What's Blooming Now - Gorgeous Corn Poppies 04/22/2010

What's Blooming Now - Cornflowers 04/22/2010

Blue was the original color of Cornflowers. They are also commonly called Bachelor's Buttons. Now they come in shades of pink, white, and red.

What a beautiful pale pink! So delicate.

The color blue is a relatively rare flower color in nature. There a much fewer blue flowers than any other color. Bees are known to be particularly attracted to blue flowers.

In my gardens it is very hard to find a flower without an insect in it. That's the sign of a healthy garden. I rarely, rarely spray. It is dangerous to the health of my bee hive, and insecticides are not particular - they kill everything, good and bad insects. It is better to practice good gardening habits such as good air circulation, regular mulching, regular watering, a steady fertilization schedule, lots of study. Learn about the plants you buy, and understand what they need in order to remain healthy.

This is a great photograph. Cornflowers are beautiful subjects.

These Cornflowers are growing in my orchard. Next year I will plant black berries in this spot. The blackberry plants were so expensive that I couldn't buy as many as I originally hoped.

This is a hedge row of Cornflowers not yet in full bloom.

Here is another row of Cornflowers growing under my grape vines. Lots of buds, not yet in full bloom. I will encourage these to reseed and come back next year because I cannot plant anything substantial under the grapes.

What's Blooming Now - Corn Cockle 04/22/2010

Corn Cockle grows very easily from seed. I literally threw the seeds on the ground - despite the fact that the seeds are not tiny. Tiny seeds should not be buried under any earth, but Corn Cockle seeds are not specs, they are bigger than coarsely ground pepper. Despite having no earth on top of them they sprang up quickly and grew quickly. They grow to about 2 feet tall. They sway in the breeze so prettily. They have covered up my Erlicheer daffodil greenery which is very good (but accidental) planning. The daffodils have finished blooming, and it will be some weeks before the daffodil greenery yellows and dies back. So they are perfect partners. I already have red salvia and Maxima sunflowers seeded and growing to take over after the Corn Cockle dies away.

What's Blooming Now - Belinda's Dream 04/18/2011

Mexican Feather Grass

A Prayer in Spring

Oh give us pleasure in the flowers to-day;

And give us not to think so far away

As the uncertain harvest; keep us here

All simply in the springing of the year.

Oh give us pleasure in the orchard white,

Like nothing else by day, like ghosts by night;

And make us happy in the happy bees,

That swarm dilating round the perfect trees.

And make us happy in the darting bird

That suddenly above the bees is heard,

The metoer that thrusts in with needle bill,

And off a blosson in mid air stands still.

For this is love and nothing else is love,

The which it is reserved for God above

To sanctify to what far ends He will,

But which it only needs that we fulfill.

- Robert Frost

Songs of the Morning