Cat Walk

Our cat Autumn loves the garden as much as we do, though maybe for different reasons. She dreams she is a tiger, slinking through the jungle and stalking her prey. While she stays inside most of the time, we do let her out a few hours each day so she can be a cat.Being a cat.

We no longer put up bird feeders, not wanting to give her or our resident hawks easy targets, nor wanting to encourage our pesky chipmunks to hang around. (We have an over-abundant chipmunk population. In the past they built a condominium underneath one of our bird feeders and then sent out fliers advertising its amenities, including free meals. Now a vast underground chipmunk city stretches beneath our garden.) Both the hawks and Autumn hunt chipmunks, but since she has a home and doesn't depend on her prowess for food, Autumn is likely to catch chipmunks simply for play. I watched her do this one day. She repeatedly captured and released a chipmunk just so she could chase after him. I began to feel sorry for him; but apparently she wasn't actually biting him, and in the end he got away. 

Autumn often accompanies me on my garden strolls. I call these our cat walks. We make frequent stops to gaze into space for prolonged periods. I am mentally assessing the garden, while she has her eyes on some imperceptible movement amidst the plants.Clockwise from upper left:African daisy; An old Easter lily that blooms faithfully every year; Hydrangea 'Lady in Red', named for its red stems, not its blooms; Gardenia, whose wonderful fragrance fills the woodland garden each June.I can see the tension building in Autumn's body as she stares. Then she pounces, hoping to catch a chipmunk; but not all movement is made by chipmunks. The other day a snake did not appreciate her aggression and decided to fight back. Autumn made a hasty retreat and stuck close to me for the rest of our walk. I like snakes and leave them alone, because they like to dine on chipmunks, too. I hope that with all these predators, the chipmunks will abandon the area.

The cat and I pause at the top of the steps leading down into the woodland garden.Pink gumbo azaleas are blooming across from Autumn fern. (I named Autumn after the season, not the plant, because she came to us at that time of year and also because of the autumn colors in her fur.)

Down the steps is Carex 'Everillo'.I adore this plant! It keeps getting better and better and doesn't mind Autumn's occasional nibbles.

Next is Pilea glauca, or Red Stemmed Pilea.I love how the steel blue foliage contrasts with its red stems. This is a tropical plant that will come inside for the winter.

Now we come to the weirdest plant in my garden, Amorphophallus konjac, also called Voodoo plant, Devil's Tongue, and Corpse plant. All of these names are appropriate.The spotted stems feel like human skin. The great leaf opens up like an umbrella and looks a lot like a tomato plant. I have two of these growing in pots in different parts of my garden. They are four years old. It takes about five years till they bloom, so I am looking forward to that experience next year. The blooms are giant maroon things that smell like rotting flesh.

Well! Just below the Voodoo plant is much nicer Eucomis, or Pineapple lily.I recently discovered this plant and was thrilled to learn it is hardy in my area (zone 7b/8a). It is my favorite plant of the month. It is just beginning to open its blooms.

We continue our cat walk into the woodland garden, where dark shadows and light beams play across moss covered paths.This woodland side path leads around the main planting area in the woodland garden.

Bicycle shadow in the woodland gardenThe woodland garden is a quiet place, except for the shrieking hawks who built their nest in a pine tree earlier this year. The hawk babies are out of the nest now, but the fledglings are still hanging around, while their parents teach them how to catch chipmunks. All these hawks are talking to each other. It is a hard language to listen to. I tell Autumn they are fussing at her and she had better stay close. She does.

After we leave the woodland garden, Autumn and I make our way back toward the patio. I pause to examine the Confederate Jasmine growing on the new arch.Look on the left side of the arch, and you can see the recovering jasmine vine.The jasmine was severely damaged by winter freezes this year, and we cut it back nearly to the ground and took the opportunity to replace the old dilapidated arch. I miss the mass of jasmine that covered the old arch, but the vine is putting out lots of new growth. A new jasmine vine on the other side of the arch is also growing quickly, so I think by next year they will meet in the middle atop the arch.  

The cat walk is over, and Autumn and I head into the house. Autumn curls up for a nap. In her dreams she is a mighty tiger on the prowl, and the chipmunks don't stand a chance.

You may also enjoy these previous posts:

Under the Spell of the Voodoo Plant 

A Cat Tale

The Cat is Back

Confederate Jasmine For a Fragrant Layer in the Garden

The June Garden, 2014

Summer has arrived with predictable humidity and temperatures hitting the 90s; but with plentiful rain so far, I can not complain. The June garden is lush with deep green bowers edged with orange, purple, pink, and red summer flowers.

Here is a long view across the arbor by the patio:

A different angle catches the day lilies now in bloom. Planted about 60 years ago, they were here many years before we arrived. The pink flowers belong to Anthony Waterer Spirea:

Here is another view of the day lilies. Behind is a Lady in Red Hydrangea. This plant is the one of the few macrophylla hydrangeas with any blooms this year, following an unusually hard winter.

Anthony Waterer Spirea is one of my favorite shrubs. It is low maintenance, has a beautiful draping form and wonderful summer blooms:

Below are close ups of three hydrangeas currently in bloom:Clockwise from top: Snowflake, Annabelle, and Forever Pink.

Red Cascade Rose always has masses of blooms through the summer:

Here are a few more summer bloomers:Clockwise from top left: 'Tutti Fruitti' butterfly bush with Persian Shield on the lower right, Sedum in front of Day Lily foliage, late blooming Gumbo azalea, Day Lily.

And some pretty foliage and flower combinations for the summer:Clockwise from top left: Persian Shield and Dusty Miller; Leopard Plant, Maidenhair Fern and Variegated Sedge; Anthony Waterer Spirea, Red Knockout Rose and Rosemary; Variegated Hosta, Coleus and Impatiens.

Foliage is a star in my garden in all seasons. These are a few of my favorites:Clockwise from top left: Chamaecyparis pisifera 'Blue Boulevard', Sambucus racemosa 'Lemon Lace', Trident Maple, Hepatica, 'Lady in Red' hydrangea, Cercis canadensis 'Whitewater', Fatshedera, Variegated toad Lily.

Hosta Francis Williams grows in several parts of the garden:

Nothing can beat Tropicana Canna Lily for powerful color through a hot summer:

A tour of the June garden would not be complete without some views of the woodland garden:

Top: Carex 'Everillo' grows in a pot nestled amidst Impatiens. Middle: This variety of Indigofera spreads as a ground cover and has delightful early summer blooms. Bottom: Woodland rabbit; Windchimes in a tree.Nothing like a tour of a summer garden in the Deep South to work up a thirst! Now, how about a cool drink or a slice of watermelon?