clay and limestone

A Swallowtail Stopped By

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 10 Jun 2013 10:34:00 +0000

To nectar on the Butterflyweed.

Forewing with diagonal band of yellow spots. Tails are edged with black and filled with yellow

I waited patiently for it to stop flitting and pose prettily with wings fully spread, but, it was feasting madly.

It superficially resembled an Eastern Swallowtail while gliding about, but once it settled on the Asclepias tuberosa, it was clear that it was not one of my regular garden visitors. The coloring was wrong and it had an unusually large wing span. I was pretty sure it was a Giant Swallowtail and just as I've read, that first sighting was dazzling! (go here for more images)

What a beauty and the 6.3 inch (16cm) wing span makes it the largest North American butterfly.

Speaking of North America, the Giant Swallowtail is on the move. It's moving further north and further west! In the last few years it's been spotted in Los Angelos, CA and Ontario, Canada. You might want to check out this article about its migration to Canada.

The Giant Swallowtail Butterfly/Papilio cresphontes' flight is a graceful series of strong flaps and long glides. It spends its time on the wing, nectaring or patrolling for mates (if male). It's welcome in most gardens, but, is considered a pest in Florida where citrus trees are its chosen host plant. Once they mate the female lays one bright orange egg on a host plant~here in Middle Tennessee it's either the Prickly Ash tree/Zanthoxylum americanum or the Hop Tree/Ptelea trifoliata, when the egg hatches the caterpillars, which resemble bird droppings, begin to eat the leaves and young shoots. (If you want to see the larva that looks like bird poo go here!)

It might not be welcome in a Florida citrus grove, but, it's more than welcome to stop by my garden and nectar all it wants, after all, I garden for wildlife.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

A Few Good Reasons To Plant For Pollinators

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

One

Asclepias tuberosa

Two

Agastache 'Bolero' with Bumble

Three
Oenothera fruticosawith small carpenter bee

Four

Echinacea pallida 'Hula Dance'

Five

Aronia melanocarpa with native bee

Six

Sleeping bee

Seven
Carpenter Bee on Penstemon

I appreciate all the pollinators at Clay and Limestone, but, my favorite has always been the Bumble.

Bumbles won my heart dozens of years ago when I noticed how hard they worked in the garden. They were the first pollinators up and about each morning and the last to leave each night. I found them sleeping on flowers on cool mornings and watched them nectaring and gathering pollen on the last of the latest blooming ex-asters in November. They were a joy to watch and I wanted to learn all about them. (from earlier post)

I learned that they are social bees that build nests in the soft earth or leaf litter.

I learned that they are generalist and will visit almost any nectar and pollen producing plant, but, like all creatures, they do seem to appreciate a varied diet, so I have planted dozens of plants, native and specially chosen exotics, for them to choose among!

I always knew they were gentle, but, I learned they did not swarm and rarely stung.

I discovered that they are major pollinators in vegetable gardens and orchards~If you want tomatoes, you need bumbles and if you love orchard crops, berries, watermelon, sunflowers and other fruits you also need bumbles. They pollinate 1/3 of what we eat and that 80% of the world's crops are dependent upon them for pollination.

I read that Bumbles and other native bees prefer yellow, purple, blue, violet and white flowers~But, I've seen them on almost every colored flower in my garden.

I also learned that their numbers are decreasing and that gardeners are important partners in helping them make a comeback.

There's lots we can do for Bumbles and the other pollinators that live in and visit our gardens. (Five Things You Can Do Right Now To Save Pollinators)

We can:

plant large swathes of nectar and pollen producing plants
plant host plants~so the offspring of butterfly, beetles and other pollinators can feed
plan for bloom from late spring to early winter
bee sure to include water
provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors: Build a pollinator condo, leave some bare ground for earth nesting bees and pile decaying logs for beetles who like to tunnel.
practice peaceful coexistence. Bees sometimes choose to nest in inconvenient places. Rather than exterminating them, think of it as an opportunity to see and learn about them up close. (thanks to MOBOT for this last one)

xoxogail

Of course you all know the one of the very best things you can do for pollinators is to never, ever, ever, ever use pesticides!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Spotlight on Spigelia

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Spigelia marilandica is another one of those wonderful native plants* that you won't find in your local big box store or even in most independent garden centers. Which is a gosh darn shame, it's a fantastic plant that would be an asset in most gardens.

Glossy green, ovate to lance-shaped leaves (to 4" long)

Indian Pink, as it is commonly known, is a clump-forming (boy oh boy, do I wish it colonized) perennial which naturally occurs in moist woods and along stream banks. The attractive upward facing trumpet shaped red flowers, flare at the top to form a five pointed yellow star. The colorful and unusual flowers are an outstanding source of nectar for hummingbirds and would be a marvelous addition to your pollinator friendly garden. Of course, they are also perfect for your colorful cottage garden, your shady woodland garden or a moist sunny spot in your perennial garden. Once established they can take a less than moist summer garden soil, after all, they do grow well at Clay and Limestone.

When seen from above the flowers look like stars

No, you won't find this uncommon beauty in just any place. You'll have to seek it out from a native plant specialist, but, it's worth the effort to get this hummingbird magnet into your garden. The red and yellow flowers grab attention in a shady garden and when massed in the right spot they can knock your socks off.

Massed in front of the pond in Robyn Brown's garden

Go on, pull those socks back on and start looking for these beauties for your garden!

Spigelia is pollinated by hummingbirds!

In case you need convincing: Indian Pink is listed as one of the Top Ten plants for attracting hummingbirds. I can't grow everything on the list, but, I sure can get more Spigelia malilandica and maybe a few more on that hummer list!

xoxogail

"Top Ten" Native Hummingbird Plants

#1: Trumpet Creeper, Campsis radicans
#2: Beebalm or Oswego Tea, Monarda didyma
#3: Trumpet Honeysuckle, Lonicera sempervirens
#4: Cardinal Flower, Lobelia cardinalis
#5: Spotted Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis
#6: Red Columbine, Aquilegia canadense
#7: Canada Lily, Lilium canadense
#8: Indian Pink, Spigelia marilandica
#9: Red Buckeye, Aesculus pavia
#10: Mountain Rosebay or Catawba Rhododendron, Rhododendron catawbiense

*Habitat: Found in rich woods from New Jersey to Florida and west to Texas and Wisconsin, primarily in the Southern States.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Bottoms Up: An Almost Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 29 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Ahh... Bumbles!

