Second Flower

In many ways these purple tinged Trilliums look completely different from their initial form showing pure white flowers.  These transplants have held this ground for many years now producing blossoms sized much like the native plants across the river.  Maidenhair ferns in the immediate background have also been here for a number of years.  Somehow these plants cover and hold their ground.  It is the result of luck not skill.  The general area is also home to a large number of violets which pull the deer in for a tasty snack.  The wire cage is intended to keep the deer foot prints away from this ground.  Not native but it works.

Decades ago daughter Amy and I were hiking at the Buttermilk Falls park near Ithaca.  A sharply sloped shale ridge was home to a huge group of Columbine plants.  How these plants were able to send out roots into tiny cracks in the stone wall remains a mystery.  This single from seed plant growing from our drystone wall serves as a reminder of the day we happened on generously flowered cliff face.  The Ground ivy is viewed as an invasive pest but it does have blue flowers.

Bluets have a long history here of resisting our efforts to grow them.  This small group is inside of a small mesh wire cage but they are self planted on the horizontal surface of the stone wall.  These plants were originally taken from a sloped lawn that was moist from a septic dry well.  Subjected to mowing and dampness they thrived.  We have been largely unsuccessful in our many attempts to grow this plant.  These will stay caged where they are while we look for new from seed plants in the immediate area.

 

Prairie smoke is a Great Plains native that has held this spot near the house for a few years.  These after the flowers airy presentation is just super.  We do not know if the cage is necessary but why risk removing it?

 

It has taken several years for this Perennial bachelors button to hold its ground  The initial transplant appeared to have died but a low cluster of leaves could be seen during the second year.  It took awhile for the plant to reach a size that allowed blossoms.  Some care is needed to remove nearby weeds.

It seems that we hold a fascination for ditch weeds.  Dame's rocket seems to be everywhere alongside of any road.  It resists transplantation since it has a hefty tap root.  A true biannual, it shows a large coarse robust circle of  close to the ground leaves in its first year.  The explosion of growth in its second year features a variety of colored flowers.  We keep it in our garden by allowing plants from seed to grow in the stone paths between planting beds.  How could anyone not see these blossoms as desirable?

Pinxter bushes are more than welcome here.  When we still had a sense of smell, the calming effect of these flower's scent was a real mood booster.  Their growth habit of open flowers ahead of leaves  is unusual but the number of blossoms is amazing.

The fox has not been seen here for quite some time.  Its right front paw has sustained an injury.  Every step features a limp but when it is time to move on super speed is still possible.  When this animal was first sighted a slow walk straight toward the window was attempted since past movements inside of the house have sent the fox running.  It was in the freshly mowed lawn when first seen but my movement sent it away.  Several days after this picture was taken we came upon a dead fox in the road.  We were about four miles from here when we encountered it and hope that it was not the one that hunts here.
 

Simply Beautiful

Pinxter is a native plant that captured our interest many years ago.  It has been in our garden for more than one quarter of a century since it became ours while I was still teaching.  Pat and I worked together and she knew of a location where I could snatch this plant.  Initially it was placed in the woods but that location was dry.  The plant did not die but it did not grow either.  Moved inside of the stone wall, it found the moisture released nightly by wall stones following hot summer days adequate and has increased in size.  Wire cages fill this area each winter to prevent deer from eating the fall formed flower buds.  The scent released by these flowers is sweet beyond description and always calms my mood.  This plant is without question a treasure and we always remember Pat for sending this plant our way.

This old fashioned Iris also has a personal connection to us.  Becky's maternal Grandmother grew this plant in her garden located in Gatchellville, Pa.  Whenever her family moved, Becky's Mother took some of this plant with them.  Now it is with us.  This plant has a number of positive characteristics that set it apart from more modern plants.  It is hardy and not troubled by disease like more modern varieties are.  It is sweetly scented and extremely hardy.  One of our older clumps is in desperate need of division.  Then there is the thin white line that edges each petal.  This is without question an attractive flower.

As with many of our plants, there is a personal connection that brought it into our gardens.  This Rugosa rose was a gift from Elle   Early on she helped us in so many ways.  That history dictated that her rose be placed prominently directly in front of our home.  She also gave us a red rose that we have since lost.  One of the planting beds that has been taken over by tenacious weeds still sends two single rose stems toward the stone path.  Perhaps this will be their year of their rescue and one of them might have red flowers after the plant is given adequate care.

This section of NYS route 8 passes next to the retaining wall for a bridge abutment where the NYO&W Railway crossed over the highway.  It can be seen on the left edge of the road in the distance.  This occurrence of the non-native Dame's Rocket is extensive.  Much hated by natural plant purists because of its vigor, we remain drawn to it by both its beauty and tenacity.  Its evening scent is also a huge point in its favor.  As a result, we intentionally introduced this plant into our gardens.  Why then did I go roadside to get decent pictures?

 This plant is a true biennial.  Its first year of growth consists of a low rosette of leaves supported by a deep taproot.  These young plants fill both our planting beds and the stone paths between them.  We will have a generous display of mostly purple colored flowers next year but this year is nearly empty.  To break the cycle of flowers every other year, plants would have needed to be brought in for two consecutive years.  I simply did not take the time to guarantee great displays every year.  We do have a few plants in flower this year so eventually the problem will self correct.

The Scent Of Clove On The Breeze

These native Buffalo Currant bushes make this one of the truly special times of the year.  Their small bright yellow flowers are cheery enough but the scent they emit is sweet beyond description.  A light breeze will carry this smell of cloves for a considerable distance.  Walking into that cloud is always an unexpected pleasure while working in the garden.

