Dendrobian Orchid

Another one of my orchids is in bloom right now. This is only the second time it has bloomed and It looks really good. I have several orchids and they all seem to bloom at different times. Right now I have three that are blooming. 

 Dendrobian Orchid.

 Mystery Orchid.

Phalaenopsis Orchid.

New Day Lilies.

I got a bunch of new day lilies from my friend Etta and planted them in my back yard. when they flower she will let me know what the names are. I have also been pitting tags out to mark my plants so I will remember where they are. I am happy I found Vermont Wildflower Farm on line. They have a huge variety of wildflower seeds and I was able to buy 20 packs of seeds for 20 dollars. I removed the tire planters from around my plants at the sunny side of the house. everything has established itself so its easy enough to weed and keep clean without the planters. I still used the planters to mark where my sunflowers are planted. I cleaned out all the trash and debris left behind by Home Depot and am getting ready to move my pond and add the waterfall and bog area.

 Tags for plants.

 dish garden that I can change out as blooms fade.

Iris blooms are getting ready

 Small Lilac covered with tiny pink flowers.

My finished front walkway along the top of my hillside.

Hemerocaallis Fulva

Orange Day lilies 

Hemerocallis fulva is an orange-flowered species native to much of Asia. Hemerocallis fulva is commonly called tiger lily, roadside lily, outhouse lily, ditch lily and tawny day lily. It was introduced to North America most likely in the 1790s, as a garden plant. Stands of tiger lily often mark the sites of old homesteads. It was also used for erosion control; its thick tuberous roots do well to hold soil in place.

This day lily species quickly escaped from gardens to the wild. It has naturalized in 42 states. It spreads by 12-inch-long underground stems, or stolons, not by seed. Its network of stolons and roots make it difficult to fully dig out; any bit of root left in the ground can generate a new plant. It is now listed by a number of states as an invasive plant.

The hybrid day lilies sold at garden centers are clump forming and they set seed; they are not stoloniferous like tiger lily. You should not fear that they will take over your garden or escape into wild areas.

Villosa Lilac

Syringa villosa

Villosa Lilac is a native shrub of China and has a zone 3-7 for planting in the U.S. It is a smaller lilac than the native lilacs and commonly grows about 8ft high and wide. It is some what slow growing especially if no weed and grass control is used around newly planted plants. One of the nice things about this plant is that it does not spread by roots suckers as the native lilacs do. Blooms in June after most other lilacs have already bloomed. I will have to wait and see if it lives up to its reputation.

Finished the front walkway.

Today I finished my front walkway and am happy with the way it looks. Its rustic and looks like its been here as long as the house has been around. 

This is such a small area at the front of my yard but it packs a big punch with lots of color and blooms.  The area contains creeping phlox Stella D' Oro day lilies, purple d' oro day lilies, Pink flowering cherry, Rambling roses, chicory, purple loosestrife, Lilac Violets, Centaurea, viola, Muscari, Holly, Campanula, daisy, and more.   

Got a lot of work done around the yard

Today I cleared out the front corner of the yard and planted wildflowers. I gathered Wild Violets, Coreopsis lancelota, and Rudbekia. I planted California bluebells, Birds eyes, Dianthus (Sweet William), Icelandic poppies, California Poppies, Painted Daisies, Bleeding Harts, Chicory, and the Blue flag Iris seeds I got from my friend Etta. I weeded along the front wall and sidewalk and cleaned up the entire front yard, tomorrow I will start on the back and side yards. 

Blue Flag ( Iris Versicolor )

