Dotty Plants Journal

Hyacinths Inside, Hyacinths Outside

2012-01-28T18:01:00.001-05:00

I don't know why I went through all this chilling and planting up in stones and water and a few hyacinths in pots of soil. They're blooming outside at the same time as inside, at least China Pink is.

Hyacinths in mixed colors.

Ike, greenhouse supervisor

China Pink, here for at least three years.

Hyacinths are fairly long-lasting in my garden.

China Pink

You can have hyacinths blooming for a weeks outside by planting early and late cultivars. China Pink is one of the earliest. Top Hit is one of the latest. Except for China Pink, they're all waiting below ground to show themselves later in the season.

Next year's plan is hyacinths in pots of soil, chilled bulbs. This year's bulbs will go out in the garden when bloom is finished. Sometimes they need a year to recover from forcing, which is why I am giving up water and stones as a planting medium. Planted in soil, they should not notice the transition to the garden after bloom.

And just for fun, here's the first peek at a potted tulip. Can you tell the color is purple?

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in warm, humid Southwest Georgia.

Outcome Based Hyacinth Bulb Plans for Fall 2012

2012-01-25T21:18:00.003-05:00

I've decided. No more hyacinths in water and stones. Some of mine in water turned out beautifully, but the most spectacular are in pots of potting soil with a bit of florist's moss over the surface mostly for decoration.

These smell heavenly. Not all hyacinths have the same fragrance.

I've forced hyacinths for years in ceramic containers of water and stones and in pinched-waist bulb vases. Results continue to come in daily but I'm satisfied that soil is preferable. Growing in water is a novelty. Bulbs grown in soil can go directly into the garden without needing a recovery period of at least a year before blooming the second season.

Pinch-waist hyacinth vases over my tea/coffee bar.

This picture was taken last week.

These in stones and water.

Bulbs chilled loose in a paper bag.

After 8 weeks, potted in soil.

Yesterday, in full bloom after about 6 weeks.

What I've decided is the ideal is about 3 hyacinth bulbs to a pot. A pot that will accommodate 3 good bulbs will allow room for good root growth. Bulbs put to chill mid-September would be ready to pot at Thanksgiving and should bloom late December or in January.

Now I'm waiting to see if my potted tulips are going to bloom. The ones in the clay pot are lagging behind the ones in a plastic pot in putting on growth.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in humid Southwest Georgia where it may freeze again soon.

Champagne Greenhouse on a Grape Juice Budget

2012-01-23T12:48:00.001-05:00

When I asked why others haven't accomplished their dream of a greenhouse, many responded that cost held them back. Others say they have old windows they are saving for that purpose. Many of the Pinterest greenhouse fancies are more like garden ornaments or conservatories than working greenhouses.

Conservatory in the US Botanical Garden -- borrowed photo.

I've been looking at online pics of greenhouses. Some are chock full of plants, but some are styled with a table and six chairs; a bathtub, or a bed. Others are artistically arranged but with few plants.

I wrote a Statement of Need:

Home for tender plants and cuttings
Place to start early seedlings
Running water and electricity
Getaway for Lunch or Tea
Retreat for the gardener and pets on cold/rainy days

We decided on a least expensive model rather than a more impressive one. If the greenhouse idea failed, the foundation, water service and electricity could be used for some other function.

Multiple outlets provide more places to access electricity for

heaters, fans, timers and fun things like this pineapple lamp.

I wrote a Statement of Desirables

Water feature
Potting area
Frost-free water hydrant for running water
Storage for tools and equipment
Heat sink to modulate sun's heat and winter's cold

Running water is the first sound when you enter,

from a small fountain under the south bench.

Potting bench with an old medicine cabinet for supplies.

The water faucet is enhanced with a Y-connector and insulated with a jacket of black foam. Not particularly pretty but very handy. I finally decided to store plastic pots and other bulky supplies off-site to make more room for plants and protect them from the sun.

The blue skirt hides fifty gallon barrels of water. Staples are hidden by

colorful Duck brand Tape/

The green stripes are a placemat that covers the back of a folding chair.

In the South, sometimes cooling is more desirable than heat. Heat Sink materials help in moderating both cooling and heating. Water is the best heat collector, followed by concrete, rock and soil. It takes a lot of water. The heat sink does not 'heat' the greenhouse, it slows the loss of heat gained during the day so that less electricity is required when the sun first goes down.

My table base is from an old birdbath.

Love the patina from years of weathering.

Every little bit of concrete helps. Concrete does not have to be freshly poured. I use 'urban stone' saved from old buildings, stepping stones, ancient salvaged bricks and limestone rocks for paths and decorative uses. I fill the benches with as many potted plants as possible in hopes they help keep one another warm after the soil warmed during the day. Thin plastic pots sit in ceramic cachepots as many as possible. This is an on-going project, in its fifth year.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in humid Southwest Georgia.

The Hyacinth Girl Updates

2012-01-21T22:33:00.000-05:00

Once they start to open, Hyacinths need to be seen frequently. The big potful opened ahead of the smaller single pots though the bulbs are the same. A larger mass of soil probably held more heat.

I thought a potful would be wonderful. Now I think it might be too much.

Finally, a pink, in a square pot of stones and water.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in warm, humid Southwest Georgia.

They Called Me the Hyacinth Girl

2012-01-19T13:39:00.000-05:00

"They called me the Hyacinth Girl" is a line from a poem by

T S Eliot, The Burial of the Dead, from The Waste Land. 1922.

Hyacinths are finally starting to bloom. Just these few that are open perfume the

greenhouse when the doors are closed overnight.

Some were planted in soil, some are in water and stones.

My early opinion is that soil is the better choice.

another line in T S Eliot's poem,

"we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour."

reminded me that I set up a coffee/hot beverage bar on the end of the kitchen counter under windows where hyacinths are in pinch-waist vases of water. Only one has ventured blossoms so far.

We are drinking an unusual amount of hot beverages these days because we, like

"Madame Sosostris, famous clairvoyante,
Had a bad cold, nevertheless.... " Despite my cold, I can smell the sweet fragrance. I expect they will all be in bloom for Valentine's Day.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in chilly Southwest Georgia.

Bloom Day in the Greenhouse, January

2012-01-15T14:38:00.002-05:00

Red Begonias

Pentas

Alternanthera and Pentas

White Begonia and Hyacinth bulbs

Variegated Alpinia, Gerberas, Begonias

Gerbera Daisy

Forced hyacinths and a pot of tulips at far left. Hyacinths will bloom in time for Valentines Day.

Kalanchoe and Begonias

Begonias, Persian Shield and Epiphyllum cutting.

Begonias, Pentas and Foxtail fern

Purple alternanthera weaves through

everything under the south bench.

Duranta cuttings bloom all winter.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in cool Southwest Georgia.

Lichens, Moss and Trees

2012-01-11T21:02:00.000-05:00

On Monday I showed you some of my stones with moss and lichens and algae. When I left the front yard, I followed the fences around to where some old utility poles are piled, some for thirty years or more.

This might be Shaggy Moss. I could go back with a

magnifying glass and my Golden Guide from 1967, or not.

Wonder why the companion pole has only a thin layer of crustose lichen?

Moss is forming on the ends.

Varying stages of decay and growth.

Where dust settles between decaying wood,

opportunists like chickweed and wild

geranium get a start.

This oak has had an insect infestation, drilled out by woodpeckers

and an interesting pattern of lichens.

Ancient fence posts, decaying and growing moss.

Notice the little spider web made by a funnel weaver.

(I have a little Golden Guide for spiders, too, 1968.

This line of live oaks grow along a former fence row.

I made pics of the bark patterns and mosses, for another post.

In the plowed ground of the firebreak, I saw numerous deer tracks.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in cool, windy Southwest Georgia.

Lichens, Moss and Stones, Part I

2012-01-09T20:57:00.001-05:00

Before I show you the lichens and things I made pics today, let me introduce another stone, Stone the Gardener. Stone gardens somewhere just north of me a hundred or so miles, I think. He's a new member at Blotanical and has had a real problem getting a blog site that will show up in Blotanical's feeds. We're hoping the coming Blotanical changes will make him easier to find and pick and enjoy. You'll find him in the Alphabetical List under S. He says he shows up in New Blogs. I couldn't find that.

When I was reading my feeds this morning, somebody mentioned lichens. It set me off to go look for some outside.

Bits of lichen fall off trees onto the ground.

I feel compelled to pick up pieces of bark with lichens, limbs with great growths of lichens and ferns and other stray bits even when I don't have a use for them.

Stones start with algae, then lichens and mosses.

Our limestone boulders erode away in interesting patterns.

The stone above is surrounded with Rose

Campion and Ghost Plant, whose tones complement.

The layers of this stone are one of my fav patterns.

Interesting weeds and seedlings surround my stones.

The narcissus above was a mistake. It came with a summer blooming bulb, foliage of the summer bulbs are noticeable around the stone. I'm working on the idea of having summer bulbs and early spring bulbs in the same areas to bring two seasons of bloom.

Not only stones, but ancient fence posts have lichens.

I didn't find British Soldiers. I think they'll be along when the weather turns colder.

Next post I'll show lichens, moss and trees: some live trees, some used for other purposes.

Can you imagine what this is, now developing a nice patina?

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in warm, humid Southwest Georgia.

Scattered Seeds among the Weeds

2012-01-07T22:24:00.000-05:00

Weeds are a fact of life for a gardener. How they're treated varies from garden to garden.

There are some weeds that I would ban if I could: Florida betony. Chickweed. Chamberbitter. I don't even give them the honor of botanical names.

I made a photo to show the progress of my broken pot planter. The first thing I noticed was that the Sedum acre I added to it brought along chickweed seed. Everything is coming along except the Brazilian ruellia which is sullen. I keep dropping in another leaf from Graptopetalum when one breaks off. Kalanchoe is growing but I see no buds so far.

Chickweed is among the sown seeds like poppies coming up in my beds.

The good news is that hot sun discourages chickweed and spring annuals like larkspur grow taller.

I'll be pulling chickweed in hopes of reducing the number of seeds it leaves.

Goodies and baddies vie for space.

