Pennisetum alopecuroides 'Hameln'

This is one of my favorite grasses. Often called Dwarf Fountain Grass this variety only grows 2 feet tall and 18-24 inches wide. It grows quickly, its tough, and its showy. I planted these in the front of the house and I love the way they wave at me in the breeze when I drive up.

Hymenocallis 'Tropical Giant'

Thank you Steve for sharing these beautiful summer bulbs with me. I've been so excited watching them bloom. They have beautiful dark green foliage and tropical flowers - it's quite a sight!

House

I've had a lot of fun working on this house the past year. Still many things to do inside and out but I am really enjoying the progress.

House

This is my new project. It may be next spring before I have time to do anything in the yard but I have a blank slate so I'll spend the cool weather planning and brainstorming ideas.

Buddleia davidii - Butterfly Bush

This large arching shrub grows fast and shows off long panicles of fragrant blooms in the summer. This is a tough plant with many colors to choose from and blooms throughout the summer months. I think it looks best planted in mass or mixed into a perennial border. I particularly like the blue-green foliage but the flowers are the main attraction.
Native to China.

Lantana camara - Miss Huff

I've blogged on Miss Huff before - this is such an easy perennial with tons of summer color. It makes a great summer border and attracts all kinds of butterflies. Foliage and stems are coarse to the touch so the deer usually avoid it.

Ipomoea sp. - Morning Glory

I picked up these seeds in spring and I have morning glories climbing all around the backyard in shades or pink, white, & blue. The flowers open in the mornings and are closed by mid-day and they are very tough considering our lack of rain this summer. The heart-shaped foliage is a nice contrast to the jasmine I have them planted with.

Taxodium distichum - Baldcypress

For a mix of texture add the baldcypress into your landscape. It's sets itself apart from the oaks, pines, and maples that are so common with its soft, feathery foliage. Planted in mass gives the best effect and can be planted about anywhere if you have the space. Grows 50-70 feet tall & 20-30 feet wide. Often planted near lakes or ponds but also a great street tree.

Belamcanda chinensis - Blackberry Lily

This perennial can be hard to identify since the foliage is so similar to an iris or gladiolus but when these seed pods are present there's no question this is something different. Soon the pods will open up showing off the black round seeds inside. They are very attractive and look very much like a blackberry.
The seeds can germinate within 2-3 weeks if you provide them with moist, warm conditions or you can always divide the plant in early spring.

Cotinis nitida - June Bug (or June Beetle)

These June bugs are what we used to catch when I was young. We'd tie a string around their leg and then let them fly around while holding onto the string. I'm not recommending this but yes it's what we did!
I came upon a large swarm of what I thought were bees or hornets and they kept clumsily flying into me and bouncing off. Each time I held my breath in anticipation of great pain from the sting until I saw one close enough to tell it was just a beetle.
The females lay their eggs in the soil and the larvae hatch from eggs and feed on decaying plants or manure (dung beetle) before they spend the winter deep in the soil. They pop up in the spring and the adults emerge in June or July - usually after a rain. They will eat your plants but are mostly harmless compared to the japanese beetle.

Platanus occidentalis - Sycamore Tree

I mostly love the sycamore tree. The large foliage is desirable to me when it's on the tree but I must admit I don't like those large leaves when they collect up against my shrub borders in the fall! So with that said, the best thing about a sycamore tree to me is it's bark. Mostly smooth with a light color it flakes & peels and exposes the light creamy inner bark. This mottled appearance between inner and outer bark is what I love the most.

Ginkgo biloba - Ginkgo

This large Chinese tree is mostly known as an herbal supplement but for me it's far better known for it's brilliant fall color, fan shaped leaves and ridged bark.
This slow growing tree comes in male or female forms. The females produce a naked seed that will mature into an orangish color. The seed is covered by a fleshy covering that is messy and smells really bad! So the male trees are far more popular. Be careful purchasing an unnamed variety for this reason.
This is also one of the oldest trees we know of and was probably native to North America at one time.

Lake Clara Meer

Helianthus annuus - Sunflower

These are some annual sunflowers that one of my parents neighbors planted out in a field. We walked by yesterday and once I saw them I knew I had to come back with my camera so I took the photo early this morning.
There are many kinds of sunflower -- and many are perennials here that often grow on the sides of the road. These really large, showy varieties are typically annuals. Sunflowers in the bud stage of growth actually turn and follow the sun from east to west during the day. Once the flower is in full bloom the stem is stiff and the flower usually faces east.
If you want to grow annual sunflowers they are easy to find in seed packets and should be planted at least an inch deep and a couple feet apart in a full sun location. Organic soil with mulch will help them thrive for you.
Annual sunflowers are native to South America.

Jumping Jack Flash & the Snapping Turtle

I was home this past weekend and my dad's dog found this snapping turtle in the front yard and he barked and barked and barked. We left him alone with the turtle for over an hour but the barking never stopped. Twice I saw the turtle snap at him but the puppy was persistant. Finally when my dad had heard enough barking he enticed the dog into the garage and when he came back that turtle was GONE! Maybe turtles are faster than we think?

Perched chick

Chick has already found a small limb on this azalea that she can perch on!