Interesting Flowers In Bloom

in

Middle Georgia

Of course everyone has seen the Lace Cap Hydrangea in bloom here in Middle Georgia. There is not very much excitement about this bloom, but I feature it today because these are the first Hydrangeas to bloom in my Gardens.

The exciting Hydrangea in Bloom today is the Climbing Hydrangea. This plant was placed on the North Side of our Home and the planting was conducted using the recommendations of the County Extension Agent. I acquired this plant on a Horticulatural Society Field Trip to various Nurseries in the Athens, Georgia area. I was introduced to this plant when a Speaker from Calloway Gardens gave a presentation to our Central Georgia Horticulture Society some years ago. I paid five dollars for this plant and was told that it probably never ever flower here in Middle Georgia in as much as it thrives in the higher country near Calloway Gardens. I planted it with love and used garden soil, peat moss and fine pine bark chips as well as sand. I did not write the formula down but I do believe that I used a bag of each items and dug a really deep hole. Of course I am excited about this plant and it's blooms here in Middle Georgia.

The featured bloom in this Gardening Tidbits Post today is the Apostle Plant. Several years ago a Garden Club Buddy of my Wife gave this plant to us. We have kept it in pots and divided it so that we could Winter it over in the garage. This Spring I placed one six inch pot on the front stoop and it has flourished. It is also known as:

Neomarica gracilis

Walking Iris

Twelve Apostles

So far this plant has flourished in full sun and the blooms are a visual treat.

I have conducted a limited search using Google and have found one site that indicates that each bloom will only last a day, but that several blooms will open on each stalk. I have found that the quickest way to research a plant if I know the name is go perform a Google Image Search.

Fringe Tree

A Fringe Tree in Bloom against a backdrop of other trees in the Gardens. You may know this plant as an "Old Man's Beard" or "Grancy Graybeard." It also is known as "Chionanthus Virginicus."

I can not state when I first saw this lovely flowering tree which is usually seen in rural area off of the back roads, but I do know that I first saw this plant in full bloom in a yard in rural Georgia as I traveled to visit my Bride's Aunt in Danville, Georgia. Several years later I learned the name as "Grancy Graybeard." I finally acquired one tree several years ago and it always blooms the second or third week of April. It is not a fast grower but it is a very interesting tree with lovely looking fringe. It does well in full sun and I have been told that it will also thrive in part shade.

A great focal point in April and it then takes a back seat in the landscape. It does loose it's leaves in the Winter.

Tulip Poplar

Lirindendron Tulipifera L or commonly known as Tulip Poplar is in full bloom in Middle Georgia.

These fast growing trees have lovely flowers, but once they reach great heights you have to wait until the flowers fall. Here is one bloom that was not damaged during the trip to Earth. Click on the image to see full size.

I have several of these trees in the back gardens and they make great shade.

Clivia

Clivia, a member of the Amaryllis Family. This plant is native to South Africa. Here in Middle Georgia it is a house plant. I keep it on the deck with a North exposure during the warm months and place it in the garage during the Winter. When the flower buds appear I bring it into the house to enjoy. This plant has been blooming for three weeks and will most likely continue to have a nice bloom for at least two more weeks. A delightful plant which can also be shared. This plant has two developing shoots which I will cut away once the blooms are complete. It is a great pass-a-long plant to share with your gardening friends and a delightful house plant that does not require any direct sunlight. It is certainly low maintenance.

Lenten Roses

Hellebores

I have featured the Lenten Rose in several Post this Winter. The first bloom I posted was on December 24th, 2008. These lovely low growing flowers are a delight and once established require almost no maintenance. I appreciate them because the local Deer population does not bother them. You can note the seed pods in the center of the blooms in the three pictures displayed above. These flowers have provided gardening pleasure for three months.

I would urge all Gardeners in Georgia to try this plant. The Lenten Rose was the 2005 Perennial Plant of the Year.

Spring Time Beauty in Middle Georgia

With the abundance of recent rain this past weekend the beauty of Middle Georgia is now beginning to achieve the full display.

Of course no Spring Time Garden would be complete without an abundance of Azeleas. I have at least one hundred plants which were here when we purchased our home in 1992 or were added in the 1992 - 1993 time frame.

In addition to Macon's famed Blooming Cherry Trees, almost every garden includes at least one Bradford Pear tree which is also grown for the lovely blooms.

We also obtained an abundance of Dogwood Trees when we purchased our home. While these trees do not require any maintenance, I have been told that to insure their health that I should sprinkle a cup of 10-10-10 fertilizer at the drip line of each tree. I usually do this when the bloom cycle is over because I do not want to encourage early growth until all danger of frost is past.

Here is a close up of a few Dogwood blooms with a pine tree serving as the backdrop. I appreciate these blooms and the Dogwood trees that have flourished naturally on our property.

Please leave your comments here regarding your favorite Spring Time Blooms. Thank You!!

Garden Club Meeting Today

The Thornwood Garden Club met yesterday, February 10th. My Wife is the Club President and the meeting was held at our home when it was not possible for the Club to meet at another member's home. So, I took on the task of making the front door presentable. I found these white cabbage plants at a local nursery and placed them in small pots to adorn the front steps.

Even though we have experienced some rather cool weather, I dead headed the frozen blooms and these have opened up to share their beauty.

The Camellias have been a real joy to behold this Winter. They look so fresh and bright. If you click on the blooms they will enlarge and you just might be able to see an ant or two.

Of course, my favorite flower for this time of the year is the Lenten Rose. They have had an expecially long blooming season this year. They started early and appear to last well through the end of March. Once you plant these in the proper location they keep coming back and even reseeding so you can dig up the small plants to share with friends. A real treasurer.