The Bumbles are out and about...They took forever to show themselves in the garden and bottoms up is what we'll see from now on!

I am one happy gardener.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Scentless Mock-Orange

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 22 May 2013 06:00:00 +0000

The Scentless Mock Orange caught me by surprise, I hadn't noticed it was blooming. It's lovely white flowers were draped over the garden gate and waving at me to pay attention. Small bees buzzed around the 4 petaled flowers. It lit up the shady spot behind the patio gate. But, even out of bloom, it has a lot to recommend it. William Cullina says this about them: "In a favorable spot, the whole plant is wreathed in white and it is quite lovely in a loose and delicate way"

They were here when we bought this house nearly 28 years ago. They are not the straight species but are most likely Philadelphus inodorus 'Grandiflora'. They are so attractive and so nearly like the species that I believe they are worth sharing. Perhaps, hearing about Scentless Mock-Orange will spark your interest/desire to locate the species for your garden.

There are four species of Philladelphus in Tennessee, P. hirsutus, P inodorus, P pubescens var intectus and P pubescens var. pubescens. Although, each are found growing in my home county, I've never seen them in the local woodlands. I suspect that they are rare and possibly endangered in the wild. After studying the photos of the flowers and foliage at the University of Tennessee Herbarium website it is clear that the flowers of 'Grandiflora' are twice the size of the species, but, everything else seems the same.

Like the species, my Philadelphus shrubs have a very fine upright shape, arching stems, exfoliating bark and when in bloom, lovely white flowers that have no scent.

Scentless Mock-Orange has clusters of small flowers with 60 to 90 stamens in each flower. The 2 - 4" long ovate shaped leaves are simple and opposite and the entire plant can reach a height of 10'. The mature bark is often gray, but can become more of a mahogany color over time. It is more floriferous in full sun, but grows well in part shade with at least four hours of sun. It prefers calcareous or neutral soils (my garden) and can be found in nature from Canada to Florida and weest to Missouri, Arkansas and Louisiana. (source)

It's a beautiful flowering shrub that's not only easy to grow, but, takes very little maintenance....I never water it. Trust me here, it has survived in the Garden of Benign Neglect for almost 30 years.

I love this plant and want it to step out of the shadows of the woodlands and from the corners of old gardens into the spotlight. Even if you haven't the space in your garden for a shrub this large, you can spread the word and encourage native plant enthusiasts to think about adding Scentless Mock-Orange to their gardens. It would be a wonderful shrub for the back of the border or at the edge of the woods. It would be a good basic hedge/screen, a specimen in a large border or in a cottage garden.

Lest I forget, it's attractive to native bees, too.

xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

Pretty In Pink~Showy Evening Primrose

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 20 May 2013 10:50:00 +0000

I love this pushy little flower! Call me eccentric, but I appreciate a plant that likes to romp around my garden and make a big statement.

Showy evening primrose does make a big statement...Some gardeners might say it makes too big a statement!

But, not me.

Flowers and plants that can thrive in my shallow, clay soil are very much appreciated. Oenothera speciosa does that and more. It is a pink ground cover that lights up the Susans garden mid-spring and combines beautifully with the foliage of later blooming wildflowers.

I like rough and tumble plants that can take care of themselves and colonizing plants that make a big show and Oenotheras are rough and tumble colonizers. Many gardeners think they're aggressive or thuggish and if the idea of plants romping here and there doesn't appeal then you might want to steer clear of this pretty in pink beauty. In the right circumstances (dry rocky soil) it can spread aggressively in your garden and be nearly impossible to eradicate.

I have a wet winter garden and they still manage to romp about....mostly down slope, not up! I rip out the plants before they set seed, they look messy anyway, but, getting all the root is nearly impossible so every year, they return.

Again, I don't mind them in my garden. They're pretty and pink, they smell sweet, and pollinators love them...They're nectar and pollen rich and it has been suggested that based upon the size of the stamens and styles that large butterflies, day flying sphinx moths and hummingbirds may be pollinating them. (source)

X marks the spot for pollen and nectar

Although, I haven't seen hummers or sphinx moths nectaring on Showy evening primrose, it is popular with small bees and bumbles.

It's a good thing I like them a lot, they're in my garden for good and most likely forever!

xoxogail

PS Originally a native plant of the south-central United States and the rocky prairies and savannas of the lower Midwest, it is now commonly seen along roadsides and in disturbed areas over a much broader region. It is available in the nursery trade and has been a pass-along plant for generations! (source)

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Bloom On for May 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:31:00 +0000

Practically Perfect Pink Phlox pilosa is blooming on for Bloom Day~It's my favorite spring plant and I am happy to say it's made a marvelous comeback from the last years droughts.

Although, it's an adaptable plant it needed more moisture than we have had the last many summers to set seed and spread around the garden. This year has more than made up for those disappointing years.

Next up is Penstemon. I am having a marvelous love affair with P 'Prairie Twilight' and P 'Prairie Dusk'. Both plants rescued from a big box sale rack last summer. Experts often tell you not to buy late in the season or off the sale racks because plants are root bound, etc. That has never stopped me, I've gotten my best bargains from the racks and I am careful to choose plants that can take a good root pruning. I rinsed the potting medium away from the roots, trimmed the roots, making sure none were circling the plant and then planted them in good soil (or in this case, a fast draining rocky soil that these penstemons require). (Go here to read more about Penstemons and Bumblebees)

Also blooming are Western Daisy/Astranthium integrifolium~I discovered these cutie pie daisies in my way back 'meadow' many years ago...and they have been moved all over the garden. WD is a winter annual that blooms heavenly in the late spring and on and off all summer. The flower is small by daisy standards, but, it carries a lot of wow factor when allowed to naturalize in your native plant lawn or as a ground cover beneath later blooming perennials.

