Something New/Something Old

This was a new plant for me last year. It is called Tiarell "Black Snowflake", Foam Flower. It grows in part shade to full sun. Height is 8" to 12". The leaves have black-purple veins.

Another photo of my lamium. I can't believe how many flowers are on it this year. It really likes it's new home.

The Fern Peony is almost ready to bloom. I counted 12 buds. I can't wait!

Bleeding Heart. I think this is my favorite spring blooming flower.

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt Your Flowers. Please check out the others at Tootie Time.

Happy Birthday - Jer!

Today is my brother's birthday. Happy Birthday- Jer!

Cardinal

One of my favorite birds in one of my favorite trees. Please check out the other Outdoor Wednesdays, thanks to Susan at A Southern Daydreamer.

Native Columbine

Columbine
Aquilegia canadesis

This plant is native to Minnesota. This plant was once considered for our national wildflower because its flower resembles the Bald Eagle's talons. Aquilegia is Latin for eagle.
Its nectar tubes make it a favorite flower of hummingbirds and long-tongued moths. Some insects chew holes in its tubes to get a little nectar.

A collection of 5 upside-down red orange tubes forms a bell, 1"-2" long, with yellow tips and hallow nectar-filled spurs.

One of my favorite flowers to photograph. Today is my first time posting to Blooming Tuesday. I am so excited. Please see the other here.

Lamium

Lamium
Dead Nettle

I have to admit this has never been my favorite plant. In fact I had almost given up on it. It was leggy with very little leaves on it and also had leaf spot. I had it in a very shady spot. I moved it a couple years ago to a spot that gets more sun. The soil is well drained and it has been a wonderful addition to that garden.

This variety is called, Beacon Silver. It has green edged, silver foliage. Its leaves add light to the garden, especially at dusk and in the moonlight.

Dead nettle (the alternate common name for lamium) is named because its leaves resemble those of stinging nettle but have no sting. To learn more about stinging nettle click here.

Today is Mosaic Monday. You can check out the others, thanks to Mary, at Little Red House.

Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger
Asarum canadense

I bought this plant at a local plant sale, and it has been a fun addition to my shade garden.

Wild Ginger’s flowers are located at the ground level to accommodate insects such as beetles that pollinate its flowers. The plant is only about 6” to 10”. It is native in Minnesota.

It has a single flower, brown to greenish red, tube-shaped, and it has 3 pointed lobes. Very small, about 1” to 2” long.

The flower is located between 2 leafstalks at ground level.

Each plant as a pair of heart shaped leaves. The leaves are about 3”-6” wide. The leaves are very soft and velvety due to dense hairs.

These plants can be found in deciduous woods in Minnesota. They are just a fun plant to have.

Please check out the other Pink Saturday posts here. Thanks to Beverly!

Thank you squirrels

I never planted these tulips. They just appeared in my flowerbed about 4 years ago. They are thanks to my neighbor down the road and the squirrels.

My neighbor lives down the road about ¼ a mile and has hundreds of gorgeous yellow tulips. She also has a few of these pink ones. I think it is so incredible that they are now in my garden.

They are not in the ideal place in my garden because they are next to the paver wall. I have no plans on moving them because I figured they were planted there for a reason. These are the first tulips to bloom in my gardens and I have truly enjoyed them.

Sorry, I had to include these photos of ferns. I just love to take them.

Today is Fertilizer Fridays/Flaunt Your Flowers, thanks to Tootsie Time. Please check out the others here.

Just taking a bath

Reminds me of Bobby Darin's "Splish Splash" song. "They was a-splishing and a-splashing, reelin' with the feelin'Moving and a-grooving, rocking and a-rolling, yeah"

I just can't get that song out of my head. "They was a-splishing and a-splashing, reelin' with the feelin'Moving and a-grooving, rocking and a-rolling, yeah"

"I was a rolling and a-strolling, reeling with the feeling Moving and a-groovin', splishing and a-splashing, yeah"

Today is Outdoor Wednesday. Please check out the others here. Thanks to Susan!

Please help me identify

I thought this plant was blue eyed grass. Blue eyed grass is from the iris family, and this plant doesn't look like it is from that family.

The plant is so tiny, only 3" high and has very dainty flowers on a frail stem. The flower is about 1/2" across.

I am in zone 4 and this is one of the first things to bloom. It has been growing in my shade garden for about 4 years. I love it and would like to know more about it. Please let me know if you have any suggestions on what it is. Thank you!

Today is also Mosaic Monday. Please check out the other at Little Red House.

Bloodroot

Bloodroot
Sanguinaria canadensis
It is from the poppy family. I was so excited to see it. It had been a long winter and it is so much fun to see something blooming again. Bloodroot is one of the earliest plants, it emerges from nearly frozen soil, flowering well before trees leaf out.
These flowers lack nectar, quickly dropping petals after pollination. The genus name, Sanguinaria, comes from the Latin word for "bleeding", describing the red juice in the stems and roots, used by many cultures as a dye and insect repellent.

It's flowers open on sunny days, closing tightly at night. Leaves unroll in full sun, curling up around the flower stalk at night and on cloudy days.

This is a perennial native in Minnesota. It just started growing in one of my back garden bed. "A bed that has been neglected for a few years." I am so glad I didn't hoe it up. I marked it, because I hope it will continue to come up. Even if the flower is short lived, it has been a joy to see.

Today is Mosaic Monday. Thanks to Mary at Little Red House. Check out the others here.

First Bloom this Spring

This is my first bloom of the season. I am so excited! This plant has many common names. I call it "Johnny Jump Ups". These plants were in my mom's garden when I was young. I love them. I would pick them,bring them into the house, and my mom would put them in a vase.

They are also called: Heartsease, Wild Pansy, Love-In-Idleness, Call-Me-To-You, Pinkeney John. They are in the Viloa family.

The flower meaning is Happy Thoughts. I think that is a perfect name. They have always gave me happy thoughts.

Cornflower-Mountain Bluet

This photo was taken last night. It is so much fun to see the plants starting to come back. This plant is one of my favorites. It's common name is Cornflower, Mountain Bluet or Perennial Bachelor Buttons. It grows well in full sun and light shade and in poor to average soil fertility. In rich soil, plants may develop straggly, floppy growth and may become invasive. (I have not had this problem, but were it is planted the soil is not the best.)

Thin the new shoots by about one-third in the spring to increase air circulation through the plant. This will help with downy or powdery mildew, rust or mold. I have had rust some years, but I cut the plant back to the basal growth as soon as it is done blooming. It gets a second flush of blooms in the late summer.

The following photos were taken last spring and summer. This is what the flower looks like when it first opens.

Here it is open just a little bit more.

It still looks ok in this photo, but it is starting to fade.

Here it is almost done and the center is staring to go to seed.

This flower is so much fun to use in arrangements. I love to use it in 4th of July arrangements.

Today is Fertilizer Friday. Thanks to Tootsie Time. Check out the other here.