The Queen of Seaford

Long Angles and Foggy Mornings

2012-01-28T21:47:00.000-05:00

This time of year the long angles of the sun make for some wonderful light shows. The other night taking the dogs for their evening walk I saw this gorgeous sight. Love how the setting sun broke through the pines, illuminating various parts of the forest.

Turning around and heading to the house, the sun is shining along different parts of the woods. Can you tell I live in a pine forest?

With the mild temperatures we have been having we have had some interesting fog. This morning, while letting the dogs out, this blanket of fog rolled in and out in the course of about a half hour. We have fog like this in the fall-- always magical.

Fog is so interesting, but hard to really capture in a photo.

We spread 4 cubic yards of hardwood mulch so far, the hill killed us. Today I did some trimming/pruning and spread the pine straw in the garden along the driveway. While in the woods I found a fun little mushroom, think it is a Turkey tail mushroom. Trametes versicolor After reading through the Mushroom Expert, I am not sure. Will have to go and do a closer investigation.

Whatever it is, it is pretty.

So, like I said, mulch was spread on some of the gardens....we will probably have two more loads (2 cubic yards each) to finish around the house. The shed sits on the front part of the grassy area of our yard. We mulched from the driveway to and around the shed

I put layers of newspaper under the mulch to take care of the grass. There are bulbs planted on either side of the door. Along the window side is a Yuletide Camellia, two red Rhododendrons 'Besse Howells', and a Tea Olive on the back corner.

You can see how much this part of the yard slopes. The shrubs will help hide the space as they grown. On the backside of the shed I planted three Spirea vanhouttei that will have plenty of room to grow to their full potential.

As you can see, the house sits on the hillside. I am standing next to the lower corner of the shed, turned facing the house. The side garden is now mulched and next we have the other side of the house and the front garden to do....think that will be a lot less mountain climbing!

Hope the nice weather holds out, we have a few more work days!

Growth, Buds, and Sparkles

2012-01-25T22:31:00.000-05:00

I had to share this tiny bit of growth, this little bud, this emerging leaf from my tiny crabapple tree. This is one of the watercolor brush sized trees planted last month. It is alive! It is growing! I had been hauling water up the driveway to take care of all these little babies. Thank goodness we have had some good rains to help as well.

Also growing nicely is the Quince...I am not asking for gangbusters right now, just growth. It feels like spring here in South Carolina. I am enjoying working outside as much as possilbe. What a change from last winter when we were buried in snow. I will take spring awakening anytime!

Right next to the Quince is this fun little mushroom. Looks like someone has been eating the edges of it. The gills are so neat.

Winter's sweet fragrances are in the breeze. My Edgeworthia chrysantha is just starting to open. I love its fragrance and the bright sunny little blooms on the bare stems are just super. Isn't this great against the clear blue sky?

While in the backyard I checked the Hellebores....still waiting to open, the buds getting larger and taller. I can't wait for them to open. Last year they were kind of late too.....it might be the variety, though last year I thought it was late because I had moved them.

Just down the hill a little is my one Witch hazel. She is starting to open, I really like the shape of the bloom and this variety is more pink-ish orange. It is Hamamelis x intermedia 'Feuerzauber'. I hope to find a good native to put in the edge of the woods out front. Would love to have that clove scent wafting on the wind.

After some good thunderstorms, yes I know, in January! I found a lot of limbs in the garden. This one was especially interesting. There are so many fungi and lichen on the trees in our area. Wonder why?

These brown specimen are kind of gooey looking aren't they?

A walk around the backyard is like a treasure hunt. So many treasures... look at how sparkly the Muhly grass is in the sunshine. It is hard to capture the twinkling of the seedheads in the breeze. So happy I have this grass in my garden.

Another great find in the walk around was all these great berries on my Wax myrtles. Well, one of my Wax myrtles...Myrica cerifera is dioecious, meaning male and female plants. Thankfully I have at least one female. The bayberries are a good food source for the birds. *Fun fact- Myrica californica is monoecious. It has both male and female flowers on one plant.

Also getting ready to open to its full glory is my Blue Leaf Isu, Distylium myricoides. It is an evergreen Chinese Witch hazel. This was a great happenstance --- I came upon this plant at the nursery while in bloom....had to have it. Stay tuned for more photos as it opens.

Finally a little rearranging in the landscape. I have had a section in my front garden that nothing has done well. Could the soil be bad there? Maybe this is where paintbrushes were cleaned? Who knows. I have had three Gardenias 'Frostproof' die in this area. Finally have one replacement gardenia that is doing well, but it is off center. The Nandina domestica 'Blush Pink' was another gardenia replacement. Well, I got some new garden soil and dug out the soil that was there. I moved the remaining gardenia and added two Loropetalum 'Daruma' from the back slope by the lake. The Loropetalum wasn't blooming where it was, so moving it should be a good idea.

See how large the other Gardenia 'Frostproof' are? They are happy......

BEFORE

AFTER

The Loropetalum will grow to about 3- 4 feet tall and about the same width. With the reddish purples in the stonework on the front of the house, I think the summer colors of the Loropetalum will be a nice repeat of color.
Tomorrow? Mulch hauling..... I am switching out the pinestraw mulch in the beds around the house to hardwood mulch. As the hardwood breaks down it will help amend the clay soil. It won't be done in one day...but it will be a start.

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Invasion of the Sod Webworms

2012-01-24T10:03:00.001-05:00

This past Wednesday we had over a half of an inch of rain. Hooray, we needed it and more. After the rain I took the dogs for a walk and came across a rather bizarre sight. For approximately one hundred feet on the road were these worms.

There were hundreds of these worms all over the road. Where did they come from? What are they? Well, the second question is easier to answer-- my guess was a Sod Webworm so I conferred with a fellow Master Gardener who knows his 'bugs'. Yes, Sod Webworm. Thanks Vincent!
With all these worms all over the road one would think there would be a lot of birds arriving for a big meal...but none were in sight. A mystery. Perhaps the worms are not tasty, have a toxin or something? Time for research! Since I live in South Carolina, the best place for information is the

Clemson web site. The entomology department has a couple publications. Best is the Insect Information Series. Good information about the habits of the sod webworm. They feed at night and if temperatures are moderate they will also feed during the day. This webworm is the larval stage of the Sod Webworm Moth. Photo courtesy Clemson publications and Purdue University Entomology Department.

A sod webworm adult. Note the characteristic snout-like projection from the head.
Photo: Purdue University Entomology Department

The larvae feed on your turf lawns. They can skeletonize it rather quickly. Insecticide controls can be used according to the labels. Bacillus thuringiensis is the first one recommended. B.t. controls are the most effective on young larvae. Wetting the lawn and applying late in the day is the recommended application.