Golden Alexander has been in my garden several years, but this year it's been outstanding. I think I need to take a page from Fairegarden and plant a pretty purple flower to compliment the golden yellow and help it stand apart. In my garden it's made a lovely two foot mound and smells of honey. It evokes memories of my childhood when my good friends and I had the freedom to explore neighboring overgrown fields in early summer. If you get a chance, lean into Zizia aurea and catch that delicious fresh summer fragrance.

Camassias continues to bloom on. I adore them and will be planting more this fall, in fact I have already put a reminder in my calender to order more. One thing I won't do is underplant it with the Tommies. The chipmunks have dug around trying to get the tasty Tommie corms and damaged several of the Camassia quamash. (But true to advertising the squirrels don't touch it, which is perfect if you garden where there are no chippers))

Verbena canadensis is looking more beautiful than you can imagine. The plants survived our non winter and have been blooming their hearts out.

Phlox 'Minnie Pear' is new to the garden. Research reveals that Minnie is a naturally occurring hybrid between Phlox maculata and Phlox glaberrima. I've placed it next to species P glaberrima, it needs the same moist soil and I do want to see any offspring from this union.

Two-flowered Cynthia is still blooming. You can read about this dandelion imposter and pollinator attractor Krigia here.

Oenothera speciosa

Showy Evening Primrose is just working up to a big show~I love its colonizing ways. I'll pull up the spent flowers, but there's no stopping this plant once it's in your garden.

I fell head over heals in love with Monarda bradburiana while at Chicago Fling several years ago. It blooms faithfully each year and doesn't require a moist soil. Take that M didyma cultivars that tempt me in the nursery and fail to bloom after the first year.

The non-native alliums are gorgeous and as always a nectar treat for all the visiting pollinators.

The last Columbine bloom of the spring

All in all the garden has enjoyed the long spring and extra rainfall and now, summer is coming on strong. There's a lot more in bloom, but I have to hold some flowers back to post about later! I know you understand.

Happy Bloom Day my dears, now take the magic carpet ride to May Dreams Gardens and host extraordinaire Carol's links to gardens all over this great big beautiful world.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

The Best Gift For A Mom Who Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Sun, 12 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

My son Matt called to talk to me about tomatoes, never mind that I know zippo about veggies and only grow a few herbs, his heirloom container grown beauties were already sporting fruit and he wanted to share his excitement with me. He has pepper plants, basil and, be still my heart, Phlox paniculata and Echinacea purpurea, also in containers.

The kid who refused to help do any garden work is now gardening and calling his mother to chat about it.

Thank you Matt for the best Mother's Day. Seriously, the best gift ever. I will carry this one in my heart forever.

xoxo

PS Hoping this Mother's Day fills your heart with sweet memories.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

My New Crush~Two-Flowered Cynthia

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 08 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

You're probably asking yourself, "What ever does she see in that flower?"

Come on admit it, you are!

Ray flowers, no disk flowers do remind me of dandelions

It's been beaten down by rain and blown about in the wind and I still find it delightful and charming. I wish I had been able to capture the nice contrast between the orange tinted golden flowers and the bluish-gray foliage~It pops in the garden.

The orange tinted flowers pop in the garden

You'll have to take my word for this~Two-flowered Cynthia is a keeper!

It's a delightful native flower that blooms for a long time, is tolerant of all, but, the most water logged soils and is visited by many pollinators~bumblebees, honeybees, Little carpenter bees, Cuckoo bees, Mason bees, beetles, flower flies, predatory wasps, skippers and butterflies.

It even has its very own specialist bee~the Andrena krigiana.

Wishing now that I had gotten more than one plant. I am certainly going to let this aster go to seed! Lot's more will be lots better!

xoxogail

Middle Tennesseans, you can find Krigia biflora at GroWild Nursery, that's where it called my name and jumped into my arms!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Rhododendron periclymenoides 'Rosy Pink'

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 03 May 2013 15:32:00 +0000

Is this the rhododendron that can can survive my Middle Tennessee garden?

I sure hope so! For years I have dreamed of the sweet fragrance of native azaleas wafting through my garden.

Other azaleas have come and gone. Like the beautiful 'Golden Lights' I tried four years ago. She was beautiful the first season, by the second merely pretty and then gone by the third spring.

I met 'Rosy Pink' last year while strolling through a favorite garden center. The yellow tag simply read: 'Rosy Pink Azalea'. The deciduous azalea was covered with big, fat buds ready to open and welcome the spring! I bought three and planted them in the Garden of Benign Neglect in an acid soil enriched bed along with Leucothoe axillaris 'Sarah's Choice' and an underplanting of Iris cristata and trilliums. While planting them I discovered a tag buried under the mulch that identified Rosy as Deciduous Azalea R. periclymenoides Bloom: Rose/Pink. Go here to read the original post.

'Rosy Pink' was beautiful from her first swollen bud until all the blooms dropped off weeks later. The garden smelled delicious every time the wind blew. Then summer arrived and with it came a drought that lasted till late fall. I was able to keep all the Rosy Pink azaleas alive, but, they didn't set many flower buds. This spring there were only a few beautiful blooms.

Naturally, I bought more. The experiment wasn't nearly over! **

Flowers range from soft pink to dark pink and are sweetly scented and very beautiful.

This time I planted them in the front garden where several Rhododendron canescens already resided. They were planted last fall, rescues from the late summer sale table. Of course, I didn't plant any of them in my "pretty darn close to a cedar glade micro-environment" without amending the soil! (More about this micro-environment here) Dozens of years of decaying leaf litter had made it rich and humusy, but, soil conditioner and a Woodland Soil Mix created for acid loving plants made it even better. Azaleas might like moist soil, but these also want sharp drainage. In my clay soil that means planting them high and mulching them with pine straw. I want these beauties to have the best chance to survive.

