Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Funny Ferns

We've had quite a bit of rain the last week and more is predicted for this week, which we need and is making my garden really come alive.  The columbine is in bloom;  I have all colors.  Sometimes it's not easy to take their pictures because they tend to bow their heads.  The white flowers are almost transluscent with just a hint of color.


But a few times I propped a bloom on another bud so you could see the inside of the flower.





And the ferns are really popping too.  I have ferns that I didn't plant - they just showed up and I've been calling them oak leaf ferns.  I love the way they 'unfurl'...




until they're all grown up.


Well, turns out the REAL oak leaf fern is only found in Southeast Asia and it looks like this.

Source:  Wikipedia

Or maybe it looks like this.

Source:  Wikipedia

Turns out there are a couple of species that are referred to as an oak leaf ferns - they just don't look like MY fern.

I also have painted ferns...


And, (I think) ostrich ferns, also known as shuttlecock ferns.  Right now they're just 'fiddleheads' and look more like alien beings.


Doesn't the one on the extreme right in this photo look like E.T.??


You can see the sweet woodruff in the background.  The lemon balm and Jacob's ladder are also up.


The garden is really coming along.

4 comments:

  1. I love columbines! I have only one small clump that mutated in my garden. They just showed up one year! Mine aren't in bloom just yet though.

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  2. I think you asked for me to bring you a blue columbine which I will gladly do. Just need to tie a string around one. Was going to bring you it last time I saw you, but it was in the fall and the blooms were all gone so didn't know which ones were blue!

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  3. I don't remember that but it sounds like a good idea! But ... your columbine look purple to me, not blue! Am I color blind? :)

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  4. The one in the last picture is definitely purple which is why I included it - thought the other one looked more blue. As more plants bloom will see if I get even bluer ones.

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