Fig Perserves

Doesn't that look good? Homemade biscuits and homemade fig perserves. This is the most figs I have ever gotten. It all cooked down to this one pint plus about a third of another jar. I am going to try and keep this one until winter so it can be a treat for us. We'll see how that goes.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day - August 15, 2012

I decided to try some close up shots with my little camera.

Some are better than others. Let me know what you think.

 Guara near the driveway - backlit early in the morning.

 Million Bells in a container by the front steps. 

 Peony foliage early in the morning.

Lirope blooms so pretty in August.

Fern near gate to the Water Garden

Feathery Folage of Yarro

Angelonia - Serena White

Rudbeckia I - early morning in shade

 Rudbeckia II - early morning in sun

I like this shot better

New growth on the Double Pink Knockout Rose frosty with early morning dew.

 Double Pink Knockout Rose

Blue Salvia - the humming birds are addicted.

 Red Knockout Rose - early morning sun near sidewalk.

Sunny Border August 13, 2012

Front Yard near the Drive Way

Two 111 year old Oak trees dry all the moisture and life out of this yard. I have been watering deeply twice a week this month to keep the Centepede growing. I like the curves of the beds, it makes mowing easy. The new pinestraw makes everything seem clean and cared for.

Plans for the White Garden

 Here is where we are ... thread bare and scraggly. Even the ivy looks tired. That's sad.  This yard is under two magnolia trees so the whole yard is in shade until about 2 pm after that it's bright sunshine until the sun sets.

 I like the placement of the scultpure - plus it was Daddy's. It is centered on that section of the brick wall and is directly opposite the stairs leading down from the house. It's good. The evergreens are thin and too big. The one to the left is dying for want of light I suspect. I am going to cut them off, and dig up the roots. After I amend the soil and improve it, that will leave me with a bed about 2 feet wide by 10 feet long, This will also allow more light in. I plan on putting in white shrub roses and Annabelle Hydrangeas. To the far right I am holding a special place for the air layered Man Size Camelia.

This photo shows the corner of the White Garden - see the same dead evergreen to the right? I think the shade will be good for hydrangea, especially out here where the afternoons can be stinking hot in July and August. There is nothing prettier than a larger hydrangea in bloom... and nothing sadder than one that is wilted from the sun.

I need suggestions for more white plants. I want this garden to be blooming white all year long. Anybody got any other ideas?

Sunny Border Early August 2012

The hot and dry haven't knocked us completed down yet. We may make it to Fall yet. Lots of plans for Fall. I did finally get feed up with the invaders from the Bermuda - evil Bermuda Grass - I pulled up everything from the top end of the Sunny Border, double dug, tugged, sweated, grutted, and I think I got most of the stuff out of the border. I also pulled out the Stella D'Oro Daylilies because they never really did any good out there. Too Bad - Border Grass makes me happy.

Here are a few after shots

Happy Gardening! Thanks for stopping by.

My 100th Post

One Hundred Photos for my 100th Post!

 Pot by the Front Steps with spikes, Million Bells

 Sunny Border July 31, 2012 - hot and dry

 waining Knock Out Rose

 Blue Salvia - new to the front yard but doing great!

 Rudbeckia loves loves loves the heat.

 Lirope is blooming

 White Mandevilla

 Shasta Daisy

 Angelonia Serena White

 Hosta Frances Williams

Here is the view I usually get from the the yard looking out to the Sunny Border and across to the Jeffereson Davis Park across the street. It is nice having a city park directly in front of your house, makes the yard seem alot bigger doesn't it?

 Here's another shot

 Here is the White Garden. It's coming along nicely. Can you see that to the right I am losing the evergreens. I am thinking it's a good thing. I want to pull them out and put in White Hydrangea bushes, maybe Annabelle or Sykes Dwarf. I haven't decided. I am also considering putting in landscape roses Iceberg white.

 Peonies and clematis - which is not doing great - might be too hot and dry out here in the front.

 The back of the White Garden going down into the backyard. The ferns have done great here this year.

 Camellia Man Size - pure white blooms.

 Notice the red string and the aluminum foil wrapping - I am air layering that branch so next year there will be two white camelia bushes out here.

 Creeping Jenny

 Geranium

 Rabbit Foot Fern LOVES the hot shade of the back yard.

 Rhysomes look like little furry legs.

 Here's the nursery bed - I rarely show it. Front left to right...
1 year old air layered camelias, Althea - White rose of Sharon under the plastic domes; 2 year old camelias dead crepe myrtle cuttings, and winter clipped Althea - 6 months old.

 Here are a few close up shots - oh forgot the two red maple air layers. Below are two year old camelias - They look great don't they?

 I have had zero success getting any crepe myrtle clippings to survive at all - it's sad because that's why I started blogging in the first place. Ahh.

 Garden Phlox

 Container Garden beside the Car parking pad.

 Red Maple in Middle Yard looking into the Back Yard and the bamboo in the Way Down Way Down.

 Here' s the same Red Maple looking back up the Drive Way.

Mophead Hydrangea in the Way Down -

they get NO water this far out. These shots are from the same plant. I need to pay these ladies a lot more attention. It's sad.

 Camelia Pink Perfection in the Back Yard - notice all the red string and aluminum foil? This Fall every one of those will be clipped and potted up. My goal is to have enough camelias to go completely down the side fence of the yard. My neighbors are older and will probably be selling within the next 3 to 5 years - I want to be ready for some self imposed privacy. That's why all the camelias.

 Bat Face - every body loves these - I'm not sold. Loves the heat though.

 Here is my favorite Pink Knock Out Rose for you.

Thanks for stopping by ... Please leave me a comment.

p.s. I you were counting I only got 43 photos

but it felt like one hundred didn't it?