Category Archives: Six on Saturday

Six on Saturday-Short Walk on the Wild Side

Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

Hello everyone! I hope you are all doing well. We had a nice week with temperatures not too unbearable at all. I took a walk through the hayfield a couple of days ago to check on the progress of the Elephantopus carolinianus in the back of the farm. It always amazes me how some wildflowers start growing like mad after the hay is cut.

#1-Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

Asclepias hirtella (Tall Green Milkweed)

There were several Asclepias hirtella, the Tall Green Milkweed, blooming again. Normally, they don’t flower the second time but they are this year. I can’t quite figure out why they call this species Tall Green Milkweed when there are other species that grow much taller…

 

#2)-Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot)

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot) under the persimmon tree.

I have walked to the back of the farm several times over the summer to check on the progress of the Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot). These are really neat wildflowers that I only noticed growing on the farm last fall after they had already dried up. I found the dried up flowers and leaves in an area that grows up in poison ivy and other brush but I marked the spot…

Elephantopus carolinianus (Leafy Elephant’s Foot)

I was very happy when I found a colony under the persimmon tree so I won’t have to walk to the spot I found them earlier. Well, I usually go there anyway… The plants have mostly buds with a few flowers beginning to open up. Until the flowers are fully open, I can’t show you why I think they are so neat.

I walked through the brush behind the ponds to check on the Symphyotrichum lateriflorum (Calico Aster) and S. ontarionis (Ontario Aster) but so far no flowers. At this point, they still look the same. I wouldn’t be surprised if they are both the same species but only time will tell…

#3)-Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

This area in front of the two back ponds is LOADED with Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed). The wind was blowing so there wasn’t as much activity on the flowers as usual.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

The above photo isn’t that great because, as I mentioned, the wind was blowing… Many species of butterflies and other insects love ironweeds. Later on, they will be swarming with Monarch Butterflies and the always interesting hummingbird moths.

Vernonia missurica (Missouri Ironweed)

The Vernonia baldwinii (Baldwin’s or Western Ironweed) grow in another area. Baldwin’s Ironweed have recurved involucral bracts where Missouri Ironweed’s bracts are appressed. To be honest, some of the flowers in this colony have recurved bracts and some don’t… The two species do hybridize which can drive a person batty…

#4-Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

I walked to the pond in the front pasture to check on the Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster) which is also a late bloomer. They are also kind of late to come up in the spring which had me wondering if they survived the winter. The New England Aster grows to over 6′ tall. I put a water bottle at the base of the plant for size comparison…

Symphyotrichum novae-angliae (New England Aster)

I only found this species last fall because we had a late “F” and the flowers are pink. Their clusters of flowers caught my attention from quite a distance. I am hoping the same will be true this fall. They are working on it.

#5-Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

One of my favorite wildflowers on the farm is the Verbesina virginica also known as White Crownbeard and Frostweed. These are also very tall plants that grow much taller than me… They are always in the same location every year.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

They aren’t exactly early bloomers either, but they are getting there.

Verbesina virginica (White Crownbeard/Frostweed)

They do have neat white flowers in time, but the neatest thing is their winged stems and very long leaves.

#6-Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean)

Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean)

Even though seeing the Elephantopus carolinianus beginning to flower was exciting, I believe the find of the day was the Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean). The first time I found this species there were only a few flowers and the leaves had all dried up. Since then, I have kept an eye on them. This year I found a few growing closer to the gate and was able to get some good photos.

Strophostyles helvola (Amberique Bean/Trailing Fuzzy Bean)

From a distance, they resemble an off-color sweet pea. I kind of like this color much better than pink. 🙂

That completes my Six on Saturday kindly hosted by The Propagator. Be sure to check out the other Six on Saturday posts.

Well, I better get going for now. Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Be sure to get dirty if you can!

 

 

Six on Saturday: 2-22-20

American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

Hello everyone! I hope this Six on Saturday post finds you all well. The weather continues to be weird but all is well regardless. I filled the bird feeder yesterday afternoon but this morning a lot of ground feeders were looking for food. So, I went outside and sprinkled some on the ground under the feeder. Several species of sparrows and the Dark-Eyed Junco will go to the tube feeder but they prefer eating off the ground or even the at the open feeder. I didn’t have much luck taking bird photos this morning because the birds I wanted photos of kept flying off. There is too much going on in the front yard to allow them to relax.

