The location offers a great opportunity to observe them close up (and the cats love it) but unfortunately it's always in the shade, so the photos are always dark. (the blur at the top right hand side is a sticker on the door designed to prevent birds from flying into the glass)
Here's another garden visitor, a grey squirrel. I know a lot of people consider them pests, but I welcome them and they even have their own feeder.
A couple of weekends ago, Eric and I went out to Washington-on-the-Brazos and, on the way back, we stopped in at Fraziers in Hempstead. Wow - that place could be a whole post on its own! Talk about sensory overload! Every kind of garden ornament and statuary that you could wish for.
Eric's eyes rolled and glazed over as he envisioned hours of traipsing round trying to keep up with me as I oooh'd and aaaah'd over everything. In the end, he was lucky. I spotted this horse head Welcome sign after only 10 minutes or so and decided I would get it and come back on my own at a later date for a more intense browse.
In the bed where last year I had some tropical milkweed, this year I planted red Salvia coccinea "Texas Sage" and a bulbine. In addition, last year's Hot Trumpets Salvia has re-seeded and is doing well. The blue seed tray against the fence has some columbine seedlings. Although I planted several other types of seed, nothing much else is coming up yet.
Here's a close up of the bulbine blooms.
The little white trellis I got in Lowe's to hide the utility boxes really does the job. However, until now there wasn't much planted in front of it. I had some daffodils there this spring, and there was a White Gold Lantana. Everything else was in containers and I really wanted to start getting some things in the ground.
I made a start on it yesterday and added some Mealy Cup Sage as well as another bulbine. There's already a Marguerite Daisy growing off to the right so I think that the combination of blue/purple and yellow will look nice with the white lantana and the butterfly bush behind the trellis in summer.
Here's a close up of the Mealy Cup sage, which was already in bloom when I planted it.
Happy Easter to you all.
Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.
8 comments:
Happy Easter to you too and thanks for showing me Fraziers. We visited Old Town Spring yesterday. Do you know about Brookwood? Visit my blog to see some pix and some info about it. Carol
Thanks Carol. It's been a while since I visited Old Town Spring. I need to make a point to head over there since it's so close. I'm somewhat familiar with Brookwood. A neighbor where I used to live was a teacher there. I love the store they have in Old Town Spring.
Ah, what it is to be married to a gardener. Stop at every nursery, garden and any place selling things remotely to do with gardens! If men were more smart they would ask, 'Are you by any chance a gardener' Joking aside, I know my husband adores looking at the flowers and the wildlife that has come into our garden. I would try using a little flash to see if it will light up the humming bird. It may work. They are very difficult to film so I think you did a good job to even capture one.
Hope you Easter was fun. Watching Upstairs Downstairs tonight? We are.
Hot Lips Salvia is a great plant. Butterflies flock around it happily here.
Hi Lynn, Actually I mis-typed in my post. It's Hot Trumpets Salvia (I have a Hot Lips Verbena in the front garden - I think that may be what you're referring to, since the butterflies love it too)
Happy Easter, Jayne! So lucky to have a beautiful hummingbird. I am trying so hard to attract them with my little feeder, but I'm told they don't come to feeders here...only the real thing. Maybe since theres so much wonderful tropical nectar to be had.
Poor Eric...my husband feels his pain. HAHA!!! My daughter tells me to "look away from the pretty colors, Mommy!" when we pass by a nursery or head into a retail store with a garden section.
Your garden is looking really pretty! I especially love the little blooms of bulbine. Butterfly magnet!
Hi Jayne,
I enjoyed your cute hummingbird and squirrel. I forgot to tell Larry I saw a small squirrel running around at a neighbor's, and wondered if it was one of the ones that had been in our tree. I don't like the damage they do when they dig, but they sure are fun to watch.
I am looking at books for ideas for what to plant in my new planting bed. I think I have it somewhat planned out now. Mealy cup sage was one of the plants they used in the butterfly garden plan in the newest book I have. Yours sure looks good.
I'm looking forward to seeing what happens in your new planting bed Sue. I know it must have been traumatic to lose the old tree, but it's good that you can look at the situation in a positive light. I hope the squirrel you saw was one from your tree and that he now has a new home. It's good they were so careful removing that section of the tree.
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