A white garden...

Once upon a time, I heard of white gardens, probably starting with the famous one at Sissinghurst, but it has been so long now that I don't remember. But I do remember thinking that a white garden would be boring. And then I saw a white garden at a showcase house in California. Boy, was I wrong about white gardens being boring! Then and there I decided that sometime I would like to have a white garden.



When we moved to North Carolina, I figured that now I would have the room to have a white garden. I picked the location: an area on the north side of the house at the east end of the deck. There was already a white Rose of Sharon there, and hostas with white edges, so that was a start.




Well, not too long after that, Julie asked if she could have a garden and so I told her about my plans for a white garden and asked her if she would like to do that. She said she would rather have color, but that she would do the white garden. And she has done a wonderful job.




I didn't realize how difficult a location it would be to find suitable plants. It is in full shade in the winter and then most of it gets hot sun in the summer, but is more shady in the spring and the fall. Most plants don't do their best in this situation. But with careful planning and Julie's hard work, she has created a very beautiful garden.



Julie and Kirstin are at Summer Camp this week, so the house is kinda quiet. And I have been charged with the responsibility of making sure that Julie's plants are well taken care of while she is away. What an honor to tend this lovely white garden.


Have a beautiful day!

Popular place...

This morning, Kirstin saw this toad sitting in the Corkscrew Rush pot in the bathtub pond.




A couple of nights ago, there were 3 of these little pinewoods frogs in the same pot, but by the time Julie got back out there with the camera, only one was still there.



He makes an ear-piercing sound. Pretty amazing for such a little guy!


Have a beautiful day!

Bloom Day July 2010...

Guess what! It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day again! Thank you to Carol at May Dreams Gardens for hosting! Be sure to go to May Dreams Gardens to visit other garden bloggers and see what is happening in their gardens today. I've actually got quite a few things blooming, in spite of the heat and lack of rain. Here are just some of my flowers. You can click on any picture for a larger view. Let's start with Tansy.


And this is a double Rose of Sharon. I don't remember its name right now.



Of course, Buddleia 'Nanho Blue.'



Tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) and a white Crepe Myrtle.



African Blue Basil - one of my favorite plants.



Cosmos. Kirstin grows the Cosmos.



'Ballerina' Rose.


Another Buddleia. This one is 'Blue Chip.'



Oh, and Julie's white Buddleia.


More of Kirstin's Cosmos.



Cleome (Spider Flower) and Salvia Coccinea (Texas Hummingbird Sage).



To finish up, a couple of beautiful blue Salvias. Salvia guaranitica 'Black and Blue.'



And - I love this plant - Salvia uliginosa (Bog Sage).


Thanks for stopping by and have a beautiful day!

Sixteen...

Sixteen years ago today, my Julie-pie was born. She doesn't want to be sixteen; she liked being 15 and she wouldn't mind being 17, but the whole "sweet sixteen" thing is just not her.



I found these pictures of her when she was 7, playing in my garden in California. Maybe now you can understand the "not sixteen" thing!



She has always liked green. I made the little dress for her and the little Robin Hood hat.


You'll have to indulge me: I couldn't figure out which picture not to post, so...




But now she is somewhere between 15 and 17. Has she changed? Uh, no, not much! Kirstin took these photos of her today.




She loves the green of the forest. And still enjoys a good costume.



And I still make dresses for her. She may not like the "sweet sixteen" stuff, but, you know what ... she really is a sweetie.



And a very beautiful Julie-pie.


Have a beautiful day!

Kitty and Corkscrew....

So Julie was playing with my camera and came up with some pretty cool pictures of one of my pretty cool plants. She keeps hinting that she should have her own camera.




I bought this Corkscrew Rush (Juncus effusus 'Spiralis') several years ago because I liked it, but I never got around to doing anything with it. It just lived in its nursery pot in a rubber stock tank filled with water. Amazingly, it survived.




Recently I transplanted it into the chocolate terra cotta pot and put the whole thing into its new home. I am slowly, very slowly, transforming a vintage bathtub into a small, very small, pond. For the most part, the "pond" has merely looked tacky, but I think that when I am finished, it will be alright.



The "pond" is a favorite place for the cats to come drink water. The neighbor's dog comes to drink there, too. Personally, I would look for "cleaner" water, but they seem to really like it.




Julie is planning to enter the black and white photo in the County Fair. I love Tiger's reflection in the water.


Have a beautiful day!

Creatures...

O.K., so more than just plants live in my garden. There are PLENTY of creatures out there, too. I like the Praying Mantises because they eat some of the other bugs I'd really rather not have around.




The Mantises seem to like people. This one lives on the porch and it will jump after us sometimes when we go in the door.




Julie took these pictures of him on the storm door.



Today I found this moth on the porch. I sure do hope the Mantis dude doesn't find it! It's too amazing to be lunch.



And Luca likes the porch as well. He's a very sweet kitty and came to visit Julie while she was taking pictures of the Mantis yesterday, so she took a picture of him, too. The porch seems to be a pretty popular place, huh?




There is a creature in this picture, too. Can you find it? I started to dump the water in the tub a few weeks back because it had been there for awhile, but as I started to empty it, I discovered some almost-mature tadpoles so I refilled the tub.




Even though I have heard the frog croaking and have heard it splash as it jumps back into the tub, I haven't seen it. Well, until yesterday, that is. And, using the zoom on my camera, I was able to get a picture of the big guy. He hides well, doesn't he?


Have a beautiful day!

It worked!

Several weeks ago, I prepared this container to attract hummingbirds to my deck. I love to see them and I prefer to grow flowers for them rather than try to remember to fill a feeder for them. This particular pot has Cypress Vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) and Salvia coccinea. Oh, and some Sweet Alyssum (Lobularia maritima).




I used a tomato cage turned upside down to create a tuteur for the vine and, more importantly, to make a resting place for a little hummer to sit. When I lived in California, I noticed that the little hummers would perch if there was a spot for them in their flowers. So now I like to provide that place when I can.



The plants were a little slow in reviving from being transplanted (they had reseeded themselves) as it was just a tad warm. There's an understatement for you! But they survived and started filling out. And I waited for a hummingbird to show up.



We have seen hummers other places in the garden. However, they have seemed oblivious to this particular collection that I had provided for them. The Yellow Shrimp Plant is also supposed to attract hummers. Maybe they knew I was watching for them through the sliding glass doors and were being coy.



Then yesterday, we were sitting at the table, eating breakfast, when Kirstin said, "Look! A hummingbird!" My back was to the doors so I turned and there indeed was a little hummer going to the Salvia! And it sat for a moment on the perch I had provided for it! As you can imagine, I was thrilled.

{Salvia coccinea, elsewhere in my garden}

Have a beautiful day!