I know many are leery of using products on their lawn to eliminate insects, I understand that. These are Extension recommendations for turf management. After seeing so many of these worms all over the road I will be keeping my eyes open for infestation in my yard. I tried to circle three of the worms in the road....there were webworms every 6 to 12 inches for the width of the road and for about one hundred feet. Lucky for me right now, they were a good way down the road from my house.

After reading about these worms, I hope the birds were just late to the game. In my research you may see your first indication of newly emerged larvae if there are lots of birds feeding on 'something' in your yard. I vote for Mother Nature to take care of this pest....hope she agrees.

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Fern Update

2012-01-18T20:17:00.000-05:00

It rained yesterday/ last night. Why do you ask I am bringing this up? We drove by the Resurrection Fern tree this afternoon on our way to pick up our weekly order from Upstate Locally Grown. I wanted to check and see if the fern had been revived from the rain. Camera in hand, I captured the resurrection!! This is a short and sweet post....just wanted to share. Remember how shriveled and crusty it was in my last post?

Pretty amazing isn't it?

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

What's That in The Tree?

2012-01-16T22:38:00.002-05:00

Near the wonderful oak tree I shared in the posting 'Just For Fun' is this tree. It sits along the ridge right next to the road. This summer I saw something green, growing on the trunk and its limb.   At one point we stopped the truck and I made the initial identification of a large vine of poison ivy.    Well, after all these freezing nights the poison ivy has long since lost its leaves. Driving by on Tuesday I noticed it still had something green up in the crotches and along the trunk.
I stopped the car (though I didn't get out) and started taking pictures. I was amazed to see it was the Resurrection Fern!   I first encountered this fern on one of our trips through the countryside. It was when I found the Burr Oak. Resurrection Fern, Polypodium polypodioides is a hardy fern. This is a native fern, hardy from Delaware to Southern Florida. It is an epiphyte, using the host plant for an anchor and grows in the cracks of the bark of trees. All the water and nutrients come from the rain and dust in the air. When there is no rain the fronds curl up and are scaly and grey. When moisture is reintroduced, the fern resurrects!

Isn't this fern great?

It grows up the limb...covering all the bark.

See how green and lush the ferns were on Tuesday?

Now on Sunday we went out and Charlie stopped the truck and I was able to get out and take more pictures. We had some really cold nights between Tuesday and Sunday, with no rain.   See how dry and brownish grey the ferns are?

I will have to go back after a rainfall and see if, even in this mild but winter time, it will resurrect again! It is easy to propagate, take a piece of the fern, making sure you have some root material and place it in a tree of your choice. You can read more about the Resurrection Fern at Floridata.

The best thing about this Resurrection Fern? The tree it is growing on is in a family cemetery that has been there for ages. One of these days I will check out some of the old headstones.

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Twelve Trees Fourteen Shrubs and Almost 200 Bulbs

2012-01-11T14:29:00.000-05:00

December was THE month for planting in South Carolina. Yes, I planted a dozen trees and 14 shrubs. The bulbs were plants in January. The shrubs were a great purchase from the Abbeville Cooperative Extension Tree Sale. Last year I bought three dogwoods and three redbuds and a couple pecans. Sadly the pecans did not make it through the winter.

This year I bought only shrubs through this sale. Nine of the shrubs are Spirea vanhouttei. Six were planted along the very long driveway. I thought I was staggering the plantings but after I was done it appears they are paired, across the driveway from one another. The other three were planted on the side of my playhouse/shed that faces the ajoining property. All these shrubs have ample room to grow to full size. The nice thing about this spirea is that it can be planted in full sun to part shade. This picture below is the nine, bundled together, each having a nice baseball-ish rootball.

In the top photo are three red flowering quince, Chaenomeles sp. . All of them are nice sized, the order form said they would be 2-3 feet and I wasn't sure how much shrub was going to be there. These three are planted up along the street in front of the woods on the left side of the driveway as you walk up the drive. These are spring blooming and will be a nice pop of red early in spring. A couple buds are already leafing out.

I also bought a snowball Viburnum, probably a Viburnum opulus, though I didn't get a botanical name to go along with this one. It is planted in the lowest part of the backyard. Finally, the last one I bought and probably the one I wanted most-- Oakleaf Hydrangea, Hydrangea quercifolia. I have some small ones in the back garden but really wanted one to fill a space along the driveway. Knowing this shrub can get to be the size of a small pickup truck, I am giving it all the room in the world. Right now it is a straight stem, abou 3 feet long. Come on spring!!!

The trees were purchased/received through the Arbor Day Foundation. I got the ten 'free' flowering trees when I joined. I wanted a Sassafras tree and received a free Red Maple....so twelve trees to plant. Two of each of the following were planted- dogwood- Cornus florida, redbud- Cercis canadensis, Flowering Crab Apple- Malus sargentii, Goldenrain Tree- Koelreuteria paniculata, Washington Hawthorn- Crataegus phaenopyrum. These darling dozen were all about the size of a watercolor paintbrush. In order to know where these little babies are located, I tied a little piece of green ribbon around each. It has helped in locating them when I water and will help in the spring when I check to see if they survived the winter.

Redbud next to soaker hose

Crabapple -- so small it needed a stick next to it and some rocks to mark the spot

This photo below shows the red Maple. It was wrapped with a sticky label...the little white dot the arrow is pointing to.

Here is a blowup.

We will see if these tiny trees make it, I worry about animals walking over them and snapping them off.

This is my notebook, I have marked every single plant I either brought with us from Virginia, was given by friends, and the hundreds I purchased and planted since moving here a year ago July. I also write down where bulbs are planted, it helps when looking for them or knowing where NOT to plant more bulbs.

The bulbs planted last weekend were two large bags of 50 double bulb daffodils, Narcissus 'Dutch Master', one bag of 50 Paperwhites, yellow Paperwhites, Narcissus 'Grand Soleil d'Or' and a bag of ten tulips, hybrid greigii tulip.
Spring is going to be spectacular in South Carolina....stay tuned!!!

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Just For Fun

2012-01-07T20:40:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't been around for a little while, but I am back now!! To start my return to the blogging world I want to share some photos I have had --ready to share with all of you. They are pretty much unrelated --they are all just for fun!

First I want to share my favorite tree, well ok, ONE of my favorite trees. It reminds me of the one that is often shared by Pam at Tales from the Microbial Laboratory. I need to make an accurate ID of this oak. The leaves were so tattered this year after the cicadas it was hard to be sure. The lichen and moss are so thick on the trunk it is hard to see the bark. When I asked my husband to stop so I could take a picture of my favorite tree, he said, "You are going to have to be more specific". Hahaha

I will take many pictures of this tree over the course of the year.

