Bogturtle's Garden- April 14-end

 So much already, so I started a new section. 

Below are the two additions of plants that I did have, but, strangely, were lost. 

One is the Scottish Heather, but in the white-flowered clone, as I steer away from the normal color very often. 

And the other the Yellow Fumetory, or Corydalis lutea, just repurchased, after weedy as it it, I somehow lost it. The new plant is small and not blooming yet.

This photo of C. lutea is from a few years ago, when it seemed to be thriving in the rock garden. The new one is there now, but buds have not formed.

Asarum europaeum ,I think. And the neatest little ground cover. Maybe some botanist now calls this as part of the Genus Hexastylis, not Asarum. 

Epimedium wareleyense, I think. And I am looking forward to this plant increasing.

A low growing Epimedium called E. nivea, I think. The snow white flowers are not a common color in the Genus, while there are others. 

The Japanese Flowering Quince keeps looking better and better.

Finally getting the tiny Phlox sublata 'Alba' going.  Long ago, while I needed to save money, raising a family, I passed up the huge amount of this plant, at $2 for a two foot circle on a bushel basket lid. Every local farm market featured them.  I paid a lot more for the one I got about 3 years ago.

It is growing at one end of the lens shaped bed, just outside the bank of windows on the addition. The main plants, there, are 6 bushes of Red Knockout Rose, that are coming on especially well this year. 

The white flowered Bleeding Heart in another place on the property. In the bank of shrubs that is in front of a fence that hides the potting bench and nursery area from where I sit to eat my meals. But that beautiful plant did not catch my attention. What did was the bluish Anemone 'Robinsinianna'. I had been disappointed that that tiny perennial did not appear to be here, this year.  But several were blooming, hardly competing with the overwhelming periwinkle vine, that is intent on taking over the planet. 

Not a match for the photos published by places that want to sell this little, almost blue colored Anemone. But a pleasant surprise, since I thought it had just joined the huge list of plants planted here that did not take. Flowers are a little over an inch wide.

Comparing photos, this is not Dames Rocket.  Identified for me, by a reader, as Garlic Mustard.

 I planted seed of the normally purplish pink Dames Rocket, Hesperis matronalis, and the rare, white-flowered sort. Too weedy, entirely, when I wanted other plants in the main perennial area.  But this plant has bloomed over by the tool shed or barn for the second year in a row.  I will have to google for the leaf shape, or try to find old photos of the two sorts that I disliked and pulled out. 

Dames Rocket is another, old fashioned 'Cottage Garden' plant. And, for maybe the third time, Cottage Garden choices go back to the time when gardeners, hired by the wealthy in Britain, would take cuttings or seeds from the gardens of their wealthy employers back home to their humble cottages.

And, here again, is another plant with a story I've told before. My mom got me the book from Reader's Digest about gardening. They listed plants super easy to grow. They picked plants now called 'thugs'.

So the rapidly growing, overwhelming vine Akebia was suggested. Stand back. You will succeed in growing Akebia. Five lobes in the leaves, so it is Akebia quinata, and I chose the white flowered sort, rather than the one with dull purplish flowers. Supposedly scented like chocolate. 

It has run off in all directions, in a rather sneaky and surprising manner. 

Still, too nice to eradicate, if that is possible. 

Every day, as I walk to my truck, I have appreciated how well the Hen and Chicks are doing. Better than ever and better than I expected. Of course, if any rosettes starts to go to seed, I pull the elongated individual out and discard it. Not interested in seed. Years ago I purchased a collection of varying sorts and have been moving them around since. 

Chaenomeles ' Cameo' , spelling unchecked. And this is the best it will be, this year. In life, much more showy, and my camera seems to be doing that. 

Taken through the door.

Our houseplants are survivalists and tough. The Easter Cactus has bloomed sparsely, and the miniature orchid is really a tough little plant. One or two ice cubes added to the pot, weekly, seems enough.

The bed of Epimedium sulfureum, we pass on the way to the vehicles, has been here for 20 years I cannot say if fertilization would help, but for appearance, trimming the tattered winter foliage down certainly helps the display.

I know most weeds were taken out, and most perennials are still emerging. 

Easy to see how out of place the Daffodils are, as they hide all the appropriate rock garden plants. I expect I will dig them up, as they show dying down for the Summer. 

I had square yards of this little, evergreen creeper Mazus repens 'Alba' in the lens shaped Rose bed outside the addition. Last Summer's extended drought did most of it in. Small patches, mostly not blooming, are here and there and I do expect them to spread again. Water for watering was available and I will try to prevent the loss in the future. 

