Simply Susan

The Jade Tooth

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 26 Apr 2020 13:07:00 +0000

We are discovering Monarch chrysalis’ all around the house in very unusual places. One clever caterpillar decided to disguise herself as a jade tooth in this dragon garden ornament. How awesome is that! Each day my daughter photographed the chrysalis, waiting to see its debut as a beautiful butterfly. On the 11th day...miraculously, she unfolded her wings, breaking through the thin outer covering, and within minutes, the damp crinkled wings began to straighten and grow larger before our eyes. She clung to the dragon for another two hours...drying her wings in the warm sunlight.

Our sheltering at home has brought a new and welcomed ‘slowness’ to our lives. One that allows us to savor some of the miraculous happenings in our small backyard. 🐛🌿

A Spring Delight

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Wed, 15 Apr 2020 16:46:00 +0000

One of the silver linings, for me, during this Covid pandemic has been the chance to slow down and savor more time at home. The amaryllis and Black & Blue salvia, along with Tropical red salvia in the background are creating a pretty spring vignette...one that I’m enjoying thoroughly! 🌿

The Sweet Smell of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 27 Jun 2017 13:05:00 +0000

As a kid I can remember walking through the neighborhood and smelling the scent of freshly cut grass. Even as an adult, I still take a deep breath and savor the herb-like scent of grass. The steamy fresh scent after a rain shower is another wonderful childhood memory. Everything is refreshed and the drop in heat is reduced to what feels like a blanket of steam surrounding me. I still love to watch the steam rising from the asphalt roads and off the roof tops of homes. Quite an eerie feeling but one that's so familiar. And, there does seem to be a feeling of comfort in the familiar.

One of the most familiar scents of summer from my childhood comes from the Angel Trumpet that my mother grew in her yard. My trumpet tree is an offspring - many generations removed - from her tree. It is covered with blossoms following, what seems like, record amounts of rain in June. Even in a considerable amount of shade, this plant rewards me with flowers and scent all year round. It's one of my favorites!

A new plant to my garden is the night-blooming jasmine. This plant is a monster!! It has a mind of its own and I'm constantly trimming it back off of the surrounding plants. It gobbled up and devoured the peach tree (the 2 visible trunks in the photo) a long time ago. In the evening, on toward darkness this plant is intoxicatingly fragrant. My mom always tells the story that our neighbor told her. She said to "never plant a night-blooming jasmine outside your bedroom window because the smell is so strong that you won't be able to sleep." Of course way back then we all slept with our windows open because we didn't have air conditioning.

A new very subtle and, unfortunately, short-lived scent is the St. Christopher lily. I brought this plant from my aunt's garden to mine after she died.

The plant is similar to a crinum lily but shorter in stature,

and the flowers are shaped more like a chalice than a lily.

It's a beautiful flower that gives off a subtle scent when you're near it. They fully opened over night and this morning I noticed the flowers had lots of little gnats all over the inside. A quick Google search and I learned that gnats feed on pollen, and do perform pollinating functions. How about that? You learn something new all the time.

I hope your garden is full of the sweet smell of summer, too!

One Last Perfect Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 09 May 2017 15:22:00 +0000

This past weekend the weather felt more like "early spring." It felt wonderful and was most welcome, as our endless summer is right around the corner. We still have a couple of amaryllis' blooming in the garden. This particular variety comes from Mrs. Flora's garden. She was one of our neighbors when I was a kid. It's nice to have reminders of people, from my past, in the garden.

The sunny perennial bed has enjoyed our mild winter and warm spring, despite the lack of rain. The black-eyed Susan's, snapdragons and pentas are in full bloom. This garden bed puts a smile on my face and joy in my heart every time I look at it.

I just love the carefree nature of the Black-eyed Susan's.

They keep reminding me to let go and let nature do its thing in the garden.

The snapdragons did very little through the winter, but once spring arrived they shot up like little rockets, and have been showering me with pretty pink blossoms for months. I will be sad to see them go.

The black-eyed Susan's are all volunteers and they are without a doubt, one of the happiest plants I've ever seen. They're not needy, always look great and the bees love them!

There were lots of little bees humming from flower to flower. The underbelly of his little body is absolutely drenched in pollen. They just can't seem to get enough!

A close up view shows all that wonderful yellow pollen that this flower contains. They are without a doubt, the gift that keeps on giving. I bet the bees would agree with me!

The Cardinal & the Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 27 Apr 2017 20:26:00 +0000

I haven't had a "Veggie Tale" to tell in quite a while, so I was happy that Mr. Cardinal showed up and presented me with a story to share.

About a month ago, I was drinking a cup of coffee and looking out the back window at my garden. All of a sudden, a Cardinal landed on the stone wall surrounding the patio. My first thought was of pleasure at seeing this beautiful red bird in my garden. Seeing Cardinals is a common sight, but one I never tire of.

Then, much to my dismay, he hopped on to one of the tomato plants. In a split second, I went from being pleased to being anxious. The thought that he is going to take a bite out of one or more of the fruits had me holding my breath. It didn't take long before I exhaled with acceptance, and a reminder to take the good with the bad. If I want wildlife in my garden, I have to accept the fact that they might want to feast on those delicious Sweet Baby Girl cherry tomatoes, too. Right?

But a few seconds later, I was relieved and delighted to see him emerge from the plant with a big fat green worm in his beak. That sight put a BIG smile on my face, as I realized I was observing nature working together in one of the best ways.

I went out and checked, and my shiny red orbs were untouched! I was amazed at how wrapped up I got into that little bit of garden drama.

The Late Winter Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 27 Feb 2017 22:00:00 +0000

Last time I checked the calendar, it's definitely late winter even though it feels like the end of spring going on summer. We really didn't have much of a winter this year at all, and that means less spring clean up in the garden. That's a good thing!

There's lots of Milkweed in the garden and it's all abloom. It has reseeded itself everywhere, and for the most part I leave it where it comes up. Sometimes, I'll move it to create fuller bushes inside the borders of the flowerbeds. Even the Monarchs are visiting and laying eggs. That puts a smile on my face for sure!

