Tuesday, May 17, 2016

Plethora of Pictures

Early May is truly wonderful in Minnesota--few bugs, low humidity, and lots of interesting things in the garden. Yet May also seems to be the busiest month in my life. I've been behind on the blog, so here are some photos to catch up. 

I planted Fritallaria bulbs years ago...and this may be the second time blooming. I suspect it's because the area was too shady, but I cleaned the garden up a bit. That tiny line is not a photograph flaw--it's a piece of my hair. I use hair to deter squirrels and deer from gnawing at the flowers.

Cheery cherry blossoms

And apples

Blooms completely covered the apple trees, perhaps because we had a milder winter. But we had some cold temperatures a few days ago, so I'm not sure if we'll get many apples. It's hard to photograph, but I stepped into a fantastical fairy world of delicate white flowers and buzzing bees as I stood under the tree. 

When the blossoms fell, the ground look like it was covered in snow. That silly thing hanging from the branch of the tree is smelly soap to deter deer, attached in March. I'm claiming my garden as human territory. 

We cleared out some brush, and now wild strawberries are taking over. 

The wild flowers are blooming, like these downy yellow violets...

and  early meadow rue. (This isn't a complete list of what's in our woods..maybe some other time,)

And, of course, I end this post with one of my favorites, lilacs! I'm such a nerd, inhaling deeply whenever I pass them. I hope that wherever life takes me I'll be able to see lilacs in the spring. 

Wednesday, April 20, 2016

April Flowers

Ah Minnesota, where it can be snowy one day and flirting with 80F a few days later. My April flowers are the usual suspects. For those who attended my gardening presentations recently, I was worried about my crocuses because of all the mouse and vole activity. I do have two clumps of crocuses left--one yellow and one purple. I'm thinking about planting more spring-flowering bulbs this fall. Here's squill
 and yellow crocuses
and purple crocuses
and daffodils
Our kitty likes to sit with me on the porch in the sun. Or maybe I should say that cat allows me to share his porch.
I love this photo of pasque flower. The camera almost ate the pollen.
This lilac tree is not ready to bloom yet, but the moss is thriving on these cool, damp days. The tangle of branches must be home for ancient woodland spirits.

Saturday, April 9, 2016

I'm likin' lichen

This rotting tree stump is home to both moss and lichen. The lichen in the photo is common, but it's pretty fun to see the bright color when most things are the same shade of dull (except for the squill/ Scilla, which are looking pretty good and have popped up in new places again this year). This particular lichen is Cladonia cristatella, or British soldiers, due to the red "caps." 

Friday, March 11, 2016

Kew Gardens Woodland Garden


The Woodland Garden reminded me of home.
I've seen this type of Lady Slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense) and others not far from my Minnesota house. Our backyard gems are important enough to be a star in the Royal Gardens.

This section definitely has the look and feel of Minnesota. What a nice surprise. Kew gardeners, you are welcome to visit my woods for inspiration. Just bring plenty of bug spray! 

Thursday, March 10, 2016

Upcoming Presentations

Got spring fever? I'm giving two free gardening presentations here in Minnesota. The first is Saturday, March 19 at 10 am at Eagle Bend Library. The second is Sunday, March 20, at 1 pm at Staples Library. Hope to see you there!

Friday, March 4, 2016

Kew Gardens Temple of Aeolus

As I'm walking up the path to the Temple, I see a great opportunity for a view.  What I didn't expect to see is a couple snogging.
Feeling like the third wheel I was, I snapped one shot and moved on. 
The view was of the plant family beds. The entrance is pretty grand for an out-of-the-way spot.
Blooming in this area in June were buttercups and poppies. Lovely!

Friday, February 26, 2016

Kew Gardens Princess of Wales Conservatory

An entire room devoted to orchids! Other people walking through this room probably thought I was weird because I couldn't hide my delight. I pretended to fiddle with my camera so I could spend some time being surrounded by these lovely flowers. This is the Princess of Wales Conservatory.
As an American, I thought it was named for Diana, but really this greenhouse was sponsored by Diana in remembrance of a different princess, Augusta, who began Kew Gardens 250 years ago.

An entire room is devoted to cacti, and I couldn't help taking a picture of cacao (that brown bean on the tree) in another area. There are ten different zones.
Excuse my fan girl moment--An entire room devoted to blooming orchids!