God's Garden

“The Lord God planted a garden
  In the first white days of the world,
  And He set there an angel warden
  In a garment of light enfurled.

  So near to the peace of Heaven,
  That the hawk might nest with the

       wren,
  For there in the cool of the even
  God walked with the first of men.

  And I dream that these garden-closes
  With their shade and their 

      sun-flecked sod
  And their lilies and bowers of roses,
  Were laid by the hand of God.

  The kiss of the sun for pardon,
  The song of the birds for mirth,--
  One is nearer God's heart in a garden
  Than anywhere else on earth.

  For He broke it for us in a garden
  Under the olive-trees
  Where the angel of strength was the warden
  And the soul of the world found ease.”

  

                                       - by D.F.Gurney

Eastern Box Turtle

Help me name my turtle!

As long as we have had Slender Deutzia in the garden, I have seen the box turtle resting here.  Of course, that is a coincidence; I do not believe turtles seek out this particular plant.

I know the Eastern Box Turtle can live longer than humans and that they have a home range, so I am convinced the turtle I see in this same spot in our yard every spring and summer is the same one that revisits year after year.  This turtle is slightly smaller than average, which makes me think she is female.

I do not know much about these critters.  She just appears in her little spot under the Deutzia after long rains beginning in April.  Though I know it is during the long mating season when she comes, I never see her come or go, and I do not know if she is nesting here.  I know she digs herself far up under the plant and leaves in the evening hours, but I have never seen more than one turtle at a time, and I have never seen eggs or wee turtles.  I can not say how long she stays, but I am committed to observing more closely.  

I do my best to leave her alone.  I do not want to scare her, pick her up, investigate, or otherwise do anything that would prevent her from returning whenever she likes.  I love my resident nature, and this gentle little turtle may have lived on this property far longer than I have.  Wouldn't you like to help me name her?

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Spiderwort Morning vs. Afternoon

Scott and I were given our first Spiderwort (Tradescantia virginiana) from an accountant friend of ours, Mike Taylor, who was delightfully more so a perennial plant enthusiast.  It gave us something more pleasant to talk about than numbers.  Mike dug up a clump of this pretty purple-bloomer from his yard for us and it continues to spread and show off for us year-after-year.  Tradescantia virginiana foliage varies from bright yellow to blue-greens, but the flowers mainly range in varying shades of purple.

Spiderwort is a diurnal perennial, meaning the blooms open early in the morning and close again by mid-afternoon everyday, which is the most interesting trait of this plant.  Though it prefers more sun to stand tall in big clumps, it tends to look thirsty in the heat of the day when planted in super-sunny spots.

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Japanese Stiltgrass

Japanese Stiltgrass (Microstegium vimineum), at first glance, is one of the prettiest groundcovers, so light and gentle blowing in the breeze. It is herbaceous and looks like a low soft bamboo. But do not be tempted to introduce this invasive annual grass to your yard. If you have a managed landscape, begin eradication at first sight.

Roundup kills the emerged plants, but the seeds form young and fly far, so hit it before it seeds and keep your eyes peeled.

Snapshot is a rather pricey pre-emerge herbicide, but it prevents the seeds from germinating in open spaces. Unfortunately, you cannot spread Snapshot in your perennial borders. The only way to remove the unwanted aggressor from your beds is to get down on your hands and knees and start pulling.

I don't have a picture for you because I killed it all (or so I think).

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Guacamole

My Cinco de Mayo feature plant is Hosta 'Guacamole', and doesn't the blend of warm greens and yellows make it appear true to its namesake?

Like most Hostas, 'Guacamole' is super easy to grow in a part-sun/shade bed with rich, well-drained soil.  This one appears thin because I separated it last year, but it still makes a beautiful display.  'Guacamole' makes an interesting choice for Hosta lovers also because of its' large rounded leaves.  I spread a little blood meal to keep the deer at bay, and otherwise it is a no-fuss hearty grower. 

I plan to celebrate this holiday commemorating Mexican pride and heritage with really great food in a festive atmosphere, so I better get to it!

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Flowers, Flowers Everywhere

I grew up with two brothers, and we have all lived in different states all of our adult years.  Needless to say, we don't see each other very often.  For several years, all three of us were able to meet at my older brother's summer party.  He called it a luau, and it was great fun.  It's always a wonderful reunion when I get together with my brothers.  We tell stories and reminisce and laugh well into the next morning.  Other than my husband and sister-in-law, I barely notice the other thirty people that show up.

I had wanted a tattoo for a long time.  When I was in high school, my older stepsister took me to see one of her friends, but it was a pretty scary scene to me at the time, so I did not get the undecided pretty (butterfly, heart..) I wanted on my shoulder.  I ended up with a tiny blip on my finger that I later had removed.  But I digress.

Fast forward 25 years, and I finally decided on the perfect first tattoo; I wanted a siblings tattoo (on my foot).  Something reminiscent of all of the great times we have had and the love that I have for my brothers.  I chose the tropical Hibiscus to represent our luau reunions, and the three buds represent each of us siblings.  The tattoo artist designed it for me (Blue Flame in Raleigh hosts some real talent).  It turned out to be significantly larger than I had wanted.  My artist insisted on size to really showcase the details of the Hibiscus plant, and I don't argue with artists!  Large or small, my tattoo gives me exactly the warm and happy thoughts I was looking for.

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Handsome Foliage Pairs - Green

While striking and beautiful, you do not need whites against blacks, yellows against blues or the bright colors of the trees changing color in the Fall to see great foliage.

Sun:  Upright-growing 'Blue Point' Juniperus chinesis stands tall and conspicuous against a backdrop of the leathery leaves and fragrant delicate flowers of the Confederate Jasmine climber (Trachelospermum jasminoides).

Shade:  Shady Hosta beds are so calming to look at, especially the varieties with large, somewhat smooth leaves.  This 'Blue Mountain' variety stands about 18" tall and 2 ½ feet wide on May 2nd.  I paired it against Pachysandra’s low, comparatively miniature, and serrated leaves for eye-catching contrast.

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Hardy Heucheras for Contrast

Aren't burgundy Heucheras pretty on a breezy day in May?  The range of colors you can see is more interesting than the bloom spikes to me.

Heucheras are one of the most essential plants for providing contrast in the garden, especially the purple or speckled varieties.  Contrast is an essential element in creating depth, interest, and direction for the visitors eye.  This darker Heuchera gives a nice color contrast against the bright greens of the grass and perennials.  It also provides size, shape, and textural differences as well.  They even come with their own color contrast; you can see the shades of burgundy on the back side of the leaf is much darker compared to the tops of the leaves. 
 
Heucheras are more commonly known as Coral Bells.  They come in a wide variety of foliage colors.  Heucheras are best used in mass plantings for front borders.  This patch started out as three 4" plants about three years ago.  They are in bloom now and will remain in bloom for a couple months.  Though they like sun, they are happy growers in shady, well-drained gardens as well.

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