clay and limestone

Dear Garden Bloggers,

2012-01-30T05:00:00.000-06:00

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday: Bee-Witching Flowers

2012-01-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

I planted them for their fragrance and they brought me pollinators in the middle of winter.

Hamamelis vernalis is a lovely native shrub that blooms when you have just about given up hope that winter will end and warmth will return to the world...Unless, you live in my Middle Tennessee garden and you're wondering where the heck winter has gone!

But, I am not complaining, just saying...I am crazy about these unusual orange/yellow/reddish colored flowers with four crepe paper streaming petals that furl and unfurl with the days temperatures. They smell of spicy vanilla and on warm days perfume the garden. I planted them for the fragrance. When you smell them, you will want them in your garden, too.

It's no accident that most winter blooming plants have some fragrance...Nature had to insure that insect pollinators could easily find their way to a plant that blooms when most of the garden is fast asleep. I've seen honeybees in the garden but, have only seen small gnats and flies visiting my beautiful fragrant flowers!

If you want to grow this Central South/Southern native tree just give it a partially shady location with good morning sun, moist acid soil. It tolerates Clay and Limestone, so, I am pretty sure you can have success with it, too. It has great fall color, attracts pollinators, blooms for almost two months and will colonize. Mine is a species but, there are marvelous cultivars if you are so inclined!

I always think of mother when ever I see the vernal witch hazels blooming. They bloom in the winter of life and that is how it was with my mother. She bloomed in the winter of her life. This is what I wrote:

I Planted It For My Mother
The spring she passed away.
For remembrance
For honoring
and because planting a witch hazel was
a funny nod to our complicated and loving relationship.
Hamamelis vernalis blossoms in the winter
When we have just about given up hope
that spring will ever arrive.

On warm days
the crepe paper streamer petals unfurl and
its sweet scent drifts about.

Believe me when I tell you this~
I know that my mother is somewhere laughing
that her remembrance tree is a witch hazel.

I'm smiling thinking about her...and I'll be smiling tomorrow when I walk the garden and see the blooms starting to unfurl in the sun.
xxoogail

Thank you for stopping by and welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Garden Catalog Season Is Here!

2012-01-20T04:30:00.000-06:00

It's that time of the year again.

Porteranthus stipulatus

Catalogs with seductive plant photos promising outstanding blooms and easy care arrive in my mailbox everyday. How's a plant starved gardener able to resist! (I've written about catalogs before go here)

Guidelines! You've got to have guidelines.

The guidelines fit the spirit of this garden and the spirit of this gardener.

Without guidelines, I would be stuffing my cart (online or at the nursery) with plants that might be seductively beautiful, but, not make sense for Clay and Limestone. My guidelines are quite simple; before I place any in the cart I like to make sure:

It has a good chance to survive the difficult conditions at Clay and Limestone?
It's a nectar or pollen source for pollinators?
It's a host plant for pollinators?
It will add to the diversity of my pollinator friendly garden?
It isn't available locally.

Witch hazel with pollinator~Must Be The Season of the Witch

Not all natives make the cut! To make it to the checkout cart they need to be able to survive in my nearly neutral shallow clay soil that's sticky icky wet all winter and dry as concrete all summer.

Hypericum frodosum

Central Basin (Middle Tennessee) natives do. They hardly ever let me down. They are tough, they don't get root rot in our wet winters or burn up in our dry summers.

The Susans never fail to bloom and charm.

I love Central Basin natives. Just look at those Susans!

Of course, guidelines can be amended~I shy away from any plant with "must have moist well draining soil" (Moist Well Draining Soil) or most plants that "need sharp drainage/will not survive in wet clay" (Not The Climate For Xeric) I will make an exception for a few of them.

Lobelia is an exception to the guidelines.
It's a powerhouse pollinator magnet and the late summer color is too wonderful to pass up

Exceptions are saved for plants that are pollinator magnets, like Lobelias, Agastaches and Salvias. They will get extra special treatment to make sure they survive, like a big gulp of water once a week; planted in containers where their special growing requirements are easily met; or planted in soil that's been heavily amended with a product like shale for sharper drainage. Are they ever worth it!

There's one other way a plant makes its way to the cart.

It makes me smile.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

GBBD: Thank Heaven For Hellebores!

2012-01-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

Or, I would be sharing the beautiful blooms that are sitting on my desk with you!

Instead, I have these lovely Helleborus orientalis, Royal Heritage Strain to show you. After my beloved spring ephemeral wildflowers and Hamamelis vernalis, hellebores are the most welcome flowers in my winter garden. Just when I've had all the brown and gray I can take they begin their dramatic blooming.

Demure they aren't.

They are the funniest flowers and if you look closely

A Mona Lisa smile

you can see their smile.

The kind of smile that makes you wonder

It's the kind of smile that makes you wonder what they are up to...

Are those teeth?

It's the kind of smile that says, "feed me Seymour"!

They sure look like teeth?

But, then, I have a vivid imagination. Do you?
xxoogail

PS Now, make this garden blogger smile and pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess, Carol, has set up the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to take you to more Bloom Day posts than you can imagine.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Marvelous Marcescence or Love Those Lingering Leaves

2012-01-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

Ostrya virginiana (American Hophornbeam)

Most deciduous trees lose their leaves in autumn, but Oak (Quercus), Beech (Fagus), Hornbeam (Carpinus), Ostrya (Dancing Tree) and Witch Hazel (Hamamelis) are an exception. They hold their leaves until spring when the new emerging leaves push them off.

come spring newly emerging leaves will push the old leaves off the tree

This holding onto leaves is referred to as marcescence and no one is absolutely sure why some trees hold onto their leaves while others don't. It may be that it deters foraging of young buds and branches by deer (dead leaves are not tasty) or it may aid in protecting the tree from water or temperature stress during the winter.

You might have seen them in a nearby woodland, like these beeches along the trail at Percy Warner Park in Middle Tennessee. I love seeing a 'grove' of them marching down the hillside and fluttering in the winter wind.

Even on the grayest days they create depth in our other wise two dimensional winter woods.

They look especially beautiful back lit on a snowy winter's day.

This morning I noticed this beautiful beech in full marvelous marcesence outside the Radnor Lake visitor center.

Early settlers used the springy beech leaves to stuff their mattresses

The leaves still had streaks of summer green and were dry, yet, springy to the touch. Out of curiosity I tried to tug one of them from the branch; it would not budge. I've noticed this same springy quality to the clinging leaves on my Dancing Tree (seen in first photo) and on several of the witch hazels in my garden.

I love the Dancing Tree's marvelous clinging leaves and American Beech's leaves are so attractive that I will plant one or two in my garden, but, I wish the witch hazel, Hamamelis x intermedia 'Diane' did not hang so stubbornly to her leaves. Only once has 'Diane' dropped her leaves before blooming and that time it took several arctic blasts to freeze dry the leaves right off her. Barring extreme winter weather, there are two choices open to me. I can accept the leaves or I can cut them off! I haven't decided which it shall be. But, if you're driving by this weekend and notice someone up on a ladder, that will be me, cutting away those marvelous marsescent leaves.

Last winter with marscecent leaves still clinging

A girl's gotta do what she's gotta do for beauty!

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

An Almost Perfect Winter Flower

2012-01-06T04:00:00.000-06:00

What do you think?

Verbesina virginica

I never tire of seeing frost flowers 'blooming' on a cold morning. They are nature at her most magical.

I love sharing its flower magic with you. It's a natural process that happens with just a few plants and Verbesinas are one of them~ (Have You Seen The Frost Flower? and Frost Flowers Blooming In The Garden. )

Frostweed magic!

Although, more common on the first frosty mornings of fall, here in my Middle Tennessee Zone 7 garden we have all the right ingredients for frostweed to make its special appearance again and again.

All it takes is a warm winter day followed by a cold winter night. During the warm day, the verbesina's roots draw water up into the stem and later that night freezing temperatures force the sap from the stems where they freeze into sculptural ice candy flower curls. I think it's magical.

White Crownbeard

Whether you see the magic or the science (capillary action) it's wonderful having a plant that can produce ice sculptures over and over.

This is my favorite of all my frost flower photos~December 2009

But, Verbesina's quirky magical winter behavior is just one of the many reasons it's a queen among the rough and tumble flowering natives in my garden. I let it seed about the garden because it's a pollinator magnet.

Bumble Bees love it. Green Metallic bees love it. Giant Carpenter Bees love it. Butterflies love it. In fact, it's an essential late summer nectar food for all visiting pollinators and it's an especially important food for the Monarch Butterfly. White crownbeard has been selected for monitoring by Monarch Watch~You can go here to read about participation in MW.

Right now, I am enjoying the candy curls of ice, but, in the back of my mind are images of summer blooms and happy pollinators. (In case you wondered, as appetizing as it is to pollinators, it's rarely munched on by deer or rabbits.)

xxoogail

“There are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle; you can live as if everything is a miracle.” Albert Einstein

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limeston

Bring On The Cold, My Garden Needs It

2012-01-02T05:00:00.000-06:00

Hypericum in a hyper-colored holding pattern

You can't hurry love, but, lovely Mother Nature, let's hurry winter!

Last year's witch hazel buds ready to pop open mid January 2011

It's time for my winter blooming beauty Hamamelis vernalis to wake up! The anticipation is making me impatient!

Last year's bloom; this is why I am SO excited!

It's been unseasonably warm. Too warm and too confusing for the plants in my garden. I just noticed that Hedge has blooms and there's even a few daffodils in the next garden over nodding in the sun.

Ex-asters showing their winter star power

Dear Mother Nature, it's time to jump start winter into action. I know I don't need to tell you that most perennials need a cold, dormant period (vernalization) before germinating; but, winter blooming shrubs, like witch hazels, need vernalization to signal the plant to begin blooming.

January 2011

So, dearest Mother Nature, feel free to bring on winter and a bit of snow.

xxooogail

PS One more thing, we don't want winter to hang around any longer than absolutely necessary for flowering power!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Happy New Year!

2012-01-01T06:30:00.000-06:00

May you all have enough this coming year. Enough love; enough friendship; enough time to play and laugh; enough time in your gardens; enough of what you need; and a little bit more.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday 2011 Roundup!

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hypericum frondosum is still hypercolored and River Oats is still golden.

Welcome to the Wildflower Wednesday December Roundup! There's still color in the garden and we thank the St Johns wort and River Oats for brightening the gray days. Gardening in the Middle South is a treat, we have four seasons, but our winter is mercifully short and spring and autumn make up for the steamy hot summer weather. Soon the earliest ephemerals will bud and then the gloriously long bloom of wildflowers will begin.

