More rhododendrons

Our deciduous native azaleas in the Southeastern U.S. are wonderfully garden-worthy, and happily are appearing more in local gardens, and perhaps other parts of the temperate gardening world! They've all been flowering in the last few weeks - some of the nicest are Pinxter flower (a common name used for Rhododendron periclymenoides and R. canescens), both of which are lovely, and Florida azalea (Rhododendron austrinum). Florida azalea flowers vary in color from yellow to orange, sometimes quite vivid. This one was flowering behind my office building awhile ago.

They like filtered shade, and reasonably moist soil, similar to their natural habitat in the understory of mixed hardwood forests. They're definitely not in the category of adaptable natives, being fairly specific in their requirements!

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Funky Glass Doors

These way-cool floor-to-ceiling, blue glass sliding doors make this kitchen something worth blogging about. -Living Etc.

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Rhododendrons are starting to flower

The Japanese azaleas and our native azaleas have been in flower (and some are past) for awhile, but the evergreen Rhododendrons are later. Ours are just starting to flower. In my part of the world, in the SE US, we have lovely native evergreen rhododendrons in the mountains, but the ones that do best here in the foothills and Piedmont have a bit of hybrid vigor, thanks to some Asian genes and happy crosses. But still, they're fussy about site; the ones that have flourished have light morning sun and are protected from harsh summer afternoons. Perfect drainage helps protect against Phytophora spp. (which cause root rot).

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Lovely Blue Grasscloth

This entry was designed by Molly Luetkemeyer. I love how she used the pretty pale blue grasscloth to soften the hall of this modern home. And what an interesting place for a fish bowl. -M. Design Interiors

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Swallows

Mary-Anne Collis, an MSc student from The University of Exeter is spending the summer carrying out a research project into the nesting habits of swallows. Swallows have been in decline throughout Europe since the 1970s, probably because of the effect that widespread agricultural spraying has has on the insects that form their food. Collis is trying to discover the criteria that the birds use when choosing a nesting site, and to find out which agricultural practices best encourage them to nest and breed.

I think she'd have been a bit bemused to meet this little fellow, who we found when we went to Gardaland on Saturday. Obviously a swallow with extremely dubious taste, he'd built his nest in what has to be the kitschest part of the theme park - the mock Arab village.





He didn't seem at all fazed by the hordes of visitors - though I suspect it had been quieter before the bank holiday, when he built his nest. But he just sat there calmly watching us take photos, cleaned his feathers a bit, and then later flew to some nearby perches to sing us a song.



He wasn't the only one. Apart from his mate there were a number of others swooping around, presumably with their nests in similar places.

I think Collis may be on the wrong track. Forget grazing cattle and hedgerows Mary-Ann. That's old hat. What the modern generation want are roller coasters and hot dogs ...

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Brown thrashers, robins, and evening

Spring evenings are lovely in the garden -- the songs and calls of birds as they settle in for the night accompany my puttering around checking plants, mulching, pulling the odd weed. It's often a magical time, when suddenly it's almost dark, or it's time to cook dinner. Yesterday, several hours vanished as I planted, dug, and tended.

The brown thrashers were busy protecting their nest; a fledgling, fully feathered, was on the ground, but the parents were protective and attentive. I had seen them yesterday up in the old redbud.

The nest must be in one of the Viburnums or maybe in the butterfly bush. They were watchful again this evening, so hopefully the fledgling on the ground is under cover.

Early this morning, on a rain-drenched (and shortened) birding excursion, we watched a pair of robins doing their courtship ritual, a remarkable display. We also heard song sparrows and saw them foraging for seeds in the lawn.

A nice way to spend the beginning and end of the day.

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Modern Apartment

This colorful apartment designed by L. Weatherbee is bright, modern and cozy. I love the turquoise and brown rug that provided the inspiration for the accent wall color in the entry and dining room. -L. Weatherbee Design Studio

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A good day for planting

Trombocino squash last year

It was overcast all day, with some showery periods, and a forecast for more rain tonight. Perfect weather for transplanting and sowing seeds. I spent most of the day puttering in the garden, planting, digging, transplanting, with some weeding thrown in.

