Frost Images

Certain problems accompany the desire to get great frost pictures.  Leaving the warm house just after sunrise is not an easy way to start the day.  Inertia and a cup of hot tea hold me inside.  I did venture out this morning but it was to late to get crisp pictures.  Warmth from the sun had started to soften the frost by the time I finally went outside.  Great frost pictures will have to wait for another day.  These are worth a look.

First year strawberry plants were thinned from the bed several weeks ago.  Trashing them seemed wrong so they were placed in a dish pan.  Pushed together in a clump without soil, they still look to be in great condition.  Bright red leaf color keeps them out of the trash.

Extreme cold finds the roof of the car.  The thin metal surface at some distance from the warmth of the ground is the coldest surface around.  Sunlight may have degraded these frost crystals prior to the photo.  Feathery frost formations will have to be recorded just after sunrise.  That has not happened yet.

Wood betony and weeds are the subjects here.  Quack grass is a formidable enemy.  Reducing its numbers is an ongoing quest.  We have given up hope of ever eradicating it here.

These deep fossils are a favorite subject. It's amazing how the frost brings out the details.

The hens and chicks are on top of a stone wall near the house.  Residual warmth limited frost growth here. Delicate white frost outlines each leaf making the plant structure an interesting subject.

End of the July Garden, Photos by Amy

Ed's 'Salmon Star' lilies are stealing the show both in sight and scent categories.

The bright yellow 'London'  lilies light up the garden.

The 'Simplon ' lilies are almost six feet tall. Pure white petals , fragrance and  thick sturdy stems  make them a favorite of Ed. Since we are not interested in seed production, he talks about removing the anthers as soon as the flowers opens to preserve the pristine white flower. I on the other hand don't like to disappoint those pollinators besides Ed looks so cute with that orange pollen on the end of his nose.

Purslane is coming up everywhere. It's yellow flowers are soon to be followed by seeds. We are doing very best to get these weeded out. Apparently this July's weather  was perfect for growing purslane.

This  little guy is a ' Sugar Baby' watermelon. I was not surprised to see the hairy stems, but until I saw Amy's photograph, I never knew tiny watermelons had hair. All the watermelons I've seen have been bald!

Tiny little hens and chicks are hairy too. These little guys are lined up in a crevice of Ed's stone wall like peas in a pod.The tiny plants came up from seed self sown by the larger clumps that reside on the wall. As they grow things are going to get a bit tight!

As the Snow Goes

Every day the snow shrinks a little. As the snow goes more of the garden is revealed. The stone walls are uncovered, but we are still waiting for the stone paths to appear from their winter blanket. Every spring I am greeted with many small catchfly plants. They are rampant self seeders, but I love their bright pink flowers, and the hummingbirds agree, so I always let some of them stay. The truth is I'm very happy to see them!




The hens and chicks look like they have had a terrific winter. It will be awhile longer before the entire clump is revealed. It's so nice to see them peeking out from beneath the snow ice. Today huge snowflakes are falling. It's pretty, but at this point I would prefer rain!

Ed has planted Dahlia roots in pots. Last year the mid-March planted tubers were in bloom by July 1st. We had blossoms for a full three months. There is one possible snag. The root masses were still moist when they were placed in the galvanized can. He may have planted compost in the pots. It's official, stone wall garden 2011 has begun.

Sempervivium: Live Forever

This clump of Hens and Chicks grows atop the stone wall that forms the entrance to the basement of the house.  It is filling in the space between the stones.  As individual rosettes become large and crowded, they send up a flower stalk and go to seed.  After that the rosette dies.  Along with that, small rosettes grow from beneath the plant like chicks under a mother hen.  This plant knows how to reproduce.



The dried seed heads look a bit like flowers, but they are dry, brown and contain small black seeds. One advantage to a garden blog over a a garden journal is that it allows you to go back in time.  "Hens and Chicks" typed in the search box at the upper left of your screen will take you back to see how this plant looked last year.  Pictures of the developing flower stalk, the flowers and last years seed heads are right there for you to see.



Something new is going on with the hens and chicks this year.  Some of last year's seeds have found a place between the stones.  Tiny little chicks are growing there.  It was the color that caught my attention.  These plants are so small you might call them Chicklets!  My Hens and Chicks are happily increasing their numbers.  That's really good news because these plants do have predators.  Sometimes in the winter under the snow, mice eat these plants.  I've lost them before, but now that they are coming up from seed Sempervivium it is!

The Hens and Chicks Saga Continues

I've been fascinated watching this plant. The flower stalk is dry now. I inspected remains of one flower, and found that it contained small black seeds about the size of poppy seeds. Curiosity demands that I put the flower stalk somewhere so that the seeds might grow. It hardly seems necessary as far as chick production goes. The number of rosettes has increased dramatically without even considering the seeds. "Hens and chicks" typed in the search box at the top of this page will show you the whole saga, from February to August. There were just 13 rosettes to start with. The large one in the center is now gone. But click on the picture to enlarge and count how many there are now. How amazing!!!

Flowering Hens and Chicks

I have been watching this plant with interest. The flowers are quite beautiful and are lasting for several weeks.
Here is a more recent picture. The original central "hen" is gone. Little " chicks" are forming between the other hens. The plant next door has the "chicks" but no flower stalk. I find it amazing!

We have been having rain every day. I 'm waiting for a dry enough day to harvest the green beans. I hope it comes soon!

Hens and Chicks

Can this be February? These hens and chicks (I think Mom called them cats and kittens) are on top of that icy curved wall from two posts ago. I bought these this fall, because last winter, the furry critters ate the ones that I had for years. The top of the stone wall seemed exactly the right place to plant them.

As you can see things have melted and it's a lot less muddy. Now there's a little snow in the air. I'm sure the plants would love to have their white blanket back. The driveway is clear, but I'm still waiting for that one seed order. Shumway lost the race. When it comes I can check to see what other seeds I might need (or want).

This is a wonderful time for a gardener with the promise of a new spring, and another gardening season. The potential is thrilling!