Using the Rain

It is raining again for the third day in a row. The gardens are much too wet to be in them.  Everything is green and thriving, including the weeds.

I use cardboard as a weedblock under mulch. I prep it by removing all tape and labels. Then I season it in the rain so that it is less stiff and more rough to adhere to the soil below and mulch above, especially on hills. This cardboard block lasts a year or more before it decays.

I also have various containers to catch rain for house plants and potted plants. I cover these to keep out oak chains, leaves or curious lizards.

The rain is doing its work while I am dry inside.

FLOW

Cereus Cuttings

If you have ever seen a Night Blooming Cereus in flower, you will want one.

My Wondrous Cereus

My friend Madge, The Fairy, gave me my plant years ago. Since then I have shared plants with others. I have read about several ways to root cuttings. Last fall I tried several methods and all were successful. The new way was just cut pieces and stick them in water. I do this with other plants but usually harden off cacti and succulents and then stick them in quick draining soil. There are warnings about some cuttings rotting in water.

Here is proof that Cereus pieces root instead of rot if places in water.

Now I potted the pieces and will let them adjust to being semi-dry.

FLOWER does not always believe what others tell her.

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Learning from a Memory

I was working outside on this cool and overcast day when I had an epiphany that required sharing.
There are two “family plants” in my safe-keeping. The first is a pink peony we call ‘ The Pearson Peony’ and another house plant we call ‘ The Gran Plant’ which is a Christmas Candle plant/ Euphorbia tithymaloides.

I am anxious about keeping these alive to share with family.
I had trimmed my Gran Plant down last fall to share with an Aunt Gail and cousin, Jamie. These two new plants are already leggy,  so I cut them back again.

Candle Candle cuttings

This is what caused the epiphany. My Gran always kept cuttings of this plant in a squatty green wine bottle. I thought she was rooting it to share. Now , thirty years after her death I realize that she was not cutting it to share her Euphorbia, she was cutting it to shape it.

Wow! FLOW is slow.

I would like to add that this Christmas Candle plant is also called Devi’s Backbone and Red Bird plant because of its red flowers…which I have NEVER seen.
Help me out plant people. What else am I doing wrong?

SLOW FLOW needs to know.

P.S. Gail and Jamie. Its sap is poisonous to dogs.

Karl, Sarah and the Duchess

I went away for a few days. There was a storm which dropped almost 2.5 inches of rain on my garden while I was gone.

The timing was bad for my big bloomers. I circle the garden with stakes every day I am home… but I was gone.

Big blooms do not fare well in heavy rain and wind. There were heads bent down and blooms on the ground. The double peonies had the most damage.

Karl Rosenfield was full of big floppy blooms that had to be gently shaken and supported.

Sarah Bernhardt only had a few blooms again this year. A move is in her future. I have mulched, fed and watered without much progress on her part.

Sarah Bernhardt peony

The Duchess de Nemours is thriving in her prime spot. She lost many blooms with buds on the same stalks.

Duchess de Nemours peony

I love double peonies but they do require extra support, especially in rain and wind. The doubles are worth the trouble.

Karl Rosenfield peony

They are the stars of May.

FLOWER

Moonstruck by Moonscene

May is Amaryllis time here. I will share many of these throughout the month, but none will be more quietly gorgeous than ‘Moonscene.’

This is the flower of dreams. Perfect shape and luster. Lovely coloration and patterns. I have been stalking its stalks for weeks. Watering and staking and waiting to see those lovely faces.

I must admit that I have referred to many of my Amaryllis/Hippeastrum varieties as the “clowns of the garden.” I am ashamed of this harsh judgement. They cannot help being over-hybridized. They have been manipulated genetically to be big and showy. This is their purpose as a holiday flower in the fray of holiday decor. (Stay tuned for those.)

However, when these specimen are transferred to outdoor gardens they seem comical and out of place. They must be placed properly so as not to clash with the other plants. My favorite grouping is by a pond surrounded by ferns.

If you want an Amaryllis that stands out without flash and clash. I do hope you can find yourself a ‘Moonscene’ to add interest and beauty.

Moonscene

FLOWER

My Daddy’s Wind Spinners

We tried to keep all the truly special items from our parent’s home place. The perfectly wonderful house on Enwood Drive in Charlotte is still on the market and showing several times each week. We must sell it to pay for our Mama’s care, but I still have trouble believing it will not be our ‘home’ anymore. No price is high enough for me. I am a big baby about change.

