No snow here. . . . . .

. . . . . other than the falling petals of the 

Chinese Snowball bush.

So here's a little more info in case you have one, or are considering adding

 one to your garden. I have written about it before, however each year people

continue to request more info when they see the mass of blooms open in our

 back garden. 

Here in the USA this plant does best in zone 3-8 (we are in 7). 

Neither, snow - the real kind - ice, flooding, drought, high heat, and often

 very high summer humidity, have posed any problems.

It does sit in dappled sunshine which is apparently a good place to 

encourage growth and bloom.

If you live elsewhere you may need to check if you are in a good zone in

 your country for it to thrive.  

Took these photos this morning. Quite a chill in the air after a cold night, 

however the sun is bright and no wind disturbs the leaves in the tall oak

and hickory trees surrounding us.

I purchased this plant at the end of summer 2000. It was an 8 inch pot perched

 on a rickety sale table at a local DIY store. It looked like a dead stick but there

was a pretty tag on it - aren't they all - showing a beautiful shrub covered 

with hydrangea-looking white balls - so I bought it for a few dollars.

TLC, time, patience and good luck seem to have paid off.

I'm thinking my snowball bush has now just about reached its max growth

 measurements, 8-10 feet tall by 8-10 feet wide. After hours of heavy 

rain on Monday the branches, heavy with blooms, drooped almost to the

 ground and I've added pruning to the garden 'to do' list after the flowers

 are finished. 

Meanwhile, I'm snipping some the lower boughs and really enjoying 

them in the house, mixed in with some white azaleas.

Later today I plan a little garden work - I'm limited with my back issue

 so just a little at a time - and today it will be planting the amaryllis bulbs

 back into the garden where they'll spend the summer months again. 

Some years they have bloomed outdoors, a wonderful sight, other years

 only green leaves. Whatever they enjoy doing during their summer,

 vacation they still bloom in the house again in late winter when I've

 shown them off to you. . . . . . probably boring you silly with so many

 "amaryllis photos!"

Here I'm sharing more detailed info from the professionals.

How can anyone not want one of these great plants in their garden.

An amazingly 'SHOWY' addition to any landscape; the Viburnum Macrocephalum, more commonly known as the 'Chinese Snowball Bush', is beautiful and easy-to-grow. The flowers emerge a striking lime-green in late spring and gradually turn to snowy-white in mid-May; they retain their green color for several weeks before turning to cream and then to white. 

At full maturity, the 'Flower-Balls' resemble brilliant white pom-pom's, reaching up to 8' wide. The 'Chinese Snowball Bush' will bloom in mid-spring for weeks on end.

The Viburnum Macrocephalum is a sterile plant (producing no fruit) so all of its energy goes into blooming and . . . Does it ever!!! A relative of the honeysuckle, the 8' flowering clusters are made up of an abundance of delicate 1' flowers. The clusters resemble the blooms of the Hydrangea plant. 

Best of all, this particular variety will provide a longer & more profuse BLOOMING SEASON than any other plant in its family. The foliage of the 'Chinese Snowball' is a brilliant dark green with 2'-4' leaves that have a 'saw-toothed' edge; they are stunning against the stark white of the flowering clusters.

The 'Chinese Snowball Bush' can be trimmed to any size or shape; it can be sculpted into shrubs, hedges, borders and trees. Cut it back after flowering and prepare for another round of blooming; this incredible plant blooms on both, old and new wood. 

The Viburnum Macrocephalum is an extremely hardy variety that is resistant to bacterial leaf spot and powdery mildew, unlike its' relatives. If you are looking for an incredible 'point-of-interest' for your landscape, you have found it in the 'Chinese Snowball Bush'.

• Insect & Disease Resistant
• Showy Clusters of 'Flower Balls' (up to 8' wide)
• Repeat Bloomer
• Carefree
• Provides Bountiful Cut Flowers
• Deer Resistant
• Non-Invasive Root System
• Heat & Drought Tolerant
• Attracts Butterflies

How can one go wrong with this plant!

Happy gardening everyone.

Garden scare!

 

Yesterday I had one sunflower in bud - today it's gone!  
Deer passing through last night I guess.

A few days ago I shared the brown lizard on the front porch.

Today there's a green one - or perhaps he just changed clothes!

The yellow four o'clocks can't tell time - they opened at 7 AM today!

They do look pretty with the dill flowers sharing their plant pot.

Sage is all the rage in my cooking with such a pot full outside the door.

Lantana came back from last year - I love surprises. . . . . . . except

ones such as this. . . . . . .

Yikes, this 4-5 foot Black Rat snake scared the heck out of me this morning!

I heard the wrens screeching in the fig tree when picking up the

 morning paper. A couple of days ago I had a feeling there were hatchlings

 in the little wren nest box as a wren flew out when I tapped on it.

Guess I was right.

I went I to get Bob and when we returned half of those 4-5 feet had

 disappeared into the box. . . . . and the two wren parents were having a fit! 

We whacked at the box with a broom handle and the snake came back out

 and dropped to the ground, slithering away very quickly so we couldn't see

 if it had a takeout breakfast with it! 

This is a non-venomous snake thankfully, but can still bite, It is good to

 have in the garden to keep the rodent population in check. . . . . . . but

 they're just so darned big and I admit to being deathly afraid of any

 and all snakes!

As mentioned in my previous posts, the wildlife here is prolific and 

often times somewhat frightening. The bunnies can continue to nibble, but

 snakes please stay far away, preferably in neighbors' gardens.

I admit I have not checked the nest box because I don't want to know

 what happened - this day has not been the best of times!

Sweet Carolina wren - one of my favorite garden birds.