Wednesday, April 30, 2008

April's End!

The pink Dogwood cornus florida. On my 'life's wish list' of trees I want. I even have the spot for it. Alas and alack...the budget will not allow for it this year. Although, there is the economic stimulus money. Hmmm...!

Aren't these trees beautiful? I was driving by and saw them and thought of Carol at May Dreams Garden. She ask if we thought her newly planted Carolina Silverbell, halesic carolina, 'arnold pink' would clash with her redbud tree. It seems she planted the Carolina closer to the redbud than she had planned. These two, while different species, are close to hers in colors. I think they look grand together.



Monday evening, I raided my towels and sheets to cover some annuals(my seedlings) in case of frost. I knew that if I didn't cover them we would have a good frost. Fortunately, we did not! I have a feeling people driving by thought I had lost my laundry off the clothes line. We do some odd things to protect our gardens.







On Monday, I said the lilacs seemed to be on hold. They still are. I guess they are waiting for the weather to warm, also. They do have the lilac scent, though.




Mrs. Dove is sitting patiently, and steadily I am sure. She has to-to protect her eggs from the cold! Soon she will be surrounded by wisteria in bloom. I could see a bud or two just starting to open, but did not want to get close enough for a picture. I was afraid she would fly away and the eggs would chill. Maybe tomorrow when it warms up I can get a quick shot.




I decided to check out my mother-in-law's gardens. Although she has not done much for years, she still has some pretty spots and several nice plants. Her peach trees are in full bloom. She has 4 or 5 that are getting very old. They still show pretty but have few decent peaches.





She has violets growing everywhere. Especially around the edges of what used to be the vegetable garden and under the peach trees.





Lily of the Valley is growing and even has tiny buds. I have tried numerous times to get a start of these. I've taken whole shovels full of dirt and roots. They will not grow for me! So I enjoy them at her house, pacifying my wants by picking some for a mini bouquet.





Her poppies are budding! I enjoy these almost as much as the flower. Their fuzzy silver pods nodding in the breeze are comical to watch. I have tried, unsuccessfully, to transplant these too.




Growing in the poppy bed at the front of her house, right next to the brick foundation is this. I don't have a clue. They look like trees, but notice the really crooked stems. Any ideas? Something unusual, or do we need to cut them down as an undesirable?




In my next post, I will show and tell about the day of plant shopping Prairie Rose and I had today. What fun!

9 comments:

Lavender and Vanilla Friends of the Gardens said...

Beckie, what a delightful post and keen observations.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Hi Beckie, I guess I can thank you for putting your laundry over your plants since it kept the frost away. Ha..

I don't know what the twisted trees are. Too close to the foundation though. Unless it is a tree peony.

Love the poppies. I have "one" that T gave me last year. It seems to have taken. It doesn't have buds yet though. Here is hoping. I have also planted some seeds that Kylee sent to me. There is hope.

Rose said...

Your lilacs are beautiful and look much further along than mine.
I hate to tell you, but I think the crooked shoots coming up next to the foundation are what we call "tree of heaven." I don't know much about it other than it is an undesirable. We had those, too, and if you don't cut them soon, they are very hard to dig out. But you might want to check with someone else as well, in case I'm wrong.

beckie said...

Titania, thank you and thanks for visiting.

Lisa, it worked! Hopefully we are past that now. The poppies Cheryl, sent me are growing in their seed pots, but are still to small to put out. Am anxious to see if they bloom. Good luck with yours.

Nancy, yes, most everything looks good. Did lose several roses but have already started replacing them. Roses are a pain, but I do sooo enjoy them.

Rose, I think they are different varieties. Wouldn't we like to have some like we saw yesterday! I checked out the tree on line (isn't it amazing what you can find!) and think you are right. Kurt asked me about them. Will have to tell him to get busy as they are very invasive. Thanks.

Mr. McGregor's Daughter said...

Lucky you to escape the frost. We had not one, but two nights below freezing. I can't believe my procrastination in planting has actually paid off for once.

Cheryl said...

Lily of the Valley...strange plant for replanting. I like you tried unsuccessfully for years. One day a friend brought some for me, when she left I thought they won't take so threw them on the compost heap. Yes you've guessed it they shot away. I carefully removed them and now have a lovely group.
Gardening is a strange thing.
I find with poppies the meaner you treat them the better they grow.
Love your little dove sitting on the nest, how sweet. And you have wisteria buds, so jealous after losing mine in the frost.
Love the laundry on the annuals, you make me laugh Beckie.

Robin's Nesting Place said...

I love pink dogwoods; I planted one but mine didn't survive.

I put out blankets and sheets over my plants too.

beckie said...

MMD, you Were the smart one. Actually, I only had a part of the annual seedlings I had started, a couple of new roses and 4 or 5 new day lilies. So it wasn't too bad. Now maybe we can get serious about planting!

Cheryl, isn't that the way? you throw something away and it grows. Like all the little tree seedlings I have in my flower beds. I can pull, strip leaves and cut off at the ground and a lot of times, they come back. If you coddled a baby tree it would die! When the wisteria blooms I will share at least the pictures with you. Kiss that granddaughter, she's a doll!

Robin, are they temperamental? Well, even if they are, I think they are gorgeous. The lengths we go to in protecting our plants!

Anonymous said...

I love that little dove in the garden. How special!
Nice photos too, i like the lilac. I must post a pix of mine . . . it is her first year to bloom.