Gardens-In-The-Sand

Naturals

Naturals... were here when I got here...

The thing about gardening with naturals.... is... you can't just weed everything out, or run around spraying round-up on anything that you don't recognize...

Amsonia

Carolina rock-rose (Helianthemum Carolianum) / (Crocanthemum georgianum)

The interesting thing about Helianthemum Carolianum... is that it seems to be a member of the rock-rose family... And I've had rock rose (cistus) on my wish list since forever, and it can't be had in this area.... apparently it doesn't tolerate humidity... Seems like time to make some crosses....

Hoary puccoon
(it's really called that)

This one hasn't started blooming yet... The problem with hoary puccoon... is that it doesn't transplant... mark your plant well, this guy is difficult to keep!

Indigo (Baptisia lanceolata), I posted this last time, but it's got more open blooms today...

Here's a nice grouping... you know what they say about planting in groups of three...

Not a flower... but this little sassafras sapling caught the afternoon light and my attention...

Toadflax...

Ok, I ran out of naturals... I brought in the violets...

I brought in the crossvine, also...

I'm seeing butterflies.... and they're finding me...

Here's something I'd like to see more of... The mosquitoes are happy to use my rain barrels to reproduce, the dragonflies... not so much...

Labels: Carolina rock-rose, frost rose

Theory

I have a theory about compost...

Seems like a lot of weed seeds are ending up in the pile... And spreading the compost simply plants weeds all over the garden...

What about piling the weed pile in a section of the garden where the veggies don't grow well, and after the compost happens, level the pile where it sits?

Then... 90% of the seeds will be buried... just like God does it... and you only have to pull the weeds from the top layer...

These magenta spreen (growing in the freshly spread compost), are ready to eat...

Saw a hummingbird today, visiting the coral honeysuckle...

Sulphur yellow visiting the eastern columbine...

The iris are starting to bloom...

As is the wild indigo (Baptisia lanceolata).... This indigo is a natural... was here when I got here...

The kudzu bugs have found my fava beans...

Labels: columbine, compost, hummingbird, indigo, kudzu bugs, magenta spreen

It must be Spring...

It's in the 80s today...

The cat is weeding as fast as she can...

And the bees are making sure that we don't run out of winter annuals...

The henbit has a beautiful bloom... if you look close...

This bee is pollinating the black cherries...

The woods are full of dogwood bloom...

Coral honeysuckle...

Redbud

Here's some sassafras bloom from a few weeks ago...

And finally a coupla buckeye blooms...

Signs of Spring

Sorry to everybody that is in the path of the blizzard, terrible weather this winter...

Spring is on the way, I snapped some pictures yesterday... to prove it...

Pear Blossoms

Forsythia

Creeping Phlox

Corydalis

Daffodills

Carolina Jessemine

Bridal Wreath Spirea

Even the Columbines are sending up bloom-stalks!

Here's something impressive... The peppers are sending up new growth from last seasons roots!

The cat doesn't mind the cold.

The New Year

My apologies for the length of time since my last post. I've had the pictures, but not a way to upload.
Working from the library computer today, but let's keep it our secret.

Frost Bloom on Verbesina

Evening Primrose seedpods

I saw a bird eating seed out of these... but wasn't quick enough with the shutter.

Fava bean blossoms

The Hellebore are blooming...

These little yellow warblers made an appearance, scratched up my flower seeds out of the beds, and then left for parts unknown. Cute...

I had a yard full of butterflies today, but when I fetched the camera... couldn't get any of them to say "cheese".