St. Mary's in Sewanee, Tn. -April 6, 2008

Despite the fact my garden looks like a bomb exploded in it, signs of spring are emerging. Look around- the saucer magnolia, red bud, and Chickasaw plum trees are blooming. My daffodils are about to pop open in Pensacola, while up in the Alabama country the snow drops are in full bloom and the daffodils are in tight bud form. God is always pointing the way to new life and resurrection- just look around. How are you finding renewal this year?

“Daffodils” (1804)

I WANDER’D lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o’er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.
Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the Milky Way,
They stretch’d in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,

Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.
The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed — and gazed — but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:
For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.

By William Wordsworth (1770-1850).

The Daffodil Field in Boligee, Al.

A view from below the snow drop- Boligee, Al.

field of snow drops in Alabama

Here are a few pictures of some new cultivars I saw at the expo that I’d like to try in my garden. How about you?

Harbor Belle Nandina

This dwarf nandina is going to be a big hit with its beautiful green and wine hued foliage, and vivid vermilion berries. Keeping a compact form Harbor Belle is maintenance free. Use as specimen or in mass, you cannot go wrong with the new Nandina domestica ‘Jaytee’. Developed by Ralph Rushing from Rushing Nursery in Semmes, Al., and named for his daughter.

I’m enamored with the Callistemon viminilis ‘Little John’, a dwarf bottle brush shrub. I’ve seen it planted in mass, and it is spectacular when blooming. It is drought tolerant and attracts hummingbirds. Plant in full sun for a big splash of bright red color this summer.

Little John dwarf bottlebrush

Looking for a shade loving, low growing shrub? Check out the spreading yew, Cephalotaxus harringtonii ‘Prostrata’ -

dwarf spreading yew

Crytomeria 'Black Dragon'

A couple of cryptomerias have my attention, too: Cryptomeria japonica ‘Black Dragon’ and ‘Globosa Nana’. Their texture and form are so interesting. The ‘Black Dragon’  grows to be about twenty feet tall while the ‘Globosa Nana’ is a dwarf with a mounding form that can grow to four to six feet.

Cryptomeria 'Globosa Nana'

Be on the look out for these plants and more at your local garden store.

Ice Flowers and Ribbons

My brother-in-law knows what a hibernating bear I become in the winter at our cabin in western Alabama. Even when it’s sunny, if the temperature is less than 50 degrees, I tend to stick by the fireside. I thought he was using extreme imaginative measures enticing me outdoors with claims of seeing “ice flowers”. I had never heard of them before, and it took some coaxing on his part to convince me to check out his assertions. I bundled up with my jacket, hat, and gloves before venturing out for a walk down the dirt road to see this phenomenon, called “ice flowers”. But here they are- check out the photos.

When I got home I did a google search, and found several articles about them. Some people call them ice flowers, others call them ice ribbons- I guess it depends on the formation. The first picture posted looks like an ice flower, but here’s one that looks more like a ribbon tied in a bow. See the second photo. You might call this one  an ice angel because it looks like it has wings.

D. Bruce Means wrote in February 2004 in “Natural History” about his findings :

“On close inspection, I saw that the “petals” of my ice flowers push their way through the vascular bundles of the dead stems: Water from the roots is drawn up the stems (either as part of the plant’s natural transportation system or through capillary action) and expands as it freezes, breaking the stem walls and creating a flow of ice. The leading edge of the ice freezes to the stem’s papery bark, and as the ice grows it is lifted upward by the attached bark, forming delicately curved, lacy ribbons…
Ice flowers “grown” by the same plants during later freezes in the same winter take on entirely different shapes, often becoming more compact, like true flowers. The bark of the woody stems has already been peeled upward by the first freeze, and so it is no longer available to shape the growth of new ice flowers.”

So there you have it! Winter does have something to offer besides a chance to roast chestnuts on an open fire. Button up your over coat and go ice flower hunting! It’s a joy to come upon these flowers because they only “bloom” in certain weather and temperature conditions. You may be privileged to see them one year, and then go several years with no sightings.

Let me hear about your ice flower sitings.

This week I’ve been attending the national Garden Writers Association symposium in Raleigh, N.C. Beginning with a trade show to knock the trowel out of any gardener’s hand, I have benefited from the generosity of sponsors and exhibitors alike. As I write this my hotel room is bulging with plants, books, and garden tools to take home, so don’t ask me how I’m going to get everything in my car. You may see me roaring down I85/I65 with luggage strapped to the top of the car, as the plant loot rides safely inside for the eleven hour journey.

In between visits to the show, the sponsors have wined and dined us, and the association has presented wonderful topics to enhance our business as garden writers. But the real take away has been the tours they have arranged.  Beginning with the Sarah P. Duke Gardens at Duke University, my heart has been leaping with gardening joy. One of my favorite landscape architects, Ellen Biddle Shipman, designed a portion of the 55 acres called the Terrace gardens, in memory of Sarah P. Duke. But, just imagine having 55 acres to develop into whatever gardening desires you may have! From formal to wilderness, from native to Asian gardens- you name it, the Duke Gardens has it.