Without further ado here are the best and brightest of Clay and Limestone's 2011 wildflowers.

January~The Toothworts

Cardamine concatenata~ Cutleaf Toothwort

I love this charming member of the mustard family! All flowers of this family have 4 petals and the fruit is often in a capsule form.

February~The Cliff Dwellers:Heucheras

Heuchera americana

Heucheras are an international favorite thanks to a exciting new cultivars that have been introduced during the last 15 or so years. If you garden in the south you might want to look for any with H villosa in the parentage, they can take heat and humidity. The key to success with any coral bell is drainage. They can be grown in almost anywhere, just give them good drainage and they'll be in your garden for a long time.

March~Yellowroot

Xanthorhiza simplicissima

I love the tiny, delicate purplish flowers that bloom in the spring and the foliage that has been described as resembling both astilbes and celery. But, good looks was only one of the reasons it came to live in my garden. It has high wildlife value and can take the difficult conditions.

April~A Week Long Wildflower Celebration April is a happy blooming month. My garden is alive with so many wildflowers, bulbs and a few well chosen exotics. Cumberland Rosemary, Geranium maculatum 'Espresso', Senecio aureus, Phlox divaricata are a few of the ones I highlighted this past year. .

Hypoxis hirsuta

May~Favorite Colonizing Wildflowers

Oenothera fruticosa is just one of the many colonizing wildflowers

Colonizing wildflowers are just what I love. If you aren't afraid of ground covering beauties than try a few from this post.

June~Pollinators and Their Friends

Doesn't this picture say it all! For more bees and butterflies follow the link.

July~Phloxy Ladies and Gents (Summer Phlox)

It's possible that there may be a photo of PPPP in this one!

August~Partridge Pea

I did find a seed source for this colonizer!Hoping it will get established here! I've got a few places that need dramatic foliage and bright flowers.

September~Plant More Natives

Salvia azurea with a bee-lining carpenter bee

That's my rallying cry!

October~Porteranthus stipulatus

Porteranthus stipulatus

One of my favorite of the fall pretties!

November~A Week Long Celebration

Hamamelis virginiana

Thank goodness for the last of the ex-asters, the native grasses and witch hazels or our fall gardens would be pretty shades of brown!

My dear friends, Thank you for planting more wildflowers, thank you for taking care of the bees and all the pollinators, thank you for tolerating pesky wildlife, and thank you for another year of your friendship, visits, comments and joining me in celebrating wildflowers all over this great big wonderful world. You are the best and having you in my life has enriched it beyond measure.

xxoogail

Please comment and add your link to Mr Linky.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Too Much Gray In The Garden

2011-12-26T10:15:00.000-06:00

Of course I mean too many gray squirrels. Way too many. Maybe one would be okay! Then it would be more pet than pest!

But half a dozen or more is a recipe for disaster. That's what we have in my suburban garden. More than I need and a mess! They've cleaned out the suet feeder, emptied the bird feeders and dug up plants in the garden. Even offering them their own food doesn't keep them away from the feeders for long! They have voracious appetites all winter long! (Step Right This Way Folks! Seeing Is Believing!) Never stop searching for food and seek out scrumptious bulbs. My good friends Barbara/Mr Mcgregor's Daughter and Frances/Fairegarden know my pain.

Resting after a tough day raiding the feeders

Oh joy! The Eastern gray squirrels breed twice a year. If you've wondered why they seem especially destructive in your winter garden, it's because they are breeding right now! The first litter is born sometime in February to March and the second in June to July. There are normally two to six young in each litter, but this number can be as high as 8. The gestation period is about 44 days. The young are weaned at 7 weeks and leave the nest after 10 weeks. Eastern gray squirrels can start breeding as early as 5 and a half months old, but usually breed for the first time at the age of one. These squirrels can live to be 20 years old in captivity, but in the wild usually only live up to 12.5 years. (source:wikipedia) I think I have a few old timers in my garden; it's pretty safe back there!

Sciurus carolinensis with a french roll!

Mr I says that the National Wildlife Federation should take my certification away! I say the squirrels are lucky I garden for wildlife and have a terrible rock throwing aim.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Christmas Wishes For You

2011-12-24T05:00:00.000-06:00

I wish you a day filled with comfort, joy, celebration and gladness.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Thanks Rusty Blackhaw, For An Absolutely Perfect Present

2011-12-20T05:00:00.000-06:00

Today I planted the two Rusty Blackhaw seedlings that I found growing under the Mother Tree in my front garden. I was almost instantly transported to another time when a younger gardener met a very generous older gardener and was gifted five beautiful Viburnum rufidulum seedlings.

The rusty haw on Viburnum rufidulum

I had never heard the term Mother Tree before I met Amy, nor had I ever met a Rusty Blackhaw. Her yard was the other natural garden in our neighborhood and I had really wanted to meet her. I had a chance to introduce myself to her early one morning when I saw her working in the garden. During that serendipitous visit and garden tour she told me that her goal was to create a wildlife sanctuary that did not offend the neighbors who were, in her words, “traditional, lawn and foundation people". She was a passionate and eloquent spokesperson for native plant gardening and wildlife habitats and I could tell how very much she wanted others to appreciate both. When she offered me the Rusty Blackhaw seedlings I was sure she was being overly generous and even tried to talk her out of giving me so many. She assured me that her Mother Tree would make more. I remember dancing home and making plans for my garden.

I was deeply touched by her generosity and know that I received far more that day than those five seedlings.

This afternoon when I dug the seedling/suckering roots from the ground, gently teasing the roots and cutting the baby away from the Mother Tree, and then when I planted them nearby, I thought of that long ago generosity and kindness. I remembered the plans and dreams of the young gardener who danced home holding her little tree seedlings. I thought about the years that have passed and the native plant and wildlife friendly garden I planted. When I patted the last little seedling from my Mother Tree into the ground, I knew, without a doubt, that she really had given me more than just those five little seedlings.

Thank you Amy for my absolutely perfect Christmas present.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

It's Mid December and You know What That Means!

2011-12-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

A Twofer! Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and Foliage Follow-Up!

Alas, there is only one bloom in the garden for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day and I have had to resort to sharing my beautiful grocery store tulips with you all.

Cut flowers are wonderful and necessary on gray and rainy winter days. The kind of weather we have too frequently in Middle Tennessee.

I love orange tulips, especially, the over the top multi-colored varieties. I plant a few in the garden every fall and cross my fingers that they survive the rodents to bloom in the spring. I must admit that it has only been in the last few years have I come to appreciate this intense and vibrant color.

Spirea's orange and golden leaves in a cobalt container

I know it's an over used word, but, orange does pop almost anywhere in my garden. It cozies up beautifully in containers and it looks stunning with the purple benches and chairs that are focal points at Clay and Limestone.

If you don't mind plants arrayed in shades of brown, red, orange and beige, you'll find plenty of beauty in the garden!

Like Hypericum frondosum which is still hyper-colored.

Or, the wispy and fluttery River Oats. Rain makes them stand out.

I love the wild and natural look of my almost winter garden (I garden for wildlife) Seed heads are left standing for winter interest and food for birds and other critters. I think they're beautiful.

Switch Grass (click for link)

Grasses like Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' add movement and color until late winter. But, they're more than just a pretty face; they're a host plant for the caterpillars of many Skippers (here for their story) and provide a cozy place for small critters and birds to hide on snowy days.

I love when trees and plants hold onto their leaves.

Exotic cabbage and kale no longer seems out of place in the garden. Come spring they'll bolt into yellow blooms and provide nectar for early visiting pollinators. (Cabbages and Beautiful Things)

I appreciate the cool architectural statement Yucca makes year round. I knew they attracted a special moth to pollinate them, but, I didn't know that they provide a cool respite for insects to hide during the hot weather.

Although, my garden is mostly natives, I flipped for Spiraea thunbergii ‘Ogon'. Take a look at its wispy leaved, golden late fall color and then add to that, very early blooming, honey scented flowers covered with bees and you'll totally understand how come this exotic made the cut. I had hoped it would be dressed in its fall colors when the asters were blooming, but, I believe I appreciate this late color even more.

Last year my mettle was tested

The flowers may be gone for the season, but, a gardener can enjoy cut flowers in the house and textures, foliage, colors and art in a garden year round.

xxoogail

PS Now, please pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess, Carol, has set up the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to more Bloom Day posts than you can imagine. After that, make sure to stop by Digging to see Foliage Follow-Up. Pam says it’s a way to remind ourselves of the importance of foliage in the garden.

* magic carpet clip art
Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Owls In The Garden

2011-12-12T04:00:00.000-06:00

The resident owls woke me in the middle of the night with their hooting under the full moon. Their distinctive hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo identifies them as Great Horned Owls (here for sound). It could be a hunting pair, or a single trying to find a mate or a simple warning to stay away from my territory!

My spirit soars when I hear them calling. The neighborhood lost a large track of land to an ugly shopping center and I mourned the loss of meadow, woodland and stream for all the displaced critters. The resident owls have never left, but, I do worry that one day they will not live in my garden. I would miss their hoo-hoo-hooing.

source A Brendan Lally photo of the Great Horned Owl

As a gardener and wildlife enthusiast I am well aware that the circle of life in nature and on a smaller scale in my garden is one of predator and prey and owls play a huge role as predators of small mammals. With their keen eyesight and excellent hearing they can swoop down on unsuspecting mice, voles, rabbits and other critters. But, they also are known to predate birds, bats and even skunks and possums. Scarcely anything that moves is safe from this owl and when you consider that it has 200-300 pounds per square inch of crushing power in its talons you can understand what a powerful predator it is! (The average adult human male has about 60 pounds per square inch in his hands.)

The Great Horned Owl is one of the most widespread and common owls in North America and is found in the Arctic tundra, tropical forest, the desert and in many of our suburban backyards. Given enough food, water and available nesting and roosting sites the Great Horned is very adaptable. It's possible that a mated pair may live nearer your house than you might know! I've read that if you go out on a winter night and hoo-hoo-hoo loudly you might have one call back to you!

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Hypericum's Hypercolored Hoorah For 2011

2011-12-05T04:00:00.000-06:00

Hypericum frondosum is a study in yellows, golds and burgundies starting in November and lasting through December.

It's singing its next to the last song for the season. Next to last, because once the hypercolored leaves drop off there will still be peeling bark and hints of new growth. It's a year round beauty that makes Clay and Limestone, well, Clay and Limestone! It just wouldn't be the same with out it!