I've seen this solitary Robin at the fountain a couple of times in the past week.

The large flocks were through in early January foraging the Camphor berries. He seems to be staying a bit longer to enjoy the sunshine and warmth.

I've been enjoying a steady supply of tomatoes and kale all winter thanks to temperatures staying above the freezing mark.

The two bushes are so large that they are falling forward, so I've had to tie the plant to the post with, yes, that's an old pair of panty hose - lol! Works like a charm every time!

New tomato plants went into the ground and planting tower today. Hopefully, it won't get too hot too fast, so that I can keep the tomatoes going for a few months. Very thankful for a mild winter!

The December Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 19 Dec 2016 22:22:00 +0000

It's hard to believe that it's December - - not because another year has almost come and gone, but because it feels more like May - - warm and humid!

We're used to having warm winters - - and quite frankly, I prefer it that way - - but the humidity is another story. Even though the air is damp, we've had practically no rain at all since the hurricane back in October. Despite the lack of rain, the garden is dry but still humming along with the warm days.

In the shade garden, the coleus is reaching new heights.

The Louis Philippe rose is bursting out all over, the kale is basking in the sunlight,

and the strawberries and cherry tomatoes are beginning to blush.

On top of all that wonderfulness, we still have Gulf Fritillary caterpillars munching on the passion vine. I've seen quite a few butterflies in the garden this month. I've especially had a lot of Monarchs, which makes me very happy!

The Pipe vine is still blooming. I found this beauty on the ground and placed it in my potted water garden. Now I can enjoy it every time I walk by.

Even the native violets, in the walkway, are putting forth blooms.

There's plenty of food around for the hummers, butterflies and birds. The red Firespike blooms, dotted throughout the garden beds, are adding to the festive season. So are the red pentas - sorry I was actually going to do a post without mentioning them. Guess it's just not possible (lol)!

These pretty little berries are dwindling on the Yaupon holly,

and, the Cardinal couple are foraging on the Firebush berries. Every time I walk in the yard, the birds are darting through the foliage for a tasty treat. Soon, I'll be rooting more plants to spread around the yard for my feathered friends.

So, as Christmas draws near, I'd like to wish my gardening friends a warm (going to be in the 80's) and joyous Christmas, as well as a blooming good 2017!

The Autumn Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 07 Nov 2016 00:36:00 +0000

I, for one, am so GLAD that autumn days are here again!

A sure sign of autumn in my garden is when the Beautyberry plants are draped with their gorgeous purple-pearly berries. A Cardinal couple is always hanging out on this side of the house devouring these berries.

You will find numerous Beautyberries in my garden - all were originally growing here when I built my home.

Two of my favorite plants - Thryallis and Cestrum have been keeping lock-step all summer with their yellow blooms. And, it doesn't look like they're slowing down a bit, as autumn arrives.

This collection of colorful foliage can be found on the left side of the front yard.

Berries on the Firebush are another sign of autumn in my garden. The Cardinals also love these berries, while the butterflies and hummers love the nectar. It's a must-have plant in Florida. In fact, everyone should have several of these plants in the yard.

The Nandina is looking a bit fallish, too!

Another fall favorite - camellias! This is Sparkling Burgundy which I can count on to begin blooming in late September. Not one of the fanciest one, but she is the ultimate in reliability.

You knew I wouldn't do a post, without including a pic or two of my red heirloom pentas. I swear the butterflies would go on strike if I deleted this plant from my garden.

I have seen more Gulf Fritillary butterflies this fall than I did all summer. So glad they finally decided to come for an extended visit.

And, my final new exciting discovery in the garden - butterfly eggs. What's so exciting about this particular discovery is that these were laid by a Pipevine Swallowtail on my Pipevine. I saw a Swallowtail hovering on the vine, but had to leave the house quickly to pick up my daughter from school. When I got home, I immediately went outside and with a little searching found these eggs. I was tickled pink that the Pipevine Swallowtail butterflies have found my garden.

That old saying - "Build it (or for gardeners - "Plant it"), and they will come" is so TRUE! It might take a while, but they will find it. I hope you make some wonderful new discoveries in your own garden this month.

Painful Relief

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 11 Oct 2016 19:53:00 +0000

I spent the better part of last Thursday preparing the yard for the arrival of Hurricane Matthew. It's at times like these that you realize how much non-plant stuff you have in the garden. One day later and a garage and house full of patio furniture, garden doo dads, benches and various other stuff - - we filled our jugs of water and waited for the arrival of our uninvited guest. Thankfully the storm was not as strong as was expected but, nonetheless, he left his mark on my garden. From tattered and broken banana tree leaves . . .

to branches and leaves scattered across the patio, his high gusty winds were busy wreaking their havoc.

He blew and he blew until several plants, including my large elephant ears gave way and surrendered.

He snapped every dead branch in the oak and carefully disbursed them evenly across the walkway. He did a great job - don't you think? He saved me some money since I won't need to hire a tree trimmer to clean out the trees now.

He flattened my beloved red pentas and blackberry lilies. Even the amaryllis' look forlorn and exhausted after his unwelcomed visit.

He insisted that the yellow flowering candlestick plants would no longer be standing when he finished his unrestrained use of power. He ripped a shingle from the roof of the birdfeeder and would have blown it down, too, had the crape myrtle not been there to lend its support.

As I surveyed the yard Friday afternoon my spirits were lifted when I saw a hummingbird visit the red spike and a couple of teensy butterflies on the salvia. They, too, were glad that Matthew was gone! The birds soon began squawking the good news, too. Things were returning to normal. The next day as I began cleaning up, I found 3 Monarch caterpillars on the ground and was able to place them back on the Milkweed plants - small joys in the life of a gardener.

As painful as it was to see this mess, it was a huge relief that all the big oaks around my home were still standing, and that the storm had been less than expected! We did however, lose electricity for 33 hours due to a huge oak down the road from us which took down the power lines. But, all-in-all it could have been a lot worse, and I'm thankful that it wasn't.