The pictured plant was transplanted two years ago.  Our plan was to combine spearmint with clove currants in a circular bed in the middle of the pasture.  Since the bushes send out deep runners while the mint runs nearer the surface, we felt that both would prosper together.  As an added bonus, Dame's Rocket was planted in the center between the three currant bushes.  It appears that every seed grew so now we have considerable weeding that needs to be done soon.  We find the evening scent of the rocket pleasant so we will put up with this aggressive roadside escapee from colonial gardens.

This plant has held this location for many years.  It as well as our mature trees suffer from the same affliction.  A pale grayish green growth grows uncontrollably on old wood.  It spells a certain death for both the trees and the bushes.  The process is slow so we have years to enjoy both the bushes and the trees.  They will likely outlast us here.

Despite good intentions, it seems that there is always at least one potted plant that spends the winter above ground.  An unrecognizable dead stick is the usual result.  In this instance we have a clove currant that patiently awaits placement somewhere.  Perhaps a spot along an old fence line near the arbutus wall would meet this plants requirements.  If a couple of Summer Sweets were also planted there we would have three of our favorite scents in one location.

March 1, A New Record ? !

There were a couple of very excited gardeners here this morning.  For March 1 in upstate New York, it was warm and balmy.  We decided to get ready and head down to play in the garden by the road.  It took us a while to get everything together.  Where did I put my favorite nippers last fall anyway?  By the time we were all ready to go out it began to rain!  I was crestfallen, but we decided to take the truck for a ride to visit the back. By the time we got back there the rain let up. We had a fabulous time  in the woods.  I saw a flock of bluebirds and that was fantastic. While we were back there the rain stopped, but the wind was picking up.  Our original plan seemed within reach so we made a pit stop at the house then headed down the lane to garden by the road.

A walk around inspection tour of the plants no longer covered by snow was first.  These foxglove plants flourished under the snow cover. They look terrific for now!

One thing we have discovered about this garden bed is that almost everything grows like Jack's beanstalk.   Here are three Dame's Rocket plants.  We love the flowers but these plants fill  the picture now and  will be gigantic later.  Ed will need his pry bar  and determination to tackle them.  They are definitely not the project for today!

The green tips of King Alfred daffodils are a welcome sight.  Just thinking about those bright yellow flowers makes me happy!  But what about today's fun?

Here is a close look at one of Ed's Autumn Joy sedums.  The time for cutting these plants back is right NOW!  It's a good thing I found those nippers!  Ed removed the cages and we worked side by side.  The idea was to cut back the dead stalks before the green shoots get bigger.  Ed dug out any weeds near the sedums muttering about the quack grass sneaking in from next door.
                                                                         

As we worked the wind was picking up.  Ed had to chase his hat several times and the trugs kept blowing over.  I'm a little rusty using my garden cart, but I only did one wheelie and I did not end up on the ground.

Now that's what I call progress! We finished the entire row of sedum plants.

When our mail was delivered, our mail carrier remarked, " In the garden on March 1, isn't that a new record!"  Maybe, but  we got a glimpse of spring and we grabbed the chance to enjoy it!  We knew it must be time for lunch.  Ed cut back just one Siberian iris and then we headed back up the lane to the house.

The rest of the first day of March featured rain, thunder, winds, plummeting temperatures and finally some snow  but we had a glorious morning!

End of November Green

On occasion our gardening blunders can be attributed to ignorance.  In this instance, the choice to cultivate an invasive nonnative was made with full understanding of both the plants history and nature.  Sweet Rocket is a common roadside weed in our area.  It grew here prior to our ownership of this land and it will continue to call here home long after we are gone.  Its pleasantly scented flowers are also frequently colored an attractive purple.  Color and scent make this plant a sure winner.  It is easy to understand why early European settlers brought seeds of this attractive plant with them.

A biennial habit and a stout tap root present problems when trying to transplant Dame's Rocket.  These three plants were moved early in the year while they were still small.  Their color is unknown but we would like to see purple and perhaps a single white.  If these plants please us and if we cut them back after they flower, a second year of flowers might happen.  Cutting the immature seeds heads is prudent in one wishes to avoid weeding out many deeply rooted seedlings.

This area is our spearmint patch.  Three clove currants were also planted here.  Since the roots of the clove currants run deep and mint's roots hold the upper ground, we planted them together.  A couple of Dame's Rocket transplants were thrown in for good measure.  They dropped a carpet of seed so we will be weeding here.  Five minutes of timely pruning would have saved us much difficult weeding.

The low meadow in the back has been given over to goldenrod and milkweed.  Our considerate neighbors have two horses and little land that is suitable for grazing.  Last season some mowing was done here to discourage the weeds and favor the grass.  The first step in the process is to slowly drive my truck across the area searching out mower killing rocks and leg breaking woodchuck dens.  Next spring we will mow here with the blades set high.  When the growth is more suitable to the horses taste perhaps they can keep the grass short and the weeds gone.

Becky spotted this wintergreen berry from the truck.  It looks like there were several fruits on a single stem earlier in the year.  Neither of us recall seeing multiple fruits.  That will give us something to look for next year.  When there are more berries, we have been known to eat a few.  We are both  old Teaberry gum fans.  The reddish pink new spring growth is tasty as well, but we do not harvest them unless the patch is well established.

All of our attempts to cultivate wintergreen have failed.  Clearing the briers away from a wild patch made it easy for the deer to graze the plants into oblivion.  I throw light brush over the wintergreen to make it difficult for the deer to eat here.  The neighbor's dogs also help to protect these plants.  The wisest course of action would be to enjoy wintergreen as a naturally wild plant.