The Birdbath Garden

I'm eager for the action to get started in the garden, but there's not that much happening out there.  Things that are in full bloom in the nurseries and garden center are annoyingly bloom-less in our garden.

Looking out over the back garden, my eye unfailing is drawn to the eyesore left by the pine tree, where the stump was ground (one day I'll think of something to do with that -- I wish they had left the actual stump, it would have been easier to make it a "feature")

But once I can get over that, there *are* some patches of color in the garden - mostly in the two back corners.  In one, the "birdbath garden" my containers seem to be doing well.  The Babylon white verbena has been blooming strongly all winter and continues to do so, as do the "Cool Wave" pansies. 

 

I'm looking forward to seeing these lilies bloom.  As you can see, the markers have completely faded, so I have no idea what they are.  I hope that when they bloom, I'll be able to identify them.

The birds love this corner too, not only for the birdbath, but because they can peck around on the ground for seeds that get blown off the wall, where I sprinkle the bird seed each morning. Some mornings it seems like there's 20 or more sparrows out there. Sometimes just Mr. and Mrs. Cardinal.

In the other corner of the garden, the other splash of color is provided by more verbena - the Homestead purple verbena.   

A closeup view reveals some Achillea in the back of the bed. I planted the Achillea all over the garden two or three years around and this is the only patch that has survived.  I think it likes its little protected spot under the vitex tree and up against the wall.  It's getting ready to bloom.

I'm sort of itching to get gardening, but Eric and I are heading out of town, so my plans will have to wait.  I'll tell you about it when we get back next week.

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Spring is Just Around the Corner

 The garden is beginning to show it's appreciation of the rains we received this week.  Lots of little green sprouts all over, including the milkweed, the lantana and some bluebonnets in the front garden.

Also in the front garden, I've been closely watching the milkweed as I've seen Monarchs out there and there haven't been any blooms for them. Well one of the plants is now blooming and looking around I see more flower buds forming.  I would say the Monarch Waystation is open for business!

There's not too much else blooming just yet, but this Cool Wave White Viola, that I got right before Christmas, is blooming nicely...

...as is the Babylon White Verbena which I have growing in the half-barrel planter.

We've had some chilly nights and mornings, even down here in Texas, as this photo of our outdoor thermometer proves.

I heard we're expecting some more freezing nights this week so I hope that none of the newly sprouted plants get damaged. 

I will, I think, cover up the pot of Cypress Vine seedlings I have against the back fence.  Everything else will have to fend for itself as usual.

And finally - a mystery bird. I took this photo last weekend and I have looked in my bird ID books, as well as Whatbird.com, and have been unable to identify it.  Can anyone help me out? As always, you can click on the photo to see a larger version.

  



Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Renewal

My husband's office is at the front of the house, looking out over the front garden. One day this week, when I got home from work, he pointed out of his window and said, "I think there's a bird nesting in the tree."

The tree in question is the small live oak we planted in May 2009 to replace the builder-planted one that had "drowned." Click here for my husband's amusing account of that adventure. 

Personally, I don't think it's nearly big enough to house a nest, but sure enough, there was a mockingbird industriously hopping to and fro with twigs.

Strange that she didn't just use the fairly substantial nest in the other live oak tree, 15 feet away. (See the dark clump in the middle? 

 

That tree housed a family of mockingbirds last year but our guest this year prefers more custom features and is building her own nest.


I hope she keeps working on it, because looking at it close up, I'd say there's a good chance any eggs would fall through the bottom as it is right now!

 Here are both trees seen from the street. (This post gets its title from the fact that these trees, and a lot of other things in the garden, are covered in new, bright green leaves.)

Underneath the small live oak, the little clump of bluebonnets is in full bloom.

I hope I get more of these next year.  This self-seeded, but I think I'll try and collect some seeds to give it a helping hand next year.

In the back garden, the Star (Scentless) Jasmine is covered in buds. This vine is growing rampantly and will need to be trimmed this year.  I just need to make sure I do it at the right time of year and that I don't kill it in the process!  The scented Star Jasmine, growing next to it, is much smaller still but is also starting to bloom and grow.

