What Is This Plant?

Does anyone recogize this plant? (As with all photos posted on Faire Garden, click on the photo to see a larger image. ) It blooms once a year, mid spring for us.
Here is a better shot of the foliage. It is evergreen. It was purchased in Houston at a native plant nursery, the name is gone from memory. I thought the tag said it was a salvia, but the flower form does not look like a salvia.



It grows to about ten inches tall in bloom. Shown here with salvia 'May Night' and an unknown geranium. I have guessed that it is a veronica of some sort, but don't know. It spreads nicely and is a great, drought tolerant plant. It has been divided several times and makes a great filler in a sunny well drained spot. Does anyone know it?

Frances

Flowers For Cutting

There are some flowers that lend themselves to being cut and placed in a vase of cool water to bring delight to the senses indoors. The herbaceous peonies that are growing here at the Faire Garden have begun to bloom, right on time for Mother's Day, May 11. There are several varieties, all old ones, no new fancy cultivars. Some came with the property and some were passalongs from friends and neighbors, thanks May, Mickey and Laurie. Most of them are the above variety, with the palest of pink outer petals and white multi petaled interiors. As a youngster, the lady who lived next door to my parents had a large garden, filled with these types of peonies. When they began to bloom, she would have huge bouquets cut and wrapped in paper towels and waxed paper for me to take to my teachers at school. She had them ready to hand off to me as I walked by her house on my way to school. They were always a big hit. But no peonies will be cut to be brought inside here.


Another flower that is popular for cutting is the orchid. Shown above is a species, cattleya skinneri. The catts were once popular for wrist corsages for spring dances and Mother's Day church ornament pinned to one's suit lapel or dress collar. The flowers are stiff and waxy, holding up well to both frenzied dancing or solemn prayer. No orchids will be cut and brought into the house or worn for any purpose here.


A stalk of foxgloves would make an artistic addition to a mixed bouquet, suitable for a rendering in pastels or water colors. The above is digitalis 'Apricot', a seed grown specimen that has returned to bloom again another year. No lovely stalks of foxgloves will be snipped here.

St. John's Wort, hypericum berries are often used as filler in arrangements. In fact, this is the filler that was used in offspring Semi's wedding bouquet. It had to be specially ordered from our local grocery, to go with the mail ordered coral calla lilies for the home made bouquet. It was then that we decided to try and grow this plant for our own berry needs. They are growing nicely, even though we have never picked the berries. We like to see them on the plant.

The taller alliums, this was considered an allium by the powers that name plants at the time they were ordered, make nice additions to cut flowers brought inside. Name changes are popular with those powers and this may no longer be considered allium bulgaricum, (syn. Nectaroscordum siculum). The red flowers growing along with these bulbs are sweet william, dianthus barbatus. Neither will make it to a vase here.

The stately bearded iris, this one is Spartan, plays nicely with other flowers in a vase, or alone in a Japanese style flat container with the prickly flower frog device to hold it upright. But not here.

Another good filler, artemisia versicolor 'Seafoam'. This was ordered from High Country Gardens last year, along with several other xeric plants. Our rainfall in normal years is too high for many of the plants offered by this southwest nursery to thrive, but this one survived our wet winter nicely. More of these will be ordered, to be grown outside and not touched by the shears.

This is the one flower that we will cut and bring inside to enjoy in a small pitcher on the kitchen windowsill above the sink. Keeping these picked will prolong the bloom period, as long as the temperature outside stays moderate. These are the first blooms open from the seeds planted out last December.

They are growing on a wire fence along with sugar snap peas, planted in January. We planted the snap peas in the same row as the sweet peas because the sweet pea plants had disappeared. We added chicken wire at the bottom to protect the peas from ravaging rabbits, and lo and behold, the sweet peas returned. They were being eaten to the nub by the hungry pests. They didn't need to be pinched back to make bushier plants, they had been regularly pinched already.


This is the number one reason that the flowers get to remain on their stalks out of doors, or in the greenhouse/sunroom here, Hazel the plant eating cat. She can and will eat any and all living or dried flowers that are displayed anywhere in the house. She has eaten dried hydrangea blossoms that were several years old. A favorite food of hers, besides our home made soap, (ivory is the only substitute), is lettuce. Whether store bought or home grown, she will come running when the water is turned on to the wash the leaves. She will meow incessantly until she has been hand fed several morsels. She uses her paw to hold one's hand in the proper position until she has gently taken the piece in her teeth.

