April Wildflowers

I forgot I was trying to keep a monthly tab on what wildflowers were coming up around here. Looks like I missed March, but there are only a few bloomers during that month.

Wild Azaleas. Three colors here and there; white, orange, and a mild pink.

Trillium. They're only about 18 inches in height but this became an interesting shot.

Could be this one? http://www.missouriplants.com/Yellowalt/Duchesnea_indica_page.html

Some type of small spring growing Aster. They stand about 12-18 inches high. Flowers are the size of quarters. There are also some faint purplish ones.

Foam Flowers...

Unknown...

Wild Iris? Or is that a trillium too? I dunno. If I spent some more time at Missouri plants I'd probably be able to name most of them. Best source of wildflowers I've seen so far.

Unknown...

Thousands of these very low growing buggers near the bog...other spring on the west side.

Unknown...

And some different types of Daffodils that bloomed here and there about two weeks ago in with others. Totally different look.I never did get a healthy pic.

Hosta Garden #1

April 8...

A project in progress over the last three weeks. First it was digging down about 8-10 inches and then filling with some good composted mulch, cow manure and existing soil from the area. The area in back is a mound created by some of the lawn fill that was deposited in the area two years ago. Hostas ain't gonna grow in clay for sure. Imagine that, I'm getting knowledgeable.

April 10...

Nice well aerated soil, much like what's across the creek where a group of wild Hostas thrive in the summer months. In the background (photos below) I scavenged some stuff from the woods that include some Foam flowers, and what looks to be two types of ferns, along with some plants that grow along the wooded hill at the far east side of the property where one path ends. No clue what these guys will do here, but they grow well on steep hills in shade. May need some rocks to keep 'em company.

April 23...

Close Ups...

On to the planting. Goofy looking things eh? I came across the same while sticking in some Caladiums last week. "Plant with eyes facing up, just under the soil level..." I guess that means about one inch.

What They're Supposed To Look Like...

1- Hosta Gold Standard-  32-36" wide 24-28" height. One placed back center.

2- Hosta Francee-  28-36" wide 15-20" height. Two placed on right and left.

3- Hosta Golden Tierra-  18" wide 10-12" height. Two placed in front.

Where? Still room in between for other stuff. Maybe the Hypoestes I got today or some Coleus. Those transplanted Hostas (far right) look out of place now.

Incidentally the purchase from EasyToGrowBulbs.com was a compulsive one. I did spend a few minutes looking at size, but color? Not so much.

Endless Summer Hydrangeas

Endless Summer Hydrangeas. I love seeing these things and they actually bloom all summer long. Oddly enough the color is dependent on the type of soil they grow in. The question is will they look too formal around here?


Good shade shrub from what I read.

Local source too:

Wilkerson Mill Gardens (Hydrangea.com)
9595 Wilkerson Mill Rd
Palmetto, Georgia 30268

I'm going to have to check this place out. 20 miles SW of the Airport. Could be a nice trip for Mom when she flies in May 1 early in the morning.

Oh they have Magnolias too...a few 15 footers here and there would look nice. Incidentally I'm not considering the Muskogee Crepe Myrtle anymore. They would take over the only full sun area I have.

The Back Road To Blue Ridge

...and Home Depot. After all what's a person to do when it's raining? Just a drizzle most of the morning but found some interesting views and pics along the way. I never look at maps driving around here; just figure I'll find my way out somewhere.

Here's a home nearby or on Roy Road. I've taken pictures here before. I can see they are serious gardeners by the fresh mulch pile not seen. Moving along through several valleys and up and down winding roads.

Plenty of old pickup trucks around...

This is not an unusual scene in the mountains...

But this one is...

The cows probably don't get many visitors. All heads are pointed towards me.

Getting darker as I head deeper into the morning fog and a gravel road. Ut. oh I thought...dead end somewhere up the way? Who cares.

I must be getting closer to populated areas? For sale too...

The Blue Ridge Dam and Lake... I started out on the other side of the mountain peaks about 30 miles southeast or an hour drive. Elevations in the 3,000 to 4,100 foot range.

The other side of the dam...

Anemone Virginiana 14,000 Seeds

I've been thinking about this one for a long time. It sure would be nice to see a swath of flowering plants along my long driveway. So I stumbled upon this one late last year. I'll probably scatter some in the woods too. The location sounds ideal for these things.

How to plant them is the next question. I suppose mixing with sand in a milk jug with lot's of small holes could work. Just shake 'em out. But how to scatter them consistently? This should be interesting.