Next on our schedule was an early morning tour at the Plants Delight Nursery for a photography session. Not only is it a nursery, but within the six acres, there is the Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, a wonderful collection of mostly southeast U.S. natives “showcased in an aesthetic home-style setting”. For me, the “home-style setting” was magical, as the Avents (owners) created a sunken garden, a waterfall with a deck overlooking it, and a rock garden, just to name a few features. I encourage you to visit because there is so much more to know and understand about this treasure.

Just down the road is a private garden, owned by John Dilley and Willie Pilkington. Wow! They showed us a picture of what the property used to look like- basically an open field- so we could understand the undertaking and passion behind their garden. What you see today is a hidden paradise within an acre, plus some. Planting unusual specimens, the two gardeners created a dreamy landscape in an urban area.

Last night we visited the JC Raulston Arboretum, where we strolled the gardens and ate N.C. BBQ. I could go on and on about these tours, however, I have to close to make the bus for the next outing-Montrose Gardens, S.E.E.D.S. (South Eastern Efforts Developing Sustainable Spaces, Inc.), Witherspoon Rose Culture, and North Carolina Botanical Garden.

With all this talk, I leave you with one thing. GO! Visit this gardening mecca of the southeast- it will warm your heart and set you on fire for digging in your own backyard dirt! I can’t wait to get home and start dreaming for my clients as well as myself!

Inspiration comes anywhere anytime, and for me, mostly when I’m traveling. When I see an interesting landscape I pull out the camera and shoot away. Sometimes I can incorporate an idea into what I’m working on at the time, or I might file it away for future jobs.

In this case, while visiting my newly engaged niece in Memphis, I was able to implement this diamond idea right away. My niece loved the look as much as I did (could it be we have a wedding on our minds?), so we put it to work on the fence enclosing her tiny patio. Although there was not enough space to get all the layers that are in this photo, we were able to take the theme and create a diamond shaped espalier on her wooden fence. It looks different from this photograph- and that’s what is fun about inspiration. No two ideas are exactly the same.

On the morning we were leaving for Pensacola, we measured and marked the spots for the nails to create the pattern. My sister and I gave our hugs and kisses and said our goodbyes, as my niece headed for the hardware store to get the supplies. She called later that day, after her last plant was in the ground and wrapped around the wire to start it’s journey. She was excited to have accomplished a project to beautify her corner of the world.

Besides loving relationships, creating beauty in our lives instills true happiness in everyone.

 All the caterpillars turned into chrysalises on July 10, and when I returned from a weekend trip on the 19th, all the monarchs except for one had emerged from their chrysalis and were ready for flight.

Monarch

There are four left to “hatch”. WOW! I think I need another butterfly box- I have 9 Monarch caterpillars on the milkweed and 5 Gulf Fritillaries on the passion vine- Amazing! Life is abundant- just look around you.

     What’s growing in your garden?

American Painted Lady on Buddelia

As the temperature continues to climb and we get later into the summer you will see more and more butterflies. Make sure you have a varietyof nectar and host food in order to increase the variety of butterflies in your yard. Milkweed for monarchs, fennel, parsley, and citrus for swallowtails, and passionvine for the Gulf fritillaries are all great host plants. Cone flower, pentas, black eyed Susans, buddelia, and Queen Anne’s lace are some of the many nectar plants. Check out the butterfly article in the garden writing tab for more information on the specifics of butterfly gardening.

    Tell me what butterflies you are seeing in your area.

Black Swallowtail caterpillar on bronze fennel

 There’s been a Black Swallowtail in my garden for several days now. I’ve been checking the fennel and parsley daily, but no eggs or caterpillars have been found. This afternoon I went out in hopes of taking some pictures of butterflies. I knew I’d see the Monarch because she has been there for at least a week (I’m still waiting to find eggs and caterpillars on the Milkweed). I was hoping to catch a shot of the Black Swallowtail- what I got was even more exciting! After looking around the yard for the swallowtail and not finding it, I went to the fennel and parsley just to see, if by chance, I’d find eggs. Alas! What seemed to be hundreds were all over the fennel. I’m still learning how to take macro shots so it took a while to get a couple of clear photos for the blog. Here they are! Then I looked at the fennel without the camera and there right before me was a caterpillar! It had to have been there for days because it is kind of big. As I studied more closely the fennel, there was an even larger caterpillar. I’m so excited I can’t stand it. Now I need to pull out my butterfly box, make sure it’s clean- no spiders or critters that would hurt the caterpillars, and start watching the transformation! I’ll keep you posted with the progress- such fun. Join me and design your butterfly garden today- you will be so glad you did. ]]> http://visitsimplygardens.com/2009/06/facilitating-in-the-life-cycle-of-the-butterfly/feed/ 2