Wildflower Wednesday May 2012

 The third Wednesday of the month brings us the Wildflower Wednesday meme. Gail at Clay and Limestone shares this day on her blogsite. Go there and share you natives with others who strive to bring more natives into our gardens.

 Callirhoe alcaeoides - Pale Poppy Mallow. I scavenged these beauties above in  a vacant industrial lot next to my work, a former Kansas prairie. Initially they were just a small rosette such as the photo below.

 Rhus typhina 'Bailtiger'-Tiger Eyes Sumac. This variety was originally found as a mutation in a cultivated nursery from R. typhina ‘Laciniata’. Although not native to Kansas this variety grows under the same growing conditions as the native varieties seen throughout our native areas. This plant was added to my hell strip last fall.

 Rumex crispus  L-Curly Dock. Ok, most people would classify it as a weed. (especially one of my neighbors), its the tall plant in the back ground. I wrestling with this one because it really likes this fertile area and has reached 5'. My original reasoning was to use the maroon seed heads as winter interest against the tawny foliage of the tall switchgrass.One probably would have done the trick, but like a glutton I dug three. ha. Found in the same lot.

Future gladness. Present gladness. Delphinium carolinianum  Walt.  subsp. virescens  (Nutt. ) Brooks-Prairie Larkspur. I wrote a blog post about this one last spring. Recovery and Recovery II. And yes I will try to recover some seed. Can't wait for this one to flower. And last but not least....the Milkweed!

Ascelpias incarnta-Swamp Milkweed

A Pink Bloom Day-May 2013

 Spring has finally arrived fully in this part of the flint hills of Kansas . After many days of ice, cold rain, snow and cool windy conditions recently, it has been unusual to actually see some warm weather. Pinks and blues are predominate in the garden. Also this spring brings a few new trial plants to the native praire garden which I'll discuss or cuss in future posts.

 Rock Soapwort-Saponaria ocymoides stands out below on the corner hell strip. I first noticed Soapwort when I lived in Colorado Springs and spottied it trailing over a retaining wall near Garden of the Gods. Originally this plant was started from seed and this is it's third spring. As you can see part of the plant never reaches the street as many people rub it off when they turn too sharp (free pruning). The blue blooms belong to Salvia x sylvestris 'Rapsody in Blue'. The light pink bloom belongs to Fragrant Persian Stonecress-Aethionema schistosum. This plant was started over three years ago from a 2" pot purchased from High Country Gardens (which I was happy to see regrouping and open once again).

 In part of the cottage garden Salvia nemorosa(?) blooms with Candytuft-Iberis sepervirens and is bordered by Achillea foilage, Stachys b. Lambs Ear, aand Artemisia (Powis Castle).

Image below: Salvia 'Rapsody in Blue', and Persian Stonecress-Aethionema schistosum with Mexican Feathergrass-Nasella tenuissima.

Closing with Iris siberica 'Caesar's Brother'

Around the Watering Hole

I'm having a hard time getting these images posted on Blogger, not sure why. I've been trying to capture these birds on my camera all spring and winter. The populations of migrating songbirds have been plentiful. I've been going through about 20 pounds of black sunflower seed a week, and the Hackberry tree has been full of these Cedar Waxwings which are gorging on the berries and then flying to the water tank.  Our newly painted metal lawn chairs which are baby blue are now striped with purple stains from above.

Let's Rock!

Snow Bird

Just looking out the window this morning.

Signs of Spring

Almost every Saturday morning when we are in town, Cindy and I go to the local Winfield Bistro to have  breakfast. The owner has a small parking lot island filled with perennials and a bird-feeder. It's interesting to follow the progress and results through the year. After braving the bitter cold this morning, loading up on carbs and then arriving at home, I noticed something peeking from the snow in the hell strip.

The tulips have arrived. I had almost forgotten that they had been planted.

Skirting around the garden, signs of life lead to signs of death.

 Agave parryi 'trincata'. No Bueno. 

I think this Agave parryi , it is still turgid. Hopefully I have found a cold hardy variety.

Colorguard Yucca starting to recover I believe.

Now back to my construction projects. Yahoo......

 

In the Winter Doldrums

Much like the sparrow above I'm peeking out of my winter doldrums, but alas I still feel like going back into my hole. I suppose I have been in some form of spring denial, but I know those who are more positive than I have informed me that this too shall pass. And....I know it will.

As you can see snow has been the latest weather event in Kansas, received about 6" over the past 3 days. I have been working hard in my spare time to complete a "Texas" garden room. One of the accents is this bird house designed for finches. It seems the finches could care less but I did notice a chickadee check it out. It will probably become a home for sparrows.

A rusty tulip I received from my late sisters garden.

Bounty of Basil seeds.

A little spiky love in the snow. Yucca gloriosa 'variegata' grouped with Schizachyrium scoparium-Little Bluestem. Farewell from Kansas.

My Favorite Images from 2012

Les with A Tidewater Gardener started a photography meme last year at this time sharing his favorite images of the year. I think it is great to look at the past years activities via ones photographs. Like someone said a picture is worth a thousand words.

I think of last winter and this image of Little Bluegrass, and how  I am blessed to live near the Flint Hills Tallgrass Praire, a rare and beautiful area of the world.

I was able to visit my mother in Wyoming and son in Colorado in June of this year. As many of you probably remember it was the year of the wildfire. This image was taken within an hour of the Waldo Canyon fire igniting.

While in the local micro brewery in Colorado Springs I think we discovered the secret ingrediant to their brew.

Off to Wyoming and a stop at the Cheyenne, Wyoming Botanical Gardens on the way to Casper. (Apache Plume)

Ephedera.

Indian paintbrush with Buffalograss.

On to Casper and Casper Mountain. Freeland Cemetery near Muddy Gap which was near a Mormon junction stop along the Wagon Trails. Notice the smoke in the background.

Loved the headstone and passage carved into this large slab of stone.

On Casper Mountain and Bear Trap Meadow where I spent many weekend and summer  days during my youth, picnicking with the family and also working for the county park system in a summer youth program

This image was taken at the Natrona County Extension office in Caper. And the one person who loves to go with me on garden tours? My mum. She even listens to my descriptions, likes, and botanical names.

On my way back to Kansas I stopped by Professor Roush's(Garden Musings) residence right in the middle of the Flint Hills near Manhattan, Kansas. Roses and more roses. Short and sweet visit, I wished I could have stayed longer.

A nice capture of Datura, moonflower.

The Kansas Native Plant Society meet in Winfield, my hometown, for their annual meeting. The images on my header came from those days. Also this Willowleaf Sunflower-Helianthus salicifolius.

 This digger bee was covered with pollen in this day three photo. (A little editing help on his image from Donna of Garden Walk, Garden Talk).

That's all folks! I leave you with the above image from the Snyder Ranch near Dexter, Kansas. That's what I call real xericsape. How many landscapes look like this during a major drought?

If you would like to look at last year choices, go here.