#1-A few American Robin (Turdus migratorius) have been here all winter but there are a lot more now. They don’t normally eat birdseed and the ground is pretty much frozen. They seemed a little bewildered hopping around looking at the ground hoping a worm would emerge… They often complain about bullying from the other birds, but with a name like Turdus…

 

House Finch male (Haemorhous mexicanus)

#2-Several House Finch (Haemorhous mexicanus) males were squabbling this morning but I finally got this good shot of one at the feeder. I noticed there were several extra-large female sparrows feeding then realized they were Purple Finch females. DUH!

 

Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor)

#3– Talk about a bird that is hard to photograph! A single Tufted Titmouse (Baeolophus bicolor) was so excited it couldn’t sit still. It would fly down to the ground then back to the tree, preen its feathers, then fly to the feeder, then to the ground… GEEZ! I don’t know how many photos I took of it and they were all even more blurry than this one.

 

White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis)

#4-The White-Breasted Nuthatch (Sitta carolinensis) was happily playing around on the tree most of the time. It seems to prefer seeds from the ground and the open feeder but on occasion will also go to the tube feeder. It seems like it prefers being upsidedown as well… Sometimes I have seen several of them fairly close together in the elm trees but only one (or one at a time) comes to feed. I have several good photos but this one is the best I could do this morning.

 

Bird’s Eye Speedwell (Veronica persica)

#5-The Bird’s Eye Speedwell (Veronica persica) are the first wildflowers to bloom. There are thousands and they are VERY tiny. I had to use a magnifying glass to get this photo. A very similar species, Wayside Speedwell (Veronica polita), looks so similar I am not sure how to tell them apart. One supposedly has slightly smaller flowers, but I bet if you look the two side by side you may still be confused… Their fruits are different but there aren’t any yet since they have just started flowering. Ummm… Steyermark’s Flora of Missouri says V. persica flowers April-June and V. polita March-June. Hmmm… So, maybe this species is V. polita instead of V. persica. Photos of the stems on Missouri Plants shows they are kind of reddish on V. persica and greener on V. polita. The plants in my yard have green stems. Well, GEEZ! I was hoping for V. persica because I like the name “Bird’s Eye” better than “Wayside”. I did notice their flowers fall off very easily, too. Did I mention their flowers are VERY tiny?

 

Mother of Thousands (Kalanchoe x laetivirens)

#6-The Kalanchoe x laetivirens (Mother of Thousands) flowers are now opening! This plant was in the back bedroom but the top of it was touching the shelf above it. A couple of days ago I looked at it and two of the buds had opened so I moved it to my bedroom. I have had this plant for several years and have whacked its stem in half many times to regrow it. If you don’t do this once a year the plant gets very leggy and its leaves are smaller. Cut the stem and the leaves grow HUGE.

Some information online sys this plant rarely flowers indoors and they are insignificant. Hmmm… I definitely wouldn’t call this inflorescence insignificant…

That’s all I have for this on Six on Saturday post. If you wish to participate in Six on Saturday posts, be sure to read the Six On Saturday-a participants guide from The Propagator.

I was busy working on the blog this week, writing wildflower pages and uploading photos. Sorry I didn’t read your posts so I will have to do some catching up…

Until next time… Be safe, stay positive, and be thankful. GET DIRTY whenever you have a chance!

 

Six On Saturday: February 15, 2020

Cylindropuntia imbricata (Tree Cholla)

Hello everyone! I hope this Six On Saturday post finds you all well. We had another snow this week followed by VERY cold temperatures for a few days. It was 1° F when I went to bed Thursday night. Today is the beginning of a heatwave and the forecast says the high today will be 44°F (but cloudy) and 52 on Sunday and Monday. The rest of the week will be in the 30’s with a chance of rain on Monday.