The delicate petals curl back exposing long stamens and styles

After all, I have dreams and I'll continue to work to make them happen.

xoxogail

** Thanks to Frances of Fairegarden for inspiring me to plant our beautiful native azaleas. Hers really rock!

Head Turning Beauties: Iris and Kale

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 29 Apr 2013 14:24:00 +0000

A seriously lovely duo....Need I say more?

xxoogail
Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Practically Perfect Pink Phlox pilosa

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 06:00:00 +0000

My front garden is finally awake but, the star of the spring show is taking a slow walk down the runway!

when it's in full bloom I want to lie down in the garden and just breath

I don't mind waiting but, I did want to show her off to you. It's been years since I actually posted about the famous Practically Perfect Pink Phlox and what better time than April Wildflower Wednesday. After all, most years she blooms the entire month and what a marvelously pleasing display it is. It's warming up, so PPPP will be up to speed soon. I'll update photos while this post is current, in the meantime, I hope you enjoy these photos from the garden this week and a few from previous seasons.

fragrant pink flowers that charm all who visit

Long time readers already know about her charms...PPPP has an exceptionally long bloom time (six weeks or longer), fantastic pink flowers, grows in sun and part sun, tolerates clay soil that's wet all winter and dry all summer, has a marvelous ground covering effect, and has the sweetest fragrance that wafts all over the garden on warm days. You'll have to agree, a plant like that is practically perfect! (Clay and Limestone's Happy Trinity)

Deer and bunnies wonder through my garden daily and never have they nibbled on the phlox.

Phlox pilosa is also known as Downy Phlox or Prairie Phlox, what ever you call it, it's a hard working plant for any spring garden.

Phlox flowers are the classic butterfly plant with their perfect landing pad (flared petals), a narrow tube that is accessible to the long proboscis of butterflies and fragrant flowers that occur in loose, rounded clusters. The long bloom time means there's plenty of nectar for pollinator visitors from early to mid-spring. I've seen butterfly, skippers, bumblebees, Minor bees, carpenter bees and Flower flies visiting. I've read that Hummers visit as well and since it's blooming late here, they might stop by, too. Although, they are reported to be eaten by bunnies and deer, they've never even nibbled on them in my garden.

If all that doesn't make them Practically Perfect, I don't know what else could.

hairy or downy covering on stems, leaves and flowers

P pilosa is a stoloniferous, semi-evergreen native wildflower which can form large colonies. Although, I've never heard anyone call PPPP a thug, some gardeners may not appreciate how quickly it can spread in rich soil. Colonizing is a plus for me, I love that it makes a big statement and unlike some colonizing plants, it's easy to lift and transplant. I am especially pleased at how well it's growing in the shallow soil over the bedrock in the Susan's Bed....That says a lot about a plant.

the color variations from light pink, to dark pink, even lavender and white are marvelous

It's found naturally growing in open woodlands, meadows, prairie remnants and limestone glades through out the eastern US and Canada. You can find it online at many well known nurseries and locally in Middle Tennessee at GroWild Nursery.

Spring 2011

You simply have to have this plant in your garden, it's easy to grow and is pleasing to the senses. Trust me, you won't be disappointed with near perfection.

xxoogail

Welcome to Wildflower Wednesday! It's time to share your wildflowers no matter where you garden~the UK, tropical Florida, Europe, Australia, Africa, South America, India or the coldest reaches of Canada. It doesn't matter if we sometimes show the same plants, how they grow and thrive in your garden is what matters most. I hope you join the celebration..It's always the fourth Wednesday of the month!

Just add your name to Mr Linky to join in the fun.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Bees Love Purple Phacelia and So Do I!

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 18:20:00 +0000

When it comes to wildflowers almost all the attention centers on perennials. They're marvelous investment plants that you can count on to make a good show in your garden year after year, but, you might want to consider adding a few annuals and biennials that are native to your part of the garden world. They're charming plants and add another dimension to the garden~many of the seedlings and first year plant's foliage is quite attractive. (Gardeners, Do Yourself A Big Favor)

One of my favorite biennials is Purple Phacelia and it's blooming right now.

It has an interesting musky odor when you brush the leaves and flowers

I can't remember when I first met Phacelia bipinnatifida but, I remember quite clearly the first time I saw it massed on a hillside. I was going to visit a new friend's garden and was driving up her steep drive, as I turned a bend in the drive every where I looked were blooming Purple Phacelia with bees dancing from flower to flower. There's something splendid about natives that mass naturally, and this was dazzling and magical. I knew immediately that it had to become a part of Clay and Limestone and if at all possible I wanted it to make a big presence in the garden.

One year from seed, second year to flower, then it dies.

I don't have hillsides of phacelia, that requires much moister soil than I can give it, but, where it's naturally wet the phacelia shines.

Let's talk about biennials for just a bit.

To have flowers every year you have to get a colony started, so you need seeds, first year plants and flowering plants. I really was lucky to be given several plants in bloom and many first year seedlings. Here's how it works! Those first flowers were visited by Bumble bees and other pollinators and got fertilized, they set seed and then died. The fallen seeds germinated and over wintered; the following spring the original first year seedlings bloomed and their flowers were fertilized, set seed, and then died. It's not a complicated process, but it's a brilliant cycle that continues to this day.

I make sure the cycle is not interrupted. Which means that I collect the seeds and sprinkle them where I want new plants, sometimes I move the tiny seedlings, the first year plants and I have even been known to move second year plants in late winter. They always seem to survive!

I hope that helps!

Purple Phacelia plays well with other early blooming native plants.

As all gardeners know, some years are better then others and this has been an especially good year for phacelia...It didn't get hot too fast and we didn't have punishing rains. As Goldilocks said, "...just right." It looks delightful right now and many native bees~like the Mason bee in the top photo, honeybees in one below and small unidentified pollinators have been visiting the plants since they opened.
Phacelia has pretty good wildlife value! Bees love it! They want the nectar and pollen and there is plenty of food for a variety of other visitors like skippers and small butterflies.

But, really, Phacelia is all about the bees and that makes this gardener happy.

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wordless Wednesday: Hummingbird Ready

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 21:58:00 +0000

Columbine

and

Coral bells

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Trillium Time

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Little Sweet Betsy is abloom and dancing with the Spring ephemerals. Middle Tennesseans put on your hiking gear and head to one of our many natural areas. Davidson county residents, we are lucky folks to have the Metro Parks nearby (Warner Parks, Shelby Bottoms, Beaman Natural Are are but a few). Williamson County residents, of course you should pop over to visit Metro Parks, but, you have a treasure in Owl's Hill, call them to sign up for wildflower hikes on Tuesdays and while you're there you can get acquainted with their resident owls.

