Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Some Spring Blooms from Last Year for Wildflower Wednesday

Today is the fifth anniversary of Wildflower Wednesday, hosted by Gail, blogger of Clay and Limestone.  For the occasion, she showed her first post, with some editing.  I like what she shared about learning to grow native plants.  Those who know me know that I am scatterbrained.  I had seen Wildflower Wednesday posts, and decided to join April 7, 2010, not paying attention to the fact that it was the third Wednesday of the month, so it was not on the right day.  Here is a link to my first post.  It shows pasque flowers. 

The photos for today's post are from the last week of April and first week of May, 2014.  These are not all that were blooming, though. For each plant, I included a link to the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center where there is information on it.  For those in my area, most of these plants will probably be available at the plant sales held by the Nebraska Statewide Arboretum in the spring.

Fremont's clematis is one of my favorites.  It is a long lived plant in my experience, and has very cool blooms.  This is a young clump.  It will grow larger and have more blooms in the next few years.  I had a clump in an island bed surrounded by concrete at church until they decided they wanted everything out, and planted a tree and some shrubs there.  It rarely got watered, and it did quite well.  I transplanted it to our curb area last year, but am not sure if it is one that can survive transplanting when so mature.


I've had Phlox divaricata for a number of years.  It spreads like a groundcover, but is not aggressive.  I am pleased to see they are coming up already.


I have had what I'm pretty sure are Common blue violets for many years.  A clump volunteered in the vegetable garden in full sun.  They seed themselves around, and I've had to thin them out from time to time.  I have been remembering to pull a few leaves to add to the salad the last few years.  What I'm feeling bad about, though, is that they are coming up in our next door neighbor's lawn, where she only wants grass.  I just read that the seeds are produced in the bottom flowers that do not always open, that have the seeds.  I should try to get those cut off so they don't seed so freely. 


Virginia bluebells are not native here, but I sure do enjoy the early spring blooms on the east side of the house, where they do not get the hot afternoon sun.  I hope they seed a bit.


Amsonia hubrichtii is one I've posted on a lot.  It is one of my favorites, but I wish the bloom time was longer.  Still, the foliage is very nice.  I just read where one should cut them back to six inches after they bloom so they will mound.  I do cut them back frequently, but not always.  Some years, I have let them seed, and have gotten a few volunteers to put in other spots that way.  They are not native to Nebraska, I just noticed.


I have gotten several kinds of Amonias over the years.  This is either tabernaemontana or illustris.  This is the kind I saw in a yard when walking into my sister and brother in laws' alley and fell in love with those beautiful blue blooms.


The yellow blooms are Golden alexanders.  I think I fell in love with PPPPs from Gail's posts.  I first found Phlox pilosa, 'eco happy traveler', then found the plain Phlox pilosas, so now have both, and do not remember which is which.  I imagine I'll end up with my own kind of they cross pollinate. 


The two plants in front are Prairie alumroots, what I refer to as native coral bells.   The pinkish blooms between and beyond the Golden alexanders is what I think is Shell leaf penstemon.


Purple poppy mallow is a good plant for the curb area.


Most of the snow has melted, but for the next couple weeks, we are to have colder than normal temperatures.  I am so ready for spring to get here!  It would be nice if I had an actual wildflower to post for March's Wildflower Wednesday!  Thanks, Gail for hosting this!

Oh, I forgot to mention that the things you've heard about liquids and computers are true.  A few evenings ago, I was at my computer with about a fourth cup of coffee.  The phone rang, and since our granddaughter was sleeping in the next room, I jumped up to answer.  I am not even sure what happened, but the cord to the computer was involved, and some things on the table, including the computer and coffee flew into the air.  After a few days of drying it out, the keyboard continued to type things on its own, so Larry made a list of possible computers for me.  I took that to a local Apple dealer.

The guy at the store was very patient with me.  He knew I was sad that I really couldn't afford to get another 15 inch monitor, but still wanted to compare the 13 inch to it.  I got my blog up on two computers, and found some posts from last summer.  He had already asked me what I use the computer for, and we got to talking about gardening.  He just does vegetables, because he wants to have the reward of picking something to eat.  I told him I am into growing native plants, and get rewarded by seeing so many insects on them.  He cringed at the thought of bees and wasps, but when he saw the photos from my blog, he asked if he could scroll down to see more.  He said they were good photos, which made me happy.  I hope that I planted a seed in him that will sprout, and he will end up finding some native plants to add to his garden.

18 comments:

  1. So sorry to hear about your coffee/computer accident. Hope all works out well for you.
    As for "planting a seed"---I hope that worked. I'm amazed at the amount of people that think ALL BUGS are somehow "BAD". So sad how far away we've gotten from nature. Keep spreading the joys of gardening!

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  2. Love those violets. I was at one of our state parks recently and walked through a meadow where there was a virtual carpet of violets. It was all I could do to restrain myself from digging - but of course I did! All your wild blooms are lovely.