Next, another owl sighting. This was the week in between Christmas and New Year's Eve. The exciting part of this sighting was he was across the street from our property, next to the septic field/ meadow. After I feed the dogs their evening meal I take them for a walk. Since the oldest dog is almost 18, we don't walk too far. We were at our turn around point and I saw the owl. Of course I didn't have the camera. I hustled to the driveway and saw Charlie outside, called to him, and he took the dogs so I could run down the driveway to get the camera. Yea!!! The kids came out and saw the owl as well, life in the Wild Kingdom.

Here is a close up. Isn't he grand?

Another fun adventure was another walk along the shoreline. The mosses, lichens, and other fungi growing on the exposed tree roots are always cool looking.

Another find along the shore was evidence of our beaver. This limb was about as big around as my arm and roughly 6 feet long.

About 600 feet up the shoreline was a tree whose roots were exposed on the bank. Apparently the beaver thought that root would be a great addition to his den. I am keeping an eye on my trees!!!

And finally a night visitor --seeking a taste of the suet on bird feeders. These guys are not pretty.

Many thanks for coming back to read my postings. Hear's to a new year and a better blogging habit.

©Copyright 2012 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

The Party's Over

2011-12-11T09:50:00.001-05:00

This time of year many of our plants are a little sorry looking. The frosts have played havoc with those delicate blooms like Cosmos. Late in November I went into the field across the street to collect seeds from the spent blooms. We have our septic drain field across the street. You might remember my planting some daffodils earlier this year. This fall we waited until after a good frost and then had the field bush hogged.

The seeds I scattered in the early spring were a mixture I picked up at the local hardware store. Of the flowers in the mix, the Cosmos were the ones that stood out as the summer grasses and weeds grew taller. There were still a few blooms left in the field but a few more frosts and they would be gone.

Bush hogging is like cutting it with a giant/ strong mower. This field is our septic field, so trees are not a good idea. A wildflower meadow?? Perfect! After the field was cut we went over some of it with the small push mower to cut some of the grasses shorter. The field looked so much larger when it was cut. Some in the neighborhood just cut theirs and leave it bare...I like flowers!

There is a hunt club in the woods at the back end of the septic field. I always wear bright colors when working over there.

So now that the field is cut and a few frosts have occurred, what next? Meadow in a Box!

I found a website that has great variety of seeds---- so I ordered my own mixture. I love the blue cornflowers I have seen in the spring, so that was on the list! I also ordered Blanket Flower Gaillardia, Black-eyed Susans Rudbeckia hirta, California Poppies Eschscholzia californica, Nigella, more Cosmos, and some Joe Pye weed Eupatorium fistulosum. I added some red poppies I saved from the last year or two. I mixed and mixed.

After mowing and bush hogging I used a metal rake to expose at least a little soil. I am hoping this exposure will be enough. Taking the container of all those seeds, I scattered all my seeds in the field. Well, not ALL of them, I scattered a few on the other side of the street near the driveway as well. The only problem with scattering seeds in the winter/fall? WAITING for spring!! I timed the scattering to be right before a few days of rain. The rain helped settle the seeds down into the soil, all tucked in for the winter. After the seeds, a few more (hundred) bulbs were also planted. Spring will explode with color!

Isn't this the saddest Zinnia you have ever seen? I have been collecting the seeds from this one as well. This Zinnia was from a packet from James Madison University Centennial Celebration. The bloom is purple...the JMU purple! I have some seeds to share with JMU alumni. If you are an alum -- and want a few seeds, let me know. Will share until I run out. Why do I have JMU seeds? Both my girls went to JMU as well as future son-in-law.

While checking on the zinnias I noticed the Viburnum next to it was trying to bloom. This poor baby had a rough summer with the lack of rain.

Still blooming is my native honeysuckle- Lonicera sempervirens

Love this pretty trumpet.

Also blooming is the Gaillardia in the backyard.

A few of you know we got a garden shed this fall. I am so thrilled with it. Charlie is calling it "Janet's playhouse". We will paint it in the spring, once the wood cures. HOA rules that it should match the house. I like the natural wood. It is a really solid shed, tongue in grooved pine planks.

You can see the slope of the yard. The cinderblocks are under a dozen points making it very sturdy.

So, if the party is over for your blooms, make sure to collect as many seeds as possible.
The seed company I bought my seeds from is new to me and I am not recommending them over any other place. I will say the seeds were in great condition and I am hoping for tons of color next spring and summer...and for many seasons to come.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Happy Arbor Day

2011-12-06T19:33:00.001-05:00

This past Friday my friend Ann and had the pleasure of participating in Arbor Day festivities at USC Upstate. Arbor Day is the first Friday in December in South Carolina. Our weather is mild enough that this is one of the best times of year to plant trees and woody shrubs. The featured speaker was Dr. Michael Dirr. I know! We were pretty excited to see him. There was a presentation in the morning by Dr. Dirr. His topic was "In Praise of Noble Trees". The slideshow was filled with photos of wonderful trees and peppered with fun quotes--my favorite? "The road to hell is lined with Bradford Pears". For those who are not acquainted with Dr. Dirr, he is a well known author and educator. He has published more than 300 books, both scientific and popular publications. Many of us have a copy of his Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Charateristics, Culture and Propagation and Uses on our own bookshelves. He has retired from academia but still is involved with research and plant developement. He is one of the founding partners of Plant Introductions, Inc. where they are working on breeding and evaluation of new woody plants. Many of the new breeds of Magnolias and Hydrangeas have been due in part to Dr. Dirr.

The handout was filled with descriptions of many trees. A few of the ones he focused on included new cultivars as well as old favorites. In alphabetical order, here are some of the ones he mentioned.

Corylus -- C. fargesii, an exfoliating bark specimen, C. jacquemontii, a large tree with broad pyramidal / oval shape, and a hybrid of C. colurna and C. maxima-- 'Te Terra Red' which is a redleaf with beautiful bark. I like the sounds of the last one!
Fagus grandifolia-- the American Beech. One point he made with this one was the myth of difficulty in transplanting this native tree. He said he never has had a problem with this.
Gymnocladus dioicus-- Kentucky Coffeetree, a native that I know of from the Learning Garden, the York County Master Gardener garden I worked in while we lived in Virginia. Dr. Dirr says there are some good examples in the Milliken Arboretum in Spartanburg. I need to learn more about this tree. The one in the Learning Garden was pretty young.
Liriodendron tulipifera-- Tulip poplar....one of my favorite spring flowering trees. Dr. Dirr is also quite fond of this grand tree. All the tiny seedlings that sprout up from the samaras that twirl down from the seedheads up high should be shared with all your friends! He advocates planting as many tulip poplars as you can.
Nyssa sylcatica---Blackgum or Tupelo tree, apparently a Dirr favorite. There isn't enough praise for this tree. I love the bold red fall color.

