December 3, 2010

Time Travel In My Garden

I didn’t get to do a lot of blogging back in the summer, so please join me as I travel back in time to visit my garden.

Euphorbia marginata, or Snow-On-The-Mountain, was looking pretty in August. They are showy plants that brighten up any area of the garden. Euphorbia marginata is native to the Midwest and regarded as a pest in some areas because of its tendency to spread.

Blooming starts in mid-summer and lasts two to three months. Each female flower becomes a pod containing one seed which “pops” open and flings the seed several feet. I’ve had these plants for a few years now and only have two or three plants come back each spring, so being invasive has not been a problem for me.

Warning: All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. Handling the plant can cause skin irritation or an allergic reaction, especially when touching the white milky sap substance. Be careful to keep it away from your eyes. I’ve not experienced any problem with it and only recently became aware of the warning.

Every spring I plant one pot of Dragon Wing Begonias and then when August arrives, I'm left to wonder why I didn't plant a dozen containers because they are so pretty, bloom continuously and tolerate heat and drought.

The Black-Eyed Susan's make me happier than almost any other flower I grow. Cheerful is the best word to describe them.

This picture of P & C was taken in August, just a few days before school started. They were talking about Justin Bieber while enjoying an end of the summer Popsicle. Those are sad-looking New Guinea Impatiens in the pots. As the temperatures cooled in September, they picked up speed and put on a colorful show.


24 comments:

  1. Beautiful!!!!Hugs and have a nice weekend, Flavia

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  2. That patch of black-eyed Susan's is smile catching ...

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  3. Love the type of euphorbia you have growing. I have seen them at my High Hand Nursery but never bought them. I think I will next spring. I wonder if those awesome begonia's can angle sunlight? I have lot's of heat and drought but tons of sun.

    The kids look so cute having a great summer time tradition!

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  4. Brrr, the very thought of popsicles on a day like today!
    Lovely to see a brief glimpse of summer.

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  5. Those black eyed susans are lovely!!! The euphorbia is so pretty! Too bad they have to see so darn poisenous and have that horrid sap! I believe I read about this and a few other plants that POP the seeds out everywhere, in that Wicked Plants book I read.. How interesting!!!

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  6. P.S. Phillip sure has a nice full head of hair...I am extremely jealous!!! :)

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  7. I have had Snow-on-the Mountain in my garden for many years. The first plants came along with a plant my grandmother gave me from her garden. To me it's a treasure of memories. I haven't found it too invasive either. It is such a bright and showy plant and ends up in different places in the garden each year. I usually pull some out if they're in the way. I have never had any reaction to the milky sap.

    I hope you have more "travel back in time" stories from your summer garden. It's such fun to look at pretty plants as the days turn dreary and brown.

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  8. Nice walk down memory lane. Phillip is getting so big and now it's almost Christmas. Time has been winging by lately.

    Have a lovely week-end.

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  9. Every summer I admire black eyed susans (why "Susan" I wonder??)and next spring I am determined to get some. But any plant with euphorbia in its name can't be all bad? So what do you do, sit and watch the seed pods behave like popcorn kernals??

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  10. What a beautiful spread of Black-Eyed Susans! Snow-on-the-Mountain is a plant I've been meaning to grow for years. It's so striking. Woodland Phlox and Ruellia caroliniana are seed flingers too. All throughout summer and fall I hear the seed pods pop.

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  11. I am happy you got to blog a bit about summer's fleeting beauty. I love your Rudbeckia, it seems to flourish under your care. And I did not know that snow on the mountain was poisonous. I used to grow that in NE and never had any idea.

    I like the popsicle picture. Priceless!

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  12. Black-eyed Susans are my favorite too! I just love them!!! Did you plant them from seed?

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  13. Wonderful pictures to enjoy on a cold, snowy day. I can't help but smile when looking at the black-eyed susans.

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  14. Very nice flower collection. I do like snow on the mountain and black eyed susans. Winter is definitely a better time for bloggin compared to busy summers. I like to sit in my east chair, reading a book and watching the snow fly and the birds outside. We had about a foot yesterday here in Bluff Country.

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  15. With half a foot of snow on the ground here, I'm very happy to do some time traveling with you, Donna:) I agree Susans have to be the cheeriest flowers of the summer. They have spread rampantly through one of my flowerbeds so I had lots of smiling faces this summer. Loved the photo of your grandkids--popsicles were the perfect treat for those hot days of August. Hmmm, I'm dreading the upcoming cold temps this week, but it doesn't seem so long ago I was complaining about the never-ending heat:)

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  16. Always delighted to see your beautiful garden. It's really especially welcome on a gray rainy Sunday afternoon (here in Oregon).
    We've had a few sunny but cold days -- my daughter and I managed a walk yesterday, but for the most part it's been wet and gray lately.

    So bring on the summer color anytime!!! (I'm glad you made some time to take the pictures.)

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  17. Lovely post, Donna! I love all your plants. The Euphorbia is beautiful but I can't remember if I have seen that plant here. I love your Begonia and Black Eyed Susan too. I am growing 2 kinds of Begonia in pot but I am not sure what type of Begonia they are.
    Nice to see Phillip and his friend, C enjoying popsicle. David likes Justin Bieber too. We downloaded a few songs of him for his MP3.

    Hugs.

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  18. The pic of P & C could not be cuter, Donna ... would make a great card :) Your photos warm my bones on this brisk December day :)

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  19. Love to see your garden as it was during the summer and visit it while we have wintertimes...just fun.
    And how Philip did grow amazing.
    Hugs Dagmar
    ps thanks for your constant wonderful words on my blog my friend. I always look out for them.
    smiles.

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  20. I see your grandson has even emulated Justin Bieber's hairstyle, how cute!

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  21. Hi Donna

    How are you today? Your garden is beautiful! Lovely!
    How is your grandchild?

    I'm OK! Just very busy!
    I have a build my new job. Look to the webside please:
    http://www.gabriellaszabev.com
    And you can read a new post from Paris my another blog:
    http://www.gabriellaszabevphotos.blogspot.com

    My former classmate live in Wisconsic and I know from the big snow and cold.

    Happy Christmas

    Gabriella

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  22. I feel the same about those Black eyed Susan's I going to be sure to add them next year because they make me smile.

    I see Philip and my nieces have something in common..They are big Justin Bieber fans too".

    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and family!

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  23. I enjoyed your summer blooms. I had some snow on the mountain plants on the north side of the house when we lived at a different place from where we do now. I don't remember how much it spread. I've noticed, too, that some plants that can be invasive are not as much here, but have found some that are.

    I didn't realize snow on the mountain was a euphorbia. I can tell now, from the photos. I've been noticing euphorbias more lately, and like them. I have a reddish leaved one that I hope comes back next year.

    I love begonias, too. Do you bring yours inside in the winter? Some begonias will overwinter for me, and others don't do so well.

    I tend to have small clumps of plants. I've been thinking I want to move some things around so I can have larger clumps, like your black eyed Susans. They look awesome!

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  24. Dear Donna,
    Hopefully you will check your blog and see this comment .


    ...You won the drawing for the mini-calender. Just let me know your address.... I have a contact tab on my blog with my e-mail and you can contact me that way. Congrats!

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