A KEEPER

By SKEETER On Tuesday, I showed you the Rock Garden here in my Georgia Gardens. From this angle, you can see a rather large clump of green plant to the right bottom of the above picture. See it? A Coleus is popping out of it.
Okay, I shall go in closer for a better peek. Here, now you see it?
Okay, a closer look then. I discovered this same plant in the Semi-Formal Garden last year. I posted about it and asked you commenter's for help in identifying this mystery plant for me. Click HERE to see that plant from last year. Oh, and it returned in the same spot this year as well.
No one could ID the plant for me so when I found this second one growing in the Rock Garden, I decided to do a bit of research. As you can see in this picture, it is soft and fuzzy similar to lambs ear. It also blooms a cute tiny white flower which the bees, butterflies and hummingbirds enjoy.
This is one single plant and I did not put it there even though it looks as though I planted it, I did NOT plant this monster.
I say monster as it is taking over the Rock Garden on the East side! It is growing like a ground cover and overtaking things such as the turtle in the pot. Can you see him in the above picture?
Here is the cute little turtle. I have clipped this thing back twice to reveal the turtle but today, I cannot see him again. Yikes, this is an invasive plant for sure.
As I type, I can no longer see this ground squirrel in the garden as it has been swallowed up by the Little House of Horrors type plant for the third time!
Can you see a spot of red in this picture? That was once a healthy Salvia plant until this plant took it over. Some of you Florida Bloggers may know this plant as it is common in your area. If I am correct with my identification that is. I believe this plant to be "Mexican Clover" from the Rubiaceae Family. Click HERE to see if you think I am correct.

Guess what else is in the Rubiaceae family? IXORA as Tina guessed on the post from last year! With 7000 plants in this family, difficult to narrow down to Mexican Clover. The info says this plant can be found in Zone-9. Funny as I am in Zone-7B to a possible 8. Also it should die when in temps of 20 degrees. Ha, we had ice and snow in January and it still lives in the Semi-Formal Garden! Amazing how some plants do as they want no matter what the books say. Ha, kind of like me some times.

I like this plant and thus far, I am able to keep it at bay. It is easy to prune as I just pluck it off with my fingers. I don't even need a cutting tool! I find it strange how both batches of this popped up on its own and in gardens as if I planted it there!

I like this pretty lush ground cover and think its A KEEPER, (for now anyway) In the Garden...
Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team, In the Garden

Taking Away the Burning Bush and Other Invasives

I'm turning over a new leaf here at Tiger Gardens, so to speak. In an effort to reduce maintenance and plan for the long term longevity of my garden I have embarked upon a quest to remove invasives from my garden, starting with the burning bush (Euonymous alata). It really is a beautiful shrub and I've always enjoyed it in the garden but after finding hundreds of tiny seedlings under the bush I decided weeding out those seedlings every year was not for long term solution for me.

Can you blame me? Just look at this mess! I took action immediately and turned my old burning bush into a bowling ball shrub! Like the color? Green matches everything:)The burning bush is no more, now we have a 'Bowling Ball' sculpture in the garden. In front of the location of where the burning bush used to be I have planted a cleyera. Cleyera are evergreen shrubs that grow large in a short period of time. I have a whole row of these in this location so as to provide a buffer between the road and my garden. It will take some patience but the cleyera will quickly grow in and replace that invasive burning bush.

Other invasives I have removed just this spring include: Common nandina (too many seedlings), golden euonymous (spreads by runners), vinca (spreads by runners), sweet autumn clematis (seedlings and difficulty in cutting away the old vine), and the bananas. I just can't see leaving these prolific and rampant plants in the garden for me to have to weed and prune in order to maintain order here. One day I might not be here to maintain the order then the title of this blog might be "In the Garden Run Amok" and I can't have that. Mainly though I wanted to reduce my maintenance and work in the garden so the invasives had to get....

out of the garden....


