Friday, April 29, 2011

Perpetual Motion.

It's time for the Larkspur. These plants came from seed sent from Texas. I tossed them out two weeks after Nell Jean mentioned it a few years ago. I pulled some faded annuals and scattered the seeds in the broken soil. They germinated well and survived a pretty harsh winter for NC. I did the same the past two years running. It's gonna be quite a show in about a week. I'll spread more seeds this year in various naked parts of the yard.



I'll have a few seeds from Money Plant it seems. There are gobs of them on each plant. There's larkspur everywhere in here.



It's everywhere.



Another annual that reseeded in one spot is Orlaya grandiflora. It's a relative of the carrot and Queen Anne's Lace. I have both of those in the gardens too.



The peonies are making a strong show this year.



These pink ones are decades old. They were traded for nandinas several years ago.



Etoile Violette is just getting started. Cut to the ground in late winter, this clematis purchased with no tag has shot up past the top of the arbor to the perennial bed.



A hiccup in the perpetual motion machine appears to be foxglove. Out of thousands of seeds scattered, this is one returning plant. The others didn't survive the summer.



It's a cool 52 degrees this morning. The sky is clear. The wind is gone. The birds got started around 4am. I'm going to do a little watering since the rains failed to show. The rest of the day is mine and nobody is gonna take it from me.

9 comments:

greggo said...

Its kind of weird posting on a blank sheet. You've got a true cottage garden, hopefully mine will get to that point some day. I've seen flax take over gardens before. I staying home today also.

FlowerLady Lorraine said...

Your garden is so lovely and so cottagey, it makes me feel happy.

Have a wonderful day ~ FlowerLady

Jess said...

You so it, so glad the wind is GONE! The foxglove are the same for me... to hot here for a sure thing. I 'reseed' them myself in a flat come august and plant them out once the weather cools.

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Thanks everyone. I'll try it your way Jess. I shouldn't leave such things to chance. But I like the way the garden evolves. I've got Columbine coming up in places I gave up on last year. Seeds are funny things.

F Cameron said...

My larkspur are budding up, but not yet in bloom. My flax are blooming now and I'm totally smitten by those again this year. I probably overdid it with those, but they're just happy little flowers!

Nigella is probably the most prolific self-sower that I've ever seen. I'm going to have thousands of those!

gld said...

Tom, I am loving that tossed-seed garden. BTW, I only have one foxglove this year too. I have never before had one come back. I should start some in flats for planting out in the fall.

Hang on to that day off. Do just what pleases you!

Another rampant self-seeder you might like is hesperis matronalis, white and purple, fragrant and garden heliotrope.

Cindy said...

I don't know if it was Nell or someone else on Cottage Gardening, but I'm in love with larkspur too. Mine are almost done blooming. Time to start collecting seed for next year.

Tom - 7th Street Cottage said...

Thanks gld. I already have Dame's Rocket. I love the fragrance. I wish it made a better cut flower. I've tried, but the blooms just collapse and fall off overnight. I plan to seed it through the backyard this year. I was worried it would be hard to control.

My nigella didn't do much. I have fewer plants this year than last. I think the leaf cover I never removed may have something to do with that.

compost in my shoe said...

Larkspur and peony, what else could you possibly want! Enjoy. Neither likes it too much here.