Our little pitcher of sweet peas is small enough to set on a ledge that Miss Hazel cannot reach. The fragrance released by these small flowers fills the house with its perfume. While we grow many flowers that could be cut and enjoyed in the house, or on one's clothing, the sweet peas will be giving us the joy of seeing and smelling them through their bloom time. May it be long lasting, as the flowers in the vase.

Frances

Pyracanthas

There is a row of pyracanthas in bloom now along the fifty foot long chain link fence that runs behind the shed at the top of the hill. Two P. coccinea 'Lelandei' were planted in 1996 by the semi adult offspring living in the house then. When we moved here in 2000, two more P. coccinea 'Kasan' were added. The next year, two more P. hybrid 'Mohave' finished off the privacy row. They are all pruned close to the fence as high as can be reached with the long handled loppers. The entire group of these shrubs is ten feet tall at the minimum to more than fifteen feet tall. The silver color of the fence is completely hidden by the dense foliage of the pruned portions.

As the path is followed that leads to the shed the sound of buzzing and the feel of thrumming cannot be ignored. What appears to be all the same kind of bee is gathering the pollen produced by the white flowers. If there is a fragrance to these flowers, we wouldn't know of it, the presence of the insects flitting around prevents that deep inhale of nose in blossom. In fact, just the taking of these photographs caused some concern about being stung. The numbers of bees sipping nectar is astounding. The whole area vibrates as though it were a machine.

We are not afraid of bees in the garden, even though stings have occurred. But that time it was my own fault for wearing a long flowing skirt and walking up the steps while the ajuga was in bloom. The large bumblebees love those blue spikes on the ajuga and one flew up inside my skirt and had a panic attack, stinging me multiple times on the thigh. He was very frightened. I lifted my skirt above my waist for him to fly out to freedom, thankful for the privacy of the back gardens. But these little bees are something different, and seem to only be on the pyracanthas. Can anyone out there in the blogdom identify him?




Pyracanthas are a shrub that has been grown at every house we have owned. In Pennsylvania, California, Tennessee, Texas, and back to Tennessee again, we have planted at least one. The reason for this is the memories of having three large pyracanthas at my childhood home in Oklahoma. They were planted along the foundation of our white stucco house, and were as large as the ones we now have growing along the fence. The reddish orange berries added more interest long after the flowers had faded. Many birds like to build their nests in the thorny braches in addition to dining on the berries.

Pollen laden legs are visible on this hard working bee.

The branches grow gracefully long and hang down slightly with the weight of foliage, flower and berry.

The leaves are semi evergreen, whatever that means. During the winter this lush leafiness is not apparent, although a few leaves do remain, turning darker and more leathery with the cold. The berries do not persist past fall, being devoured by the hungry hoardes of cardinals among others. Maybe that is one reason we have so many cardinals that live in the garden the year around, the berry bonanza provided by the pyracanthas.

Wings neatly crossed and laying flat on his back, the saddlebag pollen sacks on his legs bulging, our friendly bee is doing a good job of insuring a bounteous berry production this fall. Our hats off to you and your cohorts! Maybe this post will help us to know you and your brethren better if some knowledgable reader will leave a message as to your name.

Frances

Space Invaders

Out and about in the garden this weekend, we have found what appears to be outer space visitors. They must have brought these strange looking flowers with them. Maybe the blooms are really vehicles for space travel. Or maybe it is a green fly on an Allium Christophii flower.

The green alien emerging from the center on his blue flying saucer is sending out his tentacles to search for intelligent life forms. Sorry, buddy, wrong house. Or maybe it is the first of the nigella blooms.



This spidery looking being is unfolding for a walk on the wild side while sitting on his blue hover craft.

Or maybe this is clematis 'Elsa Spath' with somebody's hand holding her still for her close up.

Many little green men are having a conference in their yellow and white amphitheatre. Or maybe this is an osteospurmum getting ready to open fully.

This time it is little blue men, I wonder if they are musicians? They like to travel in style in their white coach.

The blue men are donning their gold trenchcoats on this mauve flying machine.

No wait, this is another osteospurmum, an especially vividly colored one.

There is a group of them! Call civil defense!

No cause for alarm, these appear to be just annuals planted in a garden bed.

Under the red wine leaves of a newly planted Japanese maple, the color echo is bound to bring pleasure to any and all onlookers, from any galaxy.

On second thought, the invasion is so on!

(Many thanks to my friend Laurie for supplying this wonderful photo of the mantis hatching, click on the image to see the space invaders up close and personal.)