Closer to home, Sweet Betsy (Trillium cuneatum) can be seen in remnant woodlands all over my neighborhood. Sixty or so years ago roads were bulldozed through farmland and woodlands west of Nashville to build one of the city's first planned communities for the growing post war population. Our little bit of the neighborhood with its shallow soil and exposed limestone bedrock had never been farmed, but, had been logged, what you see now is secondary growth with a few untouched areas in the hills and ridges surrounding us. The indigenous wildflowers~ False Soloman's Seal, Spring Beauties, Rue Anemone, Trout-lily, False Garlic, Blue-eyed Grass, Wild Sweet William and Sweet Betsy, never disappeared and each spring delight residents with their arrival.

some of the flowers of spring

The first spring in our new home I found blooming Toadshade (another common name) in the wayback backyard and transplanted it to my new woodland garden. That was 25 years ago, but, I remember carefully digging around it to get all the rhizome and roots and gently placing it in the garden. They survived and thrived despite my gardening ignorance.

a simple and graceful perennial

Trillium cuneatum typically flowers from early March to mid April. It can be found in rich, mostly upland woods, but, it is especially happy growing on Middle Tennessee's Ordovician limestone soils (neutral to basic soil). The two I transplanted have multiplied to many and as long as it isn't crowded by aggressive perennials it's happy. Trillium Plants can live for 25 years or longer and usually do not flower until they are several years old. It's found growing across Alabama, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. I read that it can even be found in Michigan~makes me wonder how it "escaped" to plant itself there!

Despite being known as Little Sweet Betsy it's the largest of the eastern sessile trilliums, sometimes topping out at 15 inches tall. In case you wondered, sessile means stalkless and what appears as a stem is actually an extension of the horizontal rhizome. The leaves, petals and sepals of all trilliums come in groups of three.

The trillium is a simple, graceful perennial that is one of the most familiar and loved of the spring woodland wildflowers.

Trillium luteum

But, you don't have to take my word for it~Just check out Trails and Trilliums this weekend in Monteagle. You can attend talks, hike and buy wildflowers. They may even be selling trilliums!

xxoogail

Not so dear deer...

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:45:00 +0000

While I find deer charming when I see them on walks at Radnor Lake, they are a nuisance in my garden. Most of my rough and tumble native wildflowers are not palatable to them, but, that doesn't mean that my garden is safe from browsing and damage. Deer in particular seem to be creatures of habit, they follow regular trails to their favorite foods and the visitors at Clay and Limestone are no exception! My across the street neighbor says she loves watching them every morning as they browse by. Sigh...She sees them as delightful wildlife and I experience them as destructive. They trample through the garden smashing newly emerging wildflowers and have eaten the remaining daylilies down to stubs.

Although, I am not amused by their visits, humor helps me deal with the wilder aspects of wildlife gardening. Over the years I've had a lot of fun writing to the stinkers and have even posted an eviction notices. I thought you might like this post from several years ago, reading it this morning has helped restore both my sense of humor and perspective.

I hope it makes you smile, too. xoxogail*

Chez Clay and Limestone, Good Eats Here!

The species tulips looked delicious~

Good Eats Quadruped Dining Reviewer here to tell you about a gem of a place I stumbled upon out in the Nashville suburbs!

You can't beat a tulip for a taste sensation

After living in Nashville you get to know the good and bad about restaurants pretty soon. So, if you are in or around the area, and are having a craving for a bit of exotic food~think Tulipa~ then check out Chez Clay and Limestone! A fun and friendly eatery that caters to the early morning breakfast crowd.

At their just west of downtown location, we found the decor warm and colorful.

Just how you'd expect a locavore restaurant to be.
You'll be greeted by nice and friendly staff who will answer your queries without rush.

Their Menu is large and extensive, especially their daily breakfast buffet! They make the best Tulipa I've tasted this side of Cheekwood! They have a large variety of vegetarian options. No wonder they are a favorite place for Nashville's elite to gather!

Their Sunday Brunch menu is another good choice, from appetizers to main course as well as a dessert. You'll get to taste everything; perfect for a family get together. Look for the menu to change each season.

Spring: Tulipa, lilies and crocus.
Summer: Guacamole Hosta.
Fall: Hydrangea, Hamamelis, Burr Oak Acorns.

You never know what might be offered, so go ahead and try it all!

Guacamole Hosta will be on the menu later in the season.

There are many great places to eat in this town, but this little diamond in the rough has plenty to offer: good food, affordable prices, and a family-friendly environment. There are no lines, no cover charge and no bouncer at the door. Imagine a dawn breakfast or dinner watching the sunset!

But, you don't have to take my word for it~Here's a few reviews from other diners

The Proof is in the clean plate

This little gem has a nice menu and relaxed atmosphere. It's tasty and easy on the pocketbook. Be sure and try the Costco Pink Tulips! J Deerman

I can't say any more than if you haven't eaten at this restaurant, you haven't properly taken advantage of what this city has to offer. Shame on you. Awesome food, awesome atmosphere, totally unique to this city.
Sue Fawn

Ain't much to look at, but the rumors are true....the Tulipa specials are too die for! Mrs. Faline Bambi

That's all folks.

Good Eating from the The Quadruped Dining Reviewer

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS The post and photos are from 2011~The 2013 garden isn't this far along, spring has been cooler and there aren't any tulips. Deer, rabbits, squirrels and chipmunks are too frequent guests at Chez Clay and Limestone and I stopped planting them.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: A Side Of Mustard

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 27 Mar 2013 06:00:00 +0000

Cardamine diphylla

I am just now starting to enjoy the condiment mustard, but, I have loved the mustard family of plants for a very long time. It's also known as the cabbage family, crucifers and officially as Brassicaceae. It's an economically important family that includes --cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale.

