Monday, April 12, 2010

Meanwhile, Back at the Ranch...

Jenny Daffodil

It's been almost a month since I posted anything about my own garden. I've been doing quite a bit of travelling as well as keeping busy with my garden coaching clients. And my own garden as well! I thought I'd recap some things happening here although I'll keep most of my bloom photos and discussion for the upcoming Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (April 15th). Above is the last of my daffodils that bloomed last month. This is the first time Jenny has actually bloomed since I planted it in 2008. Hooray for a tough winter! ;-)

Wisley Blue Starflowers

I'm in love with my starflowers (Ipheion uniflorum) although they've just about finished blooming now.

Blue-eyed Grass and other plants

I put together this little potted arrangement last week. My favorite plant in there is Blue-Eyed Grass, Sisyrinchium angustifolium, the little blue flowers there which are native to Texas and other states. (Layanee, thank you for the ID!) Other plants in that arrangement are 'Alabama' coleus, 'Creeping Jenny' lysimachia, ornamental pepper 'Black Pearl', and Carex buchananii, Red Rooster Sedge (also called Leatherleaf Sedge).

'Bloodgood' Japanese Maple with tree wrap

My Japanese Maple looks like it's wearing a black sock since I put tree wrap on it. This year the squirrels decided to start chewing on it. Those dadgum squirrels! I hope this helps. I have no idea how long to leave it on (will they forget about chewing on the tree after a while??).

Cedar Waxwings

The Cedar Waxwings have been around all winter and spring. But they only recently started mobbing the birdbath. Thank goodness I have a couple more birdbaths or the other birds would have a hard time. My guess is they're going for my birdbath now that the rains have stopped. The goldfinches were here for the shortest time on record for me. A few are still straggling through and even gracing me with their breeding colors. The Ruby Throated Hummingbirds have returned as well. But no sign of the Rose Breasted Grosbeaks or Indigo Buntings yet.


The woodland garden is starting to put out some growth, mostly from the hostas and ferns. The 'Silver Shower' mondo grass is struggling to recover from the freezes.


The square beds are starting to fill out now. This year I redid the front two beds to have all pollinator attracting plants (for the bees, butterflies, and hummingbirds) and the back two beds will have mostly herbs and veggies (with a few flowers thrown in there).


The daylilies along the rock wall are filling in. Can't wait for their blooms in May!


UPDATE: I was in too much of a hurry when I first posted this (trying to make it to yoga on time) and forgot to include this photo. The area with the boulders at the back is my problem area. Water collects at the foot of the steep 6 foot hill and even a french drain hasn't helped that much. The only thing that helps is not much rain. So instead of tearing it up to work on the drain again I decided to learn to love what I have. Recently I planted some plants at the base that should tolerate the occasional wet feet and I also added some more rocks. Still more work to come on that area though.

Well, that's about it for now. I do hope I get some time to visit my favorite blogs, so I hope to "see" you sometime soon.

This post was written by Jean McWeeney for my blog Dig, Grow, Compost, Blog. Copyright 2009. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

18 comments:

  1. Things change so much and so quickly it seems when one is away from one's own garden. Love the cedar waxwings. I need some of those! The little blue flower looks like Sisyrinchium or blue eyed grass. Common names....well, they can be frustrating. Love the container combo whatever the name.

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  2. I'm glad you included that last photo, Jean; I love the way you've planted the slope up to the rock wall. Choosing some plants who like wet feet sounds like an excellent way to deal with the situation. The cedar waxwings are too funny; I'm surprised there's any water left when they are done:)

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  3. Jean,

    That is excellent advice for all of us to play to the site's advantage instead of bemoaning it. If we can't or don't want to tear it up and start over, that is. Loved seeing all your beautiful photos. Thank you. And, yes, lilacs grow beautifully in Oklahoma unless we have a late freeze. Then, they don't bloom. I love my lilacs.~~Dee

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  4. The cedar waxwings sure are enjoying their bath.

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  5. Your ranch is looking great.

    I love the cedar waxwings. I never can get a good photo of them, though. That's a great shot of them in the bath.

    ~~Linda...

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  6. Your yard is looking great -- and not a single recycling box or garbage can!

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  7. Jean, everything is looking beautiful. I think your raised beds add some nice structure to the garden. And those star flowers! Those cedar waxwings!

    Isn't it wonderful to be able to spend time out in nature?

    Robin

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  8. Jean, Welcome home...you have been on the road having a good time. You are wise indeed not to fight your garden conditions...I learned that lesson a while ago and fell in love with native plants. I am now planting more things in containers to get around the shallow soil...I have to have some veggies! Love the cedar waxwings...they never stop by here! gail

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  9. Never heard of starflowers but they sure are cute.

    I cannot get over all those birds in the birdbath!!! We don't have those birds here for some reason.

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  10. It's been fun to travel to Austin & Houston with you, Jean - and now fun to see what your garden has been up to while you were gone... love the swept-back petals on 'Jenny' narcissus.

    What's up with the cedar waxwings? For years I only had glimpses of them high up in trees, and now they've been at our birdbaths almost every day, too...did they take a vote and decide gardenbloggers were safe stops?

    Happy April,

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  11. Hi Jean,
    I love the parts of your garden in the last two photos. The cosy informality of it just makes me want to put the coffee on and relax there!

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  12. The star flowers are very cute. That photo of the cedar waxwings taking baths is priceless! And finally, I love the daffodils where the petals look like they're dog ears being blown back when the dog is sticking his/her head out a car window!

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  13. You have blue-eyed grass too! It's one of my favorites also. Had it in our Florida yard and it thrived through three hurricanes and salt water incursion. Eventually it seeded a good part of the bed.

    Loved the Cedar Waxwing picture. Aren't they the most beautiful birds?

    Your problem area looks lovely from here. What did you plant? Are you still looking for more?

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  14. The "ranch" is lookin' good, Jean. I love your stone wall.

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  15. Kathleen - I planted a Japanese Sweet Flag and some Red Veined Sorrel in my problem area. I planted the sorrel slightly elevated for a little better drainage. Future plans include adding some flat rocks up the hillside, sort of like stairs. But kind of hidden stairs I think. And I'll keep trying this and that plant for the hillside. Eventually a plant or two will take!

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  16. Your garden is amazing! I love the pot with coleus and blue-eyed grass. What a great shot of the cedar waxwings.

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  17. Jean, it's all looking lovely and I hope to see it for myself someday! I had Cedar Waxwings here last year ... I heard this unusual chattering amongst birds in the oak trees and went to see what they were. A flock must have stopped over to see if there were anything of interest for them.

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  18. Everything is so lush and lovely! I've never seen a mob of Cedar Waxwings like that...what are you putting in that water! I had trouble with squirrels in my peach tree years ago and I put about a 10inch ring of vaseline on the base where I saw them up up to grab on and climb...it actually worked for both them and the ants. Later on I found out that that was not a good idea because the bark wouldn't like it...ho hum...nothing every happened to the tree and I don't have ants or squirrels to this day...good luck!

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