Bogturtle's Garden- Sept. 1- 30, 2022

Bignonia 'Madame Galen', a Trumpet Vine is growing in a Holly Tree at one end of the pool. Growing here, for several years, and finally a few blooms. A terrible invasive, but so beautiful I allow it there. This hybrid between the American Species, confusingly either Bignonia or Campsis radicans and the Chinese species, B or C grandiflora is named 'Madame Galen' and then either B or C tagliabuana. What a mess.

This is the other Bignonia on the property. Bignonia capreolata, the Crossvine. One pole at one end of the pool deck and blooming just a few flowers at a time all Summer, after that massive Spring bloom.

The above 3 taken with my iphone are not as crystal clear as I get with my little Finepix Camera or the trail cameras. The last photo is of a Morning Glory, 'Orange Noah'. Once more confusion. Some call it Ipomea coccinea or Convolvulus coccineus.  Definitely orange, but the seller did not tell that the blooms are no more than a half inch across.  I was sure I had lost this annual, but one bloomed in an unexpected place. If seeds form I may save them, but with all I get involved with, that is iffy. Glad to find it still here, though. 

Cooper's Hawks nested in the woods for many years. I no longer hear them nesting, and don't see the young pestering the adults, after leaving the nest, but here one came down, possibly for a drink. 

This photo tricked me. No Frogs this Summer, for the first time. But a strange creature seems to be in the far left side of the little pool. No Frog, but the reflection of an extremely brightly lit Squirrel, drinking at the pool as they do all day. 

So on 9/4, after assuming the disturbances in the water's surface, when I approached the pool were the Guppies I added, I sat down for a while. Two small Frogs are there. Cannot, yet, tell if they are Bullfrogs or Greenfrogs. They look like the same sort, and if one is a male and gets through Winter, I may be able to tell by the noise the males make.

Quite a few little flower clusters on Buddlea weyerianna 'Honeycomb'. I think the Deer did browse and the plant has since rebranched with many smaller clusters of bloom. This is over a large planter with a Missouri Primrose plant just in view. They  bloomed beautifully, with disproportionally big flowers for the plant, and should do fine this Winter. Not evergreen, I am sure. 

So happy to have Lycoris radiata blooming. Surprised by the color. Seems sort of washed out red-orange. Amazing displays on youtube  of these blooms in Japan.      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8FZ1cXWhTM      After familiarity with L. squamigira and the not hardy enough L. aurea, the size of these blooms is underwhelming. Perhaps each about two inches wide, and those in Japan seem so much bigger.  But I was unsure it would come back, and this is its third September to bloom.  A dull, rainy day, and Sunlight does so much for flower photos. 

Mostly interested if I post this. Nice that the little pool pump still works.  I thought it had failed. Will leave it in pool again. Below ice that forms, so it should be fine again. Good to see the Parrot Feather and Asclepias incarnata increasing. And I can detect the Guppies. They seem to like the oxygenated water the little waterfall gives. No Frogs, although two were there a day or so ago. A mystery.

A Blue Jay takes a selfie. Very noisy, rather intelligent birds, with a varied selection of noises, but they are completely silent in nesting season. The trail camera cannot focus well when the subject is close.

Box Turtles are common here. This is a large male, as those have red eyes. Would prefer the turtle pose, with legs and head extended, and in the Sun, but they vary from completely bold to hopelessly shy and certainly don't cooperate. 

Euonymus alata 'Compacta' and a Sweet Potato vine. The Burning Bush has had some color for months, and looks like it will soon be losing these red leaves. 

The large pot has Digitalis purpurea 'Alba' and will winter evergreen and then bloom, set seed and die, next year. A Biennial, and so I will try to plant only some of the saved seed, to have flowers every year.  The Missouri Primrose is there, and may flower next Spring. And the Perennial Butterfly Weed, Asclepias tuberosa has a seed pod that burst open. I won't save the seed, as I have many of these plants, none spectacular, and not in a full range of yellow to deepest scarlet, but some of the young ones have not bloomed yet. So maybe.

Deer proof plants, apparently. I will see if, in desperation, they graze the deadly poisonous Digitalis. I doubt that. 

Plants have come and gone, here. And I thought the marauding Deer had done in Hibiscus moscheutos 'Blue River 2', which has grown for years behind the pool. But it has bloomed, enclosed in a wire cylinder of hardware cloth actually placed there to protect a different species, entirely, Hibiscus Coccinea, which usually blooms red. The plants are weakened and reduced in size by the Deer. It is neat that H. Coccinea has seeded to give 2 younger ones right up against the pool supports. 

Finally able to give time and attention to the little rock garden and main perennial bed. Here is a photo of the Butterflyweed, that has endured in the rock garden for at least 20 years. And, again, I will not collect these seeds, that will sail away on the wind. I have enough young ones coming on. And, thanks to the ubiquitous Squirrels, a Black Walnut tree is thriving, after one buried a walnut and forgot it or died. A foot at a time, I will claim the area back, now that the days are cool enough. Before and after photos are always encouraging.