But, this post isn't about vegetables, it's about one of my favorite spring blooming mustards~the toothwort! Which by the way, is completely edible!

Cutleaf toothwort's terminal clustered flowers are white, pink, or pale purple.
I love toothworts.

Cutleaf toothwort was the first wildflower to catch my eye the spring after we moved here. It was a very busy time in my life, I had a pre-schooler and a growing therapy practice but, there was always time to explore a new garden on a warm spring morning. I recall being completely charmed by the nodding bell flowers that grew here and there on the weedy lawn. They imprinted on my heart and every spring my winter tired spirit soars when I see the budding flowers.

It plays well with other wildflowers

Of the four toothworts found in Tennessee, the cutleaf toothwort is the happiest in my garden. It has formed small colonies and usually begins blooming in late February here in my Zone7 garden, elsewhere in it's native range (Eastern US and parts of southern Canada) it might not appear until April. It prefers moist forested woodlands with lots of decaying leaves and dappled sunlight. It plays well with other spring ephemerals and quietly disappears by early summer leaving space for summer blooming plants to do their thing.

Taxonomist, here after known as those who are often ignored, have merged the toothworts into the genus Cardamine (Bitter Cress), so now, the scientific name of Cutleaf Toothwort is Cardamine concatenata. Another name change that I drag my feet on~Dentaria flows off the tongue much easier...and makes sense when you consider that the dens in the name refers directly to the many tooth like characteristic of this wildflower. In fact, the name toothwort refers to the plant’s toothed, or scaly, rootstock.

But, Cardamine it is!

Showy flowers have ultra-violet nectar guides to attract pollinators

Since spring ephemerals bloom very early they have had to adapt to the vagaries of weather and pollinator activity, consequently, toothworts in particular have adapted to attract a variety of pollinators. They are nectar producers and are visited by honey bees, bumblebees, Mason bees, Cuckoo bees (Nomadine), Miner bees, Halictid bees, and Andrenid bees. Less often, the nectar of the flowers attracts early spring butterflies and Bombylius major (Giant Bee Fly). Short-tongued bees also collect pollen from the flowers. (source). In a warm year they might even be visited by Spring Azure butterfly.
the name crucifer is in reference to the suggestion of a cross (crucifix) shape formed by the 4 spreading petals.

This has not been a warm year! Pollinators haven't been out and about very often. Not to worry, this clever plant has several non-showy flowers that can self-pollinate.

Don't you think nature is amazing! We must do more to take care of it.
xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not; and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Forsythia! What Is It Good For?

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Oh, my, the temptation to sing
Ab-So-Lutely Nuth-ing!
Is very strong.**

Is that too harsh for flowers that glow against the collinsia blue sky for several weeks early in spring? Okay, I will admit that it also has fine fall color. But, folks, you have to agree, that for the the rest of the year it is either a big green blob or a tangled mess of branches?

I admit, I am biased! Hedge and I have had at best an uneasy alliance. While, I appreciate that it's made a wonderful privacy screen for the front garden (especially for sitting on our screened front porch), it has ~~hogged~~ dominated the sunniest section of my garden. Nor does it appear to have much wildlife value~no visiting bees and no nesting birds.

Hedge is a yard and sun hog

Consequently, I have been chopping away* at H for years, planting shrubs that are not only beautiful in the spring and fall, but provide food and shelter for the critters that live in this garden. That's how this gardener rolls...I garden for wildlife!

'Grey Owl' junipers, native grasses, Crepe myrtles and even a fig tree

They just take so long to grow and I have to remind myself that Hedge didn't spring up over night!

xoxogail

*and I will continue to chop away!
** and a link to the song WAR!

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Spring is my favorite time for blooming exotics

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:16:00 +0000

If you've visited here before you know that I grow mostly Central Basin natives that can take the difficult growing conditions that this garden throws at them. (Plant More Natives) They just make sense for a garden that's wet, wet, wet all winter and dry as concrete most of the summer. But, tucked here and there are spring blooming exotics that make me smile. Exotics are welcome here if they have charming good looks, provide pollen or nectar to visiting pollinators, and behave themselves! Like this sweet Magnolia stellata 'Centennial' (above) with its delicate and fragrant flowers.

Here's a few more that make me happy...for my very late Garden Bloggers Bloom Day post

Daffodils...I have forgotten the names of many of them but, love inviting the different divisions into my garden~trumpet, jonquilla, split-cup, large-cup, small-cup, triandrus, Cyclamineus, poeticus and even a few wild ones.

Today, these bright orange cupped beauties and

the gentle yellow small-cupped ones have caught my eye.

Crocus tommasinianus

Crocus! I only grow one crocus in my garden~ Tommies~ which are reported to be squirrel proof. They are, but, here the chipmunks delight in digging them up and carrying them away, I presume to eat, because they haven't popped up anywhere else in the garden.

I love the Tommies. Every fall I order 1000 and plant them in a river in a sloping bed on the side of the driveway and each spring they delight me from late February until the too early heat or torrential rains take them out.

Aren't they fabulous spilling down this hillside.

Summer snowflake! If you live in the Middle South and dream of Galanthus blanketing your garden then you must plant Summer Snowflake instead. You won't be sorry, it is not particular about soil type and even thrives in my heavy clay soil! Thank you Leslie (Growing A Garden In Davis) for these delightful Leucojum aestivum. They make my heart smile.

If you come back later this week I'll share the natives that are blooming! Here's a sneak peak!

Now, please have a wonderful day.
xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

An Almost Wordless Wednesday!

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 11:56:00 +0000

All Hail The Sunshine

I hope your day is filled with sunshine and joy.
xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Late winter and early spring is a perfect time to think about pollinators

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 15:46:00 +0000

False Rue Anemone floral pollen attracts small bees and flies but it has no nectar!

Planning for a pollinator friendly garden is not complicated, but there are a few must dos to make your ecosystem a healthy place for all the critters that visit and live there.

The Golden Rules for a pollinator friendly garden

*Choose plants that make sense for your garden. Local pollinators have evolved with native plant species and are more likely to be attracted to native plants, you can check with your state native plant society or wildlife garden guides for planting ideas. Yo can also check out the pollinator guides that the Xercis Society has put together.

