Spring is Early 2016

Our SE Nebraska winter was pretty mild, and spring seems to be coming early.  I didn't get the blues I normally do at the end of winter, where I just want it to be over, so I can get back out and work in the dirt.  There is cause for concern, though, because shrubs and fruit trees are blooming early, and a freeze could cause them not to fruit this season.  

More of the early bloomers in our yard are not native than other times of the season, but there are some natives at least getting ready to bloom.  Prairie smoke geum is native to areas near us.  It gets a cool looking fluffy seedhead, which explains the name.

Hellebores are one of my favorite non-native spring bloomers.

There are several kinds of pussytoes.   I believe the link is to the kind this is.  The conditions are not as dry as they prefer, so they do not spread as much as I thought they would, but I'm pleased to see them continue to survive.

 I didn't realize when I added more pasqueflowers that not all are native.  I think this may be one of the native ones, though. 

When I took photos for this post, I went in the order of where they were in the yard, and did not organize by the types of plant.  It would be cool to have more clumps of hellebore in one bed, but this way, when they are finished blooming, the taller plants in the bed will take up the space, and hide the plants.
 

I have to protect the woodland phlox (and garden phlox) from the rabbits.  They eat them to the ground when they get a chance.

The hellebores sure are cheerful!

I haven't planted any bulbs for a number of years, but most of the ones I did plant have continued to come up and put on a show.

I needed some vegetable seeds the other day, and when I got to the garden center, was sidetracked by the pansies.  I forgot all about checking to make sure they were not treated with pesticides.  I need to call and find out.  I think if one cuts off the first blooms, there will be less of it in the next blooms.  Have you ever heard of that?  Our granddaughter, Ruby helped plant and water these.

The Heuchera, I'm pretty sure, richardsonii, is a native coral bells, and pretty much evergreen here. 

I was thinking this may be bloodroot, but AScott let me know in a comment it is sharp-lobed hepatica, which I do remember planting some of.  Thanks AScott!

This is a golden alexanders seedling.  I'm wondering if it is OK to share some of these, considering they had a disease on the leaves last year.

More plants have come up since these photos were taken a few days ago.  My husband does not like the flower beds in the winter, and does not like leaving leaves on in the spring, but he held back and did not try to get every leaf out of the beds.  I didn't even rake some of them.  I want to see if the plants can grow through them, and let them use the leaves for mulch.  When I was cutting the grasses back,  I put them in the path in the area where the tree used to be.  He doesn't like that, either, but I am hoping he'll get used to it

I hope all is well with you.  Spring is here for some, and on it's way for others.  I am pleased!

Golden Alexanders

I went to a talk on gardening for butterflies Sunday afternoon.  I wish I would have thought to suggest Golden Alexanders, Zizia aurea as a host plant for black swallowtails during the question and comment time.  I decided to do a blog post, since I've been neglecting my blog, and post a link to it on Facebook, where I've been spending my former blogging time.

The photos did not load in order.  This is from early spring, so it's probably the May 19 one.  I can see the blue amsonia of some kind in the background.  I enjoy these early bloomers.

I included a couple with insects on them.  I am not sure what this little critter is, but I see from my notes, it is from June 6.

I always like it when blooms benefit more than one kind of critter.

The next couple must be the end of May. 

I planted the ones near the bicycle a few years later than the ones across the sidewalk.  They tend to bloom a little later than the more mature ones.

This must be June 7.  These are self sowers, but are easy to hoe, pull, or dig up to share.  Can you tell they are in the carrot family?

I ended up cutting back some of the plants last year, because they developed a disease or something, with spots on the leaves.  There were plenty of other plants around to fill any gaps.  Thankfully, the plants regrew clean leaves.  Plus, the black swallowtail caterpillars had nice fresh leaves to eat.

I am pleased to see signs of spring.  I tripped over our granddaughter in the grocery store a few weeks ago, and sprained my wrist.  It is not fully healed, and it hurts to grip things, so I will need to do my garden clean up small amounts at a time.  I hope all is well with you!,

November Wildflower Wednesday

We are enjoying a mild fall, even though we've had a number of nights that have dipped down to the 20s.  I have mostly wider views for this month's Wildflower Wednesday, hosted by Gail, of Clay and Limestone.

We'll start out with the curb beds.  I've mentioned that I do the clean up in the spring, so that birds can have the seeds to eat, and whatever native bees and such who live in the stems can live safely over the winter.

I love the puffy seed heads of the various kinds of liatris.  I'm thinking this is aspera.

The spikes of puff on the left are another kind of liatris, I think, a cultivar.  I think the dark colored seed heads are black eyed susans.

I guess I really do like liatris seed heads!  Here's another clump, with New England asters on the right.

The plant on the left is a coneflower of some kind.  The plant in the front is New England aster.

The Mexican hat plants are still green and have some color in their blooms.

This is across from where a sidewalk would be from the west curb area. The wild senna seed heads are pretty cool looking.  I'm also seeing more liatris, stiff goldenrod, riddles goldenrod and some grasses in this photo.

The false baptisia on the south side of the fence still has seed pods that look good.

Heading into the area where the tree used to be, we see meadow rue and cup plant.

This was the last clump of New England asters to bloom, and I see it still has one bloom on it.

I found a photo of wild quinine that I liked better than this one, but decided to include both, because if I delete this, I'll have a wider gap that I have to edit the post to fix.  The gold in the back is Amsonia illustris.

The gray-headed coneflowers still have a bit of color.

These are sweet black eyed susans.

I just transplanted this clump of ironweed from another part of the yard this spring.  It did very well.

Here is the other clump of wild quinine.  I have it in several spots in the yard.  It has the longest bloom time of all of the flowers, and I see pollinators on it all of its bloom time.  It looks nice afterward as well!

I am still enjoying the Illinois bundleflowers.

Since we started with a view from the street, I thought we'd end with a view from the porch.

I hope all is well with you at the holiday season.  There are so many bad things happening in the world that are out of our control.  What we do have in our control is how we treat others.  I hope we all find ways to show kindness and respect to those we come into contact with.  This time of year is also a good time to remember to forgive those in your life who have hurt or offended you.