Larkspur is prominent here. I make daily visits to see what has emerged and pull some weeds on every visit. I'm more concerned with removing chickweed than I am henbit. I'll leave wild corydalis as it dies quickly after it blooms and the little yellow blooms are an attractive native. Sometimes I have to let weeds grow for a while to identify what goes and what stays.

My next cold-day project is to make a list of seeds to order, including spinach, okra and peppers.

My next warm-day project is to prepare a bed at a time layering newspaper and mulch to smother weeds before time to plant tender annuals. Need to sift some compost, too.

What are your projects?

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in chilly Southwest Georgia where we hope for rain soon.

Secrets of a Seedscatterer

2012-01-03T17:43:00.000-05:00

My other blogs have 'Seedscatterer' in the title. There haven't been many posts lately about scattering seeds, nor the results.

Before last night's freeze, I brought all the potted violas into the greenhouse and tried not to think about the ones in a bed out under the pines near the road.

I've been pinching off fat seedpods and dropping into the spaces

along the edges of the pots. I noticed when I was picking up pots

that tiny round cotyledons were thick on the soil.

White Alyssum seeds dropped in spaces around Foxtail Fern are

happily blooming.

Seeds scattered back in November: larkspur, poppies, silene, black eyed Susans and other spring delights have sprouted in some areas. Good-sized California poppies are already showing up along with larkspur. They are not deterred by freezing temperatures, just slowed a bit.

Behold my potager! I sowed a packet of Mesclun in a planter.

One fourth of the seeds would have been sufficient.

I transplanted some into a second planter. Squirrels got into

both planters outside; they're recovering inside now.

It's a treat to have enough greens for a salad or to clip arugula

to sprinkle on a pizza when it comes out of the oven.

It's only weeks until we'll be sowing seeds for transplants. I'll be making transplant cups using empty rolls from bathroom tissue or paper towels. Four 1/2" snips with the scissors and folding the tabs under like closing a box lid make a cute little plantable container.

I placed the little cups atop a new seed catalog. Paper rolls are not very colorful.

I receive no compensation from Seed Vendors nor Paper Manufacturers, lol.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in chilly Southwest Georgia.

A New Bench for the Garden

2011-12-25T18:45:00.000-05:00

Tara always advises having a double axis.

The new bench is visible out the window.

From the bench, the camellias are seen.

The bench curves around the tree.

Pieces of a pole serve as garden tables.

Drops of water on the bench after a rain. It sits under a forty-five year old Juniperus virginiana.

The view to the northwest takes in a young camellia, a dogwood tree and various other treats.

The bench is partly obscured by ancient boxwoods and wisteria.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Pleasures of December

2011-12-19T21:57:00.000-05:00

Hippeastrum blooms are big and bold. They don't always bloom true to the red or pink on the box. Every bloom is a delight, no matter what shade of pink, orange or red they may be, or white.

Hyacinths show promise of January treats to follow Amaryllis

Next year maybe I'll start them earlier to bloom at Christmas.

One by one tiny Pentas cuttings root and bloom.

I pot them as they root. Ruby, my favorite red is ready.

A mockingbird was trying to go into the roof vent today. His companion flew away when I approached but he kept on until I shooed him away. Maybe they think this is a bird condo. I don't think a potted gardenia will support a mockingbird nest. Abandoned nests are everywhere: in the Camellias, the pear trees, the grape arbor, dogwoods. December is not nesting time.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in warm, humid Southwest Georgia.

Prettiest Blooms for Christmas and Beyond

2011-12-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

Begonias, I have 'em. Duranta cuttings bloom nonstop too.

When warm weather comes again, these will be garden plants.

Tiny duranta cuttings can grow to 5' in a season.

I use waxleaf begonias where other gardeners might use impatiens

because they are less prone to faint in heat and drought.

Pots of Violas are blooming outside the greenhouse and

in a bed elsewhere. They'll stand the inevitable freezes

to bloom again in spring until hot weather takes them out.

Always planning for next year, I'll have more Schlumbergera,
start my Hyacinths earlier, no Paperwhites and more Amaryllis.

Amaryllis started early and there will still be some in bloom on

Christmas. Hyacinths and Kalanchoe will brighten dark days in

January and February. Tulips are out of the chill now, hopeful of

blooms on Valentine's Day along with Camellias outside.

Flaunt your Flowers Friday at Tootsie Time click for link.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Duct Tape and a Party Tablecloth

2011-12-12T21:04:00.000-05:00

You want attention to be on plants in your garden pics.

The heat-sink barrels in the greenhouse are not attractive. They really do help in mediating the temperatures by holding and slowly releasing heat. They do not 'heat' the space but help to hold in what heat collects on sunny days. They do not however form an attractive background, however handy they are for holding a great shelf for plants. The shelf isn't a focal point, either.

The Bare Essential Barrels

I thought of a great coverup at little expense. I used a purple plastic tablecloth from the dollar store. It was the perfect length for the shelf, even turning the corner a little way on the south end. I stapled it to the wood shelf. A little wide, so I turned back the first fold. Perfect.

Then it began to pull off. I duct-taped it from the back. Duct tape is not waterproof, so the loops of tape turned loose when they got wet. One day in the hardware store, I noticed a brand of duct tape that comes in colors, patterns even.

I bought the tape called 'tie dye.' The color is perfect with

a blue plastic tablecloth.

I put a few staples through both tape and tablecloth to secure.

A thin plastic table cloth has a short life in a greenhouse where pets visit. The next coverup will cost more for a sturdier skirt, but you'll have to wait to see it.

The next tape will be solid color -- twice the length per roll.

No, I'm not tempted to use the leopard print tape at twice the price.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Schlumbergera: Much Prettier since more Blooms Opened

2011-12-10T19:46:00.000-05:00

I took the Christmas Cactus out of its gaudy blue basket and into a more sedate cache pot.

Plenty of buds are left to carry it through Christmas.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Christmas Cactus Right on Time

2011-12-05T20:50:00.000-05:00

Schlumbergera truncata

Do you think it will still be pretty on Christmas?

There are a good many buds yet to open.

Nights have been warm for December and it really opened up.

This is not a cactus, despite its common name. It is an epiphyte native to South American jungles.

An easy enough houseplant, it asks little in the way of care. When it isn't getting ready to bloom, watering can be haphazard and it will survive, but regular attention will ensure a prettier plant.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Missed the Meme Again

2011-12-03T20:52:00.001-05:00

Town Mouse has a great First of the Month Meme -- I forget, every time. On the first day of the month I made pics of the tree limbs we were sawing with the new electric chainsaw appartatus powered by a generator and operated from the tractor. Only pictures of the limbs; we made a video of sawing a week or so before to send to my nephew to show him that it actually worked.

Live Oak trees are not easy to trim, the limbs grow in every direction

and are ultra-twiggy.

This was supposed to be a picture of Ike the Cat posed on his 'porch' at the greenhouse.

Instead by the time I was pointed to shoot, it turned into an unflattering pic of Buffy the Dog

putting Ike back in the greenhouse.

... and that's the extent of my First of the Month outdoor pics.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in relatively warm Southwest Georgia.

Treasures in the Out of Doors

2011-11-30T18:35:00.000-05:00

I got the notion to fill a wire tiered basket in the greenhouse with greenery from the garden and a few trinkets from a half century of collecting Christmas.

I clipped greenery from junipers and boxwoods. I decided a few cuts from loropetalum might make good contrast to the greenery. I was surprised to find fringes of blooms on some of the loropetalums.

One dogwood still had red berries but I abandoned cutting berries when I realized the same twigs had next year's buds. Just before I came in out of the wind, I found a last orange rose.

All the treasures went into bottles on my tray where I put bits and pieces to enjoy.

Charisma, the last floribunda bloom.

Dogwood berries and late leaves.

Loropetalum fringes.

... and the Christmas decors for the greenhouse, including

a rose campion plant, pecans and a red nutcracker.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Tuesday with Tootsie and Rock Rose

2011-11-29T00:20:00.000-05:00

Read 'Em All Tuesdays is the proper name. I think of it as Tuesdays with Tootsie and Friends.

The friend I'm bringing today is Rock Rose, so named because she gardens in a rocky part of Texas. She brought in her tender plants in anticipation of a hard freeze. One of the most interesting is a tree with lemons on it. Her kewl greenhouse is so stuffed she says there's no room for anything else. You'll have to go visit her blog to see all the plants.

Rock Rose

Here's what Rock Rose says about herself:
"I garden on a rocky hillside in Central Texas. There are many challenges but ... I have learnt that every garden has its challenges. Born in England my love of gardening came from my paternal grandfather. He had, and tended a beautiful garden. I love travel too. There is nothing like the open road and a wonderful campsite at the end of the day. Traveling with our airstream Safari allows us to visit and stay within some of the most spectacular scenery in the United States. A home cooked meal and our very own bed is just an added bonus."

Rock Rose also blogs about her travels and that cooking she mentioned.

Visit Tootsie to see the rest of the friends who are being introduced on Read 'Em All Tuesdays #4.

Text from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in cool Southwest Georgia but not freezing. Yet.

Green and New and a Joy to Grow

2011-11-24T08:38:00.000-05:00

My Bird of Paradise has a brand-new leaf, unfurled today.

I underplanted it with ferns so it doesn't look so leggy.

The first Amaryllis bud is about to bloom.

One of the pest control crew, a nice fat anole.

White begonias on the potting bench.

I remembered what else I wanted to have to bloom through the winter when I visited Darla's blog and saw her beautiful Geraniums Pelargoniums. Like Begonias and Pentas,

they'll bloom all winter inside in a sunny location.

High up, a pale pink Pentas bloomed. It has some Begonia cuttings around

its ankles. and is up among the stems of a pink Brugmansia.

I had company Wednesday, the nine-year-old granddaughter of a neighbor.

She said she'd always wanted a greenhouse. I asked what she would grow.

She thought she'd like really weird plants.

We decided pitcher plants would be a good start.

She'd seen some on a field trip and said they looked as if they breathed.

Then we pinched and sniffed various herbs like rosemary, oregano and lemon grass.