Really brilliant in the Sun, but my camera disappoints. Corydalis spectabilis 'Alba', again. 

A speedwell not speeding. A small sample of this ground-hugging Veronica. Maybe the sort called 'Georgian Blue'. Really a true blue color, but needing protection, as so many plants would simply shade it out or otherwise out compete it. Over in the main perennial bed.

This is another plant that I once had, and I planted a new one. Such a good price at a 'big box' store, when I was picking up stuff to renew the lawn. Geum 'Lady Strathedon', and very much like Geum borisii, or Geum 'King Boris'. That is not budded yet. It is evergreen and among the first of all rock garden gems planted here. I assume the newly planted is evergreen also. 

Very close to the true color, at last. Anemone nemorosa 'Robinsonniana'.

Amelanchier stolonifera, I believe. The 'Running Shadbush'. Has yet to run on me. 

Among the shrubs or trees that are in front of the screen that hides the potting bench, etc. from view from the house. 

The underused shrub Fothergilla and the sort 'Mt Airey'. As useful for the brief blooming of the 'bottle brush' fragrant flowers as for the brilliant scarlet it will take on in Fall, if in the Sun.  In the circle made by the drive. Being able to have that circle is a great convenience if company visits. It would be interesting to see how many modern folk could even picture a bottle brush. 

The other Shadbush, Shadblow, Shadberry that may be A. canadensis. It was here when I walked into the woods contemplating buying the acreage. In the circle the drive makes. Have never tried to catch or even eat a Shad, but when this tree is in bloom, they are supposed to be coming up the rivers to spawn. 

Right at where we exit where we park, and very tall. Probably Viburnum carlesii. This smells like baby powder to me. The waxy flowers and pink buds makes me think it is a tall form of V. carlesii. I did have V. c. compactum for many years. Then it suddenly died. Cannot say why.

The little wildflower called the Rue Anemone is doing well, and my tendency to jump the gun and photograph too early is shown by this latest photoa.

Asarum splendens, an oriental species, has been here for years, but never has amounted to much. Cannot say why, but it may be that slugs limit and damage it. And a repellent does seem to work.

But this year, the leaves in this little clump are still expanding and look especially good. 

 

Another example of my jumping the gun, this ground hugging Veronica is looking better and better, and in an area with little competition, since I severely weeded. 'Georgia Blue' as I said before. 

Epimedium nivea, perhaps, and probably not going to look better, this year.

Probably at its best, right now, Green and Gold is, properly, Chrysogonum virginica, I think. To its right, the colony of Lily of the Valley is slowly expanding. Eventually, because it is taller, it may dominate the Green and Gold. It is not quite in bloom now.

A bush of the double flowered Kerria grows just into the woods, at the rear of the house. K. japonica 'Plena'. Definitely think it will become a spreading colony.

I have no idea what these young Raccoons are finding to eat. Perhaps insects. I want to introduce fish from the wild and tadpoles or a frog, but have to net the fish or tadpoles, and, maybe, a frog might come. They travel in on a rainy night. Presumedly from where they have some population pressure. And, unfortunately, they may leave in the same manner. 

The little pool is ready for fish and a frog, and the pump, that makes a little waterfall, is operational. And two plants are just introduced. One, the yellow flowered Marsh marigold, Caltha palustris. A common wildflower, although I have not seen it locally.  A warning to anyone is that this plant is confused, often, with the worst invasive I have ever seen. That is Ranunculas ficaria, that has many interesting and decorative clones. But I avoid it at all costs. It, presently, is filling acres of wetlands in many States, out competing many wildflowers. 

The other, surprisingly, did not get through the Winter here. That is called Parrot Feather, and generally is submersed but growing out of the water. I think it did survive other Winters. 

Gardening always have big and little surprises. I planted the seeds of a sort of Forget-Me-Not in the large pot that has a yellow barked Japanese Maple. Very dry for the little blue flower, and so, blooming this year while only 4 inched high and escaped into the damper ground not far from the little pool. 

Unlikely I will save any seed, but may dig up and move one little plant to just by the pool edge, where water is dependable. Maybe a permanent feature in the area, which is fine. And a white flowered Forget-Me-Not is blooming in the pot with another Japanese Maple, and I am sure I never planted that. Didn't even know any would bloom white. 

Two forms of Viburnum pragense are on the property. This evergreen would not be my choice for the blooms, but I like that it is green all year. The blooms seem scentless, to me.  A hybrid between two species, I think. V. utilis and a more familiar one, V. rhitidophylum. That has bigger leaves, and dependable evergreen, but hangs the leaves like sad hound's leaves, all Winter. V. pragense generally doesn't so badly. The other form of V. pragense is V.p.'Decker' and how it differs from the other is a mystery to me. 

