Recent Entries to this Blog Annuals to Grow Again
Posted: 07 Aug 2007
Meet Copper, the Beagle Pup
Posted: 07 Aug 2007
Bursting with Butterflies!
Posted: 16 Jul 2007
Hypertufa Garden Art--Mouth of Truth
Posted: 10 Jul 2007
Frit's Emergence, Monarch Pupas, and a Crazy Garden Man
Posted: 09 Jul 2007

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hummingbird3172's Blog

My Crazy Creative Chaotic Garden, a work in progress!


Frit's Emergence, Monarch Pupas, and a Crazy Garden Man

Category: Morning Hodgepodge | Posted: Mon Jul 09, 2007 3:40 pm

Well, this morning I came down to discover that my Gulf Fritillary Pupa, Frit, had finally emerged from his (her) chrysalis.


The wings were still a bit damp, so I carefully removed the butterfly and placed it on my Empire Blue butterfly bush.



About an hour later he flew away. I just love the vibrancy of a brand new butterfly. The wings are just so rich looking.

Last night was a busy night full of changes! The remaining 3 monarchs have pupated next to their sibling. I guess they thought it was a great spot. The 1st one to pupate is the more blueish green color. It should be a busy time when they all emerge!


I was so inspired by Bethie's hypertufa faces that I decided to try and make one. I kept trying to make a very handsome lady...with kind of a Greek or Roman look, but instead I got this crazy looking Garden Man. The freaky thing is that he looks slightly familiar...a bit like my grandfather, and a bit like dh's grandfather, both have passed away. My husband can't even look at it without cracking up. I've planted some variegated lirope in his head and then little pieces of this "weed" that keeps popping up, but I like it's blue flowers.



I am looking forward to making more!

I decided to buy a different plant for my new garden bed. I was planning on a night blooming jasmine Cestrum nocturnum but ended up getting a tibouchina. I love the fuzzy leaves and the large purple flowers. I am trying to incorporate more tropicals into my landscape since they are readily available and should thrive in this climate. I saw lots of these at Islands of Adventure (Universal Studios) and wondered what they were. Now I have my own. The leaves are nice, like tropical lambs ears.

Here is the tibouchina:



The trellis behind is where my Ruby Glow passionflower will go...I think the bright fuschia and deep purple will look nice near this tibouchina.

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A Little of this...a little of that....

Category: Morning Hodgepodge | Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:32 pm



I think this is one of the prettiest flowering vines! I love Mandevilla! The flowers are quite long lasting too! We bought two of these vines to put in the planters by our pool and this pink is so striking beside the blue of the pool water. It has also been so obliging about climbing the trellis. I've added some white moonflowers and the vine is starting to intermingle with the mandevilla...I think the white flowers will look so pretty with the pink.



Our little moonflower vines continue their climb up the fence. We have 7 planted and all are near 2 ft high. I can even see some tiny flower buds starting to show. One of my passionflower cuttings has rooted nicely enough to go into this area too....so that means some day this fence will be covered with : moonflowers, cobaea scandens (cathedral bells), passionflower, chocolate vine, coral vine, and trumpet vine....it is a long fence so this is possible. I am hoping ot always have something blooming with this plan.



These are the plumeria cuttings I got from my Grandma's house. She has a red plumeria so I got a cutting for my mother-in-law, who has a cutting of white...I thought she might like to have the red. I am partial to the white, which my Grandma didn't have....BUT her 90 year old neighbor does....so do you know what my 85 year old Grandma did? She went right over and pilfered a cutting for me. She says my Grandpa planted that plant anyway and that the neighbor wouldn't even notice. I think there is something about stealing plants that really appeals to my Grandma.


I need start out right now by saying that my first hypertuffa experience did NOT go well. I am not sure exactly what went wrong but the mix did not cling together well. It didn't help that I wanted to make a bowl shaped planter using my huge exercise ball...not good. I got desperate and dug a hole and tried to use that as a mold but I am not optimistic.

On the upside, one of my bowling balls is ready grout, and the other just needs a very small amount of gems and it will be ready. I will do both at once--hopefully it will go BETTER than the hypertufa. I haven't given up, because I know I'll get it right, I just hate to make a big mess with nothing to show for it.



I think I've decided what to do for my "pergola hanging baskets". I am going to use sweet potato vine coming out through the bottom (because it will be free), because of the pretty shades of pink and green, and impatients in the top (because they like shade and are available), because the come in so many pretty colors. My hanging baskets out front aren't too shabby, but kind of a crazy mishmash of plants:



I didn't even realize the calladiums were there!



I redid my windchimes...it seems I forgot to create a "sail" to help catch the wind. I noticed they were awfully quiet. I rubber stamped them with silver leaves to give them a pit more zip. I am very glad that I did...MUCH better!



I was actually pleased to see this cicada. He (she?) was just shedding it's shell. I remember collecting those empty shells off of trees when I was a little kid. It has been a long time since I've seen any so this guy was a nice little bit of nostalgia. He was such a good sport about having his picture taken too!



These baby grackles were visiting the cat (bird) food bowl. The birds wait every morning for cat to finish and then swoop in. They get kind of impatient, it gets to be like a scene from "The Birds" and the cat starts feeling a little too much like Tippi Hendren.


Now, I need to contemplate a better hypertufa plan of action,so if anyone has any advice please feel free to share!

