The Maple Hill Hop 137

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

***
Today we're visiting some of the beauties
gracing our spring garden.

Spring is on its way out,
and summer is almost here.
With the recent rains we've had,
it's difficult to keep up with the trimming!

Pentas are one of the best plants to attract butterflies to the garden.

Zinnias are one flower I can never get enough of.
They come in a variety of colors and sizes,
and always provide tons of interest to the garden.
The bonus is that pollinators love 'em!

These lilies are on their way out,
but not before strutting their stuff for most of the spring.

This recent addition, pinball gomphrena,
greets visitors near the front door.

Sunflowers are the best way to welcome summer!

Mums are starting to open up and greet us with cheery, yellow blossoms.

Thyrallis blooms most of the year,
and would make a great privacy hedge.
We've recently noticed that many birds nest here.

The butterfly vine had been transplanted from the south part of the garden.
It wasn't looking too good for a while,
but with warmer temperatures,
it's coming right along.

The beach sunflower and lemongrass are a dynamic duo.

Citronella has interesting texture and a pungent scent.
It is used to repel mosquitoes.

This porterweed has been blooming nonstop for about 3 months.
It's a favorite stopover for pollinators and birds.

The beautyberry is starting to flower,
and will soon be full of bright, purple berries for the birds to savor.

 The one hibiscus we have planted in the rear of the back bed
frequently treats us to beautiful, crimson blooms.

 The gloriosa lily plants continue to soar to the sky
and reseed themselves at will.
They are always welcome in our garden.

 Isn't it brilliant?

This coreposis is also known as tickseed,
and is a Florida native wildflower.
We enjoy the pop of color.

 Our transplanted Florida maple tree is doing well
after careful watering and a week of generous rainfall.

The rosemary is always a fragrant delight,
but with its delicate blue flowers in bloom, it's a treat for the eyes as well.

A new pigeon pea plant has sprung up, unexpectedly.
We profiled this crop here.

We are inundated with the caterpillars of the
black swallowtail butterflies.
As long as we have enough parsley to keep them fed,
we'll be blessed with a garden full of flitting fliers.

We'll be giving some away,
as we have done for the past few years,
so that others can enjoy these amazing creatures.

 Maybe I need to plant more parsley?!


   

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The Maple Hill Hop 133

Welcome to 

The Maple Hill Hop.

This is a hop for folks who love the outdoors.

Feel free to post about anything that's going on

OUTSIDE

in your neck of the woods,
no matter the season.

(Please share only outdoor posts.)

*Grab the button above to link back to Maple Hill 101.*

sunflower

We haven't had much in the way of April showers,
but we sure do have a load of May flowers to share!
Here are some of the beauties that bless our garden this month.

The lilies are just starting to peek out of the fern bed.

A few Easter lilies are scattered about 
and getting ready to open up.
I guess they don't much pay attention to the calendar.

The passionflower vine blooms year-round,
but we are only now beginning to see the gulf fritillary butterfly
lay its eggs on the leaves and tendrils.

This coral bean plant (recently identified by one of my readers),
is gracing us with a multitude of vibrant red blooms.

The gloriosa lilies are nothing to sneeze at either.
They have reseeded themselves and are popping up all over the west side of the yard.

I'm not sure if this is gallardia or something else.
The stem is tall and spindly and the profusion of blooms
lingers near the top.
The color combination is striking.
(After identification help from a reader,
I reviewed a past post and realized that yes,
it is indeed tickseed!)

I found these on the "dead rack" the other day
at Lowe's and knew that for a dollar each,
they'd bring us a lot of smiles.

I'm excited to say that our agapanthus
looks like it's finally ready to start blooming.
This is one of my all-time favorites in the Florida-friendly garden.
It's so elegant!

Amaryllis are finished for the season
and are dropping seeds to ensure their return.

The porterweed out front seems to be happy where it is.
We get lots of pollinator activity humming around it
and it's a wonderful sight to see out the front window.

Our beach sunflowers haven't stopped blooming since last summer
when they were started by seed.
It just keeps giving.
It is flanked by our beloved lemongrass.

Passionflower vine is being used as a border on the newest butterfly garden.
I ran out of trellises on which to grow it,
so I thought it might do well as a ground cover.
It just needs to be trimmed frequently.
We also have pentas, salvia, zinnias, milkweed,
lantana and marigolds growing here.

Another border was started using variegated liriope.
These send out purple spikes when in flower.
We have more salvia, zinnias and marigolds planted here,
along with cosmos, our agapanthus and the coral bean plant.

A couple of onion plants I just kind of threw into an empty space
are now flowering.
So interesting how food crops continue to provide.

One of the dwarf Fakahatchee grass plants out front.
I just love the way they sway in the breeze
and hold onto the drops of rain like precious crystals.

One of the pines we are keeping in a pot,
so that we can bring it with us when we move.
Marigold seeds were sown a week ago around its base.

shasta daisy

With most of our food crops finished for the season,
it's good to know that we still have a whole summer of flowers
to look forward to.
I hope something wonderful is blooming in your garden right now.

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Plant Profile-Beach Sunflower

There are "mistakes" that sometimes happen and are a catastrophe.
This isn't one of those times.
Thank goodness, this error is completely in my favor.
Love when that happens!

These little beauties have been referred to as "Faye's sunflowers",
as my farmer friend Faye allowed me to take some seed from her plant
and redistribute it in our backyard garden.
I thought it a bit odd that they did not seem to be displaying the same growing habit.
When she came for a visit, she noticed right off that the leaves were entirely different.

The mystery remained until it hit me.
These are actually beach sunflowers
that I stole acquired from a vacant house in the neighborhood.
I wish I had taken a picture of the plants that were enveloping that house.
The entire front walkway (including the sidewalk up to the front door)
were one gorgeous mass of sunflowers. 
It was really something to see.
On one of my morning walks, I decided the former occupants
most likely wouldn't mind sharing a few seeds.
After all, we gardeners are a generous bunch, no?
You can't know how thrilled I was to make the discovery,
as this has been one of the plants on my wish list for a very long time.

 I planted them in June of last year,
and they haven't stopped blooming since.
They spread easily, are drought tolerant and almost care-free.
What a beautiful addition to the garden.

They are so cheery, even in the darkest of days,
when clouds smother the sky and there is no sun to be found.
These glorious works of art continue to shine all day long.
They self-seed readily and attract a variety of pollinators.
It makes a body feel mighty blessed.



The recent cold snap (30's) didn't deter them one bit.
That gives me hope that I will be able to grow them further north.
In fact, according to this website,
they can be grown as an annual in areas that freeze.
Seeds will be saved for just that purpose.
Even if they only grow during the warmer seasons,
they are worth taking the time to save.
As for the seeds I got from Faye,
I think I forgot to plant them.
(These senior moments are becoming more frequent.)




I know it's the dead of winter,
and most folks don't get to have sunflowers now.
But I also realize that many of my gardening buddies are busy 
planning their spring and summer gardens.
Wouldn't these make a lovely border around your veggie beds?
I am happy to share seeds if anyone would like some.
Believe me, we have plenty!
Just email me and we'll get you squared away.
(naturegurl1111@gmail.com)
And until Old Man Winter bids a fond farewell,
enjoy Maple Hill's sunny collection.
We'd love to be a part of your warm weather garden.
Stay toasty, y'all!