In closing, I must say it was so kind of Matthew to take the sticky humidity in our air with him when he left. It makes putting all that non-gardening stuff back in the yard a breeze!

I do hope my fellow Florida gardeners did not have any major devastation in their gardens.

Gardening Friends

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 20:33:00 +0000

Today I'm posting about something other than my own garden ....well, mostly anyway. I want to talk about my favorite garden blogs. My main purpose for doing this is self-serving! You see, I read my share of blogs on gardening (some from places other than Florida, too), genealogy and what I call 'cozy cottage' ones. But, there are certain blogs (Florida gardeners) that I enjoy immensely and look forward to each new post.

So, I know over time that we bloggers can run up against dry spells in blogging. I've done it myself over the 11 years I've been blogging. Can you believe I've been posting on this blog since 2005. I can't believe it myself. It's not easy to find new things to talk about, and it often seems like we can post on the same old thing. Heck, you will most likely find red pentas in just about everyone of my posts over the last 6 months or more. Hey, I have a small garden now, so what can I say. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. My point is that there are about 6 blogs that are my favorites - folks with the same garden interests. One gardener in particular, Eli (sorry for mentioning names) says she feels like she's posting the same ole post over and over. So, my selfish reason for writing this post is to encourage my favorite bloggers to keep on blogging!!!

You notice that I'm getting a few of my stray photos in on this post like this pretty Vitex bloom

Now, I must mention that as I was writing this post, Eli sent me a comment that she started blogging again. Hurray for that good news, and I know others will be happy about it too. You can find her new blog: Back to Eli's Place (love the new name) at www.elihart1018.blogspot.com.

But, I want to continue on with this post because I want to make sure that my other favorites - even though they might take breaks - will continue to put fingers to the keypad and post about their beautiful gardens. There have been several Florida gardeners (whose blogs I really enjoyed) that used to blog and have stopped for several years now. Perhaps, they have created a new blog, and I just haven't found it. I do miss the updates from Sherry in Ocala, Nanette's Bay-Friendly Landscaping, Ami in the southeast, NanaK, Meems and a few others.

Isn't this a busy little bee on the Indian Blanket flower!

For the blogs I currently follow: Leslie at Spruce Pine Cottage, Janice at Garden on Fourth Street, Lynn at Southwest Florida Garden, Lorraine (been following her for a very long time) at Flowerlady's Musings, and Rusty at Dragonfly's Garden, I just want to say that I look forward to each of your new posts with anticipation. You folks are like neighbors to me, and I feel as though we are chatting over the garden fence when we exchange comments.

Each and everyone of your blogs is unique and provides a different perspective to me as a Florida gardener. The photography on your blogs is stunning, your gardens are beautiful and I love seeing what's blooming in your yards (even if I've seen it a hundred times, and it's in my yard, too). I still enjoy it! I love seeing butterfly and bird photos, and I always get new butterfly plant ideas from all of you. Seeing your plant combinations and different talents for matching plants together sparks new ideas in my mind.

I managed to spare you from another pic of my red pentas :)

I like short posts, I like long posts, Leslie, I like posts on cats, new recipes and stories of the past. Janice, I want more stories on your chickens and your colorful shade garden. Lynn's gorgeous bird photos introduce me to birds further south of me, Lorraine's openness and honesty about real life is heartwarming, Eli's butterfly garden is inspiring and educational, and Rusty's tropical garden is a feast for the eyes. You guys are the charming gardeners who make my soul blossom and help me to be a better gardener, so please keep on blogging!

Home Sweet Home

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 19 Sep 2016 19:05:00 +0000

Since summer I've been, way, too busy running here and there and everywhere! I'm a homebody by nature and love it when I can stay home for several days without having to go anywhere. Sometimes life gets busier than usual, but I'm adapting to a more active schedule than usual and having fun at the same time.

I'm also, slowly and one-garbage-can-at-a-time, trimming back the 'jungle' in my backyard. Quite by accident, I discovered a wasp's nest when a small squadron of angry wasps attacked and inflicted two nasty stings on my arm. Even though pollinators are welcome in my garden and an essential part of it, I much prefer to come across the dainty little Skippers who don't seem to mind if I get a bit too close.

This BIG fella was an unexpected discovery I came across while working in the garden on Saturday. I looked him up and he is a Giant Leopard moth. He was flipped upside down and when I turned him over, I realized he was not in need of rescue but pretty close to death. I discovered him near my angel trumpet which is listed as one of his favorite food sources. He sure is intriguing and quite a specimen! Another new discovery ~ ~ just wish he wasn't in the process of leaving.

After my morning walk today, I was able to plant my tomato seedlings, cucumber seeds and 4 grow boxes with a variety of greens. I've been wanting to do this for the last 2 weeks, and can now mark that off my list. I always seem to procrastinate on doing this ~ ~ could it be the heat, I wonder!

We have a new addition to our family. Take a look at this cute little guy we rescued off a busy street in town at 7 am on the way to school. He was much smaller at the time (May) and was trotting down the sidewalk. We quickly made a u-turn (luckily there's not much traffic out at 7 am), and headed up the sidewalk to retrieve him. He hid from us in a sickly Sago with lots of stiff lower branches, when a guy out jogging stopped and pulled him out for us.

He had an upper respiratory infection and was scared to death. We named him Henley and he has made himself right at home, as they always do. Out of 8 cats that I've had in my adult life, he's my first short-hair kitty. He's very sweet and our other 4, with the exception of one (the siamese) have graciously accepted him. Who could resist such a sweet little face!!!!

He entertains us with his high energy which involves running at high speeds around the house or rough housing it with Arthur or Zoe. And, he's absolutely adorable when he's pooped out!

This crazy little boy is showing off his pearly whites. He provides a lot of entertainment around our house. We sit around watching his crazy antics and laugh out loud. I'm telling you - it's better than television or politics!

