{Dahlia with Hibiscus and Clerodendrum Ugandese}

We all LOVE to have some fresh cut flowers from our own garden...

Even if it means only a few of them!

On our kitchen table... on June 12.

To the left you see a beautiful Dahlia, to the right a Hibiscus syriacus 'Blushing Bride' that came straight from Our Life in Italy!
In the center, top and bottom is our special Clerodendrum Ugandese or Blue Butterfly Bush.

Husband Pieter also captured them with his camera...
Yes, that Hibiscus syriacus 'Blushing Bride' has a very special story which you can read from link below blog, about our life in Italy.
We are thrilled that we still have it after all those years!

And again and you can see the sunshine that twinkles in the tiny vase.
The Clerodendrum Ugandese came from +Logee's Greenhouses in Connecticut

The Clerodendrum Ugandese or Blue Butterfly Bush flower a bit more in detail...

Together they just made a beautiful and very sweet vase!

Do you love to bring in some home grown flowers?

Our climate is very harsh so we never yield a lot...

Thanks for your visit!

Related links:

{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush} | previous post by me
{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower} | previous post by me
{Our Hibiscus syriacus 'Blushing Bride' from Quero, Belluno in Italy} | previous post by me

google.com/+MarietteVandenMunckhofVedder

{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush}

On November 11, I could make this photo from our Clerodendrum Ugandese - Blue Butterfly Bush and also called Blue Glorybower. A gem from +Logee's Greenhouses that we do treasure.

While making this photo, I got bitten by a legion of fire ants... 

But still I was pleased with this photo.

In-between the rain we had, some beauty!

Happy weekend!

Related link:
{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower} | previous post by me

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Digging up Huge Indian Hawthorn and More...}

Little shrubs can grow into HUGE monsters... and often, after some 15+ years we find out that they were planted in the wrong spot!

So we decided to dig up our Huge Indian Hawthorn or Rhaphiolepis umbellate.

In Dutch this is: Indiase meidoorn

In German: Weißdolden, click the hyperlink above to see it.

In my previous post (link you find below) you saw me with my short hair standing in front of this HUGE Indian Hawthorn.

A nice evergreen shrub that blooms in the spring but it was growing inside our precious Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno', again you can find the link below.

On a damp and cloudy day, husband Pieter started the mega-task. 

Together with also digging up the azaleas and prostrate gardenias that succumbed to the rattlesnake weeds, growing behind this retainer wall.

Spooky boy was always at his side!

Here you can see the Magnolia branches inside the HUGE shrub... They had to be rescued!

Even the drain pipe from the previous water project had to come out....

Supervisor Spooky is right there.

A pile of dug up underground stems from rattlesnake weed with its tubers is to the left and front.

Branches from the Indian Hawthorn in the back.

This is the pesky weed!
Called here in the south rattlesnake weed or Florida betony (Stachys floridana) just click the hyperlinks.
Also seen in the above picture are the other nasty weeds with taproot we got everywhere, the Chamberbitter (Phyllanthus urinaria)... 

Spooky is pondering about those pesky weeds...

Nasty looking all those rattlesnake weeds behind the retainer wall. 

All needed to be dug up and Pieter decided to sow grass seed instead and have the lawn extended.

There was a 3rd pesky weed involved too!

Briar Burl grew from the center of the Indian Hawthorn up into the Magnolia tree.

Spooky too was working hard to kill the pesky weeds.

Those underground stems and tubers from the rattlesnake weeds are shown behind him...

Such a loyal helper; every day he accompanied Pieter!

Pondering how it will look like in the future...

Right in the center of the Indian Hawthorn were these nasty tubers from the Briar Burl!

No way to ever eradicate those, with that shrub sheltering them...

Their branches are full of thorns too!

The Indian Hawthorn had a kind of orange wood and many stems, some thick and hard to cut and dig up.

Hard work!

Now you can see the cross tires that we together did place there 25 years ago!

The shrub also was covering up at least 3 feet of our driveway or 1 meter.

Spooky is seriously supervising!

Huge tubers came out from the Briar Burl

Will show you next how it looks now!

Gardens don't come about easy...

Related links:
{New Hair Style} | previous post by me showing you the Indian Hawthorn
{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn} | previous post by me
{Our Fragrant Magnolia Grandiflora 'Namnetensis Flore Pleno'} | previous post by me
Florida Betony control of pests weeds info

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{You can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect}

Sometimes in life we come in a situation where certain quotes do speak volumes.

Our Double Almond Tree was blooming and I used this photo for the quote.