In the back garden, I had pulled out a bunch of weed that was growing in with the homestead verbena.  Apparently I missed this one (which is actually in the lawn - the verbena has spread about 2 feet beyond the border) and I'm glad I did! I love the color combination!  Looking around the lawn, there's a lot more of it but it got mowed last night, so it won't get a chance to flower.

Finally, on the patio, I had pinched the fuschia back to remove the seed pods, and had given it a little fertilizer.  It's now rewarding me with a second flush of blooms.  They aren't as big as the first round, but I'm happy to see them anyway.

I hope you are all seeing signs of renewal in your spring gardens. 

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

The Urge to Plant Something

This past weekend I, and seemingly most Tomball area residents, headed to Lowe's Garden Center as "spring fever" hit and the urge to plant something took over.


I was feeling a bit guilty really, having just had a week of "stay-cation" which would have been perfect for a garden project, but during which I didn't do much of anything but relax. However, it was a wonderful Texas spring weekend, with temperatures in the low to mid 80's, so I couldn't wait to get out there and plant something.  

I think my enthusiasm must have been contagious because my husband joined me and spent the afternoon pulling thistles out of the lawn while I planted in the flower bed.  

(Yes, I *do* realize I have a husband in a million, and No, he's not for rent!)


I concentrated my efforts on the bed outside the dining room window where the daffodils are winding down. I kept it simple and planted a Heuchera hybrid,  Coral Bells "Midnight Rose" and a couple of Iberis sempiverens, Candytuft "Snowflake", along with a six pack of Senecio cineraria, Dusty Miller.

Here's another view of the same bed -- this is as you walk into the back garden from the front gate .

The other project that was accomplished  (a joint effort in that I offered advice and my husband did the heavy labor, i.e. digging the post holes) was this support for the Mars grapevine.

 

Last year we had this vine propped up with some plastic trellis, but it wasn't up to the task and the whole lot collapsed. Not only that, but even though at one point the vine was covered in little grapes, every last one of them disappeared the same night the trellis collapsed.  

We're thinking the local raccoons had a grape party.

We hope this support will a) hold up the vine and b) allow us to utilize some sort of netting or other deterrant to keep the raccoons away from the grapes.  Any suggestions will be gratefully received.

  

In the previous photo, you can see how close we were to the birdhouse that has the nesting Carolina Chickadee, as my husband was digging and I was "heeling in" the posts.  That was when we met the occupant, who sat on the Vitex and scolded us for bouncing her house around.

Here's another shot of the birdhouse - the Vitex is really starting to leaf out compared to the photo of the bird house I showed you last week.

To end my post tonight, I thought I would share a photo of flowers in the front garden.  Another of the Gaillardia "Fanfare" is blooming, and there's also a lot of Verbena blooming.  The problem is, I have been all through my garden journal for last year and find I completely omitted to make a note of what variety it is!

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - March 2011

It seems like it's been a while since I did a post for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day, hosted on the 15th of each month by Carol of May Dreams Gardens.  

When I don't post it's for one of two reasons.  Either there is nothing -- zip, zilch and nada -- blooming in my garden that particular month on the 15th, or I just plain forget.

And here I am at 9:50 pm on the 15th and I just remembered about it!  So here are my offerings, humble though they may be compared to some. 

To see what else is blooming around the world, visit Carol's blog at the top of this post.

First, the fuschia I showed you a couple of weeks ago in my Dancing Ballerinas post is still blooming, although it's winding down now. I'm glad I spotted this at the store. Even if it only lasts a few weeks, I think it has been worth it.

In the front garden, the daffodils have finished blooming but I won't cut them back just yet -- I'll wait until the leaves are yellow and then tidy them up.  Around them, the pansies are still going strong.

These are Matrix Purple and Yellow Splotch (love that name).  They are so reliable, nothing fazes them.  Even the deer/rabbit or whatever it was that nibbled them back to nubs a couple of months ago couldn't kill them.

And waiting in the wings, the little Texas Bluebonnet is growing nicely.  I don't see any flower buds on it yet, which is rather disheartening, considering I'm seeing them in bloom along the side of the freeway already.  I'll keep hopeful though, and perhaps it will reseed some more for next year.

In the back garden, it's just the same old stuff I've had blooming for the past couple of weeks.

The Homestead verbena (seen above with a companion weed) is surfacing from under the pile of nijer thistle seed the birds dumped on it and has lots of blooms coming out.