When I planted H frondosum 'Sunburst' twenty years ago, I had no idea that it would revert to species and spread its progeny over the garden. The species is lankier and taller than the cultivar, but, it doesn't matter; the flowers are still beautiful and attract some of my favorite pollinators.

the reddish-brown fruit capsules really pop during the fall

Cedarglade St. John's-wort, Hypericum frondosum, Golden St Johswort are a few of its common names. It's as happy in a tamed woodland as it would be in its native oak-hickory-red cedar woodland near a cedar glade.

If you look closely you can see the new growth that makes this plant semi-evergreen in my garden

Each fall when I see Cedar Glade St Johnswort's brilliant color I wonder why more American gardeners haven't planted them. They really are good looking four season native shrubs that give good return on your gardening dollar.

Do your resident Bumblebees, Hoverflies and other pollen loving pollinators a favor and plant a native Hypericum instead of the invasive Euonymous alata/Burning Bush.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

The Last Rose

2011-12-02T14:00:00.000-06:00

'Lovely Fairy' after the rain late in November 2011

The last rose in my sunniest border is a sweet polyantha named 'Lovely Fairy'.

'Lovely Fairy' after the first frost later still in November

Lovely Fairy is nearly unstoppable and practically "unkillable". If you want more, and I promise you will, she propagates easily. For me that means, a summer soft-wood cutting stuck into moist soil that will yield a new baby rose bush by the following spring.

'Lovely Fairy' is a sport of 'The Fairy' rose. Except for the deeper pink color, it looks and acts very like the quintessential polyantha rose~'The Fairy'. Polyantha roses are generally compact, disease resistant bushes that produces clusters of small double or single flowers over most of the growing season. They are easy care roses and require sun, well drained soil and occasional shaping and pruning. I think it's amazing that they survive my garden; and, survive they do in the beds and in containers. (In Appreciation Of November Blooms)

'Lovely Fairy' after two nights of 27F/-2.7C December 2, 2011

'Lovely Fairy' is one of the only roses I bother with in my difficult conditions. I haven't killed it and that's a plus for C and L! I am sad to say that it has no real fragrance, but, it's easy care and long bloom go a long way to make up for that. The flowers are small (just over an inch wide) doubles (17-25 petals), and bloom in flushes throughout the season. They can start to look terrible in late summer, but, I give them a good trim and they're back to blooming in a few weeks. They really perk up when the cooler nights arrive; and, as you can see in all the photos, there's still life in the plant past November and into December. (USDA zone 4b through 10b. )

Here she is in November before the rains!

If you like Rosa 'Lovely Fairy' you'll surely like the light pink flowered 'The Fairy'; white flowered 'Crystal Fairy'; and, the dark pink to red roses of 'Fairy Queen'.

I don't know why more nurseries don't offer them instead of the newer 'landscape' roses. These roses have the souls of old roses.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone." This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for her blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2009-2011. This work is protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact the author for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

Phlox Fall Care Essentials!

2011-11-28T05:00:00.000-06:00

The fall colors of decaying plants are surprisingly pretty long into winter. They brighten the garden and make the transition to winter's browns easier. I leave most of the wildflower seed heads standing until late winter at Clay and Limestone. After all, I garden for wildlife and goldfinches feed on the coneflower, rudbeckias, agastaches; the grasses provide cover for small critters; and, I like how it looks. But, I never let the summer phloxes stand all winter. Once they've gone to seed and browned, I cut them to the ground.

Ready to be cut to the ground

This is an essential first line of defense against the Phlox Plant Bug.

This is the nasty critter with proboscis in use

Lopidea davisi is a plant juice/sap sucking insect with a long proboscis and that feeds mainly on perennial phlox. The clever little adults lay white-coloured eggs in the fall in stems of the plant, behind the leaf petioles.

Phlox after a frost is still pretty, but it has to go. There might be bug eggs hiding!

The eggs overwinter and nymphs emerge in early May. Two or more generations could develop in a season. Hoky Smokes! You can see how it wouldn't take long for them to get well established in the garden. Cutting the plant to the ground and destroying the dead stalks and leaves is essential!

The bug feeds on leaves, stem terminals, flowers and seeds

This is not a pest to ignore. They can form dense populations and suck the life juices (sap) out of your plants. Take a look at the photo from the Missouri Botanical Gardens. This is in the early stages before the Phlox Plant Bug has gotten horridly out of control! As you can clearly see, feeding causes light green/white spots on the leaves where the plant's juices have been sucked out! Later in the season, leaves stipple yellow, turn brown, curl, dry out and drop. The plant often becomes stunted and dies.

Phlox Plant Bugs are tiny; less then 1/4 inch, fast moving critters that hide underneath leaves and make it hard to see and smush! As far as I know, they don't seem to be a tasty treat for the beneficial insects or birds that visit my garden. Perhaps, their orange and black coloration signals~"Stay away" to most insect eating critters.

Phlox is a foundation plant at Clay and Limestone. It was here before me and I hope it's still here after I leave this garden. In the meantime, I will do what I must to keep the garden free of Lopidea davisi without resorting to the big gun pesticides.

1. Practice good sanitation. Cut back and dispose of infested stems and leaves. Clean up stem and leaf litter in the winter. I cut back every stem I find and threw them in the trash, not the compost. Compost works if yours gets hot enough to cook bugs! Mine doesn't.
2. Scout for nymphs and treat. Apply insecticidal soap to both the upper and underside of the leaves. Use a light horticultural or sunspray oil. I haven't had to up my tx to this.
3. I never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides in my garden... whether or not they are recommended in the Integrated Pest Management program. I love my bees and other pollinators and don't want to risk causing them harm.

I hope this pest isn't in your garden. It's a known problem in the eastern US and some Midwestern states. Canada, you aren't exempt! Even if it's not a problem, go ahead and trash the decaying phlox. Trust me, this will go a long way to ensure it won't become one. It worked in my garden.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday Part 3: Thanksgiving Celebration~This Time A Tree

2011-11-25T04:00:00.000-06:00

The Dancing Tree kicks up her heels and reaches for the sky earlier this November

There is the loveliest tree in my garden. I call her my Dancing Tree. Ostrya virginiana is a naturally occurring understory tree in dry woodlands like Clay and Limestone and it's planted itself among the oaks and shagbark hickories that populate my garden. Hophornbeams are totally under appreciated native trees that would be lovely in our gardens, if only we knew about them!

It has an attractive shape and form that looks lovely on the edge of the wildflower garden. As it ages the branches become irregular and have a beautiful layered grace to them. You just have to look up to see the Dancer in the Tree reaching for the sky while performing a high kick.

It's small, rarely growing taller then 30 feet or so. An easy tree that thrives in the dry mesic soil of my garden. It doesn't mind rocky slopes or ridges; it's very shade tolerate, which makes it a perfect small tree to thrive under larger oaks or pines. I can see it as a specimen along walks, in parks and of course, in a naturalized or woodland garden like mine. Hophornbeam is a native of the eastern half of the US and Canada; including most of the Midwestern states and Texas.

O virginiana (Betulaceae family) has serrated leaves that resemble an elm. The stems are very slender, giving the tree a fine textured appearance during the winter season. The fall foliage turns a most becoming yellow....and when the wind blows they flutter and bounce a golden light around the garden. Sometimes the coppery brown leaves stay the entire winter accenting the textured bark and twisted and knobby trunk.

I find this tree completely charming and recommend it highly for your shady native garden.

It's a perfect understory tree for the taller oaks and the graceful lower limbs don't crowd the witch hazels, hypericums and dogwoods at the shrub layer. Spring Beauties, toothworts, false rue anemone, Iris cristata, Phlox paniculata, ferns and other wildflowers dance at her feet all spring and summer.

It's a gem of a tree!

It's not a picky grower; will tolerate dry shade; and even high winds. It isn't bothered by most insects or fungal diseases. It has both male and female flowers (monoecious), so, it needs no pollinators, just the wind.

leaves often hang on all winter making it quite striking in a winter garden

In the forests and woodlands, the buds and catkins of Eastern Hophornbeam are important winter food for ruffed grouse, sharp-tailed grouse and wild turkey. It's eaten by bobwhite, red and gray squirrels, cottontails, white-tailed deer and ring-necked pheasant.

Suburban dwellers, like me, will appreciate that it provides food for purple finch, rose-breasted grosbeak and downy woodpeckers. It also is a host plant for the larva of several winter moths.

Small native trees like Hophornbeam might be hard to find, but, they are available. Try an internet search if you haven't a local native plant nursery nearby. Middle Tennessee gardeners can find them at GroWild Nursery.

xxoogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Part 3 of the Thanksgiving week long celebration of wildflowers. It's our annual celebration of the "First Thanksgiving" when colonists celebrated arriving safely in the New World and all across America families and friends gathered for Thanksgiving dinner. It's traditionally a time for appreciating the bounty in our lives.

Carya

This year, I am especially grateful for the health and well being of my family; for loving and supportive friends; for rain that finally fell in Middle Tennessee; for wildflowers that bloomed no matter how horrid the weather has been and for the trees that shade my garden and add to the beauty that surrounds our home. Thank you all for joining me all this week to share and celebrate the wonderful wildflowers that live and thrive in our gardens. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not, you can still share them. Please leave a comment and add your name to Mr Linky so others can pop over to see your Wildflower Wednesday post.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday Part 2: A Thanksgiving Week Long Celebration

2011-11-23T01:00:00.000-06:00

River Oats was the first native grass I added to the garden and I have never regretted it.

much earlier in the fall

It's a clump-forming, upright, ornamental grass with wide bright green leaves and gracefully arching and nodding clusters of oat like flowers (spikelets) that emerge green then turn brown with age. Leaves and flower heads turn a rich tan in autumn and reddish-bronze by winter. I think it's beautiful all year long, but I like to give it a good haircut by early February when the seed heads have fallen off. Just cut it back to the basal rosette and new leaves will emerge when it warms up.

even the softest of breezes will make the seed heads flutter

Good looking plants that also provide for garden critters are a must for my garden and River Oats has decent wildlife value. Because it's wind pollinated there won't be any pollinators buzzing around the pretty spikelet flowers, but, I am happy to report that it's a host plant for several roadside skippers and a few butterflies. That makes me happy!

River Oats gives my garden much needed contrast and texture almost all year. It's a perfect companion for upright Panicum virgatum 'Northwind', the blue-grey needles of Juniperus virginiana 'Grey Owl', native ex-asters and the purple Waiting Bench.

naturalized under oaks and hickory trees with Hypericum frondosum, Penstemon calycosus and other native plants.

I use it as an accent plant in a raised bed near the front entrance, but, love that it has naturalized in my garden and mimics almost perfectly the oak-hickory woodlands found adjacent to a cedar glade. That was my goal when I planted the center garden a few years ago. It's still a golden brown and the hypericum is just about hyper colored! It's especially nice to see on a rainy day when the colors are intensified.