Words and Photos Property of In the Garden Blog Team,

In the Garden

Roadside Beauty

By Skeeter

While driving through Georgia on my way to Tennessee recently, I could not help but notice all the roadside beauty. Just look at this beautiful Ivy type plant so pretty and lush green. I wonder how long that truck has been by that fence? It looks as though this vine is starting to strangle the truck. Hum....
You are laughing with me and not at me because being a Southern Gal, I know exactly what this invasive stinker is called, Kudzu. The Vine that killed the South! Also known as the "Foot a Night" and "Mile a Minute" vines!Kudzu is Native to Southern Japan and Southeastern China. It was brought to the US as a Forage crop and Ornamental plant around 1876.The Soil Conservation Service encouraged farmers to plant Kudzu from 1935 to early 1950's to reduce Soil Erosion.The Southeastern United States are the perfect climate for it to thrive. With less freezing temps, the vine continues to grow and is now out of control and taking over everything in its path!
The Department of Agriculture listed it as a Pest Weed in 1953. It is growing all over the Southeastern US and a sure sight with interstate travels. I found this information along with more on the Wikipedia Website where more information awaits your interested minds.
As I travel along the interstate, my imagination spots creatures within the Kudzu to pass the time of travel. I see Bears, Dinosaurs and all kinds of interesting things which my mind allows. In this picture, I see an elephants head and trunk, do you? I do find it beautiful at times but wonder how long it will be before it completely takes over the South! I am happy this ROADSIDE BEAUTY is Not, In the Garden....

Does your imagination spot any creatures in the kudzu?

Exotic Invasive Plants and Their Management

What do you think of when I mention exotic and invasive plants? I bet most of you would say kudzu! The plant that ate the south! Kudzu is but one of many introduced plant species that have become invasive and caused native plant communities harm by smothering them and colonizing their natural habitat. Exotic plant invasives are a real problem across the country, not just in the south or Tennessee. There are alternative plants for ornamental use you can substitute for the invasives. For instance, did you know
Euonymus alata, aka Burning Bush is considered
invasive? A good native alternative would be Aronia
arbutifolia, aka red chokeberry. Substituting native
plants for exotic invasives is but one way you can control the spread of the invasives; management of the
land is another.


Some of you may be familiar with Nick-a-Jack lake near Chattanooga. The above picture is of the sunset on Nick-a-Jack lake. I wasn't familiar with this lake until my college instructor (Nancy) mentioned a project she is working on with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) and the developer of Nick-a-Jack lake. It seems the TVA is allowing a developer to develop the natural area around Nick-a-Jack Lake with some stipulations. TVA has contracted the area surrounding the lake to an elevation of 250 feet will be restored to its original native condition and maintained in this condition indefinitely. If the surrounding bank of the lake rises straight up to 250 feet within 10 feet of the lake or whether it gently slopes up to 250 feet within 1000 feet of the lake does not matter, this area is to be restored over a five year period.


Nancy is working on the project and has developed a plan to remove the exotic invasives like Chinese privet (Ligustrum), multiflora roses, greenbriar (Smilax) and poison ivy. While some invasives are native, even native plants can become nuisances in the wrong places by choking out other native plants. Such is the case with the greenbriar. Removing invasives is not an easy or fun task. Have you ever tried to walk through the woods and been scratched by multiflora roses and tangled in Japanese honeysuckle? I have and it is not pleasant. I am glad to hear of governmental agencies taking a proactive stance in doing something about the exotics and invasives in our area.


In your own garden please be mindful of the consequences of plants you plant and always, always know what you are planting BEFORE planting it. Invasive tendencies aside, you don't want to plant something you know nothing about and wind up with your house disappearing under a tangle of vines. If you have exotics like multiflora roses-rip them out!


To find out more about exotic plants in Tennessee check out the list at:



http://www.tneppc.org/Invasive_Exotic_Plant_List/The_List.htm


in the garden....