The soil temperature here is now about 70°F, so warm enough to sow seeds of cucumbers, squash, and beans. I put in heirloom Armenian yard-long cucumbers, trombocino squash, lagenaria squash (Lagenaria longissima- a new species to try), Ronde de Nice zucchini, Eight Ball zucchini (similar to Ronde de Nice, I think, but from a different seed company), patty pan squash (Johnny's 'Flying Saucer F1'), and scarlet runner beans.

For good measure, I also sowed some 'leftover' seeds in small pots to put on the germination mat: Toma Verde tomatillo, Corno di Toro peppers, "pizza" peppers (from two sources), a hybrid 'Italian Gourmet' pepper from Park Seed, and eggplant 'Listada de Gandia.' I also sowed more cucumbers, squash, and zucchini in pots, to rotate in, as space becomes available.

Seeds are such fun! I hadn't sown any warm season things earlier this year, as I've been busy with work-related things, and when I realized it was late to get any interesting plants via online ordering, thought I'd try some late seed starting. Our growing season is long enough that even warm-season veggies can produce by mid-summer, even if not started until now.

I transplanted some pretty lettuce seedlings that were part of a 'wild salad mix' -- I love the look of the 'speckled trout' or 'Freckles' lettuce and the soft textures of the butterhead lettuce.

I also managed to get in most of my purchased tomato and pepper plants - most from a horticultural student sale on campus, including some interesting heirlooms, but also some old standbys from the local nursery yesterday -- Better Boy and Beefsteak tomatoes.

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More plants to plant

On an excursion to one of our remaining independent nurseries yesterday looking for a pot of Bolivian begonia, which had been wonderful last summer on the porch, I didn't find any, and will just have to wait until the one I ordered as a 'summer bulb' arrives. I did find a number of other things (of course!) that I thought it would be fun to try.

A large flat of Bidens in one of the greenhouses (species not given) was unusual among the normal collection of warm season annuals. Bidens is a genus in the Aster family full of tough, sometimes weedy wildflowers (common names include Tickseed, Beggar's Ticks, and Bur-Marigold), so seeing flats of something tame-looking labeled as an annual got my attention.

I had run across a reference to selections of Bidens ferulifolia a couple of weeks ago, working on a drought-tolerant plant list for our zone (7b). They supposedly flowered all summer, were attractive to bees and butterflies, and were happily drought-tolerant in containers (my kind of plant). So even though I wasn't sure what sort of Bidens were being offered up, two pots made it into my cart (I managed not to buy more, as I already had added a couple of portulaca plants, two licorice plants, and several small tomato plants), in spite of having a number of plants at home needing planting already....

Some time poking about on the web suggested that my purchases WERE a cultivar of Bidens ferulifolia, a native of the U.S. Desert Southwest and Mexico, a evergreen perennial in Zones 8-11. Which cultivar, I don't know, but I think I'll use one in the large corner hanging basket, and the other along the driveway and see how they do.

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Miles Redd Eye Candy

Miles Redd is simply incredible. Love love love. -Miles Redd and j'adore decor

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White

We're on the last day of a long weekend here in Italy. Friday was a Bank Holiday, and for the first time this month we've had a whole three days without rain. And it's been warm and sunny. So yesterday we decided to go out for the day - along it seemed with most of the rest of Europe, but that's another story.

We went to Lake Garda, where there's a huge theme park called Gardaland. Not my idea - I'll leave you to guess who chose the destination - and I spent most of the time wandering around looking at the flower beds while the other two went on the most hideously scary rides (they did get me on one, but that too is another story). And my compliments to their head gardener. There were some superb displays, including beds with thousands and thousands of pansies. Simple but absolutely stupendous.

What caught my eye though were the shrub borders and a couple of beds where the theme was bright green and white, like the bed of tulips above. Unfortunately the shrubs weren't labelled. I think I've got them right, but correct me if you think not.