Toothwort will form small colonies and then disappears until next spring

*Plant large swathes of nectar and pollen producing plants. Plant at least three of each plant~Many bees practice flower constancy, working one flower type at a time, so give them a lot of each kind plant and a lot of different plants.

*Plant host plants~don't stop at nectar and pollen plants. The Monarch butterfly is a great example of a pollinator that needs a specific plant, in this case milkweeds, in order to reproduce and live in your garden. There are many others that a plant specific~like my dear Susans/Rudbeckia hirta,~they're a larval host plant for the Silvery Checkerspot butterfly.

the pollen of Hepatica nobilis attracts small bees and flies

*Avoid hybrid strains with 'doubled' flowers, they often lack pollen, fragrance and nectar as a result of the hybridization. A good way to check a flower out before you bring it home is to observe it for any pollinator visitors while shopping at the nursery. I stay away from pretty flowers that have no visitors and stock up on those that are pollinator hotels!

Hamamelis vernalis is still blooming

*Plan for bloom from late spring to early winter. Since bees are most active from February to November (longer in mild climates) late winter blooming Hamamelis vernalis and the earliest spring ephemerals (like the toothworts, hepaticas, spring beauties, and False rue-anemeone seen in this post) are perfect plants for a variety of pollinators when gardens are too cold for other perennials. I've even noticed honeybees are visiting the crocus on warm sunny days.

*Bee sure to include water. Shallow birdbaths, mud puddles or even just a small saucer with sand and rocks helps supply pollinators with the necessary water and minerals they need when ever they are out and about, but especially in the long, hot, dry summers.

*Provide nesting sites for a variety of visitors. Leave a three foot square of bare soil for ground nesting bees and ix-nay on the plastic landscape cloth~bees cannot tunnel through it. Leave decaying logs for beetles and tunneling bees. Build or purchase specialized bee houses...trust me.building your own Pollinator Condominium is a fun project!

*Wait until spring to clean up your garden. Get over thinking that fall means garden clean up time~spring cleaning makes sense! I leave dried flower stalks and grasses standing all winter for hibernating insects. Did you know that many beneficial insects overwinter in decaying leaves and in plant stalks? The one exception is summer phloxes~I always cut down and dispose their stalks in the trash to keep the phlox bug from over wintering and decimating the plant the next season)

and, finally...

*Never, ever, ever, ever, ever use pesticides! You know, I really do mean NEVER!

Your pollinators will thank you! Now, go have fun planning your garden.
xoxogail

In case you want to read earlier pollinator posts~

Now Is The Time To Bee-gin Thinking About Bees ( here)
This Is The Place To Bee ( here)
If You Could Plant Only One Plant In Your Garden~Don't (here)
Must Bee The Season of The Witch (here)
Go Bare In Your Garden (here)
We can't All Be Pretty Pollinators (here)
Eye, Eye Skipper, Big Eyed Pollinators (here)
What's In Your Garden (here)
Royalty In The Garden~Monarch Butterfly (here)
Carpenter Bees (here)
Got Wildflowers?(here)
It's Spring and A Gardener's Thoughts Are On Pollinators (here)
The Wildflower and The Bee (here)
A Few Good Reasons To Plant Milkweek (here)
Got Shade? You Can Have Pollinators ( (here)
A Pollinator friendly Shrub (here)
Big Goings On at C and L (here)
Where Have All My Pollinators Gone (here)

Other bee posts you might want to read~

Count Yourself Lucky To Have Hoverflies ( here)
Bumblebee Hotel (here)
Still Taking Care Of Bzzness (here)
My Sweet Embraceable You (here)

Switchgrass

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I cut the switchgrass down this afternoon and I already miss them.

I can hardly bear to cut those beautiful tawny golden blades down to stubs and put it off until the very last minute. I really didn't want to, they still look so pretty, but if you wait too long you can't clip them with your hedge clippers without running the risk of cutting off the new shoots. Lucky me, there were no green shoots showing and I could chop away!

Panicum is a stellar grass for winter interest and I've never understood why gardeners cut it down in the fall. It fills the garden with movement and beauty all year long and the standing grass provides food and shelter for visiting mammals, birds and insects.

Panicum virgatum 'North Wind'

I've heard gardeners complain that grasses are floppy and messy by mid winter. If that's the case, they might want to add Panicum virgatum 'Northwind' to their gardens. It is without a doubt the most upright grass I’ve ever encountered. Strong winds, heavy rains and even snow have not made it flop over.

It dances all winter in the wind...

Me, I don't mind floppy grasses. In fact, I appreciate how they have softened the sharp corner of my house along the path to the porch. I can't recall if this graceful beauty is a cultivar or the species, but I love it.

'Northwind' backlit and glowing

It's rather ironic that it took European plant breeders to open our eyes to the versatility and beauty of Panicum virgatum. It has a long history on this continent. It's native to the tall grass prairies of the Great Plains from the Rocky Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and it can still be found growing in ‘remnant prairies’ and along interstates.

You could certainly say that it has a lot going for it-graceful form, long seasonal color, deer resistance, hardiness, drought tolerance and adaptability.

Thank goodness it won't be long before they start greening up! I do miss them waving at me as I walk the garden!

xoxogail

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Wildflower Wednesday: Harbinger-of-Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Wed, 27 Feb 2013 07:00:00 +0000

It's spring in my garden. It matters not what the calendar says or that we can have frosts until mid-April, it's spring. The light is subtly different, it glows just a bit brighter, and have you noticed that the sky is the bi-color blue of that illusive wildflower Collinsia verna?

It's spring at Clay and Limestone. I know, because it smells like spring...You've smelled it, too, it's the fresh dirt smell that wafts on the breeze on warm spring days. Scientist call the chemical that makes dirt smell fresh geosmin, I call it delicious. We can thank the plant munching bacteria that live in our soil for making it.

And, have you heard the birds? They sing louder and more melodious in the spring.

Oh, it's spring alright! The garden is undergoing a marvelous transformation from brown to green...Over head the elms are budding, the leaves on the St John's wort, Alabama snow wreath and leatherwood are beginning to push out and the spring ephemerals are just about to burst into bloom.