Chasmanthium latifolium will grow anywhere (Eastern USA, Zone 3 to 8); glades, stream banks, dry forests, shade and clay soil. Please note I said, anywhere! Which brings us back to my "I have never regretted" planting it statement. When happy, it is a rampant self seeder and requires vigilance to catch the seedlings. Think beautiful ground cover with several seasons of interest. Think about this before you decide to plant it in your garden. Think about what you want from it...If you want a plant that will naturalize and create a large swath then this is the grass for you! If you don't mind keeping it in check, pulling out unwanted seedlings, then this is the grass for you. If you want a gorgeous grass with almost year round beauty, then this is the grass for you.

Personally, I never share this plant without first letting gardeners know that it is a marvelous ground cover and they'll have lots of dried seed heads for flower arranging.

Bright green leaves turn a coppery color after frost and eventually brown by winter

If you've decided you want to invite River Oats into your garden. Then do yourself a favor and let the seed heads and golden bamboo like leaves stand all winter long. You'll love the winter interest and the seed heads will dance in the breeze.

January 2011

I can't wait to see them standing tall and golden in the snow.

xxoogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and Part 2 of the Thanksgiving week long celebration of wildflowers. All across America families and friends are making plans to gather for Thanksgiving dinner. It's our annual celebration of the "First Thanksgiving" when colonists celebrated arriving safely in the New World.

In my house, before the feasting begins, we all take turns sharing our feelings of gratitude. This year, I am especially grateful for the health and well being of my family; for loving and supportive friends; for rain that finally fell in Middle Tennessee; and, for wildflowers that bloomed no matter how horrid the weather has been. Please join me any time this week to share and celebrate the wonderful wildflowers that live and thrive in your gardens. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not. Please leave a comment and add your name to Mr Linky so others can pop over to see your Wildflower Wednesday post.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday~A Thanksgiving Week Long Celebration

2011-11-21T01:00:00.000-06:00

Hamamelis virginiana

Welcome to Clay and Limestone and the Thanksgiving week long celebration of wildflowers.

All across America families and friends are making plans to gather for Thanksgiving dinner. It's our annual celebration of the "First Thanksgiving" when colonists celebrated arriving safely in the New World. In my house, before the feasting begins, we all take turns sharing our feelings of gratitude. This year, I am especially grateful for the health and well being of my family; for loving and supportive friends; for rain that finally fell in Middle Tennessee; and, for wildflowers that bloomed no matter how horrid the weather has been.

Please join me any time this week to share and celebrate the wonderful wildflowers that live and thrive in your gardens. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not. Please leave a comment and add your name to Mr Linky so others can pop over to see your Wildflower Wednesday post.

unfurled crepe papery petals on a very warm November afternoon.

Today, I celebrate Hamamelis virginiana, a fall flowering understory tree/shrub with sweetly fragrant small yellow flowers. Witch hazel, as it is also known, is native to woodlands, forest margins and stream banks in eastern North America (including OK and TX) where it's found growing in moist well drained soil in sunny to partial shade conditions. It's an open, multi stemmed tree with irregular branching that is known to form colonies.

I love the textured deep green leaves that turn a golden yellow in the fall. Sometimes the flowers bloom before the leaves drop and the stem-hugging clusters of bright yellow flowers are hidden.

Pollinator visiting the last blooms of the year

But, that gives me an opportunity to get a close look at each flower and at any pollinators who happen to stop by for a bit of nectar. Hamamelis is also known to attract the robin, junco, titmouse and cardinal. I love having a tree with pretty flowers, a sweet scent and that has good wildlife value.

stem-hugging clusters of bright yellow flowers, each with four crinkly, ribbon-shaped petals

Except for a few native ex-aster that might have survived the recent killing frost, witch hazel is probably the last blooming plant found in most woodlands. I treasure it for providing one last stop for nectar gathering pollinators; its colorful fall show; the sweet blooms; its gentle fragrance; clay soil tolerance; and, that it seems deer proof! It's a wonderful specimen plant, but, suckers must be removed or it will form a colony. Because it colonizes, it does make a wonderful screening plant or hedge. Spring ephemerals, native sedges, ferns and shade tolerant perennials are great companions.

fruit and exploded seed capsule

Ooh, ooh, ooh~One more cool factoid! The seeds are expelled with a loud pop that sends them yards away from the parent plant. I've been looking for offspring but, so far none. The seeds must be tasty to my garden critters.

gailxxoo

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

In Appreciation Of November Blooms

2011-11-16T04:00:00.000-06:00

Each and every one of the blooms in my November garden is dearly loved and appreciated. Like Aster/Symphyotrichum praealtum shown above with those lovable Bumbles that visit from sunrise to sunset everyday (really any time it's been over 50F).

It stands tall and sways in the breeze

It's a perfect late blooming beauty, surviving frosts, to provide much needed nectar and pollen for all late visiting pollinators. I've written about it several times and could fill this post with just photos of the pollinators visiting it. It stands tall and sways in the breeze. It's a must for anyone who loves pollinators. (Where Have All the Pollinators Gone) I am so appreciative my blogger friend, Sweet Bay, who gave me my original starts.


This photo is from late October, but it's still blooming and one of the last Cloudless Sulphur (Phoebis sennae) was seen flitting around the garden yesterday so I thought

Because I garden with wildlife in mind any plants that bloom later in the season are especially appreciated. Pineapple Sage/Salvia elegans is a very late blooming plant, sometimes not until October in my Zone 7 garden. Our first frost was very mild and didn't touch the gorgeous red blooms! It's a semi woody, mostly herbaceous, sub shrub that survives even the coldest winters in my garden. It looks best massed with a background that let's the red shine.

You've seen this photo before~Aronia arbutifolia, Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' and Salvia elegans

It's still blooming beautifully today.

The Agastaches are also in bloom~or, to be more accurate, they are just now finishing up! Agastache aurantiaca 'Navajo Sunset' (above) is new this year and

Agastache rupestris (above) has been in the garden for several years. Both are planted in containers to keep them alive. They would rot in Clay and Limestone's wet, wet winters. They're planted in sharp draining soil that's on the lean side and spend the winters outdoors. Now those are hardy plants and beloved of resident pollinators and gardener alike! (Not The Climate For Xeric)

Rosa 'Lovely Fairy' is a version of the classic rose 'The Fairy' in a brighter pink. I love, love, love this rose! It's shade tolerant and when it starts looking puny in the middle of summer I give it a good haircut and voila it's blooming before you know it. It's also one of the easiest of plants to propagate from cuttings~I mean, stick a stem in the soil and it roots easy peasy! I have this growing in containers and in the garden!

Hamamelis virginiana is blooming! I am celebrating each and every little bloom on this small tree! I was worried that there would be no bloom~the drought has taken a toll on all the native witch hazels~They do like moister conditions. It's been dry, I mean really dry. Dryer then we are used to seeing.

Don't you love the fascinating blooms that have been described as crepe paper by some and spidery by others! I think they're spectacular and love how they furl on cold days and unfurl on warm days.

The first flower came before the leaves resting as lightly as butterflies on their short stiff stems,
looking as if they had settled but for a moment between flights.*

Cyclamen hederifolium caught my eye over 20 years ago. I remember being completely charmed by its sweet bloom and astonished that it was blooming in the display crate. I knew a plant like that could survive my inexperience and took several home immediately. How I cradled the blooming corm/tubor and made sure the tiny little flower survived planting. They survived and more have been added to the garden. They favor life under tall trees on ground that is fairly dry. *The beautiful prose is from Elizabeth Lawrence's book The Little Bulbs. Now that's a book everyone should read.

Almost all the Aster/Symphyotrichum are starting to fade, but, as long as there is one flower left there will be at least one Bumble visiting. I'm gonna miss them when they're gone.

Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender'

'Bat Faced' Cuphea

....and a few more to keep me smiling until the freezing weathers brings on winter!

I am a day late for Bloom Day but, offer up these blooms for your enjoyment. Please pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess has links to more Bloom Day posts then you can imagine.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone.

Not Ready To Say Goodbye To Autumn

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-06:00

Iridaceae germanica 'Rosalie Figge'

Neither is Rosalie Figge. She's a remontant and reblooming her pretty deep reddish dark purple nearly black flowering heart off again. She has a hint of grape fragrance and an intense coloring that looks fantastic backlit by the setting sun. That's Panicum 'Northwind' in case you were wondering. It looks pretty good backlit, too.

But, I'm not ready to say goodbye, so I've bundled her up in a frost blanket and we'll see if she's still blooming when the sun warms the day.

xxoogail

Autumn Movement
I cried over beautiful things knowing no beautiful thing lasts.

The field of cornflower yellow is a scarf at the neck of the copper sunburned woman, the mother of the year, the taker of seeds.

The northwest wind comes and the yellow is torn full of holes, new beautiful things come in the first spit of snow on the northwest wind, and the old things go, not one lasts.

–Carl Sandburg

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

A Sort of Wordless Wednesday: Fading Beauty

2011-11-09T05:55:00.000-06:00

The Aster tataricus sways gently in the Autumn breeze. Was it just last week that she was covered with pollinators of every shape and size! I am going to miss you when your gone dear autumn.

xogail

For more Wordless Wednesdays go here.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone.

Take Time To Sit In Your Garden

2011-11-07T05:00:00.000-06:00

Give yourself permission to revel in the beauty around you.

Celebrate what you have created.

Focus on your successes not the defeats.

There's always a list and there's always a project, but, how many beautiful fall days will there be like today?

When the autumn sun lights up grasses;

makes leaves glow a brilliant red;

or, highlights simple fruits?

Soon, I will miss the golden colors and the warm days, but, not today.

Today, I will sit in the garden and revel in the beauty. I hope you will, too.

xxoogail

I'm joining Dave's Fall Color Project 2011, please visit The Home Garden for more beautiful fall gardens.

Photos:
1. Ostrya virginiana
2. Cotinus 'Grace'; Juniperus virginiana 'Gray Owl'; Basil
3. Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'; Aronia arbutifolia
4. Garden of Benign Neglect~Viburnum rifidulum/Rusty Blackhaw
5. Panicum 'Northwind' (here)
6. 'Glowing Embers' Japanese Maple developed for the south
7. Aronia arbutifolia berries~
8. Carya ovata/Shagbark Hickory
9. A little of this and a little of that~ Ex-aster, juniper, River Oats...