Quercus---Oaks are the go to tree. There are so many species that are native to North America. Q. bicolor is one species he spoke a great deal about....especially a newly discovered upright-columnar Swamp White Oak. Look for it under the name of Q. bicolor 'Beacon'. Oaks are so vital to the life of over 534 species of caterpillars. The acorns are a food source for all sorts of wildlife. The oak grows to such a grand height and provides shade, truly a noble tree.
There were many other trees he talked about ....many with new varieties coming on the market with better disease resistance or new colors or new forms. Be on the lookout for many new Ulmus americana cultivars like 'Princeton', 'Jefferson', 'Valley Forge' and 'New Harmony'.

After lunch and a talk by Kevin Parris (also a interesting plant breeder/ horticulturist) we had a walking tour of the Susan Jacobs Arboretum, led by Dr. Dirr. This was a smaller group of folks and we were able to interact a good bit with Dr. Dirr as well as Kevin Parris. We were introduced to many trees along the tour, quizzed as to which one it might be and given a good lesson on tree identification. One tree that I was THRILLED to see was this one on the left-- the infamous Franklinia altamaha! I really would like to have this rare tree in my garden. Kevin Parris said this is the third one that was planted in the Arboretum. This native tree is no longer found in the wild. If you want to try this tree, make sure it has super drainage and is protected from cold winds. I will be going back up to Spartanburg to see this tree in the growing season.

I am so happy we were able to go to this function. Hearing Dr. Dirr and walking through the Arboretum with him was like a dream come true for this tree fan.

I know I haven't posted much lately. I could say I have been busy, but I don't know, looking back, what I have been busy doing. I plan to get back to regular blog postings and reading your postings.

Hope your Arbor Day was as great as mine!

Another Wildflower Wednesday

2011-10-26T21:49:00.001-04:00

I often miss the Wildflower Wednesday that Gail hosts at Clay and Limestone. As I am usually behind in my reading of blog posts, it could be Saturday or Sunday before I see that WW has come and gone. Ah, retirement! Lucky for me I saw another's posting, so I know it is THIS week that is WW, so I can participate.
This first little beauty I believe to be one of the Gerardia Agalinis, though I am not sure which one. This was found in the ravine(ish) area of the backyard that leads to the lake. Many of the wildflower finds are in this area.

Reading a little more, the book says the Agalinis linifolia is the only species in South Carolina that lacks yellow lines within the corolla. I see no yellow, I believe this is the species.

In the front yard, along the lower side yard I found this sunny yellow beauty. Again, not sure what the species is....though it looks like a Helianthus to me. Many of these are quite tall, but mine~~~ only about 12- 18" tall. It could be due to the drought that the growth is stilted. Wildflowers are not my strongsuit, I am learning one flower at a time.

This fall beauty is Schizachyrium scoparium 'Little Blue Stem'. Native grasses are doing well in many places of the yard. The area along the driveway is very hard packed, full of construction rock and sand, little to no topsoil.... and a bear to dig in. We decided to put a number of 'Little Blue Stem' in to help slow the water (if we get any rain!) as it rolls down the hill. I planted 17, 14 still survive. There are some that are really small and some, like the one pictured, that are doing quite well. I love the seedheads that shimmer in the light.

Hidden in the woods at the top of the property are some Hawthorn, Crataegus flava. Love the yellow fruits in the fall but watch out for those thorns.

While exploring the front woods, I thought I would check out the area where the Cranefly Orchid, Tipularia discolor was last year. Imagine my delight when I found two leaves!!

I have done a whole posting on Sourwood, Oxydendrum arboreum, each fall, when these beautiful red leaves jump out of the landscape it is hard not to mention them again. As we drive by this tree, I tell my husband I love this tree.....and him, not necessarily in that order. Don't you just love these flower buds??

I seldom go into the septic drainfield area, too many bugs this time of year. I have ventured in during the winter and spring. The other day I was along the edge of the grasses, checking out the Cosmos I planted earlier this spring. Look what else I found growing near the Cosmos!! A Helenium perhaps autumnale.

Goldenrod is present this time of year...love the bold yellow color. I thought about collecting the seeds from this one and scattering it in more places ...the wind will take care of it.

Last but not least, a wildflower that Frances mentioned in her posting today. Dog Fennel, Eupatorium capillofolium, later in the fall the stems will turn a ruddy red. This is one I will admire from the street.

Please stop by Gail's blog and see other Wildflowers.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Great Combination, If I Do Say So

2011-10-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

As the cold weather moves in I wanted to bring in a few of the last roses on my 'Janet' rose. These roses are such beauties, changing colors as it opens and matures.

The stems are small and slender and really not strong enough to hold the flower heads up in a vase.

The solution was to put them in a small bowl shaped vase.

The combination that suits me ----to accompany the roses---Deep, dark, delicious chocolate from Belgium. Leonidas chocolate....freshly flown in, made with no preservative, pure deliciousness.

I love getting a box from my sweetie.

And I love having roses to bring in and enjoy....................................

Can't Get Enough of It

2011-10-16T17:59:00.000-04:00

Do you have a bloom that you are thrilled when it opens? One where you watch and watch as the bud gets plumper every day? You know what I am talking about, the prized bloom. I think everyone has one. Mine is the Epiphyllum oxypetalum. I have posted about it many times...here and here and here to name just a few. One of the drawbacks is trying to get a great photo of this night bloomer....because it blooms at night! If you use the flash it is too bright, the lack of flash you have the possibility of a blurry photo.
This morning after feeding the dogs I noticed my Epi had bloomed...and the blooms were still open. Maybe it was because the night was so cool...think the lows were in the low to mid 50's. Camera in hand I went out and started taking photos. I couldn't get enough .... I love photographing this beauty.

To be able to capture this great bloom in daylight was a treat.

The lighting was super for capturing these blooms.

I took a bunch of pictures then ate breakfast, walked the dogs, went about my morning. Just before noon, I looked out back and saw the blooms were still open! Amazing!! I was taking pictures from , the back.....

the front,

the side

I was enjoying every angle of blooms. I wasn't sure how much later in the day before they faded so I kept snapping away.

For as gorgeous as the blooms are, the plant itself is sad looking and oddly shaped. It needs a good trim and other years I trimmed it just before briniging it in for the winter, which should be about now. But I couldn't trim off flower buds before they opened. So now that it has bloomed it will be trimmed and retired for the winter. I have one person, Lola, who would like a piece of the plant, anyone else?

