertaining to sit on the porch and watch the garden.  It is alive with movement.
• I moved a Nicotiana from the path where a seed had sprouted over to one of the shady beds in the Star Garden.  I moved some Columbine seedlings from the path over to a shade bed in the Star Garden.  Next spring will be pretty when all the Columbine bloom. 
• I deadheaded zinnias for a long time.  I have a lot of Zinnias growing.  I throw all the flowers into the flower beds so they will reseed.
• I cut back Lantana around the pool, it gets really leggy and out of control.  It blooms better if it is trimmed, I assume it is because it blooms on new growth, but I'd have to look it up to see if that's true.
• I watered her and there. 
• I fertilized a few things:  Henry's Garnet Sweetspire in the Shade Garden, Striped Beauty Canna, Frost Proof Gardenia.
• My Ma Huang seeds have sprouted!  I planted them two weekends ago.  Ma Huang is ephedrine.  I hope they make it.  This will be interesting.
• That's about all I did since we had guests.  

 Gorgeous!  I am becoming very partial to white flowers and plants.

Ferns in the Shade Garden

Ferns are classic shade plants.  Every shade garden should have ferns.  There are so many kinds of ferns,  I have 3 varieties growing in my shade garden.  Below is Southern Wood Fern.  This fern is pretty common, I bought this at WalMart, and it's pretty inexpensive.  It spreads quickly.  This fern will die back in the winter and pop up in early spring.

 The fern in the two pictures below is called Lace Fern.  It doesn't spread as quickly as Southern Wood Fern.  It's really pretty and delicate looking.  Lace Fern also dies back in the winter.

 The fern in the two pictures below is called Holly Fern.  Holly Fern is evergreen.  During the winter, Holly Fern is about the only green thing growing in my Shade Garden.  It is a deep green color, the other two ferns are more of a spring green color.  Holly Fern leaves are thick and leathery.

Yellow Old Maids July 29, 2012

Zinnias are called Old Maids.  It's a cute common name, but not very flattering!  Especially for flowers that are absolute work horses in the garden in the dead of summer.  Butterflies are extremely attracted to them.  All day long the Giant Swallowtails, Gulf Fritillaries, Tiger Swallowtails, Pipe Vine Swallowtails, Black Swallowtails, and Sulphurs flitted all over them.

 See the beautiful butterfly on the flower in the picture above?  Gorgeous.  The gardens are alove

Ligularias

 Ligularias are shade lovers.  They will also enjoy partial shade, but they definitely need protection from afternoon sun.  If the winter is not too harsh, they will stay green all winter.  These plants are valued for their interesting leaves which are large (like this Giant Ligularia) or ruffled (like the Crested Leaf Ligularia below) or spotted (like the Leopard Ligularia pictured in the last photograph).  However, they have the added bonus of blooming in the fall.  The flowers look like yellow daisies.  They are very pretty.  They come up on a tall stalk and bloom yellow daisy-like flowers along the stalk.  I'm very partial to plants with interesting leaf shapes and sizes.  They contribute to a much more interesting garden scene.

 Below is the Crested Leaf Ligularia.  The leaves are deeply ruffles and form cups that will hold water or leaf debris from the trees under which they grow.  They bloom in the fall also.

 Below is a Leopard Leaf Ligularia.  The spots are actually caused by a virus.  They bloom in the fall.

Duchess de Brabant Rose July 22, 2012

I fertilized all my roses just before we got a really good rain.  What a lucky happenstance.  They are blooming really well for July. 

The Star Garden in July

Above, Almond Verbena, Dwarf Flowering Almond, Zinnias,

Ox Eye Daisy, Harlequin Glory Bower.

Fireworks Gomphrena, Zinnias.

Zinnias

More Zinnias, Mexican Marigold.

Red Salvia, Morning Glories, Black Eyed Susans, Verbena Bonariensis.

Morning Glory arch, hedychium gingers.

Prairie Asters, Bearded Iris, Madame Isaac Pereire rose, zinnias.

Obedient Plant (flopping over and not being very obedient), Blue Mist Flower, Amazone Rose.

Bat Face Cuphea, Pink Morning Glory Tree, White Mist Flower, Flame Acanthus, Picasso Cannas.

Another Picture of Picasso Canna Lily

Cannas might have the most beautiful buds of all the flowers in the world, that I have seen anyway.  Really stunning!

The Front Gate

This is Belinda's Dream in the foreground, Morning Glories on the arbor, and 5 La Marne roses in the background.  Very charming.

Belinda's Dream is a great bloomer.

Iron Cross Oxalis July 22, 2012



Iron Cross Oxalis is super cute.  Imagine having four leaf clovers at your disposal every minute.  Any time you need some good luck, you don't have to look any further than your own back yard.  It blooms, too, little hot pink flowers.  Oxalis is a bulb.  I bought about 50 and planted them last fall.  I've read that they are great multipliers, but I will have to wait another season or two to form my own opinion about that.

Shenandoah Canna, Iron Cross Oxalis, Butterfly Weed, Ox Eye Daisy, and Black Eyed Susans.

Iron Cross Oxalis, Pink Autumn Sage, zinias, and Verbena Bonariensis.



Cypress Vine July 22, 2012

Cypress Vine has beautiful lacy greenery.  The flowers are small, tubular little things that close by noon, like morning glories.  The flowers come in pink, white, and red.  Although cypress vine plants can be occasionally found in nurseries, they are very easy to grow from seeds.  I can find red seeds or a mixture of red, white, and pink seeds.  I haven't been able to find only white seeds or only pink seeds - I don't know why.  This trellis is covered by vines that I grew from seeds I planted this spring.  The hummingbirds love cypress vine flowers.

Dawn Pink Canna, Tick Seed, Artemesia, White Profusion Butterfly Bush, and perennial Ageratum.