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Some Garden Catalogs Are Better Than Others

2011-11-04T05:00:00.000-05:00

Salvia azurea with honeybee

I'm reading one of my favorites on this very rainy and cool day. Prairie Moon Nursery's catalog is special. It's chock full of good information about native plants and seeds for prairies, wetlands, savannas and woodlands. They've done a wonderful job of organizing and presenting plant cultural information. It's obvious the nursery owners want you to find exactly the right plants for your prairie restoration, native habitat or new wildflower garden. In fact, the catalog is clearly labeled a Cultural Guide. Every forb/wildflower they offer is shown with detailed information including genus, species, common name, germination guide, sun, soil, bloom, color, height and even a few comments. This catalog is a great teaching tool for gardeners wanting to learn about wildflowers...it may not be applicable to the Southwest, the deep south and California but, gardeners from the rest of the country and Canada will thoroughly enjoy it. The plants are listed~ Asclepias to Zizia ~for easy reading and planning. Lest you think I only read this catalog~I recently ordered several bareroot verbesina alternifolias and dozens of seed packets!

Helianthus salicifolius 'First Light'

Sure we can find plant information on line. But, for me, the real experience comes with thumbing through an actual catalog! A written catalog! With corners to fold over and pages to write upon. I love reading the descriptions of the plants, seeing photos of them in natural settings and then imagining them in my garden. I have many wildflower books, but, I've learned a lot about wildflowers, daylilies and other plants from catalogs. Many of the plants I read about would never survive Clay and Limestone's conditions; but, it's a delight to be introduced to them. Discovering and learning about new wildflowers is one of the reasons I started the Wildflower Wednesday meme. (Are The Natives Friendly) Participants have introduced me to many new wildflowers from their part of the gardening world. Some of my favorite exotics are other folks native plants! Excuse me, I have digressed to a favorite topic!

While I totally enjoy a good catalog read, almost all of my wildflower plant purchases are from locally grown stock. It's a rule I like to stick to when possible. Plants grown near my garden are far more likely to survive the dry summers and wet winters than plants grown a thousand miles away. Sure, I'll mail order plants, if I can't find them at my go-to local native plant nursery, GroWild. I love supporting local, independent nurseries and GroWild is a treasure. It's just a 30 minute drive to a beautiful farm setting and my favorite plants! The bonus is that I have gotten to know the owners, Mike Berkley & Terri Barnes. Unfortunately, for out of towners~They do not have a catalog nor do they do mail order. But, they have a very nice website.

For almost every rule there's often an exception! Bulbs are the exception to the buy local rule! I almost always buy bulbs online and almost always from the same vendors. Van Engelen, Brent and Becky's and McClure and Zimmerman. They have wonderful catalogs, informative websites, incredible bulb choices, and great end of the season sales. It was an M and Z's catalog (many, many moons ago) where I was first introduced to species tulips and narcissus. It has never been the same for me since! I love bulbs and although, I can never match some of my dear gardening friends bulb for bulb. They are, after all, Champions bulbers. I have made good use of bulk bulb buying from Van Eng! You, too, can buy all the Tommies that you want! (Lilac Tommies For My Garden).

So go ahead and sign up for catalog delivery~Trust me, it's not a waste of paper. You never know what you'll find in a catalog and it might be more than plants for sale. It could be an introduction to a passion for wildflowers or bulbs!

xxoogail

**Champions in the bulb buyers club~Frances/Fairegarden, Dee/Red Dirt Ramblings, EAL/Gardening While Intoxicated

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Where Have All The Pollinators Gone?

2011-11-02T04:00:00.000-05:00

They're still here!

Especially now that the Willowleaf Aster is in bloom. It's THE gathering place for all the bumbles and a few smaller bees at the end of a hard day! Boy, do they ever have hard days!

Now that's a beauty of Green Metallic Bee on an asteraceae!

Before winter begins our native bees need to collect as much pollen and nectar for their offspring as is possible. Some will work themselves to exhaustion and sleep on the underside of the plant until the sun warms their bodies to over 50F when they'll buzz back to work.

If you garden in a climate colder then mine, your local bees may have already decamped for the winter. Decamped being a euphemism for shuffled off this mortal coil or perhaps even gone underground. But, here, the local/native bees are still working flowers for every bit of pollen and nectar they can collect. When a killing frost finally puts the flowers out of the pollen/nectar making business, our Bumbles and small bees will spend the winter in their nest as immature larvae or in an adult stage waiting until Spring to emerge and begin their short and intensely busy life cycle.

In the meantime, Symphyotrichum praealtum 'Miss Bessie' (here to see if she'll grow in your garden) and other late blooming plants are hosting a party for every Bumble, Bee Mimic, Wasp, Bee Fly or Honeybee that lives here or visits the garden. The party will last most of November and even survive mild frosts.

Please feel free to stop by to say hello to the revelers!

xxoogail

PS In case you've forgotten the Golden Rules for attracting pollinators to your garden:

plant large swathes of pollinator friendly, nectar and pollen producers
plant host plants~don't stop at nectar and pollen plants
plan for bloom from late spring to early winter.
bee sure to include water
provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors, leave some bare ground (ix-nay on the plastic landscape cloth), decaying logs and even special bee houses

Now, please raise your hand and solemnly swear that you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides in your garden. Now don't you feel better for having made that commitment! I know I do.

In case you want to read earlier pollinator posts~

Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don't (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can't All Be Pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What's In Your Garden (here)
Royalty In The Garden~Monarch Butterfly (here)
Carpenter Bees (here)
Got Wildflowers?(here)
It's Spring and A Gardener's Thoughts Are On Pollinators (here)
The Wildflower and The Bee (here)
A Few Good Reasons To Plant Milkweek (here)
Got Shade? You Can Have Pollinators ( (here)
A Pollinator friendly Shrub (here)
Big Goings On at C and L (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~

Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies ( here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Happy Halloween Garden Bloggers

2011-10-31T01:00:00.000-05:00

When black cats prowl and pumpkins gleam,

May luck be yours on Halloween.

May you be lucky enough to have just the right amount of your favorite candy treats, laughter with your friends and maybe, just maybe, some time in your garden.

xxoogail

Pumpkin photo
Spider

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone."

Wildflower Wednesday: Porteranthus stipulatus

2011-10-26T01:00:00.000-05:00

Has fantastic fall color and charm going for it.

Indian Psychic sure looks pretty dressed in its fall colors

There's only one problem with this sweet rose family member and it's not the plant's fault. It's mine. I have it planted in the wrong spot. It's too cute to be hidden away when it packs this much color punch every fall. This plant needs to be seen to be appreciated~That way visitors to Clay and Limestone will be sure to see it's many charms.

There are two leaf-like stipules at the base of each leaf which the appearance of being two smaller leaves

It's an easy-peasy native plant that is found naturally growing in rich woods on calcareous soils in a good portion of the Eastern US. They seem undeterred by the dry conditions in my garden, but, I do think they would be happier with a tad more sunshine, richer soil and room to spread to their full growth possibility~three foot tall and wide.

The small (one inch) star shaped flowers bloom modestly each May despite their less than ideal growing conditions. I find them very charming and have visions of this subshrub (small woody plant) massed in that same wildflower border with some other plants edited out! The red stems look good with Aquilegia canadenses, Heuchera villosa and Pentemon digitalis. I think this plant would work beautifully in a small garden near a path where the small flowers would make a nice statement in the shade.

NOT deer candy!

Bowman's Root or American Psychic was introduced to me as Porteranthus stipulatus but, it is also known as Gillenia stipulata. Both are correct. Whatever you know it as, it's a sweet little plant for your garden.

Give it a try.

PS You might be interested to learn that a pink flowered Porteranthus trifoliatus has been discovered. Yes, it's on my list! The two Porteranthus differ in leaf shape. P stipulatus has two leaf-like stipules at the base of each leaf which gives the appearance of being two smaller leaves. P trifoliatus doesn't.

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone.

Have You Switched To Switchgrass?

2011-10-24T04:00:00.000-05:00

Panicum virgatum 'Northwind'

I did and am I ever glad.

It's the perfect partner for the ex-asters, vernonia, juniperus, phlox, chasmanthium and hypericums that make their home at Clay and Limestone. I value panicums for its strongvertical habit, showy flowers and interesting winter silhouette.

Panicum virgatum has a long history on this continent. It's native to the tall grass prairies of the Great Plains from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean. Grasses like switchgrass, big bluestem, little bluestem and Indian grass dominated the tall grass prairies and were grazed by bison, deer and elk. It’s an upright, warm season bunching grass that can still be found growing in ‘remnant prairies’ and along interstates.

Or, in your favorite garden center where delicious cultivars have made it to the market! Once again, we have European breeders to thank for making another marvelous native attractive to us! They've brought us lovely cultivars and spurred American breeders to get on the native grass bandwagon. I have two current favorites!

‘Northwind’ is without a doubt the most upright grass I’ve ever encountered. Heavy rains, and you know we have heavy rains in Middle Tennessee, have not brought it to its feet. The color is an interesting olive green that works well in my garden. But, holy-moly, what really makes this grass attractive is the long season of golden color. In my garden it begins to golden up in September and continues all winter. Some call it a tawny gold. I call it perfect. Panicum prefers full sun, and moist, fertile soil; however, the plant will tolerate sand, heavy clay, dry slopes and boggy areas and less then full sun in my garden. Drought tolerant. Hardy to Zone 4. Grows five feet tall.

‘Cheyenne Sky’ is a small red switchgrass that I am hoping can completely replace annual Pennisetum ‘Rubrum’ in my garden. It’s been described as a sturdy little plant that should remain standing throughout the winter. I’ve read that it can take wet winters and even periods of standing water! That sounds perfect for this garden with our wet winters. Panicum prefers full sun, and moist, fertile soil; however, the plant will tolerate sand, heavy clay, dry slopes and boggy areas. Hardy to Zone 4. Grows three feet tall.

Just in case I haven't made my case to convince you to switch to switchgrass. Consider this~They fill the garden with movement and beauty all year long, while providing food and shelter for visiting mammals, birds and insects.

Not bad for a grass.

xxoogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone.

Dear Gardening Friends,

2011-10-19T04:00:00.000-05:00

Honeybees refuse to pose for photos

I wish you had been with me in the garden on Monday afternoon. It was a lovely warm fall day and the ex-asters were dancing in the breeze, while honeybees flew from flower to flower in their mad dash to gather as much pollen as possible before the cold weather arrived.

At this time of year the garden is a sea of blue asters that attract every pollinator you can imagine~Bumbles, Flower Flies, Green Metallic Bees, wasps, skippers and butterflies. But, this year the honeybees have outnumbered all the other visitors.

I love the Bumbles and other native bees that live in my garden, but, seeing the honeybees in such large numbers made my heart soar with joy.

Could it be that these bees belong to the young family with bee hives, chickens and a great big garden who live a few streets over? It's exciting to think that clay and limestone's flowers are contributing to their honey supplies.

