Blossoms and Bees

Goldenrod: A Nature Study Post by Mary Beth

We are taking the Autumn Series Challenge!

Up by our pool there is a small pond and lots of goldenrod. This goldenrod is

Solidago gracillima (Virginia Goldenrod), I believe. But then we went to the beach and I photographed some goldenrod there. Any thoughts on which goldenrod it could be?

So this is what I think the Virginia Goldenrod is.

 

 

 

 

And this is the other goldenrod that we saw at the beach, it was actually growing in the sand!

 

And hereis one sweet little girl!

 

(Both Sarah and Karoline fell asleep in their strollers on the way back.)

And the notebook pages, found here.

Kingdom	Plantae – Plants
Subkingdom	Tracheobionta – Vascular plants
Superdivision	Spermatophyta – Seed plants
Division	Magnoliophyta – Flowering plants
Class	Magnoliopsida – Dicotyledons
Subclass	Asteridae
Order	Asterales
Family	Asteraceae – Aster family
Genus	Solidago L. – goldenrod
Species	Solidago gracillima Torr. & A. Gray – Virginia goldenrod

Nature Study in the Front Yard: Petunias

Photo Credit: Mary Beth

A Dash of Pink and a Sunbeam

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I took these photos while we were planting petunias in the front bed.

~Mary Beth

Rainy Days!

I took these pictures yesterday.

 

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Some of the Springtime Pictures from the Front Yard

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bluebells in 2009

We have been spending lots of time in the bluebells lately. I am going to take pictures of the plants outside really, really soon! I really can't wait to get out there! For now I will give you some bluebell pictures that I took last week.

And look who was visiting while we were there! The beautiful Bluebell Fairy!

Stay tuned for: Springtime Flowers and pretty soon some fruit picking!

Spring Is Near!

I figured that this blog has not been touched since well...September 6th! Spring is near! I will take some pictures of some buds soon! This blog will be up and running in no time!

FUN FUN FUN!!!!!!!

I just realized that this blog hasn't had enough summer posts so I'm going to post a lot more on summer here at Blossoms and Bees. So lets get started, shall we? Well, the last post at Blossoms and Bees showed the lovely sunflowers in bloom.   

[Photo credit me (MaryBeth), age 9 in three months 10]     

Mary is Loved In Any Season

Mary is in the front garden and you can't miss her if you see the front garden. The other thing you can't miss is her getting loved on. Mary is loved in any season. Mary Grace loved on her in spring, and here are some pictures of Kirsten Therese loving on her. (Katie's name doesn't have Mary in it but she still loves the Blessed Mother.)

What Happened?

Well in May our plants looked like this, then it rained for a whole 2 1/2 weeks and now look at them....

I made a poem for it too...

Our plants looked droopy the whole spring long

and they could not bear the heat.

We watered and watered the whole time the heat beat down at them.

Then the summer rain began.

For two summer weeks, the rained fell and watered all the plants.

When it cleared up, my brother and I went out to check on the plants;

that night we had salad for dinner.

The next morn, my brother brought in a strawberry to eat,

and the next morn you woudn't believe your eyes!

Two ripe tomatoes from the garden that never ever worked for us.

And the basil?

Don't get me started.....   

Why?

Our new plants aren't doing well.  It hasn't rained since planting but we've been hand watering in the mornings.  It's not hot at all.  The nights have been cool.  Someone please tell me how to save these:

Flowers

We planted a garden
Of all kinds of flowers
And it grew very well
Because there were showers,
And the bees came and buzzed:
This garden is ours!

But every day
To the honeyed bowers
The butterflies come
And hover for hours
Over the daisies
And hollyhock towers.

So we let the honey
Be theirs, but the flowers
We cut to take
In the house are ours,
Not yours, if you please,
You busy bees!

--Harry Behn

The front garden

Okay, first up....

Gaillardia

Description
Indian blanket (Gaillardia pulchella) is a short-lived perennial or annual noted for its brilliant, daisy-like flowers. The large centers of the flowers are rose-purple and the dense, frilly petals are yellow, orange, crimson or copper scarlet. Flowers appear in summer and are 2-3 in (5-7.6 cm) across and are held upon 18-36 in (46-91 cm) light green stems. Indian blanket grows in 14-24 in (35.6-61 cm) high mounds with a spread of about 12 in (30 cm).

Deadheading will prolong flowering.

Light: Indian blanket likes hot, sunny areas.
Moisture: Needs good drainage and is drought tolerant. Soggy soil will cause root rot in winter.
Hardiness: USDA Zones 5-10. G. pulchella ranges from Zones 8-10. Protect roots from freezing.
Propagation: Perennial hybrid Gaillardias should be divided and replanted every two or three seasons. Best if divided in August or September.

Snowcap Shasta Daisy

Time of flowering:  Single white flwers from late spring to summer.

Size:  Six inches tall, 12 to 15 inches in bloom. Six inches wide.

USDA Cold Hardiness Zones 5-9

Water regularly, when top 3 inches of soil is dry.

Full sun.

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish deep, extensive roots.  Remove old foliage before new leaves emerge.  Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.

Stella De Oro Dwarf Daylily

Time of Flowering: Early summer and recutting.

Size:  Foliage to 1 ft high, flower stalks to 2 1/2 fett.

USDA zones 4-11.

Once established, needs only occasional water.

Needs full to partial sun.

Follow a regular watering schedule during the first growing season to establish deep, extensive roots.  Remove old foliage before new leaves emerge.  Divide clumps every 2 to 3 years in early spring.

Lavender Cotton

These smell so beautiful!  They will have yellow, buttonlike flowers when they bloom.

Bloom time:  early to midsummer

Size:  Grows to 12 inches tall.

Full sun

Hardiness zone 5-9

Prefers well-drained soil.

Alyssums.

We put these in the front garden with the rosish ones dianthus. Alyssum are to be kept under sun to part shade.

Uses: Beds, edgings, rock gardens.

Care: Water as needed to keep soil evenly moist. Shear back faded blooms for best display.

Purple alyssum.

Pink alyssum.

White alyssum.

 

Rosish Ones

Rosish Ones Dianthus

We planted four of these yesterday.

Directions:

You need to leave them in the sun.

You need to space them 8-10" apart from each other.

They will blossom in late spring through July.

They need to be semi-moist.

Their growth rate is medium.

Their average size us 10" x 16"

We have to cut them back after flowering.

I hope this will help you if you get this plant.

    

Weed pulling. Wait, isn't today a "stay inside day?"

Outside right now, two of my siblings are pulling weeds. If you looked at my mom's kitchen blog, you're probably thinking, "Why are they outside in the rain?" Well that's not hard to explain for me. I know that Stephen and Nicholas would pay to go outside in the rain. But what they probably wouldn't pay for is to pull weeds. But out Stephen and Katie went! Nicholas stayed inside and did his evening chores. Katie was desperate to go out because she got new rain boots.

    

A Kiss for the Blessed Mother

Mary Grace welcomes springtime in the Mary Garden.

Neighborhood Nature Walk Identification Contest

We took a walk around the block and saw all these flowers.  Who knows what each kind is?

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

when you post, post the number with the identification.

:-)