This month the Gardening Gone Wild Photo Contest theme is 'Fill the Frame' I thought I would try my hand at it again. I have two photos to argue with myself about which is the best choice.

Back of two or---

inside of one..........

I think I am going for the back of two. My entry is this one (see larger one above) or click on any photo for a larger view.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved.
Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford.

words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

I Love Fall

2011-10-11T18:24:00.000-04:00

Fall is a time of year where the temperatures are more pleasant and I can get back into the garden. It is like getting reaquainted with an old friend. The ornamental grasses are in full bloom and dancing in the breeze. Last year I planted three small Miscanthus--'Little Zebra'. This year they are looking great.

You may remember I planted some daffodils in our field across the street. It is our septic drain field and will soon have to be cut again....have a few trees popping up. I want to wait to have it cut (bush-hogged) until closer to frost. I scattered some flower seeds in that area to come up after the daffodils were finished. I don't water over there at all. The only flowers that really put on a show are the Cosmos. Love how they sparkle in the early morning sunlight.

Magnolias are great all summer long with their gorgeous blooms....and now, these lovely seed pods. It almost looks like they are adorned with tiny little ornaments.

Additionally the Euonymus americanus is showing its seed pods....looking like its common name--'Hearts A Bustin' I am happy to have some growing in my property.

Some of the Muhly grass is finally blooming. Love how the water droplets hang on the seedheads.

We have had some more opportunities to go out on the lake and enjoy the wildlife. Not too much longer and the Egrets will migrate. These two look like they had an argument-- not looking at each other.

I love these birds, they are so graceful.

It was amazing how calm the lake was when we went out last time. At our end of the lake there was nary a ripple.

All in all these are great examples of why I like fall....BUT- there are also the end of season plant sales in our area! At the end of September I went to one that I had gone to last year. Acres and acres of plants. The only thing limiting me was thinking about the holes I would have to dig in this hard clay soil. One neighbor asked for a pick axe!

I had an idea what I wanted and headed through the rows with my wagon. Finally got them all planted and am crossing my fingers that they will all make it through the winter and shine next spring and summer.

We have had a lot of company off and on for the past month. I know I have missed many postings from all of you. Will make my rounds and try to get back in the swing of blogging.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Picture Perfect

2011-09-19T21:42:00.003-04:00

A little while ago Cameron spoke about how she used her photos to decorate her home. I like the idea of using my photos...I like my photos. We don't have many walls in our house...there are lots of glass walls. I did want to find a spot in the house to hang my work..... and our powder room needed something on the walls. We happened upon a deal for a pair of frames with mats included. Hooray!!! I had already ordered my prints from Shutterfly and was very happy with how well they came out. I had a pair of Magnolia blooms...one very fresh and one that was aged and brown. A perfect pair for the powder room.

Color isn't very true in this photo. Wall color is kind of a light tan.
A better view of the color is in the photo below.

I had others printed as well...and placed them in our bathroom.

Epiphyllum oxypetalum

Red buckeye, Aesculus pavia

I have a print of a Van Gogh ...one of the Starry Night series, that needs to find a home.
There are a few others I hung in the other bathrooms. I know, doesn't sound glamorous -- but look at it this way--- anyone who goes in there has a nice photo to look at.

Do you have some photos that you would like to see as artwork in your home? The cost is pretty minimal to have a 8 x10 print. I used Shutterfly, like I said, but there are lots of places to get prints done. We love our photos online, now we enjoy them at home as well.

I have been shopping -- searching the discount racks. Yes, I brought home a few new plants.

Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'

Coreopsis 'Limerock Dream'

Don't you just love all the color variation?

Phlox paniculata 'Laura'

Also bought some pansies and a few mums. Just seemed like a good idea. While planting and weeding I got some more photos of some of the wildflowers growing along the edges of my property.

Wild flower Identification is not my strong suit, I do not know for sure what this white flower is.

Blue Lobelia

I like this time of year as I can spend a lot more time in the garden without getting overheated. Getting reacquainted with my flowers.... :-) I think they missed me.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Fairy Tales....in the garden.

2011-09-15T21:48:00.001-04:00

Well, one fairy tale in the garden. I planted a new variety of Portulaca this summer. Portulaca 'Cinderella' Fairy Tale Series. I like Portulaca as a general rule and thought about putting it in the garden -------somewhere. When I saw this one, I HAD to have it. What a beauty. These photos have been taken all through the summer. This bloom with its hot pink pom-pom center, surrounded by bright yellow outer petals was too incredible to pass by. Portulaca are drought tolerant and great for spaces where conditions are less than perfect.

Each bloom is open all day long. At night they all close up. I am not sure if the bloom lasts only one day or is just open during the day. It doesn't matter to me. I am just glad I bought two small pots early this summer....and it is still going strong.

Hot pink and bright yellow...it just shouts HELLO!

I planted the two small plants in the front garden along the sidewalk. It filled in the open spaces. The only other plants in that garden spot at some variegated Acorus....echoing that yellow. Next year? Hope I can find some more of this baby....

There are two other Portulaca Fairy Tale Series-- 'Snow White' which is .....white. (duh!) It has the same pom-pom center and outer petals...they are all white. 'Sleeping Beauty' is yellow...all yellow. Again, same shape bloom, all yellow. I think I hit a homerun with 'Cinderella'. Do you have some homerun plants from this summer?

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Garden Assessment After Our Trip

2011-09-12T18:01:00.000-04:00

Hard to believe we were gone for so long....until you look at the garden. This drought is being called moderate for our area.... according to our newspaper, we are over 10 inches behind in rainfall.

My two little dogwoods are showing signs of drought. Poor trees. Have set up the sprinkler to get this area hydrated. The mature trees really suck up the moisture.

Walking down the path towards the lake I see the Blackberry Lily, Belamcanda chinensis, in full glory.

Just beyond is some Gaillardia, busy with bees.

A nice surprise--- one of the Cyclamen has popped up! I have more to keep on the lookout for....love this little bloom.

Around the other side of the bed is my Pumpkin-on-a-stick, Solanum integrifolium . Tina posted about this plant a little while back. I got mine from a neighbor who had been over at Park Seed.

Cute eh? Can't wait for it to turn orange.

A new find in the edges of the yard....a Blue Lobelia, great native. What fun!

Down near the water I was trying to get a photo from one side of the yard to the other....when I saw I had a little friend .....look who is looking for some nectar in the cannas.

Do you see it? A little hummingbird.

We have so many hummingbirds in the yard, love watching them.

And now for the long shot of the yard.....

