Bogturtle's Garden- October 1-15, 2024

Red Admiral Butterfly

 

Dwarf Lilyturf, Dwarf Mondo Grass, Dwarf Lirope. Ophiopogon japonicus.  Green all year round and only 2 or 3 inches tall, it is one of the plants that absolutely needs protection from being buried by neighbors. A miniature Veronica was left with it. Appropriately planted in the little Rock Garden.

Years ago a neighbor gave me this perennial Aster. Few blooms, as it is in the shade of the large Holly, but always appreciated. Certainly not blue, and nobody should call it that, but a pale violet blue, and my camera is not faithfully recording it.

The favorite of them all, Morning Glory 'Heavenly Blue' never blooms here until this time of year. A mystery. There is a sort called 'Heavenly Blue, Clark's Early'. I will see if I can order that. And they never form seed for me either. 

This common house plant should grow and hang over the edges. Called 'Wandering Jew', Tradescantia zebrina. 

Among the easiest of house plants, with one sort getting pink tints along with the white stripes. 

This is the Mahonia 'Winter Sun' that has been here many years. But I see no buds, being now in such complete shade. Amazingly able to bloom in Midwinter, and it is too bad it may not, now. Developed in Ireland, where Winters are often milder than in N. Jersey, and one lesson to be gotten from this plant is that we buy genetic potential. It was so sad the provider apologized that it was the sad last one they could offer. But I knew, and it has been more beautiful each year. 

Curious if the Parrot Feather waterplant will survive the Winter. The White Cloud Mountain Fish did not survive the Summer, after purchase last Spring. A hardy fish, so it is a mystery, but they might not tolerate acid water. 

I think this is the Sedge 'Blue Bunny'.  It is multiplying by seed around in several areas. Have never seen seed heads, but they must have come at sometime.

The Siberian Cypress needed moving into a sunnier place, and it is doing very well. Turns a strange rust brown for the Winter. 

The Deciduous Holly, Opaca verticellata is by the little pond in these two sorts. The golden 'Harvest Gold', and 'Red Sprite'.

Finally got to weeding the little rock garden and it is sad how much bare soil it there, with some plants simply gone. Possibly just overwhelmed by the weeds. This Euonymous, possibly E. broxensis, from the Bronx NY botanical gardens, originally, was purchased from a Seattle nursery long since out of business. It survived the burial and has slowly expanded. Faithfully evergreen and extremely dwarf. 

For the second time, and after many years, I have added some Cyclamen to the collection. C. hederacea, but with really silvery foliage, and very unusual. Years ago I planted a few out of doors and the many Turkeys, we had visiting in those years, must have found the little leaves a real curiosity. They were eaten, even though common sense would say the low growing plants would be intolerable, as many such are.   So this time, with Wild Turkeys inexplicably rare, I put most in the planter inside the screened porch. Rather expensive, so I don't want some other curious wildlife eating the leaves. The light should be bright enough, as these plants can grow in complete shade. I will see if they will bloom next Fall, as none had buds. Species of hardy Cyclamen do bloom in Spting, and one of those, I think, is C. coum. That one plant is on this side of the Rose bushes just outside the bank of windows to this room. 

Always interested in getting silvery or blue foliaged plants, and there are many here.

The three in the front of the house, that have colored up as much as they probably will. The closest is a white Dogwood. Just beyond that is a Viburnum, V. mariesi, and the biggest is a red Dogwood. 

 

A little foolish in retrospect, but at Home Depot, years ago, I saw this particular clone of Maple with a name that implied it would color up red. I had seen, the previous Fall, in a shopping center where they planted the sort 'October Glory'. All spectacular. So with not too many highly colored trees around my house, I decided on this red. It is in among other trees and holds its red leaves very briefly. I had better ways to spend my money, although it was very cheap.

Three Monarch Butterflies were flitting about the 'Honeycomb' Buddlea. Could not get close. Then, I suppose, they will continue going South  and across the Gulf of Mexico to a special area for wintering. They hang by the millions on the trees there.