O is for the Ostrich Fern

ABC Wednesday

Ostrich Fern

Matteuccia struthiopteris



Ode to the Ostrich Fern


How stately does the Ostrich Fern
Rise above the bower

Unfurling greenness in the glade,
Besides her last-year's flower.

Exuding elegance she does rise -
And above all else she towers,

I'd love to join her in the shade,
and while away the hour.


---by yours truly,
SG



Would you like to read more about this fern?
You can find information through Wikipedia by clicking on this sentence.




To see who has posted this week's ABC Wednesday Post,
visit Mrs. Nesbitt by clicking the logo below. Read and enjoy her post.
Then look for this same logo on her site to see who else has joined the meme today!

Green Thumb Sunday - April 25, 2010

Epimedium

'Lilofee'
planted last Spring (2009)

Tiarella

'Neon Lights' (in front of Heart Leaf Brunnera, ferns, emerging hosta, etc.)

'Iron Butterfly'

'Iron Butterfly'

'Pink Skyrocket'

(My favorite) 'Heronswood Mist'


Back of the four-leafed, four-petaled
Trillium!
(click here for last year's post)

Have a Wonderful Day!
It's just such a lush Spring - I can hardly contain myself! :-)
Hope you're enjoying the same.

"Memory Tree"

Click on the photos for enlargement!

Each time I glance through the window,

What a sight from the kitchen I see!
'Sargentii' exuding full blossom,
and memories beckon to me.

'Sargentii' "belongs" to my sister.
In her honor I planted this tree.
It's a tribute because we have missed her.
Her life's caught in our memory.

Can you think of anything sweeter?
Could celebration of life better be?
Than to cherish and care for a loved one
by planting a "Memory Tree?"

by Yours Truly with love to my family


*** 'Sargentii' is really Malas 'Sargentii', aka Sargent Flowering Crabapple.

Yes, I realize today is Arbor Day. It's a day I have celebrated each year in a variety of ways.

Many years ago, the Arbor Day Foundation sent (absolutely free of charge) second grade teachers a complete curriculum guide and supplies for preparing for and learning about Arbor Day. One could pick and choose activities that could take up to two weeks or so in learning about trees (I placed it in plant study). One activity of major interest was scarifying seeds, germinating them, and planting them. After 3 - 4 weeks on the classroom windowsill, they were ready to take home as mini-seedless, thornless honey locust trees. The children were so proud!


If you would like to visit the Arbor Day Foundation, click this link to their website. Find out their interests and promotions this year!

In the meantime, if you hadn't thought of it before,
place the idea of planting a "Memory Tree" in your memory bank.
You'll be glad you did.

Have a beautiful day!
SG

N is for Nepata

ABC Wednesday

taken April 30, 2008

Taken June 8, 2008

taken June 11, 2009

taken July 7, 2008

taken September 8, 2008

Click on the logo below to visit Mrs. Nesbitt's site. Enjoy her post of the week, and click on this same logo to see who else is participating! You could participate, too! :-)

Green Thumb Sunday - April 19, 2010

Look who's blooming today!!

Happy Green Thumb Sunday!
This is a fun meme to attempt each Sunday. You can visit Feverish Thoughts to join, too.

Have a great day! :-)

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day

Visit Carol at May Dreams Gardens
to view her beautiful post and see who else is participating today!

But for now, take another walk around my yard. You'll see things I've not shown before.
My gardens are becoming full to overflowing! :-)

wild ginger Asarum canadensis --- the plants

and the blossoms

A Spring Song

Old Mother Earth woke up from her sleep,
And found she was cold and bare;
The winter was over, the spring was near,
And she had not a dress to wear.
"Alas," she sighed, with great dismay,
"Oh, where shall I get my clothes?"
There's not a place to buy a suit,
And a dressmaker no one knows."

"I'll make you a dress," said the springing grass,
Just looking above the ground,


"A dress of green of the loveliest sheen,
To cover you all around."

"And we," said the dandelions gay,
"Will dot it with yellow bright."


"I'll make a fringe," said forget-me-not,
"Of blue, very soft and light."

pulmonaria 'Diana Clare'

L to R: Dicentra 'Gold Heart,' Pulmonaria 'Milky Way,' and Virginia Bluebells

"We'll embroider the front," said the violets,
"With a lovely purple hue!"

Dianthus 'Fire Watch'

"And we," said the roses, "will make you a crown
Of red, jeweled over the dew."

Redbud tree

Barbie's tree - Malus 'Sargentii' aka Sargent Flowering Crabapple

'Mohawk' Viburnum burkwoodii

"And we'll be your gems," said a voice from the shade,

tiarella 'Iron Butterfly'

Where the ladies' eardrops live ---
"Orange is the color for any queen
And the best we have to give."

looking back towards the raised beds...

Old Mother Earth was thankful and glad,
As she put on her dress so gay;

Bergenia

Primula - Chinese Primrose - 'Primadiente Rose'

And that is the reason, my little ones,
She is looking so lovely today.

tulip 'Shirley' (I think)
unnamed double daffodils

---author unknown

Happy Spring and Happy Garden Blogger's Bloom Day for April 2010! :-)

Seed Grow Project

My last post, dated March 3, 2010, described this project. I included photos of the project seeds, as well as the free cosmos seeds (a bonus!). :-) You might want to click the link to find the post.

We are in SE Iowa - traditionally zone 4, but now considered to be zone 5a. I continue to be leery about planting anything tender prior to May 1, but I will probably be planting the remaining Nasturtium 'Spitfire' seeds, as well as the Double Cosmos 'Rose Bon Bon' seeds by the end of April.

For now, check out the seeds that I began recently indoors. I created my own pots from rolled and folded newspaper. What do you think? Looks promising to me!! :-)

today... 4 out of 8

I almost forgot to mention that these eight seeds were germinated between wet pieces of paper towel, placed in a ziplocked plastic bag and in a dark kitchen cupboard for two days and nights before being planted in the little pot-lets you see here. ;-)

For you readers, click on the links to visit both the other Grow project participants and the website for Renee's Garden.



"I'm growing Nasturtium "Spitfire" for the GROW project. Thanks, to Renee's Garden for the seeds."

ABC Wednesday - M for Muscari

ABC Wednesday: Click on the logo above to visit Mrs. Nesbitt's site.
You'll enjoy the post-of-the-week there. Then look for the same logo on her site to see who else is participating! :-)

Muscari are hardy little bulbs, growing and naturalizing generally in zones 3 - 9. They should be planted around 3" deep in rockgardens, beds, borders, under shrubs, and trees, and can be used for indoor forcing. There are a number of varieties available for purchase (and/or trade!). Just provide a little sunlight and drainage.

Muscari are also very sweet in the slow-growing grassy areas of your yard. This gives the blossoms time to fade before you have to mow the lawn.

I have four varieties that are (or have just been) blooming. Enjoy!

Muscari armeniacum (commonly called Grape Hyacinth)
They grow anywhere from 3 - 8" tall.

Azure Grape Hyacinth - Muscari azureum
I'm sorry that these are on their way out. They are beautifully frilly and grow to 5" tall.

Muscari 'Pink Sunrise' (Pink Grape hyacinth)
It's growing a little taller, about 6 - 7" tall, this year (second-year bulbs).

Muscari ' Valerie Finnis' (light blue hyacinth)
These are reported to grow to 7" tall.

M? Mighty Fine... Magnificent!

Nothing "shady" about these little flowers. In fact, they make a person feel absolutely "Melodic!"

:-) Happy Spring!