Maybe I should drop them a post card~

They might like that, I know I would.
xxoogail

Not The Climate For Xeric

2011-10-16T20:03:00.002-05:00

Agastache rupestris has survived for several years in a container

Xeric is an iffy prospect in the Central Basin in Middle Tennessee. Our summers might be dryer and hotter, but, our winters haven't changed. They are wet, wet, wet! That's typically when we get most of our rainfall.

'Grey Owl' Juniperus and Cotinus 'Grace' prefer dry roots

On average more then 20 inches fall from November to April; that's more then most xeric plants can handle. It's the main reason for plant loss. Wet, clay soil over limestone drowns plants each winter.

and these are the pieces of limestone I can dig out!

On the whole, I no longer buy plants hailed as xeric for this garden. But, I do have perennials and shrubs that require dry roots during the winter. Juniperus virginiana "Grey Owl' likes it on the dry side, so, the soil is raised and amended with a shale product that promotes drainage. Some plants that need sharp drainage might spend their life in a large container~like Agastache rupestris. All the rest get planted in the garden and get a good mulching each year with leaf mold.

Autumn mix of Solidago flexiculis, Amsonia hubrecktii, native ex-asters and Rudbeckia fulgida

If you take a walk around Clay and Limestone you'll see lots of familiar fall faces. That's because many of our natives are also natives of the Eastern and Southeastern USA. But, we have a few special ones that are only native to the cedar glades and if I can meet their requirements I like to give them a try.

There might be a few friendly exotics and agastaches from the Southwest, but, this garden is a Central Basin garden through and through. In fact, if you were to visit a nearby woodland you would see almost all the same plants in bloom. Solidagos, Symphyotrichums, Verbesinas, Conoclinium coelestinum, Eupatorium, Panicums, Little Bluestems and even Chasmanthium latifolium are all Central Basin natives that thrive on my nearly neutral, shallow clay soil.

Goregeous aren't they!

They're the payoff for our long, long hot summers.

xxoogail

I am a day late for Bloom Day but, offer up this humble post and the blooming wildflowers for your enjoyment. Please pop over to May Dreams Gardens, where our delightful hostess has links to more Bloom Day posts then you can imagine.

Willowleaf Sunflower~Not Just Another Yellow Flower For The Garden!

2011-10-12T11:21:00.000-05:00

Helianthus salicifolius

I had no idea I would fall head over heels for another yellow flower when I ordered Helianthus salicifolius last fall. In fact, I completely forgot I planted it below the Crapemyrtle, 'Natchez' until it budded and bloomed a few weeks ago.

It's been a lovely addition to the late summer/early fall garden with its profuse late summer blooms and its graceful willow-like foliage.

Although, I haven't been able to capture a decent photo of the bees that visit this darling, I was able to catch a slow moving crab spider. This tiny little creature uses camouflage and stealth to capture its prey. Crab Spiders really do resemble their namesake! Their over sized first/front legs are held open to grab their prey and they walk sideways or backwards using their back legs to maneuver. Just like a tiny crab! But, I digress!

leans over after rain~but, I don't mind

Willow-leaf sunflower has so many pluses that I had to make an exception to my plant wildflowers indigenous to the Central Basin rule. Don't you agree that it's a perfect addition to the rough and tumble wildflower mix at Clay and Limestone!

it has those pretty daisy like flowers that bloom from September through frost;
it's attractive to wildlife;
lovely wispy leaves that resemble Amsonia hubrectii
will grow in dry sunny spots;
tolerates limestone;
it looks fabulous with all the purple and lilac flowers; and,
has the potential to grow quite tall in the ideal spot.

It really isn't just another yellow daisy/composite flower to me. It's a late blooming, pollen rich plant that provides food for many types of bees and other pollinators, insects, crab spiders and seed loving song birds. Give it a try~You will love it! But, you don't have to take my word for it! Dee/Red Dirt Ramblings has it in her Central South garden, too.

xxoogail

The Clay and Limestone Garden District Is Open For Business

2011-10-10T04:00:00.000-05:00

Clients are lining up for dinner at the Goldenrod; a unique restaurant with 'Chef's choice' dining located in the friendly Clay and Limestone Garden District.

You won't hear any complaints from the well fed patrons at Goldenrod or its sister restaurant Ex-Aster. The food is plentiful and the price is right.

Ex-Aster's specialty is the best nectar drinks in town. Diners are seen lining up for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Both Goldenrod and the Ex-Aster appeal to a seasonal crowd of discriminating diners who don't mind the noise from the nearby traffic or the crowds.

Patrons have made a bee line to them as soon as they opened for business. They're there to eat and drink, and certainly don't mind being seen in the latest hot spot.

What I like about restaurants in the Clay and Limestone Garden District is their broad appeal to many different gastronomic appetites. There's something for just about everyone who stops by to snack or dine. Plus, the management never, ever, ever, ever uses pesticides on any thing.

The Physostegia virginiana is even trendier

In case diners prefer less trendy spots, there are several cute boutique hotels and restaurant just up the hill a bit.

Salvia azurea

They're not as crowded and the ambiance is delightful.

For many patrons, the Goldenrod, Ex-Aster and the smaller boutique eateries is their last big splurge before they settle in for a winter of focus on the future responsibilities. They want to eat the healthiest foods and relax in the best environment with no worries. That's exactly what they get eating locally at Clay and Limestone.

In response to the popularity of the C and L garden District restaurants the management is expanding to accommodate even more guests. We thank you all for your continued support and patronage. Just call for reservations.

xxoogail

In case you want to read earlier pollinator posts~

Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don't (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can't All Be Pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What's In Your Garden (here)
Royalty In The Garden~Monarch Butterfly (here)
Carpenter Bees (here)
Got Wildflowers?(here)
It's Spring and A Gardener's Thoughts Are On Pollinators (here)
The Wildflower and The Bee (here)
A Few Good Reasons To Plant Milkweek (here)
Got Shade? You Can Have Pollinators ( (here)
A Pollinator friendly Shrub (here)
Big Goings On at C and L (here)
Pollinators and Late Summer Blooming Flowers (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~

Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies (here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

If You Want To Visit My garden

2011-10-07T04:00:00.000-05:00

Make sure it's a cool Autumn morning.

That's when the light is best.

That's when the flowers shine.

That's when the purple chairs are their deepest velvet color and not washed out by the harsh afternoon light.

If you stop by early you'll see an early blooming ex-aster as it drapes across the garden

and, we'll have coffee as we wait for the first sleeping bumbles to awake.

xxoogail

Would You Please Pardon My Big Aster, One More Time?

2011-10-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

Hokey Smokes! I can't believe it's that big!

Although, not from around these parts, Aster tataricus, has been making its home at Clay and Limestone for at least a decade. It's a big and tall beauty that makes me smile when it blooms in late September.

When a gardening friend shared Aster tataricus with me, she warned that it spread by rhizomes and that I might be sorry.

I have never been sorry. It's done exactly what I hoped~Created an attractive swath of flowers late in the season that is also a magnet for pollinators.

From early September until heavy frosts in November its blooms are covered with bees, skippers and butterflies. That makes me happy.

This garden is big enough to take on a tall glass of water like Tartar Aster. It also has the perfect conditions to keep a cheeky fellow like this in check....dry soil. My friend's warning should be kept in mind~Tatarian aster is an aggressive colonizer. Especially, in moist, rich soil. By no stretch of the imagination does Clay and Limestone have moist, rich soil. But, in a year with ample rainfall, this aster will increase.

Plant him in the back of the border, or where ever you want to make a statement along with Joe Pye Weed, Verbena bonariensis or naturalized with native ex-asters and False Dragonhead and let them duke it out!

Just in case it decides to become too big for its britches~I've planted False Dragonhead in its path. Those two colonizers can duke it out in a rainy year.

I'm not recommending that you plant this guy in your garden*. I can't promise you that it won't be an aggressive thug. But, if you can handle that, I can promise you pretty aster flowers that bloom until your first frost and many happy pollinators.

Aster tataricus is a magnet for local and migrating Monarch butterflies

I'm also pretty sure that a few butterfly will stop by to nectar on them.

xxoogail

*The Facts: Not a native. Tall aster that needs no staking and blooms from September until November. Grows in most soils, needs dividing regularly and can create quite a colony in the perfect conditions. Hardy to Zone 3 and tolerates Southern heat and humidity well. Most of the growing season AT is a basal rosette of large paddle shaped sandpapery leaves that grow up to 24 in (61 cm) long and 6 in (15 cm) wide with long petioles and toothed margins. It reminds me of flowering tobacco. I like the rosettes and they go a long way to solving Small Leaf Syndrome that plagues my garden. WARNING WILL ROBINSON: Under ideal growing conditions, tatarian aster can spread aggressively by its rhizomes, and take over a flower bed. (source)

Wildflower Wednesday: Plant More Natives

2011-09-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

Salvia azurea

You won't regret it~Especially, if you choose carefully among the many plants offered on the Internet and at local nurseries.

Rudbeckia fulgida var fulgida

More are available ~I saw rudbeckias, coreopsis cultivars, gaura, ex-asters, salvias, agastaches and rhododendrons for sale this morning when I ran to the local big box store for fence posts.

Keep in mind that even if they are native to where you garden~They might not grow in your garden.

A garden filled with former asters~symphyotrichum and eurybia, Goldenrods/solidagos and Mistflower/conoclinium

Or, they might grow too well.

Physostegia virgiana

Thus, getting erroneously named~invasive.

a native ex-aster and Chasmanthium latifolium

It's true, many natives can be thuggish, aggressive or colonizing. But, please don't use invasive to describe their behavior. I like to save that powerful word for exotics that are on the state noxious and invasive species list. Instead, I refer to them as colonizers, aggressive natives or just plain thugs.

If you garden on a difficult spot like I do, then aggressive native plants are not a problem. They are welcome. In fact, they are my fall garden workhorses. They're essential to my garden and being rough and tumble wildflowers means they're unfazed by shallow clay soil. They bloom until a killing frost and they attract bumbles, butterflies and other critters to the garden. They also make me happy. What more could you ask for in a garden plant.

So, plant more natives~They really do make sense. In case, I haven't convinced you consider this: native plants are adapted to our unique garden climate; they're less susceptible to pests and disease; we generally don't have to greatly modify the soil characteristics; and, they provide beauty for humans and food and shelter for visiting butterflies, bees and other pollinators.

Symphyotrichum paten

But, if you garden on rich, deep soil, colonizing native plants, like woodland asters, False Dragonhead, Goldenrods, Mistflower and River Oats might not be what you want to invite into the garden. Remember, they spread by, seed, roots and rhizomes to make a large and dramatic impact.

