More native things blooming in a Tennessee yard

Those are good links, thanks for sharing.

That's funny too... I was just saying that to a fellow DG member today. I used to know something but then I
Forgot and I have to learn it all over again. :)

What perfect weather we are having! I wish I had more time for the garden. C., do you have culvers root to spare/ trade? I'll trade my cat's left eye tooth. Just something else I haven't had time or luck enough to start from seed. Ha.Ha.

xox

I only have Culver's Root seeds (did I send you some of those?) but don't have plants at the moment. So many things to plant and so little time. :)

Soon as this week is over I will start starting plants again from seed. Guess I could expect flowers next year. Yes, you sent the seed. :)

I will also catch up on my trades. I have started to collect Mayberry saplings for you. I wonder if a rooted cutting would bear fruit faster. The larger saplings are harder to dig. ;)

A rooted cutting or two of the mayberry would be fine. Please don't wrestle with digging.

After talking on your thread about ground ivy, I thought I'd post this from Wikipedia.

"Glechoma is quite attractive. It is grown as a potted plant and occasionally as a ground cover. Easily cultivated, it grows well in shaded places. A variegated variety is commercially available; in many areas this is the dominant form which has escaped cultivation and become established as an aggressive, adventitious ground cover.

While often thought of as a weed because of its propensity for spreading, Glechoma has culinary and medicinal uses which were the cause of its being imported to America by early European settlers. The fresh herb can be rinsed and steeped in hot water to create an herbal tea which is rich in vitamin C. It has a distinctive, mildly peppery flavor; it can be cooked as a pot herb, although it is most commonly eaten as a fresh salad green.[6]

Glechoma was also widely used by the Saxons in brewing beer as flavoring, clarification, and preservative, before the introduction of hops for these purposes; thus the brewing-related names, Alehoof, Tunhoof, and Gill-over-the-ground.

Glechoma has been used in the cheese-making process as a substitute for animal rennet."


This photo shows another invasive - japanese honeysuckle (in bloom) growing up a telephone pole in the neighbor's yard. It is pretty in full bloom and I certainly hope the hummingbirds are enjoying it, although we haven't had any hummers around thus far this year.

Tennessee native grasses:

http://www.tn.gov/environment/tn_consv/archive/grass.htm

Nice link! Did I tell you about our plans to move to Montana so I can work on prairie restoration and the reintroduction of bison and elk in the great plains? :D

That sounds like it might be right up your alley.

Here is our native grape (Southern Fox Grape) trying to take over the stair railing. The former owner planted it there or it planted itself. It's very aggressive.

... Trumpet honeysuckle and Tennessee coneflower

This message was edited May 30, 2013 7:27 AM

My TN overflowed did not come back last year, by I did collect seed the year before. That's another of those garden chores on my list of things to do. I'm pretty sure the single E. paradoxa that survived from seed last year and planted in the "back 40" in the fall is .among a comeback. It was so small when I put it out there I wasn't sure it would come back.

Do you have it? So many images but often none of just the foliage to ID. I'd say the leaves are pubescent and have a red margin along the entire edge. Don't have a picture handy, but the veins may also be reddish. The permanent marker on the plant tag I made is gone so I'm not sure if the plant is what I think it is.

I think you mean TN coneflower, right? I have seeds of E. paradoxa (or maybe E. pallida I'm thinking of - probably both) but I haven't planted them. I'm not sure about the red leaf margins. Might be something else? I gave up on the hybrid coneflowers since only my yellow one (E. 'Sunrise') came back more than once with any vigor. 'Tomato Soup' I tried three times. It wasn't nearly as pretty as the altered photos in the catalogs showed anyway. But with the exception of E. tennesseensis, the cones are in a bed that is very crowded now and some of the more aggressive things need thinning. It's been kinda' hot - up around 90 a few days so I've been inside in the AC except for a couple of hours in the mornings. It's slowing me down. Sure hope we get a shower or two this weekend.

"Top Ten" Native Hummingbird Plants

#1: Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans
#2: Beebalm or Oswego Tea, Monarda didyma
#3: Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
#4: Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
#5: Spotted Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis
#6: Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadense
#7: Canada Lily, Lilium canadense
#8: Indian Pink, Spigelia marilandica
#9: Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia
#10: Mountain Rosebay or Catawba Rhododendron, Rhododendron catawbiense

(don't remember the source)

I've heard good things about this vine.

It's a great plant for the Monarch butterflies and good addition to my Monarch Waystation. I'm hoping to collect seed pods this year - I understand it releases its seeds in the winter.

Some nice photos of the vine here: http://tenn.bio.utk.edu/vascular/database/vascular-database.asp?CategoryID=Dicots&FamilyID=Asclepiadaceae&GenusID=Matelea&SpeciesID=gonocarpos

I've had Monarchs on my A. currasavica but I'm not sure if that one is coming back. The Asclepias syriacus is coming on strong in the area near where they were so that should make the Monarchs happy as well. :)

Carole have have
You had monarchs already?

No, I should have noted that is an older photo. Sorry.

The milkweeds are popping everywhere. Asclepias syriaca ... butterflies were all over them yesterday. Baptisias are forming seed pods and the agastaches are coming on strong.