We broke off dried blossoms of Salvia leucantha that she thought felt just like velvet.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia where it is about to turn cooler.

I Haven't Given up on Blotanical. Yet.

2011-11-21T18:48:00.001-05:00

Have you noticed the new Blotanical Logo?

It links to some information about when we might expect Version 2 and promises weekly updates. There's a link to follow Stuart on Twitter, if you have a Twitter Account. I don't.

Meanwhile, I'm hopeful that new members are not discouraged when their posts don't show up or cannot be picked. Some old members, too.

Picks are sporadical on my part. So are comments on blogs I read. I'm seeing more of your blogs on Facebook.

Then there's that Google thing. I keep getting notices that I've been added to a circle by someone I never heard of and don't know how to check them out. It gives me a creepy feeling.

Thanksgiving rolled right up here in no time at all. February will be here before we know it.

What do you think?

Meanwhile, I'll be spending my time here:

among these:

and this:

mesclun.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia. We had a freeze and then it was hot again.

November's Wide View

2011-11-15T15:36:00.000-05:00

Town Mouse has a lovely First Views meme that I missed on the first of the month but I'll catch up here.

November 5, 2011

Photo above and below taken on November 7, 2011.

Here we are looking down the steps at far left on the first pic.

November 13, 2011

The Purple Heart is limp; Alternanthera is seared.

They'll be covered with pine straw.

I had already pulled Melampodium and Madagascar periwinkle

in anticipation so I didn't have to see annuals all frozen.

I'm focusing my attention on plants that tolerate cold: here Violas and Rosemary

... and an old Camellia sasanqua that laughs at a little frost.

This is a great meme; I always have better views on the First than on the Fifteenth, or was it just my imagination because I forgot there was a Blog Party for the first?

Go see Town Mouse and join the fun.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Tuesdays with Tootsie and Friends

2011-11-14T21:53:00.000-05:00

It's a Blog Party with Tootsie introducing other Bloggers whose sites you love to visit.

I try to spend much time visiting blogs in my own zone. Noelle and I share similar zones but our climates are very unlike. We have in common that our winters are mostly mild. What we don't have in common is my humidity.

I borrowed a photo from AZ Plant Lady to pique your interest about all the events going on there. There's a new baby named Lily. There is a recent trip to buy plants for MIL's garden. So much is going on and there are children, lots of children and flowers and oh, you must see for yourself at Ramblings from a Desert Garden formerly AZ Plant Lady.

"Ramblings From a Desert Garden
The plant tips and guidelines in this blog are primarily geared towards the gardener in the desert southwest. These tips come from a combination of my degree in Horticulture and my years of working as a horticulturist where I managed & designed landscapes in a 9a zone.

One thing I have learned is that there are often exceptions to the rule in regards to plant behavior. Plants are living things and do not always act the way we expect them too. Some plants thrive where they should not, grow larger or smaller, fail to thrive and in general ignoring the published information that says otherwise. So, the advice I give is based on both my experience as well as published material."

COPYRIGHT © 2011 RAMBLINGS FROM A DESERT GARDEN

It's excellent advice. Go see.

Visit Tootsie to see other Blog recommendations from Blog readers on Read 'Em All Tuesday

Text from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Buffy Scores a Touchdown and Tackles the Cheerleader

2011-11-12T15:24:00.000-05:00

It's okay if you laugh.

It Isn't Christmas without a Bowl of Paperwhites

2011-11-09T23:20:00.000-05:00

I blogged about my Paperwhites on Seedscatterer II. I had so many pics I thought I would put them here, no duplicates. If you need to know details on how to force narcissus in time for Christmas, the discussion is on Seedscatterer II here.

All that is needed is a waterproof container, some charcoal,

paperwhite narcissus bulbs and water.

No prechilling is needed.

The monkey container is painted tin. I use a large plastic

butter tub as a liner to prevent rusting. The cobalt blue

canister lost its lid. Ceramic, it doesn't need a liner.

The white pots on the potting bench shelf would be great for forcing bulbs. I use them as cache pots

as they have no drain hole. Maybe I'll put some hyacinths in them. Hyacinth bulbs are chilling until December in a refrigerator that holds no fruit, along with potted tulips.

I use river stones for support. Flat marbles

will work and add some glitter.

All are potted and water added up to the

bottom of the bulb.

the Casserole with the butterflies would make a good container

for forced bulbs if it wasn't full of alternanther cuttings.

The glass cylinders came in a kit with amaryllis bulbs

last year. I do not recommend forcing amaryllis in water.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

The Greenhouse Pest Control Team

2011-11-07T20:54:00.000-05:00

I can't find Anole pictures from previous years and have not been fortunate in capturing one lately, but they are there. Eastern Fence Lizards, too. They come in when it gets cold and spend the winter catching insects.

No problem in getting tiny peeper frogs to pose.

Ike lies in wait for anything that moves.

No mouse will set up shop in this greenhouse.

'What did you put in this container?'

I help out where needed with spritzes of soapy water, swabs of alcohol and fly swatter.

We shun chemicals for obvious reasons, like the one below.

Do you see the Skipper on the Pentas blossom?

They fly in and out the open door.

Look carefully over on the far right.

Bumblebee.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

The Elephant in the Room

2011-11-01T21:27:00.000-04:00

I potted a little Brugmansia like the one above for the greenhouse. I thought I would leave the rest in the garden in hopes for a mild winter that would allow them to come back from the roots. I had only one round of bloom this summer. Hummingbird Moth caterpillars kept eating the foliage.

One of the two big brugs kept calling out every time I passed. I finally grabbed a big nursery container, filled the bottom with potting soil and went for it with my trenching spade. I removed the worst of the chewed leaves. The stems are loaded with developing leaves. I hope the shock of transplant and the change in provenance doesn't set it back too much.

I ended up with a five foot tall plant with four stems. Some things had to be moved so there is room atop the shelf over the heat sink water barrels. After nightfall the wilting improved.

The light colored pot above was replaced by the

container holding the Brug and the airplanes repositioned.

The Foxtail Fern went over to join another like it.

Foxtail Fern underplanted with alyssum.

Pink Pentas rooted cutting.

I'll be rearranging plants and pots for some time. I bumped up this Pentas that has rooted well and is blooming well. Its roots had just filled the little purple pot it was in.

I keep finding bits and pieces that beg to be brought inside before frost. Pots of violas and gerbera daisies can remain outside and just be tucked inside on the walkways when a hard freeze is expected overnight so they can remain in bloom.

View from the east end showing the water barrels.

View from the south side shows the water pipe at left,

electrical panel running horizontally over a plant shelf

and water barrels at right end with their pump in the corner.

I read about a tropical greenhouse that has a brug, bigger than mine, that has Vanda orchids attached to it. That's a bit ambitious for me, but I did see some little Vandas at a nursery the other day....

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in Southwest Georgia zone 8b.

Getting Ready for Cold and Wet

2011-10-26T20:42:00.008-04:00

Not really blooming, colorful foliage of Joseph's Coat.

Oh! Look! Up in the left corner just past the Crape Myrtle.

What IS that?

Acidanthera bicolor, or by its new name, Gladiolus callianthus.

I bought the bulbs in the spring and then forgot to timely plant.

They are only hard to 25 degrees. Perhaps the stones will

mediate the temperatures enough that they will survive.

Inexpensive enough to try again next year and plant in time.

Grandma's Yellow Rose, Sunny Knockout and Knockout.

Belinda's Dream is still blooming too, perhaps the sturdiest of all.

Gulf Frits are still about on Lantana.

Skipper on Duranta

Heliconia, my favorite House Plant, outside for a drink and shower.

As the weather cools, everything tender must move inside:

More views of what's in the Greenhouse are in the Greenhouse Here.

Flaunt your flowers with Tootsie

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in Southwest Georgia where the weather is getting cooler.

Cold Is Coming

2011-10-19T19:22:00.000-04:00

A cool north wind is blowing. I was reading all about frost and nighttime cold temperatures Here: Frost.

It won't frost here the next couple of nights but it will get chilly. We've ordered propane for the newly painted tank, to be delivered when Tim gets around to it. He's hauling gas to Bridges' peanut dryers right now. Gas doesn't kick in until the temperature drops to 37 degrees, so we'll be fine.

Pentas

I'm still bringing in cuttings: more Alternanthera, Pentas and Persian Shield. After I read a University study that said only one in 10 Pentas cuttings rooted in soil and a few more than that in water, I looked at the cuttings that have commenced to grow in soil while their neighbors sit there and cut little bouquets of 4 different colors to try to root in water. Even if they don't root, they bloom for a long time in a vase.

Tomorrow I'll cut more Purple Heart. I'm noting where November's seeds will be scattered for Spring bloom. It's finally cool enough to work outside without gnats covering my face.

Here's yesterday's completed chore:

New steps to the Upper Garden.

Lane moved the biggest piece of broken concrete to where I wanted steps/dry creek going up into the upper garden. The dog and I have moved and placed broken concrete, stones and river rocks. Now I have to do something about what was formerly the Herb Garden. It's now the Rosemary Forest.

Today I filled two 24" long boxes with potting mix and planted a Mesclun mix from Renee's Seeds. A free package that came with something else, it is described thus: "Wine Country Mesclun combines eight different sweet red and green lettuces with just the right amount of tangy greens in a perfect balance of crispy and buttery leaf textures." I look forward to fresh greens tossed with olive oil and lemon juice.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Wildflowers for Bloom Day

2011-10-15T11:47:00.000-04:00

Silk Grass

Elephantapus

Asters

Agalinus

Buckeye caterpillar on Agalinus

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Wildflowers in the Fall

2011-09-23T15:41:00.000-04:00

A good rain two days ago brought out blossoms we had anticipated:

Agalinis is blooming in the far pasture, a single pink bloom here and there, a whole plant in bloom in the bright sunlight.

Silk Grass is blooming, yellow blossoms and silvery blue leaves.

Elephantapus had already begun, little tricorn bracts with tiny pinkish blossoms rising from large leaves flat to the ground.
There was Eupatorium, the white kind, in front of wild Lantana which is reblooming. I had not seen Boneset there before.

New York Ironweed still has blooms.