Trust me there are many native plants that are not thugs~You might want to consider planting a sweet native like Salvia azurea. It occasionally reseeds but isn't a thug by any stretch of the imagination.

So go ahead, plant more natives, just be sure to research what makes sense in your garden.

xxoogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

It's Rough and Tumble Wildflower Time

2011-09-26T05:00:00.000-05:00

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae 'Pink' formerly known as an Aster

I love Spring and its gentle pinks and blues, but, give me this time of year with the intense yellow of goldenrod, the brilliant pinks of ex-asters and the lilac-blues of mistflower against the Autumn blue sky.

Spiders are probably laying in wait for unsuspecting visitors.

These late summer blooms with their intense, rich colors are a treat for the senses.

But, they are so much more than pretty faces. Each one of these darlings provides more pollen and nectar return on investment than many other flowers combined. My rough and tumble native asteraceae are landing pads of deliciousness for butterflies, bees, wasps and moths.

There's that crab spider with its unsuspecting victim

They're magnets for all kinds of insects; including some that are themselves food for spiders, birds and other insect eating critters. It's a bug eat bug world in a garden.

Eupatorium coelestinum landing pads of deliciousness for visiting critters

These beauties are nectar and pollen sources for late visiting bees and butterflies, but also are known host plants for many moths and butterflies. The caterpillars of Pearl Crescent and checkerspot butterflies feed on Symphyotrichum novae-angliae; about ten different moths and butterflies rely on the foliage of Goldenrod; although, Mistflower is primarily a nectar source~it's foliage is eaten by several moth and butterfly cats.

Goldenrod even provides shelter for the curious little Goldenrod Gall Fly that makes this gall its home.

My love affair with native plants has been going on for so long that they seem more beautiful to me then many classic garden flowers. I love these rough and tumble, take care of themselves wildflowers. Part of their charm is their good wildlife value. But, their larger charm is that they are absolutely perfect for Clay and Limestone!

Nothing stops them from blooming and nothing makes me happier then seeing them in my garden each September.

xxoogail

Ps I've been away visiting my son who successfully defended his dissertation then I got sick. Never fly with a head cold, it only makes it worse.

Outstanding In Its Field

2011-09-14T05:00:00.000-05:00

Dahlia coccinea ‘True Wild Form’ is tasty to grasshoppers

It might be more accurate to say, "Dahlia is standing out in the field....of Susans."

Although, I deliberately planted this lovely in the middle of the Susan's Border, I had visions of red flowers, not a vision of a red flower!

I fell for this brilliant red dahlia with the golden yellow stamens when I saw it in the Annie's Annuals* catalog last Spring. Remember Spring! When the weather was near perfect and we bought plants with abandon and hopes for summer. In my fantasy 'True Wild' was making a dramatic statement much earlier in the season and then continuing to bloom when the Susans opened in July! That was my plan!

Fading beauties: Susans, early blooming wildflowers and still blooming Coreopsis 'Redshift' and Cup Plant

Instead, she's outstandingly beautiful in the field of fading beauties~

Placing a bold red flower in the middle of Rudbeckia fulgida might not be to everyone's taste, but, I like it.

Salvia

In fact, I love bold reds and yellows.

Coreopsis 'Redshift'

Nature has gifted us with many naturally occurring reds and yellows~ like Partridge Peas, Ratibida columnifera, Helenium autumnale, and spring blooming Aquilegia canadensis and Spigelia marilandica. So why not plop a red and gold flowered dahlia right in the middle of the Susans for a spot of intensity.

Poor Dahlia is too tasty to caterpillars

I might move her a smidge closer to the Coreopsis Big Bang™ 'Redshift' and order a few more for impact! I wish she wasn't such a tasty treat for those darn grasshoppers. Soldier beetles do your best!

xxoogail

*Annies Annuals

September Charm

2011-09-12T05:00:00.000-05:00

Anemone × hybrida 'September Charm'

Anemone japonica really is charming~No doubt about it.

It's especially appreciated in September, blooming a lovely pink when the summer phloxes are fading and the Susans's are still dominating the sunnier beds.

As charming as anemones are on a sunny September day; my mind is on September's charms. The light is changing as the sun shifts in the sky, the days are shorter and the evenings are cooler. I've even noticed that the sky is getting bluer...

Plants that were in bloom a moment ago are bronzing,

Some are fading

Crisping, or have

Even, gone to seed.

Halloween critters have made an early appearance

and pollinators dance through the garden.

I am so appreciative of plants that need no coddling. Soon the rough and tumble wildflowers will be in full colorful bloom.

Lobelia siphilitica

I don't even mind the ones that needed an extra drink~Sometimes twice a week! They make me smile and keep the pollinators supplied with nectar and pollen.

September charms me into the garden to start projects that were impossible to do in the heat and drought.

Anemone 'September Charm'

...and, September charms me into falling completely in love with my garden all over again.

xxoogail

What's Noshing At Clay and Limestone

2011-09-05T03:00:00.000-05:00

Pennsylvania Leatherwing on Sneezeweed/Helenium autumnale

I've a new critter in the garden~This is the first Clay and Limestone sighting for this super duper cool Halloween colored soldier beetle. Am I ever glad I checked this critter out before dispatching it to bug Hades. Pennsylvania Leatherwings are highly desirable biological control agents. Simply stated~they are good bugs that eat bad bugs!

A highly beneficial rascal to have around the garden.

Don't you think it resembles a Lightening Bug (LB)? I did, and that helped me discover its identity. Describing what it looked like and on which flowers it was feeding took me almost immediately to Pennsylvania Leatherwings. What a cool critter. It's no accident that the PLB resembles its close relative the firefly/Lightening Bug. Clever Mother Nature helps critters mimic poisonous look-a-likes and survive predators. No smart bird or wasp wants to eat anything that resembles a firefly with their poisonous blood that oozes from the base of their wing covers. On the other hand~our orange hero is a tasty treat for birds, bats, spiders, ground beetles, and other small predators.

Soldier Beetles and Green Metallic Bee on Verbisina virginica

Prof Michael Raupp wrote that, "Like other members of this clan, soldier beetles are natural born killers in both adult and juvenile stages and are highly beneficial rascals to have around the garden." (source) The adult Pennsylvania Leatherwings are especially important predators of aphids and their larva consumes grasshopper eggs, aphids, small beetles, caterpillars and other soft bodied insects, most of which are pests. Go here and here for more on their life cycle. I sure hope they lay eggs in the soil in my garden~I've had a plague of grasshoppers this year, so there will be lots of their eggs for them to nosh on!

A pest consuming machine

The Pennsylvania Leatherwing may be a pest consuming machine but, they play an important role in pollinating native plants like Helenium autumnale/Sneezeweed, Verbesina virginica/Frostweed and other native plants in natural areas and our gardens.

They supplement their diet with pollen and nectar

I am tickled pink to find these beneficial insects living in the garden and dining on the natives that were added to the menu with this in mind. Later this month when the Goldenrod Blooms they may stop by to nosh on its golden pollen. When that happens I'll call them by their other common name: Goldenrod Soldier Beetle.

They're also Very Important Pollinators

What's noshing in your garden?

xxoogail

Pollinators and Late Summer Blooming Flowers

2011-08-31T05:00:00.002-05:00

Cardinal Flower and friend

It's late summer and many gardens are winding down. Any blooming plants are especially appreciated for their beauty and the nectar and pollen they provide for resident and visiting pollinators. Each year I add more plants that fill the void until the big blue, gold and purple fall show. Here are a few that continue to make me smile.

Cardinal Flower, aka, Lobelia siphilitica is a gorgeous plant that always has skippers, butterflies, bumbles, carpenter bees and the tiniest little pollinators visiting it.

It blooms bottom up and the color is more lilac/purple then blue! It's planted in semi-shade and needs a good gulp of water in this extreme weather. It would be happiest in a constantly moist soil, but, that's not going to happen at Clay and Limestone. Once established, it can take short periods of drought. Red Cardinal Flower bloomed earlier and was the host for hummers.

Eupatorium coelestinum or Conoclinium coelestinum ~Whatever name you prefer, it's another late blooming native that I can't garden without. Nature gave me this pretty and I thank her every August when the cooling lilac blue against the pale green foliage is a spot of lush in my other wise dry garden. This plant is loved by bees, butterflies (especially Skippers and Swallowtails) and insects that Bluebirds, Orioles and warblers like to munch on~

Vernonia gigantea is one of my favorite of the late summer rough and tumble wildflowers that make a home in the garden. They make gardening at this time a year a pleasure.

Ironweed is the common name for this beauty. It's another native that loves wet feet and grows at Clay and Limestone despite the dry clay soil each summer. This is not a xeric plant, so don't plant it unless you have a low spot that collects rain water or plan on making sure you can meet its cultural needs. Bees, butterflies, skippers, and various bee flies seek out the nectar and pollen. Deer do not!

I'm not alone in my admiration of the Susans! Skippers, small butterflies, bees, bees and more bees love them, too. Rudbeckia hirta is the host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot (source) and several other caterpillary critters. R fulgida , R subtomentosa, R laciniata and R triloba are also residents of the garden.

Silphium perfoliatum. Just look at that bloom and its pollinator visitors! Need I say more about why I grow this pushy native! Cup Plant has visitors from sun up to sun down! Not only is it a pollinator magnet~it's been in bloom since August 1.

It's one of the tallest flowering plants in the garden, but, wants to lean over after a heavy rain storm~Never to stand up again. I discovered that you can cut it back in June, like tall asters, and it will flower just a tad latter and much shorter! But, nothing can stop it's attractiveness to bumbles, small bees, wasps, butterflies, skippers and birds who come to eat the seeds early in the fall.

Helenium autumnale or Common Sneezeweed is a cutie pie plant that's relatively new to the garden. It's putting on a big flowery show but, with the droughty conditions it's really wimping out and flopping all over the place. So far that hasn't stopped the critters from visiting it, but, it may be moved to a spot where it can get support to hold it up! What I wanna know is, "Who planted this plant in the front of the garden where it looks messy and sloppy and blocks the amsonia?!"

Yes, even a few exotics make me smile. Anemone × hybrida 'September Charm' (Japanese anemone).

xxoogail

PS I know, I've written this before~ If you want to attract bees and other pollinators to your garden:

plant large swathes of pollinator friendly, nectar and pollen producers.
plant host plants~don't stop at nectar and pollen plants
plan for bloom from late spring to early winter
bee sure to include water
provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors: decaying logs, even special bee houses and leave some bare ground (ix-nay on the plastic landscape cloth)
Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides in your garden. I mean never. Seriously....never.

