Blues and purples are the colors of fall in my garden with an occasional splash of red. Mostly, it's the salvias putting on a show. I do have a few mums that bloom each year, but I like to focus on those plants that bloom in fall that are a little less common. This October, we have seen temperatures fluctuate from the mid-80's in the day to one night that flirted with freezing temperatures. Fall is always a mix of weather here in Mississippi - … [Read more...]
The Delicate, But Aggressive, Cypress Vine
When my cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit) is blooming, it is covered in tiny, star-shaped, brilliantly red flowers. Although they are tiny, the flowers really stand out against the light green of the leaves and vine. My favorite part about the cypress vine is its dainty, feather-like leaves. The leaves look so fragile and fairy-like that, even when it isn’t blooming, this vine puts on a little show. But don’t be fooled by the delicate … [Read more...]
Obedient Plant – Physostegia virginiana
Deer-resistant AND it can grow in clay soil - what's not to love about obedient plants? Native plants are favorites of mine because they are particularly suited for the local conditions (soil, heat, drought or rain, clay soil) of my area. When I find those native plants with particularly pretty flowers, I add them to my hodgepodge of a garden. This particular plant was a bonus because it is native to Mississippi, it has lots of lovely pale … [Read more...]
August 2017 – Favorite Photos from My Garden
It's already mid-September and I realized I had not posted my favorite photos from this month. August is always incredibly hot and my garden starts to wane, but there are always a few plants that continue to shine in spite of the heat. This month, its the time for the native plants really to really shine. They can take the heat, because they are made for it. Also, the zinnias continued to produce lots of colorful blooms even as their leaves … [Read more...]
A Spot of Yellow: Native Partridge Pea Butterfly Host Plant
Yesterday morning, I was driving to an appointment and I happened to glance at the side of the road, only to see a flash of bright yellow color. It made me look twice – it was a patch of partridge pea! This is the time of the year that you’ll see the bright yellow flowers of partridge pea blooming along the side of the road or along streams and ditches. They will continue to flower from late summer to early fall. Food for Wildlife and Plants … [Read more...]
July 2017 – Favorite Photos From My Garden
July has been busy! It seemed to go by in the blink of an eye. Well, maybe that's just what happens as I'm getting older. Now that July is over, the start of the school season is just around the corner. It also marks the end of the growing season as the heat of August starts to take over. While I'm still collecting lots of sungold tomatoes, it won't be too long before the deer come to feed on my plants and finish them off. I've collected my … [Read more...]
Great Color Combinations for Sweet Potato Vine
One of the easiest plants to grow is sweet potato vine. Once it is established, it really is a plant it and forget it kind of plant. My favorite! Sweet potato vines make great companion plants in containers and raised beds. Match them with either a contrasting or complementary color for a great combination. Here are a few of my favorite plant combinations for sweet potato vines. Contrasting Colors My absolute favorite color combination is … [Read more...]
Lyreleaf Sage – Mississippi Wildflower
Spring comes early in Mississippi. While my friends who live in states to the north continue to fight through snow and ice, I start to see the fresh green of new plant growth emerge from my lawn in mid to late-March. The early arrival of spring weather is one of my favorite things about living in Mississippi – the early respite from the cold, gray skies of winter. With the warming of the air, the wildflowers start to get a jump on their … [Read more...]
Two in a Canoe – Spotting the Flowers on the Water
Every third weekend in the spring and summer my local wildlife refuge holds a free canoe day. They bring the canoes and you bring the paddlers. On an overcast Saturday this weekend, my friend Megan and I decided to give it a go. We packed the sunscreen, the bug spray, hats, our cameras, and some water and headed out to the boat ramp. We were running a little late that morning but we drove up just in time to claim the next to the last canoe. … [Read more...]
Buttonbush for Wet Soils and Cool Blooms!
Nature produces some interesting shapes and this is very true for the flower of the buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis). Common buttonbush (or buttonwillow) produces these crazy looking little spiky ball-like blooms of compound florets. They’re pretty cool, actually, and both bees and butterflies agree. I caught this skipper butterfly feeding on a buttonbush flower while hiking in Choctaw Lake Recreation Area in the Tombigbee National … [Read more...]
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