Butterfly stragglers were everywhere. We saw a Giant Swallowtail puddling in a mudhole on the way back past the cornfield.

I did not take a camera. If the dog goes it is best if I don't stop for photos. She will jump and run at any opportunity to check out the new smells not noticed at home.

Back at home we noticed blooms forming on Gulf Muhly. I trimmed back Tithonia so as to show it off when it does bloom in a big way.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Tonight's the Night: Night Blooming Cactus

2011-09-20T18:15:00.001-04:00

I spent most of the day moving tender plants into the greenhouse, expecting cloudy days and then cooler by the weekend. The sun came out unexpectedly and I was furiously misting. Eighty seven degrees outside in the shade and 93 inside, just enough to make newly rooted pieces droop. Gingers and such just laughed.

Dark alternanthera has grown in the greenhouse

floor all sumer, now joined by pots of Colocasia,

Persian Shield and Purple Heart.

White begonias and a Bird of Paradise with a new leaf.

Two large Epiphyllum buds show promise

of bloom by midnight tonight.

It's sultry here but I don't want to get caught with my tropicals out.

Late entry near midnight:

There's a small bud for October bloom.

More pictures tomorrow.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

A Fallen Tree Equals a Good Day's Work

2011-09-16T20:02:00.001-04:00

Entire tree cut, moved and stacked.

Pictures and text are from the farm of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Pods and Seeds in a Fall Harvest

2011-09-14T16:09:00.000-04:00

Autumn is a time of Harvest. Collecting seeds for next year's flowers is one of my favorite garden activities.

Time to let some zinnia flowers mature and dry.

Tithonia heads that have dried can be snipped off and

dropped in place for next year's butterfly delights.

Gomphrena, anise hyssop, ratibida, echinacea, Madagascar

periwinkle and rudbeckia seeds are among those I'm collecting.

Datura seed pods are not yet mature.

As soon as the weather cools, seeds of larkspur, poppies of all kinds,

catchfly, sweet peas and dianthus collected last spring are ready for scattering.

Tecoma stans pods are bursting open with

seeds encased in white fluff.

Pride of Barbados seed pods are likely to pop

open and send seeds flying if not covered with a

paper bag or plucked at just the right moment of

maturity. These last two are for spring planting.

Pecans are starting to burst their hulls.

The weight of a good pecan harvest is

heavy and limbs are hanging low.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

The News Is Out: Bulbs

2011-09-07T20:21:00.000-04:00

Ice Follies

We went to the City. Big Box Club had a huge display of bulbs. I tore myself away from bags of tulip bulbs and King Alfred. I could not resist a box of 30 hyacinths, 25 paperwhites in a box and a cute bag endorsed by P. Allen Smith with 10 Ice Follies, 8 Yellow Cheerfulness daffodils; 12 Dutch Iris Blue Ribbon, 8 Delft Blue Hyacinths and a dozen white Muscari botryoides Album. The bag garden has a handdrawn plan on the back. I'll just stick them here and there.

I'm always amused that the little bags with photos on the front hold about a third of the bulbs necessary to reproduce the pictures, at best.

The paperwhites and hyacinths are for forcing. Mixed hyacinths, but all the bulbs look as if they will produce a blue or purple blossom which is fine with me. I usually divide my mixed hyacinths into groups by bulb color. The whites and yellows are pale bulbs, the reddish bulbs are pink. Blue and purple are obvious.

Amaryllis 2009

I still have to order hippeastrum. Can never make up my mind. Do I want all white this year? Peach shades? Red and darker red? Appleblossom that old standard pink?

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Pink Angel's Trumpet

2011-09-02T17:14:00.000-04:00

Brugmansia blooms are not quite open, but I could not wait.

The pinks above are not yet fully open. I hope tonight

to experience the fragrance of these graceful blooms.

Growing Brugmansias is not difficult except that they take incredible patience.

It takes self-restraint not to spread them around like huge jellybeans.

Last year I took cuttings before frost. They rooted in water

and then I potted them before warm weather to have ready.

This year I plan to dig a plant soon and pot up.

The hard part is deciding just how big a tree I can accommodate inside.

I expect that cool nights will discourage indoor bloom.

It looked as if the blooms would be yellow and

I couldn't remember last year's blooms. It takes

a few days for the blossom to grow out of the calyx.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Devil's Trumpets and a Red Spotted Purple

2011-08-31T11:32:00.000-04:00

Purple Swirl Daturas are blooming.

Red Spotted Purple Limenitis arthemis sampling

where the satellite guy's truck dripped

condensation on the driveway.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Butterflies and Periwinkles Persist through Dog Days

2011-08-29T13:17:00.000-04:00

This first video features a Dogface Sulphur and then a Pipevine Swallowtail butterfly.

If you wonder what I'm saying, I was complaining about the butterflies running off when I approach with a camera. "Here she comes! they seem to say .... and they hide."

This vid is a Giant Swallowtail nectaring on Madagascar periwinkle.

They nectar on Tithonia, Lantana and Periwinkles with enthusiasm.

Periwinkles are setting abundant seeds.

Palest pink periwinkles are my favorite, here with a sprig of

Duranta hanging over.

Buffy, blending in.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Here's my Hat. What a Hat!

2011-08-25T16:00:00.000-04:00

Guess whether this is

1) My veil for when we renew our vows

2) A bug hat to keep gnats out of my eyes and ears

3) Part of my Halloween costume

4) All of the above.

My neighbor suggested 5) Proof I'm a real redneck.

I will never, ever get used to gnats. I usually tie a bandana over my ears and go out looking like I belong to the Bloods if a red one is all I can find. I saw a man on TV the other day who makes a net 'gnat hat.' I thought I could make one... cheaper than 12.95. The lady who sold me the tulle at Walmart said the one she bought in Sporting Goods had coarse mesh and let the gnats in, the tulle was what I needed. The peach ribbon is what I had. I thought I had white shoestrings but couldn't find them. The black billed cap came in the mail when Lane subscribed to 'Automobile' Magazine. I had to have something to keep the tulle from against my face.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Collecting Seeds of Pride of Barbados

2011-08-22T13:28:00.000-04:00

Last year I let most of the seed pods of Caesalpinia pulcherrima
split open. Seeds fell to the ground where they are lost forever.

Janie told me to tie a paper bag over the pods. She forgot to tell me that in case of unexpected rain to run out and grab the bag. This morning the soggy bag with seeds was hanging there.

Only one of 5 pods had not opened.

I'm drying the seeds in a colander.

I'm wondering whether I should plant them while

they are fresh?

A Pride of Barbados seedling in 2010.

When I was checking the spelling of Caesalpinia pulcherrima,

I saw seeds for sale for 40 cents each.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Perennial There, Dormant Here: Corydalis

2011-08-18T00:56:00.000-04:00

I was just reading comments on the blog of Paul from Alabama when I noticed he told John of Mac Gardens that they say Corydalis won't grow in north Alabama.

I have a story to tell about Corydalis. Some years ago I noticed this ferny little plant growing across the highway under the power line along a fence. I tried to transplant some and naturally it died because that was during the time when I did not live here full time. There had been no more because powerful spraying takes place under power lines here to insure that nothing grows there except for pine trees which then can be topped to grow in grotesque shapes, but I digress. The Corydalis was gone forever until two years ago when I noticed fern-like foliage among the chickweed around some daffodils. Sure enough it bloomed and guess what? The blossoms were yellow.

I searched diligently for Corydalis online. With a few exceptions the consensus is that it is Native to Europe, that it likes to grow around rocks and that it may have naturalized in the U.S.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=PSLU2

http://www.uvm.edu/pss/ppp/jul99per.html

Yellow Fumitory

Corydalis is a member of the Papaver Family. Doesn't look anything like a poppy.

John grows his in the shade and it lasts and blooms through the summer. Mine dies back with the daffodils, as if it was part of that show. If I could eliminate chickweed it would be a real show.

Corydalis, 2009

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Dog Days of August

2011-08-09T19:56:00.000-04:00

butterflies in August from Jean Campbell on Vimeo.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

A good look at the front garden where the butterflies play may be seen Here.

Night Blooming Cereus

2011-08-04T16:34:00.000-04:00

The cat and I show you a jungle cactus about to bloom.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum from Jean Campbell on Vimeo.

By midnight, the blossoms were fully open. I cut them and kept them overnight in the refrigerator

to share with friends the next day. Otherwise, they would have closed in the morning light.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Familiarity in the Garden Does not Breed Contempt

2011-08-01T06:34:00.001-04:00

While I'm trying to stay inside instead of being out too long in the heat and sun I'm making plans for cold weather. Determined to have fragrance and blossoms year 'round, there are a few short weeks that have to be supplemented with forced bulbs. I brought out my copy of Wilson and Bell's The Fragrant Year(1967), older than many of my readers.

Amaryllis 'Exotica' 2009

Flowers have not changed; some of the names are different. Acidanthera Murieliae is now known as Gladiolus callianthus or Abyssian Gladiolus. I bought some bulbs in the spring and failed to plant them timely. They're coming up and need water. I hope to see their fragrant blooms this fall.

What I am after is to review which hyacinths, tulips and amaryllis I want to force. I am distracted by descriptions of fragrant plants, some familiar, some not. Tea olive is described as a winter window plant. Here it blooms from fall to spring outdoors except in the very harshest cold. I read of other fragrant night blooming cacti besides Epiphyllum oxypetalum which is again laden with buds here: Trichocereus candicans, Peniocereus Greggii, Nyctocereus serpintinas, Arthrocereus microsphaericus. I make a note to look at nurseries online.

I reach the chapter on indoor plants. Mid-October for hyacinths and mid-November for paperwhite narcissus to bloom in time for Christmas. I'm not in a rush for Christmas, there are Poinsettias for the Season. Bleak January needs blooms and fragrance, so any failure of blooms for Christmas will brighten January's chill.

I hurry past passages about plants I know I won't seek out. I stop when I see Asparagus species. Fragrant blooms? I didn't know that. I resolve to dig my Foxtail Ferns from the front bed and pot up before fall. I read that my potted Gardenia may bloom from January to June if I'm lucky.

