Thursday, April 25, 2013

Wildflower Wednesday



This is the time of the year that the natives start spreading their wings. And the time for some long-awaited friends to make a reappearance.

Toothwort used to bloom with joyful abandon at the old house site, but since then, it has been much more shy to bloom. Still, this has been a good year for it, and this spring I have been finding the delicate white blooms in all sorts of out-of-the-way shady places, where I had tucked spare rhizomes years ago.


Of the four Florida azaleas that used to be at the front of the house, three survived. The one below has scarcely missed a beat, blooming every year since. It's a nice size ~ about 4 high and 3 feet wide ~ and covered in flowers.



The other two I have waited SIX long years to see a bloom again. They've been residing on the east side of the house for the past two or three years now, after it became clear they wouldn't make it if they stayed where they were. I was so happy to see flowers on them again!


Ironically the Florida Azalea that's doing the best is one that I put at the edge of the woods opposite the paddock behind the house. It's taller than me now. The deer haven't touched it. I have heard from others that deer much prefer the evergreen azaleas and this tallies with my experience.


I love Florida Azaleas with Woodland Phlox.


I thought the only woodland phlox I had left was the medium blue ('Clouds of Perfume'), but there's some purple 'Louisiana' left after all. The very light blue/ white 'May Breeze' is gorgeous but isn't as tough as the others and it's gone now. We've had a lot of dry, dry summers in recent years and woodland phlox doesn't appreciate that. I'm going to keep mulching my little shade garden next to the house, though, as I don't have that much shade anymore where I'm willing to micromanage things.





Every year when the Piedmont azaleas bloom I wish all of my garden was like this.
The bright rose/purple azalea on the right is an Encore 'Autumn Amethyst'.






As the flowers start to fade they look like they are shedding "teardrops".


The native crabapples were magnificent this year, as usual. We have three: one at the edge of a field, one next to a path that leads to the creek, and one next to the creek. This is the first year I've seen many flowers on the pathside tree, and it was beautiful.


The tree at the edge of the field:







This one next to the creek was also covered in flowers, almost surprisingly so considering how many other trees are growing around it.


The flowers are not strongly fragrant but have the same sweet scent as apple blossoms.

Thank you Gail for hosting Wildflower Wednesday!


24 comments:

  1. WOW ~ I love all of your flowering shrubs and trees and the little blue phlox is wonderful. You must love this time of year there in your bit of paradise.

    Happy Gardening ~ FlowerLady

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  2. It looks amazing at your place, sweetbay :) I just added a Florida azalea and a Flame azalea this spring...as well as one called 'My Mary' and it is absolutely gorgeous! The scent is heavenly as well. I've wanted some native azaleas for quite some time and finally got some. I cannot believe how many you have! Wow. Your woodland phlox does look nice with the orangish shade; I have woodland phlox near mine and I am also completely enjoying being able to soak up the colors.

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  3. Hello there, what beautiful images – I do adore that woodland phlox. Do you think it would grow in Scotland? Lol… we don’t usually have dry summers here ;-)

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  4. Oh, your shrubs and flowers are beautiful!! I have some of the blue Woodland Phlox and just bought two of the May Breeze Phlox today!! They are just so beautiful and the May Breeze smells so good! Don't you just love spring!!!

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  5. Such a beautiful spring in your area. Those pink Piedmont azaleas are sweet and delicate and totally shameless! Lovely.

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  6. I am awestruck! Your garden is a delight. I so love the native azaleas and recently discovered that Middle Tennessee has one~pinxterbloom. Of course, I planted it and am hoping it someday looks as beautiful as your piedmont azaleas. The woodland phlox looks lovely beneath them all...

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  7. Your azaleas are beautiful flowering and the woodland Phlox.......amazingly blue.

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  8. Your azaleas are gorgeous! It seems like every season you have a mass of spectacular blooms, Sweetbay, whether it's daylilies or Bidens or now azaleas. It must be hard to pick a favorite season. The blue phlox are lovely, too.

    I'm beginning to wonder if there's anything deer won't eat:)

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  9. I love your azaleas :) I have pink and white scattered in the woods around my house, but I have never seen the yellow, they're wonderful! I also love your crab apple trees. The blooms are great.

    Happy Gardening!

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  10. Wow what a riot of beautiful blooms you have now. The yellow azaleas blooms and the woodland phlox look so beautiful together. Have a wonderful weekend.

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  11. It's so amazing to me to see azaleas at this time of year. We're just starting to think about a few spring bulbs and you've got whole shrubs just bursting in colour.

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  12. Beautiful!! The anthers (?) coming out of the yellow azaleas remind me of giant eyelashes. :o) LOVE those crab apples! They're so covered in flowers they almost seem frothy.

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  13. The woodland phlox is the 'glue' that pulls it all together. I hope you can keep on top of any micro-management.

    Apple blossom is just perfect. Against a blue sky on a crystal clear spring day, nothing better.

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  14. Your azaleas are so pretty, love rhododendron and azaleas. Mine are still 'thinking' to bloom or not to bloom?
    Have a nice weekend!

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  15. Your blog is so inspiring. I'm going to plant more native azaleas!

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  16. I have just seen a comment you made on my blog from way back and decided to stop by and say a late hello and a thank you for stopping by. I'm so sorry it's taken me this long to visit but I have absolutely loved looking at all your photos. Your flowers in this post are gorgeous!

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  17. Those crabapples are beautiful. I can't believe you didn't have blooms for six years on your azalea! Man, makes me be more patient with mine.
    Think I need to add some Woodland Phlox, what a great combination with the azaleas.

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    1. Janet those azaleas were pretty big when we had to move them (about 7 feet high), so moving was very tough on them. They almost died, and had to be moved twice before I found a good place for them. Normally you'd NEVER have to wait that long. lol But I was very attached to those azaleas and was willing to wait.

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  18. I've never seen yellow azalea blossoms before. These are gorgeous. I'm jealous of your full-fledged spring! We're still waiting for the first blossoms.

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  19. Gorgeous photos, as always! Your crabapples and azaleas are magnificent. I love the woodland phlox/Florida azalea combination. I planted my first native azalea three years ago. It was tiny. Finally this year it had a single bloom, but it was a fabulous one. Now I am really excited to see this one grow up! Since then I have planted several others, and none have bloomed yet. I hope it doesn't take six years!

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  20. I love the woodland phlox! Living in a home with woodlands surrounding me I think this will be the new plant I introduce to my wild ones! I find it frustrating and a challenege getting the garden I so wish for with so many trees shading the ground area!Top it off the soil is all sand!! Water goes right through and everything drys up so quickly! Oh well trial and error when it comes to gardening!
    have a wonderful day in your garden of color! Here I still wait.

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  21. Beautiful pictures. I love wildflowers, and I am so glad to see these lovely pictures of them in your blog because I couldn't find time (again!) to go on a wildflower hike this year.... The azalea blooms are gorgeous, are they all deciduous? Those long stamens (?) make them look really special.

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    1. They are deciduous. I love the long stamens too.

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  22. So very pretty! Love the woodland phlox and all your azaleas. The crabapples are beautiful too!

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