Yes Tulip Poplar, Liriodendron tulipifera this is the flowers our honey bees make most of their honey with. Normally one can not see the buds or the flowers because they are high up in the trees. Our ponds edge has poplar saplings with buds so we can watch them develop.
Tulip Poplar bud, I knew they were starting budding this morning because the porch had lots of those leaves at the bottom of the buds on it. My guess is another one to two weeks before the bees get to enjoy them.
I saw my first blackberry bloom today, they can be a great food source for bees as well. The recent rains has helped the white clover bloom profusely along the roads around here as well. Of course the bees were very busy today.
Today Meg and I worked on the garden. Yesterday we went to Big Bloomers and bought a lot of new plants! A lot of them got planted today. My favorite is the 'Elizabeth' Ginger saw it at Duke Gardens and had to get it. Planted Moon Flower Vines and Cardinal Climbers to cover one end of the screened porch. We bought 4 kinds of ornamental sweet potatoes too, entirely new to the garden. Since we thought these would go great in pots, back to Ollie's to get some of those earthenware they are selling for cheap. We picked out 6 big pots for $75. The big blue ones I bought last time were gone..
Meg was again in a panic about mice in the house. For weeks she has had 3 doors open to the outside all day. So either the mice wander in or Valentine (on top of our cloths line) brings them in alive and lets them go. Anyway Meg found a mouse in our pantry, it hid in a box of home made pickles. I carried the box out of the house, she got Valentine. She held her over the box and she got scratched, Valentines does not like to be told what to do. The mouse jumped out of the box, Valentine assumed a play chase and shortly after waltz away with it in her mouth.
Dr Ruppel a full two weeks ahead of schedule.
6 comments:
Dr Ruppel is beautiful.
We get mice in the lower level every so often. My daughter is coming home this summer with her kitty, so maybe kitty will have something to play with.
Have a neighbor who has a nice big Tulip poplar, have been watching it for some blooms. Our crossvines are blooming now.. do the bees like it? Know the hummers do!
Where is Ollie's? Sounds like a good source for pots. I planted my moonflower seeds before I left, hoping for the best.
Hope your bees make lots of honey!
Love your "cat and mouse" story.
You are waaay ahead of us. My hellebore just bloomed.
That clematis is lovely.
Everything is ahead of schedule here Randy. I enjoy imagining your tulip tree filled with busy bees. Gorgeous photos of your clematis. I have a cat/mouse story a bit like yours but I fear to reveal that impish part of myself. It had to do with a toaster. It was a split second decision and I even startled myself but the cat was happy for the pop mouse that flew up into her mouth. I quickly showed them both the door. I so love moonflower and your having such a long growing season get to enjoy them oh so much more.
Love, love, love Big Bloomers. I still have some treasures in the garden from my last visit 10 years ago.
What a nice capture of the bloomers in your garden! When Spring is upon us, it is a nice idea to walk around and check out the plants that are thriving. Even for a lawn maintenance Phoenix service provider like us, we take pleasure when Spring is around!
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