Happy Birthday....to me! A new water feature for the garden!

Will....the 'man with the plan'.....



 Sam and I have talked about and planned a water feature for our garden for years ...but, it seemed such a BIG project....we would say 'next year'.

Along comes our son-in-law...Will...the man with the plan....he is gifted in seeing the big picture and getting it accomplished.

He and our daughter, Kara, planned to install a water feature as a surprise birthday gift for me.  They showed up at our house on Wednesday before Thanksgiving with all the components for the project....except for the rocks...which they 'gleaned' from our property.

One of the major obstacles was removed when they asked if the wooden swing could be moved back under the trees ...yes, it seemed so simple...moving that swing a few feet back gave just the space and great placement for the pool and waterfall.

They started early on Friday and quickly gathered rocks and shoveled out the hole ....with the help of assorted grandchildren.

By sunset, the whole project was completed and looked as if it had been there for a long time.  Can't wait to plant some 'greenery' around it in the spring.  Turns out....I like surprises....maybe I'll start having 2 birthdays per year....

 Ethan and Luke....two tired workmen....taking a little break...they helped to gather the rocks from the woods and by the lake...and sort them into piles according to size....both hard workers!

 Anna, taking a break from all the hard work....she helped with the rocks and enjoyed helping move the dirt....really loved running her hands through the loose dirt in the wheelbarrow!

 Hayden, practicing digging holes, with the shovel his size.....he likes to dig holes....everywhere!

 One of Hayden's contributions was to entertain the kitty, Treasure, who felt the whole thing (in fact..he thinks EVERYTHING is about him) was just being done for him!  Hayden kept him out of the way of rocks and tools.

 Christopher ....posing with the water running...just as the sun was setting....

Will and Kara posing with the finished project....it is going to be so lovely in the spring with some plants around the top.

Where did all the summer go? Early fall wildflowers...

Suddenly, it seems, the summer is almost done...all the daylilies...except a very few reblooms...are past and I am collecting the seed pods from this year's hybridizing efforts.

  On a walk by our lake, I did find two beautiful late summer/early fall wildflowers.  The Cardinal flower was in a colony near the water on our house side of the lake...just down from my kitchen window.  The Yellow Fringed Orchid was found, for the second year, blooming at the end of the earthen dam, near the spillway.

CARDINAL FLOWER

Lobelia cardinalis L.

Cardinal flower

Campanulaceae (Bellflower Family)

Synonyms: Lobelia cardinalis ssp. graminea, Lobelia splendens

USDA Symbol: LOCA2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

This 1-6 ft. perennial has showy, red flowers in 8 in., terminal spikes. Each flower has three spreading lower petals and two upper petals, all united into a tube at the base. Erect leafy stems, often in clusters, with racemes of flowers resembling flaming red spires. The lower portion of the erect stem is lined with lance-shaped leaves.



Although relatively common, overpicking this handsome wildflower has resulted in its scarcity in some areas. Since most insects find it difficult to navigate the long tubular flowers, Cardinal Flower depends on hummingbirds, which feed on the nectar, for pollination. Its common name alludes to the bright red robes worn by Roman Catholic cardinals. In southern Arizona, Sierra Madre Lobelia (L. laxiflora) is also found; its corolla is red with yellow lobes or all yellow.

YELLOW FRINGED ORCHID

Platanthera ciliaris (L.) Lindl

Orange plume, Orange-fringed orchid, Yellow fringed orchid

Orchidaceae (Orchid Family)

USDA Symbol: PLCI2

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

Terminating a leafy stem is a large, many-flowered cluster of deep orange to bright yellow flowers with drooping, deeply fringed lip petals.



This is a very showy orchid of meadows and open woods. A more southern species, Orange Fringed Orchid (P. cristata), has a flower 3/8 (9 mm) wide and a spur 1/2 (1.3 cm) long, shorter than the fringed lip. Yellow Fringeless Orchid (P. integra), found in southern New Jersey and eastern North Carolina south to Florida and Texas and north to Tennessee, has orange-yellow flowers with a fringeless lip. Yellow Fringed Orchid and White Fringed Orchid frequently hybridize when growing together; similarly, Yellow Fringed crosses with Orange Fringed Orchid.

Upsize mine, please!

Pictured directly below is one of my 'pet' seedlings. The cross is (Symphony of Praise x Grace From Above). Both it's parents are pictured below it. This has been an exceptional flower from its very first bloom....I've never seen a bad bloom. It's form, color, substance, size are all consistent. Last year, in it's 2nd year of bloom, I took it up, divided it, and relocated it in a select bed for more observation. It has performed very well so far....with the exception that it may be a bit shorter than before I divided it. I'm sure it will grow back to its original height.

