Thursday, April 22, 2010

pictures from around the place

I took this picture this morning right after I milked Bonnie.  Sir Loin is ten months old, and as big as his mom.  The only reason we haven't weaned him is that Bonnie would be the only cow on the place without him; I'd rather she have some sort of bovine companion.  Cliff's brother is going to bring some calves here to wean, like he did last summer.  At that time, we'll haul Sir to the butcher shop down the road and I will dry Bonnie up so she can put all her energy into the calf (I hope there's a calf... I'm gun-shy after our experience with Secret) growing inside her.  
My friend Joanna is flying in tomorrow; she lives in Centreville, five minutes from Dulles airport.  She and I met years ago in the old AOL chat room where I met so many wonderful people.  I had hoped some of my pretty flowers would be blooming for her visit; unfortunately, the tulips are fading fast, and the last daffodils have lost their petals.  


There's a bloom trying to break out on this iris, but it won't make it in time for Joanna's visit.  The peonies aren't doing anything, and there isn't so much as a bud on the rosebushes and the tall phlox.  The lilac bush is trying hard, but it won't bloom for at least another week.  


When I moved back here behind the barn, I went into a frenzy of flower-planting.  Most all the things I planted have lived through the winter and are starting to grow.  Unfortunately, I don't recall what some of them are.  


This, for instance.  


And this.  
I'm pretty sure I bought both of these at Home Depot when they were closing out their nursery stock.  Or maybe it was Walmart.   Anybody have a clue what either of these are?  I remember my readers identifying Blazing Star for me last year... a plant which really doesn't impress me, by the way.  


The Crepe Myrtle tree I planted was killed by our harsh winter.  I got it on closeout, so I didn't pay a lot for it.  I've since learned that local nurseries won't guarantee Crepe Myrtle trees (or bushes, whatever they are) because it really isn't hardy enough for the zone.  


Cliff pulled the dead tree up by its roots and stuck two traffic cones in the hole; I'm really wanting a Crimson King maple tree to put there; but they are so expensive, I just haven't been able to talk myself into buying one.  

12 comments:

  1. Sir Loin is as big as his mom for sure. It is amazing how fast they grow. I hope you get that tree to plant in place of the cone. Have a great visit with your friend and I hope your Thursday is a great one!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Your cows remind me of my recent trip to an Amish dairy farm. I LOVED seeing so many cows close up; and the huge mules. (Doesn't take much to excite me.) :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Lindie11:11 AM

    My lilac has been blooming for a week now and I live here in Belton. Am surprised yours isn't.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Lindie, my lilac is a dwarf lilac; perhaps that's why it's later blooming. Also, I notice Rena's iris' are way ahead of mine, and some of the ones back here I came from over there at her place. My daffodils bloomed much later than most around here. I have no clue why.

    ReplyDelete
  5. I think the first plant is an astilbe. The second one looks familiar but is not coming to mind.

    I have three or four different kinds of lilacs and they bloom at different times. Also for some reason they didn't bloom much at all last year. I've heard others in this area complain about the same thing - must have been the weather.

    Your transplanted bulbs may take a while to establish themselves before they bloom on schedule.

    Okay, enough gardening. I still have weeks to go here in Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Nope, MM, not astilbe. I have some of them, and they're in the same area, but they look nothing alike. It surprises me that you can garden at all in Alaska.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous3:13 PM

    The lower one, that says "and this" is coral bells, I can't think of the Latin name, but you can google it and see. Karen

    ReplyDelete
  8. Thank you very much, Karen. I remember planting coral bells, so I'm sure you're right.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Ha! We have beautiful gardens here; even a garden tour every summer of homes and the botanical garden is not far from me. Fuchsias, dahlias, columbine love this climate. Peonies also do well for others. I can't grow one even though my dad claimed they're impossible to kill.
    Climate-wise we're mostly a 4, but there are warmer pockets even in one's own yard where you can grow plants suited to 5 or 6. I do treat some perennials as annuals just because I like container gardening. Oh gosh, here I've gone off on a tangent again.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous1:52 PM

    Hey Donna, I was plant shopping today and saw a plant that looked like the other plant. Could it be a viburnum? Karen (I love to garden and plant things in my yard too!)

    ReplyDelete
  11. I wish you beautiful weather for your weekend with Joanna. :) It's always nice to spend time with friends especially since it's not like you can stop by each others homes when ever you feel like it. Have a great time :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mo, I think that first plant looks like peonies or it could be astilbe. The second plant is surely coral bells. I have a bunch of both these varieties and they are very hardy to our area. If you wind up getting small pink or white flowers on long stems on the second one, it's definitely coral bells. Hope this helps. Oh, and have you noticed I finally figured out how to make a "google account" so I could comment? lol

    ReplyDelete

I love comments!