Month: July 2025

Overgrown Means Nobody’s Home

| Flower Roberts

An abandoned garden has certain signs that the gardener is absent. There is an unkempt wildness that is noticable to those of us who notice such details.

Most folks glance over blindly and barely acknowledge the weeds and flowers that need dead-heading. But certain signs leave no doubt that the gardener in out.

I have repeatedly scolded MR. FLOWER for acting as if he can replace my full-time expert care. He does not even know the names of my treasures, much less proper preening techniques.

Overgrown Creeping Fig

There is one sign that above all else shows an absence in proper maintanence. It does involve out-of-control growth. But even some of that could be the chosen look of a bohemian botanist.

When I see this anywhere, I know that nobody who really loves the garden is home.

Moss is under there somewhere.

When the face of a statue is cloaked in greenery, you can bet no botanist nor artist is making regular rounds.

I do hope I remember to atleast uncover poor Moss’s face before I leave town. Lily needs a bit of attention, also. The wall can be totally covered in greenery, but my cute, little, sentinel statuary should be visible.

It is just rude to let some things go.

FLOW

Inside and Outside at Home

| Flower Roberts

I am home for a few days. It is too hot here. I have spent most of my time inside, on my bed, icing my hip. The new joint parts are great, but the incision is infected. I am taking antibiotics four times per day and changing bandages frequently. Nothing is ever easy with me. I joked with friends that I must go through hell and nobody should try to help me!

I arrived here Thursday evening just in time to see my ‘Spider to Fly’ daylily blooming. The blooms had been eaten by morning, so no photos. Such is the life when cohabitating with deer. I have thrown in the trowel! No more fighting nature over plants here. The battle must be constant or it is futile.

Since there are no flowers to share, I will show some human activity. I have done several posts about the new island which formed across the river. First a helicopter landed on it, then a plane landed on it.

PARTY SANDBAR

Now it is a party spot for boaters. Mr. Flower reported that nine boats and numerous jetskis had docked on the sandbar. He said he saw a football flying back and forth across the scene.

We used to do that, take the boat out and find a place to spend the afternoon. Our boat has not left the dock in two years. Fun has been low on the list for a while. I hope that will change. But for now, it is good to see some folks enjoying an afternoon of fun, sun and friends.

FLOW

Update on Everything

| Flower Roberts

My first report is about the snail traps and beer. Three traps were empty, no beer, no snails. Two were disgusting. Full of milky beer and dead snails of every size. Some snails were still swimming. I have decided to test some other Snail products, since this was not a clear win. I cannot bend to change these. I imagine they would get more nasty over time. Stay tuned for Operation Snails Part 2.

Empty or gross. Lose:lose


I must also report on the snails that did not partake of the alcohol in the Tiki Bars. They just keep coming! Basil must be their favorite food. I put this pot up on a block and they climbed to eat it.

Snail climbing to basil.

Another favorite is Beach Bum Blue Evolvulus . It has no flowers, few leaves and is covered in slime. Not the look I was going for!

Beach Bum Blue. No blue, only snail slime.
Irresistable plants moved to safety on pcinic table. Oh, the irony!

I have been graduated to no walker on flat land. I can also drive again. I am grateful to be unencumbered in my movements and not dependent on others so much. I will still use my all-terrain walker in the yard and grabbers to keep from bending past the 90° limit.

Ready for action

I am happy to report that the beheaded ‘Lucifer’ Montbretia has rallied due to deer repellant and is looking lovely, though lopsided.

Lucifer rallying

The rhododendrons are really putting on a show here in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This is the time of year my parents would host their church’s “Fifty Plus” group and serve home-made peach ice cream on the porch. I sure do miss them. I am doing projects in their memory to help with mourning. No worries.

I will work on these during rainy afternoons when I cannot silently stalk nature. Stay tuned for reports on these activities.

FLOW on her way back

Turkeys on the Mountain

| Flower Roberts

A family of turkeys came through our neighborhood this afternoon between storms.

A family/flock of turkeys

We spotted atleast three young birds with two adults. If their markings show which sex they are, they are called Jakes and Jennys. I could not tell if they were mature enough for that.

Turkey

We have had several storms each day. Sometimes we get a glimpse of a bright rainbow. I love it here on the mountain.

Another rainbow

FLOW

The Uneaten Plants

| Flower Roberts

I will be very particular with my plant purchases for Zone 5. I have wasted a lot of money in my Zone 7 gardens over the years. That will not happen again. I now research every plant for deer resistance.
So far there are four new plants that have not been devoured by deer. They are cone flower, lantana, ice plant and an Epimedium.

The Echinacea Sombrero ‘ Red Salsa PP#23105 tag says Zones 4-9. It seems happy on a slant near a wall.

‘Salsa Red’ Sombrero Echinacae

Ocean Sunset Orange Glow Ice Plant survived being stepped on by a hunky EMT named Kurt. This Delosperma’s tag claims extreme coldy hardy.

