Bog Turtle's Garden- July 11-20, 2026

 The Trumpet Vine hybrid, probably Bignonia radicans, but the clone called 'Jersey Peach' is blooming beautifully on one end post of the fence around the pool deck. I had tried to eradicate it by drilling holes in the cut stump and pouring weed killer, as the plant was producing seed and spreading from underground runners. But it survived, and continues with its wonderful blooms, along with a thorny climbing red Rose called 'Winners Circle' some Virginia Creeper that came uninvited and the beautiful Honeysuckle called Lonicera Tellmanniana(if that's the correct spelling). 

I have learned, the hard way, to introduce any vine with the most extreme caution, as a good many are pests.

Speaking of vines, this is the rare white flowered clone of the Southern native species of Passionflower. Passaflora incarnata 'Constance Elliot' is my guess. It never seems to stay in place, from year to year. Sending up sprouts several feet from where planted, with the original gone. Maybe confining it to a container, where it could not escape by root runners might work.  The fruit is edible, when ripe, but a mess of seeds, so the pulp must be separated out.

Various water plants have been introduced to the little pond. None have established themselves, other than this Duckweed. There must have been less than 3 dozen little leaves in early Spring, and now I should start netting most out. Maybe mentioned is that I added a pair of guppies, to keep mosquitoes from breeding. Now the parents are still there, but there are more than a dozen young, growing. And, it seems, perhaps a young Green or Bull Frog. It could leave in any rain, or may adopt the pond for good.