The last 2 photos at the bottom show it's offspring...one using it as a pod parent....the other as the pollen parent. I'm very pleased with this plant all around.

(SYMPHONY OF PRAISE X GRACE FROM ABOVE)

10" 32"

3rd year seedling - great form - exceptional substance

This is a daylily that has truly inherited the best qualities of both its parents!

very fertile both ways

GRACE FROM ABOVE (Carpenter, J 2002) 6" 26"

SYMPHONY OF PRAISE (Bell, T 2003) 7" 27"

((ED BROWN x HEAVENLY CROWN) X (SYMPHONY OF PRAISE X GRACE FROM ABOVE))

1st year bloom 2011

8.75" opens well and early

very good substance

((SYMPHONY OF PRAISE X GRACE FROM ABOVE) X SAN DIEGO)

1st year bloom 2011

7.50" bloom, good form, very good substance

Showers of blessing today!

We've had an all day rain....wonderful, slow, soaking rain....I took a few photos before it had gotten heavy enough to melt the blooms...but, didn't attempt any daylily crosses today.

These two siblings are from the same seed pod of a cross between a seedling I've had for several years... #SL05-05 ...(a combination of Berry Patch x Jerry Nettles) with Green Revolution pollen grown on it. SL05-05 is a smaller flower...about 4.5" ...perfect form with a wire edge and saturated purple color. Green Revolution is taller and larger flowered. I think these seedlings are both a good mix of both parents.

It was nice to catch them both blooming on the same day for comparison.

(SL05-05 x Green Revolution #2)

(SL05-05 x Green Revolution #1)

Interesting relatives.....

Ed Brown x Butter Cream

This seedling above is the common parent of both of the seedlings, pictured below, which bloomed today in the garden. I found them both interesting....and yes, I crossed them onto each other.....I like their size, shape and colors. Hoping to get some good offspring from crossing them together....it was a good day for setting seeds....mild, lower humidity and breezy.

((Ed Brown x Butter Cream) X (Berry Patch x Shores of Time))

.....the edge of this one became whiter as the day went on.....



((Ed Brown x Butter Cream) x Tahoe)
.....this one is very round and ruffled....

Large flower blooms today - 7" - 10"

These daylilies have 2 traits in common....they are all from crosses we have made in our garden and they range in bloom size from 7" to 10".

( (Lemon Berry Frost x Mardi Gras Ball) X (Lemon Berry Frost x Julie Newmar))

((Lemon Berry Frost x Julie Newmar) X (Fencing Master x My Soul Surrendered))

Volcanic Eruption x Strung Out

((Hudson Valley x Freewheelin) x (Lemon Berry Frost x Julie Newmar))

Summer Thunder x Bird Talk

My Soul Surrendered x Sunny Intervals

Deliberate Pace x Sister of Praise

((Hudson Valley x Freewheelin) x (Blue Eyed Curls x Speedo))

Dandy Dave x My Soul Surrendered

Diana's Pink Gown x Tahoe

Some of today's beauties from the 'already selected' bed...

These were some of our seedlings that demanded to be photographed as I passed by their beds this morning....all these have been previously selected...so their 'position' is assured...they will not be 'eliminated' or 'voted off'...so they have the confidence to be so assertive as to demand their likenesses be preserved.

On The Web x Freewheelin

Magic of Oz x Skinwalker

Blue Eyed Curls x Speedo

and its sibling below

Blue Eyed Curls x Speedo

Today's attention grabbers....

Berry Patch x Soul on Fire

((Berry Patch x Jerry Nettles) x Green Revolution)

Women Seeking Men x Desire of Nations

Berry Patch x Sister of Praise

Sensory overload......tis the season!

Every day now more seedlings are blooming....with a wide variety of shape and hue...here is a sampling of some recent new ones.

Volcanic Eruption x Freewheelin

Volcanic Eruption x Strung Out

Magic of Oz seedling (other parent unknown)

Light of the World x Red Vortex

Bella Sera x Wonder of it All

(Lemon Berry Frost x Julie Newmar)

X

(Fencing Master x My Soul Surrendered)

Destined to See x Julie Newmar

Clouds of Glory x Leslie Renee

((Walking With Bill x Steve Trimmer) X
(Lemon Berry Frost x Clarification))

Leader of the Pack x Legacy of Life

Dandy Dave X Kingdom Without End

((Berry Patch x Shores of Time)
X
(Temporary and Eternal x Wonder of it All))

Summer Thunder x Dizzy Miss Lizzy