Blooming Friday ~ In Remembrance

This post is in remembrance of last year's summer and fall wildflowers, and a continuation of my very late Wildflower Wednesday contribution.

Spiderworts start blooming in April and continue on and off until cold cuts them down.

A few years ago I put a tiny start of primrose next to the vegetable garden. It didn't do anything at first and I forgot about it until it bloomed in late spring and early summer this year. Pink primrose is a native of the bread basket of our country but likes it very well here too, a little too well some might say, but it may be just the thing for the Zone of Death next to the front sidewalk.

Is it possible to have too many Purple Coneflowers? They look splendid

in each other's company

and with Phlox paniculata 'Robert Poore'.

Another native of our prairie states is Prairie Rose, Rosa
setigera. It makes a gorgeous show of pink in June.

Monarda 'Raspberry Wine'

Bidens create oceans of sunshiny golden yellow in September.

In fall it's time for the asters.

Aromatic Aster blooms in October

while willow leaf aster 'Miss Bessie' is the last aster to bloom, usually starting around Halloween and blooming for a month.

Join Katerina at roses and stuff for more Blooming Fridays from all over the world.

Wildflowers, The Year in Review ~ Spring

I wanted to participate in the last Wildflower Wednesday, to pay homage to the role of natives in my garden throughout the year, but have been too scattered to put a post together until now. So here it is ~ my late late late post for WW!

Natives start to wake up here in March.

Chokecherry (Aronia arbutifolia)

and Serviceberry have an understated loveliness that stands out in the
still bare early spring landscape. The white ribbon-like flowers of the
Serviceberry are fleeting but the new fuzzy silver leaves are beautiful too.

Then in April everything seems to burst into bloom at once,
and the spring extravaganza continues through May.

Toothwort

Piedmont azaleas

In the distance is the one sizeable Dogwood that we have here, although I'd like to have
several one day. The biggest dogwood seedling I planted at the wood's edge is about 5 feet tall.

Marsh Phlox

This Phlox really was this brilliantly colored in the late afternoon sun!

Woodland phlox and Ozark phlox

Gulf Coast penstemon

Baptisia 'Purple Smoke'

Baptisia alba

Iris virginica

Calico Beardtongue (Penstemon calycosus)

Carolina Rose

Next ~ wildflowers in spring, summer and fall.

PS My New Year's Resolution for this year is to try to post for Wildflower Wednesday on time!

Blooming Friday ~ Christmas

It's time once again to join Katerina at roses and stuff for Blooming Friday.

May your holidays be filled with contentment

lots of warm fuzzies

and sweet treats.

I made about a thousand cookies (literally) to give as gifts this year. Gingersnaps are DH's favorite Christmas cookie and a favorite among the people who work in his office too.

Gingersnap recipe

Mix 1 cup packed light brown sugar, 3/4 cup shortening, 1/4 cup molasses, and 1 egg. Add 2 1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp baking soda, 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp ginger, 1/2 tsp cloves, and 1/4 tsp salt. Cover and put in fridge at least 1 hour.

Roll tsp sized portions of dough into balls, dip in powdered sugar. Bake at 325 for 9 minutes on nonstick baking sheets, allow cookies to set before removing from sheets to cool. I like for the cookies to have a crisp outside and chewy inside, so they are still quite soft when I take them from the oven.


Wishing you and yours a Merry Christmas!