Bottoms Up: An Almost Wordless Wednesday

Ahh... Bumbles!

The Bumbles are out and about...They took forever to show themselves in the garden and bottoms up is what we'll see from now on!  

I am one happy gardener.

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. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Bumbles Love Penstemon

....and so do I!

Penstemon calycosus formerly known as X!

The infamous Penstemon X is in bloom.  Long time Clay and Limestone friends  have already met X and heard the story.  But, if they don't mind I would like to share it with you now. 

Bumbles dart in and out and lucky is the gardener who can snap a photo or two

"Many years before Clay and Limestone, this sloped land was a rocky forest of native trees, shrubs, perennials and ephemerals. Fifty years ago a developer's bulldozers cut streets through the woodland. They built brick houses that had deep backyards and grassy front yards. They left a few trees, but took out the understory and planted grass, so that boys and girls could play baseball, kickball and reach for the sky on their backyard swings. The grass struggled, but, shagbark hickories, elms, oaks, junipers and rough leaved dogwoods kicked butt and thrived."

The best shot is often from the back when they aren't in movement!

So did the wildflowers.

 Blue-eyed grass, Western Daisy,  Downy Mint,  False Garlic and sedges were living in the lawn; trout-lily,  Dutchman's Breeches and trilliums were hiding under the shrubs; and,  penstemon grew with abandon on the mossy wet seep and in the dry shade. (Never Fail Wildflowers)

The penstemon was so charming and delightful that we became fast friends.  Identifying him was not easy. My go to guy for all things Middle Tennessee and Central South listed only two penstemons and neither description fit my sweet lilac flower.  So,  I  still call him X, although, these days he's much more formal and goes by his given name P calycosus.  (Thank you Terri Barnes of GroWild for helping me id  X way back when xo.)

Bumbles see the nectar lines and crawl right in!

This plant is a trooper and deserves to be showcased in more gardens. Penstemon calycosus is a fantastic plant for  garden beds or woodland edges.  It's a plant I would love to see showcased in more gardens. Even gardens that are not necessarily wildflower gardens.   

It's a disease resistant plant that grows in almost any conditions~The literature says it's  partial to full sun and moist, well-drained to dry soils, but, folks,  remember,  that X was  found growing on wet weather seeps that are anything but well draining.  It has survived droughty summers and wetter winters and blooms beautifully every spring. Plant it with  purple leaved heucheras (they often like the same conditions), bluestar or like me, let it romp to its heart's content.

Peek-a-boo, I see you.

I like the lance-shaped, semi-glossy, medium green,  finely saw-toothed edged foliage that is evergreen in my garden.  The snapdragon like  flowers that are produced on terminal panicles that bloom for a long time are beautiful.

But, seeing all the Bumbles is the real treat!


xxoogail


Go here for where Penstemon X occurs naturally 

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." She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Native and Exotic Blooms For May GBBD

Let me put you on the spot!

Isn't native Iris versicolor pretty. Versi has loved the rain that has parked itself over my garden all spring and refuses to move. It's well established now, so it will make it through the droughts that will arrive in July!

A dramatic deep purple Iris germanica that looks black across the garden

The other stunner in the garden is a tall nearly black bearded iris with a slightly sweet fragrance that already needs to be divided. Music to my ears with a flower this gorgeous!

Penstemon X (P calycosus) continues to bloom everywhere.

Penstemon calycosus native to the Central Basin

Letting it go to seed means the Garden of Benign Neglect is a sea of hummingbird and bee favorites flowers for at least a month...

Photo from my missing post Take A Chance On Me

The noid peony was blooming earlier this month. It has the tiniest bit of fragrance, but the single bloom with the intense golden yellow stamens is what drew me from across the nursery to grab this plant clearly marked~'red peony'. Tell me the truth! Could you have resisted its charms?

Spiderworts are blooming in full force~This is cultivar 'Sweet Kate' of the lime colored foliage.

and who planted this pretty little flower? "Not I!" said the innocent gardener! But, it looks sweet among the rampaging pink Evening primroses.

Evening Primrose with agastache foliage

Noid daylily

Monarda bradburiana~ Who knew I would have to go all the way to Chicago

The Lurie summer 2009

and the Lurie to find a Middle Tennessee native monarda that can take the dry soil that Clay and Limestone dishes out.

Proven Winners Superbells® Cherry Star is being trialed in a container in full sun

I wish you all a marvelous week and a delightful May 2011 Bloom Day. Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day is brought to you by Carol, of May Dreams Gardens. Stop by her blog for links to blogs and blooms all over the known blogasphere. You're in for a treat~it's Spring (and Autumn in the Southern Hemphisphere) and gardens are dressed in their finest.

xxoogail

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.

Bottoms Up!

Penstemon X

Bee bottoms that is!

But, let's make a toast to the bees that visit and pollinate our flowers.

They work hard~from sunrise to sunset.

