OK..Mom Enough is Enough

              Mr Mother loved her cats!!  She had a small cat named Burky that she found the day my father went into a Nursing Home. The cat was very young and mom bottle fed it. It became my mothers companion for the rest of both of their lives.

But flash back, while my mom still lived in Brown County at Stoner's Lonesome, she faithfully feed an army of stray cats. It was very important to mom..They all had names from Stray Ray to Stoner...etc.

Before my mother would leave the house and move to assisted living, she had Janet(my older sister) and myself crawl under the house and get Stray Ray's kittens.  We each took two. One of mine was a paulydextrial cat.(a extra toe on each paw) and a duplicate of Stray Ray ...who I named Stoner.

They were feral cats so it took me many months of having them locked in a room and sitting with them to get them to come to me. They are tame, but still really skidish of anyone but myself.

So to make a long cat story short....I have them in the upstairs of my house, my son brought me a recuse kitty that claims the first floor of my house..Millie.  Chaos happens if the three ever meet up!!

But the story does not stop there. We had a momma cat in the barn two years ago and she had three babies. I began to feed them and now they have progressed from barn cats to gazebo cats.

As the story continues, when you feed stray cats the word goes out... So I am trying to trap, neuter, spay, and give away.

I hope my mom has found a good place for cat ladies in heaven, because I am not far behind her....

Blackberry Lilly Plant

It is not a Blackberry or a Lily, but it is  Belamcanda chinensis,  Blackberry Lily Plant. It is actually a member of the Iris family and has recently been renamed  “Iris domestica’ 

This plant is very easy to grow and with its small star shaped bright orange blossom, adds good summer color. Each petal host some spots, which give it the nick name of leopard flower or leopard lily. What is very cool about this flower is that each blossom only last one day, then each night they begin the process of folding and twisting in upon itself to form the blackberry looking seed head.  Have no fear the plant produces many flowers during the growing season so it remains a pop of color through out late summer. 

The leaves are similar to iris and can reach from 1 to 3 ft tall.  They do best in full sun and require very little additional care. 

They are a great pass along plant, as they can easily be divided. The plant has a bulb for its base, but also can be shared by harvesting and planting the seeds. 

This plant is fun, unique and pretty!  What more could you want in your perennial border. 

A Wonderful "Pass Along Plant"

 The 'Think About it Thursday Plant' is a great old fashion "Pass Along Plant". One of the plants you  will not be able to find it in nurseries or the big box stores.  You have to find someone special to pass it on to you.... That is how I received it.  It was from a wonderful lady who I have lost contact with but helped me with  my kids when I really needed the help and love.  Thanks  Michelle...

Hardy Begonia ' Begonia grandis'   spreads to form a large mound of beautiful foliage and very sweet pink blooms.

This quite beauty likes the shade, and a moist environment. It thrives wonderfully behind my herb house in partial shade along with ferns. I have tried to move it with no luck....

Michelle told me it was invasive but I have not had that luxury, in fact I worry about it year to year. It seems to be happy with the first place I planted it but no place else.  

I will baby it because it is a very unique wonderful shade pass along. 

Yes...It is Turtlehead ......

Yes, the 'What is it Wednesday' Plant is Turtlehead or  Chelone.  This plant is a win/win. It gets its name from the shape of its unusual flowers, which look like the head of a snapper turtle. Here is why you need it in your garden.

#1  It is blooming now.  When so much is dying back for the year.

#2  It thrives in part sun, actually mine grows in more shade than sun.

#3  Very reliable perennial that spreads but is not invasive.

#4   Grows from 1 to 8 feet....and spreads into a great clump.

Try it I think you will like it!!!

Answer...sorry for the delay.

The answer is.......  but first. I am so sorry for the delay. This has been a traumatic couple days. Our beloved Dixie succumbed to her Cushing Disease and left us to go to Doggie Heaven.  We are very sad for a beloved dog found in a ditch, thirteen years ago

in Cadiz KY.  RIP Dixie our "Pretty Pretty ", we will miss you so much. You are amazing!!

Cool Website for Butterfly and Moth ID

Check this cool sight out.....

Butterflies and Moths of North America..collecting and sharing data about Lepidoptera.

www.buterfliesandmoths.org

You have to set up a free account, but then you can submit a picture and answer few questions and they will supply you with an identification and some wonderful information.

They use your picture and info to track the butterflies and moths.  Very Cool.

My Garden has been alive with activity .....I love it!!

Butterflies and Basil

So the what is it Wednesday picture incorporates two of my favorite things: Butterflies and Basil.

I asked everyone to name both the butterfly and the variety of basil.   Well here it is:

The basil is a new variety. This is my second year to grow it and I love it. It is Ocimum x citriodorum 

'Pesto Perpetuo'

This little basil gem is a charmer in the garden. It does not flower or produce seed, so no worries of constantly cutting off the seed heads.  It has grown in a columnar upright fashion, that is bushy and can get up to 2' to 4' tall. 

The leaves are ornamental, with their outlines in white and vary in shades of green from a lime color to a darker green. 

They are beautiful in arrangements, but also quite tasty with a mild lemon flavor. 

Add this on to your list for next summer.

And the butterfly is a Eastern Black Swallowtail or also known as American Swallowtail, parsnip swallowtail, parsley  swallowtail, or celeryworm. 

I have an abundance of them in my yard.  One article said they could even be a pest. NO WAY ...not in my garden!

Enjoy