Calla Lily 2009

I read on through the text, then the list of 'other plants to try' adding Zantedeschia aethiopica to my list. I've brought them to flower inside, other years.

I decide to order white, yellow and Gypsy Queen Hyacinths to force. Now the choice for Amaryllis will be between an apricot like the one I grew in 2009 or white. Maybe I'll pot up some tiny 'Canaliculatus' daffodils and some 'Princess Irene' tulips or 'De Wet' -- all of these should have been ordered last month. The last time I tried to grow tulips they were eaten by Baby Buffy just before they bloomed. Buffy is older now and better behaved. I'll put them on a high shelf just in case.

Princess Irene 2006 when I believed I could grow tulips.

Gardening should be Easy as Life.

Laura Pedlum Is Back and Still Lovely

2011-07-28T17:19:00.002-04:00

One of the most frequent searches that finds my blog is for Laura Pedlum. My Loropetalum pictures in full bloom are sometimes downloaded. I noticed today that one is already putting on the little fringes that we usually begin to see in August, a rebloom of the spring show but with fewer flowers.

Hot pink fringes of Loropetalum against lilac pink blooms of Crape Myrtle. A few Loropetalum leaves are already turning red.

Around the pump house I have a border of shrubs with white blossoms which includes a white Loropetalum. It isn't blooming now. Reblooming is a white Crape Myrtle.

Janie had mentioned the scent of white Crape Myrtle. This morning before the sun was hot and everything was still damp from dew, the fragrance was wonderful in the shade.

White Crape Myrtle and a bottle tree in the pumphouse bed.

White Crape on the right in the front garden.

Loropetalum blooms before the Azalea show starts in Spring and lasts past the last Azaleas. As years pass, Loropetalum tends to grow into trees unless pruned hard.

Loropetalum in bloom in the early spring.

Laura Pedlum is a welcome visitor. She has come to stay.

Butterflies are welcome visitors, too. Here's a Spicebush Swallowtail happily working Pride of Barbados. He is momentarily joined by another butterfly who soon flies off to a greener vista.

Butterfly Pizzaria Video and Butterfly Poll

2011-07-21T11:50:00.000-04:00

On recent butterfly videos, I've spoken. This one muted me, but you may listen for the buzz of an insect and a bird's call. Then watch the reaction of the butterflies when an auto speeds by on the paved road.

Butterflies here continue to nectar on Tithonia almost exclusively while Lantana montevidensis, Verbena bonariensis, Duranta, Pentas and Crocosmia in the same vicinity are mostly ignored.

Gulf Fritiallaries on Tithonia -- a Butterfly Pizzaria

I think they like Tithonia because they can just sit on the blossom and get plenty of nectar.

The primary butterflies seen are Gulf Fritillaries and Pipevine Swallowtails. Spicebush Swallowtails are increasing. Skippers abound. Little Dogface Sulphurs are around and I see a rare Tiger and Zebra.

Passionflower fruit about the size of a lime at woods edge.

Somebody has been chewing on the leaves.

Curiously, when I went to check on the butterfly population in the wild areas

I saw only one Gulf Frit, on Ironweed.

Buckeyes and American Painted Ladies have all but disappeared since the weather got so hot but they were here ahead of Swallowtails earlier in the summer. They should return when new broods hatch. Some of their host plants disappeared in the recent drought. I hope the zealous mowing by He-who-mows did not destroy some habitat. He gets anxious about rattlesnakes when the meadows get tall and mows a little further out.

What butterflies are you seeing in your garden during such hot weather? There's a poll on the sidebar for your input. If you leave a comment as well, we'll know where the butterflies are showing up.

Thank you for your interest and participation. It's never too hot to go outside and look at butterflies. Wear a hat, don't stay too long and drink plenty of iced tea when you come inside.

Fig Cookies

2011-07-20T06:29:00.001-04:00

I wasted several minutes looking up the phrase, "... don't give a fig," and traced its heritage back to Shakespeare and beyond before I decided not discuss all that but just to tell you about my fig cookies.

I adapted a recipe for Italian fig cookies that I found online. Very simple to make, unlike the fig newtons which want a rolled and cut dough and cooked fig filling. Just cream a stick of butter and a cup of Splenda, add an egg, dump in two cups of self rising flour and a teaspoon of ground cloves -- if you have cloves. I used Apple Pie spice. Fold in a cup of chopped figs and a half cup of walnuts. The first time, I used too many figs and chopped them first instead of last: disaster. This time I used barely ripe figs and cut them in quarters just before I added them. They held their shape.

We've given away figs until the neighbors are avoiding us. I cooked some in light syrup and put in the freezer for DH's winter breakfasts. Pears are beginning to ripen and he's in favor of pear preserves now. I found a recipe for figs stuffed with parmesan cheese wrapped in bacon and baked until the bacon is crisp from a fancy restaurant in I think it was Houston. Sounds tasty.

A second crop is coming on. During the recent rain, ripe

figs swelled and burst, to the delight of the birds.

They get the ones I can't reach that are not hidden among the leaves down low.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Ike and Julia and a Backup Plan

2011-07-17T17:38:00.000-04:00

Ike the Cat followed me around the garden. I heard Mockingbirds scolding. I couldn't see Ike, but I saw Black eyed Susans waving. Ike was hiding while he chewed a bit of Lemon Grass. Cymbopogon is a fav of both the cat and dog. I pot up a clump for the greenhouse and they chew it all winter.

Lemon Grass is a fav of mine, too. I've had a hard time

taking to grasses. Cymbopogon makes a pretty bluish clump.

Julia Child is my fav Floribunda.

Another look at Julia

I moved two Mariesii Hydrangeas at the beginning of summer. What I thought was a shady spot got middday and early afternoon sun. Despite copious watering, they dried up and died. I had a backup plan. I've killed these before when I moved the first cuttings that had rooted so well when I stuck them in the ground. I took cuttings again. These have put on new growth. Now to make a plan for keeping them alive through the winter. When they reach blooming size, they have blue lacecap blossoms.

Mariesii in a previous year, cutting grown

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Bloom Day Butterflies' Favorite Flowers

2011-07-15T19:39:00.002-04:00

When I went out this morning it was starting to rain and my hoped-for Butterfly post was not to be on Seedscatterer. I showed Okra blossoms instead.

This afternoon when the rain stopped, butterflies came back out with the sun.

Swallowtail and Bee on Pride of Barbados, Tecoma stans behind.

Swallowtail on Caesalpinia pulcherrima

Sulphur on Lantana

Dusky Wing on Lantana

Gulf Frit on Tithonia

A Skipper on a Zinnia

The very favorite nectar plant right now is Tithonia.

I made two short butterfly videos so you can see.

Bloom Day is hosted by Carol of May Dreams Gardens. Visit Carol to show your Bloom Day blossoms and find many other Bloom Day posts.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Workaround for a Rose Grower

2011-07-14T09:36:00.002-04:00

A workaround is a bypass of a recognized problem in a system. A workaround is typically a temporary fix that implies that a genuine solution to the problem is needed. Frequently workarounds are as creative as true solutions, involving outside the box thinking in their creation. -- definition from Wikipedia.

I discovered a blog and blogger, new to Blotanical. Well, the blogger is new. Somehow the blog didn't have a feed that was picked up so the blog isn't listed. RevRoses is one of our new members and is in the New Member list but his blog:

Red Dirt Roses

isn't listed in New Blogs or the Alpha List.

Somehow his Blot Sprout listing put his own name as his Mentor. He didn't know he was supposed to have a Mentor. I sent him to Feedburner to look at feeds info. That is as much help as I can give when it comes to feeds. Wait, I've discovered an important fact. Blogs waiting for approval from a Mentor get listed as a new blogger, but their feed isn't added until they're given that approval. I don't know a workaround for that if you are your own Mentor.

Please visit and give Scott a welcome and look at his posts of Roses and more Roses in Oklahoma.

Greggo, Grouchy, HolleyGarden, Masha and Redneck Rosarian, among others, found him before I did. Thanks to everybody who is paying attention.

What Do Butterflies Want? A Big Orange?

2011-07-10T17:09:00.002-04:00

A new flock of butterflies are showing up. As the seasons change and new broods hatch -- I saw a Spicebush Swallowtail drying his wings this afternoon -- tastes change. Pentas are blooming well now but have few visitors. Tecoma stans and Pride of Barbados have fewer visitors than usual. I don't have Porterweed this year, so cannot compare there.

Crocosmia is not as popular as it sometimes is.

Swallowtails are voting for orange Tithonia.

Once in a while, petunias get a visit.

Melampodium, never.

Lantana, usually.

Coneflower popularity has waned.

Tithonia, yes.

Notice the Muhly Grass is getting ready to bloom!

Gulf Frits and Bees agree. Tithonia.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Have Your Garden and Eat It Too

2011-07-02T14:52:00.000-04:00

Rosalind Creasy's book, Edible Landscaping was awarded to a lucky reader of Simply Susans' blog
--ME! It came in yesterday's mail. There was no requirement that I have to review the book, or even mention it. I must tell you about it.

The cover has photos of red cabbages, eggplants and apples and a picture of a patio garden with bowls of red tomatoes in a setting of both edibles and ornamental plants, inviting a look inside.

Cabbages from my neighbor's garden.

Real cabbages are as beautiful as ornamental ones for a late winter garden.

I'm already planning to plant red mustard with foxtail fern and alyssum as

illustrated in the book. All I need are the mustard seeds before autumn.

This is not a small book. Four hundred large pages of information and photos inspire. I'm already planning how I can reconstruct my herb garden, enlarge my okra bed into a potager and landscape around my pear trees.

My herb garden with calendula, oregano, rosemary and thyme.

It can be so much more with some additions and renovation.

Red Onions

The second half of the book is an Encyclopedia of Edibles

followed by a Big List of Edible Plants.

Recent pic of pears in my garden.

Ms. Creasy's book not only discusses varieties of pears and how to grow them

she tells how to use them in the kitchen and how to place them in the landscape.

Okra was included in the book.

She did not rave about it the way I would have.

We had fried okra for dinner last evening, and baked zuchinni.