"You can demand courtesy but you have to earn respect." — Lawrence Goldstone

Related link:

{Do you have a Prunus triloba double almond?} | previous post by me

LAWRENCE GOLDSTONE BIO | Interesting to read his background info...

google.com/+MariettesBacktoBasics

{Two Seasons Side by Side}

It was a funny sight to see winter berries next to spring blossoms...

Winter Berries of our Nandina, Heavenly Bamboo alongside Spiraea cantoniensis 'Lanceata' or double Bridal Wreath Spirea

Nandina berries I always use for Christmas...

Spirea Cantoniensis 'Lanceata' or double Bridal Wreath Spirea is gorgeous!

Sunlight playing with those blossoms...

The beautiful closeup photo I made on April 10, 2010
The other two on April 10, 2014...

Related links:
{Our New Spiraea Cantoniensis (dbl Bridal Wreath Spirea)} | previous post by me
{Our Cornus Kousa (Japanese Dogwoods) & Spiraea Cantoniensis (dbl Bridal Wreath Spirea)} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Our White Pansies & Indian Hawthorn}

Alongside our driveway, we do have Fiberglass Window Boxes hanging on the retainer wall. Those are filled with White Pansies and the blooming Indian Hawthorn next to the wall is filling in with white blossoms as well.

The Indian Hawthorn to the left, we got as a gift from our German 'sons', in July of 1995.

Once a pot plant, it over the years has really grown up!

White Pansies in our Fiberglass Window Boxes alongside the driveway's retainer wall.

The blossoms of the Indian Hawthorn are an early spring pollen and nectar provider for the bees.

Photos are taken on April 10...
Do you have an Indian Hawthorn or White Pansies? 

Related link:

Flower Framers of Cincinnati | Source for Fiberglass Window Boxes

Mariette on Google+

{Our Weeping Pussy Willow Nearly Drowned}

On February 17 of this year, we proudly came home with a beautiful and healthy Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow. Below this post you will find a link about it from a provious post. Husband Pieter did plant it close to the creek as they love to grow near a stream. 

Here it is, straight from Trader Joe's where we bought it and looking very healthy.

On August 6, I took this photo, near the creek where it already endured quite some abuse by the roaring waters that went way over its top.

Look for the red < chevrons > for locating our Weeping Pussy Willow between some weeds.

You barely can see it... struggling for dear life and several of its branches had lost the leaves from the current of he waters...

Pieter did rescue it on August 18 and it went back into a pot and inside the greenhouse, sheltered from the heavy tropical thunderstorms.

Such a sad Weeping Pussy Willow...

The above photo I took at 2:45 PM 

Only 5 hours later at 7:45 PM I made this photo from our flooded greenhouse after another tropical thunderstorm had passed over.

It made us feel happy for having rescued it and yet, still it was in the water.

Below I will put again the special poem that came with it in February:

The Story of Salix Caprea Pendula

The weeping pussy willow is among the most graceful of trees.

It is connected with all that is feminine-dreaming, intuition, emotion, enchantment, healing and revitalization. 

The willow has long since been recognized as a sacred tree by poets, philosophers and religious leaders because of the flexibility of its twigs.

The willow's flexibility symbolizes resilience and inspires us to move with life rather than resist what we are feeling.

Magic has it that willow is bestowed with magical power capable of fulfilling wishes. 

For a wish to be granted, ask permission of the willow explaining your desire. 

Select a pliable shoot and tie a loose knot in it expressing your wish. 

When your wish is fulfilled, return and untie the knot.

Remember to thank the willow for your gift.

Related link:
{Salix Caprea Pendula - Weeping Pussy Willow} | previous post by me from March 2, 2013

Mariette on Google+

{Clerodendrum Ugandense - Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower}

Last year our young Clerodendrum Ugandense or Blue Butterfly Bush, Blue Glorybower, almost succumbed to the summer heat. Great was our joy when on May 28, husband Pieter could make two photos from its first blooms. Up till than we kept it inside the greenhouse for protecting its still frail growth. Let me show you first a closeup of this exotic, from an earlier shrub we had in 2004.

Clerodendrum Ugandese or Blue Butterfly Bush and also called Blue Glorybower.

You certainly understand that we wanted to replace this beauty!

This photo shows its beautiful first flowers when the pot got just taken out of the greenhouse.

It is an East African evergreen shrub from Kenya and Uganda, you can find more info below this post.

We found ours in the spring of last year, at +Logee's Greenhouses.