Frances

Wondrous Sight

This past weekend I witnessed something wonderful. Early in the morning on Saturday, while walking around the garden before the big storms arrived that had been forecast, and before we left the house to go to Knoxville to visit the offspring, I was able to view the most amazing thing. Of course my camera was not with me, it was too dark really to take a good photo, so why bring it out? It was just going to be a quick look at the garden's status before the rain started. There cannot be enough looking at that status and I needed to fill up my eyes since we would be away for the day. The usual route had been followed, looking for progress in the blooms just opening and inhaling the scent of azaleas, dianthus and roses. The far corner where the arbor is providing support for newly planted roses and clematis was the first destination as the path was followed from the back door to the east. The shrub border was checked to admire the deciduous azaeleas still afire with color. The veggie area was checked for emerging sugar snap peas from the white blooms. The foxgloves at the back corner of the shed were checked for any apricot color visible from the swollen buds. The knot garden was checked for the progress of the dying tulip foliage to be at the stage where the celosia seedlings could be planted inside the quadrants. The step edges were checked for the appearance of any new diathus color combinations. As I was coming back towards the house, via the pond to check on the fish, Fido and Casey, a ruby throated hummingbird flew to the waterfall and stopped midair, looking at the water. I stood still as a statue, barely breathing for fear of frightening him away. He comtemplated the water for a short time, I thought he was maybe going to get a drink. And he did, touching his pointed beak on the rock where the water drips down. There was thunder in the distance, long and rolling. I remained with my feet glued to the spot on the stepping stone, waiting for what would happen next, heart racing. The tiny bird flew into the dripping water, landing on the sloping stone, and began bathing himself! He crossed his wings on his backside and shimmied and shook while clinging to the rock. He did not have his wings outspread like most birds do when they splash around in our various birdbaths. His head turned left and right speedily, hummingbirds even bathe quickly, just like they flutter their wings. He stayed under the tiny shower for several seconds. My mind was going wild, knowing there would be no running inside to retrieve the camera, I tried to memorize each moment, never wanting to forget what was being witnessed, for it is unlikely that I will ever happen upon such a wonder again. After becoming as clean as he wished, he flew to the nearby dogwood tree and landed on a branch. He was finishing his abulitions, preening his feathers and smoothing his wings. He spent a good amount of time getting every feather in place to his liking, then flew to a higher branch and began the routine over again. I was nearly in tears with happiness that he remained within sight as long as he did. Then it was up, up and away, hovering for a moment near the top of the vine laden walnut tree, then off to the west. I came inside to write this down before it could be forgotten or the memory altered by time.

The step stone to the right of the lowest stone in the above photo was where I was standing, looking inward toward the waterfall, scanning for orange fish Fido and white fish Casey when the visitor arrived.

The hummer refreshed himself with a bit of a sip from the sloping rock beneath the flat piece of flagstone where the water drips. He touched his beak to the wet surface at the edge while still midair. After a couple of drinks he landed under the second stream from the right for a shower, clinging to the stone with his claws.

The view while standing on the same stone where this scene had just been seen, with the camera this time, feet facing the pond and looking behind my left shoulder to the steps that lead to the top of the hill.

The view looking up the hill from the pond from the same position. As much delight as these views provide, the voyeur view of the hummingbird taking a shower was by far more wonderful than anything else the garden has ever offered.

A close up of the sacred spot on the sloping stone immediately after the witnessing of the event. It appears that a little memento was left by our feathered wonder, be it a feather, the preferred belief, or something else. Even though this iridescence has now been washed away, the the memory of it is etched in my mind's eye forever.

Frances

No Hoes Here

One could say that we are hoeless at the Faire Garden, but it would not be entirely true.
If you look hard enough at our array of gardening implements, you will see hoes resting on the board that holds the shovels and rakes. But they are rarely used.

We have on occasion purchased antique, (or sold at antique stores) tools that are artful as well as useful. But we have not used them. They do add a charm to the shed interior though.


Tools have even been found on the property, buried under layers of unpruned privet hedge. We consider these art also.


Another found piece, an all metal wheelbarrow with a rusted out basin. Perfect for a planter of mixed sedums and sempervirens.


While in use, the wooden handles of tools have been know to break, thus becoming yet more art. The birds really like to perch on the tines.

An expensive English made specially ordered shovel, whose handle was broken in the removal of the giant pampas grass, makes an artful display that also functions as a hose guide.