Having trouble uploading for some reason. Trying again ...

Nice pictures Cville.

My common milkweed is starting to bloom, and most is 5-6 feet tall with all the rain we've had. Bugs go nuts over the flowers and they smell sweet. Too bad its such a horrible thug and (for me) it yellows and drops leaves after blooming. THen new shoots from the ground are the ones the monarchs seem to like. I very rarely will find monarch cats here before late summer.

Thanks, Sally. The Monarchs usually arrive here in late June or early July. I also have had A. currasavica out there but I'm not sure it has come back this year. Circumstances forced me to miss almost the entire gardening season last year so I was dependent on what perennials came up or what had self-sowed from the previous year. Some of the more aggressive things like the common milkweed have crowded some of the other plants. Neither the butterflies nor the hummingbirds have been as abundant so far this year. I'm hoping for a better showing later on. 8-/

Darn- you could pull stems when the flowers are done- but for worries over dislodging baby monarchs...

You're right about that. Decisions, decisions ...

Vaccinium (Bush blueberry), okay technically not in the yard but in a pot in the yard
'Fireworks" Goldenrod
Tennessee Coneflower
Orange jewelweed (Impatiens capensis)
Crinum lily

All good stuff. Your 'fireworks' blooming early? Or is mine late?

Maybe a little of both. Some things here are early this year and some are late. It's weird.

Callicarpa americana (Beautyberry), tall Phlox and Agastache, Matelea gonocarpos, Echinacea tennesseensis

Boy,

You ladies have been busy! I've been away from DG for a bit with vacation and nasty rain around here I have a mountain of chores to get done in the yard.

I'm thinking I'm gonna start some seeds to put out this fall and see if I get lucky. I have a bunch of stuff that have been coming back that are annuals I may be tricking myself into believing I'll be ok trying this. I had a redbud that broke off at the ground I feared it would be a goner but it coming back and has put on about 6 inches of branched loveliness. Service berry and beauty berry are both showing signs of fruit along with my dogwoods.

We've had one clutch of chickadees so far and I'm currently watching two males and one female tend the bluebird nest we have with three eggs in it. First time for them in 4 years I've had the box up so I must finally be offering the wildlife something to keep them around and feel safe here.

Hi Mike. Hope you had a great vacation. You should definitely try the seeds. I bet you'll have more success with them than you think.

Great that you have had baby chickadees ... and maybe bluebirds as well! I'll bet your children love that. What a great learning experience for them. I'll post my sad bird story tomorrow. :(


This message was edited Jul 29, 2013 2:35 AM

A raccoon took down the bird house and most likely ate the fledgling birds. :(...
Pic #1 is a homage to the mama bird. She worked hard filling that house with spruce needles.

But on a brighter note, the TN Coneflower is spreading nicely and the bees are all over the Agastaches. Happy bees, happy gardens.

Sorry about the bird house. I hate when that happens, but remind myself of the circle of life. Blah blah blah.

I found a robin fledge last night in the road in the dark with a cat on top of it. Needless to say, he is being cared for now. Not sure yet how the wing is. A lady friend who does raptors is going to come over later and take a look/see.

A.

If I could have gotten my hands on that dumb raccoon I just might have taught him a thing or two about the circle of life. Probably not, though, I'm too much of a softie. Just tugs at your heartstrings listening to mama bird calling and calling for her babies for two or three days straight. I think she's finally moved on to something else. Thankfully.

I hope your little birdie's wing can be fixed. He's in deluxe accommodations for sure, but looking longingly out the window. Born free ...

Well I suppose I could have just driven past the circle of life myself last night with the cat having a time with the fledge, but if a cat is interested it in in the middle of the road in the dark, then I must be interested in it too. Shoo cat, shoo!

Yes, I'm glad your momma bird has moved on. They are resillient creatures, thankfully.

Monarda 'Jacob Cline'
Echinacea
Gaillardia 'Moxie'
forgot what the last one is but it came from deejay

Pretty!

Is the last one helenium?

Or leopard's bane?

I think it's on my want list somewhere. :)

I don't think the last one is helenium but not sure. I used to know what it was but you know how that goes! It came from deejay in a swap and was not labeled.

My Bottlebrush Buckeye (Aesculus parviflora) has not bloomed yet but it has taken a real spurt of growth and is looking good this year.

Asters in bloom and Crinum lily has a bud and will bloom soon. It's my first bloom from that plant so I'm eagerly looking forward to seeing it. That one is either 'Red and White" or Crinum x digweedii.

Tennessee Coneflower and a non-native Russian Sage 'Filigran'.

New Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'.

Sea Oats (Chasmanthium latifolium)

lots of pretty stuff!
Those sea oats can self sow like crazy.

Thanks, Sally. I have some room for them to self sow but I do try to cut off the seed heads (if I think of it). I wish they could out-compete the common Bermuda grass. Hate that stuff. Talk about an invasive.

Oh, I need to get out there and take more pictures! Just don't have the time.

You could hAve been out there at 4 a.m., but nooooo.

The daisies are bountiful now here as are the coneflower. Is that a stokes aster in the this pic behind the main attraction?