#1 is a photo of the Cylindropuntia imbricata (Tree Cholla) that is patiently waiting for spring. It has been fairly mild, temperature wise, this winter so the Tree Cholla hasn’t turned a maroon color like it does when it is very cold.

I needed to go to town and I could hear geese from the park. So, I decided to head that direction.

 

#2. On the way to the park, I decided to take a photo f the front pasture looking toward the twin Mulberry Trees. A couple of years ago one of them started leaning… There is an old hedge post growing at the base of the tree that is leaning from an old fence. I think that is the only thing holding it up.

 

#3. There were a lot of Canadian Geese on the park lake which is still partially frozen. They were really squawking!

 

#4. As I drove by the hardware store, I saw one of the Amish horses tied up waiting for its owner. Their horses work very hard even in the coldest weather. When I was a kid, this used to be the Gerbes Grocery Store. After Gerbes closed it was Sav-More, then Wischard’s Grocery. There was a Gambles hardware store on Main Street when I was growing up but after the owner’s retired another resident bought the business and it became a True Value. Then it caught on fire… The owners bought the old grocery store and moved True Value here. When I moved back here in 2013 it was a Do It Best.

 

#5. The local Golden Valley Clinic, which is part of the hospital in Clinton, is building on. It is good to have a clinic for the community residents and the new addition will allow more services.

 

The above photo is another view of the clinic from Benton Street. The church I attend is next to the clinic and we share the parking lot. The church owns the parking lot between the clinic and the church, so the clinic bought part of it for this addition. It has reduced the size of the parking lot so adjustments will have to be made. When I was growing up, we had as many as five doctor’s offices in town. Over the years they have retired (a few died while still in practice) so it is great to have this clinic.

A lot of changes have taken place in this small community, not all good. Like most smaller communities struggling to survive. Industry closes up and people have to drive to work outside of town leaving businesses to also close. Many business owners were forced to retire that had stores for MANY years because they were starting to sink their hard-earned money into their business. New businesses would open only to not be able to make it. So, our once thriving Main Street is a mixture of struggling small businesses, empty buildings, and a few lots where old stores have been torn down. There are a few, however, that seems to be doing well, or at least well enough to be in business.

 

Echinopsis mirabilis (Flower of Prayer)

FAREWELL, MY FRIEND… 

#6. R.I.P. Echinopsis Mirabilis (Flower of Prayer). I brought this cactus home from Lowe’s on March 29, 2019 and it rewarded me with several flowers over the summer. Information says it is a fairly short-lived species but I was hoping our companionship wouldn’t have ended so soon. Not long after I brought inside for the winter I noticed it was ailing. I had put it in a new pot which I am quite sure didn’t lead to its downward spiral. I repot a lot of cactus in the winter and have never had any problems. In fact, I have lost very few cactus. Maybe I can find another one in 2020…

 

Sanseveria ehrenbergii ‘Samurai Dwarf’

BONUS! OK, I seem to always take an extra photo for Six on Saturday. This bonus is about the new plant I found at Wal-Mart on January 8. First, it took great debate about whether to buy it or not because I had very little money. If it had only been a few dollars it would have been no problem, but this plant was NOT cheap. I am not saying I haven’t paid more for a single plant, because I have when I had the funds. One time I carried around a magnificent Kalanchoe beharensis for an hour at Lowe’s when I lived in Mississippi debating whether or not I should pay the price. I had friends with me who said I deserved it, so I brought it home. Only to leave it with another friend, along with over 100 other plants, when I moved back here in 2013.

The thing with this Sanseveria that made it so irresistible was that it is so weird. It is the dwarf form of Sanseveria ehrenbergii called ‘Samurai Dwarf’. Of course, the label from Rocket Farms just says Sanseveria ‘Samurai’ which is incorrect.

