I was so happy to see that my white foxglove had not left the garden.
I had no white blooms last year. I wondered if it was gone.
Foxglove blooms are some of my favorites.
Flower
White Foxglove Returns
foxglove
Seeing Spots!
This is the most magical plant in my garden.
Its nickname is Fairy Flower.
Most call it foxglove. The scientific name is Digitalis purpurea.
One year I actually hid tiny fairies in the flowers for a post.
Most of my foxgloves are pink this season.
But no two are identical.
The tubular flowers have hairs inside along the bottom.
The stamen with pollen and stigma are under the roof.
Bees go in and get their tummies tickled by the hairs
as pollen is deposited onto or removed from their backs.
It’s the spots that get me.
Flow
Don’t Listen to the Groundhog
Since I have a garden, not a groundhog, I tend to consult it as to when spring will arrive.
The first place I go for this information is the weeds. Yes, that’s right. WEEDS.
They know more than the hybrids. Their DNA has not been tampered with.
They use old school, and I do mean old, methods to determine when to start growing.
Well fellow Carolinians, the weeds say get busy.
The mint family(square stems) and dandelions are all ready blooming.
That means if you delay in weeding, you will be weeding mama weeds and baby weeds. Two generations! That’s way more than twice as many.
You don’t have weeds, you say? Lucky you.
Then consult some of your garden favorites.
The BULBS say spring is near.
Tete-a-tetes say yes.
The crocus concur.
The old daffodils on the hill are thrilled.
Bulbs are always ahead of the game you say?
Ask the PERRENIALS.
Foxgloves are growing foliage.
The columbines are coming out.
Perennial poppycock you say?
Then go see a SHRUB.
The Pieris are ringing their spring bells.
The Quince is quite convinced that spring is near.
If you still need to consult a CRITTER, or two.
The bunnies have some spring in their hop.
Get busy people. Being a gardener is like being part of a horse costume. If you’re not a head, you’re a behind.
I said spring is near NOT here. You crazy people better not set out tomatoes yet. They go out the third week in April.
P.S. I do have a groundhog. But we don’t mention such things around Mr. Flower.
FLING
The Most Magical Plant of All
If there were an official plant of the fairies, I bet it would be the foxglove.
They are magical plants. They sow their own seeds. They change colors.
Even their flower shapes morph from year to year.
They seem to know where they belong and what form is needed.
Or is it the fairies that do it?
Every year I anticipate some surprises from my Digitalis purpurea.
This year there were several. Some pinks got pinker.
Some whites turned half pink.
Some flower tubes got longer and narrower.
Some seeds sneaked into the bunny yard to germinate and had to be moved. They are poisonous.
Foxgloves are so charming, they must be magic.
FLOWER
Mothers shouldn’t have favorites, but…
Since my flowers can’t read, I can tell you
that I prefer the poisonous Digitalis
above all my other flowers.
They make my heart race.
I have a weakness for their
spots and spires.
I try not to stare at them, but they are hypnotic.
They self- seed and I let them grow where ever they wish.
I can’t get enough of these lovely foxgloves.
Happy Mother’s Day
Follow the FLOWER!
What’s blooming today?
Astilbes are adding color to their racemes. Foxgloves are blooming to the top of their spires.
Daylily stalks are lifting up the buds of future flowers. Foreshadowing the parade to come.
June 2015
Follow the Flower!
floweralley 