Celebrating Wildflowers Part II

Like the Atamaco Lilies, Sweetbay has been in bloom for a month. If we get much rain this year it will bloom on and off all summer.

 

The silver-backed leaves are as beautiful as the lemon-scented flowers.

 

I am enamoured of the tiny flowers of Blue Toadflax, now covering fields in Johnston County with a fine lavender haze.

 

I planted Green and Gold 'Eco Laquered Spider' 14 years ago, and two plants now cover a semi-area of approximately 20' by 35' near the old house site. Neither drought nor flooding bothers it, and it would seem the more it's ignored the happier it is. Its only drawback is that the leaves mildew during the humid heat of summer.

 

 

Spiderworts are a treasure for their bunches of low-blooming flowers this time of year. Given enough moisture Tradescentia virginiana will bloom on and off for the rest of the year. I don't know if it's because I'm too far north for them to be ranbuntious, but they are not spreaders in my garden, giving only enough seedlings to spread around where needed.

 

Spiderwort 'Zwanenburg Blue' with the rugosa 'Foxi Pavement'
 

Phlox pilosa var. okzarkana
quickly makes good-sized drifts.
 

 

 

Phlox 'Minnie Pearl' has filled out nicely this year, creating a big bouquet of perfectly snow-white flowers.

 

The native star of the show currently are the Baptisias. They've been beautiful already for a month in their bud and early flower stages. They are both elegant and cottagey at the same time, and look great with irises, roses and foxglove.

 

In my garden Baptisia australis
ranges in color from soft lavender
 

to blue-violet.
 

 

 

 

Baptisia alba is so striking with its charcoal gray stems, shown here with Cl. Old Blush.

 

'Purple Smoke', an offspring of Baptisia alba and B. minor

 

 

Baptisia alba and 'Purple Smoke' with rugosa rubra, rugosa alba, Foxi Pavement and white iris.

 

Thank you Gail for hosting Wildflower Week!

Celebrating Wildflowers ~ Part One

All week I have been thinking of posting to Wildflower Week, hosted by the delightful Gail of clay and limestone but have had a hard time getting my act together. I am "suffering" from an excess of garden photos and indecision about what to do with them. An excess of weeds too.

Earlier this month most of what was blooming in my garden was native, both hardwoods and perennials.

Pink Piedmont Azalea

 

 

 

 

White Piedmont azalea

 

 

 

Florida Azalea

 

 

Those azaleas finished up last week while Woodland Phlox (shown below in mid-April) is still in full bloom in some places in the garden.

 

 

Coast Azalea is a little later than the Florida and Piedmont Azaleas. I love the pink fuzzy buds and blue-green leaves. I think it could stand more sun than those azaleas too, as it's the only one that leans toward the light.

 

The fragrance is just like inhaling the fragrance of cotton candy.

 

This azalea, just arrived in the garden last year, is labelled 'Choice Cream', which I've read is a R. austrium x atlanticum hybrid. However, it looks so me from the yellow blotch that it could be an Alabama Azalea hybrid.

 

Also new to the garden last fall, Alabama Azalea. The fragrance has strong delicious lemony notes.

 

Geranium maculatum, a beautiful find from the farm.

 

 

 

 

Atamasco Lilies have been blooming in various places ~ in the garden and in the fields and woods ~ for a month now.

 

Commonly known as Easter Lily, this lily actually bloomed on Easter this year!

Tuesday Morning

Hansa

 

with Baptisia 'Purple Smoke' and B. alba

 

Hansa and Cl. Old Blush

 

Rugosa rubra

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foxi Pavement