I brought my Daddy’s wind spinners to my house. We have a lot of wind here on the water. Seeing these dynamic pieces of yard art spinning around makes me smile.

The yellow plane does not make any noise. Daddy wanted me to paint this red and yellow to be like his old Piper Cub. Someday, I will get around to it.

The Windmill also needs a new paint job. That will have to wait until gardening season is over. It creaks as it whirls. Maybe it will deter some deer.

The one that did get a new coat of colors was the bicycle.

Seeing it flying in the wind always makes me smile. I gave this to Daddy years ago. It was red. but I painted it bluebird blue because that is Daddy’s favorite color. Daddy thanked me for this bicycle over and over again. I can still hear him adding to the end of a conversation…”and thank you again for my bicycle.”

Its wheels spin so fast the spokes are a blur. It makes a whizzing sound. I really miss my precious Daddy!

FLOWER in the wind

Ground Orchid Needs Safekeeping

I have worried over this Ground Orchid plant for several years. It seems happy in this spot, but I fear it will be crowded by its neighbors. I have dug up some surrounding plants and moved them, but the little Bletilla cannot keep up with the fast growth of others.

I have finally decided to put part of it in a pot for safekeeping. That way I can move it around to see if it will grow faster with a bit more sun. Also its tiny, complex blooms deserve close inspection, which is not easy when it is a low-grower.

I have found that I relax more when I have at least two or three of my favorite plants, so I won’t fret about losing that variety altogether.

Now that this purple Bletilla striata is safe and divided, I can move on and obsess about another plant. A special Amaryllis perhaps?

FLOWER

Night Affair Shows Off

This iris is one that is requested most when I share rhizomes.

Its purple is deep and it smells like grape soda.

It reproduces well without taking over.

It shimmers in the sun.

FLOWER

The Swinging Red Epiphyllum

Any Epiphyllum gets my undivided attention while blooming.

This red Epiphyllum oxypetallum is blooming on only one side because I hung it at a window over the winter and forgot to turn it. Look away and you will pay.

I hope the other stems will be inspired to bloom now that it is hanging in the sunshine.

I use two hooks to hang these so they are easier for me to water. This makes for a lively display on windy days. It can be a bit dangerous trying to water them in wind since these have small spines.

FLOWER

Taco Supreme is a Dream

This bearded iris is not a color I would have chosen. It came in a set from Cooley’s decades ago.

I suspect that selling sets help them get rid of the less popular varieties. ‘Taco Supreme’ was probably one of these “bonuses” in the mix. I have come to love this iris. It grows slowly. It glows red and gold in the sunshine. It stands out among all the pink, purple and white blooms at April’s end.

I love this luscious bloom. I am glad it came with the set. I do miss the Cooley Iris Company. Their rhizomes always arrived big and healthy, unlike the shriveled pieces in garden center bags.

More iris to come…

FLOWER

Single Peonies Stand Alone

This is the time of year I tour the gardens with stakes in my hand because so many flowers need support. I appreciate any that do not need help staying vertical.

Single Peonies can support themselves. I also love how their big petals flap in the breeze.

This white form is named ‘Krinkled White.’ Its blooms blush as they open.

It also has bright yellow, curly stamen to brighten the center of its face.

I do not have a name for this single pink. It looks lovely from any angle.

Every garden should have some peonies. They are a delight!

FLOWER

Azalea Aflame

This Gibraltar azalea is a show-stopper.

When the morning sun passes through the blooms, they look as though they are flames.

The nickname is ‘Flame Azalea’ for obvious reasons.

FLOWER is crazy busy in April.

The Purloined Poncirus

I must confess to stealing a fruit from a Chinese Bitter Orange tree on a South Carolina plantation many years ago. I need to bare my soul of picking the little citrus and stuffing it into my bra.
I forgot about this stolen cargo until late that night, as I was changing my clothes the shriveled little fruit fell out and rolled across the floor.

Why I felt the need to steal seeds from such a mean little tree is beyond me. I think I was impressed by its long, sharp thorns.

Now I have two mean trees of my own. With equally long and strong thorns.

No fruit yet.
Such is the live of a plant addict. A pinch here…a pick there…

Stashing precious cargo in pockets and undergarments.

Such are the crimes of the afflicted.

FLOW

Thunder Echo Again

The unusual bloom of ‘Thunder Echo’ seems to change colors as the day goes by.

