Leatherleaf Mahonia
Viburnum flowering in the back yard.
I bought this at a neighbor’s plant sale and now, 7 months later, I can’t remember what it is. It’s on the ip of my tongue. It has soft, fuzzy leaves and grows talk stalks with tiny, buttery-yellow blooms throughout the summer…aarrgghhh! Maybe I’ll think of it, and maybe someone out there can “pop” me on the side of the head like I shoulda had a V-8 and tell me what it is!!! It’s starting to sprout up from the ground.
I have lots of these blooming right now! Hmmmm….
Can you guess what this is? I’ll give you a hint: It’s a vine. That’s all you get. The first person to correctly name this plant will get some seeds from me. Give it a shot!
Wish we could send some of this nice weather today (72f today) to our friends in the north, but I guess you’ll have ot settle for pictures for now.
A Sweet Potato Vine? Now that truly is a shot in the dark, but I had to give it a try.
I can’t help with the fuzzy-leaved plant with yellow flowers. This happens to me all the time – the name of a plant might be on the tip of my tongue but I can’t quite get it out.
It sounds as if the weather gnomes are having fun with your temperatures. At least you are having some warm days, amid the frost. Do you have container plants that you have to cover or take in?
Very nice photos!
Aiyana
Kate: Nope — not a sweet potato vine, but that’s a really good guess! I do have some big tropical pots that live in the garage for the winter. Sometimes I even have a space heater in there for them. I had a greenhouse at our previous house and hope to get one again some day – maybe next year. I have plumeria and limes and hibiscus and a few specimens whose names I also can’t recall! Tee hee!
Aiyana: Thanks for the compliment. It’s funny, really, because I use my husband’s good camera -Nikon D70- and couldn’t get the macro lens to work right. So I asked him and it turns out that I was using the WRONG lens! So this morning, after the epiphany, I had to test it out and was pleased with the result. I just couldn’t figure out why I wasn’t getting those good close ups like all the other garden bloggers!
My leatherleaf mahonia is about the only thing flowering right now. I love it’s pale yellow flowers.
MSS : My mahonia isn’t blooming. Don’t you have any dandelions??!!!
I’ll make two guesses, which may disqualify me: hyacinth bean vine and moonflower vine. However, my moonflower vines always look brown and shriveled this time of year, and yours looks purple.
As for planning and planting—I don’t know, Diana, I’m doing both right now. I’ve transplanted and replanted a good portion of my front garden over the last several weeks. So long as you aren’t trying to plant summer annual seeds, it’s a pretty good time to get shrubs, trees, and even perennials in the ground. I say, what ‘cha waiting for?
Seasonal purgatory? And here I’ve been envying all of you for being able to at least go outside some days without a big ol’ coat and gloves!
Looking forward to meeting you at the spring fling.
Carol, May Dreams Gardens
I’ll pass on trying to figure out the plant, but gladly take the sunlight and warmth. It’s not bad here today after the deluges of freezing rain and rain yesterday, but there’s a bit too much ice around for my comfort. Still, the days ARE getting longer….
Diana, you’re growing interesting looking plants, but I have no idea what they are! I like the mahonia, too, but so far can’t keep viburnums alive in this garden.
Your new profile photo is really cute ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Pam – Nope, it’s not hyacinth bean or moonflower vine, but those are both good guesses and things I frequently plant. I love Hyacinth Bean.
I know I should be working, it’s just that i don’t want to do the things that I need to be doing – cleaning, pruning, etc. because the last time I started pruning it froze again so it was for naught! It’s just an excuse! And the cedar has me wary of the windy outdoors. Without even realizing it, I found myself glowering at the wild cedars behind our iron fence today!
Carol & Jodi – you’re right. I was whining! It’s not so much purgatory, just hard to plan. I lived in MN for 4 years and I know how hard it is to have winter last so long. I do appreciate the nice weather, consistent or not~~ So glad you’re coming to Spring Fling, Carol. It’ll be so fun to put real faces with blogs! And I’ll stop whining 😉
Annie – I was thinking about taking out the viburnum earlier in the fall – they are 3 giant meatballs in a back corner bed that could be so much more interesting and colorful. I got talked into them 4 years ago. But they look lovely right now with the blooms on them. I guess they are happy there and they provide evergreen color when the Esperanza beside them are dead and bare. Maybe I’ll just prune them a little and add around them.
Hmm. Judging from how this vine looks just like the one on my fence right now, I’m going to guess that it’s a crossvine that turned dark with the cold. 🙂
Lori — Nope – good guess, but it isn’t a crossvine. If I get time tomorrow, I’ll repost the picture and reveal the secret identity!!! Come check it out.