Monday, June 10, 2019

MEADOWLARK GARDENS, VIENNA, VIRGINIA - FLOWERS

Shasta Daisy - Chrysanthemum maximum (Asteraceae)  Described as 'a 3-4' hybrid perennial that gardeners are often introduced to early in their gardening lives'.  More information at this link.  I took another photo with this interesting bug, and found that it was a Banded Longhorn Beetle - Typocerus velutinus, and you can read about it here.
"Love the world as your own self; then you can truly care for all things."
~Lao Tzu~
 These pretty orange flowers are Red Hot Poker Torch Lily (Kniphofia uvaria).  It is in the Liliaceae family and is a South African native plant with over 70 species.  I read that it is a relatively easy plant for new gardeners.   I found this information at Gardening Know How.  You can find their website at this link.
Korean Dogwood (Cornus kousa), 

It is also recognized by landscapers and arborists as the Japanese Flowering Dogwood.  It is a very disease-resistant tree.  More information can be found here.
Asian virginsbower - Clematis virginiana
Buttercup family: Ranunculaceae.  

This perennial plant is a woody vine up to 20' long.  Its stems can trail around fences and garden ornamental framework.   More information found here.
Coneflower, is also known as Echinacea paradoxa.  According to this website, it has been cultivated as a hardy, showy perennial since the 1700s, both here in the United States and in Europe.   It was used by the early native American to cure wounds and infections. 
The Hydrangea is one of my favorites.
I am not sure what kind of hydrangea this is, maybe a Chinese Snowball Hydrangea.  I found a website here.  

Thanks to our trip to Charlottesville a couple of weeks ago, I can now name the Oak Leaf Hydrangea, which I had seen before but never identified the species.   This is most definitely not it.  There are only six species of Hydrangea grown in American gardens according to one website, and the list they gave was Bigleaf (Hydrangea macrophylla), Panicle (Hydrangea paniculate), Smooth ('Annabelle' - Hydrangea arborescens) and Climbing (Hydrangea quercifol).
I have seen these unusual blooms growing at the garden since our first visit.  It is called Indian Pink and belongs to the tropical Logania family (Loganaceae).  A native wildflower growing in rich, moist woods and also wooded stream banks in the greater southeastern United States.  An herbaceous perennial, it reaches a height of 12 to 18 inches.  Indian Pink flowers in late spring during May and early June.  I found my information and more at their website.
The following flowers many will recognize as a Purple Iris.
We were near the water's edge on one of the small lakes.  You can learn how to grow them here, and an enjoyable read for me was on this page.  When I was young and not so much now, I loved reading Greek Mythology. This article brought back a lot of memories of reading a book with such stories late at night, long past bedtime.  Tucked tightly under the bed covers so that no light would filter out to give me away,  I had a torch (flashlight) in one hand and a book in the other.  (More times than not I was caught out and told to go to sleep!)

The article said that we owe the naming of this flower to the Greeks, and their gods.  One such god, or in this case goddess, was called Iris.  She lived on Mount Olympus with other deities, and was the special messenger of Hera, their queen goddess.  When Iris carried special messages from Olympus to Earth, she used the rainbows as her pathway.  


And on that note I will end today’s post.  Plenty more to come from our walk around the garden later.  I always enjoy the flowers, definitely soothing to the soul. Thank you for looking and have a great day. 

28 comments:

  1. You're really getting your fill of great flowers in bloom. thanks for sharing.

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    1. We certainly are and you are very welcome. Thanks Red!

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  2. Beautiful, beautiful things. Some I know, some I don't but they are all equisite.

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  3. So lovely to see all the flowers!

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  4. I am glad there is lots more to come, I sure enjoy these posts. One of my favorites is the Indian Pink, which I have never seen. And the gorgeous intense color of the iris. You caught that beetle flying in mid-air! Rainbows as pathways, what a beautiful thought.

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    1. That makes me very happy Ginny. Thank you! I take most of my photos with an iPhone now, even the one of the little bug. I was about a foot away and I cropped the photo. I was surprised that it came out. If I need a shot of say a bird or a turtle that is a lot further away I use the larger camera with the zoom lens. I liked the rainbow story also.

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    1. Obrigado! Estou feliz que você tenha gostado das minhas fotos da natureza. Um abraço e uma boa semana para você também.

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  6. Beautiful flowers, Denise, but my favourite picture was the one of the beetle. How you managed to get such a clear photograph is amazing. It would have flitted off if I had tried haha.

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    1. Thank you Valerie. My iPhone did most of the work :) and sometimes those little bugs cooperate.

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  7. Wow, so many beautiful flowers. I love them all. Wishing you a happy day and a great new week!

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    1. Happy you enjoyed them Eileen. Thank you and enjoy your day and week also.

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  8. your photos are really amazing. all the flowers are stunning. i love daisies and sunflowers, so that daisy i really like, i would like to have a blouse the color of the purple flowers, you do so well in idenifying your plants. my problems is i can't remember them after i look them up...

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    1. Thanks Sandra, those flowers were really beautiful! A blouse that color would be super. I have a very thick book which I use to ID if I get stuck, and sometimes even that doesn't work but I read it like I read a novel at times and I enjoy looking through.

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  9. Lovely blooms! Greek mythology, eh? For some others (I'm not saying who) it was Superman/Lois Lane comic books. :)

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    1. You made me smile Penelope. I used to read those too, thanks to the little boy next door who introduced me to them :)

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  10. Hi Denise,
    Some super flower images but I am really taken with your Banded Longhorn beetle image, super image of a real beauty.
    All the best,
    John

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    1. Hi John, I'm glad you like my little beetle. I was quite taken with him. Thank you. Do hope you are feeling better now. All the best :)

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  11. Beautiful flowers and I love that Longhorn beetle, great shot. Hope all is well Diane

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    1. Hi Diane, after seeing all your wonderful little insects on your flowers, I thought you might like this one. Thank you and all is well here. Hope where you are too :)

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  12. beautiful flowers...great shots.
    We have daisy in our backyard...pretty

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    1. Thank you Tanza. I would like to plant daisies in our garden.

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