Enough said about Henley. I can't tell you how much I'm looking forward to some less humid weather, which I hope is just around the corner. I have quite a few small projects I want to get started on, but don't feel like it when its 80% humidity outside. I know ya'll know what I mean!!!! On the flip side of that, we've been getting our fair share of rain this month and that is always something to be grateful for!!

The Jungle

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 01 Sep 2016 17:23:00 +0000

In my jungle, my mighty little jungle, the plants have soared this summer. As I walk down the pathway I, sometimes, have to duck down or push back a leaf in order to proceed forward. It's wonderful, and I always feel like I'm on an expedition out here in search of the latest new bloom or wild creature.

This Robellini palm is going to have to fight for its space next to the giant elephant ear. It was so tiny when I planted it 1 1/2 years ago, but it is finally about 4 ft tall. Hopefully, next year it will be large enough - or almost - to cover the fence. There's another one on the other side of the elephant ears, so this space should be nice and tropical.

This is the first time the elephant ears have bloomed, and what a giant bloom it is, and long-lasting, too.

The crinum lilies have exploded in size and have bloomed throughout the summer, along with the yellow cestrum which the butterflies and hummers love.

I once read an article that said when working with a small garden space, do not shy away from large-leafed plants. It stated that "giant" plants will make the space feel larger.

I don't know if that's true or not, but I do love LARGE-LEAFED plants, including this super-sized bromeliad that has been blooming all summer.

This corner of the garden has all melded together creating a wall of greenery and summer-long blooms of mostly crape myrtles, red heirloom pentas, milkweed, blackberry lilies, agastache, black-eyed Susans and several varieties of savlia. Everytime I look out my family room window, this colorful little corner has brought me much enjoyment because it's filled with butterflies all day long.

I've been trying to identify this Swallowtail without much success. There are several Swallowtail varieties that are present daily, and I think this one might be a Spicebush Swallowtail. Not sure, so if anyone can I.D. it for me, please let me know. Looks like this little beauty has weathered some tough times, losing part of its lower left side.

I added a shelf to the top of my fence for this Pipevine to grow, in the hopes of attracting the Pipevine Swallowtail. I've heard they're very difficult to identify, so I'm not sure if the one in the photo above might be one. Anyway, I noticed that something has been eating on the leaves of the Pipevine, so that is good news. None of those odd looking flowers yet.

One day I caught this little fella perched on top of a milkweed leaf. My daughter said it's some kind of Skipper - not sure, but she usually knows her butterflies. He's cute, whatever he is!

I don't have too many flowers in the shady part of the jungle, but there is plenty of colorful foliage to keep it interesting.

The other corner of the garden is a sunny spot, too and is also filled with butterflies all day. This corner is filled with firespike, tropical salvia, passion vines and firecracker plants with a few red and green variegated banana trees tossed into the mix (for me). The Gulf Fritillary, and Zebra Longwings love this corner - and, I love watching them. The hummers also love this side of the garden!!!

Rain was hit and miss for us this summer. It seemed as though everyone around us got rain but not our area. We had a steady supply for about 3 to 4 weeks in August which was great during the hottest time.

The bridal bouquet plumeria is sporting its usual crisp white blossoms which are so cooling to look at in the middle of a long, hot summer.

The volunteer Black-eyeds Susans have slowly dried up, and have given way to a ton of volunteer milkweed in its place. I'm slow to pull up seedlings that sprout in the walkway. I don't mind tolerating them for a brief period of time if it brings more butterflies to my little jungle. I'm sad to say for the second year in a row, I did not see that many Monarch butterflies in my garden despite the presence of a plentiful supply of milkweed. I'll keep planting it and hoping they will come. How about you - have you seen many Monarchs in your garden this summer?

One last towering giant in my jungle - and one of my summer favorites - is the candlestick plant. I love this plant as much as the Cloudless Sulphur butterflies. It is a bright and cheerful addition to my cozy little jungle!!!

Cemetery Gardens

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 23 Aug 2016 12:12:00 +0000

This is my last post on Europe - I promise? I like putting my photos on my blog because it's an easy way for me to go back and relive my vacations. Sorry if I'm boring anyone!!!

I think you'll find this post interesting because the cemeteries in Europe are very different from ours and quite pretty. This is the cemetery in Zermatt, Switzerland. Along with local folks buried in this cemetery, are the grave markers of many mountain climbers and skiers that died trying to ascend or descend the Matterhorn. Unfortunately, most of these hikers or skiers are young people in their 20's and 30's.

Each plot has a pretty little garden. There is a faucet and watering cans available along the wall, and the locals come everyday to water the flowers and maintain the little garden.

This is the entrance to a cemetery in one of my ancester's hometown.

Inside we found some very, very old graves.

and more pretty little gardens.

Each headstone is very unique.

They plant shrubs, small trees and summer flowers.

This was a small cemetery behind a church in another of my ancestor's hometown. These are markers for soldiers that died in war.

This is the entrance to the cemetery in my mom's hometown where various members of my family are buried.

It is a very peaceful place . . .

with benches where you can sit for awhile.

There are various forms of gardens on these plots, along with angels and eternal candles.

I hope you enjoyed seeing the pretty little cemetery gardens. Next post I'll be posting on my 'Jungle!"

Franz and Herma's Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 13 Aug 2016 13:59:00 +0000

We still have family living in Germany with whom we enjoyed spending time with when we were there. My Uncle Franz and Aunt Herma have a beautiful home and garden which I am excited to share. Their home is located on a hillside and their garden consists of, I believe, 5 terraced levels.

If you stand on the 3rd level this is a view looking down to level 4 and 5 (which is not visible in this photo).

Now, turning and looking up you get a view of level 2 and 1. There are lots of steps to climb on cold, snowy winters. You can already get a glimpse of how beautiful their garden is.

We'll start at the top on level 1 which is the entrance onto their property from the road. As you enter through the gate this is the garden bed to your right. There's lots of beautiful foliage in this garden.

