Loving my Gardens!

Every day, I take several hikes around the garden.  Sometimes, it is to see what chores need to be done, sometimes, I walk to ponder some problem but most of the time, I just amble about looking at what is growing there!  My gardens make me happy when I see them flourishing!  This year, however, things look a mite bleak.  With the warm weather, I had planted early.  Things were starting to pop up everywhere and I thought for sure that the plants were going to thrive.  Then during the first week of April...grasshoppers!  Millions of the baby Eastern Lubber grasshoppers hatched out and devoured my entire garden in a matter of hours!  The beautiful squash plants were gone!  The bean plants eaten!  Even the potato plants were damaged!  The vegetable garden does not look so nice after this attack!

Still, today, as I wandered the pathways, I found beauty.  I decided to stick to the path through the flower gardens!  The Day Lilies are trying their best to put out new blooms.  The same grasshoppers had eaten all of the first attempts but now...blooms!  One of my favorites is a pale yellow Day Lily that my sweet daughter-in-law, Joanna, gave to me!  I am so happy to see this has survived the buggy onslaught!

Just a bit further down the path, the Deutzia Scabra is covered with fluffy white blooms!  The softly sweet aroma made me hesitate a bit near this bush.  As I stood looking at the feathery white fronds, I thought of the farm.  Mom and Pop had the original of this bush..mine is a cutting from theirs.  I thought of how many of my plants originated in other gardens.  This makes each that much more special...memories are tied to these plants!

My walk took me on the little wood bridge over what used to be Puddlepond.  My dear little pond had met its demise through a hapless accident with a pitchfork and a cottonmouth moccasin. Since the plastic liner had acquired several unfixable holes, I turned this pond into the new herb garden!  It is working out well and the plants are  actually quite happy as the holey liner holds just enough moisture!  The herbs all look healthy so I am guessing that grasshoppers do not eat herbs!

On the fence, the Confederate Jasmine is in its last stages but the Gloriosa Lilies are beginning to take up the slack.  The red lilies contrast quite nicely against the white jasmine.  These both are hand-me-down plants..the jasmine from my Grandparents and the Gloriosa Lilies from Mom and Pop.

I continued my stroll until just before dark.  Both dogs, Ezzy and Sunny, decided it was time to go inside for their supper so that ended my garden escape.  Well, almost..with the windows open, I can still smell the sweet scent of the jasmine and roses one the Bay breeze!   Oh, how I love my gardens!!!

Meandering the Garden Path

The wind whipped the petals off of many of the roses today, which made the garden look a bit bare. There are many, many buds still on the bushes so in a few days the rose garden will again be dotted with color and not be just a thorn garden. I am having a problem with black spot on the leaves this year and have decided to try a "home remedy" of apple cider vinegar with a few other ingredients added in for good measure. Once I figure out just what all would be helpful, I will post a recipe for the spray.

Although the wind tore up most of the roses, the jasmine and Deutzia Scabra held their blossoms well. These must be some tough plants! The Deutzia Scabra is full of snow-white "feathers" and is a cutting off of a bush from long ago at my parents' house. Theirs sat at the corner of a large circle driveway and was quite massive. Mine, though, is still small even though it is about ten years old. It has had a difficult time growing. Hurricane Katrina literally ripped it from the ground and buried it under a pile of debris. There it sat for several months until I was able to dig it out. Once I located it, the Deutzia Scabra was replanted and then had to be moved again once the gardens were designed. All of that moving could not have created the best of growing conditions, but still, it blooms on, proving that this is one tough plant! Hubby calls it the "Feather Tree" because of the appearance of the blooms. This year once it finishes its bloom cycle, I will trim it back and root a few cuttings. It should do well.

Other plants that are holding their own through the wind are the Amaryllis blooms. As large as these flowers are, they are pretty sturdy. These were gifts from my son and daughter-in-law. The bulbs that they sent were of a nice, healthy size and have bloomed every year. This year, a few must have multiplied as I have four new ones in the garden. I love the soft rose color of this one named the "Susan". Also a few "wild" or throwbacks to the original Amaryllis have shown up this year. These "Old World" bulbs have sort of an orangish tint to them and are striped with yellowish-white. They are small in comparison to the others but I still think there is a place for them in the garden.

A bit further down the pathway are the irises. I am pleased to see that the purple irises are in full bloom and are loaded with buds, but for some reason, my yellows have never set any buds. I am wondering if I should lift them out of their bed and replant them in a better place. Perhaps the yellows need more water. I might try potting a few and sink them in the pond. I would love to make a "bog garden" some day. I think the irises, elephant ears and water hyssop would do well there. In the creek bed, ferns, irises, and water hyssop abound, so I just need to "create a creek"!

Then there are the weeds! Most people will call Oxalis a weed but I rather like the little blooms so I let it grow where it will. This is also known as wood sorrel and grows from a tiny bulb. It grows wild in the woods, ditches and fields but since it has taken up residence in my gardens, it is now a landscaping plant! I love the natural way this plant will spill out of container gardens, fill up empty spaces between larger plants and blend right in with the vegetables in that garden. The stems and leaves of the plant contain oxalic acid so some care should be used with the plant. Not that there is enough to cause immediate problems but still care should be taken. This little plant can have free rein in the garden as far as I am concerned!