Anemone Virginiana (Tall Thimbleweed)

They grow to three feet and bloom June to August, or thereabouts. The source Prairie Moon also claims the seeds have been stored in conditions ("pre sowing treatment") so that they may bloom the first year. Oh, okay we'll see about that. I could be too late for this year anyway.

Source for above image.

The target areas...first photo shows about 100 yards to crest of the hill. There's probably another 30 yards behind this.

 At the crest of the hill going down...that's another 100 yards.

Once that's done I will experiment with mass planting Astilbes along the creek banks. Ferns love it around there and so should these guys.

Part of the target area..

Other woodland plants:

Virginia Bluebells

Lobelia Queen Victoria

Revisiting The Hoop Greenhouses

Some stuff grows while others do not. One thing is clear, no cow manure next time around.

Failures:

Four O'Clock- oh well
Delphinium- oh well
Red Hot Poker- oh well
Snap Dragon- oh well
Marigold Scarlet Starlet-:( I wish I bought more. Time to revisit Home Depot

Successes

Cosmos- piece of cake
Celosia- seems like a candidate for the Alpine Garden
Convolvous-- I'm tired of trying to spell that name.
Sunflowers- what do do with them?

Some of them came out of hiding today and went into the railroad tie garden on the east next to the house. On the left Conv. Blue Enchantment (12 inch max height). This is in front of some Morning Glories (12 Heavenly Blue, 6 Crimson Rambler) seeded about a week ago. Hoping they pop up then I plan to build something for them to climb on. Hopefully they will climb a good portion of the wall...maybe 10-12 feet.

Looks like there will be plenty of Cosmos around here this summer. I mass planted a few hundred seeds on the Alpine garden banks. Then more along the fence line. up the driveway.

Cancun Lilies popping through the soil down by the creek.

No shortage of Violets around here.

I'll Take Two Mays

April did not come this year the way I look at it. Instead there are two months of May on the calendar around here. Only two days under 70 degrees this month. Eight days over 80. Perfect, it's my favorite month up here. Tree foliage looks like it's ahead of last year by two weeks. Starting to get shade. Even the frigging lawn is looking better after mowing for the first time yesterday. I missed a small but heavy isolated thunderstorm that hovered an area 10 miles north of me last evening. It dumped about 4-5 inches. No other rain in the state.

And the song birds are out. I remember them much later last year, but several were singing this morning amongst the nasty smell of chicken manure fertilizer. Must be a heavy dose, or the wind is headed in the right direction because I don't recall it being that strong last year.

Maybe you've heard about the high pollen levels (weather channel based in Atlanta) in the Atlanta area. Doesn't bother me but my truck is a little greener. Stuff falling everywhere. Squirrels gone or I don't see them. I think I finally beat them on the bird feeder.

Nor sure what kind of bush this is, but it's starting to flower. Must be azalea? No it's a Rhododendron dummy!  Where did we buy that one? There are actually two adjacent to one rock garden. The others against the rock wall don't have blooms, or maybe they're not the same. It's about that time of the year for wild pink and orange ones to bloom. Dogwoods are flowering all over.

These guys aren't coming up like they're supposed to (70 planted here). It's one of two different Anemones planted  by bulbs back in December. This area is spotty just like the other near the driveway... but no flowers there. Bloom time says April, May.

Dianthus plugging along, reaching about 18 inches in height now. Some scarce signs of reseeding which I'm hoping for. I'd like to see it filled in by the end of the year. Time will tell.

Tulips Part II - Close Ups

These do glow! Apeldoorn's Elite. No photoshop effects either.

Juliette at the stone wall area...

Red Impression...

Tulip Pics & Others

I figured I may as well get them taken before the heat gets to them like some red ones a week ago. Gotta love the orange reddish ones; Apeldoorns Elite. They almost glow when the sun hits them right. Red ones in the center, Red Impression. Those violas sure have surprised me. I'll have plenty of them around next winter. Too bad the Daffodils died out. They would have filled in well here. And those stupid Muscari. What was I thinking?

Dutch Iris in the background growing, but I still think they're fried by coming up too early (December). Wait the package says "late spring" Maybe another month or so until I see anything. Still hope.

And from a further distance showing some more on the wall area. Juliette.

Closeup. Why I put a few Muscari in front is beyond me. I guess I thought they would be fluffier. Mexican Heather cut to the ground...ugly brown, no greenery. Misc reports say they may surprise me the next few months. Impossible to pull out...deep roots.

Golden Apeldoorns...

Purissima, and Red Impression

And some Hostas survived my garden tilling a few months ago. Upper left hand corner.

Adjacent rock garden leading down to creek. Foam flower is one, not sure of the others...

Daffodils across the creek like the cooler climate.

Buds galore on ?? The names aren't coming to me today...

Spring is here!