Tangled Branches: Cultivated
happenings in and around my zone 6b gardens in northern Virginia and in central Virginia
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Country Weekend
Last weekend in the country was quiet and relaxed. The heavy-duty digging and the frantic planting are finished for now. Friday was the hottest day of the year so far, and it felt like it. We got a spectacular thunder and lightning storm on Friday night, and the rest of the weekend's weather was beautiful.
The infant shrubs and trees I planted early in the spring are growing and fairly happy and not yet eaten. I don't know if I've been lucky, or I made wise choices, or a little bit of both. My current favorite is Zenobia pulverulenta.
It's still very small - maybe 8-10 inches tall - but I really love the dusty blue foliage. I certainly wasn't expecting any flowers this year, so they're a bonus.
The potager still doesn't look like much, I know, I know. 
But cut me some slack here. A couple of months ago this was nothing but an unmowed field. The only energy consumed in the digging of the plot was mine. I intended to keep whatever vegetation was already there mowed short for the paths, but the mowing lost all its charm on the first 90 degree day. So now we're covering over the paths with newspapers and wood chips. Only the central section of that is done so far. Those green trellis-things are tomato ladders. Maybe not the most attractive way to stake tomato plants, but I don't think it's the ugliest either. I used these last year and liked them and didn't see any reason not to use them again.
In front of the house, I made a crazy-quilt bed of Coleus and Mimulus (and some bracken I dug up from the woods). I'll post a picture of the whole thing once it fills out a bit, but I wanted to show you the Mimulus.
I'm still infatuated with these flowers, even though the ones I grew last year swooned (OK, died) in the heat of midsummer. So far, this year's crop is looking very nice. They're called 'Mystic Mix' and the flowers are brighter colors and more velvety than last year's, but without the heavy splotches I liked so much then.
Even if I didn't feel like planting any flowers, I'd still have some.
The spring woodland wildflowers may have been disappointing, but the summer field flowers are making up for it. Newly blooming this week is Scutellaria integrifolia, or Hyssop Skullcap. Black-eyed Susans were just beginning to bloom, and if my spouse didn't mow them over, I should have pictures of those next week. The suspected dyers woad is no longer blooming, or I couldn't find the plant again anyway, so that's going to have to wait until next year for a positive ID.
And lastly, the hummingbirds seem to have deserted me in northern Virginia, but in central Virginia they're practically pestilential. No, I'm kidding - I love to have them around, but they're much bolder about coming close to us than I've ever experienced. I had a red shirt on, and one buzzed me - presumably investigating the color. My spouse was sitting on the deck and one came right under the patio umbrella and hovered in front of his face. (He'd been in the sun, but I don't think he was that red.) Next weekend's project is to get some nectar plants growing so the hummers stick around.
Labels: annuals, hummingbirds, potager, wildflowers
2 Comments:
The only Zenobia I know of is the Zenobia pistachio nuts. ;) What a neat looking plant. At first myopic glance I thought it was a blueberry with flat bottoms.
I've always loved Mimulus but they always seem to die quickly. We had a dark purple and white spotted one that looked a bit like Mickey Mouse. I guess they need more care than we've given them or need a different kind of soil.
Ooof! too much work to mow and grow veggies. Bad enough just mowing the lawn. I hate sweat running into your eyes on those 90 degrees 100 percent humidity days.
You are so lucky to have hummers. Every year we see one and only one in the spring and then again in the fall. Probably the same one coming and going! Take some pictures if you can.
Ki: I learned of Zenobia (the plant, not the pistachios <grin>) from a couple of web pages (1,2) and thought I'd give it a try. I think the one I have is Woodlanders Blue, but I need to double-check on that.
I'll be interested to see what happens with this year's Mimulus. I grew it for the first time last year. I thought mabye it didn't like the summer heat, but I blame everything on the summer heat.
This year is going to be the year I finally get a good photo of a hummingbird. I hope.
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