Cannas, Muhly Grass, Penisetum 'Princess Molly', Gaura, Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Vintage Gold' and Elephant ears. The garden is filling in pretty well. Apparently the hummers like it too.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Home Again, Home Again, Jiggity Jig

2011-09-06T22:25:00.001-04:00

I have been missing from the internet for a bit. My online time was short and intermittent. Why? Well, we just finished a trip to visit family. The truck clocked a little over 3,300 miles. I don't want to get in the truck for a while.

Our first stop was Richmond for a 90th birthday celebration....during Hurricane Irene. Great to see members of the extended family we hadn't seen for a number of years.

Found this sign along the trip!

The day after the birthday celebration there was a baby shower for niece and nephew's soon to be born baby girl.

Isn't this the cutest?

All sorts of goodies for the new baby...and a few fun things for big brother.

After the shower we headed to Seaford to check on my mom. She lives next door to my old house....in low Seaford. I thank Les, Racquel and David and others keeping me posted on Hampton Roads conditions. The Weather Channel and other national news outlets seemed to ignore any land mass between the Outer Banks and New York City. I knew before we got there that Seaford had minimal flooding, a lot less than Isabel. Hooray! We got up Monday morning and cleaned up Mom's yard ....making runs to the dump to join the rest of the residents of York County getting rid of the storm debris.

No power for the time we were there. The first shower, after all the cleanup was not bad.....the shower the next morning before we headed out was a bit chilly. Power finally came back on for Mom a few days later.

From Seaford we headed out to Kansas to visit my sister and her husband. Two days to get out there.

Love seeing the landscape as we drove. Lots of beautiful vistas!

One of the few sunrises I have seen since Charlie retired. Ok, it is pretty....just a tad early.

While in Kansas my sister and I went to a place that is named 'Top of the World'. Big views and lots of wildflowers and LOTS of wind! This is my sister....say hi!

We had a good time checking out the flowers in the fields around us.

Liatris sp.

Ironweed, Vernonia fasciculata

And views that go on forever---

Rustic beauty.

Great varieties of blooms.

Kansas...grasses blowing in the wind with a sunflower -- perfect!

I love this one....one of those postcard pictures!

Another little bloom. Blue Vervain, Verbena hastata

After the Top of the World, we went to Tuttle Creek Dam Lake. Very pretty.

Sumac

Snow on the Mountain, Euphorbia marginata

Thistle and Sunflowers

Beautiful mix of wildflowers

The night before we left we had one of those picture perfect dinners. Recipes for this meal are on my sister's blog. Bags by KZK Venture on over there...good eats!!

Driving through Kansas we saw lots of open fields....

We headed to OKC to visit Charlie's sister and family. There was a baby naming ceremony for another nephew's baby boy. Saturday was filled with football, then a ride into downtown OKC. The OKC Federal Building Memorial Sight is quite moving. If you have not visited it, certainly worth a stop.

Each chair has the name of one of the victims of the bombing.

There is a beautiful reflecting pool in the middle.

The sunlight shining through the chairs is just beautiful.

Quite a somber place.

Time to head home, the dogs had been in the boarding facility long enough.

We headed home in time to drive through Tropical Lee.

Storm to the left of us....yikes!

Visibility was limited.

Downtown Atlanta....through the raindrops

Close to home, Ware Shoals, big dark clouds

Heading this direction doesn't look good!

A few miles before we got off the highway the rain came down so hard and fast it was like someone dumped a bucket of white paint on the windshield. So glad to be home. This is just a brief overview of all our activities during the last week or so. Picked up the dogs today and gave them a bath....boy did they need it.

The gardens need tending, the voles and the heat have taken their toll on my poor plants.

Hoping to get back into the swing of visiting everyone's blogs.

Tomato Pie-- Another Food Setting Post!

2011-08-23T21:59:00.000-04:00

A couple summers ago I heard about a tasty summer treat-- Tomato Pie. Sounded tasty. This summer I finally got to taste Tomato Pie at one of those fun eateries we like to frequent, Grits and Groceries. Tonight I made my first Tomato Pie. I WAS going to make it last night, but if you read the recipe at 5:30 -- you are a little late unless you want dinner at midnight.

First one must draw moisture out of the tomatoes. Recipe calls for four large tomatoes, sliced about 1/4 inch thick.

Tomatoes and herbs

The crust was made yesterday and rolled out this evening. I am getting to like Martha Stewart, used her pie crust recipe.

Filled the shell with tomatoes.

Then comes the topping-- not heart healthy, just go with it.

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup mayo

1 small onion diced

fresh basil & fresh parsley

some pepper

Spread mixture on tomatoes.

Bake 350 degrees for about 40 minutes until golden brown. Cool completely (seriously???? We didn't wait too long...smelled wonderful)

Dinner's on the table---

Yes, we have some leftovers...dinner's side dish for tomorrow!

Gotta love the south and yummy summer dishes! If you have tomatoes, give it a try!

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

DUCK!!!!

2011-08-21T20:54:00.000-04:00

DUCK!! If you go out on our deck you better duck ----the hummingbirds are moving fast and furiously. During the majority of the summer we had three or four hummers who would guard our feeders, claiming them as their own. For the last couple days we have counted 6 or 7 speeding by...could be more. This picture looks serene...because these little guys are going so fast you need a radar gun to catch them.

On the deck I have my herbs, some have already flowered. I let my herbs flower so they will reseed. In the flower stage the hummingbirds LOVE the basil, mint, savory, and oregano. Do you see the hummingbird in the photo below?

OK, look below, photo cropped and you see it working the other side of the basil. I spent a lot of time trying to get a picture of the hummingbirds on the herbs. Most of the time it was hide and seek.

Here we go... a little female.

And another shot--- finally!

I tried to get a picture of a number of them swarming the feeders. This one was guarding her feeder. See her on the bar with the tree trunk in the background? I have a couple suet cages that the Tufted Titmouse family is very fond of. Yesterday there were six Titmice (?) along the railing and on the suet.

See the posturing with these two?

Ok, how about a little closer?

The hummingbirds are like flying aces in a dogfight in the air. Our show goes on from morning until dark, there is no down time. I don't know how they can keep going! Putting up hummingbird feeders is the best entertainment going!

For those who get my postings via email, the last posting was updated with an identification of the mystery vine. It is a Groundnut, Apios americana. Very interesting history, check out this link for a fascinating read.

Summertime Stroll Along the Lakeshore

2011-08-16T21:00:00.001-04:00

This week the weather has been a bit cooler so we decided to take a little boat ride. The lake level is lower because of the drought. Most of the summer there is no sandy beach at all. I noticed something growing along the shore while we were riding around. It was pink and since I have had Joe-Pye Weed on the brain, I wondered if that was what we had just down the way a little bit.

