Welcome to JOYFUL REFLECTIONS. Also welcome to MARCH!!!! My header picture this month is a photo I took of the pretty Crocus blooms in our yard... The Crocuses and Daffodils are the first signs of spring here in Tennessee. I am definitely ready for SPRING...

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Our Confederate Jasmine


See that gorgeous flowering bush above? It is a Confederate Jasmine bush which is in our front yard. And yesterday, when I was trimming that bush, a Brown Thrasher started screaming at me... Aha, I thought!!!!! SO--I quit trimming and started peeking inside the bush.. Lo and behold-- you can guess what what I saw, can't you??????? It was a nest with 3 cute babies... Mom and Dad Thrasher weren't too happy with my presence ---so I left them alone. Later in the evening, George and I walked out there to try to get a picture of the little ones. We saw those sweet little mouths wide open--but we couldn't get a picture. Besides, Mom and Dad were still around --fussing at us!!!!!


While taking a picture of the Jasmine, I walked around and took a few more pictures to share. By the way, the cold front did come through on Sunday night ---and yesterday was a beautiful day with a high of about 81 degrees. And better than that, the humidity is LOW!!!!! Yeah-Diddley!!! The only problem was the fact that we got NO rain although it was ALL around us on Sunday. We needed the rain!!! Oh Well---always have to have something to complain about, don't we???? ha









Here's another view of the Jasmine. You can see the daylilies at the corner of the garage. Don't forget to click on the pictures to enlarge them for better views.









A close-up of all of the blooms on the Jasmine









As I've said before, we have three round flowerbeds in the front yard. Two are in shady areas and this one (at the lamppost) is in a sunny area. This week George and I planted some bright pink Vinca in this bed. They bring color throughout the hot summer, after the Pansies and Lilies (above) die out. In the shady beds, we have planted some Impatiens.









One of the little Vinca blooms ---up close and personal











Another photo of our Clematis; It's been growing like crazy ---but so far, we haven't had nearly as many blooms as we usually do. Maybe it will 'show off' more later on in the summer.









The sun is peeking through ---so this picture is not too good. But--I wanted to show you some of our Hosta we have scattered around the yard. The other ground cover there is Periwinkle.









George has started a new project along the front ditch... He is in the beginning stages of making a new flowerbed ---along the ditch area. He is doing this for two reasons: to add more Roses, Iris, Periwinkle and Semps out front in the sun, AND to keep from having to mow that treacherous ditch. Which of those two do you think is the most important reason??????????? ha ha









This is the small area along the ditch on the OTHER side of the driveway. As you can tell, this area contains semps (chicks and hens) mostly --but also some pansies and some periwinkle.






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Finally, I want you to see the birdfeeder that I enjoy watching when I'm sitting at my computer. See that pretty little goldfinch at the feeder???? (Enlarge)


Hope you are having a good week so far.
Hugs,

43 comments:

Kathy W said...

To bad you couldn't get a shot of those babies. The cold front came through here but I swear you wouldn't know it. Yesterday it was 96 and today its supposed to be around 98. A slight chance of storms later today (proably severe if it happens).

marmee said...

i see you were having a hard time sleeping...me too.
everything looks great! the vinca is a great choice for summer colour. they just grow and grow. the jasmine smells so good and it a great place for your little birdie to nest.
i like your little bird feeder right at the window.

T said...

I feel for my home state - the heat has been just awful for you all. Glad to hear you got a bit of a break!

I LOVE the jasmine.....one of the things I miss up here (they just don't grow like they do down south).

Lovely, lovely yard....adore the hens and chicks in the ditch!

Peggy said...

I just love visiting and seeing your gardens and yard!

Beth said...

That jasmine is so beautiful, Betsy. The thrasher family sure chose a lovely place for a home. I hope Mama and Papa Thrasher will let you take at least one picture of their sweet babies!

SmilingSally said...

What a beautiful place you have. I'm surprised that you ever want to leave home.

I think it's wonderful that both mama bird and papa bird are protecting their babies.

penny said...

We have two orange jasmine trees in our yard and the smell of the flowers is wonderful.

I think not mowing that ditch would be #1 on my hubbys list and #2 on mine :D

Have a wonderful day, Betsy

Harriet said...

Thanks for sharing all your wonderful flowers with us. Everything is beautiful. The break from the heat is nice!

Arkansas Patti said...

