Bogturtle's Garden- April 1-13,2025

 Scilla siberica is a unique color. In several places on the property, but I see only this clump, so far. Probably from a single bulb that has increased over many years. In the stones of the front walk.

Happy to see the Gray Foxes visiting. And always glad to see what I think is a pair.

The next video is of a squirrel being a pest in a new way, as if they need another way to annoy.

Corylopsis spicata would look alot better, but the squirrels have left off feeding beneath the nearby bird feeder and eat the flowers. I did forget to turn off the TV.

This is the ground hugging native, perhaps not of NJ, Green and Gold. Chrysogonum virginianum.  Inch wide flowers, and I think the foliage is evergreen. Growing here against the back of the house, under the kitchen window. A truly trouble free perennial. 

Did wonder what the noise was, as it doesn't sound like a raccoon munching. But its rain hitting the havahart trap I used to trap a groundhog, last week. 

Strange that when I post a photo I cannot cut it, and make it disappear, as I did in blogger for years. 

The Camellia 'Red Jade'.

Epimedium sulfureum. I trimmed it to the ground with the string trimmer, just so the flowers would be easier to see. By and large, Epimedium plants are rather expensive, so I am glad that, in time, one plant is now thriving in about 4 increasing patches on the property.  And these plants seem to out compete the periwinkle that covers the property like a sheet in many places. 

Unfortunately the red flowered sort I think was E. montanum is not here, or I have not seen it yet. 

And there are three other sorts, not developed enough to photograph, to date. 

 A patch of Viola odoratum. The lawn and many other places show a scattering of this typical violet color, along with some white, and a separate species, even more a weed, called V. sororia 'Freckles'.

Then there is a clone of V. odoratum that is quite a dark red and another, not thriving at all, that is an unusual yellow and apricot. V. odoratum sulfureum, I think. Why it does not thrive is a mystery. The other colors do fine.

Most annoying that the camera does not report the strong pink of the Magnolia that is at the far corner of the house. Shown recently in a photo from inside the bedroom. 

But the common Forsythia looks great. 

 Amazing number of plants, big and small, brought in. Some great successes, some gone. Always the way it works, I think. Here we have a plant that came back several years and seemed to be gaining. Then it was gone.  But here, apparently a seedling, Anomenella, the Rue Anemone, has shown up, and very weakly. Maybe it will gain in this new spot beneath the Camellia japonica 'Red Jade', that is now dropping its blooms. 

Another sudden loss, years ago Clematis armandii 'Snow Drift' was on a post, all alone, on the walk to the barn. Why it died I cannot say. But another, certainly not alone, is in the great mix of vines on the fence that blocks the view of the pool, just behind the main perennial bed. Blooming scattered among all the other vines, wanted or invading. It has a beautiful vanilla scent, with flowers only about an inch and a half wide. 

This photo is from years ago, when Clematis armandii was thriving on a 4x4 post that used to be part of the fencing for the chicken yard. You could smell the vanilla scent if you walked by. 

Still coming into bloom, this Flowering Quince 'Iwai Nishiki' looks like it is lit within. 

Few blooms on the extended branches, developing. 

At least this year.  But its in a place where I will continue to prune it, as it seems to be able to become huge.  Much too big and shade making for where it is. On the sunny side of the little rock garden.

Pieris 'Cavantine' is a most dependable evergreen, here. On the North side of the little rock garden. Surely 5 feet tall, now.

Growing so nicely in a pot, in back of the pool. I cut off the roots underneath and moved it to the little landing. Flowering Quince 'Cameo' has only a few flowers, but they are the unique color pink one sees in a piece of jewelry carved from a Conch shell. 

 Never really multiplying, and it should, this is another yellow flowered species called Epimedium colchicum.

All over the property. Viols sororia 'Freckles'  and Viola odorata 'Alba'. Sororia is one plant that you will always have, as it is likely to seed about successfully. Too successfully, but it is a small and pretty plant. 

And here is the unusually colored E. waryleyense. Not too many are orange flowered. And, although I did not string trim away any foliage, the flowers do show off. Multiplying nicely under the Camellias in the main perennial bed.

Still fascinated with technology, and this Christmas present, where what is caught on the solar powered camera on the little feeding station shows up on my phone. Getting those photos or videos into the computer, for this blog, is still too many steps for me to recall, so here is a photo of a male and female Cardinal, taken with my little camera and then onto the little card and then that is put in the computer. Still a lot of steps, and I think someone could even get what is going on to show on my TV set. And all trivial, really. 

And here is a pair of Chipping Sparrows camped out and chowing down. My grandson has set up his own feeding station, at his house, and is amazed how much they eat. So, I say again, having an appetite like a bird really means you eat an awful lot. 

A stickler sometimes, I will post this beautiful plant when Sun is behind it. Really rainy weather today.

Without looking it up, I think this is the white flowered clone of the Bleeding Heart, Corydalis spectabilis my guess. 

Happy to say I finally found an almost weed that I lost. Planted now in the rock garden. The Yellow Fumitory, Corydalis lutea. Not common in the trade now, but an old fashioned and usually very easy little plant. Doesn't look like much now.

The circle in the middle of the lawn now has a line of transplanted rock garden Daffodils, that will be overshadowed by the clumps of Daylily as Summer comes on. They will have died down anyway. Not too many blooms, but that is not surprising, them being new here.