Saturday, August 21, 2010

My Garden In The Wall Street Journal, August Zone 4 Flowers

On Monday I received a comment from Tatyana author of the lovely blog, My Secret Garden, who saw my name and a picture of my xeric front garden in the Wall Street Journal. My garden was included in the article written by Anne-Marie Chaker, Gardening Without a Sprinkler,  Wall Street Journal  August 18, 2010.  How  fun! The picture that was used is from my post on July Garden Front Xeric Flowers.

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I took this picture about 10 days ago. The William Baffin Rose is still blooming.  Golden Glow, Rudbeckia laciniata ‘Hortensia’, an old fashioned perennial that grow 4 to 5 feet tall, is held upright in between the rose and the lamp post.
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Over the summer I’ve captured the changes of the front xeric garden. This one is from today. Notice the Russian Sage and the….
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Self-sown Eurphorbia marginata ‘kilimanjaro’ also know around here as Snow on the Mountain. Years ago I planted these from seeds and every year they self-sow where they choose. I like the bright whiteness that they add to the garden.  Euphorbias have a white latex like fluid when cut. A few years ago I was yanking them out by the handfuls and a bit of the liquid splashed into my eye. It burned!  My eye turned red. I was happy to be able to get in right away with our local eye doctor.  It was just irritated.  Now, I am more careful about handling them.
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August brought lots of Echinops and Monarch Butterflies.  What lovely polka dots. See the proboscis. It works like a straw. I took many butterfly pictures. They let me get so close!  No spider pictures in this post.

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I found this little guy, a baby turtledove resting on a trumpet vine. At first I stood back, but after a bit I got quite close. He did not seem to mind.  While I worked in the garden he spent a few more hours in the vine.  Finally I heard his parents cu-cu-roo and then he was gone.  I imagine they nested in the area and have become used to me.  I hear them every morning.

22 comments:

  1. Congratulations Gloria. Your photos are great from the new camera.

    Did the Wall street Journal ever let you know that they had featured your garden and photo?

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  2. What a beautiful garden, and what a treat to get so close to the turtle dove , unbelievable ...thanks for this post, Gina

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  3. Hi Rosie - Thank you! A few weeks ago I was interviewed.The WSJ emailed for information on who took the photo(for credit on the article). The article came out on Monday and I didn't know about it until both Tatyana and Anne-Marie Chaker, the writer emailed me. It was fun to read that Tatyana was having her morning coffee and reading the paper when she spotted my garden!

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  4. Hi Gina, yes I was surprised by the little turtle dove. He was so calm. There have been a pair of them around here all summer. I love their song. It reminds me of growing up in California

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  5. Wow, the WSJ. That is very cool. Your yard is stunning. jim

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  6. Hi Jim, thanks! My one second of fame :) - The picture of my front garden in this post was taken about 7:30 pm - I like the way the light makes everything look versus the first picture in this post that was taken in the morning.

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  7. I was so excited for you went I read about the WSJ article. Congrats again! I love your monarch butterfly photo, I need to work on my approach, butterflies seem to live in fear of my camera :P That little turtle dove is adorable too!

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  8. Clare, Curbstone Valley Farm, Thank you! I took lots of butterfly pictures. You just need to sit still and wait for them to get happy with nectar. A few weeks ago I got a macro of a dragonfly. I sat in flowers for a few minutes to get that pic and I got a "chigger" Do you have those? They are a tiny, tiny insect that bites you and lays an egg under the skin that then itches like crazy. There is stuff you can put on it and I did - yikes - they are common here!

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  9. Congratulations, Gloria!! -Jean

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  10. How exciting that the WSJ found your garden and featured it. I loved that front yard picture when I first saw it in your original post this summer, and the idea of a successful xeric garden that looks so good is very encouraging to others who want to try it. Nice!

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  11. I love your cottage garden Gloria ... and good for you for making it so sustainable. It is so lush and wildly beautiful. I love the Russian sage. I was very happy for you too when I read Tatyana's post. Hopefully you will inspire tons of folks to garden with ecology in mind. Terrific photos! ;>)

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  12. That Euphorbia is great looking. I am more and more into xeric each year, and this year has put me over the top. The turtledove is lovely.

    Eileen

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  13. Hi Jean, Thank you! It has been fun!

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  14. Hi Laurrie & Carol - It is true, a hot dry garden like my front garden, I think this area needs this approach. Today it is 100 degrees in the shade. And we are a low water area.

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  15. Congratulations! Enjoy your moment of fame it is well deserved!

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  16. Congratulations, Gloria! You deserve to be featured in a national magazine! Your garden reminds me of a fairyland where a princess would meet her Prince Charming.

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  17. Congratulations, Gloria! Does this mean you weren't going to mention it? If so, thank you Tatyana. I know it's easy to feel like we're tooting our own horn but when among friends, it's the right thing to do. Maybe we're a little jealous, but we won't let on except for subtle little hintings like this. :) We'll let you bask in the spot/sunlight and we'll be happily cheering you on without any malice whatsoever like, darn I wanna be famous like Gloria or why can't I get my Russian sage to look that good? :) That would be petty and pathetic and we gardeners are so above such behavior, don't you think? [All in jest. LOL]

    Seriously, I love your front garden photos as much as your back garden. The xeric theme is impressive and the Perovskias are just dazzling as are the Echinaceas and the snow in summers.

    Baby turtle dove is so pristine and innocent looking. What a stunning bird. And to let you get so close...precious! And you've got an impressive shot of the Monarch. In my neck of the woods they're rare if at all so it's nice to see them in photos.

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  18. Eileen, thank you! We reach 100 degrees yesterday! So xeric in the front garden and lots of compost everywhere else is a must!

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  19. Congratulations Gloria for making the Wall St. Journal. I have a William Baffin rose but mine is not as tall as yours.

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  20. Gloria, I told you your garden is fabulous!!! Not every garden makes the front page of the paper!! BRAVO!!!!!!!

    I have had countless encounters with that horrible white sap found in Euphorbias. It's in many plant varieties down here...many that live in my garden. I'm highly allergic to this toxic fluid and must cover up whenever working near any plant that hold it. However, I really love your variety and have never seen it. I'm going to look for it locally, but if I can't find it, I'm hoping you'll send me some seeds?!?!
    Love you're little baby dove!

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  21. Hello Gloria, I still can't get over how beautiful and bountiful your garden is! Your plantings make it such an inviting looking scene and clearly the Monarch and the Turtledove have both accepted the invitation!
    Congratulations on the newspaper feature - very well deserved!

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  22. Garden always caught my attention but most especially, i love rose garden, 50 million roses are sold each year in the United States alone. But this one is incomparable. This is a paradise like a couple shouldn't miss.

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