Arum italicum through the Season

I have done profiles of how different plants, such as amsonias and mountain mints do in my yard. I have been planning some more, and arum is one that I've had fun taking photos of at different times of the season. About 5 years ago, I picked out several kinds bulbs at a local nursery. I didn't know what arum was, but liked whatever I read on the tag. I planted 2 clumps that come up every spring, and die back as they are produing 1 to 3 weird stocks that get berries on them. The first year, my son liked them, and after looking them up, told me they were supposed to be in the shade. At first, I thought too much sun was why the leaves were dying back, but later found out that is normal. They actually have afternoon shade.

After looking it up this evening to see if there was anything else I should tell you about the plant, I found out it is invasive in warmer climates, and very hard to get rid of. I also found out the leaves and berries are poisonous. I recently transplanted a clump to the newest area of the street bed that was created as a result of the curb and street repair that was done this summer. I hope I'm not sorry. I'll have to keep my eye on them, but so far, they have not spread much. There are several interesting reviews of the plant at Dave's Garden. Here is a link to Rainy Side Gardeners for their information.

I just took photos of one of the clumps for these photos. This one seems to do better than the other, which doesn't always send the stock up. After seeing the photos on the web, I am wondering why this one doesn't send more up. It's probably drier than it would prefer.

5/6/09:

5/24/09:

5/30/09:

6/2/09:

6/9/09:

6/18/09:

6/28/09:

7/7/09:

7/7/09:

8/11/09:

8/16/09:

8/16/09:

9/18/09, it's died back:

10/6/09, it's coming up right in front of and in the lavender:

10/10/09:

11/25/09:

11/25/09, the clump I dug and planted in the new area a couple weeks before this, and forgot to water more than once:

So, let us know what experiences you have had with Arum italicum or tips on keeping it healthy, but not invasive.

Critters from the Last Few Days

I remember a page from a number book I read a lot to my son and daughter when they were kids. It said, "High in the sky, in the shape of a 'V', how many wild geese can you see?" This went through my head as I was snapping as many photos as I could. I didn't try to count them, though. A few pics turned out OK enough to post for Camera Critters, hosted by Misty Dawn.

This photo was taken through the window of our back door. I don't know where the sparrow got the sunflower seed it was eating. We haven't put food in our feeders yet.

From the Googling I did, I think this is a dark eyed junco in the vegetable garden. Someone has identified it for me in the past, but I don't remember what they said.

I keep reading about birds eating the seeds from a variety of flowers, and I had only seen some eating from my sister's purple coneflowers. I was so tickled to see the same junco eating seeds from my Rudbeckia trilobas, a smaller blooming Susan. I wasn't able to get a photo of it, but was pleased to have witnessed it.

I'm not sure which of our number of squirrels this one is. I don't think it's the light colored chested one. It let me take a number of steps closer to it, snapping photos along the way, until it tired of the game, or decided I was getting too close, and moved on.

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Blooming Friday 11/27/09

Katarina, at Roses and Stuff hosts Blooming Friday, and today has started her season of showing indoor blooms, but has also asked us what we are feasting our eyes on. I have so much blooming later than I can recall, that I thought I'd go ahead and post photos of them, even though most of them were blooming for other posts. I am not going to label all of the plants, because our grandson is spending the night, and I have stayed up too late as he sleeps beside me, and if he wakes up early, I need to be ready to get up.

The first several photos were taken Wednesday, and the rest, Thursday during a break from cooking, while I was giving Heidi a chance to run around before being left.

The star of the show has to be the sweet pea from Botanical Seeds. I've said the name of it before, but can't think of it now. There are several colors, and they have been blooming, I think since late spring. I almost pulled them when the hot weather stressed them, but didn't, because they were still blooming.

Bidens:

I forgot which kind of lavender:

I am no longer a strawflower "snob" who tells people they should be pulling the blooms off to dry before they get to this stage. I have really enjoyed the several colors I have, and the statice as well.

Knautia:

Jupiter's Beard blooms most of the summer, and is still producing.

These stocks have been awesome, too, blooming since late spring.

This was the first year I had reblooming irises. This one is determined to finish, but the cold night temps are causing it problems.

I do have a couple new blooms inside on African violet plants that almost died a few weeks ago, when they got too dry. Now that I'm doing a better job watering, they are starting to bloom again.

Have a great weekend! Tootsie, from Tootsie Time is taking a break this week from Fertilizer Friday for the U.S. bloggers who celebrate Thanksgiving. I did a pretty good job of not overeating, but ate my chocolate when I sat down to put this post together, so I've consumed plenty today.

Happy Thanksgiving from Sue and Heidi

It's hard for me to believe that tomorrow is Thanksgiving already! Well bring on the holidays, because it means we are that much closer to spring. I've mentioned that when the days start getting longer the end of December, I feel a weight is lifted off of me.

Fall has been quite mild, though, and I am still harvesting lettuce and greens. I don't remember a Thanksgiving where there has still been lettuce.

I am thankful that I see God's work in my life, and know his love through faith in Jesus.

We are going to my parents' tomorrow, and I am taking green bean casserole, corn, a fruit crisp, and crustless pumpkin pie, all gluten free for our daughter. I may also make a carob pudding I found a recipe for. Oh, and I'm taking some salad.

I hope you enjoy your Thanksgiving!

Photo Taken the 20th for Wordless Wednesday

A Sunny Saturday Morning to Find Critters

I opened the door this morning to see what I could see, and was surprised at how warm it felt, even though it was in the lower 40s. I decided to get my camera to see if I could find any wildlife, as I hadn't gotten any photos this week. As I was walking to my veggie garden, I saw the light chested squirrel across the street, and used my zoom to get some pics.

As I walked into the garden, I scared up a dove, which perched on a wire, so I was able to take a few photos before it flew off. The one of it looking back at me didn't turn out because I didn't hold the camera still.

Some sparrows flew around at my arrival, too, landing here and there to get away from me. This is my neighbor's bush.

When I walked to my garden across the street, I saw the squirrel near the trellis, and went there first before looking for birds.

I took lots of photos of branches before getting a few of a blue jay. They aren't the best photos, but I was tickled to have captured them, as the jay was trying to avoid getting its photo taken.

I also saw a bird with the coloring of a woodpecker I've seen around, but it flew off too quickly for me.

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