Next we come upon a garden shed with a stash of neatly stacked wood for winter. I, especially, liked the hanging display of wood pieces - neat piece of natural garden art.

Also, hanging on the shed is a collection of tools. I'm not sure, but I'm guessing these might be for working with stone.

Here's a glimpse of the shed from a distance.

They receive these terracotta plaques from the company that they buy the materials to build the steps with. It has the year they purchased the materials inscribed on it. What a neat idea!

This is the bottom of level 1. He built all the walls and steps himself. There is some variety of greens growing on the edge of the walls. At the top of the photo is the gate that leads to the road.

Here's a close up of the edible greens. I may be wrong on some of these plants, so my aunt and uncle will need to correct me if so.

Level 2 is a grassy area. He still mows this area himself in summer. There's a patch of grass on each side of the steps, and if I remember correctly, it's the only grass in his yard. There's a Blackeyed Susan vine growing on the right.

On the left side he has columnar fruit trees growing along with some pretty flowers.

Here's a close up of the fruit trees. I wish we had varieties of fruit trees like this that would grow in our climate.

I'm not sure what types of fruit these are. They might be apples like this tree or there might be a variety of other fruit.

This beautiful piece of stone and the marker (made by my uncle) marks the grave of my cousin Sabine's cat Chandra.

You can see this beautiful view of plants a little further to the right of the Blackeyed Susan vine. This photo was taken from level 3, looking up. The grassy area is behind it and to the left of it.

And this photo is taken from the opposite side of the previous photo. I took while standing on level 2, looking down to level 3 where my cousin Sabine's partner of 38 years, Dieter, is standing. They have a two story home with two separate entrances. My aunt and uncle live on the lower level with their own entrance, while my cousin Sabine and Dieter live on the top level with their separate entrance. This is a photo of the entrance to my cousin's portion of the house. It's a very unique and wonderful situation that accommodates 2 separate families.

Level 3 is split with one side being the vegetable garden, while the other side is a mix of colorful foliage plants.This view (along with the next photo) covers most of the view of level 3. The house you see at the end of this row was my grandparent's home that we visited when I was a kid.

The entrance and private patio area for Sabine and Dieter is located to the right of the red-leafed plant.

This photo is looking down from level 2 to level 3.

To the right of the stairs is the vegetable garden. It's small but he manages to get a lot into it. Plus, he can garden standing up. Isn't that great?

The cucumbers are climbing up the vine. I believe these are the English cucumbers. They eat a lot of cucumber salad in Germany.

Pole beans area climbing to the top.

I think he has about 6 tomato plants growing. He has a really nice set up were he can cover these if necessary.

Behind these veggies (at the top of the wall behind them in the photo above) grow some fruit bushes. I don't recall the name of this fruit but it was very good.

Look at these perfect rows of lush salad greens with kohlrabi in the forefront.

A row of green peppers along with dahlias (I believe) make up this bed right in front of the columnar fruit trees.

These tomatoes were almost ripe.

Here is a photo of my Uncle Franz (he'll be surprised when he sees this, but we have to give credit to the main gardener). Also, on level 3 is my cousin Sabine's garden.

She loves to travel to tropical places and soak up the sun on the beaches, so her part of the garden consists of potted tropical plants. These tropical beauties winter over in the basement.

She even has a small citrus tree that's in bloom and has a small fruit on it.

She loves cats and this cat planter is adorable. My sister wanted to take this one home with her.

And, here's a collection of cats in her garden.

There is a small pond next to their outdoor table area.

And, on the fence are a couple of pollinator houses

and another marker of when he added this area on.

Here is Sabine photographing me photographing the garden and her.

Level 4 is the entrance to my aunt and uncles home. They have a very nice selection of plants on their level which includes a couple of blooming yuccas.

This rain gauge is cute!

They have a fountain that he made on this level, too.

Here's a view of level 4 looking down from level 3.

This is their private outdoor seating area. It's a perfect set up - Sabine and Dieter have their private entrance and patio area, while my aunt and uncle have theirs.

I snitched this photo from his blog of how this area looks in winter following a snowfall. It's from a different angle, but I think you can get a feel for what it looks like. The homes that you see in the background belonged to my grandparents and are where my mother grew up.

If you go through the gate that you see in the 2nd photo above, you will be on level 5.

There is a nice mix of foliage and blooming plants on this level, as well as this bamboo next to a gate

that will take you down to the road beneath the house. He has a green vine covering the wall that provides privacy from the road.

Hope you enjoyed a tour of my German family's garden. It's very meticulous and orderly, like most gardens and homes in Germany, and also very functional, colorful and beautiful!

A Taste of Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sat, 06 Aug 2016 22:36:00 +0000

Our main reason for going to Europe this summer was to re-visit my mother's hometown and to see family that still lives there. It has been 26 years since I last visited, and 40 years since my sister was last there, so you can imagine how eager we were to return. While we were there we traveled to the neighboring towns where our ancestors lived taking photos of their old homes, cities and cemeteries. We were even able to discover one more generation back (my 3rd great grandparents) in the local archives.

One of my fondest memories from childhood is discovering these red poppies growing in the open fields along the Main (pronounced 'mine') River. Today that open area is filled in with businesses, but we did manage to see poppies alongside some of the roadways.

When you live within a walled city, you don't always have much of a yard to garden in. So many of the yards are small and filled with roses and other blooming flowers.

This person has managed to maximize their gardening space, what little there is of it.

Here we have a couple of people maximizing every inch (with the exception of the walkway) of soil to grow flowers and/or vegetables.

This church has planted a pretty little garden.

What do you do when you don't have any garden space . . . Ahh, you build a raised garden bed. Isn't this adorable?

This home definitely belongs to a gardener. I lingered here for a while taking in all the whimsical features of this adorable mini-garden.

There are colorful little patches of flowers wherever there's space.

The area where my mother is from is in Bavaria and was originally known as Franconia. This area is known for its wine, and you will find the sides of the hills covered in grape vineyards. I was so happy to see that development has not caused these hillside vineyards to disappear.