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  3. I hope my Phlox divaricata comes back well. I didn't succeed with the pilosa seeds. I have a tiny Amsonia I hope will bloom this year. I planted a Bluebell but it was riddled with holes from slugs so this year I will have to put slug bait (reminder to self) and hope for flowers. Most of these are not native here, the native plants tend to have glossy leaves and yellow flowers, so I'm looking forward to seeing if these bloom this year, and the Asclepias tuberosa the rabbits ate last year. I have a little violet that is incredibly invasive, just goes wild over a big area, so if that is yours your neighbor is in for a fight, but they are pretty enough to be tolerated.

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  4. Lovely photos. I added some Virginia Bluebells a couple years ago. They naturalized in a vacant lot where I sometimes walk. What a site. Love your phlox.

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  5. Oh Sue how nice that the snow is gone....6 ft on the ground still here, but what a joy to see your natives many I also grow....love the clematis especially. And look at you planting the seeds wherever you go.

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  6. Thanks for sharing highlights from last year. I know you have a garden brimful of wildflowers. It's great to celebrate them this way. I'm surprised that Virginia Bluebells aren't native in your area, as they are in Wisconsin, which isn't too far away. But there are regional differences, of course. Great post! I hope you can get a nice, new large-screen computer one of these days. :)

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  7. So many lovelies in your garden. I'll bet the guy at the store starts looking into natives to add to his veggies! You're invited to share this wonderful outdoor post on The Maple Hill Hop!

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  8. Hi Sue, Previews of what's to come! I love your poppy mallows and phlox.....not native here:(. I will be looking at the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower center website you recommended. Little did she know, all those years ago, how the environment has been affected by the loss of native species!! Stay warm and Happy Gardening!

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  9. I read about your computer accident on Facebook and meant to leave a comment, Sue, but then I got distracted and forgot about it. So you have to buy a whole new computer? I'm so sorry. I did something similar when I was subbing at school one day, spilling a whole cup of coffee over the teacher's desk. But since she had a desktop, all it touched was the keyboard. Everything turned out fine, except for a few of my files--and hers--that will forever smell like coffee:) What a great story about the computer sales clerk, though--I think you have planted some very important seeds in his mind!

    Would comment on more here--like the Amsonia, which I love--but I need to get going this morning. We got more snow last night and the forecast doesn't look like spring is coming any time soon.

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  10. Sue, whoa, woke up to Brrrr cold on the Nebraskan western bank of the Missouri River with no relief in sight. Three below tonight with 10 to 20 MPH winds will make the morning commute brutal for some folks. I'm staying inside and having another cup of coffee. It certainly don't seem like Winter is giving up it's grip any time soon. Prediction is for more snow starting Saturday through the next five days. There will be no native flowers here for quite a spell. I really like seeing your last year's pictures though. It gives me hope that Spring will arrive soon.

    Have a great native plant day.

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  11. Hi Sue, I am a first time visitor to your blog and I love it here. My husband and I purchased a small house on an acre of land just outside of town, last Spring. So last year was my first garden. While all of our friends are going into condos and buy big motor-homes for retirement, this was our answer to the perfect way to retire. Eating fresh food grown my our own hands and the work of keeping up our little acre is what we think will keep us going strong and living healthy. It is all new to me and although I am loving every minute of it . . . I am still learning as I go. I hoping that by following your blog I will pick up a lot of pointers and good gardening advice. Not, just that . . . but I can always use a new friend and I hope that you will consider following me back.
    Your new blogging sister,
    Connie :)

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  12. Hi again Sue. The wandering kitten is doing very well. Toby, my tabby cat accepted her and they play fight. The dogs ignore her but she would like to play with them.

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  13. Hi again Sue. The wandering kitten is doing very well. Toby, my tabby cat accepted her and they play fight. The dogs ignore her but she would like to play with them.

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  14. Hi Sue, I love that clematis. Were those wide leaves from it, or another flower? I wasn't sure. I'm so sorry about your computer. Did you end up buying one? I bet you did plant a seed with the Apple guy. I find that they are extremely curious, and you know what happens those who are curious about the world. They end up doing things. If only we could convince people that insects want nothing to do with us when they are feeding in the garden. They are much too busy. I keep trying to spread the word. ;-)

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    1. Dee, the leaves were from the clematis. When the plant gets older, the leaves are not quite as soft. Yes, I got a 13 inch Mac Book Pro instead of a 15 inch like I had before. I am loving it, though, because it is faster, and while I am not sure how the retina display makes it different, it is very easy on the eyes, and the images are sharp on it.

      I like your point about the computer guys being curious about the world. I hope he does look into planting for the pollinators. You know, I feel so privileged being in close proximity to such an array of insects. I get very close taking photos. Sometimes they fly off, but I've never felt threatened by them.

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  15. Your photos give HOPE that spring will arrive eventually -- still under snow here. Sorry about your computer: 'Been there, done that." Isn't it great how we make new friends through gardening? I bet you have a new blog follower. P. x

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  16. I've never heard that you should cut back Amsonia hubrichtii after it blooms. Does it still get that nice golden glow in autumn once you do that? I don't really go it for the flowers, just the ferny foliage, green in summer, gold in autumn. Sorry about your computer! You didn't lose all your pictures, did you?

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    1. Robin, I forgot to mention that when I do cut the amsonias back, it's not that far. I usually cut them about in half. There have been some years with the ones that are not ferny leaved, that I cut them back a couple times, if they are getting taller than the plants behind them.

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