Birds, Blooms, New Combos

Birds

I am the ultimate idiot when it comes to identifying birds. It's actually funny. I have books about Wisconsin birding, and I get Birds and Blooms magazine, still I struggle to get bird species correct. I have noticed that the black-capped chickadee-type birds that were nesting in this green house from January- April have moved out, and this little guy has moved in:

I think this is a house wren? She/he makes a ton of song, and works very busily. In fact, there's another house close to this one, and the same bird type set up shop there, too. I have watched them clumsily pulling twigs into the houses and play with each other flying quickly through the branches. They've swooped right over my head. I was planting some daylilies around the bird bath the other night and they didn't see me. One bird actually landed in the bird bath beside me. When I get close too their houses they chirp loudly, almost angrily. I have to pass one of the houses to get the hose knob. Funny little birds. I'm very much enjoying their visit.

Blooms

I grabbed the camera and ran outside this morning when I let the dog out. I had to get a sniff of this "Proud Land" that is almost open. Again, I have to point out that I bought her potted, so I can't take full credit for her. The black tips on the petals are a mystery to me, but this bud has been formed on the plant for awhile now, so I suspect its from frost or near frost temps. Even tonight we'll be down to 40, despite the previous forecast of near 50 overnight temps! I wish they'd just set a forecast and stick with it--I gotta get Mother Nature's e-mail addy.

Here's rose "Christian Dior," another potted purchase that came with the gift of buds. She's a brighter red, looks like I'm going to like her. When I saw the name of the rose I had to have her; I've worn Christian Dior's "Hypnotic Poison" perfume for years now, and it's my favorite.

Another "Distant Drums" bloom coming.

Some more stock, "vintage" blooming on the patio. They look like little mini double hollyhocks, and smell like heaven.

Remember my 50 cent primroses? They're still pumping out blooms. Never mind the chunk out one flower, nature has to eat you know, they're still purty.

I was hoping this little guy would be open today. It was yesterday. I think these are one of those flowers that open and close with the sunlight. Tease! I'll have to head out when the sun is all the way out.

I planted these chives from seed last year, and am so proud of how well they are doing. I added them to a chicken dish I made the other night, with fresh oregano here. I would share, but the dish was a white trash last minute thing; hey, the kids and dad loved it, so I guess it worked.

New Combo

Now that I have a fence, I have to load up with growing goodness. I added this Cl. America rose last week. She's pretty, but she looks lonley, don't you think?

I could not resist this healthy looking "President" Clematis. In my years of obsession with clematis I have coveted the "President" but never found one that looked healthy enough at a decent price. I picked up this beauty at the ol' Home Depot.

I just have to say, some of Home Depot's prices shock me... and I hate to get anything there that I can find from a local nursery for a better price. I had walked through Farm and Fleet's garden section a week ago to get squash and peppers (and annuals for $1.19 a 4 pack, can't beat that). I noticed F & F had Endless Summer Hydrangeas in big pots for $9.99. The exact same hydrangea, in the exact same pot size and color was $17.99 at Home Depot last night! Yikes.

Anyway, here's Cl. America with her new bedmate, "President" clematis. The colors are brighter than anything else in the garden, but b/c they are beside the kids' clubhouse, and in a place where I can see them when I look out most our windows, I couldn't resist.

Happy gardening everyone!

Adding Color or Spring, Where Are You?

The funny thing about this time of year? Everywhere you look in our garden you see this: a bed of dirt with some green 'sprouts' but nothing, and I mean, nothing, that resembles a whole plant, let alone a bloom. This is the front bed I built last spring, and expanded to double its size last fall. I have put roses in, lilies, several perennials, some evergreens, bushes, arborvitae, bulbs, and more... but right now, it looks like a whole lot of nothing. Nothing next to ice-burnt grass. Nice eh?


