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Leaving the Garden

| Flower Roberts

Next week I will be leaving the garden again. It is much like leaving pets. I circle the yard thinking of the future.
Will this pot be too small by next week? Will this stem need a stake as it grows? Will there be rain?
The deer have all ready be-headed a daylily I failed to fence in. Some roses have black spot. Many amaryllis bulbs have not bloomed.


Which brought me to this morning’s epiphany.

I caught myself saying, “They are too tired to bloom.”

I am too tired to bloom, too.

My garden has good bones. My plants have been planted and cared for properly. It must survive my absence while I rest and recharge.

I trust my work to endure.

FLOWER

The First Monarch

| Flower Roberts

I watch every spring for the first Monarch. I know they will come. I have prepared a place for them.

I have scattered Butterfly Weed/Asclepias among the weeds on the bank across the drive, where the wild and hybrids battle for space.

I can always find wildlife among the weeds. This is where I belong really, in the unkempt zone of life.

Where life does its thing without boundaries; no judgement, no primping, no pruning.

Just growing under the sun with the wild ones.

FLOW

An Arboretum in North Carolina

| Flower Roberts

If I could stop time, I would have done it on Saturday. I was with my husband and two children in the midst of 8,000 different plants. This is where I belong. I was among the familiar faces of many of my green friends. Every turn of the paths was a new discovery of delight.

We visited J.C.Raulston Arboretum in Raleigh, North Carolina which has an amazing collection of plants. I wish I had been more able to focus on the flowers, but was distracted by a bride and dozens of beautiful young folks in prom attire. They were like human flowers moving through the gardens in their colorful and sparkling garments.

I have a habit of photographing the plant and then a close-up of its markers. I will pair up the photos and names of some of my favorites. You may want to click on the markers to enlarge them.

Attention Local Friends. I have two Century Plants that produce pups each year. You can adopt one.

Here are some I that I found unusual.

This is a giant version of a Bee Hotel that was lovely.

Random flowers in good light.

I am always interested in garden art. Here are some concrete leaves that add interest.

I loved this lady in blue. She reminds me of the lady sitting among the flowers in Blowing Rock.

What a perfect day!

FLOW

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit jcra.ncsu.edu

Using the Rain

| Flower Roberts

It is raining again for the third day in a row. The gardens are much too wet to be in them.  Everything is green and thriving, including the weeds.

I use cardboard as a weedblock under mulch. I prep it by removing all tape and labels. Then I season it in the rain so that it is less stiff and more rough to adhere to the soil below and mulch above, especially on hills. This cardboard block lasts a year or more before it decays.

I also have various containers to catch rain for house plants and potted plants. I cover these to keep out oak chains, leaves or curious lizards.

The rain is doing its work while I am dry inside.

FLOW

Moonstruck by Moonscene

| Flower Roberts

May is Amaryllis time here. I will share many of these throughout the month, but none will be more quietly gorgeous than ‘Moonscene.’

This is the flower of dreams. Perfect shape and luster. Lovely coloration and patterns. I have been stalking its stalks for weeks. Watering and staking and waiting to see those lovely faces.

I must admit that I have referred to many of my Amaryllis/Hippeastrum varieties as the “clowns of the garden.” I am ashamed of this harsh judgement. They cannot help being over-hybridized. They have been manipulated genetically to be big and showy. This is their purpose as a holiday flower in the fray of holiday decor. (Stay tuned for those.)

However, when these specimen are transferred to outdoor gardens they seem comical and out of place. They must be placed properly so as not to clash with the other plants. My favorite grouping is by a pond surrounded by ferns.

If you want an Amaryllis that stands out without flash and clash. I do hope you can find yourself a ‘Moonscene’ to add interest and beauty.

Moonscene

FLOWER

The Purloined Poncirus

| Flower Roberts

I must confess to stealing a fruit from a Chinese Bitter Orange tree on a South Carolina plantation many years ago. I need to bare my soul of picking the little citrus and stuffing it into my bra.
I forgot about this stolen cargo until late that night, as I was changing my clothes the shriveled little fruit fell out and rolled across the floor.

Why I felt the need to steal seeds from such a mean little tree is beyond me. I think I was impressed by its long, sharp thorns.


Now I have two mean trees of my own. With equally long and strong thorns.

No fruit yet.
Such is the life of a plant addict. A pinch here…a pick there…

Stashing precious cargo in pockets and undergarments.

Such are the crimes of the afflicted.

FLOW

Sweet, Little Epimediums

| Flower Roberts

The Epimediums are very delicate looking, but don’t be fooled. They are tough little beauties.

Orange and yellow are the first to bloom. These are tucked up under Autumn ferns and shrubs.

These blooms are complex and are worth close examination.

The orange was a gift from my dear friend Steve Baldwin.

The yellow blooms and spreads like it loves its niche.

These are two of my fairy plants. The blooms seem to have tiny wings.

I love that!

FLOW

Baby Herbs, Barbie and the Little Red Wagon

| Flower Roberts

This wagon was my daughter’s. Her brother had a larger one. Both are still in use.

This smaller wagon has been augmented for the purpose of temporarily housing baby plants, to move them in and out of the sun.


There is a story about this little wagon and this Barbie. How I modified the wagon and how Barbie lost her head is in the blog linked below.


Anytime we get out the wagon, somebody brings up the Barbie story and we laugh again. Enjoy!

https://floweralley.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post-new.php?post_type=post&jetpack-copy=241

FLOW