Thunder Echo bearded iris

Here it is in the afternoon sunshine. It is almost glowing.

This one does spread better than some, but is still separated from the bully iris.

Flow

Tiny Treasure with Stripes

This little jewel, Ledebouria cooperi, is a tiny bulb with one leaf and an inflorescence of dusty plum blooms.

Its common name is ‘Jessop.’  It may also be called “Cooper’s False Squill.”

Each plant is smaller than a pinky finger. It lives in tight groups.

I am attaching a former blog, ‘Itty Bitty Jessop’ about this plant below, since I did not wish to dig up bulbs in the rain in my pajamas.

https://floweralley.org/?s=Itty+bitty+Jessop

FLOW

Thunder Echo During Storms

One of my most unusual bearded iris opened on this dark and rainy morning when storms are expected.

Persian Berry bearded iris

It looks very different in sunshine, but is distinguished in any light.

This is one of my slow growers that must be kept separate from the prolific spreaders like ‘Persian Berry’ from my previous post.

FLOW

The First Iris

The first bearded iris opened this morning.

Its name is ‘Persian Berry.’

Flow

Dainty Columbines

These gorgeous plants move and mix to supply surprises each spring. Their tiny, black seeds drop as the pods dry.

I have purchased many varieties over the years. The separated ones stay true to color, but the grouped varieties make new color combinations. This habit provides amazing new hues.

The white beside the lower pond has stayed white for years. This looks lovely beside the variegated Solomon’s Seal.

Most of mine are variations of pink and purples. I do have a late bloomer, double, ‘Ruby Port’, that I have kept in isolation. I will share it when it blooms.

I may have lost my tiny favorite , ‘Little Lantern’, which had gorgeous red blooms. I hope it will return.

With Columbines, one never is sure which colors will appear in the spring. That is part of the fun.

FLOW

Easy Sedums

I appreciate plants that survive and thrive on there own. Sedums do that.

Chinese Dunce Caps

I have them growing in gravel and between rocks where they were dropped during moving and transplanting.

They have lovely, various shades of green, intricate blooms and unusual shapes.

Blue Spruce sedum

If you have little time and/or energy but still want a garden, I suggest a small collection of sedums.

No-name sedums in a hypertufa trough

They change through the season and need very little care. They thrive in pots, troughs and walls. These can be kept close to sitting areas without them running wild and taking over. They are easy to move, remove and propagate.

WIN:WIN!

FLOW

Fiddle Stems

I love ferns for many reasons. I love their fronds, their sori/spore dots and their fiddle heads.

The right ferns in the right spots are nothing but joy… just add water. Here are two of my favorites which are unfurling their fiddles right now.

The bright green Holly Fern fiddles let out little, hairy leaves as they emerge from their rolled up stem.

Autumn Fern fiddles have a strange form as they unfurl.

They look like dark hairy hands held in fists on hairy arms.

These are two very easy ferns that can take some sun and neglect. That’s why they are favorites of mine. I don’t like needy plants.

FLOW

Tiny White Epimedium

As soon as the yellow and orange Epimediums reach full bloom, I start watching the tiny, white one.

Its fluttering white flowers sneak out slowly. This plant deserves close inspection.

White Epimedium

Its heart-shaped leaves and winged flowers are delicately arranged on almost invisible stems.

This is one of my tiny treasures. Two more will soon follow in posts…Chinese Dunce Caps and Jessop.

My blood runs green.

FLOWER

Never Hide Magic Eggs

Fairies are tricky. You may give them a simple task that ends in a surprise. This happened a few years ago at the egg hunt. The title was ‘Fairy Egg Hunt with a Hitch’ but maybe it should be changed to ‘Fairy Egg Hunt with a Hatch.’

You will see what I mean if you click on the link below. Like I said…They are tricky!

Fairy Egg Hunt with a Hitch

FLOW and the fairies.

Quince in a Fence

I regret having to imprison my plants, but it is for their own protection. The local deer ate this shrub down to half its size last year.

That’s why its blooms are low to the ground. Quinces usually have a more open form.

This one is Chaenomeles, Double Take, Orange Storm.

Many plants are being moved to safer locations, but I am hesitant to dig up shrubs. My garden is going through a painful transformation due to the deer problem. It has been painful for the plants and the gardener.

FLOW

White Features Form

White flowers are unusual in that the lack of color lets the shape of the flower show without distraction.