I just LOVE Confederate Jasmine. It smells so wonderful. My fences were covered with it in Florida. I was told it wouldn't grow here. May just try anyway.
You really need to rent out George. He makes such nice looking flower beds.

Anonymous said...

It is all so pretty and I love the feeder with the goldfinch.

Randy said...

A Confederate Jasmine bush? Betsy, I want to know more about this plant. I'm going to look it up. I've never heard of one before and this could be something we would like to have in our garden.--Randy

This Is My Blog - fishing guy said...

Betsy: From the number of flowers you have I would think that is the most important reason for the new bed. Then again, who wants to mow.

Ruth's Photo Blog said...

Betsy,I think your yard should be added to any tourist info for the area.It might well quailfy for a park,it is so beautiful.I know I would visit this yard if I were in the area.The people who live there might be part of the attraction.LOL
Blessings My Friend,Ruth

Thoughtfully Blended Hearts said...

Hi Betsy, I've tried several confederate jasmines and have never gotten one to live...so I'm envious...yours is beautiful...loved the tour of your yard...its beautiful...

Susie said...

Lovely flowers Betsy. Wish you could have gotten a picture of the Thrashers. I bet their babies are cute.

Hope you have a wonderful day!

Darla said...

I can smell the Jasmine from here..Your blooms are great and now I will be putting my vinca ground cover in the ground, I like that look. Mine is cascading out of a container. George is one busy man!!!

Pat - Arkansas said...

The jasmine bush is lovely, and makes a beautiful home for the Thrasher family.

George is doing a good thing by turning a treacherous place into one of future beauty! Go, George!

Small City Scenes said...

It is a lovely time of the year.New nests, new plants, more work to do less work. Always thinking george.
Love you Jasmine. I bet it is sooo fragrant.
I have started a new perennial bed where I took out 5 huge Boulevarde Cypress (vey old and broken down due to all the snow we had the past few years) I the area is about 50 X 40 ft. So little by little I add new. It is a fun project. take care, MB

Mary said...

Funny about the nest....I'm always afraid to trim my bushes for fear of disturbing something....you can tell by looking at them that I don't trim them nearly enough :-) That Jasmine looks a lot like white weigalia flowers...are they related?

Busy Bee Suz said...

Wonderful pictures Betsy. I love the goldfinch...could you send them farther south please????
I think I may have seen some brown thrashers in my feeders this week too...it has been busy around here this week with the birds. I caught some woodpeckers stealing the squirrels corn too!!!

Dorothy said...

Beautiful flowers and I would like to have a bird feeder close to the window like that! How nice that George likes to do yard work!

Connie said...

I just love your yard. You have such beautiful flowers. (and the birds birds all agree)

Shelley said...

So you went univited to the thrasher's home -eh? LOL! HOpe you get to see those babies! All your flowers are wonderful. I'm realizing between you, Darla and Leedra - I'm getting a good education on blooms! Love it! Love ya! And Scout says Woof You!

Diane AZ said...

That Confederate Jasmine bush is so pretty and what a nice surprise to find the thrasher family nesting inside! George's front ditch project sounds like a good idea...more flowers and less steep lawn to mow.

Adrienne Zwart said...

Goodness, you are an early riser! That jasmine bush is beautiful, Betsy. Maybe if you visit every day, the parents will become accustomed to you, and you'll be able to get a photo.

I have a vinca question for you. I planted some hot pink ones as well, but the leaves have all turned yellow. Any thoughts as to what I'm doing wrong or what I need to do to fix them?

A Brit in Tennessee said...

Beautiful bush betsy, I bet it smells heavenly.
George is making another flower planter ? My he is a busy man....
Everything is looking beautiful, now if we can only get some rain, we are watering every evening, it's so time consuming, but with less humidity, a time to enjoy the garden.

Femin Susan said...

Love Jasmine. In our country jasmine is not like this. I just love visiting and seeing your gardens and yard! the nest remember me my earlier post. You have beautiful garden..... Cheers...

Lagean Ellis said...

As always, I love your flowers. I had a beautiful Clematis but it and my Jazmine both died when I moved last year. It was too hot to dig them up, but I tried.

Have you ever seen Hot Lips Sage? It is a salvia "bush". Beautiful. I'll post pics when it feels out more. It blooms Spring to Fall, has white flowers with hot pink tips. Hence the name.

I love Hosta but we have trouble keeping the deer out of it.

I have birds in the bushes outside my door, but I can't get close enough to figure out what kind.