But, let's not rush headlong into a big spring crescendo before we take time to admire our wildflower of the month, Harbinger-of-Spring.

the diminutive woodland beauty Erigenia bulbosa

It's the earliest and smallest of the spring flowers. So small, no more than 4 inches tall, that it is easily over looked among the brown leaves on a woodland hillside. The pure white flowers and chocolate colored anthers contrast beautifully and, are clearly, the reason for one of the common names, Pepper and Salt. It blooms early in our woodlands and I wondered if any pollinators are awake to sup on its nectar. According to research, little Carpenter bees, Mason bees, and flower flies visit. It grows in rich moist deciduous woodlands in dappled shade.

I love this little carrot family member (source*)

Hardiness Zone:5,6,7 (Eastern Canada, most of eastern US, including OK and AR)
Light: dappled shade
Height: 2"-10"
Leaf Color: green
Bloom Color:white
Bloom Time: Feb, Mar, Apr
Water: moist
Soil: acid, neutral, rich, average loam, think not picky!

It is a tiny member of the Carrot (Apiaceae) family, growing from a round tuber and I count myself fortunate when it showed up in my garden a few years back. I dearly wish it were commercially available~it's a lovely little flower and should be in more of our woodland gardens.

xoxogail

Welcome to Clay and Limestone's Wildflower Wednesday celebration. WW is about sharing and celebrating wildflowers from all over this great big, beautiful world. Join us on the fourth Wednesday of each month. Remember, it doesn't matter if they are in bloom or not, and, it doesn't matter if we all share the same plants. It's all about celebrating wildflowers. Please leave a comment when you add your url to Mr Linky.

*Britton, N.L., and A. Brown. 1913. An illustrated flora of the northern United States, Canada and the British Possessions. 3 vols. Charles Scribner's Sons, New York. Vol. 2: 653.

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Consider The Understory In Your Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Flowers are fantastic, but, please don't forget to include native shrubs and small trees when designing or improving your garden.

You can't beat them for wildlife value. Not only do they provide food, nesting and shelter for mammals and birds, they are also host plants for a variety of insects. Insects that are a primary food source for birds, bats, small mammals, amphibians and even other insects that you want in your garden. They are essential if you want to garden for wildlife.

Slipper Bark Elm Spring and Fall

My own garden came with a canopy of Shagbark Hickory, Elms (American and Slippery Bark) and a variety of Oak trees all growing in a weedy lawn with absolutely no understory.

Hydrangea arborecens

Once I figured out that the conditions in my garden~soil, sun, moisture~most resembled the woodlands that are adjacent to cedar glades, one of the first thing I had to do was to plant an appropriate understory of native shrubs and wildflowers to create a healthy and diverse ecosystem.

Spicebush

Finding those understory shrubs and small trees has been and still is an adventure. Not just any Middle Tennessee native will grow in the shallow, clay soil that is wet all winter and dry all summer...It is still trial and error, there have been many plant deaths! The ones that thrive are real troopers~Honorary members of the Rough and Tumble Wildflower Club. They meet my criteria to a T~They are native, they provide for pollinators and other critters and they are lovely to look at. You can't ask for more in a plant.

Viburnum rufidulum aka Rusty Blackhaw

Supporting Players in the garden~Each has many wildlife visitors

Lindera benzoin
Hypricum frondosum
Hydrangea arborecens sps and cultivars 'Ryan Gainey' White 'Dome'
Viburnum rufidulum
Hydrangea quercifolia
Itea virginica
Aronia arbutifolia
Euonymous americana

Hamamelis vernalis
Hamamelis virginica
Rhododendron periclymenoides (Pinxterbloom Azalea)
Juniperus virginica 'Grey Owl'

Cotinus 'Grace' and Cercis canadensis

Cotinus 'Grace'
Cercis canadensis
Cornus florida
Cornus drummondii

Amelanchier laevis

Amelancer laevis
Ostrya virginica
Neviusia alabamensis
Dirca palustris
Croton alabamensis
Rhus aromatica

My little ecosystem is a hybrid crossing of a cedar glade woodland, with Central Basin natives and the unique characteristics of this place I call Clay and Limestone. There's no way C and L would ever be confused with a naturally occurring ecosystem, it's an artificial construct that I weed (occasionally), prune, add and subtract plants, and delight and despair over.

Hypericum frondosum

The critters seem pretty happy and that makes this gardener happy.
xoxogail

PS. Want to learn more about the wildlife value of trees, shrubs and forbs? Check out Doug Tallamy's research on Lepidopteran Use of Native & Alien Ornamental Plants and do a web search using the phrase "wildlife value of native trees and shrubs".

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.

Collinsia verna, Where Are You?

noreply@blogger.com (Gail) — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 11:00:00 +0000

I've looked everywhere for you, crawling on hands and knees through the wet clay, pulling back the leaf mulch, hoping to see the small seedlings that have always greeted me in February.

You are nowhere to be found!

Collinsia verna is a winter annual that can be found growing in rich deciduous woodlands

Blue-Eyed Mary is a native winter annual that blooms in the Spring, sets seed in the summer, germinates in the fall and then starts growing in February.

I love it and have my fingers crossed in hope that it's better at hiding than I am at searching.

~Although, the Blue-Eyed Mary was a no-show I did see

False Rue Anemone (Enemion biternatum ), always one of the first Spring ephemerals to bloom.

Early blooming daffodils.

Tommies!

An array of beautiful Hellebores.

Aren't they worth mucking about in the mud!

A few Dandelions for the earliest visiting honeybees.

Hamamelis 'Diane' holding court in the understory, and

Slippery Elm glowing above it all.

~~~~~

Really, not bad for a chilly few days in the garden...

xoxogail

I am several days late for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day, but don't let that keep you from popping over to May Dreams Gardens to see what Carol is up to...

Gail Eichelberger is a gardener and therapist in Middle Tennessee. She loves wildflowers and native plants and thoroughly enjoys writing about the ones she grows at Clay and Limestone. She reminds all that the words and images are the property of the author and cannot be used without written permission.