"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, March 5, 2010

A flowery Fertilizer Friday.

I've been continuing to get out in the garden and get as many chores done as I have time. One job I had to do was clean out two of the birdhouses that bumblebees have decided they want to live in. I've only had this problem once before, but this year with two being claimed by bees already I had to do something about it before it was too late. It looked as if the bees were using the actual birds nests made in previous years to build their own nest in. I certainly didn't want to (and didn't) kill the bees, just let them know they needed to find another place to live. Once the nests were cleaned out the bees buzzed around for a little while, and I haven't seen them near the houses since. I also rubbed soap on the inside roof of the houses because I read that will help deter bees. Hopefully it works and the birds will still come and use the houses. If anyone has any other tips to help I'd love to hear them.

Now it's time to show what's blooming this Friday in my garden:

Leopard's Bane (Doronicum orietale) has not been an easy plant for me. I've tried growing them several times and this is the first one that has made it a full year. They do not like to be in dry soil, and that has probably been the reason it has disappeared in other places. My husband thinks it looks far too much like a dandelion, but I think the flowers are pretty. I'll take a picture of it once it's in full bloom, the flowers are daisy like.

Drumstick Primula (Primula denticulata) just starting to bloom.

Don't you love when your neighbor has something pretty blooming in their yard that you can enjoy too?! I don't have the space for a Forsythia, but our neighbor's shrub is right next to the low part of our fence so we can see it almost as well as if it was in our own yard.

Winter Hazel (Corylopsis) 'Buttercup' is just beautiful this year. I keep going by to admire it since last year it hardly bloomed.

The Weeping Cherry tree is in full bloom now with lots of bees visiting it. The Littlest Gardener stood under it with a stick knocking petals down saying, "It's snowing!" That's as close as we've gotten to snow this winter.

Anemone Blanda has started popping up around the front garden.

One of my favorites Old Fashioned Bleeding Hearts (Dicentra spectabilis).

And the Flowering Currant (Ribes sanguineum) is getting closer to blooming. I love how it looks against the bark of the Ponderosa Pine.

Tootsie at Tootsie Time hosts Fertilizer Friday each week. Visit her to see who else is "flaunting their flowers".
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43 comments:

  1. The first is like a sunflower. ~bangchik

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  2. The flower in the first photo looks like she is stretching, so pretty. Good Golly Ms Molly, what a delightful sight that Drumstick is!! Love the Littlest Gardener's snow story..

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  3. I think the leopard's bane looks like sunflowers as well. Beautiful! Such sunniness is a treat in March! What beautiful spring flowers are blooming for you and your neighbors. The southeastern U.S. has had its worst winter in decades, but it seems to have missed your part of the country.

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  4. Dear Catherine, I do hope that the bees do not return and that the birds reclaim their homes. I have not heard about the soap trick but you never know.

    So much in flower in your garden and the Ribes is about to put on a good show. I wonder if you have ever considered the white form of Ribes which can look very pretty but is much more compact in growth? Flowers are at the same time as its larger cousin.

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  5. Wonderful! Anemone is so pretty! And yes, the first one looks like a sunflower!

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  6. Love the drumstick - I've never seen one of those. Everything looks great! I've got the 5 year old (Mason) shoving me so can't type much! LOL

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  7. I love forsythia, and that it blooms so early in the season. Your Dicentra looks stunning. I'm hoping to get my new Dicentra plants in the ground at last, if this break in the weather holds!

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  8. In a way I'm gald to hear I'm not the only one who has had trouble with Leopard Bane. I had so much issues with it that I took your husband philosophy, decided it really was too much like a dandelion and gave up. Oooh sounds like sour grapes eh?

    Have fun in your garden today, it is looking like it is going to be yet another mild day.

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  9. I don't know which I love the most!! Gorgeous shots! That Primrose is beautiful, never seen one like that before.
    I love the orchards in bloom, but also love when the petals fall...because it looks like snow..the closest we get too. LOL
    Have a great weekend!
    *hugs*deb

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  10. Oh Goodness! So much going on in your garden! I must say that I just love the blossoms on the cherry tree.

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  11. OOOhh I dropped my jaw looking at the drumstick. Never seen one. I love visiting your gardens. They are so pretty. Oooohh on the weeping cherry too.

    Buddy says hi to Gracie. They sure would have fun playing. Have a nice weekend.

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  12. You guys are a good month ahead of us. Lucky you! It is wonderful. I do like that weeping cherry. So beautiful. Funny on the forsythia. I had one here but it did not get enough sun so I planted it in my neighbor's yard-where I too can enjoy it. It's great to have these kind of neighbors. Wonderful sun here too so all is wonderful, it's the only way to describe it. Have a great day and weekend!

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  13. The Bleeding Hearts are absolutely beautiful.

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  14. Lovely. The weeping cherry tree is angelic...please put a picture of the tree, would love to see how big it is...

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  15. How wonderful you have so many blooms about! We've only had a daffodil or two, and of course, many pansies! That Bleeding Heart is to die for!

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  16. Not only is your yard floriferous and drop-dead gorgeous - your neighbor's yard is teeming with beauty!

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  17. BEAUTIFUL! I can't believe your Bleeding Hearts are blooming - mine are only starting to pop up!

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  18. wow, you have so much in bloom already. I love the weeping cherry tree branches...can't wait for our apple trees to be in bloom, but up here it will be the end of May before that happens!

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  19. Seems like this is going to be the best spring ever for some of our plants, eh? I read others saying their winter hazels didn't bloom last year and this time around it's grand. Great that your ribes is starting, that's always a fun one. Drumstick primmies, so cute! Happy FF!