Last edited: Wed Jun 06, 2007 6:36 pm

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A Morning Stroll.....

Category: Morning Hodgepodge | Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 6:38 pm



One of my favorite things to do each morning is to visit my little plants to see how they've changed overnight. I've planted a lot of my garden from seeds so this is quite exciting for me.

This is Anise Hyssop....from seed, it is the only seedling I got from my packet of seeds. I have a hard time being patient with perennials from seed and this little booger has taken quite awhile!



Here is my Bravado Echinacea....these are growing a bit faster...supposedly they flower within 4 months!



I planted lots of Grandpa Ott Morning Glories in my garden. I planted some near this big boxwood bush...I want them to use it as a trellis...I am happy to see that THIS little MG gets the picture:



I have several planted around this bush and a Giant Moonflower...they are making great progress weaving through the branches.

It is always especially gratifying to see a plant's first bloom...this is a Sundown Echinacea...I can already see the deep orange beginning to show:



Here are some pretty flowers that were just begging to be photographed:

A Star Jasmine


Nora Barlowe Columbine


My Gardenia Tree (this is the first bloom I've gotten)


and my other echinacea, it continues to open and look more beautiful each day:



This is a new plant (to me) called Angelonia, it's like a dainty snapdragon...I love it:



I decided to take my windchimes down and gussy them up just a bit. I rubber stamped them with silver leaves...I am testing the ink to make sure it will hold up, but I really love the look.

AND I found the large gems for finishing my crystal bowling ball....I should be ready to grout in the next day or so!

Have a great day!


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Good Morning!

Category: Morning Hodgepodge | Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 3:09 pm



I saw lots of these little Heavenly Blue MG's this morning. I didn't plant any this year, but they are growing better than any I personally planted. Lots of perky little volunteers from last year, but they are COVERED in buds! They are kind of just climbing over whatever, but you know what? Who am I to want to get rid of pretty flowers? So they will stay in their chaotic twining happiness.



Here is how my butterfly garden is growing in. I think maybe I should have mulched but I wanted a very natural look so I like a bit of grass stay and plan to remove it if it gets too pushy. The red shrimp plant is more evident in this picture....oh please hummingbirds come visit ME!!!



This was my first time with snapdragons and I have to say that I am really liking them. They have such vibrant velvety looking flowers and they are getting so full. I guess what really attracted me was the colors...I got two that are deep red and one that is this lovely coppery orange....hmmmm....might need to get some more of that one for the violet/orange bed.

On that note my sundown echinaceas arrived yesterday, these were an ebay purchase, and I am THRILLED. They look great and even have buds--they are better than plants I've purchased from a major company. I have bids on some purple echinacea, and white (for yet another bed), but I am about out on the white...bummer. This is what the sundown are supposed to look like:



AND, they are supposed to be fragrant!

This morning while watering I was taking pictures and I got the inspiration to make a little movie of one of my cocky male brown anoles. He was doing a little dance for me. I put it on youtube.com . It is pretty lame I guess, but I enjoyed it. My kids got a big kick out of it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XNFpQX5xnQM


When I was clearing my area for the butterfly garden I found that the hens and chicks that my grandma gave me are still alive! I don't do very well with this type of thing, and they haven't grown much. I put them in a container and they do seem happier. I'd like to make a big hypertufa bowl and fill it with these guys!



I am hoping maybe SOMEDAY they will fill in the back of this cat planter. Then my cat will have it's hair raised...haha. My kids keep bugging me about when it will have chicks...I DON'T KNOW! I am just thrilled that they are living and not brown! They don't typically do well where I live.

Well caterpillar #2 DID shed his skin as well. I am thinking they are on their 3rd or 4th instar. I looked it up and that was the closest from what I could see. I have never seen one this big out on the vine so I don't know what happens to them. I think something (Maybe Mr. Lizard) eats them when they are still small.

I am working on making a "gem" encrusted bowling ball for my yard, but the trick seems to be finding the right glue. Everything I've tried seems to want to slide right off....grrrrr. I am using a large, clear iridescent glass and I think they will look quite mystical out in the yard.

I am also planning to start making some hypertufa stuff. I have been wanting to for YEARS, but the messiness of the project seems to always hold me off. I want to make a big half sphere planter (exercise ball big), something like this:





and also a few garden grots. I want to put the grots in dark places to add a bit of mystery.


I've decided I want to have an "enchanted garden". I know I want it to be very fairy friendly, and my trees will have faces. I want it to be very subtle so it looks natural--not cartoony. I saw some hypertufa mushrooms and I think I'd like some of them as well.



I love the natural stone look, ecpecially if it has moss growing on it. I also like a look of a forgotten garden (kind of Secret Garden like). This fall we are expanding out fence to enclose more of our property so that will give us a lot of room to really create. We want to build some kind of play equipment for the kids. Hopefully something that complements the yard as well as provides the kids with fun.

Well, now I have to get to work...I actually make glass beads, it started as a hobby, but now it is work...but I do enjoy it!

~as requested by Eileen, here is a link to my online gallery:
http://www.beadartists.org/Gal1897_Anna_Duhame_s_Gallery.asp

Have a fabulous day!!!


Last edited: Fri May 25, 2007 7:58 pm

This blog entry has been viewed 9886 times




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