While I was at Wal-Mart, I resisted other cactus that were available. One reason was because of lack of funds and the other were the labels… The labels just said “cactus” and they weren’t from Altman Plants. They were from some other grower that didn’t even remotely bother to have any kind of tag with a proper name, even if it was incorrect. I am not venting at all, in fact I am laughing as I write this. I am thankful the plants weren’t labeled correctly so I didn’t bring any home and decided to bring home the Sanseveria instead. 🙂

I did renew my domain name and my premium WordPress account will be renewed in March. I have to keep premium because I amusing to much “space” for a free blog. It would be interesting if I could figure out how to make some income through my blog but I don’t want a bunch of annoying ads, though. I go to a lot of sites I am trying to read and the page bounces around while the ads load…

If you wish to participate in Six on Saturday posts, be sure to read the Six On Saturday-a participants guide from The Propagator.

Well, that’s about all I have to say for now. I could keep rambling but I think I have said enough. All is well here and I hope you stay safe, remain positive, and be thankful. I know there is some bad weather where some of you live and some of you aren’t 100% well. I keep you in my prayers and hope I am in yours as well.

 

Six On Saturday-Signs of Spring

Chaenomeles sp. (Flowering Quince) on 2-8-20.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you well. I woke up early this morning for a Saturday and couldn’t go back to sleep. I had taking photos for a Six On Saturday post on my mind so I got out of bed at 9. I got up, made coffee, fed the cats, and checked to see what the temperature was. 23°F. The sun is shining bright today and it looked GREAT! I went outside to take photos and it sure didn’t feel like 23°. By noon the National Weather Service says it was 35° and AccuWeather says 31. I always check several sites to see which one I like the best.

Here we go…

#1-Chaenomeles sp. (Flowering Quince).

Yesterday I went to a friend’s house to put a new battery in her smoke detector upstairs and noticed the Quince in her yard has started to leaf out. That triggered a Six On Saturday post right then. So, this morning I went right to the Quince in my yard to see what it was doing. Unfortunately, it hadn’t leafed out near as much as the one in Connie’s yard and all the close-up photos were not presentable. There are several species of Quince that might grow here and I have not figured this one out yet. It is a very old bush, likely planted by my grandparents in the 1960’s. Many older homes in town have Quince bushes in their yards.

*UPDATE: Thanks to Tony Tomeo I now know the Flowering Quince is a Chaenomeles species and not Cydonia. Cydonia species are fruiting Quince and Chaenomeles species are flowering Quince. I changed the name already… 

I also noticed one of the Lilac bushes was really getting with it.

 

Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit) or Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle) on 2-8-20.

#2) Lamium amplexicaule (Henbit) or Lamium purpureum (Dead Nettle).

I am not sure which of the two species this photo is of since they are both everywhere and growing together (for the most part). Their early leaves look so much alike you really can’t tell them apart. Truthfully, the Lamium started growing quite a while back so I am not sure if this counts as a sign of spring…

 

Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ under the pot on 2-8-20.

#3-Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’.

Of course, I had to look under the pot covering the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’. Hmmm… It didn’t even turn brown this winter. I covered it a while back because of paranoia. I am going to say it again… “I HOPE IT FLOWERS THIS YEAR.”

 

Achillea millefolium by the chicken house on 2-8-20.

#4) Achillea millefolium (Yarrow).

Of course, the Achillea millefolium are growing new leaves. Only very cold temps make them completely disappear and as soon as they get a chance they send up new leaves to see if the coast is clear.

 

Heuchera ‘Venus’ on 2-8-20.

#5-Heuchera (Coral Bells).

Well, what can I say? I got excited when I saw the Heuchera growing new leaves. They had been covered with snow off and on so I hadn’t checked them earlier. Heuchera are another perennial that will start growing earlier than you might expect during a mild winter. I had to take photos of all of the Heuchera which would completely screw up Six On Saturday. So, I numbered them 5.1-5.4. I hope you don’t mind. 🙂 It’s just when the snow melts to reveal signs of life I get somewhat trigger happy with the camera.

#5.1-Heuchera ‘Venus’.

The above photo is the Heuchera ‘Venus’. Its new leaves have a completely different color than when they mature to a silvery-green with darker green veins.

 

Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ on 2-8-20.

#5.2-Heuchera ‘Obsidian’.

The Heuchera ‘Obsidian’ reportedly has the darkest leaves of the Heuchera cultivars but that depends a lot on the light. Oh, the Chickweed is also growing, which is definitely a sign of spring…

 

Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ on 2-8-20.

