Bogturtle's Garden- May 1-10

 

A bad choice to divide April into only two sections. So much goes on. The photo, below' was taken yesterday, 4/29.

While the Azalea 'Tradition' lines the front walk, the white Azalea 'Delaware White' is up against the front porch and outside the front window, outside the master bedroom.

Only as the Azalea 'Delaware White' got tall enough to get some Sun did it really start to bloom. But it should be cut down, being now too tall. We have the mass of Rhododendron, planned to block views into the bedroom, and don't need these fine plants blocking the view. 

Among the tangle of vines covering the lattice that blocks the view of the pool side from where we park, is this Clematis montanum of the variety, I think, called 'Mayleen'.

The Silverbell Tree that has 3 little wings on the seed capsule is named Halesia triptera. It blooms by the walk to the barn/tool shed, where the vehicles leave where we park. 

Really difficult to see, the blooms on the hybrid Calycanthus called 'Hartlidge Wine'. Many a plant is now very tall and I have to use my zoom lens to get close, and these blooms are dark. But a few are lower down, so I can get a closeup. Really unique in color.

How very strange that a Aesculus, or Buckeye, was purchased as A. pavia and did bloom red in some past years. At least I think so.

But performing beyond expectation, the other one purchased as A. pavia just looks better and better each year. At the edge of the woods behind the above ground pool.

Out changing the little card in the camera over the little pool, I was curious about a disturbance in the water. Seemed more that what an insect might do. Sure enough, this new little turtle was desperately swimming, and would have exhausted itself. I cannot say it is a common Box Turtle, as it looks very different. But that is the only kind of land turtle locally, to my knowledge. Rescued, now. I hope it doesn't wander back and fall in again. 

Almost microscopic, and less than a foot tall. This Forget-Me-Not is from a seed that fell from last season's bloom in the large pot by the little pool. May its tribe increase.

This is the only clump of bloom on Rhododendron 'Purple Passion'. Over in the shrubs near the little pool and the bird feeder, and with the trees removed for coming solar panels on the roof, it will get more Sun, so it should do better. My camera does not do it justice, really. 

Calycanthus 'Hartledge Wine'.

Spent serious weeding time, and the wanted plants are thriving. Often shown Asarum splendens, the Painted Fern, Asarum niponicum.

This grows among the trees and shrubs in front of the house.  I think its what is called the Doublefile Viburnum, V. mariessi. 

This seems a better photo than the last, but there still seems no way to completely get rid of a picture saved to this blog, if no longer wanted. There was a 'cut' choice, in times past. 

And, of course, I would choose the rarer, white flowered clone of the Japanese Roof Iris. I. tectorum alba. I believe it is a Chinese native but actually grown on roofs in Japan. It must be a place with dependable rain.

I always prefer Sun, as I publish photos, but here it is not a good choice. The same area as in a previous photo, but some plants are simply lost in the shadows.

Trientalis borealis, The Spring Star Flower, grows as an actual deciduous shrub, while only about 6 inches tall, throughout areas here. And it may be part of a great story. S. Jersey would have been at the south end of great sheets of ice, ages ago. When they retreated, some Northern plants were left as remnants. I don't think this plant is nearly as common in the richer woods of Northern NJ but may be found in the far North, having advanced North with the retreating glaciers. Just my surmise, perhaps. 

A relic plant. 

This fine evergreen, perhaps Leucothoe axialaris, is known as the Dog Hobble. And I can see that a hunting dog would never get through it. A southern shrub doing beautifully here. And the thousands of creamy white little flowers show it is a member of the vast Heath tribe, like Heather and Blueberry.

This little Iris, Iris cristata, is native to our South. A beautiful lavender blue, and this photo denies that. Some defect in the camera, I suspect. And it may be a variety known for larger than normal flowers, given the silly name of 'Powder Blue Giant'. Not really powder blue and with blooms about two inches across. I planted a white flowered clone. Have not seen the flowers on that, so I really cannot say if it is still here. 

The southern tree, Styrax obassia is blooming by the tool shed. But next to it, just opening its buds, is Styrax japonica 'Emerald Tower'. And that plant is from Korea, Japan, China. Illustrating how, once again, genera of plants here are represented, also, in eastern Asia. 

This microscopic plant was put beside the little pool but has wandered to sparsely cover yards of ground. Isomochroma fluviatilis, the Blue Star Creeper from New Zealand has another scientific name. Unfortunate. And, of course, I would buy the much rarer white flowered clone. Each bloom is only a quarter of an inch across and the plant is the lowest of groundcovers.  More blooms may come, so it might be shown again. 

The most spectacular red Rhododendron I know of. R. 'Francesca' blooms across the yard from the kitchen window. Earlier, blooming more and better than the old sort of 'Iron Clad' variety, that is also a red. Only now coming into bloom.

This non-pyramidal growing Blue Spruce variety called 'Thume', is tucked in, now, in the bank of shrubs in front of the screen that hides the messy potting area behind the pool. Its the extraordinary blue color of the new growth that attracted me. 

After sitting where I eat and work on the computer, 6 feet from this feeder, I finally found a Hummingbird that sat long enough for me to get my camera, set it on zoom, and video, and actually succeed. This is a female Ruby-Throat. Our only species in the eastern US. Usually a pair chooses an area, and vigorously defend their claim. Vast amounts of squabbling with interlopers.  And the reflection in the window brings lots of drama, also.