Since the sandy beach was open, today I took a little walk ---that is our dock in the photo above. There were lots of deer tracks, but they stopped at our beach...nice. Also saw some paw prints that could be the opossum that we have had in the yard twice recently.

There were lots of fun plants to take photos of...first --the one who drew me to walk down the beach.

Asclepias incarnata, Swamp milkweed!! --isn't she lovely?

This hummingbird moth seems to like it, I tried a number of times to get a good photo of this little guy.

I am in love with this pretty pink bloom. Certainly one I will add to my garden areas next year.

All along the shore we have these hibiscus growing and reseeding with abandonment. Hibiscus moscheutos-- Crimson-eyed hibiscus and its seedpods--look at all those seeds!

I came across these little berries, love the blue color. I believe they are on the Red twig Dogwood, but please correct me if I am mistaken.

Cornus sericea, Red twig dogwood. Aren't these berries fun?

Alnus serrulatta, Hazel Alder...I think. These are the immature fruits.

River Oats, Chasmanthium latifolium dot the banks.

What is this you may wonder.......

compound leaves on a green twining vine.

See the cluster of buds? Looks like it is in the pea family, Fabaceae.

Look at this color...this is what confuses me. If this is what I think it is, this bloom should be purple/lavender.....not reddish burgundy.

The pollinators seem to like it.

I think....IF it had purple flowers it would be a native Wisteria...Wisteria frutescens. Any ideas???

The ID is in!!! Freda Cameron figured it out. This beauty is a Groundnut, Apios american. Truly a remarkable plant. First ID was made with this link.

A weed with a pretty white bloom, one of the Polygonum family. Hope it stays out of my yard.

And finally a little gross factor....lots of small insect gall on this leaf.

I have been away from your blogs for the last little bit, hoping to get back into reading and commenting tonight and tomorrow.

It's That Time of Year

2011-08-09T14:57:00.000-04:00

Guess who bloomed? This is the bloom of the Cranefly Orchid that was mentioned in the post way back in January. The leaves of the Tipularia discolor disappear in the late spring early summer time frame. I marked where I found the leaves with a few limbs/sticks. I wanted to be sure to remember where it was so I could find it again this summer. I checked and checked over the early part of the summer and saw nothing. I was sure either I missed it or the plant died.

Well, after a brief (and I do mean brief) rainfall this weekend I ventured over to see if there was anything happening. Lo and behold, a single stem had risen from the ground. Hooray!!

This slender stem was difficult to photograph. I have noticed some bloggers have a solid/plain background for their photos. Well, I needed something to allow me to focus on the stem of blooms and not the woods in the background. The top photo is a piece of white paper I grabbed from the desk. The photo below is my kneeling pad.....full of holes and pinestraw and dirt. I will experiment with some other background items to see which will best profile my bloom. I went back today to see about taking more photos and this heat has taken its toll on the stem. Lucky I saw it when I did.

While looking around the woods along the driveway I found another Chimaphila maculata, looking quite fresh and healthy. The clump by the Cranefly Orchid is a bit crispy.

The mystery plant from my April posting seems to be a Goldenrod. We have various varieties of Solidago that grow wild in South Carolina. I will post again when the buds open.

This is the view of the little sprouts from that April posting.....see how large they have grown? If we get some rain we may have the buds open sooner. Everything is so dry.

Centrosema virginianum 'Climbing Butterfly-pea' remember it from my post last November? It is starting to bloom now. These vines are all over the woods. In the sea of green and brown this little lavender bloom really stands out.

Also in that November post was the Euonymus americanus, its seed pod is still green right now. I look forward to seeing the red seed pod burst open.

Our hummingbird feeder has been busy with more hummingbirds than earlier in the summer. I need to change the water again. The bugs keep getting into the feeder.....and the anole like to guard it!

I am King of the Feeders!

Hellloooo?

Finally -- it is the time of year that my Epiphyllum oxypetalum is finally blooming. Last year's move to SC took a toll on this plant. I am glad to see three buds....two ready to open

I kept an eye on it through the evening and two blooms slowly opened.

The photo above was taken with a night setting on the camera. I like the look, the flash comes a hair before the shutter. The photo below is taken without the night setting and no flash, just porch light.

I have to hold my breath because the shutter is so slow in the dark, it get blurry with even the slightest move.

Since this is the time for the epi's bloom, it is also time to offer a cutting of said beauty. I will take some cuttings in the fall. Let me know if you are interested by sending me an email at thequeenofseafordatgmaildotcom. It will take a few years for the cutting to be mature enough to bloom, but once it does......you will be in love!

Newton the Bunny Hunter and Blooms

2011-08-05T21:46:00.000-04:00

Every evening I take a walk with the dogs. After the walk, which is short as one of the dogs is 17 1/2, we stop at the top of the driveway where I let the dogs off the leash. Newton, who has been looking at and for bunnies the entire walk, is ready to see if he can find any in the tall grasses across the street.

Yes, we use flea and tick applications on the dogs....wouldn't you in this grass? Who knows what is in that grass besides rabbits?

Every night Newton hops and hops through the grasses, looks like he is having the best time. Sometimes I completely lose him in the grasses.....then a head pops up. So now you see my great hunter....funny pup.

I have been watching my newest Amaryllis 'Papilio' (a recent purchase from Park Seed during Festival of Flowers)...seemed like all of a sudden it put up a flower stalk. This morning when I went into the front room and look what greeted me! What a great bloom. This is one that does not need a dormant period, so I will be curious to see how often it blooms.

This stalk has two flowers open today....maybe more later?

Also a fun new bloom in my garden is Peacock Orchid or Gladiolus callianthus. I have never had this one in my garden before and wondered just when it was going to get around to blooming. Apparently late summer is when this beauty opens. I am happy to have it in the garden....it is right next to where that possum was a few night ago.

Another 'new to me' plant is an evergreen shrub in the center of the sunny area of the backyard garden-- variegated Cleyera Ternstroemia gymnanthera 'Variegata'. I love the new growth is the pink with creamy margins and how it changes to light green/yellow with a darker green. It can get about 8 feet tall and about 6 feet wide. It will have the space it needs to be all it can be. I look forward to it being part of the bones of the sunny garden area.

A little rain this afternoon brought the temps down a bit....was a bit more pleasant to walk around the gardens.

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Dinner and A Possum?

2011-08-04T22:15:00.000-04:00

We have been having such bird activity this past week. The other day I had a female Summer Tanager on the railing of the deck. Of course when I got the camera she had flown into the trees.

While looking for her I saw the male nearby. I am happy to see these songbirds in the garden.

Wait, this isn't dinner or a possum! Time for that Food Setting on the camera again!