#5.3-Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’.

The Heuchera ‘Palace Purple’ is ready for spring. Its leaves are nearly as dark as ‘Obsidian’ during the summer and the plant and leaves get much larger.

 

Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ on 2-8-20.

#5.4-Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’.

I really like the chartreuse leaves of the Heuchera ‘Like Rickey’ and it is very good to see it growing new leaves. It is such a great plant to brighten up a shady bed.

 

Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ on 2-8-20.

#6-Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’.

While I was photographing the Heuchera I looked under the leaves to see what the Hosta were doing. While I expected to see nothing, I was pleasantly surprised. I first checked the Hosta ‘Abiqua Drinking Gourd’ and saw a sprout but I didn’t take a photo. Then I checked Hosta ‘Potomac Pride’ and had to take a photo. I didn’t check the rest because I knew that would lead to more photos and this Six On Saturday post would be all out of whack. Seeing the Hosta sprouting so early is definitely weird…

 

Kalanchoe x laetivirens (Mother of Thousands) on 2-8-20.

BONUS-Kalanchoe x laetivirens (Mother of Thousands).

Hmmm… Let me explain myself. First, I took a photo of this Kalanchoe before I went outside thinking I would use it for this post. By the time I was finished outside, I had too many photos. Since I already went overboard and sort of broke the rules with the Heuchera, I thought I just as well add a bonus photo.

I have been checking the buds on this Kalanchoe x laetivirens almost every day to see if the flowers have opened. I first noticed the buds on January 20 and since then they have grown but not opened. GEEZ! There are also more buds at the two upper stem nodes. I would say leaf nodes, but some experts say its leaves aren’t really leaves (since leaves don’t produce offsets from its margins). Anyway, I am patiently waiting…

That’s all I have to talk about at the moment, or at least it is time to stop. If you wish to participate in Six on Saturday posts, be sure to read the Six On Saturday-a participants guide from The Propagator.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Your comments and “likes” are always appreciated.

 

Six on Saturday

Hello everyone! I hope this Six on Saturday post finds you all doing very well. It has been a pretty good week with temps continuing to dance around. Today is sunny and it is supposed to get to 48° F. The forecast says 55° on Sunday, 48° on Monday, then 37 on Tuesday and Wednesday with a LOW of 19° by morning. Then back up to 48° on Thursday with a low of 30. ‘Tis the season…

#1 for this Six on Saturday is the cedar carving of a bear given to me on Thursday by friends who were going to throw it out. I could not let him be thrown in the dump sight to be burned so I brought him home. Someone else might have spotted it…

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Dryobates pubescens (Downey Woodpecker)

#2-I took a shot of this Downey Woodpecker (Dryobates pubescens) on the hanging feeder. It was pretty happy by itself on the feeder. It seems the migratory birds are slow to come this winter. I did see a few Juncos a few days ago and also a couple of Nuthatches. Even though I haven’t seen many birds, somehow the feeder was empty in a week. Maybe the wind blew the seed out…

 

Dryobates pubescens (Downey Woodpecker)

No doubt the Downey is hiding seed in the fork of the tree.

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Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks’

#3-The Lysimachia nummularia ‘Goldilocks (Creeping Jenny) is hanging in there in the north bed. When it gets really cold it will completely disappear.

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Achillea millefolium

#4-The Achillea millefolium is pretty tough in the heat of the summer right up until it gets severely cold. They are still growing new leaves!

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Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo)

#5-The Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) still has a few green leaves. I learned something this week from a post shared by Eliza Waters. The post says the berries are poison to birds! I never knew that so I suppose I better remove them.

Click HERE to read the post shared by Eliza about the berries. The post is actually from Cindy Dyer’s Blog.

The red berries of Nandina domestica contain cyanide and other alkaloids that produce hydrogen cyanide (HCN), which can be poisonous to all animals.

