Sunday, April 24, 2016

April Morning

We spent many hours yesterday doing spring cleaning throughout the labyrinth area.  Much of my time was spent digging out the zoysia grass that had had invaded the garden beds by putting rhizomes over the plastic edging.  

This ground orchid, Bletilla ochracea 'Chinese Butterfly,' had been living under the Japanese maple until last spring.  While it and several others looked great there, no one ever saw them other than me.  So I moved them under the Katsura tree in the center of the labyrinth, behind the bench.  They seem very happy, especially since they have not been ravaged by the deer.  Hopefully they will flourish and multiply.

The sun is especially intense this morning, maybe trying to make up for not coming out yesterday.  I noticed a nice contrast of color and textures that led to the next shot. In the center is a volunteer lamb's ear.  We have quite a few show up each spring, and next week a dozen or more will be dug up and potted to go to the church Mayfest for sale. 

Can you identify the rest of the plants?  There is Acanthus Spinosus on the left side, and two yellow leaved plants on the right and top.  On the ground with the round, almost circular leaves is Lysimachia nummularia 'Aurea, or Golden Creeping Jenny.  The twiggy stems with the narrow oval shaped leaves is of Caryopteris Incana 'Sunshine Blue.'

 And right in front of the lambs ear there appears to be the top of a weed of unknown name or origin.  I didn't see that when I took the picture, or I would have removed it!