Mystery Tree and Pentas

My mystery plant. I cut it to the ground last year (I couldn't pull it out by the roots). It's back. The leaf shape is very interesting, so after looking online I think I found it. A tulip poplar tree. This would turn into a giant tree that would dwarf my house. This is one of those times that I wished I had more land so I could relocate it. It would be beautiful. I don't have the heart to kill it, but I'm going to try to get it out of the ground and pot it up in a few weeks. If it survives, I'll probably gift it to someone. Stars and Stripes pentas. I purchased this plant on eBay this past Spring. I planned on keeping it in a container, but changed my mind and planted it in the garden once the weather stabilized. It is becoming very lush despite its initial small size. The blooms are beautiful, and the variegation is breathtaking. Love it! I will definitely be potting it back up and overwintering it inside this winter. Too gorgeous and carefree not to keep.

This morning I decided to bag some blossoms. I used bridal tulle circles to cover the blossoms. A bagged blossom. The clothespins are holding the "bags" together and their weight is supported by clipping them over the cages. I will remove the bags once I see tomatoes forming.
Fused tomato stems on my Lucky Cross tomato plant.
Copra and Red Zeppelin onions starting to bulb up.
Reliance Grapes
Blueray Blueberry
Newly expanded front garden. The entire middle portion was grass in the beginning of the season. Now it is filled with marigolds, dwarf sunflowers, lots of carrots, and other assorted annuals as fillers.
Scarlet Oklahoma Red Zinnia
Jacob Kline Monarda
Purple Coneflower

A Case of Spring Fever

I can't plant much outside right now, but that hasn't stopped me from buying some stuff.
.
Stars and Stripes Pentas. A variegated, red pentas. Just trying to tease the tastebuds of the hummingbirds a bit more each year.My new Meyer's Lemon from Gurneys.
I recently visited my in-laws. While sitting outside enjoying the warmer weather, I watched dozens of birds fly in and out of their old Alberta spruce tree. Every year I find myself admiring that tree. Wishing I had one that would make the birds as happy as theirs does. I'm wishing no more! It may not be 30 years old and 8 feet tall, but it's a start. My latest addition from Lowes stands at only 2 1/2 feet tall, but I have high hopes for it.
My new succulent collection also purchased on Sunday from Lowes. These will end up in one of my large strawberry planters when it warms up outside. The soil dried out too quickly for strawberries, but the succulents will be happy there.A welcome sight after a tough winter.

Late Summer Garden

Summer is coming to an end, but there is still a lot of pep left in these plants. There are scarlet runner beans and Scarlet O' Hara morning glories climbing up the trellises. The back includes red, Will Rogers zinnia. The front is a mix of Butterfly pentas, Red Rubin basil, petunias, Lady in Red and Coral Nymph salvia, a Jalapeno M pepper plant, and anaheim chili pepper plants. Moss Curled parsley is hiding behind the peppers on the right. Closer to the birdbath are volunteer marigolds from last years plants.

Eye Candy

'Minnesota Midget' Muskmelon- HEIRLOOM, compact, 3-4' vines, absolutely covered in yellow blossoms, bumblebees, and tiny melons. Annual.

'Brite Eyes' Climbing Rose (RADbrite)- Developed by William Radnor, the same man that bred the famous Knockout roses. Extremely disease resistant, beetles love to devour the foliage early in the season although the leaves do rejuvenate well. This rose is in it's third season (and second location). Intertwined with a Nelly Moser clematis (just purchased last season) and is showing its first bloom forming at the top of the picture. Hardy in zones 5-8.

'Butterfly Mix' Pink Pentas - hybrid, low growing pentas, 1'x1', no disease, pest, or other health issues. Heavy bloomer. Bees of all kinds are attracted to this plant. They were all over this plant when I took this picture. Annual.

'Little Joe' Joe Pye Weed- Eupatorium purpureum- a dwarf; 4' tall by 2 1/2 to 3' wide. Lavender/pink flowers. Attractive to bees and butterflies. I hear that deer do not care for this plant. Hardy in zones 3-8.

Butterfly Garden

Scarlet Runner Beans- On two trellises along with Scarlet O'Hara morning glories that haven't started to bloom yet.

Torch Mexican Sunflower- In the back corner. Unfortunately a drenching storm caused the gutters to overflow and it crushed the main stem. A cleome growing next to it was destroyed as well. Currently Torch is propped up with a cage and is horribly wilted every evening from the sun. I don't think it will recover. It's a shame too. I hear they are butterfly magnets. Plus they had opened up their first bloom the day before the storm. It looks like the Torch has been put out. :(

Will Rogers Zinnia- in front of Torch

Coral Nymph and Lady In Red salvia- front, left near cracked birdbath that I use for a puddling site for butterflies.

Lady In Red and one Yvonne's salvia- mid-right

Assorted petunias, Red Rubin basil, Butterfly mix pentas, Orange lantana mixed throughout the front of the bed.

Red, white, and purple Quartz mix verbenas in the middle of the bed.

4 Anaheim chili peppers and one Jalapeno M plant are in front of 16 moss curled parsley plants to the back, right of the bed.