My plants need a more decorative setting besides

the makeshift fence for keeping out the cat and dog.

Hidden Ginger, Shell Ginger, variegated Alpinia and Cardamon Ginger at lower edge.

My gingers do not include Zingiber. The Ginger Garden will definitely need updating

Pineapple Pear

I've been reading Rosalind Creasy's work for years. I still treasure her article from Country Living Gardens of 16 years ago, A Storybook Garden, visited by Alice in Wonderland and her friends. The Alice Garden featured vegetables and herbs as well as the expected maze and teahouse. The nearest I came to an Alice Garden was red roses, white roses and a cement rabbit. This latest book holds the same enchantment.

Red Cascade

Thank you, Susan, for this wonderful book.

I wish everybody could have one.

It would definitely be an investment that will

return a good dividend in Landscape Edibles.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Daylily Crazy

2011-06-30T12:29:00.002-04:00

The first flush of daylilies is pretty much over here. Some daylilies are starting to rebloom. I went back through my pics since the end of April until the present and assembled collages of the various colors.

Garden name "Old Red"

Brocaded Gown, my favorite yellow.

I like to use daylilies with daffodils alongside. When the daffodils are dying back

daylily foliage grows up to hide the maturing foliage.

Byzantine Emperor tends to 'melt' in hot sunshine. Note petal edges bottom right.

Some daylilies with thin, darker petals do not hold up well in heat.

Sammy Russell, frequently used as landscape daylily. Happy in the sunshine.

Bride Elect

Reds in my garden include Superlative, Kents Favorite Two and a seedling red.

Two yellows: the round one Could be Stella and the heirloom 'Lemon Lily'

Salmon Sheen

Pineapple Crush with yellow and purple companions

The daylily in the center and at bottom left has no ID, mislabeled at purchase.

Upper left is Siloam Ury Winniford.

Dr. William Hunt in his book recommends using Vitex with violet toned daylilies for a 'French effect.'

Close up pics of some of my daylilies are HERE.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Bat, Bat, Here's a Wool Hat

2011-06-28T09:37:00.000-04:00

"Bat, Bat, Here's a Wool Hat" is what we used to chant as children when bats swooped around the yard late in the evening just before dark, catching insects. I never gave much thought about bats until I heard about a family down the road a ways who have thousands of bats roosting in a building now used for storage. The stench of bat guano was what first alerted them to the bats.

Bats in the Egg Cooler

The positive aspect of the bats is that they seem to have wiped out the mosquito population. The owner of the property says she would rather have mosquitos. Nothing was mentioned in the article about whether rabies carried by bats might be a possibility.

Spanish Moss on ancient Live Oaks

Photo and Text blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

In Search of Butterflies

2011-06-25T22:24:00.001-04:00

Rain is sparse. We got almost an inch the first part of the week. Today we watched the clouds on radar come our way and disperse in next county north. The day we got rain there was hail and winds.

A big old pecan tree blew down at woods' edge at the back of the patch on the west side of the highway behind the pump house. In the heat it doesn't take long for the leaves to wither and turn brown. Another tree to saw and haul on a cooler day.

The wild area where butterflies usually are nectaring on lantana has stopped blooming.

I found New York Ironweed and Dog Fennel on the north side but no butterflies. The pond is dry.

An area where Duckweed usually comes up in the overflow area is full of young Goldenrod.

A new brood of Pipevine Swallowtails has showed up at home on Tithonia and Lantana montevidensis. A few Sulphurs and a rare Gulf Fritillary visit as well and lots of tiny Skippers.

Two little videos for your delight in Butterflies. You may hear some birds, too.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Grandmother's Purse, a Crape Myrtle Story

2011-06-24T15:53:00.000-04:00

Holley Garden posted about her Crape Myrtles. She hasn't heard the Grandmother's Purse story, so I'll tell it here.

Crape Myrtle Buds.

Imagine that we are in the garden and I tell you a story

"This is Grandmother's Purse."

Squeezing the bud, "This is Grandmother's Handkerchief."

Pulling out the handkerchief a little,

"This is Grandmother's Gold."

Oh, Grandmother, Do it Again!

This is Grandmother's Purse....

This is Grandmother's Handkerchief.

This is Grandmother's Gold.

Cluster of open crape blooms with golden centers.

There is often a question of whether these are Crepe Myrtles or Crape Myrtles?

My opinion is that Crape is a thin, crinkled fabric or paper.

Crepes are French pancakes, properly rhyming with 'step' and quite delicious

but not resembling a flower petal at all.

A last glance at 'Lilacina' Crape Myrtles in the front garden and a White Crape in the distance.

The Lilacinas in the near view at left and in the back yard are just coming into bloom.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Immortal Tithonia

2011-06-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite reseeding annuals is Tithonia. The velvety stems and bright orange blooms make it a favorite and butterflies love it.

Tithonia is named for Tithonus, a legendary Trojan loved by Aurora, goddess of the Dawn, who turned him into a cicada when he continued to age after she asked that he be made immortal but forgot to ask for eternal youth.

Tithonia rotundifolia with Mexican Hats Ratibida columnifera

and foliage of Duranta repens not yet in bloom.

On the other side of the bed is Lantana montevidensis.

Tithonia plants were left on this side of the bed last winter to compost in place.

The woods decay, the woods decay and fall,
The vapours weep their burthen to the ground,
Man comes and tills the field and lies beneath...

Tithonus by Alfred, Lord Tennyson

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Those Eyes! Those Ears!

2011-06-18T14:44:00.000-04:00

I have a permanent residence in the past. Today I reminisced about the history of this daylily, gifted to my MIL some 45 years ago by a cousin who had begun collecting daylilies, even hybridizing some of her own. This particular daylily was precious to MIL who thought the name, Bride Elect just so sophisticated. Katie Lou's crosses are long ago lost. Bride Elect turned up again when I saw daylily foliage where the old bed used to be and wondered if it could be....

Bride Elect, hybridized by Frank Childs, 1955

I am particularly fond of daylilies with an eye.

Still feeling reminiscent, I went out to the corn field where Farmer Danny said I might find corn to eat.

My FIL used to go to the field with instructions to bring 12 dozen ears. He always brought 250 in case some were too hard. Usually they weren't. The shucks went to the cows.

I picked not quite 3 dozen ears. By the time the kernels were off the cob, I could hardly believe I used to cut 20 dozen. There were more of us to eat corn back then.

Deer nibble at the ends.

Danny said raccoons also help themselves and

sometimes break the cornstalks over.

It's a long way to the other end.

Did I mention we had rain yesterday? Total for the week is 0.45 inches. We had wind and thunder and lightning, too.

Flowers, veggies and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Pride of Barbados -- Hot Colors for Hot Weather

2011-06-13T08:07:00.002-04:00

Caesalpinia pulcherrima in my garden, seed grown.

According to Rugerrio:
"Northwest & Northeast cool colors look lush but delicate--
Hot colors look loud and obvious.
Conversely, hot colors hold their own in harsh light of the Sourthwest and Coastal South."

First blossoms, many buds. I can never wait until full bloom to show them.

Caesalpinia pulcherrima is a legume, you can see the pea-like foliage.

It also has fine hair-like parts that grow into sharp thorns along mature stems.

Esperanza Tecoma stans in front of Caesalpinia on the right.

In the background is irrigation in a corn field.

Corn is 'as high as an elephant's eye' and has tassels but is not yet mature.

Back in late winter, I planted seeds indoors. By summer's end the new

little plants should have blooms as these do. These returned from the roots

after dying to the ground at first hard freeze.

Pride of Barbados tolerates drought but appreciates some water.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Coping with Drought

2011-06-11T07:19:00.004-04:00

As you try to catch a glimpse of a Dogface Sulphur butterfly you can hear the drone of a diesel engine in the background, pumping water to irrigate a field of corn just north of our house.

Dogface Sulphurs are the most plentiful butterfly right now. They and fiery skippers are all over Lantana and they spend some time among my tiny Senna alata plants.

It was 98 degrees midafternoon on Friday as I dragged hoses. We've worked out specialty watering devices that meet the needs of my plants. In addition to regular outdoor faucets, we have inground faucets.

Homemade manifold can feed four hoses. I usually use two

hoses and have the other pipes capped with access.

You can buy a brass manifold at the garden center.

An extension pipe makes the faucet in the ground more

accessible. A brass Y-connector feeds two hoses.

The green cover upside down here fits over the bucket

in winter so the capped faucet doesn't freeze.

A sprinkler on a metal pipe with an adapter welded on the bottom fits into a

3-ft. PVC pipe driven into the ground. Pipes are placed to give adequate

coverage to different parts of the garden. The mower can pass right over the

inground pipe in a grassy path when the sprinkler is removed..

Sprinklers can be adjusted to water various bed shapes.

In addition I have various sprinklers collected over the years that sit on the ground; the kind that have a round base, the kind that rotate back and forth. My favorite is a cast iron sprinkler that has no

moving parts that is regulated by water pressure, perfect for spot watering.

Cast iron sprinkler, inexpensive, very handy.

A dribbler gives a drink to thirsty hydrangeas.

I've blogged before about the PVC pipe dribblers, homemade.

In some of the beds I use black perforated soaker hose.

Trial and error has shown how many sprinklers we can run and maintain a pressure

that will keep the pump from cycling yet keep sprinkler pressure adequate.

The simplest way to measure 'rainfall' is to use empty tunafish cans.

Gardenias after they had a good drink on Thursday.

Fresh water for the birds.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Daylilies and a Torch Lily

2011-06-09T19:30:00.000-04:00

Sent to me as 'Joan Senior' - Not.

Garden name Joan Pinkard.

Seedling -- garden name Saddle Oxfords.

Little Gypsy Eyes

Kniphofia, Red Hot Poker, Torch Lily

Grows from enlarged rhizome.

Mine seem to bloom later than everybody else's.

Daylilies are finishing up a great cycle of bloom.

I'm cutting back spent scapes. Some are already putting up new scapes for rebloom.