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  20. Your photos are so cheering, Catherine, they really cheer a person up. The bleeding hearts shot should be framed! Our neighbor also has a row of forsythia, I helped spread it along the property line. It will be blooming soon. There is nothing like that haze of gold in earliest spring to get the heart pumping faster. The petals under your weeping cherry must have been a delight, better than real snow by a long shot. :-)
    Frances

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  21. Lovely photos. The Old Fashioned Bleeding Hearts are so beautiful... so are the rest! Hope u are having a nice weekend, Ev

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  22. Absolutely stunning! I love the primula and the cherry!

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  23. That primula is a shocking color, very cool though. I was thinking about that winter hazel and that you'd mention the fence isn't a good backdrop for it. Do you have room to grow an evergreen vine back there? Like another clematis or a climbing camellia?

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  24. Catherine, I am drooling over your photos. Do you know you are a full two months ahead of us - Ugh!

    Eileen

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  25. What spectacular blooms! I think drumstick primulas are adorable, your weeping cherry is manificent and your dicentra make me miss mine terribly.

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  26. Look at those lovely spring blooms! I love that primula! I like to grow leopard's bane, too. I find that it will live a few years in a spot, then die, so I replant some in other places.

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  27. You have a lot of beautiful flowers right now. I love the Drumstick Primula and the Winter Hazel and Weeping Cherry are just divine. Wonderful shot of the Bleeding Heart!

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  28. Catherine,
    Your bleeding hearts have me really jealous, ours is a no show so far might be finished. The primrose I've never seen drumstick very cool

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  29. Wow, I am so envious of your beautiful reminders of spring. We have snow, freezing rain and its cold, I haven't seen anything peek out of the ground yet. Beautiful photos!

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  30. The Bleeding Heart looks like its name. We have a different Bleeding Heart here- it is a clerodendron.
    Sure way to deter the bees is to keep a burning piece of paper in the place they like for a few minutes. Bees hate the smell of smoke. That is what I do to my letter box once a year.

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  31. Catherine,
    I hope that the birds will soon reclaim their homes, and that the bees do not not try to take over once again. I love the soft yellow of the Winter Hazel, and the cherry blossoms are always such a beautiful sight to see. The Anemone Blanda is such a lovely shade of purple... I do not recall seeing this plant before. And finally, I believe your portrait of the bleeding heart is the best I have seen. Your garden is just beautiful.

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  32. Hi again Catherine, gosh I didn’t realise you had more than one box with interested bees! I found the tip of rubbing soap on the inside roof a very interesting one. I’m guessing it is hard bath soap you used. Was it perfumed in any way? I’d also love to hear of other tips :-)

    Now to your flowery Friday… I cannot believe I am seeing a bleeding heart in flower just now!

    The anemones made me smile, it’s been a while since I’ve had any. The cherry blossom photo I also loved but the drumstick primula is a great comparison shot between your garden and mine here in Scotland. I have small rosettes of green leaves but no real growth forward yet. It was nice to see yours :-D

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  33. I can see from your blog that yours is a family that gardens together... fantastic! Our children are grown but our 25 year old lives within twelve miles with his wife, and often comes home to help with the heavier chores like rebuilding stone walls and planting trees that have heavy root balls attached. I cherish those times together! Looking forward to studying your site more fully... LC

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  34. Thanks everyone for visiting and taking the time to leave such nice comments!

    Edith Hope - I love the white ribes, I'm hoping there might be room for one in the side yard that we recently enlarged the bed in.

    Melanthia - Great idea about the evergreen clematis on the fence! Thanks for the suggestion :)

    Shirl - I read about the soap several places, and they said to use a mild bar soap. I also read that putting a thin layer of vaseline on the inside roof would prevent wasps from building nests too. It sounded like it worked for the people that tried it.

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  35. The bleeding hearts are exceptionally beautiful! I don't think we can grow that here.
    Brenda

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  36. wow...it's just full spring ahead there for you isn't it? I had the same bee issue in my birdhouse last year..learned my lesson there!!! hahaha
    thanks for linking in today!

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  37. So many lovely spring flowers to show but I especially love the weeping cherry.

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  38. Hi Catherine. Whew have to catch up now since I ran around all weekend. LOL! When I need to find spring I come to visit you. Your forsythia is so pretty. I have to write that anemone down and check it out for my zone. Love the blues you know.
    Lona

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  39. Drumstick primulas are one of my faves! Mine are coming up now but not anywhere close to blooming yet. I wish cherry blossom petals were as close to snow as we had this year!! too funny.
    It looks so gorgeous in your yard. I love it. Someday we'll get there!
    Interesting about the bees building in your bird houses. I've never had that happen here? I hope the soap works and everyone finds a new home (birds & bees alike).
    I used to have a variegated leopard bane. It was happy here for several years before I lost it last year. :-(
    I never thought about it looking like a dandelion before you mentioned it. I had mine more for the foliage than the blooms tho.

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  40. Hi Catherine,

    hope the bees are gone for good this time.

    That drumstick Primula is wonderful.

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  41. Can't wait to see the forsythias here Catherine, so sunny and yellow! I never knew there was a primula like that. How fun!

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  42. It is certainly spring in your garden...and what a marvelously beautiful one it is. Your Bleeding Heart shot is stunning and the cherry blossoms gorgeous~Sighing, it so lovely. Gail

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  43. Wish I had a neighbor with some gorgeous Forsythia. The photo is awesome. I bought a couple of branches of artificial Forsythia. Does that count for anything??

    Your Weeping Cherry tree photo has me feeling woozy....it's so pretty.

    donna

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