Here it is still inside the greenhouse... 

Do you see the almost dead stems to the left and center, from which these new green leaves did branch out? 

Looks like quite a miracle!

It also shows that we should not throw out any plant too soon.

They might come back to life in a surprising way.

Due to the heavy rain and rather dark weather, no more flowers have formed outside but instead it has huge foliage. Looking strong and happy.

Did you know this shrub? 

Related link:
Clerodendrum ugandense | For more info
Logee's Greenhouses | Where we obtained ours

Mariette on Google+

{Our Ligustrum japonicum}

• A very old fashioned type of shrub but still a great blossom in the spring I love to share here with you.

• Their fragrance is quite strong too.

• Added bonus is they are ever green! You can see however the new and tender 'spring' leaves that have been added to the ever green family...

Related link:
Ligustrum japonicum

Mariette on Google+

{Our Pearl Bush - Exochorda racemosa}

• However frail, our Pearlbush is showing some flowers again. We had such damage after the hot and dry summer of 2011, that we are glad some shrubs did even survive. 
• Our Pearl Bush Exochorda racemosa is one of them. In a previous post by me from March 2011, you can see lovely photos with more blossoms, together with real pearls. Just click on the link below this post. The above link goes to Woodlanders where it is still available for sale.

• Photo taken on Wednesday, February 20. 
• Look at the beautiful blue sky as a stark contrast with this lovely Pearl Bush blossom and buds. 
• Those buds do resemble pearls! 

• Another blossom almost completely opened up.
• Leaves also start to come...

• Love the special sunlight playing inside this perfect tip with buds...
• Does any of you have a Pearl Bush?

Related link:
{Pearlbush Makes the Heart Beat Faster} |  previous post by me

Mariette on Google+

{Cotoneaster Lacteus | Colorful Berries for the Birds in Winter}

• Wintertime is the hardest period for birds to find food enough to feed on. 
• We have lots of provisions for the many bird varieties that live on our property. 
• After all, it is not for nothing that in August of 1997, we did receive Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate; see link of post below. 
• That's why we also planted a huge shrub of Cotoneaster Lacteus or Pyracantha.

• Colorful Berries for the Birds

• Plenty of Cotoneaster Lacteus Berries to feast on for the birds... Shrub is also called 'Fire Thorn'...
• By the way, these berries are poisonous for humans!

• This is still only part of the entire shrub; it is huge. 
• Pine needles are hanging everywhere as there is a tall pine tree nearby.

• As printed in Southern Living magazine, listing several birds that feast on the Cotoneaster or Pyracantha. Here it are mainly the robins and the cedar waxwings that strip them in almost a day. See more links below with further info. 

• Do you have special berry producing shrubs for your birds in winter?

Related links:

{Birdie Berries in our Wood Garden} previous post by me
{Our Backyard Wildlife HABITAT Certificate from August 1997} previous post by me
Winter Ruby Red Berries from Southern Living Magazine with the above section: Do it for the Birds...
What a Bee Wants – Cotoneaster showing how early in the year the blossoms benefit the Bees.
Robins eating Cotoneaster berries in a day Youtube video showing Robins eat Cotoneaster berries in SC
Robins eating berries photo showing the Robins eating Cotoneaster berries
Cedar Waxwings eating berries feasting on the Pyracantha (fire thorn) in Dutch 'vuur doorn'... click previous & next image also for spectacular photos!
Northern Mockingbird pair - sharing Pyracantha berries Youtube video

Mariette on Google+

{Look What is Blooming NOW in Our Garden}

• Besides our white and pink Camellias, we have also some yellow in our garden. Our Leatherleaf Mahonia Berberidaceae is blooming right now. 
• Look what a beauty in our garden, on the edge where the creek streams. 
• Also the Wintersweet - Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthus p.) (C. fragrans) is blooming mid winter, see further below... 

• Blooms of the Leatherleaf Mahonia Berberidaceae (barberry Family)

• This shrub grows on the edge of our garden, alongside the creek where we also planted mondo grass to prevent it from erosion.

• You can see the water from the creek...

• The fragrant flowers of our Wintersweet - Chimonanthus praecox (Calycanthus p.) (C. fragrans)

• This shrub is planted next to our gazebo.

• Stepping a bit further back so you also can see our home...

• This is the view on the pond side...
• Do you have anything blooming right now?

Related link:
{Our Leatherleaf Mahonia Berberidaceae (barberry Family)} | previous post by me
{Our Wintersweet - Chimonanthus praecox} | previous post by me

Mariette on Google+