'Bride Elect' has scapes and blooms. It blooms late.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

No Berry like a Blueberry

2011-06-07T08:22:00.002-04:00

A study at Tufts University concluded that blueberries have the most antioxidant capability of 60 fruits and vegetables studied. The 'magical ingredient' is called anthocyanidin, a compound which gives the berry its beautiful blue color. Blueberries should not be eaten to the exclusion of other fruits, but part of a varied diet.

Blueberries in my neighbor's garden.

We in the lower south in the Coastal Plain grow Rabbiteye blueberries as do gardeners in north Florida. Gardeners farther north grow Low bush and High bush blueberries.

Here are links to growing blueberries in the lower southern states, GA, FL, AL. Your state's Extension Service will provide similar information for the area where you grow. When searching, I always check neighboring states for additional info.

http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/hs215

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1078/

http://www.caes.uga.edu/Publications/pubDetail.cfm?pk_ID=6793

Blueberries need acid soil, sunlight and ample water. They are sometimes compared with azaleas for care with the exception being shade for azaleas, sunshine for blueberries. I grow mine in full sun and use trickle irrigation.

Late-maturing blueberries in my garden up close.

We planted 5 different cultivars. The best have 'Tif' in their name.

Farmer Danny in the truck on his way to start irrigation on his corn.

Blueberries are native to North America.
These extracts from the Journals of Lewis and Clark speak of the charms of blueberries 200 years ago:

On August 14th, 1805, Meriwether Lewis wrote: "I now directed McNeal to make me a little paist with the flour and added some berries to it which I found very pallatable."

The following day, August 15th, 1805, he added, "This morning I arrose very early and as hungary as a wolf. I had eat nothing yesterday except one scant meal of the flour and berries except the dryed cakes of berries which did not appear to satisfy my appetite as they appeared to do those of my Indian friends. I found on enquiry of McNeal that we had only about two pounds of flour remaining. this I directed him to divide into two equal parts and to cook the one half this morning in a kind of pudding with the burries as he had done yesterday and reserve the ballance for the evenig...on this new fashioned pudding four of us breakfasted, giving a pretty good allowance also to the Chief who declared it the best thing he had taisted for a long time. "

From the NC Blueberry Association:

Five Quick Uses for Blueberries

Sprinkle over hot or cold cereal
Use as a topping for ice cream

Mix with cottage cheese

Add to fruit salads

Serve in a cantaloupe half topped with yogurt

Blueberries are the perfect choice for a fun, flavorful and healthy snack. Blueberries contain vitamins A & C, iron, potassium and magnesium. They are a good source of carbohydrates and fiber, yet they are low in sodium and cholesterol free. One more piece of good news...blueberries only contain 42 calories per half-cup serving.

The dog and I are wild about Blueberry Crisp:

Sprinkle 3 cups of blueberries in a baking dish with a tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/4 cup sugar. Drizzle with 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of water.

Mix together 1/3 cup brown sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 3/4 cup of dry oatmeal, 1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon. Cut in 1/2 stick of butter. Sprinkle mixture over blueberries.

Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until topping is browned.

We pretend that the oatmeal offsets the butter. We use minimal sugar. Your taste may differ.

My late brother believed that eating blueberries raised his glucose levels. We do not know if it was natural fruit sugars in the blueberries, or the quantity that he ate that did so.

Current studies are made around the world to determine further effects on health. Some researchers believe that blueberries help the eyes, prevent urinary tract infections, lower cholesterol, protect against macular degeneration, aid the cardiovascular system, reverse aging and combat E. Coli. Many of these studies have not arrived at a conclusion, and no single food is a cure-all. The antioxidant properties are a fact.

Three of my blueberry bushes.

The arbor behind holds two varieties of Scuppernong grapes.

All June in the Garden

2011-06-04T19:34:00.000-04:00

"Wisteria woke me this morning,
And there was all June in the garden;
I felt them, early, warning
Lest I miss any part of the day.
- Ann McGough, Summons

Wisteria bloomed abundantly here in April. I hacked at the vines all through May.

Despite my prunings wisteria is blooming again. It grows up through a box hedge so

mowing keeps it from spreading along the ground, but the vines grow longer and longer.

Gloriosa Daisies or Black Susans Rudbeckia hirta have taken the stage with Purple Heart.

Madagascar periwinkles just coming up with take the place of BES as they fade. You can't see them, nor the purple Daturas. I'm gathering seeds of Larkspur barely seen at right.

I've pulled most of the Larkspur.

Daisies have taken over the Yellow Rose Bed while the roses rest.

Persian Shield with a small lavender Pentas.

Pentas are slow to get started blooming well this summer, or is it just early?

I kept some cuttings through the winter and bought two new red recently.

Butterflies find them a real treat, once they get going.

Red Hot Poker Kniphofia is finally starting to bloom.

Lantana and Purple Heart are good companions.

Brugmansia cutting isn't very big yet and wilts from too much hot sun.

I never cut back all the Vetiver grass. The tan canes make good place markers when

I'm making plans. I just cut them as I need them.

Yesterday I planted out some salvia farinacea cuttings to bring the number of plants back to

last year's 18 I think. Today after we had 0.3 inch of rain last night I scattered some

orange dwarf marigold seed among the salvia.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Requiem for an Armadillo

2011-06-02T21:01:00.002-04:00

As I finished up a long day of watering, the dog came running up the field road from the highway, tail held like a banner, joyfully carrying a prize. I caught a whiff of very dead armadillo. She set it down by a crape myrtle when she realized by the tone of my shouts that she was not carrying something acceptable. As she gave me a wide berth, I went for post hole digger and shovel, and newspapers.

About eight inches down out in the field, I realized that digging a hole in the heat covered with gnats was going to be a really unpleasant task. I dragged a hose over and filled the hole with water. As it soaked in I dug deeper until there was a hole roughly the shape of a map of Florida to accomodate an armadillo and his tail. The shell was flat. I am guessing that the critter was run over on the highway and buzzards picked the shell clean, leaving only the smell.

When the hole was finally better than two feet deep, I lifted the remains in the newspaper and tossed it into the grave. Not only did I refill the hole, I put on extra dirt. I dragged the little red wagon over and turned it upside down over the site. Anything to make it just a little harder for Buffy to dig up the armadillo as she did the last one that I didn't bury quite so deeply.

Armadillos are still digging everywhere I water. One down.

Why did the chicken cross the road? To show 'possoms and armadillos it could be done.

Late note: An armadillo was finally in the trap this morning. He has been dispatched. Enough of holes the size of a coffee mug and larger all over the garden.

See more critters HERE --First Friday Creature Feature.

Leaving you with something prettier than an armadillo:

Pictures and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Veggies in our Neighbor's Garden II

2011-05-31T11:48:00.000-04:00

Almost a month ago I blogged about going to dig potatoes in our Neighbor's Veggie Garden.
Last week he invited me to come on Memorial Day to pick blueberries.

As I drove in, I spotted a Tiger Swallowtail nectaring on a Mimosa tree.

Tomatoes corraled.

Blueberries

Blueberry bush

Not only did I pick blueberries but he offered veggies, too.

Squash plant.

Too early for eggplants, but fruits are forming.

The yellowish plants to the left are green beans, the flat kind.

I was invited to pick a whole row; the son-in-law had picked the rest.

Cucumbers are plentiful; that's an eggplant nearest the camera.

He cut an enormous cabbage for me to take home. I had never seen a cabbage with

small cabbages growing around the base. There were enough tiny cabbages for

us to eat for supper like brussels sprouts but with more delicate flavor.

The youngest of their 3 granddaughters was visiting.

It was a grand Memorial Day.

When the Deep Purple

2011-05-28T22:06:00.000-04:00

Deep purples add drama to the garden.

The only corm to return and bloom of Purple Gladioli I bought last year.

Beside it are several plants with no sign of a bloom.

Glads are a sometime thing here. We may have several blooms next year.

I showed this on Seedscatterer, I am so proud of it.

Purple Datura, in bud before it gets very tall.

This is a dramatic plant once it reaches some size.

Persian Shield Strobilanthes dyerianus is a great foliage purple for shade.

January's cold took out my line of Persian Shield planted with Lycoris

in the Upper Garden but most of the single plants returned. I always root

some to keep over inside, where it sometimes blooms in winter.

Purple Heart or Purple Queen; Setcreasea purpurea or Tradescantia pallida, is a great

groundcover and a good mixer. Roots easily, tolerates some drought.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Zebras and their Paw Paws

2011-05-25T15:08:00.000-04:00

Wildflowers are abundant here according to the seasons. Butterflies returned as soon as the weather commenced to warm and found host plants; Buckeye caterpillars were on toadflax early. It's very satisfyling to know that they will find hosts for laying eggs for a new brood. Asimina angustifolia Paw Paw is the host plant for Zebra Swallowtail Eurytides marcellus. Paw Paw was hardly putting on leaves when the first Zebras arrived.

Zebra Swallowtail on Lantana.

Paw Paw in my garden was planted by a bird or other creature.

The fruits always disappear as soon as they ripen, popular with critters.

Paw Paw grows in close proximity to Lantana where Zebras nectar.

They are also noticed nectaring on Tithonia when those plants bloom.

Slimleaf Paw Paw

Asimina angustifolia in a sandy firebreak. Paw paws are abundant in uncultivated areas.

Farther north Zebras are likely to use Asimina triloba as a host. In North Florida and South Georgia, Slimleaf Paw Paw is the host.

Zebra swallowtail nectaring on Lantana.

Notice the length of the tails, which is why they are referred to as a 'kite' butterfly.

Garden Lantanas here are naturalized, not the native Lantana depressa.

Maypop Passiflora species

Other butterfly host favorites here are wild vines Pipevine and Passiflora.

Passifloras grow in fence rows and wild areas, uninvited to the house garden.

Pipevine is forming buds in the back yard. I can hardly wait to see blossoms.

Wildflower Wednesday is hosted by Gail of Clay and Limestone.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Gardenias for a Romantic June

2011-05-24T14:21:00.000-04:00

Gardenias are just coming into bloom here. The bushes with early morning sun are first to open. The shadier ones that get evening sun are full of buds but few blooms this early.

My MIL called them 'Cape Jasmine.' Gardenias were introduced to the American South after cultivated plants were found in South Africa by a sea captain, hence the name common Cape Jasmine not to be confused with Crape Jasmine. They are actually native to China.