Tom Oder writing for Mother Nature Network has this to say: “Nandina berries actually have a low toxicity, but they can be lethal to cedar waxwings specifically because their feeding habits differ dramatically from that of other birds, said Rhiannon Crain, project leader for the Habitat Network with The Nature Conservancy and Cornell Lab of Ornithology. “Other birds don’t eat as much or as rapidly as cedar waxwings,” said Crain. “Cedar waxwings completely stuff every possible part of their body with berries. They will fill their stomach and their crop with berries right up into their mouth until they can’t fit another berry inside of them.”

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#6–Hmmm… It seems like with nine cats there is always one following me around when I am in the yard. This one is the kitten that was given to me by a friend (Kevin). It showed up at his house and somehow he talked me into bringing it home. That was several months ago when she was very small…

 

She is a very odd-looking cat with long black hair with silvery streaks. The hair on her legs is shorter giving her an even stranger look (reminding me of a fox). She is very smart, almost human, which can sometimes be annoying. My son called her Little Bit but I have had a few other names for her. She is now an outside cat but teaching her not to dart in every time the door opened wasn’t easy. She is so fast!

Well, that is it for this post. If you wish to participate in Six on Saturday posts, be sure to read the Six On Saturday-a participants guide from The Propagator.

Until next time, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful! Get dirty if you can. I know I will one way or another… 🙂

 

Six on Saturday-Ending With A Surprise!

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. This is my second attempt to make a Six on Saturday post. Jade was looking out the window and I told her I was going to take a few photos for a Six on Saturday post. She said, “good luck with that.” When I came back inside and found there were photos of eight I decided to not include the photo of Jade in the six (although the photo is clearly here). Then I deleted the photo of the Equisetum so I wouldn’t accidentally include it.

 

Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) flowers on 11-23-19.

#1) I wanted to make a post about the Mammillaria karwinskiana (Silver Arrows) since all the buds were fully opened. I decided including it in this post would be appropriate and was glad they were still looking good this morning. There are a couple of buds on the other side.

 

Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis buds on 11-23-19.

#2) I looked around a bit to see if there was anything else that was exciting then I noticed the little Mammillaria vetula subsp. gracilis (Thimble Cactus) had a couple of buds. That may not sound exciting, but I thought it was. For this plant to be so small and have two buds… Yeah, that is exciting!

I could have easily found all six items to post about inside, but I went outside to see what I could find. It was 37° F and it had rained during the night.

 

#3) I finally filled the feeder hanging in a maple tree in the front yard yesterday. Although there are very few birds here right now, I saw a group of sparrows in a bush that seemed to be hungry. They were no doubt waiting for me to fill the feeder in “the other yard”, which I did. This morning while taking the photos I saw the “other feeder” was empty already so probably the deer found it during the night. Maybe I am anxious, but it seems the birds are late arriving this Fall.

 

Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ on 11-23-19.

#4) The Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ is still alive and well. I did make a note to cover it when nighttime temps dipped a few days ago even though it has proved it didn’t need it. I have a sticky note stuck to the computer that reminds me. 🙂

 

#5) The old Mulberry tree in an area along the boundary fence behind the chicken house is always worthy of attention. It would be great to know how old it really is.

 

It is very gnarly and was a very old tree when I was a kid. Sometimes I sit next to this tree, with my back against it and it seems I can feel its energy. A very good place to meditate.

 

It is by far not the biggest Mulberry tree here now because age has taken a toll on this tree. It has survived many lightning strikes, heavy winds, ice, snow, drought and so on for MANY years. I remember as a kid when I was in the barn with my grandpa as we watched lightning strike an old tree along the fence. I call this the elder tree and hope it has many more years to come.

 

#6) Hmmm… Could it be? If so, I am shocked I missed it before! This is definitely a species of Physalis (Ground Cherry, Japanese Lantern) and likely it is Physalis longifolia. When I was at Kevin’s farm this past summer I spotted a single Physalis longifolia in the pasture. The plant there was similar in size to the Solanum (Horsenettle) species because it had no doubt been nibbled on by the cows. So, when I looked for it here in the pastures I was looking for a smaller plant similar to the Horsenettle with yellow flowers.

