Three New Things for the Yard

Mockorange....Philadelphus "Minnesota Snowflake" Redbud... Cercis canandensis

Hibiscus syriacus...Red Althea

I have wanted more blooming shrubs in the woods. I already planted a Crabapple, Redbud, Lilac, Korean Spice Viburnum, and various vines and plants. Every fall I scatter more wildflower seeds.I really enjoy seeing the woods in bloom from the house and now I'm paying attention to colors that show up from a long distance. Keeping this in mind, I went shopping. I bought these three varieties. I already have a Redbud, but since it is my favorite tree...I wanted to put one on the opposite side of the woods. My little tree is just about to open. I had a Red Althea years ago. We called it a Rose of Sharon. Big hollyhock type flowers.. tissue paper thin...so pretty. I remember a Mock Orange, when I was growing up in Sunset Park. It was outside our window and filled the house with it's perfume. I think that we sometimes plant things that we remember from our past. I know that I do.

Our Azalea is full of plump buds right now. It is a pinky red color and is planted close to the house. A couple of years ago we noticed that it was heaving out of the ground. It had never really amounted to much, but we wanted to give it a second chance. Joe replanted it...setting it in deeper and that made all the difference in the world. It has really taken off. Hopefully the cold night ahead won't harm this beauty. I just went out and covered it. It's the only plant in our yard that I covered, but every year it gets hit with frost and is spoiled. I think that we should pay attention to our changing weather, when we buy shrubs for our yards. I used to say that I wanted nothing fussy in my yard...nothing that would need special care. Since growing older...I have changed. I have more time to fuss with plants and really don't mind the extra attention some of them require. Roses in particular. I would love a garden full of Roses...they always catch my eye. In the house....Orchids, I just have to study them to find out how to treat them. I hope to get these new shrubs in the ground tomorrow. The spring rains will keep them watered. Next year...we may have something new to watch.

Balisha

I Planted a Seed

Years ago, when I lived in another town...my neighbor in the house just behind mine, was a gardening friend. I have written about her before, but never told this. Her parents were life long residents of this town. They were in their 90's when I befriended their daughter. Their street was so pretty at this time of year...there were redbuds in many of the yards. I mentioned how much I liked them.. and they told me that they brought all the redbuds in our town home from So. Illinois and distributed them to friends and family. They were just crooked little sticks at the time. They told me that every tree in town had come from that trip to So. Illinois. My neighbors had several on their property and each year they would get seed pods on them. I took one and planted it in a pot. That little pot was tended to and nurtured lovingly. It finally started growing and I transplanted it in the garden, where it wouldn't get run over by a lawnmower. Later, when I moved, it was finally starting to look like a tree. I hoped the new owners would enjoy my little tree. How could they not? Well, a couple of years ago, I bought a little pot with a crooked tree in it. It sat at the garden center just waiting for me....no one else wanted it. It was the end of the season and I had seen it there many times before. It was a small redbud ...price marked way down. I planted it in the wooded area...so it wouldn't get run over by the lawnmower.The above picture doesn't do it justice. It is a spot of pink in my back wooded area. I love the heart shaped leaves that come after the tree blooms. It's small, and that is the reason I bought it...it reminded me of the little seed that I planted years ago.
Balisha