Experimentals

Our garden tour continues with a stomping cute birdbath or maybe it's for squirrels.  Either way, I wish it was mine. 

And yes, I definitely think I need to plant a snowball bush now.  Thank you for sharing your thoughts and information about it.  I've been doing a little more research and was surprised to learn that it's a distant cousin of the hydrangea.  Which would explain a lot of things, in my mind anyway, like size and shape similarities.  I've always been fascinated by how you can enrich the soil and change hydrangea blossoms from pink to blue.  Our soil is on the acid side, so I see a lot of blue ones around our area.  Last year, I planted a hydrangea start as an experiment.  So far, it's not going that well.  It faces west and gets too much late sun, to the point where it faints--and I have to revive it with a cool drink of water, and hold it's leafy hand and encourage it to hang on. Oh, the drama!  I plan to move it to another location.  Right now, it looks rather pitiful surrounded by chicken wire, sometimes draped with a wet sheet, which is even more ridiculous looking.  Maybe when its all grown up it will thank me one day with a few glorious blooms.

There are 3 kinds of flower varieties at my house: annuals, perennials, and experimentals.  When something survives around here, I feel like throwing a party.  It's not easy.  Weather aside, we have deer.

Even the lupine, which the deer have never bothered, have become a target.  I just happened to catch these spires standing tall and graceful in our backyard this morning.  Then looked over and saw a bunch on the other side of the path that were eaten down to the ground. 

Oh the sorrow and utter horror of it all.  It hurts, it hurts! 

Especially because these flowers are friends to endangered butterflies.  Like our Fender's Blue Butterfly, particularly.  Although it prefers the Kincaid's lupine for laying eggs.  I actually spotted it twice (for the first time), in the last week now.  It made me so happy to see it! 

So, I'm thinking I need to mix up some deer repellant, some of the "magic concoction". 

And quick too!!  I think I hear rustling in the trees.

Comments

[Betty @ She's Sew Pretty]

Those lupine are absolutely beautiful. I've only seen blue lupine. I love the pink. My hydrangeas are pink. Pink hydrangeas and blue lupine. Totally opposite of yours. hmmmm

[Debbies-English-Treasures]

Ohhh, I so wish I had a Garden like yours!...
You seem to know quite a lot about gardning...
And the RESULTS are sooo beautiful!
Keep up with the good work!
Kisses Debbie
xxx

[Tracy]

Ooooohhhh--so much loveliness! Those pink lupines are fabulous. Such great ideas you have for your garden. Half the fun is dreaming things up. The house where I grew up my father had planted two snowball bushes--they were so beautiful. The flower head make fun cut flowers. We have a blue hydrangea. It's very spindly because the firt year we moved in I clipped in back in the fall, not knowing they do not like to be pruned. It's starting to come around again, so maybe I didn't kill it after all--LOL! LOVE that squirrel birdbath! Happy Days! :o)

[Angela]

LOL -- I shouldn't laugh at your trials with the deer, but you write about it so well I can't help it. Thanks for the pick-me up, and good luck with your quest to protect those lovely ladies. ***shhh - be vewwy, vewwy quiet -- I think I hear the deer!***

[Kim Sherrod]

I am feeling ever so much better after having a trip through your garden! I have been doing vast quantities of Vitamin C and B12 and think I am on the mend- in fact in another day I may be myself again(!) Hahahha! Oh, yes! Anyway- the apron is on her way to you and I can't wait for you to get it- I am so sorry it took me so long- I will take some more pictures of your lovely quilt and they will be at Flickr and my Blog- first I need to finish some chores- everything just goes to hellinahandbasket around here when I am sick. I am using that as a theme for my next art apron I think...can't ya see the flames around the hem...(teehee) yes, I am feeling better...

[Anina]

I love lupines. That birdbath is too cute! Yes, protect the poor little flowers (and the butterflies) from those critters.

[sara, the wine makers wife]

We have purple lupin in California, and I treasure it. A sure sign of Spring when ever it crops up. I have never seen pink lupin before!

[Mrs.Staggs]

I love lupine, but unforturnately, the dratted snails love it too! I have to work really hard to have it in my garden. Your's is beautiful!
That's one of the prettiest bird/squirrel baths I've ever seen!

[Colleen]

I love snowball trees (yes i call them trees!) I dont know of you've seen em before there white or not, but the are the most beautiful shade of pale green, i love them!

[Colleen]

I love snowball trees (yes i call them trees!) I dont know of you've seen em before there white or not, but the are the most beautiful shade of pale green, i love them!

[Firstmonsoon]

You've got such a beautiful garden!

And the photographs just keep getting better :D

Must be wonderful (aside from all the hard work!) to live in a place like that.

[Happy Zombie]

All your lovely photos... I feel like I'm visiting Buechart Garden's from the comfort of my monitor!

What a BEAUTIFUL garden!!!

[Darcy]

Your garden is so absolutely gorgeous! I've been enjoying all of the pictures. I had to comment on the lupine pictures though. They are so stunning! A favorite flower of mine and in pink! Perfect! :)

[Jill Pettis]

I have the same birdbath! But with the original bowl. You guys must have married two birdbaths together. I love the squirrels climbing up mine and what great idea to put the statues up top!