Gardenias grow to 7 feet. Very small plants may have dozens of blooms.

Gardenias are easily grown. Do not panic when old leaves turn yellow, nor love them to death with too much care. They are easy to root in a bottle of water in June or July, or in soil.

Common pests are whitefly, sooty mold and mealybug.

I use oil soap spray. Alcohol swabs work for mealybug.

The flowers are beautiful. Creamy white thick petals that

unfurl in a whorled bud then open completely. Their

beauty is only surpassed by the incredible fragrance.

The fragrance is not just at night; it lasts all day.

Daylilies are not Lilies but they Hang Out Together

2011-05-21T17:58:00.000-04:00

Little Grapette miniature daylily. Wants a new companion behind, maybe a full-size daylily in pink.

Silver Veil, waiting for perennial companions to grow, Persian Shield and pink Pentas.

Seedling Daylily from seed I gathered in somebody's pretty bed.

Lilium. Algarve or Elodie, I forget.

Little Business daylily fronts this bed.

Old red hemerocallis at the end of the day.

Dazzle lily and friends

Longiflorum/Asiatic Lily Hybrid.

These are among the longest-lasting lilies in my garden.

Some more spectacular hybrids died out or were eaten by voles.

Next fall I plan to plant daffodils around each lily bulb I plant

to see if that discourages voles. I plant daylilies in front of

some daffodils to help hide dying daffodil foliage.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Where the Lilies Blow

2011-05-20T06:15:00.002-04:00

I have desired to go
Where springs not fail,
To fields where flies no sharp and sided hail
And a few lilies blow. --Gerald Manley Hopkins

'Lilies of the Field' (gladioli) grow along the fence at an old house site.

These glads have persisted uncared for, for more than 50 years.

Inside the fence, mowing revealed large drifts of silvery Silk Grass, which is unhurt by mowing.
Silk Grass blooms in the fall.

The woods are shrouded in shadows as the sun sinks to the west.

He-who-mows left patches of lantanta and mimosa vine while taking out wisteria vines by the acre.

Paw paw grows in the firebreak.

Back in the Garden, Dazzle has commenced bloom.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Fiesta Bed Gets More Tropicals

2011-05-16T17:06:00.000-04:00

You don't think of petunias as tropical plants, but they are of South American origin. Some of the old 'wild' petunias that Mama called 'washpot petunias' have appeared beside the carport for the first time in years. Some are splotched, some are solid white. They appear, disappear and reappear over the years since the early 1980s. They have a larger bloom than the little 'Laura Bush' petunia that is my fav.

What I planted in the Fiesta Bed was more 'Laura Bush' petunias. They reseed diligently in the Ruins beds near the side door and tend to smell like a wet dog when it rains. I had moved those above to the far front bed that I call the 'south rock bed' and now some to Fiesta. 'Laura Bush' petunias generally reseed true to color. If a pale one shows up, I pull it to keep the color pure. You either like magenta petunias or not. They front a bed that has mostly blue and purple flowers except for the Tithonia that reseeded there.

I transplanted half a dozen Candlesticks Cassia alata, grouping 3 each between two Loropetalum in the Fiesta bed. Between those I put 3 Purple Swirl Daturas. All these are small plantss from seed. A Purple Alternanthera had planted itself in the flat with the others, so I tranplanted it with the others as well as the last Pride of Barbados. The other Caesalpinia pulcherrima seedling died before it got big enough to transplant. The links go to pictures of prior years' plants in bloom here.

A little yellow Sulphur butterfly was checking out the Cassia when it was hardly in the ground before I watered well and mulched. I hope there are enough to act as host plant and still grow tall and pretty to bloom in fall.

Esperanza in this bed is not yet blooming size, nor are Pride of Barbados plants which returned from the roots. I'm watching closely for buds. Tropicals return fairly well here but our freezes kill the top foliage to the ground, so summer blooms come later.

I meant to have a Red Bed, but it ended up with tropicalissmo colors: Purple, Magenta, Red, Yellow, Orange. In the hot sun of July, it looks appropriate and butterflies like it.

I had an area ready to plant some zinnia seeds saved from last summer. Buffy was helping and quicker than you can blink, dug a two-gallon hole. Sigh. We believe she really thinks she is helping.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Woods Trail Ride

2011-05-14T22:28:00.000-04:00

I was taking still photos as we rode through the woods when I got the idea to make little videos instead to give a feel for traveling through the woods.

Vines -- probably grape vines, maybe poison ivy?

Various hardwoods and understory shrubs.

I divided the vids into short segments so you can ride all the way, stopping and starting again or just take one short ride just to see.

We are already well into the woods when this starts.

Still going and the woods get denser.

Now we are at woods edge and the trees are more open.

In the next segment, we go faster...

On out into the meadow and stop to look at the following:

I don't visit this area every day, but frequently.

There are pine forests in front of our house. These have no pines, all hardwoods.

In a different time, small woods were prized for shade for cattle and hogs.

Look Here, Look There, Lilies

2011-05-11T07:33:00.039-04:00

The first Lilies are always exciting.

Both true lilies and daylilies are in bloom. I chose to show only true lilies in this post. True lilies can be distinguished from daylilies by the stems and the foliage. True lilies have a single stem with leaves all the way up. Daylilies have strappy leaves in a fan from the bottom and a separate stem called a scape which holds the buds and blooms. A daylily blossom last for a single day with more buds to open on following days; true lily blossoms last for several days.

Lilies with Loropetalum foliage, great contrast.

LA lily along an Upper Garden path.

LA lilies and Rose Campion

Two views toward the south.

Seedling Camellias that finally have some size, more lilies

and a white Crape Myrtle. Daylilies on the back side.

Oakleaf Hydrangeas to the left of the bed seen above.

Flowers and text are from the garden of Nell Jean blogged on Dotty Plants Journal in hot, humid Southwest Georgia.

Please Vote for Me for Okra Queen

2011-05-08T22:05:00.000-04:00

Okra - USDA Photo in the public domain.

One year we planted so much okra -- four 100 foot rows -- that I claimed title as Okra Queen as there was no contest. As desirable as okra is in the South, we had to beg people to come help themselves to okra. If you have never cut okra, it is like gathering stinging nettles. I do love okra: boiled, baked, fried or in soup.

My okra patch before planting

This time there are two 30 foot rows. I used old seed, really old seed, figuring that it would either be up by the time a germination test was complete, or not. It is coming up. We haven't had rain in a week.

I had the idea to make this okra patch a regular little potager with little gates and everything. The back side has sills from under the old barn as an edge. I have some cute little gate thingies that I hook onto rebar posts.

Before I could fix the little cute parts, the okra begged watering. I set up some of my handy pipe soaker/dribblers and soon filled the middle between the rows with a nice loblolly. Buffy-the-helping-Dog with her tongue hanging out in the heat recognized this as a potential cool spot. My nice bedded up rows now have big dog paw prints. I ran her out. Next I knew, she's lying between the rows in the cool damp middle where the water soaked in. As she came out when I scolded, more tracks in the okra rows!

My cute little potager gates now have non-matching posts in between and twine run through and around everything to remind her not to walk through.

We'll know in a few days whether the stepped-on places will still grow tiny plants and whether enough of my old seed comes up to make full rows.

I filled the old syrup kettle with water so Buffy can go wading instead.

It was a water feature until she decided the solar fountain was a dog toy.

I'll let you know how the okra potager turns out.

I hope to have photos soon of my own okra.

Did you know that okra is in the same family as hollyhocks and hibiscus?

Hope Grows for a Fruitful Harvest

2011-05-06T17:44:00.000-04:00

Figs will be ripe next month.

Peaches will take longer; July.

Pears are usually ready to pick in August.

Corn is knee-high in the background.

Hard Pears for preserves and Pear Sauce.

Blueberries within the month, I hope.

Scuppernong grapes behing the blueberries.

These little grapes have a whole summer to go.

Thanks to Hanni at Sweet Bean Gardening for this delightful meme.

FFOs and Daylily Discussion

2011-05-04T21:11:00.000-04:00

There have been daylilies here for more than fifty years. This is one of them.

I just call it 'Old Red.' Today was the First Bloom Open this season.

Brocaded Gown. I bought it fifteen years ago from a grower in Blakely, GA.

I like to plant it with daffodils. It starts to bloom just as maturing

daffodil foliage is going away.

Little Grapette. Officially listed as a purple, you can see it has red tones

in sunlight and is never as purple as the Persian Shield beside it.

I bought Little Grapette in 2002 from a different grower in Blakely. I downloaded list after list of daylilies and made notes about the colors, bloom times and the size. Little Grapette's companion was Olive Bailey Langdon, same color, larger flower and plant.

I still have at least a fan of all the daylilies that I bought that year. Some excelled. Some barely hung on.

Since then other daylilies have joined my garden from various sources: gifts from friends, bought at the daylily show and sale, bought in a plastic bag at the big box store.

Every spring I make detailed lists of daylilies I mean to order from a grower from bigger lists where I researched cultivars that meet my criteria: introduced by a southern hybridizer, evergreen, certain sizes, makes a good clump, eyes or not, reblooming and price.

Daylily Posts from Seedscatterer Blog: previous years' daylily blooms in my garden.

I like hydrangeas and daylilies planted together. Hydrangeas are just beginning to bloom.

This daylily was also a First Flower Open today, in a bed with hydrangeas.

What are your favorite Daylilies? Do you buy by appearance and color, or do you have criteria like favorite hybridizers and certain features? Do you belong to a daylily organization?

First Blooms: Magnolia, LA Lily, Hydrangea

2011-05-02T08:12:00.001-04:00

First blooms are always high out of reach. "Little Gem."

You can see stamens that shed through the translucent petals.

I don't remember its name. I do remember that it is an LA hybrid.

Maybe it is 'Easter Bonnet.'

This is the first mophead hydrangea to bloom.

It was a cutting that I stuck by the birdbath a few years ago.

The little sign says, "Welcome feathered friends."

The birdbath leans so that it drips into the rock below for

the convenience of little birds and thrashers who like low water.