Good Riddance Cancer Tree, Hello Kitty!

We cut down a malignant tree in the front garden this week. It was only a foot tall when my husband bought it for me years ago. It was labeled Viburnum Augustifolium, but I am not convinced that is what it was. Its evergreen leaves were quite attractive and some of them had pretty fall colors, but this was its only redeeming quality.

Its white springtime flowers were insignificant and did not produce berries. It grew large, over twenty feet tall, and that was OK with me. But its cancerous growth pattern was not. It spread from vigorous underground suckers, invading nearby paths and taking over a daffodil bed. Recently Lou and I examined the thicket of stems spreading out from its base and decided the massive plant had to go.

The viburnum had a strong presence in that part of the garden, and its removal left a large gap.

Opportunity! Now I have a sunny place for some deciduous hollies, which lack sufficient sun to produce their famous berries in their current woodland location. I will also move some coral berry bushes from another part of the front garden, for the same reason. A Japanese maple and a weeping blue cedar purchased during the bargain days of summer have been patiently waiting for a home, and they too will be welcomed to this area. 

I am never afraid to change things in my yard. If I had to live with all my mistakes, I would have a miserable excuse for a garden! But the lesson learned is to know what one is planting and what its future growth is likely to be.

I will post photos of the new planting area when it is completed. Meanwhile, here are a few photos I took in the garden this week. I'm not sure who is enjoying the fabulous weather more, me or the creatures who inhabit the space.Clockwise from top left: Fritillary on zinnia, oxalis growing through artemesia, moon vine, another zinnia in the wildflower area.
Buckeye butterfly

Gulf Fritillary butterfly

Long Tail Skipper

Close-ups of two leaves growing simultaneously on my Red Banana Plant

I'm not the only one drawn to the Red Banana plant! There are many anole lizards in my garden.

Finally, does this kitten belong to anyone out there? She has adopted us. We haven't had a pet since our last dog passed away last year. She is very friendly and likes to chase squirrels. If we don't find her owner, I think she will stay. Lou has never liked cats, but she won him over by following him around and helping him work on the house the other day. She put on sophisticated airs for this photo, but she is quite playful.All of my animals have had garden or flower names. Any suggestions?

The Bee and Me

Lou and I were sitting at our patio table recently, enjoying our lunch, when we both noticed a particular bee. He buzzed past my shoulder and headed toward the herb bed, where he hovered a moment, then zoomed back the way he came, passing me on his way to the opposite side of the patio where it joins the front garden.

I took a bite from my sandwich. Zoom. There he was again, back to the herb bed to hover a moment, zoom, past my shoulder once more, over to the front garden side, zoom, zoom, zoom, back and forth, past my shoulder, over and over again.

Here is the front garden beside the patio:

And here is a view toward the herb bed from the opposite end of the patio:I planned the birdhouse in the herb bed to be decorative, but chickadees have moved in!

What was the bee doing? He wasn't aggressive toward me and was not a bit interested in my sandwich. After researching bee behavior I decided he was patrolling, hoping a young queen would pick up his scent marker and mate with him. My shoulder was in his flight path.

Insects seem to be enjoying my garden as much, or more, than I do! Roses and other flowers attract the pollinators:Above, top: Knockout rose. Bottom: 'Penelope' rose.1st row; Rosa 'Zephirine Drouhin'; Variegated weigela. 2nd row: Dianthus 'Baths Pink' and Phlox divaricata; Columbine hybrid. 3rd row: Purple salvia; Azalea.

It's a fun time of the year to watch all sorts of creatures who make their home in my garden. Besides bees and other flying insects there are plenty of squirrels:

There are also lots of birds, including the Eastern Towhee. One usually sees these birds scratching around on the ground, but I found this one singing in a tree:

Bluebirds have laid eggs in this house:

I peeked, and it looks like there are at least six eggs in there. The birds look busy now, but wait till all those eggs hatch! Mr. Bluebird keeps a watch out from nearby trees and even this power line, which is near his house:

I don't like the ugly telephone pole, which is leaning somewhat to the side and is topped with a mess of machinery, lines, and cables. It is right in the middle of my garden and is an awful eyesore. When I take photos in the area, I work hard to keep it out of the pictures, because in my gardener's eye it doesn't exist. 

But what would I do without it? Technology imposes upon the natural world, but that technology gives the common man a standard of living and comforts unknown by kings of the past. The answer is responsible management, and whatever our politics or level of activism, this must start with the individual. We can destroy, or we can protect. Do I use a nuke-em approach to insects, grabbing the spray that promises to eliminate all of them? Or do I create a habitat that nourishes and protects wildlife? I do make a difference when I use earth-friendly products, when I recycle, when I use compost and natural fertilizers, when I make a hundred other small choices on a daily basis.

The bluebird sits on the power line and guards his home. The bee keeps to his patrol and flies around a big human who sits in the way. Nature adapts, but man has the unique ability to create and improve, to make changes that benefit all the inhabitants of the earth. It is a choice and a privilege.

To read what others are doing to help the environment, see comments at Jan Thanks For Today Gardeners Sustainable Living Project. There are lots of terrific suggestions!