Bogturtle's Garden- August 1-15. 2025

 

Physiostygia virginica in another place I planted it.  The plant is likely to wander, though, as many a perennial will. There is one pink flowered clone called 'Miss Manners' that is said to stay in place better. Any dates on photos are just nonsense.

Three efforts at what was super easy in the past. Mimosa pudica is the Sensitive Plant, that will colapse its leaves suddenly, if they are touched. I wanted to gift a little plant to a young person, as I was sure they would be fascinated. It also has pink fluffy flowers. A super easy annual, I thought. I think the soil mix I bought was bad. At any rate, here are a couple of plants that might live. From seed that was hard to find, but not too pricey. Listed in a favorite house plant catalog at about $15 each, + shipping. Fine, if they can get that, but not from me. And the plant is reputed to be somewhat a weed, if your not careful. I have wanted it for several years and none I ever grew were pests. 

Looks like there will be a steady parade of these blooms from the Moonflower vines around. Each flower fading before noon, after one night open.

Along with the first of the tiny orange Morning Glories I know as 'Orange Noah'. Another annual successfully saved from other years. And the double-flowered yellow Kerria japonica 'Plena' just seems to have a few random blooms quite off season. 

Also in several places on the property and shown in July. Lycoris squamagira. I have grown other species. None came back, while  listed as hardy in my 7A zone. 

The Four-O-Clocks are blooming. Another annual whose seeds I save. A few in pots, and nothing to brag about. But I'm glad I have them. And, strangely, I cannot tell you people's names, I should know, yet I guess Jalapa miribilis for these. Not a great variety in colors, so I might buy seed, in the future.

And the middle of this pot is a single 'Snow-On-The-Mountains' annual, from saved seed. A few others here on the property. A native, elsewhere in the Country. Euphorbia marginata. I recall it from my childhood, so it is another cottage garden plant, passed down through generations, although mine are from purchased seed, several years ago. 

Bignonia 'Jersey Peach' again. 

A closeup of Euphorbia marginata, and it will probably get better and better, for a while. The milk sap must repel the Deer and other animals, as it has not been molested at all. 

Below is a photo from the past. Interesting splitting in the colors of these  Four-O-Clock flowers, but not enough for me to order them again or try to save some from years to hear. I run through August photos, as a slide show, as wallpaper on this computer all this month. 

Occupying, in Summer, the same space in the little perennial area, as Arum italicum does in Winter, the Lamb's Ears, Stachys bizanticum 'Helene Von Styne' has never shown the pink flowers typical of the species. I don't want them anyway, but do appreciate the gray-green leaves, glowing with dew this morning. 

I planted the Phlox paniculatum 'David' and only see, now, this pink form, the name unknown.  Where it came from is a mystery, as I would not have picked pink. Constantly visited and browsed by Deer. 'David' really suffered from that, and it might be here without flowers. 

Just a nice capture of the white Obedient Plant among the perennials.

Viburnum dentatum, a native, does have an offered form with quite blue berries, called 'Blue Muffin'. I ordered it and thought I had planted it in the shrub border at the edge of the woods, across the lawn from the addition. But this has rather dull, dark blue berries, and simply may be the wild form, so common here. Also called the 'Wild Raisin', but I did not sample it. Or 'Arrow wood', as the straight sprouts are just the right thickness for that. A Cardinal was spending a lot of time, and I see many berries missing. 

Looking pretty good, this pot of Four O Clocks and Snow on the Mountain is at one end of the crescent shaped bed of Knockout Roses, just outside the windows here where I am typing. 

A sideways photo of a small flowered Crocosmia among the perennials. I have no idea of its name, but it is quite different from  the one I have had for many more years. That one, more common here, is a raging red called 'Diablo'. All in all this mystery plant is shorter with smaller leaves.