A Missouri Wildflower Paradise

This year, I'm expecting these little beauties to bloom along with all the other wildflowers I planted last year. 

The beautiful Copper Iris does well in average to wet soil. Here's what the entry at www.mowildflowers.net says about them:

The striking bronze flowers make copper iris easy to identify.  In Missouri, it is found in the southeast corner of the state.  Three petals and three larger petal-like sepals form the classic "fleur-de-lis" shape.  Copper iris is beardless and crestless and has a more flattened flower shape than other irises.

Copper iris is clay tolerant and makes a great addition to rain gardens.  If growing in a perennial bed, make sure the soil is rich and organic.  It may need to be thinned after a few seasons; it spreads via rhizome and can make a very large clump.

Companion plants:  Marsh Milkweed, Rose Mallow, Golden Ragwort, Mist Flower, Palm Sedge, Sweet Coneflower

Uses:  deer resistant, rain gardens, hummingbirds, clay soil
Bloom time:  May

Height:  18 to 24 inches
Space:  16 to 20 inches

Sun:  Full sun to medium shade
Moisture:  Average to wet

Now, I'm hoping that my little garden becomes a wildflower paradise, but if you really want to see one, you need to go to the Missouri Wildflowers Nursery just south of Jefferson City right off highway 54.  What a beautiful, inspirational place! I blogged about my visit last year HERE.

English Roses: Last Bouquet of the Season

At the end of September I had my last big bouquet of English Roses for the season! Varieties in this picture are James Galway and Abraham Darby. I just love these roses! They are pretty easy care and do well in the Ozarks.

Have a wonderful rest of your week wherever you garden! ~ JB was here.

And a Welcome Back to....ME!

All of my garden areas are ready for the winter. Over the weekend I worked on a decorative project. Over a year ago, my husband brought me an old milk can left over from "the old days" on our farm. We both have a long history in the dairy and cattle industry so he thought it would be cool if we painted this old milk can and kept it as a "tip of the hat" to both our roots, so to speak.

It has been here for over a year. I didn't really know what to do with it! But I finally did some research and decided to go for it. It was really nasty looking, rusty and dirty. This is the before:

That is a wire brush on the top, very necessary for the thing that happened next. I brushed. And brushed. And BRUSHED. :)

So, it was starting to look like a milk can instead of a yucky piece of junk. So on I went. Until the detail could be seen and the rust was gone. Sort of. At least the worst of it. You could now see the lettering on the handles that said "superior" and some of the detail including the "solder" seams where the pieces were welded or "soldered" together.

 So it was now time for paint:

I used Rustoleum spray paint. The kind that has primer and paint in one. You can use it "directly on rust" and believe me, this project called for that. It is supposed to be a protectant as well and to "stop rust". Very much needed in this case. I gave it one coat, and I thought it looked pretty good! And, good news! I thought the lid was hopelessly rusted on! But, no. It came off when I was working things over with the wire brush. I took the wasp nests off all around the neck of the can and then..... I hesitated for just a second about looking inside it. But I should have known. Yeah, it lived with my husband before I got here.....and it was totally clean inside. Much better shape than the outside, actually. It made me smile.

I liked the sort of finish that had the "hammered" look. Definitely called for because the can was kind of banged and dented anyway. But I thought it would be good to give it another coat. I am happy that I did!

Here it is, after adding the lid back and placing it on my porch. I think it's beautiful. I can picture a little wreath hanging on it for Christmas, or a pot with a plant for the spring and summer. I just love it!  I so enjoyed the last beautiful fall weekend here. I hope you did too, wherever your home and garden happens to be!  Have a great week! ~JB was here. 

My Birdfeeder Setup

My birdfeeder setup is really simple. I need something that doesn't spoil easily, so I use the upright column feeders, that, by the way, are (supposed to be) squirrel-proof. I think that is mostly true. I stopped seeing so much seed wasted when I started using them, a very good thing, and I never have seen a squirrel hanging on one. I keep them on a pretty light limb, too so that maybe they'll fall off if they try. I'm a little mean that way. :)

Here's my setup.

Have a nice weekend! I have found that my germination posts seem to be pretty in demand so I'm going to do another post perhaps this weekend, regarding wildflower seed and stratification. Stay tuned!

~JB was here

The Reforming Taker: A Vision of Monarchs

Part of my vision for my new planting involves these guys:

Monarch Butterfly on the way south to Mexico.  

Each year, they migrate over the farm, and a large part of the country on their way to Mexico. It is my understanding from some of my studies this summer (you have to something when you can't get out and garden) that they are having issues with destruction of habitat and host species both here, and in their migration destinations. I want to do something for them in some small way.

So, part of my native plantings in the new bed will be Butterfly weed. The emerging young must have it for food.

The Monarchs also like oak trees and use them in their life cycle including for cover at night on their way south, I've noticed. That part I've got covered, since it is a native tree here that covers a lot of area.  Enjoy your gardening vision, where ever you are.  :) ~JB was here.