Blue Flag Iris

Blue Flag matures to 24-36" in height and grows best in wet soil conditions. It may also do well in other soil conditions once it is established. Blue flag Iris prefers full sun to partial shade and blooms around May, June, and July.It has deep blue to purple flowers, that are complex and very showy. The foliage is sword like and flat. It is poisonous to humans and livestock and it attracts butterflies and Hummingbirds, It is an excellent plant for the garden, and useful in water gardens and bog gardens. If you live in the south try using Iris Virginica. Both are native wildflowers of North America. Blue Flag Yellow Flag Another Flag Iris is the Yellow Flag that is not native To North America. Yellow Flag is considered a noxious weed in some states and in other countries. Yellow Flag is a perennial plant that grows 39 - 59" and has even been known to reach up to 6' 7" tall. The leaves are erect and reach up to 3 feet tall and are about an inch and a half wide. The flowers are bright yellow about 3 to 4 inches wide and have a typical Iris form. The seed pods contain numerous pale brown seeds. Yellow Flag grows best in wet conditions and is often common in wetlands, where it tolerates submersion and can tolerate prolonged dry conditions. The plant spreads quickly by both rhizome and water dispersed seed. This is why it can become an invasive plant. It produces a resin that can cause skin irritation and it will sicken livestock if ingested.

Silene Armeria

None - so - Pretty 

None - so Pretty is a very lovely wildflower. Commonly called Catchfly, Wild Catchfly, None-So-Pretty, or Sweet William Catchfly, this annual puts on a fabulous display of brilliant magenta colored blooms during mid-summer. Silene Armeria Catchfly is a native to Europe, but it has been grown here in the United States since the early 1800's and is an extremely popular wildflower. Catchfly wildflowers are good at re-seeding if the blooms are left to go to seed and the wildflower seeds fall on bare ground. Typically, None So Pretty Catchfly will grow quickly and bloom heavily before it is killed by frost, but in mild winters, it has been known to be a short-lived perennial. Sweet William Catchfly wildflowers will grow in all regions of North America in full sun or partial shade. It is excellent in meadows or other naturalized settings. It's a must have for the wildflower garden as well.

Sow Silene seeds directly outdoors after last frost. Soil should be weeded and loosened. Catchfly wildflower seeds are extremely tiny. Broadcast the Silene Armeria seeds and press the seeds into the loosened soil but do not cover them. Catchfly wildflowers will bloom in 6 - 8 weeks after germination.

Cleaning up and Antique roses.

Today was a beautiful day.

It was a really nice day today and I got to spend part of it with my friend Etta, who came over so we could clean up and weed the Church Parking lot. It looks a lot better now. There is still one pine tree that drops needles all over and makes a big mess. It has to come down this year, and something nicer needs to be put in it's place. The needles clog the storm drain in the parking lot and it causes flooding. There used to be two pine trees and they are actually on the churches property but no one cleans up after them and they look like crap. I cut one down last year. The one that is still there will be cut down this year even if I have to do it myself again. There are also 3 dead crab apple trees at the front edge of the lot that need to come down. I will be doing that also this summer.
I had some time and energy to weed some around my antique roses. I have been told they are seven sister roses. I found a rose starting to come up in my yard when I bought this place. It was not there at first but once I started to expose the soil and tore the front yard all up it just came upon its own. No one remembers ever seeing a rose bush there in the past but it started to come up. I dug it up and moved it to a spot out of the way because I did not want to deal with a rose bush. I like roses but not in my yard because of the thorns. I eventually moved it to the front corner of my yard to keep kids off my stone wall. I took cuttings and put them all the way across the front wall and they really did the trick. I still do not like them but every one else does and they are nice when they are loaded with flowers. I have pink ones all along the front and red ones that I started as cuttings from my neighbors rose bush. The reds are kind of an upright bush and the pinks cascade over the edge of my wall.

These are the flowers along the top of my wall last June. The pink roses, ox eye daisy, coreopsis, and Chickory.

 Pink Antique Rose

Pink Antique Rose

Red Antique Rose

Eschscholzia Californica

California Poppy

California Poppies are usually seen in the orange color but it has been cultivated in red, white, pink, and yellow. This wild flower was named after doctor - naturalist Johann Friedrich Gustav von Eschscholtz who was the surgeon for the Russian expedition team That dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1815. The bay they were in had hills that were covered with the golden flowers. The wild flowers were designated the state flower of California in 1903, and now are protected by state law prohibiting anyone from picking or destroying them when they are growing on public property.