In case you want to read earlier pollinator posts~

Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don't (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can't All Be Pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What's In Your Garden (here)
Royalty In The Garden~Monarch Butterfly (here)
Carpenter Bees (here)
Got Wildflowers?(here)
It's Spring and A Gardener's Thoughts Are On Pollinators (here)
The Wildflower and The Bee (here)
A Few Good Reasons To Plant Milkweek (here)
Got Shade? You Can Have Pollinators ( (here)
A Pollinator friendly Shrub (here)
Big Goings On at C and L (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~

Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies (here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

Bee clip art (here)

Wildflower Wednesday: Partridge Pea

2011-08-30T15:34:00.000-05:00

Partridge Pea/Chamaecrista fasciculata~it's not in my garden but, it might find a home here. Other than recognizing it as a pea family member I knew very little about it. I love the bright yellow petals, each with a touch of red; but, long time readers know that I try to keep my garden agreements with C and L. As pretty as these flowers are I do not think a gorgeous flowering face is enough to base a gardening relationship upon. I wanted to know more before I made a significant investment in seed or plant material. Just because they are native to Nashville doesn't mean they will successfully grow in the challenging conditions in my garden.

Radnor Lake from the trail

A good way to learn about endemic plants is at local natural areas. So, I decided to watch where it was growing at Radnor Lake while walking with my friends. But, a funny thing happened while observing Partridge Pea; we noticed there were several other Fabaceae family members growing here and there.

Senna marilandica with its nearly square seed pods

Like Southern Wild Senna. It's thriving at Radnor Lake and the Bumble Bees love it. The wildflower literature says that it's found growing in large stands in moist open woods, fields and cedar glades throughout Tennessee and the Eastern US. While I do like this legume~and those cool seedpods~it might need more moisture than Clay and Limestone can provide.

S obtusifolia is aka Sicklepod

Then I found Senna obtusifolia. Another good looking legume, but, it has an unpleasant odor and is an introduced subtropical species. It has great looking leaves and the flowers have a nice nodding habit, but, it's not a native.

A small planting at the visitor center

Which brings us back to Partridge Pea, sleeping plant, showy partridge pea, prairie senna, large-flowered sensitive-pea, dwarf cassia, partridge pea senna, locust weed, golden cassia. What ever it's called in your neck of the woods, this fabulous Fabaceae has excellent wildlife value.

A very large and happy stand at Bison Meadows.

Partridge Pea is an annual that grows about three foot tall. The small paired leafletsare light sensitive and close at night. The showy yellow and red flowers are small and grow in clusters on the stem. It's in bloom late summer through early Fall. I've not seen the fruit, but, it's described as a straight, narrow pod 1½ to 2½ inches long, which splits along 2 sutures as it dries; the pod sides spiral to expel the seeds some distance from the parent plant. I always wondered why seed pods of legumes were twisted!

It grows in dense stands, as seen above at Bison Meadows and the decaying stalks provide covering for birds, small mammals and waterfowl. It's a known honey plant, often occurring where few other honey plants are found. Nectar is not available in the flowers of showy partridge pea but is produced by small orange glands at the base of each leaf. Ants often seek the nectar and are frequent visitors. (see photo below for visiting ant) The common sulfur butterfly lays its eggs on the leaves, and the larvae use the leaves as a food source. (source)

While it is a wonderful plant for erosion control, looks spectacular in flower, feeds critters, provides habitat, fixes nitrogen, has low water needs once established there is one caveat~partridge pea foliage is nutritious, but, it can be poisonous and should be considered potentially dangerous to cattle.

I think it's safe to grow here and, yes, I did find a seed source!

xxoogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. I am so glad you stopped by. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants; it's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011. This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

Sometimes, If You Stand Quietly In the Garden

2011-08-19T05:00:00.000-05:00

You'll see exactly what you need to see.

No one can tell you what that is.

It could be the sun rising

or a perfect bumblebee dangling from an imperfectly perfect flower.

It might be a butterfly sipping nectar.

You'll know it when it happens.

This morning I saw a hummingbird in my garden...
It was exactly what I needed to see.

The garden has been struggling during this long, hot summer and so has the gardener. But, seeing that hummingbird made my heart soar. I knew in that instant that it was worth all the hard work it has taken to keep this garden half alive. I stood as quietly as I could and took in the wonder of that tiny creature. A creature whose heart beats as fast as 1,260 beats every minute and whose wings move as much as 80 times a second with normal flight.* With so much energy used, that tiny little creature needs to refuel his body often, up to eight times an hour and he was visiting my garden! He was nectaring on the agastache I planted in containers so it would survive clay and limestones notorious poor drainage. He was visiting the cardinal flower that I give extra gulps of water to...He even stopped to check out the Cup Plant. He was visiting my flowers!

It was exactly what I needed to see and it was exactly what I needed to feel. Some lessons come to us exactly as they are supposed to...

xxoogail

*source

Thank Goodness For The Susans~GBBD August 2011

2011-08-15T04:00:00.000-05:00

Without their sunny golden faces my garden would be almost completely green!

There's just not enough sun for the sun loving plants that I want to have in the garden.

Plants that absolutely must have the most sun, like Tennessee Coneflower, are placed in the sunniest spots in the garden. Otherwise, they lie down on the job.

The rest make do!

Rudbeckia subtomentosa 'Henry Eilers'

The rudbeckias never complain! They bloom and bloom and bloom...Thank Goodness!

Containerized Hibiscus acetosella and Capsicum annuum 'Black Pearl'

The lack of full sun is not the only issue at C and L! A ledge of limestone bedrock is sitting right smack in the middle of the sunniest border, just a mere 6 to 8 inches below the clay soil. Too big for this gardener to be able to dig out!

containerized Agastache rupestris

So I plant around it; and where nothing will grow except those wonderful colonizing rudbeckias,

I add containers with native and

Skipper nectaring on Lantana

non native plants.

Cup Plant

The bedrock presents no problem to tap-rooted plants like Cup Plant/Silphium perfoliatum. The roots find small cracks in the bedrock and work their way past it to the soil below! (go here for My Cup Plant Runneth Over post at Beautiful Wildlife)

Despite the semi-sunny conditions~Joe-Pye Weed is blooming, as is

It's living up to its name~Vernonia gigantea. It ~~towers~~ leans over just a bit!

New York Iron Weed,

Verbena bonariensis,

species Phlox paniculata and,

R hirta 'Cherry Brandy'

the Rudbeckia hirta cultivars.

R hirta 'Prairie Sun'

Thank goodness for the Susans and for all their friends!

xxoogail

It's Bloom Day and Garden Bloggers all over the known bloggasphere are celebrating the blooms in their garden. You can see more gardens then you can imagine in one day if you stop by hostess extraordinaire Carol of May Dreams Gardens to take the Mr Linky magic carpet ride to adventure.

Clay and Limestone's Very Own Fascinators

2011-08-08T05:00:00.001-05:00

Fascinators are all the rage these days.

The denizens of Clay and Limestone did not want to be left out of the excitement or the limelight.

The house photographer has been busy keeping up with the changing styles and ever changing look.

Although a few of the showier plants sported a flashier look,

Most wore colors that coordinated beautifully with their natural coloring.

A few member of the 'flowers of a certain age' weren't at all shy about strutting their stuff.

I greatly admired the graciousness of the Grand Dames when others showed up wearing the same look.

The younger set seemed to not care at all~

They just wanted to be seen and dance in the sunshine...

Like all beautiful creatures who reside at C and L.

The Fascinators:

1. Silvery Checkerspot

2. Horace's Dustywing

3. Gulf Fritillary

4. Eastern Swallowtail

5. Silvery Checkerspot

6. Dustywing

7. Silvery Checkerspot

8. Silvery Checkerspot

9. Dustywing

10. Eastern Tailed Blue

xoxogail

This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.

It's Always The Time To Think About Pollinators!

2011-08-05T05:01:00.004-05:00

Even with the oppressive heat and humidity we're experiencing in the Middle South, it's not too late to add a few annuals to the porch or patio. The sun loving bees, butterflies and other pollinators will appreciate the pollen and nectar.

somethings noshing on my Susans!

They round out the native plantings and add a spot of color to The Susans in my garden.

As you're wandering the nursery and checking out the sales~ go ahead~take a chance on the fading Verbena bonariensis...You can dead head it for more bloom or let it go to seed.

Sure the lantana isn't looking so hot; but, trust me, it will perk up with care and will continue to bloom until frost. The last butterflies will thank you by stopping by for a bit of nectar.

While your looking around grab that red penta that looks like it's fading~Don't be fooled. You can cut back the seed head and have a new flush of bloom that will draw the local hummers to your garden. They visit mine everyday~ Someday, I hope to actually photograph them.

Gaura

You don't have to restrict your late summer sales purchases to annuals! Perennials are on sale, too. In bloom!

Look for perennials that make sense in your garden; that provide pollen/nectar; or, are host plants for pollinators.

I bought three more Rudbeckia hirta 'Cherry Brandy' at a big box store yesterday. I don't care if they don't make it through the winter or that they're seedlings might not breed true. What's more important to me is how very popular they are with the littlest pollinators and garden visitors right now. Plus, they look spectacular massed by the front door. I just planted them in a container and keep them watered. Easy peasy!

So go shopping for plants! Take your time, look around, see what's available. You'll be surprised at the quality of many of the sale plants. They aren't all root bound or dried up. With a little tlc the annuals will rebloom and the perennials will be ready for fall planting.

Just remember, it's always time to think about pollinators.

xxoo gail

PS I know, I've written this before~ If you want to attract bees and other pollinators to your garden:

plant large swathes of pollinator friendly, nectar and pollen producers
plant host plants~don't stop at nectar and pollen plants
plan for bloom from late spring to early winter.
bee sure to include water
provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors, some bare ground (ix-nay on the plastic landscape cloth) and decaying logs and even special bee houses

Now, please raise your mouse and solemnly swear that you will never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides in your garden. Now don't you feel better for having made that commitment!

In case you want to read earlier pollinator posts~

Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don't (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can't All Be Pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What's In Your Gardenhere)
Royalty In The Garden(here)
Carpenter Bees (here)
Got Wildflowers?(here)
It's Spring and A Gardener's Thoughts Are On Pollinators (here)
The Wildflower and The Bee (here)
A Few Good Reasons To Plant Milkweek (here)
Got Shade? You Can Have Pollinators ( (here)
A Pollinator friendly Shrub (here)
Big Goings On at C and L (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~
Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies (here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

Bee clip art (here)
This post was written by Gail Eichelberger for my blog Clay and Limestone Copyright 2011.This work protected under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Please contact me for permission to copy, reproduce, scrape, etc.