Dinner was amazing! When the kids are here we enjoy lots of good eating. Charlie has a smoker in addition to a grill. We had mega meats....lots for dinner tonight, the next night and the next night, half frozen for later on in the fall....once the coals are hot, might as well take advantage and smoke a lot.

Beef brisket

Pulled pork....oh man.

We make our own BBQ sauce for the pork... 1/2 cup yellow mustard, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 3 TBS brown sugar, 1/2 tsp paprika, 1/2 tsp Worchestershite sauce, 1/2 white pepper, 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper, 1/4 tsp black pepper. Put in a jar and shake... done.

Smoked brisket and smoked pork shoulder and/or boston butt is out of this world!! To accompany the grand smoked meat we had Beer Bread (easiest recipe ever-- 3 cups self rising flour, 3/4 cup sugar, and a bottle of beer. Pour into greased loaf pan. Mix and bake at 350 for about an hour, remove and brush with melted butter) I like using hearty beer for this recipe-- a Black and Tan or a Bock beer, lots of flavor.

If you have barbeque you also need to have coleslaw----we don't do the mayo based one, ours is vinegar and oil. Shred cabbage and carrot, chop onion and green pepper. Mix 1 cup cider vinegar, 3/4 cup oil, 3/4 cup sugar, 1 tsp celery seed, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp dry mustard -- bring to a boil and pour over cabbage.

It isn't summer without some melon..... we have been buying yellow and red watermelons from our local farmer's market...very tasty. I don't seed the melon....you are on your own.

Come and have a seat....

Dessert? Well, yes, my little baker is home and we have been eating some yummy desserts.

Lemon bars.... five lemons worth.

Wait, did I mention a possum? Why yes I did. As we were letting the dogs out at bedtime I thought Newton, the bunny hunter, had found a bunny. Well, not exactly-- think a juvenile possum made its way into my garden .....my hope is that it doesn't return.

And speaking of gardens....
Prince Charles my newest Clematis, is blooming. It is in our family garden.

And, the Phlox 'Robert Poore' that Racquel gave me is finally blooming. I love it! What a great color in the garden. thanks Racquel!

With hope we will have a break in the weather and will have more blooms to share!

My Camera Has a Food Setting--- Who Knew?

2011-07-27T21:11:00.000-04:00

Summer dinners are so wonderful, tonight's is probably top of the list. We had veggies from the Uptown Greenwood Farmer's Market, Parisi Farms. A gift from one of my world travelers was a nice Italian olive oil that begged for some dipping bread was on the menu.

Dinner was ready as soon as the bread was done. I found a great dipping bread recipe online. I have a large variety of herbs on the deck, so we were set!

Becca made some Ratatouille with the fresh veggies and more herbs. Included in the dish was zucchini, yellow squash, white eggplant, thin purple eggplant, a red pepper that is in the banana pepper family, onion and garlic...and of course tomatoes! Recipe from Smitten Kitchen-- super blog!

Isn't it pretty?

The Ratatouille was served on Couscous with a dollop of goat cheese on top.....oh man!!!

An additional side dish was Braised Celery with Parmesan Cheese.....hadn't had it in ages!

Chicken breasts lightly marinated in Italian dressing.

Doesn't this plate just glow????

Some very nice olive oil from Sorrento Italy.

And some bread to dip it in!

Dinner's ready, come and sit!

Hope you all are enjoying the bounty of summer's harvest. Me? I am binding my time until it is time for the homemade chocolate chip cookies.... :-D

©Copyright 2011 Janet. All rights reserved. Content created by Janet for The Queen of Seaford. words and photos by Janet,The Queen of Seaford.

Poison Ivy with A Twist

2011-07-25T21:45:00.001-04:00

This spring I had posted some fun plants I had found in my wooded area, mentioning I would not go into the little ravine to retrieve them because of the poison ivy. It was suggested I do a posting about poison ivy, Toxicodendron radicans.

Leaves of three, let it be....

We have a good deal of poison ivy in our woods. The little saying above makes it clear...three leaves. The leaves are irregularly toothed. The leaves can be very small or very large. Next to the poison ivy is Virginia Creeper, Parthenocissus quinquefolia, a five leafed vine. When Virginia Creeper is small, sometimes only three leaves are present....easy to confuse the two.

The leaves are glossy on top and lighter color on the underside. It is a woody stemmed vine. When it climbs up a tree the vine stem has hairy roots all along the stem-- easy to identify. It can take the shape of a shrub or climb a tree or be a ground cover. It is a tricky plant.
The photo below was taken by a former neighbor from Seaford. She found a great specimen in flower. You can see the woody stem and the shiny leaves.

I am including a number of photos of poison ivy because the leaves are so irregularly toothed, one might think it is a different plant. This follow photo, while a bit fuzzy, shows how large the leaves can be. Next to it are the leaves of a Sweetgum, Liquidambar styraciflua.

Notice how little the toothed ridges are on the one below.

In many of the pictures you can see a bit of red. In the fall the poison ivy turns brilliantly red. It is quite pretty.

Poison ivy is of concern to those of us in the gardening world because it contains the toxic oil called urushiol. For many of us it causes blistering rashes. The oil can remain for a long time on the skin as well as our clothes and shoes! Urushiol can be found in other plants in the Cashew family, Anacardiaceae, of which poison ivy is a member. I am sure you know of a few others....poison sumac and poison oak. Listed below are a few great web links for all three. Poison oak is very similar in appearance to poison ivy, but it has a velvety pubescence on the stems.

Duke photos for ID of poison sumac

Duke photos for ID of poison ivy

Duke photos for ID of poison oak

These three plants are not the only toxic urushiol laden plants. Cotinus, smoke trees are included in the family. Cashews of course and pistachios are also in this family. Roasting the nuts makes the nuts edible, no problem.

But, here is the twist.....Mangoes are also in this family. The urushiol is in the peel and into the flesh about 5mm deep. How did I come across this information??

Check out these lips..... they look like they are collagen filled movie star lips, until you see all the water blisters.

This is as wide as she could smile........

We did a Google search for allergies...thinking she might be allergic to a new lip balm or to her own saliva. Finally the search led us to this posting...
Food that destroyed my face--- where the blogger said she had eaten a mango. What??!!? Yes, darling daughter had eaten a couple mangoes in the last few days-- the last one she ate over the sink, eating it out of the peel. BINGO! Then we found this website--Food for Thought more information about mangoes. Who knew? And yes, she is severely allergic to poison ivy.
Well, a trip to the urgent care clinic to get some prednisone and more antihistamines made for a great start to her visit to South Carolina!
So, as you go out into the garden be on the lookout for poison ivy. And when you are in the market, keep your eyes open for those scary mangoes!