Despite its mild-weather origins, California Poppy seeds will grow quite well in cold climates, but only as an annual. Poppies can be used in beds, borders, and in naturalized settings, but generally they do not do well in containers. The foliage is attractive, finely divided and lacy with a bluish-green color. The Poppy flowers close at night or in cold, windy weather and open again when the sun comes back out. The Poppy plants require full sun and good drainage to flourish, so they are particularly well-suited to rock gardens and dry, sandy soils. Because the plants develop a deep taproot they do not transplant well, and therefore the wildflower seed should be seeded directly in the garden where you want them to grow.

Cilia Tricolor

Birds Eyes 

Gilia Tricolor is great for attracting hummingbirds to your garden. This wildflower is native to California but can grow virtually anywhere in a sunny location. Commonly, it is called birds eye, and it is often visited by polinators and hummingbirds. The blooms are trumpet shaped, violet and white with a yellow throat. They are said to have a sweet scent similar to the scent of chocolate. Birds Eyes flower abundantly and produce tons of lovely blooms that are great for cutting and drying. The plants form a bushy fern like upright stem. It is a good plant to use for self seeding year after year. This will be the first year that I plant this in my garden and I found the seeds at Vermont Wildflower Farm on line.

Phacelia Campanularia

California Bluebell

California Bluebell is grown from seed and is native to the deserts of california. It is known by gardeners for its vibrant intense cobalt blue flowers. California Blue bell is one of the few wildflowers grown from seed that can be used as a cut flowers. Phacelia Campanularia is also known as Desert Bluebells.The plant can be grown in sandy soils and desert like climates, but it is also adaptive to other climates. this annual wildflower grows very quickly and blooms in early spring. Phacelia Campanularia can reseed itself if seeds are left to fall onto bare soil. This is going to be the first year I try it so I might also gather some seeds and save for next year. I got my seeds from Vermont Wildflower Farm.

California Bluebell seeds should be started directly outside with optimum germination temperatures of 50  - 55 degrees. Sow seeds 1?16 inch deep before the last frost of spring. Darkness and share are two important factors that can help California Bluebellsto germinate. Hot days and cold nights in combination with full sun or partial shade provide best growing conditions. California Bluebells can be grown in all regions of North America as an annual. The first time I ever saw this was on a visit to the Pittsburgh Zoo..

More of My Artwork

I have been doing a lot more wildlife and botanical inspired artwork lately. 

 Roses

Oncidium Orchid

 Cattleya Orchids

 Cattleya Orchids

 Day Lily

 Lone Wolf

 Pheasant in flight

 Hummingbirds and Trumpet Vine

 Goldfish 

Iguana

They are calling for warmer temperatures this weekend.

The temperature is supposed to get up to 48 today. The night temps are still below freezing but they are saying we have seen the last of the snow. The are also calling for temperatures to get up into the 60's and maybe even low 70"s this weekend. I took a few pictures of some of the damage done by the late winter weather and I am surprised that some of the stuff I thought was lost is already making a come back.

 Some of the dead leaves and buds on lilacs in front of my porch. 

 Knockout Roses are looking good.

 This is in front of my porch where I am putting in new walk way.

 Peony that was started from seed.

 Lilacs on the side of the house look better than the front because they get full sun.

 Thought I lost my crab apple blossoms, but they are doing ok now.

 Another lilac

 This is a reblooming lilac I started from a cutting. I thought Home Depot Killed it last year but it made a come back now it needs to come back again from freezing.

 Peony buds look like they are doing alright.

 Another peony

 Arundo donax / Peppermint giant reed grass. This was looking really good before it snowed. I should come back ok though.

 Another peony

 Another lilac

 Variegated weigela

 Another crab apple tree.

 My Pond

 Butterfly bush

 A small crab apple tree.

 Two year old peony started by seed

 Another 2 year old peony seedling.

 Some of the Tulips the deer did not eat or dig up.

 Montauk Daisy started by clippings left on ground over by church.

 Another crab apple.

Same Crab apple

 Peony and Poppy

Hemerocallis Day lily

Daffodil's

Bleeding harts

Beauty of Moscow Lilac

Cutting that I started about a month and a half ago.

White flowering dogwood.

Daffodil's

Damaged Montauk Daisy.

Peony

Butterfly 

Montauk Daisy

Nikko Blue Hydrangea

It looks like the thistle I fell on last week made a recovery.