I have different flowers in their white versions scattered throughout my gardens. Thalia is a great example of this. I have many different colors of daffodils. Thalia’s shape stands out from the yellow crowd.

White also glows in the evening. Use some cooling white in sun or shade.

FLOW

Sweet, Little Epimediums

The Epimediums are very delicate looking, but don’t be fooled. They are tough little beauties.

Orange and yellow are the first to bloom. These are tucked up under Autumn ferns and shrubs.

These blooms are complex and are worth close examination.

The orange was a gift from my dear friend Steve Baldwin.

The yellow blooms and spreads like it loves its niche.

These are two of my fairy plants. The blooms seem to have tiny wings.

I love that!

FLOW

Baby Herbs, Barbie and the Little Red Wagon

This wagon was my daughter’s. Her brother had a larger one. Both are still in use.

This smaller wagon has been augmented for the purpose of temporarily housing baby plants, to move them in and out of the sun.

There is a story about this little wagon and this Barbie. How I modified the wagon and how Barbie lost her head is in the blog linked below.

Anytime we get out the wagon, somebody brings up the Barbie story and we laugh again. Enjoy!

https://floweralley.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=241

FLOW

Alberto Castillo

In March

my heart
belongs to

Alberto Castillo

Alberto Castillo.

FLOWER

Those Holes

Daffodil Hill is full of holes. These are the dens of my wild friends.

I am protective of all wildlife. I do not judge the carnivores for their roles in the ecosystem.

The are not foes to be feared. They have functions that are not as fun as the cute little nibblers.

I respect that. I will protect that.

FLOW

A New Daffodil

Several years ago I purchased a bag of bulbs labeled ‘ Sixty Days of Daffodils.’

This beauty is making its debut.

I love spring surprises!

FLOWER

Perfumed Pompoms

The Edgeworthia bush has perfumed the yard for weeks. Its dangling blooms are now poofy like pompoms.

Edgeworthia chrysantha

This paperbush has been a joy and goes great with all the happy daffodils.

FLOW

The Old Homeplace on the Hill

It is a tradition that we hike up the hill to see the thousands of daffodils when they bloom.

We did that this evening as our supper cooked.
It is a magical spot, high above the river.
There is no home there now. The house got moved down the road a ways. Only the daffodils remain.

Blooms in every direction.
Those folks must have felt like they were on top of the world, watching the river flow by below.

It is a dream. A daffodil-filled dream.

Flower

The Parked Barge

It is going to be hard to play pioneer woman when I have a barge parked across the river.
It is a constant reminder that change is coming.
It is time for me to accept this and adjust.
I am still here, so are the deer.
This is the new normal.
FLOW

My Messy Scones

I love scones but have never made any. I saw a recipe for scones with lime zest and a lime glaze.

I still have some key limes on my tree in the laundry room. I thought this would be a great use for those little green jewels.
I picked four and removed the zest with a zester.

Then juiced them for the glaze made with powdered sugar.

Spreading the coarse dough without smashing the blueberries was the hard part. I may use tiny frozen berries next time.
They turned out really messy. How did they taste?

Perfect. It was those fresh little limes that did it.

FLOW

Invisible Danger

A third Ladder-backed Woodpecker hit one of our high windows this week while we were home. This last one was lucky enough to recover and fly away. We usually keep seasonal window clings on our windows, but we were late getting the winter set up. These will stay up permanently. They are prismatic, anti-collision decals put on with only distilled water.

I will wash the lower windows later and use prismatic snowflakes. Living in a house with a lot of glass and not many blinds is hazardous for our flying friends.

I am relieved to have this task completed. I ordered these from Amazon. Look for the term “anti-collision.”

FLOW

My First Trough

I made this hypertufa garden trough almost thirty years ago.

Maiden Stone Garden Art

It was the beginning of Maiden Stone Garden Art. I spent over five years creating troughs and stepping stones and bird baths.

Stoneshrooms from Maiden Stone Garden Art

It was hard, heavy work. The last pieces linger as a reminder of my past creativity and strength.

I am thankful to sit here beside this first trough made with too little Portland cement and not enough fibers.

Old hypertufa plant trough with dunce cap in corner

I did not know what I was doing, but I was determined to follow my path.

I made some money, lots of muscle and many friends in those years.

MAIDEN STONE GARDEN ART

We are both worn by time but still standing and doing our best.

Hooray for dreams and determination.

FLOW