 

Well, this dead plant is 31″ tall… I checked with the Missouri Plants website and read where Physalis longifolia can grow to 3 meters, which I must have ignored earlier. Missouri Plants lists six species of Physalis.

 

Common names for Physalis longifolia include Long-Leafed Ground Cherry, Longleaf Ground Cherry, Wild Tomato, and Common Groundcherry.

To think I had been looking for this plant during the summer only to find it NOW when it is all dried up. GEEZ!!! I found it not in the pasture, but on my way back from photographing the old Mulberry tree… Among other tall weeds. You can bet I will have my eye on this area next summer! Hopefully at least one will come up so I can make a proper ID. 🙂

Well, that’s it for my attempt for a Six on Saturday post. Remember, Jade doesn’t count…

If you wish to participate in Six on Saturday posts, be sure to read the Six On Saturday-a participants guide from The Propagator.

 

Eight On Saturday-OOPS!

Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’ (Jerusalem Sage) on 11-9-19, #647-11.

Hello everyone! I hope this post finds you all well. This afternoon was very nice and the temp was in the 50’s. Seeing a few Six on Saturday posts this morning inspired me so I went outside to take a few photos. Well, I am a newbie because I don’t think I have ever made a Six on Saturday post. How do you do only six?

#1 is the Phlomis ‘Edward Bowles’. I bought this plant from a seller on Ebay in 2013 for its interesting flowers. It is very borderline hardy here I think so every fall when we have an “F” in the forecast I cover it up with a big flower pot. I did that again when we had the first “F”. Then I oddly forgot about it after that. From 2013 until now I protected this plant to the point of insanity. When it would get cold, I covered it at night until I finally had to keep it covered. We have had several “F’s” and temps have been in the low 20’s. A few days ago I was coming out of the barn and looked toward the corner bed. I thought, “HOLY S—T! I FORGOT ABOUT THE PHLOMIS!” Here it is alive and well while most everything around it is dead.

This is the third location for this plant. It first in the middle of the south bed then I moved it to the southwest corner bed. Then, I planted the Baptisia there and it took up so much room it shaded the Phlomis. My first idea was to move the Baptisia to the southeast corner but it wouldn’t budge. So, I told the Phlomis I was sorry but I had to him again. I suppose it is a “he” since its name is Edward. I dug him up and he wasn’t too thrilled about the whole ordeal… Normally, he gets fairly tall and his leaves get very impressive. This summer, he didn’t grow as well and the leaves didn’t get as large. He did adapt and get over the move and now he is showing off! I now have a sticky note stuck to the computer that says “REMEMBER THE PHLOMIS.”

 

Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum (Elephant Garlic) on 11-9-19, #647-1.

#2-The Allium ampeloprasum var. ampeloprasum (Elephant Garlic) are all alive and growing well. They are pictured above in the southeast corner bed but they are scattered all through the south bed ad well. I usually dig a few of their bulbs to use in cooking. They produce a lot of bulbils which make single bulbs the following year then bigger bulbs with cloves the next year. They have amazing flower heads which I think are a good substitute for the more expensive Allium species an cultivars. At some point, I guess I should lose the “var. ampeloprasum” part of the name because it isn’t legit now. I never understood how a variety could be the same name as the species anyway…

 

Buddleja ‘White Profusion’ on 11-9-19, #647-2.

#3 is the Buddleja ‘White Profusion’. The Butterfly Bush thrived on neglect this past summer. Basically, the entire south bed went wild which is why I haven’t taken many photos of it. 🙂 I have no idea what that is growing to the left and only noticed it after I looked at the photo. GEEZ! I normally keep this bush deadheaded so it will look tidy and keep it flowering well but I think I only did it once this past summer. It will continue to have green leaves until it gets REALLY cold. One year it stayed green all winter and grew HUGE the following summer. When I bought this plant in 2013 it was only supposed to grow around 4′ tall. Labeling has changed since then because this bush gets MUCH taller than 4’… Hmmm… I bought it and put it here because it was supposed to be a smaller cultivar. Even so, I really like this cultivar and it attracts an abundance of butterflies, hummingbirds, and hummingbird moths.