Viburnum plicatum (above and first picture below)

Viburnum opulus (immediately above and below)

Hawthorn, or "May" as it used to be called when I was a child. Still is, maybe?

The way green areas had been built into the park surprised me, as did the care that had obviously gone into the planning and care of the plants. I hadn't been expecting anything of the sort. There was even a rare and endangered tree, carefully protected from the visiting hordes. But I'll post about that another time.

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Midcentury Modern Girls' Room

This particular home was one of Ohdeedoh's Now You See It, Now You Don't Contest winners. I love their daughter's cute little bedroom featuring Ikea furniture (perfect for kids!) mixed with unique pieces, artwork and toys. -Ohdeedoh

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A perfect spring morning

The morning was lovely: cool, not humid- perfect to notice things in the garden. The blue flax (Linum perenne) was a striking clear blue, against our weathered gray fence.

The deep purple of May night sage, Salvia nemorosa, made a nice combination with it.

The main vegetable garden is waiting for tomatoes and peppers, while the satellite garden's onions, garlic, and potatoes are flourishing.

I'll be planting squash seeds there this weekend, to rotate in as I start harvesting the garlic and onions.

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Rayman Boozer's Cover-Worthy Home

I absolutely love this room belonging to designer Rayman Boozer that Style Court recently featured. -Style Court

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A warm spring day

It was close to 80°F (~27° C), pretty warm for late April. We've had, what seems to me, more windy days than usual for spring, but maybe I'm mis-remembering. What it does mean, with low humidity, warmth, and windy conditions, is that it's seeming pretty dry again. The first graders in our garden program rotations this morning were wilting by the second program; they were hot, thirsty, hungry, and tired. We're not used to warmth quite this early, even in the Southeastern US.

I was hopeful in February and March (and the official drought projections had improved), that maybe we'd spring back into something more like "normal" rainfall, and maybe we still will.

But I needed to water the vegetable garden this evening, even the sturdy garlic, shallot, onion, and potato beds, since it hasn't rained much for a couple of weeks (but for about a 1/4 inch last weekend).

My deep-rooted 'Italian dandelion' is perfectly happy, however, as is the equally deep-rooted butterfly weed that I heeled in (not very smartly) in the vegetable garden a few years back. I've tried to dig it up (and have successfully transplanted root cuttings), but the original plant keeps re-emerging.

My gardening companion took some lovely photos of the dandelion being visited by bees, and a striking photo of the fruits ready to be dispersed.

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bambou

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Hamster Helper : The only garden tool you'll ever need

What's your favourite garden tool? Carol has her hoes and Hannah was recently waxing lyrical about a new lawnmower, but neither of those would be much use on a balcony. The garden tool I wouldn't be without is my Hamster Helper.

Whatever the job, your Hamster Helper will be up to it. Want to thin out some seedlings? Switch Hamster Helper to the "eat" function.

Need to pot up some new plants? Throw away that trowel! With Hamster Helper on "dig", the containers are ready in no time.

And if you have shrubs to prune, you'll never again have the problem of those secateurs letting you down at the last moment. Just place your Hamster Helper on "gnaw" and watch the twigs fall.

Small enough to slip into your pocket as you work in the garden, Hamster Helper is cheap, clean and easy to run. Powered largely by sunflower seeds, she'll run for hours with no effect at all on your electricity bills.


Hamster helper comes in two versions. Shown here is the smaller dwarf variety, which comes in a variety of colours and is ideal on the balcony. For the extra power needed for garden use, you may prefer the larger, golden variety.

Don't delay - check out Hamster Helper at your local pet shop today!

PS. Thanks to Benji for posing for the photos, and for not biting me once while we faffed about with the camera. David Attenborough, eat your heart out...

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Glass Tile Bathrooms Galore

These amazing bathrooms all come from the Hakatai image gallery. One day I too will have a bathroom with gorgeous turquoise glass tile! -Hakatai

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