Along the path...

O.K., so today's plants are some of the ones that are growing along the left side of the path as you are walking toward the back door. Although, around here, the back door is used as the front door. I've even seen some houses with a front door but absolutely no path to it. Go figure. Anyhow, these lovely purple 'Grandpa Ott' Morning Glories have gotten a little out of hand this year.



There are supposed to be just 3 or 4 of the Morning Glories growing at the corner of the deck for Tiger to nap under. However, they did not cooperate and none of them are growing there. Instead, they have moved out to take over what was supposed to be my hummingbird garden. I still have hope for things in their proper place next year.




How many different types of plants can you spot in this picture? Feel free to click on it for a larger view. It has turned out to be quite a jungle. I guess if one didn't know better, one might suppose that I had simply gone for a lush, full look, rather than the truth: I simply didn't get around to pulling out what I needed to pull out nor planting what I wanted to plant.



My lovely variegated Lirope muscari grows on the corner and I like it very much. A pink Salvia coccinea has reseed itself against the Lirope and I think the color combination of the striped Lirope and its purple buds and the pink Salvia is so pretty.



Isn't it amazing how well plants look with the colors of their blooms? Or the blooms with their plants? I know that may sound funny, but I often think about that. If you want to see a great picture of the Lirope buds after they have opened, go see Daricia's post about Lirope muscari.


Have a beautiful day!

Balloon Flower...

Kirstin caught a baby snake this morning, but we weren't sure what it was. I thought it might be a copperhead, but after a little research and some input from my brother and my brother-in-law, I now know that it is a rat snake and a good little critter to have around. Even if it was a copperhead, I wouldn't want to kill it because they have their niche to fill, too. But I am happy it is a rat snake.





The soil underneath the Incense Cedars is insanely dry, so I have a collection of pots on the east side. They receive the morning sun, obviously, and then the afternoon shade, so that makes a good spot for a number of plants. Among the things I grow there are a Hydrangea ('Endless Summer'), Coral Bells (Heuchera), and Balloon Flowers (Platycodon grandiflorus). And just I love their color combination.



I have two Balloon Flowers: one on either side of the Hydrangea. This is a plant I didn't grow when I lived in California, but I sure have enjoyed it here in North Carolina. The "balloons" are so interesting! And how about that blueish color?!




"Up the road a piece" is a family owned farm that sells pick-your-own strawberries in the spring and then watermelon and, I think, sweet potatoes in the summer. The lady also has a large greenhouse where she raises some flowers to sell. Most of them are petunias and other annuals, but a couple of years ago, I bought a Balloon Flower plant from her.



I realized that there were 2 plants in the pot, so I separated them out. Since they go dormant every winter, I have also planted Ajuga 'Chocolate Chip' in the containers so something is going on until the Balloon Flowers come up.


Have a beautiful day!

Stella de Oro...

The first Daylily opened this morning. And, as you can see, I am not the only one interested in it! At first I thought maybe the little praying mantis would get the little sweat bee, but it didn't.




I bought this plant, Hemerocallis 'Stella de Oro,' several years ago. It was in a small container, maybe a quart pot, but the plant was very healthy. I planted it out and it grew into a luxurious specimen with lots of flowers. Then I decided I didn't want it where it was and unceremoniously dug it up. It languished in its new container for over a year before I eventually decided where I did want it. I divided it and spread it out in its new location.




Shortly after I planted it the second time, I realized I would have to redo the soil that it was in so I dug it up once more and dumped it in a broken bucket, where it stayed for several months. It survived that. Finally, I got it planted, again, last fall and now it seems to have forgiven me for my harsh treatment and is sharing its blooms with the insects and me.


Have a beautiful day!

Hummingbird visit...

A hummingbird came to visit today. I was working on building another stone wall and Kirstin was standing on the porch steps talking to me when we heard a little hummer. And then we saw it. It was adorable, but don't look for it among my photos because I don't have a picture of it.




These flowers are growing to the right of the porch, if you are facing it. They make such a lovely color combination. The hummingbird visited my Salvia guaranitica 'Argentina Skies.' 'Argentina Skies' is one of my favorites, but I'll tell you more about it some other day.




The little hummer had the most brilliant red neck I have ever seen. It was so gorgeous as it was flitting around and drinking nectar. And it didn't seem to be concerned that Kirstin was only a few feet away.




These pink Sweet Peas reseeded themselves from last year. They are amazingly fragrant. Almost overwhelmingly so, when you are "in them" to take pictures. Did they know they would look so nice with 'Argentina Skies' and Verbena bonariensis?





I love the little hummingbirds and am so glad they come to my garden. They are very welcome visitors.


Have a beautiful day!

Erigeron, etc....

So, this past week-end we went down to Atlanta to visit friends and when we got home, I discovered that my garden had taken the opportunity of my absence to get a little carried away. I think it should have asked my permission first, but, no. Plants just started blooming on their own, without my supervision. How audacious.




This Erigeron (I'll have to find the plant tag to remember the rest of its name) doesn't bloom for long and it looks a little raggedy, but I like it. Not front of the border stuff, but I'll keep it. (I looked it up; it's Erigeron 'Prosperity.')




My 'Moonbeam' Coreopsis - I guess it should be Coreposis 'Moonbeam,' but I always say it backwards. O.K., so technically Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam' - anyhow - has started its cheerful blooms. It's kinda funny: in California, I could not get this Coreopsis to grow and now here in my North Carolina garden, it is the only Coreopsis with which I have had success.




Beautiful blue Bachelor's Buttons are blooming. How's that for alliteration? They reseeded themselves from last year. Hooray for reseeding annuals. Well, except for the weedy ones.




My primary clue that things had gotten a little out of hand while I was gone was when I looked out of the office window and saw the first Buddleia flowers. This Nanho Blue bush grows right outside the window. And if you read somewhere that it grows to 4 feet tall, uh, don't plan on that. Mine are at least 6 feet tall.


Have a beautiful day!

In the greenhouse...

As I started carrying plants into my wonderful greenhouse the other day, a thought hit me: I need a bigger greenhouse! Then I started looking at the plants I was putting inside. Almost all of them were plants that would be fine outside IF they were in the ground. Even if they were in their pots outside, they would probably make it through the winter here, but it will be a little easier on them in the greenhouse. So, if I had planted my perennials earlier in the year, I would now have more room in my greenhouse. Hhhmmmm.




Now, there are a few that do need to be in the greenhouse. Ones that need a zone 8 or a zone 9 or a zone 10 rather than a zone 7. Take, for example, J’s eucalyptus plant. In Southern California, no problem. Here, even to have it in the greenhouse is an experiment, because I am not sure my greenhouse will keep it warm enough. Then there is a salvia, whose species I can’t recall at the moment. (I know I have the plant tag somewhere.) It is said to be hardy to zone 8 and it will probably survive o.k. in my greenhouse. I sure hope so because I really like its grayish foliage and intense blue (I know, shock) flowers.




There also needs to be more water containers in my greenhouse. The water holds the sun’s energy to help the greenhouse stay a little warmer at night. I don’t have enough gallons so far for my greenhouse, but I am still working on it. Also, some of my containers haven’t yet been painted black, but I was kinda running out of time to get them into the greenhouse before it was getting too cold. Are you seeing a trend here?


Have a beautiful day!