Bogturtle's Garden- May 21 to end, 2025

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The wall of greenery that I see out the bedroom window. We bought the Rhododendron when we moved in and it is now, I guess, about as tall as any I have ever seen. Getting new plants is simple. I scrape the bottom of outside branches, that naturally tend to rest on the ground, and cover them with soil for a year. Then I can cut them off with the shovel, dig them up, as they are well rooted by then, and move them where I want. 

 


Fothergilla 'Blue Shadow' was an immediate choice, and now in several places on the property. It blooms nicely and even colors in soft orange in Fall. 


 

As I walk around I see plants that are losing out and need rescue  Above is one. Lamium 'White Nancy' should be thriving here. It likes a bright, shady place. I will have to move it or get other plants back from it. Maybe it likes less acid soil. Sometimes sources let you know preferences, and some plants can be very fussy. It should be a fine low ground cover, covered with white flowers.



Here's another. With a ridiculous name of Lamiastrum galeobdolon 'Herman's Pride', that has fine lemon yellow flowers, and should be a spreading low ground cover. Simply crowded out, perhaps. 


Herman's Pride as it was. several years ago.




Once again, I got my finger into the photo. But this plant is certainly thriving. Its the more unusual white-flowered form of Geranium sanguineum, I think. The normal form has pink flowers, and so I would choose white. Among the plants, as are the others needing rescue, in the main perennial bed. 



Great drama as a squirrel manages to get to the new, solar powered, bird feeder, with camera. Generally an amusing discussion with anyone about squirrels, what actual and destructive pests they are and how they almost always defeat any efforts to keep them away from the bird feeders. This on also has a baffle, so they can't climb up. But I think this acrobat jumped from a nearby small tree. So I was able to double the length of the cable from the solar panel to the feeder, so no trees were within leaping distance. Seems it is working. This is a recent photo of a male White-Throated Sparrow. 



The very best I can do. Used the zoom feature on my little Finepix camera to photo the Kentucky Wisteria. Some may be on the lattice fence surrounding the pool deck, but I see no bloom. The rest has climbed to the very top of the Holly tree, and to provide more Sun to the house roof, that was cut off. But a few blooms are way up there. A pale lilac color, and scentless, but never as overwhelming as the more magnificent Oriental sorts of Wisteria. 




This is the Honeysuckle 'Mandarin'. It is growing on the cedar tree in the circle we use to come and go. But I ordered another, from another seller, also called Mandarin and not the same. A flaw in what is sold by folk to the public. Which is the real one is a mystery to me.


Clematis 'Ramona' again. The blooms seem to last and last, and gradually fade in tone.


Years ago I found this Mountain Laurel, and it was only $5, where they are usually 4x as much or more, in this area. At any rate, I had no idea what color the flowers were and it never bloomed for all the years it has been here. Maybe 10! Finally, and now 4 foot high. These shrubs are one of the commonest in the pine barrens, North of here, and look like banks of clouds off in the woods, as you drive. Usually pink to white in color, not this strong red of the sort called Kalmia latifolia 'Richard Jaynes'.


Another sort of Honeysuckle, likely European, and this one has an odor. L. pericymenum 'G.S.Thomas'.
Originally added to the trellis that hides the pool from where we park, to the back of the main perennial bed. But like so many vines, it has wondered where it will. 



And here is another plant that I limit, annually, but can depend upon having it. A sort of Evening Primrose called Oenothera tetragona, and one can see that the pistil is divided in 4 (tetra).


I moved the potted up Flowering Quince, called 'Cameo' and replaced it with this sort of Jasmine. Cannot say if it has a smell. Never checked, and it has flowered lightly. Certainly not what any nursery would show, to sell the plant. A few flowers, and I don't even, especially, care for pink. Unsure, but I think it is a hybrid called Gesimine stephenense. Probably could be very showy. The underwhelming appearance is in the photo below.




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