If you’ve been reading here awhile, you know my master gardener group has been installing a garden at Hallstrom House. After two months away, I’ve resumed my Tuesday commitment there and Holy Cow!!! The grounds have erupted with color and beauty:
Wendy and I are responsible for maintaing the meandering path. After weeks of hand pulling weeds, we’re FINALLY laying landscape cloth and covering it with three different mulches raked together. The end result adds depth and texture, and is very pleasing to the eye. 😯 In the pic below, I’ve just dropped some clumps of red before exploring the changes during my time away.
The anemic tree I’d been unable to identify is now highly recognizable:
….and the bare white lattice adjacent to the house is covered with Star Jasmine:
Goodness me, how did I miss this next identification? Hand to God, I thought a cluster of huge, big-leaf tropical plants near the parking grass was some type of monstrous banana!! Here’s what looked back when I peeked inside the cluster!!
The pale blue petals and pure white sepals of a Giant Bird of Paradise, aka Strelitzia Nicolai! What a spectacular plant!
Toward the back of the wild garden, an infestation of asparagus fern hides an old and weathered trellis:
I’m unsure of the identiy of the red-petioled vine across the front..The hot pinkish flowers remind me of coral vine, but the leaves seem too grape-like. Here’s a closer look:
If anyone can identify it, let me know!
On a more personal note, my son Jack is here visiting for Mother’s Day! 🙂 I may not post again ’til after he leaves, so…..
Until next time!
🙂 🙂
14 thoughts on “After two months away…..”
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small house/BIG GARDEN 
Ah, there’s nothing more interesting and fun then to wander around a garden you’ve worked on and been away from for a while, observing growth and discovering plants. Looks like fun. From the photo I’d agree that last photo looks like coral vine ( Antigonon leptopus?), although I couldn’t see the leaf very well as there were a number of different plant species in the photo. Is it the big leaf with the reddish stem? Happy mother’s day!
yes, I was referring to the big crepey vine with the red stems. I tend to agree with you on A. leptoptus.
Thanks for the well wishes and for stopping in!
It must feel really good to go back, happy Mothers Day!
Oh it does! I really missed digging and hanging with my friend Wendy!
And Happy Mother’s Day to you, Gilly! Do you have any fun plans? We’re going to our much posted about Disney Vero all you can eat brunch. (why mess with success? we LOVE that place!) Jack’s never been there before and with his football player appetite I bet Disney looses money feeding us! 🙂
Beautiful gardens! They are lucky to have you there. Happy Mother’s Day to you, have fun with your son!
Hi Cindy!
Thank you! Jack hasn’t been here since Christmas ’11, so we’ve been having such a fun time. 🙂 He dug out a nice new garden section for me, so that’s REALLY fab, too!
I hope you have a wonderful day, too!
Happy mothers’ day!
Bird of paradise – very aptly named.
Looks wonderful. I have only seen the bright orange Bird of Paradise, had no idea there was a white variety at all!!
Happy Mother’s Day! And the garden is looking fabulous. 🙂
Thank you, JM. We had such a fun day!
What a fun project. I’m trying to create a little woodland garden in part of our yard, and I want to make a little winding path back to a bench. I thought about using the landscape cloth, but haven’t been willing to face the work involved in that yet. For now I’ve just hand-dumped chippings from limbs and what-not in our yard.
I recognized the Bird of Paradise from the picture. I saw several at the Alamo when we visited. We don’t have those here in the midwest, I don’t think. What part of the country are you in?
hello!
I’m in South Florida, so they grow like weeds here. I think the Midwest would be tough for them. you’d have to grow them in containers and then treat them like houseplants during the colder months. It can be done, but it’s a quite a bit of work.
What a lovely garden you work on! The path is awesome using the different colors of mulch! Neat touch! Those white Bird of Paradise are spectacular, aren’t they??? My neighbor has one next to his garage and I am envious (but enjoy his too)! Hope you enjoyed you sons visit!