I suppose it's just as well it made it through the winter safely because the cuttings I took last fall didn't make it :-(

 Anyway, that's what I have blooming in my garden this Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. 
 



Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

More Signs of Spring

 I've been off work this week--taking a "stay-cation"--and I had ambitious plans to get all kinds of work done in the garden.  Looking back on the week, it seems like I didn't do much of anything really.


OK, so my husband and I replanted a couple of things, and I potted up some verbenas I got at the garden center.  


But the garden still looks bare and brown...


... until you look closer...

The smaller of my Rose of Sharon shrubs is putting out new growth.

As is this unknown plant I received at a plant swap last spring.  It has since become separated from its plant marker and I just cannot remember what it is.

The Tropi-Cannas that I had to cut back to soil level because of freeze damage are starting to put out big healthy leaves.

And this little yarrow (Achillea), which was a passalong last year, is multiplying.  I hope I see some flowers this year.  I didn't get any blooms on any of my achillea plants last year.

I was surprised that the Homestead verbena has put out flowers already.  The one on the other side of the garden is a tenth the size of this one, and has no flowers.  Obviously this one has the prime location, but it almost got buried in nijer thistle seed hulls this winter because it's growing underneath where I hang the sock feeders for the goldfinches. 


I bought a new verbena at the garden center this week.  I potted this one up, rather than plant it in the ground, because I'm not sure where it would be happiest.  In a pot, I can move it around until I find its sweet spot.

Isn't it a lovely color?

I remember lamenting in my blog a couple of weeks ago that I might not get to see my blooming daffodils because I leave the house before dawn to go to work, and I don't get home till almost dark.  Well this week I got to enjoy them fully.


I thought I'd let you see them too.

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.

Christmas Wishes from My Garden to Yours

 Yesterday we were blessed with perfect weather - sunny skies, gentle breeze, temperature in the 60's somewhere I think. Having been sick in bed all last weekend, I was eager to get out in the fresh air and get my hands dirty.


I thought about cleaning up the frost damaged plants in the front garden, but with nets of Christmas lights draped everywhere, there was a high risk of me cutting the wrong thing with the secateurs, so I concentrated in the back garden.


The "Tropi-Cannas" that I had in containers in the corner got frost-bitten, so I trimmed them back, taking care not to damage the new shoots that are already coming through, and relocated the containers further along the wall.


In their place, I picked up a couple of small "living Christmas trees" -- Chamaecyparis lawsoniana Elwoodii - False Cypress.  They were the last two left, they were pretty beat up and their pots were split, but they were only $4, so I snatched them up and took them home.


I repotted them and arranged them in front of the trellis where the cannas had been, along with some poinsettias I bought around Thanksgiving. It creates a nice little splash of color in an otherwise drab back garden.

Further along the back wall, the dwarf Burford Holly is getting in the Christmas spirit too, with bursts of bright red berries.

Finally getting started with the actual clean up, I turned to the Homestead Verbena. This was gifted to me in the spring by Ursula, who I have mentioned before -- I think I owe half of my garden to her generosity.  

I guess the keyword here is Location, Location, Location.  Ursula gave me two of these.  I planted one on the other side of the garden, where it withered and died.  This one... well you can see what this one did...

This started off in a 4 inch pot, now it's five feet across.  I had to hack it back, it was taking over the lawn! I can't wait till it blooms in the spring! I stuck some of the cuttings I had taken in to a flat with potting soil in it and put it in my mini greenhouse on the patio.  If they make it great, if they don't -- I have more!

Further along the same fence,  the Fennel that got eaten down to nubs by the swallowtail caterpillars has rebounded and looks lovely tucked in the back of the bed.  The recent freeze didn't faze it a bit, so hopefully it will still be around when the swallowtail butterflies show up in the spring.

Just in front of it, the Hot Trumpets salvia is still doing well and it's surrounded by babies, where it seeded freely this year.

I was tempted to "weed" this bed, but then decided just to pluck out the obvious bird seed sprouts and leave the rest till spring when I can pot up and relocate some of these babies.

I probably won't have a chance to blog again before Christmas, so in case I don't, I'll take this opportunity to wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Holiday season.  

Words and photographs by Jayne Wilson, Green and Serene, Jayne's Country Garden.