As far as the eye can see the hills are covered with vineyards.

This small hawk was posing for us as we ate lunch perched atop the vineyards enjoying the view.

The largest neighboring city is Wurzburg which is popular with river boat cruises. In addition to the historic city it has two other beautiful buildings to see. The first is called The Residence. It housed the prince bishops of the Catholic Church at one time. During World War II 90% of the City of Wurzburg was destroyed by bombs. The Residence has, luckily, been restored to its past grandeur.

The above photo is of the backside of The Residence where you will find a pretty garden.

How would you like to be in charge of keeping these trees trimmed? I know, I wouldn't!

We enjoyed our stroll through the perfectly maintained formal garden.

On the other side of town is the Marienberg Fortress. This was built for the prince bishops when they needed to escape to a more secure place. These prince bishops lived like kings in these beautiful, richly decorated and furnished buildings. More vineyards are covering the hillside beneath the fortress.

The Fortress also has a very small but pretty garden.

And what a wonderful view the prince bishops had from atop their Fortress.

Last, but not least, are the window boxes. I couldn't do a post on gardens in Germany without including the pretty window boxes that adorn most homes and buildings. Most are planted with red geraniums, but I also saw a few with pink geraniums and some petunias.

I hope you enjoyed a taste of the gardens in the area of Germany where my mother grew up.

Alpine Gardens of Switzerland

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Sun, 31 Jul 2016 23:27:00 +0000

Week 2 was spent mostly in the little village of Zermatt, Switzerland where you will find fantastic views of the Matterhorn.

For several days we took the ski lift up to the mountains where we enjoyed hiking about on the vast tundra - some grassy, some barren, some covered with patches of snow and pockets of pretty little alpine flowers.

The weather up here was sunny but quite chilly since there are still patches of snow dotting the mountain sides and aqua marine pools of glacier water.

There are pockets and patches of tiny alpine flowers everywhere. Sometimes it's hard to see them until you're up close because of their diminutive size.

All in pretty spring colors

Here's a really tiny pink one

A striking blue.

Look at this wonderful little tinkerbell-like flower that just gives a hint of what's inside.

Who knew it would be this wild wiry puff of a flower inside.

This one looks like a succulent of some type.

We also enjoyed hiking the city below . . .

including this boardwalk which took us up high into the trees to see a waterfall gushing with melted snow from the mountains.

Eventually all that melted snow ends up as a river running at a brisk pace through the center of Zermatt.

All along the hiking trails are wild rhododendrons and roses.

Zermatt is a car-less town with lots of things to see and do in both summer and winter.

There are plenty of geranium-filled flowerboxes.

So this is what you do with all those fallen trees.

There are many pretty flower gardens,

as well as, interesting gutter decorations.

We even found a small nursery.

And small but might vegetable gardens growing in their tiny yards.

These super-sized poppies were a favorite of mine. The flowers were almost as large as my hand.

Lavender is planted everywhere and is alive with the sound of bees getting drunk on the nectar.

Hydrangeas are another popular flowering plant.

These folks opted to keep a postage-stamp sized piece of grass in their orderly little garden.

We thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Zermatt with its Swiss chalet style homes, pretty flowers, fresh air and beautiful vistas.

The Gardens of Austria & Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Tue, 26 Jul 2016 19:41:00 +0000

This summer we headed overseas to see the sights in Austria and Switzerland, and to visit family in Germany. We were lucky to miss the hottest weeks of our summer, but now are readjusting to the heat and humidity.

Europe has two types of gardens - - -

Formal

and informal

Informal is more my style, but I can appreciate the structure and neatness of a colorful formal garden, as well. During our first week we split our time between southern Bavaria (Munich area) and Salzburg, Austria.

Our first stop was at the formal gardens of Linderhof Castle near Oberammagau. As far as castles go, Linderhof is small and has a small, but nice garden to go along with it.

You can see in the background that they let the meadow grow naturally.

The views of the countryside surrounding Linderhof and Neuschwanstein Castle are breathtaking. I visited this area 40 years ago and thought this was one of the most beautiful places I had ever seen at the time. Forty years later, I still feel the same way.

This is Neuschwanstein the fairytale castle built by King Ludwig of Germany. They thought he was insane because he was obsessed with building unbelievably beautiful castles.

As we traveled by bus and train the roadsides are au 'naturel. They don't mow which I think is fabulous! They have a mix of native grasses and wildflowers blowing gently in the breeze.

We headed to Salzburg, Austria because my daughter and the 2 daughters of my friend that we travel with LOVE The Sound of Music movie, and they wanted to see some of the sights. You might recognize this house. It is the backside of the Captain's house. Today it is a hotel.

Mirabell Gardens is another location that was used in the movie. This beautiful garden is located in the heart of Salzburg.

They definitely love their statues and decorative touches.

The fountain is also in the movie

This Allee' is in one of the scenes.

The City of Salzburg, like most large European cities, is beautiful with its castle up on the hill, cathedrals and ornately decorated buildings.

The summer weather was perfect (low to mid 70's) and Austrians can be seen strolling alongside the river or relaxing in the small cafes on weekends. We were happy to join in!

The Best Things about Summer - June

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 23 Jun 2016 13:56:00 +0000

Even though a Florida summer is long and never short on heat and humidity, there are lots of good things about our summer and here are a few of them ~ ~

Eastern Black Swallowtail on heirloom red pentas

Monarch on heirloom red pentas

You can't beat the old fashioned red pentas as a nectar source in the garden. Plus, it seems to LOVE the heat!!

Zebra Longwings on Passion vine.

I believe this is Horace's Duskywing on the native Tropical Salvia. This is an exciting discovery because I don't think I've ever seen this butterfly in my yard before. Love new discoveries like this!

The little mosquito-eating machines are back in full force these days. Dragonflies are one of the best insects in a Florida garden, especially if you have bromeliads in the garden.

Sometimes when I catch a dragonfly in a certain position such as this one, it looks like a little fairy. Perhaps that is how stories of fairies in the garden originated.