In the circle, in the lawn, new, young Azaleas were put in. Bought locally, and ordered especially to replace the old ones called 'Tradition'.  With too much on my mind, I had allowed the fine old ones to get too leggy, and sections died off. Azaleas need trimming back before July 4, here, if you want neat bushes with Spring bloom.  But the local nursery gave me one older one they have and newer ones, they recently got. Both is the same light, and, obviously not the same color. I will keep the plants, but I know buyers would and should expect the real 'Tradition'. That is lighter pink and each flower shows some doubling. 

Not accurate in color, while on the setting called 'flower'. The magenta colored Cottage Garden plant will always be welcome here, while not among the regular perennials. It would overwhelm so many that don't grow so vigorously. The Money Plant, Lunaria biennis, really is a biennial, and the seed pods look like silvery coins. 

Can't brag about the quality of photos, here, but a light bloom is on Kerria japonica 'White Flowered'. The shrub is slowly spreading along the exit drive from where we park the vehicles. Called 'white', it is, actually, a beautiful palest yellow. 

The Silverbell Tree, at the edge of the woods, on the far side of the lawn, is already dropping its flowers. A tree that I understand grows on the hillsides in our Southern mountains. The one with seeds with two wings, Halesia diptera. Tall now, so I cannot easily get closeups of the flowers. 

Back there, also, in the shrub border to the lawn,  another of the Fothergilla is growing. F. 'Blue Shadow' will have bluish green leaves that color quite nicely each Fall.

In the lens shaped bed with the Knockout Roses, the Bugleweed, which really is like a weed, blooms. It would spread and I continually pull it out, while always having enough. And the color does not carry well, when I photograph it. Once again, hardly blue. Must be that bees, etc. really like blue-violet. Nice to know the plant can be found with white or pinkish flowers, also. Scattered all over here, actually.

And here is the white Forget-Me-Not, and while I am forgetful, I am sure I never ordered the plant or seeds. It is growing with exposed crocus bulbs, in the pot that has the red-barked Japanese Maple called 'Fjelheim', up against the huge Kerria, with its double yellow flowers. 

 

Blogger does not allow delete, cut or getting rid of images mistakenly posted. 

The big red Dogwood has gotten so tall it cannot easily be seen in bloom from the bedroom window. This view is the only way to show it.  The native white one has few blooms this year, but another wild one is well in bloom further into the woods behind that one. The 'Celebration' Azaleas have lots of honeysuckle invading. Another job for me.  And I think, once again, the colors give away that I have made other purchases as 'Celebration' that were mislabeled at the nursery. 

A line of the Spanish Squill, Scilla hispanica, is in the area between the house and path. I did plant, alternately, this wild blue-violet color, pink and white, in organized fashion, between the Azaleas and the front walk. Few seem to be there, but a lot of seeds developed into ones growing, now, in the stones of the front walk. Too nice to pull out, I think. And the blue-purple dominates in color, but there are various shades, which will be shown here, when fully in bloom.

The Spanish Squill is like the famous Blue Bell of British woods, but I think that is Scilla nonscripta. 

Scilla hispanica is now in many places on the property, but all are the wild color.

And I have seen many a plant wander from my plans. The southern vine, Carolina Jessamine or Gelsemium sempervirens, I think, was planted to grow on the lattice fence behind the little rock garden. It has spread up into the shrubs behind the fence. I'll go with that. I think it smells nice, while the odor is not prominent. 

Viburnum plicata 'Popcorn' is probably the most impressive shrub here. And I may put another photo up if the individual clusters get bigger. Sometimes its hard to see the leaves on some areas.

Few houseplants here. And, generally, those that endure neglect. The miniature pale yellow orchid seems to bloom for weeks. And the generally neglected African Violet is having a few flowers. The Easter Cactus is past, but was appreciated. 

Eventually I will figure out how to delete photos, since there no longer is the 'cut' option given me. 

Because I like to take before and after photos of any project, I had re-roofed the little pump house in back of the pool. And I then stained the roof sections with the same silvery stain I use on my house siding and the recently renovated bench by the little, artificial pond or pool. I will save that photo as the 'after' in my collection. 

A number of unlabeled, or out of order, photos of Rhododendron 'My Jane'.  It blooms beautifully across the back yard from the house. Rather a straw yellow.   Since I have had trees cleared to bring more Sun to the roof, planning solar panels, the Rhododendron may become denser. Another benefit is my vegetable garden will be sunnier. And I included the photo just above, as the Sun made it look so good, and almost every bud was open.