Carpenter Bee visiting kale flowers

No vacations. No time off. Take these ginormous, pesty Carpenter Bees~ They are busy, busy, busy pollinating garden crops and garden plants while feeding and carrying for their young. They pollinate eggplant tomato, cucurbits, cassias, Carolina Jessamine, bee balm, aromatic sumac and wild lupine.

I had to use this one again~It's a favorite photo!

All the pollinators that visit or live in our gardens need a variety of nectar and pollen producing plants from early spring to late into the fall.

Ox-Eye Daisy

Here at Clay and Limestone we celebrate all pollinators and welcome them with as many plants as I can cram squeeze into the garden.

I don't mind that Evening Primrose could be called a thug. It's such a cheerful late spring flower, smells lovely and rips out easily.

Look at how nicely it weaves among the perennials in the Sunny Susans Bed.

Or, that Ox-Eye Daisy is a naturalized non-native. It grows well here and always attracts an interesting assortment of pollinators!

I plant bright colored plants

because pollinators love bright colors.

I do, too. Aren't I lucky that so many of my favorite natives are brilliantly colored.

You can't beat the brilliant pink and lilacs hues of Phlox pilosa. Practically Perfect Pink Phlox is a favorite of many small butterflies, bees and gardeners all over the country. Let it seed about your garden to create lovely drifts of fragrant flowers in April and May.

Just as the Phlox pilosa is beginning to fade, the humming bird and bees favorite, Penstemon X begins to bloom. P calycosus is a Central Basin Native that I can't say enough good things about! Not only does it tolerate wet feet, shade, dry soil and sun; it reseeds delightfully, creating drifts that make it easy for pollinators to visit.

Astranthium integrifolium~Entireleaf Western Daisy

~and speaking of drifts. Western Daisy is drifting about the garden. In the last month, small gnats, little bees, Hover Flies and a strange little pollen eating beetle (adult carpet beetle) have been seen on the flowers.

Scorpion Weed has faded but, not the memory of the Bumbles

So, raise your hori-hori knife, your hoe, your favorite digging tool or fork to honor the pollinators that frequent our garden! Join with me in thanking them. May these marvelous and important creatures continue to grace our gardens. Here's to planting for them and here's to creating a garden that brings us pleasure all season long~

xxoogail

PS ~ You know what's coming next! If you want pollinators~Big ones, small ones, odd ones, beautiful ones! Never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides in your garden.

This post is also part of a series on native pollinators in the garden~ Earlier posts and their links are listed below for your convenience.
Part I~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)
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 Milkweed (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.

Through the Garden Gate, Ahem, I mean Patio Door!

As you know we rarely enter the garden through the gates! You don't want to go beyond the fencing...there be dragons and such to scare you!

Itea and Hamamelis

Here's what you'll see while standing on the stone path ~~

Sticky clay and

standing water!

The consequences of 8 inches of rain in a few weeks have left the soil unworkable. It will take weeks to dry out. It is what it is! Clay and limestone! My plan is to remove the pinestraw, dig out the invasives and cover with compost...then reapply the straw. It's a battle I fight often!


Meanwhile back to the tour!
We are once again, pretending that we entered the gate...


This morning the garden was chilly...43 degrees and breath condensation was noticeable. My fingers were cold without gloves...let me tell you my dear northern friends...this is very unusual weather for a Middle South garden. Usually we are knee deep in bugs and humidity! Not to worry in a few days it will be back to normal.

The sun has shifted in the sky and lights up the very green and fast growing lawn!

From the patio you can clearly see the
Rosemary has settled in and
the Rainbow Swiss Chard in front of it looks pretty in the morning sunshine.


The sun rises above the roses I planted last winter...

Red Cascade is a sweet button flowered rose

that blooms in the semi-shade much better then I thought. It would be magnificent in a sunnier spot. Those are a premium here!



Maybe I am in denial, but sun lovers have been planted here!
Many of them are early bloomers and have already had their moment in the sun! A few like Echinacea purpurea will bloom nicely in a semi sunny spot.

Another charmer that grows despite the shade is

Lost Name Iris

The sun gently lights up the Nassella tenuissima.

Mexican Feather Grass was planted
before the trees leafed out when
the Garden of Benign Neglect was in full sun.
I am optimistic and planted half a dozen more plants
to create a presence!


In a celebratition of denial, hope and optimism,
here is the magnificent Sun shining on the back garden this morning!

Penstemon X (Penstemon calycosus or P smallii)

Penstemon flower with a hidden friend this morning

From the steps

You have to enlarge!
Phlox pilosa (PPPP) and Penstemon X



Jacob Cline Monarda didyma

and a final shot from the patio~~

What is going on you wonder!
The house is being pressure washed and painted...which is my excuse for being so slow with my post!

I hope you all had a good weekend and had enough time in your gardens.
Have a sweet day.
Gail