A Walk Through the Yard

Join me and let’s take a walk.  It’s 9:00 o’clock a.m. so that’s the reason for the sun and glare and on top of that I’m not a photographer.  Forgive me for not stating the botanical names of these plants — in my younger days I could spit them out right and left, but no more.  The aging process does strange things.  But. . . .

In the front yard, the first stop is the Cone Flower — this is one of my favorites and it reseeds well and next year there’ll be separating to do.  I had a huge bed here last year, but the man with the sprayer got lose and you know the rest of the story.  Oh well, next year maybe.

Coming around the corner is the Fountain Grass — its such a nice plant — I love the gentle swaying in the wind of this soft plume.  This plant cannot winter over here on Sand Mountain, so in the fall we dig it and take it inside.  We have a spot in the basement for plants to winter over.  Most times Fountain Grass will multiply and can be separated and then you’ll have more than one plant next year.

Porter Weed was written up in Southern Living Magazine some years back and I almost wore the computer out trying to find the plant. It’s a Florida wildflower.  They said it was a favorite of Hummingbirds, but I disagree.  There are different colors, but this one is purple. This plant will not make it through our winters and has to go inside; but as far as I’m concerned, it’s special enough for the extra trouble.

This tiny little salvia is hardy and comes back year after year — notice Jerry in the background playing with Fountain Grass leaves as they sway in the breeze.

The yellow Four O’clock is an old flower that’s been here since I was a child.  We used to say it opens at four o’clock, but that is not the case.  It does bloom later in the day; however, this one has been open all night.

Lantana — the pink and yellow bloom one — is almost a pest here.  It reseeds steadily and always comes up in the wrong spot.  This one stands where I want to put a Lime Light Hydrangea because it is in almost full sun.  Later in the fall we dig this one and toss it on the junk pile.

Now we’ve arrived at the Salvia Guaranetica.  This plants blooms early in the spring and is a favorite of the Hummingbird because of it’s cone shaped flowers.  In this case we cut the plant back about half way in mid July and now it has put out new growth and will furnish the Hummers nectar as they prepare for their long flight south.

The next stop is the Mexican Sage — also in the Salvia family — and it grows quite tall as you can see.  This variety has white in the center of the bloom when it’s completely open.  It’s not quite there yet.  I have another variety that has no white, grows shorter and blooms a little later.

Look at the red Pineapple Sage — it, too, is in the Salvia Family — and the Hummingbirds love it because it also has a tiny cone shaped flower.  Gardening and/or wildflowers has to be some of the best of country living.