Bogturtle's Garden- May 1-10, 2024

The beautiful Aesculus pavia, or Red Buckeye. A huge Virginia Pine rotted at the base and fell in its direction, smashing my 'Robert' Witch Hazel and Viburnum pragense 'Decker'. Just missing the Buckeye. All parts doing damage are now cut out and a good deal heading for my chipper, shredder as mulch. The Viburnum and Witch Hazel will never quite look the same, but they survive.

A little later to come into bloom than the previously show Halesia diptera 'Silver Bell', this beautiful H. triptera blooms just where we leave the place we park our vehicles. Exceeds expectations, really. The plant explorers, from Britain, before we declared independence, came upon an amazing array of new plant sorts. Overwhelming, really. Expecially when they explored our southern mountains. This tree is found along the slopes of the mountains, where the rivers and creeks glide by.

In full bloom and high in the Spicebush, Gelsemia sempervirens was previously shown.

Our little native Iris, I cristata, again. Both 'Powder Blue Giant' and 'Tennessee White'. 

Mixed in among the vines on the fence that hides the poolside from where we park. A double flowered sort of Confederate Jasmine blooms. Never really gotten very big, but at least it is here.

Beautiful, but certainly not the real color. The Dwarf Blue Iris again. The shooting mode on my little camera says 'Flower' and so I am disappointed. Maybe 'Party' would have shown the color more accurately and brighter. 

Stylophorum diphyllum, the Wood Poppy or Celandine Poppy was blooming elsewhere, and a seed grew. The other died. I think one common name relates to celandine color, as the foliage is a silvery green. One plant I would like more of. In the constant shade of the north side of the pool deck, and under the Camellias, there. 

Included here is the white Dogwood, the pink Azaleas and Dogwood, as well as the Viburnum mariesii, with its tabled branches and the white Azalea called 'Delaware White'. All in front of the house.

Another plant I have had for years, yet remaining only one. The most reliable of the Geums for me. Geum boresii is evergreen. Really should be divided.

Another of the Japanese Painted Ferns.

The hybrid Sweetshrub, Calycanthus raulstonii 'Hartlage Wine' Growing just where we leave the parking.

Trientalis borealis, The Spring Starflower, is a native, but I make up the tale that it is in this area as a remnant population from a previous ice age, as it is typical of northern forests. Actually a shrub or woody plant, but only a few inches high, and having roots that can cover, loosely, a huge area of the forest floor. Individual flowers are less than an inch wide.

Probably a seedling of the Corydalis sold as 'Canary Feathers' and I let it grow. But it is a disappointment, as unattractive in color and with sparse flowering. The sold plant may be vastly superior, but it is not here, now, and I don't recall it, while I had it.

Clematis montana rubens is wandering among the many vines on the fence hiding the side of the pool from view. It is a beautiful evergreen, and these pale pink flowers may be of a variety called 'Mayleen'. Only about 2 inches wide, each bloom is smaller than those on the pure white sort called C. montana grandiflora. I lost that sort, years ago, and would buy it again, if I saw one in a local market.

The Bugleweed, I think Ajuga genevensis, is here even though much is eliminated. Not a problem, really, and while described as blue, it is the same blue-violet as many another plant so called. This clump is growing in the lens shaped rose bed outside the bank of windows to the addition. Comes in pink and white, also, but I think this is the original wild color.

This arching evergreen is The Drooping Leucothoe or 'Dog Hobble' of the South. It grows just where we head from house to vehicle.

Another is supposed to take on black cherry color in the Winter Sun. It never has. That one is named 'Cherry Hills'. It does not get excessive Sun, growing on the North side of the woods, at the edge of the backyard lawn. 

Iris tectorum 'Alba', the Japanese Roof Iris, but not the usual Iris blue-violet. Actually, I think, a native of China but grown on some Japanese roofs. 

Calycanthus 'Hartlage Wine' again.

OOne of three different sorts of the southern Honeysuckle species called Lonicera sempervirens. This is 'Major Wheeler'. It grows on the frame for the swing bench.

Above are the other two clones of our Southern native. Yellow colored 'John Clayton' and orange 'Magnificum'. If I can find a good photo of the latter, when it dominated the pole at one corner of the fence around the pool deck, I will post it. It doesn't look so magnificent with many another plant competing there with it, now.

Two of these Rhododendron 'Purple Passion are on the property. One a little too far back behind the bird feeder and the other, reluctant to bloom, on the drive out from where I park my truck. The photo hardly does the flower justice, as it glows with a sort of irridescence.