Wednesday, April 18, 2012

The Bumper Crop in Pictures

I missed GBBD, per usual, but its a bumper year for the Showy Evening Primrose (is there ever a year when it isn't a bumper year for those?) and the Star Jasmine.

So lets start with the Jasmine.  Last summer I decided to let the jasmine climb the tree on the corner of the fence.  This is what happens when you do this:


This is one star jasmine plant.  It is probably 30+ feet wide by 15 feet high.  And remember how happy we all were last year that this same plant survived a fungus that made it drop all of its leaves?  And remember me saying that it was looking rather pitiful, even though you all thought it looked fine?  Well, it has recovered.  Actually it still has the fungal disease but is slowly beating it.  Only about 25% of the leaves fell off this year.  And just to jog your memory, here's a picture of the same vine in May of last year, before massive climbing of tree.


And that same corner today:



Back to good health.  And behind the statue has filled in nicely too!

I know, its absurd the size of this thing in one year, and you can probably imagine the intensity of the scent around my house currently.  Okay, moving on to a true invasive, Oenothera speciosa, Showy Evening Primrose or Mexican Primrose.  I pull out about 90% of this each year.  I'm seriously considering putting in edging around it like you do bamboo.  Its sort of like that really pretty girl with the black heart in high school.  Its horrible and attractive all at the same time.  It will wrap its roots around other plants roots.  So they don't get any water at all.  Like it is evil.  Don't be fooled by these pictures.  You really really don't want this plant. 


In this next picture it is joined by a few of the plants I don't have cultivar names for.  That purple salvia is super cool...the stems are actually the exact same purple as the flower.  And those slightly peachy flowers are those of the "lowes nameless" miniature rose I bought last year.   The roses in the background for the most part are late bloomers and are about 2 weeks from full flush, and the foxgloves are out, and still standing this year, thanks to lack of wind and hail storms this spring.   The gaura is also a week or so from full flush, and of course, the hydrangeas who I loved dearly, kill me this time of year because they are so late to leaf compared to everything else.  Oh except for the echinacea, hands down the slowest thing out of the ground each year.  I swear its dead every year, but it never is.

But back to the point here: what I do love about it (the Oenothera), is that it sprawls so prettily... so few plants do this with any grace.


A few other shots from around the garden to round out the lot.  First the 'classic' (haw haw) red knockout rose with my cat, deet can and sluggo looking on:

And the remains of the first flush of the MAC rose.  This rose definitely suffered from both thrips and iron deficiency earlier in the year so isn't the prettiest its been, but still I'm not complaining.

  

18 comments:

  1. I can not believe how big that jasmine is!!!! It obviously likes your place! And sprawling plants, I agree, are so beautiful it's easy to overlook some of their other qualities. MAC's looking good, despite her earlier problems. I laughed at your sentence about the echinacea. I've been wondering if mine are going to show up!

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    1. Next year I'm going to put a little stake where they "will" come up. I accidently dug one up this year, and last year I weeded one of them (the coneflowers)

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  2. I made the mistake of planting evening primrose....big mistake. Each year I think I have gotten rid of it only to see it pop up again. If you ever find out the name of the salvia, I would love to know it.

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    1. I would like to know it myself. Its my favorite. Unfortunately, my Mom is one of those gardeners who isn't really into cultivar names...she's like, "its a purple salvia I've had since 1982." But hopefully one of these days someone will know it.

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  3. Beautiful!! I love your little Charleston garden! I have had thripes bad myself, second year in a row. I also just planted star jasmine a few weeks ago to climb a big ol pine tree and I can't wait for it to take off! I had one years ago where I use to live and in less than 3 years was enormous as it engulfed a giant pine. Charleston I noticed is full of it everywhere you go. Speaking of which my hubby and I are heading your way to 82 Queen Thursday for our anniversary. Yum!

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    1. Too funny, I ate lunch there yesterday! I hope you were in the garden and had a lovely time.

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    2. Lol that is funny! Yes we sat in the garden which is always my favorite place there. We enjoyed a nice long quite walk around Charleston afterward and like I said the confederate jasmine is everywhere and it just wafts in the air so intoxicating!

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  4. Guess what. I can't keep that Evening Primrose alive. It always dies in my garden. I think my soil is too dry. Because it has PINK flowers, I'd love to have it sprawling around my beds like it so beautifully does in yours.

    Thank you for visiting my blog. I'm sure you could grow that Straw Flower. It would probably do really well with your mild winters.

    Your kitty sillohete is adorable. She wanted to come out and play. :) As always, your photos are outstanding.

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    1. That is honestly un-believable!!! It actually likes dry...we have it growing in median strips. Mine grew from one tiny peat pot I grew from seed 2 years ago.

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  5. Hi Jess! Your jasmine is amazing! I thought my confederate jasmine was huge, but your jasmine makes it look like a baby! I can imagine the fabulous smell! I also love the photo of your patio, seventh photo down. I can see why you keep the primrose, despite its thuggish habits.

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    1. It is indeed gorgeous... however it is definitely the most invasive thing in my garden that I actually put in there.

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  6. That jasmine is incredible!!! I really wish I could grow that here. I've added several plants to my garden this year that I used to grow in SC but jasmine isn't winter hardy here so I'll just have to live vicariously through your garden instead.
    As for the evening primrose, I once had to remove every plant from a bed and hand dig the runners and roots out to get rid of it. Never again!!!

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    1. I am not sure what I'm going to do with it. I can honestly see myself having to do this. It is unbelievable.

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  7. My jasmine is wonderful this year also! But that is because I don't have to do a thing to it! I love your garden so much. Someday I might decide to take an interest and invest some time like you do. I can see the wonderful dividends it pays!

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    1. Its such a rewarding hobby in this climate, go for it :) you don't know what you're missing! You don't have to start large..start tiny. Get a knockout rose bush, and some daylilies and put them in a sunny place. Thats how it all starts....

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  8. Your Star Jasmine has grown so beautifully as has the rest of your garden! What a wonderful space you've created here Jess! I LOVE it! C xx

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  9. Looks gorgeous! Thank you for sharing the pictures. I got some ideas for my garden. :)

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    1. Welcome Jen! Thanks for stopping by, its always such a compliment to have a new reader go through old posts :)

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