I do not know the names of these dashing fellows, but I love the color variations and their paper thin wings. I can't imagine that the wind doesn't obliterate those fragile-looking, cellophane wings.

Now that I've photographed a few dragonflies and noticed how beautiful they are, I'm really smitten with them. I always thought a dragonfly was a dragonfly, but these little guys are just stunning! I had no idea that I had so many different species of dragonflies in the garden. How awesome is that! This one looks like another fairy, although I have to say they also look like stained-glass helicopters hovering in the air.

A young Red Cardinal hanging out in the trees. His parents must have shown him where the feeder is because I catch him there many times during the day.

Plenty of pollinators taking advantage of all the wonderful summer blooms - like this purple pentas (my second favorite pentas) - in my garden.

Bees are lovin' the Agastache

Here's a close up of the chubby little bugger!

This little guy is loaded down with pollen on his feet and underbelly

And, I am thankful for Swallowtail butterflies in the making as they devour my parsley.

Now, this little guy - - definitely not thankful for him!!! He is probably one of the worst things about summer, with the exception of a devastating hurricane or having your house struck by lightning! He creates his own kind of devastation.

Don Juan roses still in bloom are a definite plus, especially when they're mingled with palm fronds.

The 'Kwanso' daylily is one from my late aunt and a real beauty on its super tall and super beefy stalks.

Love, love an abundance of blooms in the June garden.

And, last but not least, is the return of the crape myrtle. This one is 'Dynamite' and I would agree that that is the perfect name for it. What would a Florida summer be like without crape myrtles? I, for one, can't even imagine!

Purple Passion

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 22:31:00 +0000

My latest passion in the garden is the purple passion flower vine also known as Maypop!

Everyday it's loaded with the promise of many new flowers to come.

The large buds open quickly each morning to reveal a quirky, other-worldly, exotic and downright funky looking purple flower. I read that the bloom contains a lot of religious symbolism.

I weave some of the vine through the fence, while some of it dangles loosely.

It attaches itself with these curly tendrils to the Beautyberry that's planted beneath it.

I've never seen any flower like it. Each flower is an intricate piece of art. Look at all the detail in that flower. If I were an artist, I wouldn't know where to start to capture all the amazing detail of this passion flower.

Each flower lasts only one day, and then slowly a small round fruit develops. I read that they will ripen later this summer, and I look forward to tasting it and perhaps making some tea with it.

I resisted planting this vine in my yard because I know it can have a somewhat invasive habit, but I relented because of one reason - Butterflies. The Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwing (our state butterfly) is also passionate about the passion vine. It is a host plant for their young. I caught a blurry photo of a Zebra Longwing in the lower left corner, as she and her friends flutter around this vine from sun up to sun down.

They lay their tiny little yellow eggs on top of the leaves,

and when they hatch they chew on the leaves until they get big and transform into more Zebra Longwings.

I was lucky to catch these two newly emerged butterflies drying in the sun one morning.

I don't know why it took me so long to plant this vine, but I'm sure glad I did because I love seeing the gorgeous flowers and the fluttering butterflies through the French door. It's a real summer treat!

I find this flower so mesmerizing! I can't help but admire its bizarre, yet amazing bloom.

The rock star Prince might have his 'purple rain' but I have my 'purple passion!'

A Feathered Nest

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 06 Jun 2016 20:51:00 +0000

Shortly after I started working on my new garden, I hung a plastic gourd birdhouse from the arbor. I was hoping that a mama bird might use it to feather her nest someday. Nothing happened the first year, even though the Carolina Wren checked it out and placed a few sticks inside of it.

But recently when I was working in the garden, I noticed the Carolina Wren flying back and forth to the gourd. I got all excited about it and headed inside to get my camera.

Standing far away from the nest, I zoomed in as far as I could and was able to see a couple of babies in the nest. Isn't that the cutest little face ever? After mama flew away, I walked past the gourd and could hear the chirps of hungry little baby birds.

As I sat at the back of the garden and watched mama fly back and forth with tasty treats, I noticed that she was plucking Zebra Longwing caterpillars off the passion vine growing just a short distance from the gourd.

That wasn't exactly what I had planned when I planted the vine but, oh well, there will be more Zebra Longwings in the future. And, perhaps, that is why she chose to feather her nest in the gourd. In the meantime, I'll just enjoy the striking purple flowers, and the adorable little wrens as they learn how to fly.

As my garden becomes more established, I'm happy - actually, I'M THRILLED - to see more and more wildlife making it their home.

One Year Later

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 23 May 2016 00:31:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I was strolling back through my blog and came upon photos of the backyard in May of 2015. I saved the pics so I could do a post on how the garden has matured in one year.

So, here we go! Let's take a look at the garden one year ago and one year later.

This photo was taken at almost mid-garden looking toward the north. Everything was very tiny, and the elevated area in the far corner was just barely a thought in my mind.

One year later and everything is filling in nicely, and the idea for the far corner garden is on its way. More on that "secret" little space in a future post.

Now standing in about the same spot mid-garden but looking in the opposite direction (toward the south), it was pretty well planted but all very small.

One year later and it's starting to look a little more jungle-like.

At the very south corner of the garden is a view of the patio and the butterfly garden.

One year later and we've just about lost view of the wall surrounding the patio.

This area is located right next to the patio in the above photo (where the corner of the house is) and is a view of the south side of the garden.

One year later and most of the fence is covered with the exception of the gate.

It's amazing to look back and see how it has grown and filled in in just one year. A mix of warm weather, plentiful rain and no winter freezes makes for perfect growing conditions.

Organized Chaos!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 16 May 2016 20:46:00 +0000

As I was strolling through the "sunny butterfly corner" of my backyard the other day, two words came to mind - Organized Chaos!

Yes, I have become very good at packing the plants into my small space!

So good, that even the walkways are narrowing. All I can say is it's been a GOOD year for Black-eyed Susan's, as they have reseeded prolifically throughout the garden. I did relocate a few into the garden beds, but I love the look of random clumps of flowers taking up space in the walkway.