We saw a Pileated Woodpecker and an Oriole at Ollie's a couple weeks back.

Diane said...

Pretty yard, Betsy. Hen and chickens is something we can grow around here, too.

Small City Scenes said...

Hi betsy, thanks for the comments.
We also have co-ops out here. A little different than CSA'a. We have as I am sure you do--food coops, farm coops, daycare coops.


Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Contents
CSA Farms in Tennessee

Back To Organics


Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is the basic principle of pairing local consumers who want fresh produce with local growers. Often CSA farms are certified organic. A group or "community" of consumers supports a local farm by purchasing, in advance, shares of that farm's next season's harvest. The farmer grows produce for this community and divides the harvest among shareholders.

Besides receiving a weekly box of fresh, high-quality produce, shareholders also know that they're directly supporting a local farm. CSA's allow shareholders to re-establish a connection with the land that many people feel they've lost.

For more information about Community Supported Agriculture (CSAs), please see our CSA farm listing located here on the Pick Tennessee Products web site.

For more information about Organics & CSA farms in Tennessee, contact:


TN Dept of Agriculture
Jon Frady
PO Box 40627
Nashville, TN 37204
Phone: (615) 837-5344
Fax: (615) 837-5194
jon.frady@TN.gov

Small City Scenes said...

OOps here is their web site. MB

http://www.picktnproducts.org/food/CommunitySupportedAgriculturemainpage.html

Deborah Godin said...

That's a great story, but yes, you don't want to get thrashed by a thrasher!

bookbabie said...

Thank goodness she alerted you and you didn't trim those babies out of their nest! Pretty bush though:)

Grammy said...

Happy Bloomin Tue Betsy! I love the bird feeder. And your land scape it wonderful.

Kelly said...

Betsy, you're so lucky to have a nesting thrasher!! How cool. I think the thrasher has very good taste to build a nest in such a sweet-smelling bush! Letting you know the Periwinkle George gave me is doing great. I hope mine spreads and grows as well as yours! Thanks again!

Teresa @ Grammy Girlfriend said...

Absolutley gorgeous pictures I always enjoy my time at your blog.
Remember that Tuesday night, tonight, I will be drawing for the June giveaway...a $75.00 "Card Box"!
Every comment counts for an entry. Plus in thanks for all the prayers said for my family this month...I am going to add 3other special "surprise gifts"! So there will be 4bloggers that get blessed this week!

Loran said...

I could hardly believe that George was building a new flower bed until I realized maybe it was really about not mowing. That made sense.

Tina said...

How neat would that have been to get a shot of those thrasher babies..maybe when they fledge you can catch them...
Love your plantings..everything looks lovely and so healthy...you must spend hours watering if you haven't seen rain recently! So time consuming but in the end so worthwhile!!
You certainly have had a whopping share of baby birds in your trees and nest boxes,,how nice!
Keep your eye out for those thrashers!!

I Am Woody said...

I love the scent of jasmine. And hasn't the weather the last couple of days been glorious?!?

Leedra said...

I went to UT Gardens today to take pics of the flowers....like I don't already have enough pics to go through on my computer. :) I photographed a bloom I did not know what it was. Think you have id'd it for me. Looks like the Jasmine you have here. I will have to compare the 2. I was there early, but it sure did get HOT fast.

Jimmy are going to your favorite park on Friday, weather permit. We are going to stay in Rockwood so we can go to the fireworks at Veterans Park in Spring City Friday night. Veterans Park is where I used to go when we were living in the Spring City motel,my buddy there was the Great Blue Heron. Haven't seen him this year, bet he won't care for the fireworks.

Nina said...

You and George have a wonderful home and life together. I want to see your thumbs Betsy? I bet they're Green!!! :-) I so enjoy your adventures and your photo's... Thank you for sharing a piece of yourself with us. You always bring such Joy and smiles! Love and Light, Nina P.

Janie said...

I know you'll get a shot of the babies in the jasmine eventually. My mom had confederate jasmine in her yard when I was young and lived in New Orleans.
Your plants are all beautiful. I don't blame George for wanting to avoid cutting grass in the ditch!

SquirrelQueen said...

Those baby birdies will have there photo taken, just a hunch!

The jasmine is beautiful, I miss that scent. I keep trying to scratch and sniff the screen and it just won't work, bummer.

I love the new flower bed and better yet no more mowing the ditch, perfect.

Have a wonderful day,
Judy