And most months I remember -- on or about the 17th of the month!
But this month I remembered in time!
While the front border is somewhat over-stuffed with some huge indian hawthorn and african lily (courtesy of the builder 4 years ago), the White Gold Lantana and New Gold Lantana I planted are making a good showing along the front of the border, as are the milkweed along the back. (Notice the Monarch Waystation sign in the center of the photo)
Lantana is making a good showing in the back garden too -- this one, in front of the wax myrtle is Dallas Red. The butterflies and hummingbirds love it!
Here's a closer look.
In the "bird feeder" corner, where I gave up trying to plant things in the ground because of the thick tangle of pine roots just under the surface, I have a collection of containers.
Below is the newest - I love the "half barrel" look, which reminds me of the real half barrels my dad has in his garden. In it, I have some Superbells Grape Punch (calibrachoa hybrid), Supertunia Vista Bubblegum (petunia hybrid), Verbena Babylon White and a Persian Shield (the tall plant in the middle with beautiful purple leaves).
If you click on the photo to see the larger version, you can see two things. First, a very sturdy pine root that's come up to the surface (there's a pine tree right on the other side of the wall) and second, a couple of adventurous milkweed seedlings that have sprouted there. In fact, the yellow milkweed on the right self-seeded there last year. How it competes with the pine roots I'll never know, but it's doing beautifully, so I'll leave things as they are.
And finally, for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, something else that reminds me of my dad's garden in England -- fuschias. These are in a hanging basket (with home made macrame hanger, a la 1970's even) just outside the back door.
I do love them, they remind me of dancing ballerinas.
That's it for today. Happy Garden Bloggers Bloom Day everyone. I hope your gardens are blooming.
Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.
10 comments:
Those lantana's are sure looking good. Maybe you'll get more milkweed to naturalise in that bit of root infested ground? nature certainly has a way of finding homes for plants in the most inhospitable places when they are self sown.
Your garden is just lovely, as always. Love that lantana. Mine isn't blooming nearly that well yet.
Thanks Rosie. There are milkweed naturalizing all over the place! I'm pulling a lot of them up, but leaving one from each clump of seedlings so they have room to grow.
Lantana seems well suited to this garden Dorothy. Since the butterflies and hummers seem to like it, I'm happy to let it go crazy.
I love your fuscia! I used to find it so tempermental in our climate but some of the new varieites are happier and I love to include! Your home and garden are lovely!
The milkweed is so easy to reseed itself. I bought one two years ago, and now they are appearing everywhere in the garden. I had to cut the seed heads before they pop! LOL
Your lantana looks so beautiful. For some reason, I don't have too much luck with lantana, especially the bush types. I have one lavendar colored trailing lantana.
I love fushia so much, but it seems not like South Florida hot and humid weather? Does your fushia come back every year?
You have been busy! I'm surprised that your daylilies haven't budded out yet. I have a dozen volunteers whose buds are nipped off by the deer every year; oddly, the beasts have been ignoring them so far, so I'd better enlarge my fortifications, as the buds have all poked their heads out since I rigged the barriers up.
This year my Asclepias viridis (the Monarchs' preferred milkweed) are popping up all over the place. One day I'll have a butterfly observation deck, but this year I have my work cut out for, just pulling up all the seedlings that followed the drought.
I love your fuschia; reminds me of Cornish hedges.
Hi Ami
Thanks for stopping by. I get new hanging baskets with fuschias each spring. Our heat and humidity is tough on them too and they tend to poop out in the heat of August. But at least I can enjoy them for a few months on the patio.
Hi Carol
I'll have to have a closer look at the daylilies to see what's going on with them. I fear they are getting squeezed out by the monster shrubs in the front border.
I grew up in Houston, I really miss the Lantana. Your red and yellow one is lovely. I was fascinated by them as a child. Lovely garden!
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