Growing and Blooming Around the Garden

It's time to show you a few pictures of the plants around my garden!  The gardens themselves are in need of weeding, mulch, and assorted other chores I haven't had time to get to yet but that doesn't stop the plants from looking impressive.  Our weather lately has been wetter than normal for August and July.  That's a blessing since June brought us record heat and no rain to speak of.  For many of these plants it's like getting a second spring. I even noticed a new flower scape appearing on my Primal Scream daylily.  I don't have new flowers to show you yet but I think I will soon.  Apparently I have a reblooming one?  I didn't realize it did that!

Let's take a quick look around!

We'll start with the coleus I grew from seed.  You can really get some impressive looking plants in a short time when you grow coleus from seed.   The mixed seed had several variations in foliage from nice red leaves with green edges to speckled green foliage.  This fall I'll allow them to go to seed then separate out the variations I like.  Next year I'll have more control over my seedling color shape and size.  For your reference the large leaves are as large as my hand.

Coneflowers are simply awesome perennials.  Native to North America, beautiful, great food for birds and butterflies, what's not to like?  They like well drained soil but can handle a wide range of soil qualities.  I've had issues with aster yellows this year in my coneflowers but I think I've gotten a handle on it.  I've removed every infected plant as I've seen them.  It's painful but necessary. 

This coneflower is a hybrid Tennessee coneflower (Echinacea tennesseensis).  I got it through a plant swap a couple years ago.

A wild pink morning glory needs no care or maintenance! This one was spotted on a slope next to a garden pathway.  One of these days I'll cultivate the area better.  I say those words often "one of these days..."

I was excited to see a bloom on our purple sweet potato vine.  Unfortunately some bugs were also sighted nearby munching on a second flower.

One of the first year blooming stars of the garden this year is the Blackberry lily.  I love how the petals twist as the flower fades and the seed pod grows.  There will be quite a lot of seed coming soon.  I can't wait to collect the seed and grow some new plants next year!

 There's a little of the garden.  What's the star performer in your garden this year?

The June Garden: Flower Pictures!

Gladiola Flowers

The beginning of June is quite capable of leaving us mesmerized by all the flowers that appear. There's no shortage of blooms for pollinators or for the gardener to gawk at!  So today I'm going to share with you a bunch of blooms.  And I mean a bunch!  I probably took too many photos for this post but there were too many cool flowers to photograph not to share them with you.  I hope you enjoy them as much as we do in our garden. I've identified them in captions below the pictures.  (If you use Pintrest you are welcome to pin these photos and this post so you can one day add them to your garden!)

'Paris' Heuchera with a fern

Hosta Flower beginning to bud

Hummingbird moth on Butterfly Bush

Roses with a side order of Japanese Beetles!

Lilac verbena

Monarda

Oak Leaf Hydrangea

Purple coneflower

Hydrangea

Daylily with Lilac verbena

Wildflower area with Salvia farinacea

Lavender Cotton or Santolina

Spirea

Hummingbird moth on Verbena bonariensis

'Homestead Purple' verbena

Veronica

Yellow Asiatic lily with achillea surround it.

Yellow coreopsis

Hollyhock in self-sowing/wildflower area

I hope you enjoyed the blooms!

Around the Garden in February

Purple Crocuses

This are warming up again around our Tennessee garden this February.  While I'm writing this post spring-like storms are pouring down outside.  February again seems more like March than February!  But that's how it is sometimes with our weather patterns in TN.  We get some crazy stuff sometimes.  The unseasonable warmth has given rise to many things that would normally be postponed until later.  Some plants seem right on schedule while others are early - too early.  For today's post here is a quick look around my garden at what's happening!

Blooms from daffodils in the Japanese maple garden are brightening up our patio area!

The daffodils in the Japanese maple garden

 More crocuses are beginning to emerge in one of our front gardens. 

This 'Autumn Joy' sedum is sprouting new growth.  'Autumn joy' has a tendency to flop over in the summer.  You can reduce that from happening some by trimming it back in mid to late spring.

Here's a mass of cilantro that was planted last fall from seed.  Check out this post for more growing tips on cilantro - it's an easy herb to grow!

The forsythia is almost ready to bloom.  Here's one flower that is just about open.  Blooms are coming along at breakneck speed!

A peach tree I planted last spring is loaded with flower blossoms.  It may need some help this year.  Deer visit us in the night, frosts may be coming, and who knows what other ailments may arise.  Peaches are picky!  

The following picture is my favorite of this post.  The frost crystals on this viburnum are highlighted by the morning sunshine from the other morning.  Very cool - more ways than one! 

How's spring coming in your garden?