Under The Oak Tree

The southeast corner of the backyard garden is under the shady canopy of the large oak tree as well as the shadow of the wood fencing.  Pockets of sunlight appear in different areas at different times throughout the day.

Still on the east side but closer in toward the tree, new plants have been added to fill in the area where the wedelia ground cover once was growing.  The tallest plants are about two feet tall right now, but there are several which will be gaining height to add much needed layers.

Lots of low growing ground covering plants are planted on the north side of the tree.  This is the view we have from our back porch. 

There is a fairly good mix of cold hardy plants such as flax lily, holly fern and walking iris to keep the area from being too bare when the various clerodendrum, coleus, and caladiums disappear for the winter.  Where are all those caladiums I planted right after removing the wedelia?  Maybe I've been digging around too much and displaced them. 


Three oakleaf hydrangeas were planted on the southside of the tree to give some height and background.  These blooms are just beginning to open.  Hydrangea quercifolia is a native plant that fits in well with a natural woodland setting. 

Another native plant just added is this ground cover, Ruellia caroliniensis.  I'm hoping this native wild petunia will spread and help cover the areas between the other plantings. 

Up against the trunk of the old oak are clumps of different types of bromeliads.  The roots of the oak tree make it impossible to dig deep planting holes so these epiphytes fit perfectly. 

I just enjoy the sunlight shining through the leaves.  You never know when a stray sunbeam will show up.

On the west side of the tree I tried to mirror the planting of the east side.  There is another flowering maple, wormwood, firespike and a new reed-stem epidendrum planted on the outer edge of the circle where it can get some stronger sunlight.

With a mix of old and new, native and Florida friendly plants, I am eager to see how this woodland garden grows up. 

Growing in the Rain

It was mid-May when a new entry-way garden was started.  All the rain we have been getting this week has enlivened the new plantings.  After a very dry time this past month, rain has fallen every day for the last week.  It has been gentle and just the perfect thing for plants and gardens. 

The pink impatiens are bordering the new pathway using the pot-in-pot method.  When these flowers need to be protected from cold weather, I can just pop them out of the ground still in their pots and replace them with new pots of  annuals that will be more cold hardy.

Lots of caladium bulbs were planted to border the area and to add color in front of the azaleas when they are not blooming.  The red ones with the freckles are Red Flash and the white ones are White Christmas.

Four Mona Lavender plants were placed within the caladiums fronting the azaleas.  This past winter, Mona Lavender planted in the back garden made it through the record-breaking cold just fine.  The hope is these will be able to hold the area after the caladiums go to sleep for the winter.

The little gardenia tree hasn't bloomed again but it is putting out new leaves and seems happy in its spot.

To the right of the driveway huge azaleas and yellow walking iris have been spruced up a bit with a new border of liriope and caladiums.  These caladiums are Frieda Hemple. 

Earlier this spring I found boxes of caladium bulbs for sale at one of the warehouse clubs.  I just love going food shopping and coming home with something for the garden.

In fact, I was able to buy three native coonties at my local produce stand.  Food and garden shopping all in one spot is my new favorite way to shop. 

The area to the right of my front door was looking a little plain and left out of all the new plantings, so I planted the three new coonties and some pale pink pentas in front of the existing virburnum hedge.  Of course, I had already spread some caladium bulbs this spring .  The caladiums add some color to the existing liriope border. 

The rain has helped the struggling grass look better so for now there will be a small area of grass left.  But, I do have more grass elimination plans to be implemented when cooler weather comes along. 

New Blooms for My Garden

This sweet, simple white rose, White Out, was gifted to me for Mother's Day.  At the time, she had not one bud on her.  Lately though, she has been blooming away.

This was a small plant but she is growing well and I'm enjoying her very much.

This crinum bloomed just a week ago!  I love this color.  I was out weeding and edging when I noticed these blooms  and took a quick picture.  Good thing I did.  On my next walk past them I noticed the stem with the blooms was lying on the ground.  Curious, I walked over for a better look.  A big Lubber grasshopper was chomping down on the stalk!  EEEK!  I didn't stop to snap a picture, I just shovel whomped him .  I picked up the stalk of blooms and brought it into the house to put in a bud vase.  At least I was able to enjoy them for a few more days.  I HATE those grasshoppers and this year I am overrun with them.  

The grasshoppers haven't bothered my Regina walking iris though.  I purchased this in the early spring when I read that this plant is cold hardy.  I have two other types of walking iris that did well coming through our January deep freeze, so I was happy to add another.  Regina has a larger bloom than the others and a beautiful purple color.  She seems happy in my dappled shade. 

Blooms Along the Shady Path

When I look out my kitchen windows onto the shady backyard I see tiny plants making a comeback amid bushels and bushels of fallen oak leaves.  It takes some looking but here are some blooms I found popping up through the leaves.

This bromeliad was gifted to me from a gardening friend and is blooming for the first time in my garden.  I don't know the name of it but it sure is pretty.

Spiderwort, Tradescantia ohiensis, is a native plant I considered a weed for the first 20 years I lived here.  I've dug so many of these up I've lost count.  A few years ago I was browsing a native plant fair and saw these flowers being sold for $4/ gallon size pot.  Having a monetary value placed on these and seeing them listed as native plants, I now carefully cultivate them.  They grow well in the floodzone of my middle backyard and are just loving the wet earth there.  Another reason to love these plants is that they didn't skip a beat during the cold weather.

Another plant that the cold didn't faze is the blue walking iris, neomarica gracilis.  I have these hopelessly mixed together with the yellow variety, neomarica longifolia, and when they bloom en masse starting about this time of year, they are quite lovely.

The 'Fruit Cocktail' shrimp plant, Justicia brandegeana,  is a recent purchase that was made to give some color to a slowly returning garden.

These plants are all under my huge live oak tree that creates one big self-mulching bed taking up half the backyard.  My Garden Path gets its name from the circular path that surrounds the oak.  As soon as leaf fall and pollen fall are over in a week or so, this area will be a favorite spot to spend time as it is always cool and pleasant under the big oak.