Tools truly used, daily in fact are the small digging spade and mini rake. This shovel is the go to around here. Small enough to not wear out a slightly small and slightly weakening with age gardener with its weight. The little rake is perfect for fishing algae out of the pond along with fallen leaves.

At times, micro surgical tools are needed for those tight spots. The knife and cobrahead can weed and dig holes for planting smaller additions. The muddy handles are proof of the hard use they endure.

The queen of the garden, the felcos. Her highness is muddy handled also. But she wears her dirt proudly for the leadership she provides to her adoring subjects. The gnomes have brought tributes to honor her. Long may she reign!

~~~

This post is part of the
Hoe Down sponsored by Carol at May Dreams Gardens.

Frances

Gifts From The Gravel

It is now May and that means it is time for a new topic from
Gardening Gone Wild's garden designer workshops. This month it is stone and gravel. It is also time for the Volunteer Viola Beauty Pageant. Most all of the contestants hail from the gravel paths around the knot garden at the top of the hill. We have gravel paths all over the property in the back. The look of this material is very English Cottage style, my favorite. It keeps one's feetsies dry as you stroll the ups and downs and it drains freely when we experience those heavy downpours. Those are quite rare in recent times, but the gravel serves us well. Christopher C. has written in his blog,
Outside Clyde, of the free plants he has been able to obtain from the edge of the gravel driveway where he is building a cabin on the side of a mountain. His story is amazing, if you aren't familiar with it, zip over there and give it a look.
In order for the violas to grow to their optimum beauty, the weeds must be meticulously removed from the growing medium. That means some quality time spent on hands and knees, scooting along the gravel and pulling any unwanteds.

Two examples of wanteds, on the left is a bread seed poppy baby. He gets to live and will be moved to a better location to showcase his tall red or pink bloom. On the right is a baby viola, looking like a dark purple from the appearance of the bud already formed. Being able to distinguish the weeds from the good guys is a skill learned by trial and error over the years.


Another good guy, salvia coccinea, probably a red one although we have coral and white sometimes. One has learned to recognize the spade shaped first leaves on these and either transplant them or let them grow in the gravel. We love them as do the hummingbirds.

Uh oh, a bad one, poke berry. He will have to go. There are many of these native plants around the edge of our property allowed to grow to their full potential of around eight feet tall. In late summer the purple berries are a gourmet treat for the many birds. That ensures a good supply of seedlings coming up in all the flower beds and paths. But the babies are distinctive and easily pulled at this size.


The weeding has been finished in this section, and the girls are practicing their makeup and talent for the big competition.



The judges will be looking for interesting marking and color combinations. While we agree that all are lovely, we will be looking for that special one.

This wildflower is abundant here. We let some of them flower fully, most are pulled, depending on what else we are trying to grow in that area. I would love to know the name of it. Does anyone know what it is?

This one is a welcome visitor, the penstemon 'Husker Red'. All of these are kept and replanted in a variety of beds. The dark leaves are evergreen and form neat mounds. The flowers are whites and pinks, some nearly lavender after having partied with some of the other penstemons we grow, Red Rocks and Sour Grapes, among others.

A sweet little blue. It is wonderful how they flower at such a small size. The blooming continues as the plants grow to about a foot in diameter and tall. If crowded with other plants, they will weave through their surroundings and still give plenty of colorful faces to cheer our mood.

On the left, a violet, this is a goner. On the right is the biennial forget me not, with its fuzzy oval leaves. It will be moved to an appropriate place of honor for it is a beloved plant here. These seedlings are descendants of our very first garden in our first house in Pennsylvania. The in laws were given some of the babies from the original plant purchased in 1976, the bicentennial year, when I was carrying Semi. As we moved from place to place, we would dig a piece from the in laws' volunteers and plant it in our new gardens. The name fits how we feel about the memories associated with these, mostly blue, but sometimes blooming pink, forget me nots.

The seeds have scattered themselves over the years in this part of the path. Many packs of violas in blue, white, yellow and the dark purple Bowle's Black were planted in the quadrants the first year they were created with old bricks used for edging. Back then the paths were mulch, we brought the gravel up later. Getting the 'brown 57', the name this type of stone goes by around here, up to the top of the hill was hard physical labor. But the muscle strain was worth it. The gravel keeps the soil from washing down the hill, lets us meander with dry feet when the dew is heavy in the mornings, and provides the perfect environment for self seeding desirables to perpetuate themselves each year. We are looking for a banner year with many beautiful semi finalists to be voted on by you, our reading public. Stay tuned and brush up on the viola attributes you find appealing.

Frances