The weather here in Blount County, Alabama, remains wildly changeable--hot and windy to cold and wet in oddly rapid succession . Today, Friday, is one of those cold and rainy ones. It's a good thing I took a few photos yesterday because now just about everything is closed up and droopy. What I have for …
Finally the rain and clouds have cleared away from Blount County Alabama, but the cold and wind remain. Breezy and 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 C) as I write. But there is sun and that makes it all much better. The patches of daffodils beginning to bloom throughout the garden and wooded area help considerably as …
After December freezes, the weather in Alabama has warmed up to more seasonable temperatures, but rains--actually severe storms--continue to plague the State. And so do rollercoaster temperatures. This past week, though, allowed some time to begin putting sections of the garden back in order. Although, I'm being very cautious . No pruning or removing of …
1. Leading up to this Saturday, climate chaos was the primary thing going on here in Blount County, Alabama. The high temperatures during November have ranged from the 80s to the 40s F. There have been very dry periods and very wet ones; on Tuesday evening 7 inches of rain fell in the area as …
Last week I noted that there is little flowering in the garden right now. And such is still the case. I also noted that while the leaves are changing, they are struggling to take on vibrant autumn colors. And such is still the case. Nonetheless, I was able to pull together six photos of leaves …
There is just not much blooming here at the lake. October is traditionally a dry--maybe the driest--month in Alabama, but this year is exceptional. The last measurable rain was 13 October. Before that we go back to 5 September, for less than half an inch, with 1.54 inches the day before. Autumn colors are more …
My six for this Saturday really date from 2 September and a visit to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden in South Africa, which advertises itself as "the most beautiful garden in Africa," and it might well be. One of its signature plants is the Mandela Gold bird of paradise (Strelitiza reginae), as foreshadowed in the featured …
It is rather difficult writing about what has been going on in the garden these days because I have not been in the garden these days, or in fact, for most of the summer. Rather, I have been in a Star Wars storm trooper-like orthopedic boot. Consequently, things have gone on essentially un-manicured, unmanaged, and …
Last week's post focused on trees and was very green. I promised some color for the next post. A promise fulfilled below. 1. Throughout the garden Althea, also called Rose of Sharon or Rose Mallow in the UK, provides white and purple hibiscus flowers in a range of shades. Hibiscus syriacus is a non-native originating …
I love trees. I really do. In fact, I this spring I completed a six-week workshop on the identification of trees held by the Alabama Cooperative Extension System. In the last two decades, though, a tornado and various straight line winds took down three large oaks and four very tall pines, punching through the lake …
After Eden 