Flowering Band

Here’s a unique plant with lavender flowers that I’d never seen before. Apparently, it’s not uncommon to see this beauty here in East Tennessee. I’d say it’s hard to miss being that it can get up to 8’ tall!

It’s called, Common Teasel. It’s a non native plant and actually listed as invasive -

However, it does provide some benefits for bees and butterflies (nectar), as well as its seeds for Goldfinches and other birds in the fall.

The way the flowers grow out add to it’s uniqueness.

Here Are Some Petite Charmers!

Here's some little petunia's in you eyes -

Ain't they just lovely?!

Here's a random useless fact for you all -

"Little Petunia" is also the subject of the 1947 novelty song "I'm a Lonely Little Petunia in an Onion Patch", sung by the one and only Dick "Two Ton" Baker And His Music Makers.  The lyrics describe a lonely flower in an onion patch who cries all day because the scent is too strong.

I think we'd all cry if we found ourselves in such a predicament, I know I sure would! 

Click the above link and have a listen to this classic -

Better Late Than Never

Although, a tad late, my Thanksgiving cactus is loaded with buds and those buds are beginning to open -

I bought this dude as a marked down item for a couple bucks back in the spring.  It was touch and go for a while and I didn't think it was going to make it but WAHLA!

Perhaps, the flowers are a goodbye gesture, as we'll be parting ways very soon...

Late Bloomers But Oh So Welcome!

My Montauk (Nippon) Daisy's have had a tough go of it this year.  The plants are not as full as in years past, they've grown "leggy" and not nearly as many buds. Oh, and let's not forget that for some reason, the wild rabbits did a number on them this year too AND are still at it, GRRR.

All that being said, the buds that are there are starting to burst with BIG beautiful flowers -

The honey bees, bumble bees and many other insects are making the transition from the sedum to these beauties -

What a beautiful fall flower to have adorning my yard!

#Blessed

Purple Cone Flower Infatuations

My purple cone-flowers are the insect talk of the town!

They're covered with all sorts of insect, here are just a few -

A fat Bumble-bee -

A Green Sweat Bee, with pollen covered back legs and a Flower Longhorn Beetle -

One of my favorites, a Honey Bee and sadly one of the few I've seen visiting this summer.  In years past there would be oodles of Honey Bees visiting my flowers but the numbers and sightings have been dwindling over the years and this year is concerning -

I could sit for hours and watch these insects flitter from bloom to bloom!

#Blessed

Someone's Shy

Aww, an embarrassed Black-eyed Susan -

Can You "Beelieve" It?!

The bumblebees are a plenty this summer, sadly that's NOT the case for the Honeybees.

This plump bumblebee is taking advantage of my Petunia plant and flitting from one flower to the next!

"Busy as a bee", as it's said -

A Bee Magnet!

My friend Tim gave me this Hollyhock back in the fall and I planted it per his instructions.

It survived the winter and boy-o-boy did it take off as soon as the weather started warming and just look at it now!

It's FULL of  beautiful flowers with oodles more on the way!

The bees are going crazy in the flowers -

It got beat up a little, like the Milkweed plants, during a very windy day we had a week or so ago but otherwise doing great!

I Went With "Yellow Sun" This Year!

Yesterday was a light day in terms of mail and I was able to finish up early, so opted to run some errands versus heading straight home. The timing was prefect - well after lunch and before the knuckleheads got out of work, so traffic was not too bad and less POS to deal with!  For example, I was the only person browsing and shopping at the nursery, perfect 👌

Although, my farmer friend had given me oodles of plants when I visited with him a couple weeks ago, I was "jonesing" for more.  So, I headed to my favorite local nursery, The Pumpkin Seed in Bellingham!

I picked up another 4-pack of peppers, as well as a variety of annual flowers to fill a couple other planters I have, pics to soon follow.

One of the planter plantings I look forward to doing every year in the concrete planter pictured below.  This was my mothers planter that I relocated here to my homestead many years ago.  I always hose it down and wash it, then put undercover from the elements for the fall.  Come spring planting time, I pull this gem out, add fresh compost and plant a nice vibrant and beautiful annual in it!

I'll water it daily and tend to it with care, as it always reminds me of my mom and brings a smile to my face regardless of the day I had or the mood I'm in.