‘Ocean Sunset Orange Glow’ Ice Plant Delosperma

‘Hot Blooded’ red Lantana camara is growing uneaten in the front flower bed. It is hardy to 32°, so it will be treated as an annual.

‘HOT BLOODED RED’ Lantana camara

My latest Epimedium is named ‘Pink Champagne.’ I could not resist any plant nicknamed Fairy Wings. It also claims to be hardy in Zones 5-9. This is not blooming but also not being eaten.

My favorite plant store in Boone gave me this list several years ago. I will be referring to it religiously from now on. Thanks Mustard Seed.

FLOW

The Eaten Plants

| Flower Roberts

I am having to learn what works in Zone 5. The deer are not the only foes here on the mountain. There’s a new slug in town and I’m gonna beer it!

Little Slug Tiki Bars

I have purchased slug traps. I may do experiments to see which brand of beer is preferred. I do hope they turn out to be cheap drunks, so I do not have to sacrifice my Blue Moons. I will do what I must.

Slug Tiki Bar

The slugs are eating the top of that pink bee balm that caused my latest hip dislocation. Talk about adding insult to injury!

‘Balmy Rose’ Bee Balm slug food

My only basil plant has been demolished. When I moved the pot, there was a slug sleep-over in progress underneath.

Slug on basil

It seems slugs are eating this Brunnera. I have not witnessed this, so plan to come out after dark to investigate. It too will be surrounded by Little Green Slug Tiki Bars.

‘Sea Heart’ Brunnera macrophylla PP24684

The deer have slowed their snacking on my flowers. This could be due to Deerscram, RepelsAll or their preference for watermelon. This experiment has no control group, so no cause can be determined.

The deer ate all the red part of that watermelon.

That’s my report from Zone 5. I am happy to announce that I can safely leave the porch due to the new all-terrain wheels on my walker.

Walker on the loose.

FLOW

It is a Different World Here in Zone 5

| Flower Roberts

I brought up some ‘Lucifer’ Crocosmias to put in our mountain garden, because the deer never ate the blooms in our Zone 7 gardens.


The night before the planned photo shoot featuring a perfectly shaped stand,  the deer here came through and beheaded most of the clump.

Mostly beheaded Lucifer

There is a new type of slug here. Great!



I will be switching to blogging about nature instead of battling it when I fully recover. I have been at war too long. I will always want nature to win, despite my dreams of gorgeous flowers and tasty herbs.

My family sent me photos from home of my flowers. Here are two plants thriving in my absence.

Double Tiger lilies
‘Peachie’s Pick’ Stokes aster

FLOW switching tactics

Stinkhorns

| Flower Roberts

I love anything weird. Anomalies get my attention and steal my heart. My favorite creatures include octopi, bats and mushrooms and slime molds and lichens.


Yes, I love all fungi. My favorite is the Stinky Squid Stinkhorn. I found one in my yard decades ago and the affair has continued.


My visiting friend, Lucy, spotted these in my neighbor’s yard. Santa Randy was nice enough to send photos since the all-terrain wheels for my walker have not arrived yet.

Mystery Phallaceae/Stinkhorn


These are relatives of my first-love the stinkhorn. It will not surprise you that the genus name of the group is Phallaceae. Many indelicate nicknames for shapes include the word penis with the potential owner’s name before it: dog, man, devil’s…or  even a scientist’s name. These scientists want to be famous any way possible!

P. rugulosus OR P. rubicundus

Since I am unable to examine these more closely, I must guess at the identification. Features for identification include egg colors, “stem” color and texture, length and smell of the slime on the cap.

I have no problem in skipping this process, since I cannot bend over and would rather not be seen measuring and sniffing anything phallic. I do have my limits!

My guess is it could be Phallaceae rubicundus or P. rugulosus.

I recommend you be on the lookout for these fascinating fungi. I hope the link below embeds correctly. There is an octopus stinkhorn and a lizard’s claw I would love to see.

You sticklers are welcome to come be here with gloves, a digger and a ruler to further investigate. As for me, I will watch you from my porch and take pictures.

Thank you to Lucy and Santa for your contributions to this post.

FLOW

https://a-z-animals.com/blog/stinkhorn-fungi-different-types-and-why-they-stink/

Duct Tape Tuxedo

| Flower Roberts

I had to share this from our local news.
So creative. Attention to detail.
Hooray Band!

https://www.iredellfreenews.com/news-features/2025/south-iredell-high-student-named-finalist-in-national-duct-tape-scholarship-contest/?fbclid=IwY2xjawLQ3gpleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHlhc1teivjKVG01RjA2L53IrFU4WV_zJD_cGdTzA84JOvpvrmqewCZ7U8Ff7_aem_aVUp7kbhKB6nWBCSVJ-wvA

I hope this works. Click on the red link to see some incredible work by a young band member.

FLOW

Also vote for Nicolas at link below.

https://www.duckbrand.com/stuck-at-prom/vote/tux