A Broad Bloom Day View

It's the 15th day of the month and that means it's time to share blooms from the garden. I've decided to share a larger view of the garden this month.

This image was taken from the front entry sidewalk into the morning sun. This is a raised circular stone herb garden hidden by Ocimum × citriodorum-Lemon Basil, Calamagrostis x acutiflora 'karl foerster'- Karl Foerster Feather Reed Grass, Cedrus atlantica-Blue Atlas Cedar, Echinacea purpurea seedheads in the foreground, Aster novae-angliae 'Purple Dome' - Purple Dome Aster and Rosa -Flower Carpet Red Rose to the far right.

 A view of the same bed from the south looking north.

Prairie garden in front of my residence. A Silver Maple once stood where the tall grass is now, Panicum virgatum -Dallas Blues switchgrass and Panicum amarum- Dewey Blue switchgrass. The tall vegetation about to bloom is Helianthus maximiliani-Maximillian Sunflower which stands at about 8 foot. The bed is elevated as I added soil around the maple tree stump.

Near the stop sign Panicum virgatum -Dallas Blues switchgrass as background,
Helianthus maximiliani-Maximillian Sunflower in middleground, and Euphorbia marginata- Snow on the Mountain in the foreground.

Sedum 'Autumn Joy', Nasella 'Walkers Low', and Euphorbia marginata.

 Dallas Blues seedheads along with a seedhead from Indian Grass-Sorghastrum nitans and Agastache 'Blue Fortune'.

Join Carol at May Dream Gardens for more blooms from around the world.

 

Rankled by Rumex

This is my Foliage Followup post which follows Garden Bloggers Bloom Day every month. Pam @ Digging hosts this flying foliage extravaganza.

One of my design goals this season was to improve winter interest in the garden. I read somewhere that designing for winter interest is the most important garden design criteria. Another goal is to create a native plant enriched prairie garden near the street frontage, alias: hellstrip. I keep a keen eye out for winter interest in the surrounding prairies and determined that Rumex crispus-curly dock's rusty seed heads would be a bold addition to the winter garden. I found some growing in my favorite vacant industrial lot and transplanted four groupings.

They survived the winter and begain to grow in the spring. Looks like a weed doesn't it? Plantain even. This was taken April 12.

Broader view. Thats the Rumex on the right side of the Yucca.

On May 23 my wife was telling me some weed in the garden is giving her allergies a fit while she spied this ugly(her term) weed.

 June 12 the plant is getting huge. See it on the right?

 Now things were getting controversial. My neighbors were giving me concerning looks while passing by. The curly dock and the mullien were causing quite a stir.

Add to this grouping a few Vernonia gigantea-Tall Ironweed and we got a prairie weed rodeo going on! At this point, with the Rumex beginning to flop over I decided to do a Tracy DiSabato Aust. That is experiment whacking one in half to experiment to control height. So far so good. At this time a rancher who lives in the hood, replied that one (pointing to the dock) is not a "good one". Whoops. Two days later with Panicum, Achillea, Echinacea, and Veronia. It's beginning to grow on me.

June 19.

June 22nd powdery mildew is taking away the leaves.

June 29 the spendor.

In closure, July 13th.

What's your opinion weed or worthy?

 

Foliage Followup May of 12

Following Garden Bloggers Bloom Day it always fun to travel to Texas and provide some cover up foliage from the garden. As y'all will see the foliage in these photos will show a propensity towards the bold foliage of Verbascum thapsus (common  Mullien) and the light airy foliage of Stipa tenuissima (Mexican Feather Grass).

Top/Top right:Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue' (switchgrass) provides a background for the garden from the street and a background on the opposite side of the garden. This provides multiple views. The Panicum and Verbascum thapsus (common mullien)provide much needed structure in this garden.

The contrasting textures here provide a place to focus the eye in this mass of similar textures.

Detailed wiew of Verbascum thapsus. Warning: Mullein seedhead! As Jenny from Rock Rose can testify these seeds are very prolific. The day after these photos were taken all the seed heads were removed. According to Wikipedia this plant can produce up to 240,000 seeds. Woah. And the seeds can be viable after a century. Woah again. So I'm playing with fire here. However the seeds do better on disturbed soil and do not compete well with other plants when germinating. 

Wide angle view with Panicum and Calamagrostis.

My other stalwart in the garden: Stipa tenuissima(Mexican Feather grass). This is another plant which is a prolific seed producer. My mother says I'm crazy for growing it. Oh well. Stipa creates a counterpoint to the bold foliage of Mullien and spiky foliage I'm beginning to add to the garden.

And lets not forget the movement provided by Stipa.

Be sure a go see the Foliage Followup @ Digging and see what's growing in the foliage world.

Hazy and Lazy

As you can see from the photo the view is hazy, and I'm feeling lazy from all the humidity. The temperature is in the low 90's with humidity in the 70-80% range. Ouch..

Morning view: Front Hell Strip/Meadow Garden. Panicum amarum 'Dewey Blue'(tallest grass), Verbascum thapsus-Common Mullein(large leafed plant), Linum perenne-blue flax(mid border), Stipa tenuissima-mexican feather grass( on left of photo), Yucca rigida(front of border), and newly planted Dalea purpurea-purple prairie clover and Sporobolus heterolpis-northern dropseed(front of border). Also intertwined is Nepeta 'Walkers Low'-catmint, Asclepias incarnata-swamp milkweed, Calamagrostis, Echinacea purpurea, and Salvia farinacea-mealy blue sage.

So many things to do this weekend and all I want to do is chill. So chill it shall be.