I changed into my yard cloths and spent a couple hours out in the yard, decompressing, and planting what I bought -

2025 -

Here are the plantings I've done in this planter the last several years - 

2024 -

2023 -

2022 -

2021 -

The petunias really does the best in this planter and look the best too!

Black Mamba

Check out this stunning Petunia that my farm friend surprised me with - a Crazytunia Black Mamba Petunia -

The black is SO deep, which looks incredible against the green stems, leaves and flower pot!

I can't wait to see how this does and hoping it thrives.

SO Many Colors!

My flowering trees are in full bloom, as are SO many others in the area, and they all look terrific!

Peach tree -

Bartlett pears -

Weeping cherry -

Although, not a tree rather a shrub, my Azalea -

My pink Dogwood -

Everything is coming alive with the warmer weather we've been having! Perennials are popping through the soil, trees are budding and things are greening up.

A Member Of The Buckwheat Family

In all the years growing up in Westwood and working in the yard, it wasn't until the year we sold the house in 2019, that the below plant first appeared.  I had never seen this plant on the property or surrounding areas before then.

There were several of these plants, Virginia knotweed, growing next to the front stairs.  I found it interesting, liked the color combinations and without knowing what it was at the time or anything about it, I dug up one of the plants and moved it to my yard in Franklin.

The transplant went well and the plant did fine through 2020 but then petered out and only a tiny remnant remains today.  However, it has spread and now starting to pop-up and grow in other areas!  

The two plants picture below look terrific and are doing great, with a handful of other smaller plants in the general area too.

From what I've read this plant is not considered "invasive" but does self-seed, which is what I am seeing.  Seems moths and butterflies are attracted to it too.

Persicaria virginiana, also called jumpseed, Virginia knotweed or woodland knotweed

My Canna

My Canna Lily is finally flowering!

This plant was given to me by a friend back in the fall, at the end of the season.  It was a potted plant and one I chose to bring indoors and care for over the winter.  I planted it outdoors once it was safe from frost and although it's not grown incredibly tall, it certainly has filled out quite a bit and is sending up new growth.  It very much prefers being outdoors and in the ground.

More flower bud are showing, so hoping to see many more in bloom soon.

Lily Assortment 2024

Here are some pics of the Day Lilies that are currently blooming at the ole homestead - 

This is a double-bloom, which I have oodles of -

Too bad the flowers don't last longer.

Orange These Lovely!

Daylily season is fast approaching and I can't wait!

The one pictured below is a cut flower that has actually been blooming for days now, with several others not too far behind. Nice to add some color and fresh scent to these dreary February days.  Fret not, spring is right around the corner!

Winter Bloom, What?!

Someone needs to talk to my honeysuckle plant to let her know it's January here in New England, winter, and now is NOT the time to be blooming!!

Gnome Sweet Gnome

These hybrid yellow "Easy Wave" petunias did fantastic this summer, even with the hot and humid weather we had.  I watered them daily, which helped.  They bloomed for most of the summer, then stopped and took a break.  I snapped this picture last week and as you can see they're in full bloom again!

There are so many incredible colors with this hybrid, and they're so hardy, that I'll be looking for these again next season and adding some additional pots too.

Peace Out

Here is a Peace Lily that my neighbors sent bac in Feb of  2018 when my dad passed -

Here it is today - 

Yes, I realize it looks terrible and nothing like it originally did.  I'm working to fix that and believe it or not, the recent pic looks SO much better than it did a month ago, so there's that.

In the first pic, the plant is actually planted in a plastic pot that is sitting within the clay pot.  In the second pic, I've transplanted directly into the clay pot using fresh new Miracle Grow soil.  New shots are sprouting and starting to pop up.  It's definitely on the mend and I'm hoping that another month outside will give it the oomph it needs before I bring it back inside.

The other challenge I had is that Oliver, my cat, loved to chew on the leaves and did quite a number on the plant.  I'll need to find a sunny location indoors and out of the reach of dumb-dumb the cat...

This is a special plant, that holds a special meaning to me and I will do whatever I can to nurse it back to health, so I can continue to enjoy it for years to come.

From A Tiny Clipping...

Last fall when Emilie and I were visiting some of the nurseries around URI, I pinched a clipping from a beautiful geranium.  I'm kicking myself for not noticing and grabbing the name. I planted in when I got home and over the winter it took root and started to grow.  It really took off when I was able to put it outside under my deck and today is flowering and as beautiful as I recall last fall.

Another plant to over winter in the house...