It was 70F today. I tell you, it feels so weird to have such warm temps and no real plants around me yet? The perennials are mostly between 2-6 inches tall, but nowhere near a bloom yet. Still, those 30 cent tulips I bought at Walmart look fabulous. The tulips I planted last fall, and previous falls should be blooming soon, maybe another week or so, but our daffs are just now poking through the ground. Oh, and look, a bee, hunting for pollen, likes my Walmart tulips, too. Good thing I am the only person in the neighborhood with some flowers!




The primrose on the patio was gleaming today, so perfectly yellow. This is another one of those 50 cents beauties I found.


Ivy
Theo's been turkey hunting most of this week, and I've had to keep busy around the house. I moved one of my larger ivy plants into a pot with a topiary mold in it. I used some tiny metal things I found in the garage, with two prongs and a flat middle to pin parts of the ivy all around this ball. As the ivy grows I can pull out the pins, re-tuck, and re-pin. Looks prety good for my very firs topiary, and it should do just fine in the house year-round. This ivy was on top of my entertainment center, getting no direct sun, and 4-5 hours of bright indirect light a day. I love being able to have live fresh greens in the house all the time. One time we went out of the town and a neighbor watered the "houseplants." His jaw dropped when he learned I did not have a single fake plant in the joint. Only about 60 real ones. LOL. This ivy is on the kitchen table right now.




Shopping
On Wednesday afternoon I also braved the local nursery and Home Depot with the kids to get some treasures. I found these (warning, the color will say Wa-Pow when you look at it) beauties, including three heuchera 'georigia peach,' lime rickey,' and 'key lime pie,' two 'dark bee' delphiniums, two creeping phlox 'emerald blue' and 'purple,' a red and gold columbine, a nemesia, and two small trees.





I spotted this 'Georgia Peach' heuchera (AKA: Coral Bells) from across the perennial section. I just could not resist the color of this foliage! And in part-shade, too. I love coral bells. All of my existing plants are coming back nicely, and this one should fit right in.





One of the trees I picked up is this Canadian Hemlock. I'm so excited to find a place for this giant- and it only cost $3.99.



Oh, and here's the threadleaf cypress I bought last week. It does look like a big head of hair, huh? The label says it gets 3 x4 feet big, I put it behind some of my newer roses in the front bed.


During my wednesday adventure at our local nursery I walked into the greenhouse and was hit with a heavenly scent; after I determined the scent obviously did not come from the gerananiums or begonias, I found a small area with nemesia. This variety is 'blue lagoon' and I swear it smells like lilacs.



Crocus
This is the first year I have these beauties out in the garden. I can't wait for them to naturalize, and spread all over. This is the first bulb bloom of the year!



Passion Vine

Where else can you find some color around here? In my dining room, of course! I found this passion vine for a steal a local nursery, for around $10. Around here, where passion vine is rare, and not a native, or often invasive plant, we pay a pretty penny for it- I have seen the passion vine sell for a minimum of $30 in our local nurseries. For some reason this one was in a small pot and priced less. I can't find the plant label at the moment, but its gorgeous no matter what its called. I fertilized this a few weeks ago, causing a rupture of blooms. It sits beneath a large picture window where it gets severeal hours of direct sunlight a day.



Just for my own record, my first lettuce & radishes came up today. I can see nearly ever perennial in the garden coming up except the joe pye weed, delphinium, red lobelia, liatris, and a couple of the divided coneflowers.
Yummy happy gardening to everyone!

Tulips, Primrose

The first tulips are blooming here, although they were transplanted from a store shelf to the garden when they were about 6 inches high, rather than planted last fall. Not bad for 30 cents at Walmart. Having something colorful to look at when I step outside makes a world of difference.

The bulbs I planted last fall are chuggin' along, but not quite blooming yet. A few more weeks maybe?

I found this primrose for 50 cents at Lowe's- I bought 4, two yellow and two blue. I pulled the dead blooms, and put in the ground. I have a blue one that made it through the winter in the yard, so I plan on leaving these in the ground permanently.

Happy Spring!