 

Celosia argentea ver spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’ on 11-9-19, #647-4.

#4–Celosia argentea var. spicata ‘Cramer’s Amazon’. Well, what can I say? They came up, they grew, they flowered, and now they are dead. Don’t let that fool you because each inflorescence is FILLED with seed than has fallen out, or will fall out, that will come up next spring. DOUBLE GEEZ! Still, they remain my favorite Celosia because of their maroon and green bi-colored leaves and they grow so tall. They make great plants to cover up the wall and are a good background for the plants in the front of the bed. That is until they branch out and try to cover them up, too. We manage, though…

 

Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo) on 11-9-19, #647-10.

#5–Nandina domestica (Heavenly Bamboo). Every time I post about the Nandina I mention it is my favorite shrub and that I brought it with me from Mississippi. While it doesn’t grow as well here as in Mississippi, it is hanging in there which I am very thankful for. Some bird species like the berries, especially the Titmouse, as they migrate through here. I only see a few Titmouse here but they came by the hundreds in Mississippi. I always liked using the leaves of the Heavenly Bamboo in flower arrangements instead of fern and palm leaves. The Nandina is a great all-around shrub in my opinion. I know in some areas they can be a bit invasive, which is why there were so many at the mansion. A few more here would be a good thing…

 

Cannas on 11-9-19, #647-3.

#6–The Cannas… All I can say is they had a pretty good summer. Despite the Japanese Beetles shredding their leaves they still put on an impressive show and grew to their normal 8-12′. Now I have to cut them down and mulch the bed with leaves. Works very good since they aren’t supposed to be cold hardy here. I can’t imagine digging all the rhizomes, storing them for the winter in the basement and planting them again in the spring…

 

Cylindropuntia imbricata (Tree Cholla) on 11-9-19, #647-5.

#7–Cylindropuntia imbricata (Tree Cholla). When I took this photo it asked me where I had been? I had no good answer and I really didn’t want to make excuses. This planter, which came from an old coal furnace, is where the Tree Cholla, Sempervivum ‘Killer” and Sedum kamtschaticum var. variegata are all growing. The Semp did poorly this year after it went banananananas last year. It flowered then mostly died (which it is supposed to do). The offsets are doing only so so, which may or may not be normal. The Sedum kamtschaticum var. variegata looked better than ever this spring and flowered like never before then it just went to crap. I had to pull a little grass to take this photo and noticed the Sedum spurium ‘John Creech’ has infiltrated the planter. I think that is why the Tree Cholla was wondering where I had been because it knows that is not allowed. Oddly, I did manage to remove the grass without getting stuck. I think that was a first. As always, though, the Cylindropuntia imbricata is doing well and has grown a lot more this past summer. It agrees with me and is ready for spring already.

I took a walk to the back of the farm with one thing on my mind…

 

Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon) on 11-9-19, #647-6.

#8–Diospyros virginiana (Persimmon). In my opinion, the most important thing about Fall here is the Persimmons. I visit this tree as often as I can this time of the year because of the delicious fruit. Deer, turkeys, raccoons, and opossum also eat the fruit so it is usually not easy finding them on the ground.

 

This tree was LOADED with fruit but most have fallen off. Even the lower limbs are too high to reach so I have to throw a stick to see if I can get some of the fruit to fall off.

 

OOOPS! The stick got stuck…

 

I only managed to knock three down, but that is OK. Tomorrow is another day. Even if I don’t come back for more, eating only a few is worth the wait. While it is true a “F” does seem to speed up the ripening process, if we have a late “F” the fruit ripens anyway.

On the way back to the house I was wondering if I had taken enough photos for a Six on Saturday Post. As it turned out, I took photos of eight “plants” so I kind of screwed up. I suppose I could have left out a couple, but the plants behind me in the bedroom couldn’t decide which two to leave out… They reminded me there are six of them for next Saturday… It sounds like a plot to me. 🙂

Well, that’s all I have to say except I am still working on the Cactus and Succulent Update #3.

Until next time, stay well, be safe, stay positive, and always be thankful. Thanks for reading and thanks for your comments in advance.