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 Forest … [Read more...]
June 2017 Flowers From My Garden
The weather this late spring and first days of summer have been hot, wet, and sometimes in between. It may be a little hard on us humans, but my garden seems to be enjoying it well enough. June is the month for Asiatic lilies, hibiscus, zinnias, and echinacea. These flowers have been blooming their little hearts out. These are some of my favorite photos I took during the month of June 2017 from my garden. I hope you like them! Click on an … [Read more...]
How to Keep Your Gladiolus Flowers From Falling Over
The gladiola flowers have been putting on quite a show this year. Pink, white, red, greenish-yellow, and purple gladiolus have graced my garden. I really like gladiolas but whenever there is a heavy rain or higher-than-usual winds, the glads dip over or break off. This content includes affiliate links. I get a small percentage of the sale for purchases made through links in this post. However, I use each product I review and only recommend those … [Read more...]
To Find a Windflower
Although I've lived in Mississippi for a long time off and on, there are many of our state's wildflowers that I still haven't seen. There are so many beautiful surprises in the woods, lawns, and roadsides of Mississippi. We just have to look for them. As I was walking through a nearby neighborhood in March, I stumbled across a patch of small white flowers in the yard of one of the houses. This was a new discovery for me and I went online to my … [Read more...]
Wildflowers in Michigan
I love traveling to different places and getting to see the wildflowers and botanical gardens there. It's especially fun when the native plants are different than the ones that grow in Mississippi. It's fun to see how many I already know and then try to identify the new ones. Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary On a recent trip to Michigan, we walked the Loda Lake Wildflower Sanctuary Trail. The Michigan Garden Clubs provided an excellent map that … [Read more...]
May 2017 Photos From My Garden
The early spring flowers have come and gone and now we're into warmer temperatures and lots of rain! Things in my garden have been growing quickly and starting to put on quite a show. These are some of my favorite photos I took during the month of May 2017 from my garden. Hope you enjoy them! You can click on an image below to see a larger size photo. … [Read more...]
The Flower That Thinks It’s a Balloon
Right when the balloon flower, Platycodon grandiflorus, is about to bloom, it does its best impression of a balloon. It's so good at it, I have to work really hard to keep myself from trying to squeeze it and make it pop! In addition to having a really fun bud stage, this is a hard-working perennial. I love a plant that you can put in the ground and forget about it. This one has been ignored in my garden for a few years now and each year, it … [Read more...]
The Showstopping Daylily
As I go about my daily routine each morning, I usually have a few minutes to check out my garden before I head to the office. One of my favorite spots in my yard is the 3 feet of ground surrounding my mailbox. The soil here is terrible and I didn't do anything to amend it, but I insisted on putting some plants here so that I wouldn't have to weed-eat around the mailbox pole. The soil is largely clay, so not much will grow in this spot without … [Read more...]
How to Grow Succulents from A Leaf
If you have a favorite succulent plant and you want more (I mean, who doesn’t?), you’re in luck! It’s simple to grow a new succulent plant from a leaf and it’s really fun to watch the baby succulent plant grow. How to Pick a Leaf You don’t want to cut the leaf off of the plant - just gently tug at the leaf until it comes unattached from the stem. Ideally, you’d like an entire leaf – one that is not broken or cut in any way. Generally, this is … [Read more...]
Prairie Blue-eyed Grass
It's early April, but I've already started mowing the grass. The backyard just got a little too unruly and I have already gotten my first tick of the season. This is always a sign that it's time to mow. I try to never walk through grass that is higher than my ankle just for that reason. Now, the front yard I try to keep looking really nice and well kept so the neighbors don't get too upset about my 'wild' gardening style, but the backyard I … [Read more...]
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