And, then there's the discovery of a plant that I had forgotten I bought (the lavender Agastache) until its blooms sprung up between the Tropical Salvia and more Blackeyed-Susan's. Uhm, I might be a little out of control!!

I love it when the blooms of plants intermingle together in one beautiful blooming feast for the eyes.

Red Pentas, Black & Blue Salvia take front stage with, of course, more Black-eyed Susan's in the background. Pure Joy!

More heirloom red Pentas and Wendy's Wish Salvia are blending together on the south side of this area, while MORE Black-eyed Susan's have jumped the border and planted themselves between the border grass and the walkway. I will tame these prolific little beasts back later this year, but for now they are a welcome addition and the butterflies and bees are lovin' them!

After seeing the photos above of what I call 'Organized Chaos' - you might be thinking that a better description would be 'Utter Chaos!' But, I beg to differ!

According to the Collins Dictionary, the definition of 'organized chaos' is "a complex situation or process that appears chaotic while having enough order to achieve its goals."

My goal for this space is to have plenty of nectar plants to keep as many butterflies, as possible, happy - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!

Miss Makayla loves our 'wild little jungle!' Sometimes she's hidden away beneath the plants, and other times she oversees her blooming kingdom from up high.

Mon Petit Potager

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 09 May 2016 21:40:00 +0000

Here's a look at mon petit potager,

or as we call it here in the South - my little kitchen garden!

It sounds so much fancier in French, doesn't it?

Anyway, it is a VERY little - teeny tiny kitchen garden. Despite its small stature - there is quite a bit packed into it. I'm getting pretty good at maximizing my space.

The old umbrella stand frame which has been re-purposed as a trellis is still holding up. A Georgia collard green is parked right behind it, and a few broccoli plants grow in an Earth box in front of it. There's also a dill plant tucked behind it.

Saturday was the first day we began eating our cucumbers. Love that fresh crisp flavor!

Big African Blue basil along with fennel can be seen in the background, while blueberries frame the side of this garden area. We have finished eating the tomatoes that made it through the winter and a Black Cherry tomato is working on setting fruit.

At the far right end of this space we are growing Sugar Snap peas, garlic chives, two green pepper plants and some Dinosaur kale among the salvia and roses.

Between the two sides of the kitchen garden grows a dwarf mulberry which is in full production right now. Each morning I pick around 10 to 12 tasty little berries. The nice benefit of the dwarf tree is that it will produce 1 to 2 more crops this year.

On the opposite side of the pathway I have Swiss chard growing on my patio area, as well as parsley and some bush beans tucked in among the perennial plants that border the patio. I am working on new ideas for growing more veggies vertically this coming autumn. Might even purchase one of those hydroponic grow towers. I've got to get creative in this small space.

And, lastly, I'm delighted to report that the pumpkin vine is making a comeback (from this past autumn's pumpkin harvest) again this year. I've already attached it to the top of the fence, and now it is free to grow to its hearts content. Not too bad for a petit potager!!!

One Last Look at Spring

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Fri, 29 Apr 2016 19:56:00 +0000

Since summer is coming in like a lion this week, I figured I better post the last of my spring pics. It was a good spring for amaryllis, and I really do love their bold and beautiful flowers.

These two (1st and 2nd photo) are from the garden of Rosemary, who was my babysitter when I was 2 years old.

This one from my Aunt Erna's garden.

And, this unusual one is from an old neighbor when I lived in Lakeland. All of them are very pretty and carry special memories of the gardeners from which they came.

Gerbera Daisies have such a sweet little look about them, don't you think? I picked this one up on the sale rack of a local store and am enjoying the last of the blooms on it before I plant it in the garden. And, speaking of planting it in the garden - the garden is getting amazingly quite full these days. I'll save more on that for another day!!!

Lastly, two of my FAVORITE plant combinations in the garden, and it only happens in spring. The Knock-out rose and the English Dogwood make a great looking couple! These two plants were made for each other. The rose will continue to bloom but will have to do so without the exceptional background of the English Dogwood since it only blooms in spring.

The blooms on the English Dogwood are stunning. I can't quit looking at them. Every time I'm outside, I just stand there and stare. They're so simple, yet dazzling. They look like they would be fragrant, but they're not. It's a great plant that my neighbor in Lakeland also shared with me. Thank you Nancy!!!!

But alas, spring is slipping away and summer is roaring in like it always does around this time of year. The wonderfully cool mornings are beginning to feel a little more humid, and the afternoon sun is roasting tree-less yards while we wait and pray for June rains.

Odd Couples in the Garden

noreply@blogger.com (Susan) — Mon, 25 Apr 2016 20:38:00 +0000

As I sat on the back porch one morning, a familiar loud bird call caught my attention. I searched the trees in anticipation of a chance to see a magnificent prehistoric looking bird. Aww, there he was! Clinging to the side of an old dead tree snag in the vacant lot next to me. I never tire of seeing a Pileated Woodpecker.

He was busy chopping away at the tree bark with that large beak of his. Big chips of wood were flying through the air left and right as he worked to find a few tasty bugs.

I saw another bird swoop in and was surprised to see that it was a Red-bellied woodpecker and not his mate. How cool it is to capture this odd couple in a photo together.

The next 'odd couple' I discovered in the garden is REALLY odd! I moved my blue bottles (my version of a Southern blue bottle tree) to a new location right outside the breakfast nook window.

Soon after relocating them, I would look out the window and see this dark brown lizard sitting on top of the bottle. The bottles catch my eye when I walk between the nook and kitchen, and sure enough, every time I walk by, this little guy is sunning himself. After a while it got to be hilarious! He even refused to leave when I went outside and took a photo of him. I guess he's taken a fancy to this pretty blue bottle and has claimed it as his own.

Wildlife in the garden can be very entertaining except for the two black Racer snakes that I saw chasing each other. I hope they're not planning on making a nest in my garden!!!