Thursday, September 9, 2021

MEADOWLARK GARDENS - PLANTS AND FLOWERS

 Continuing our walk, in today's post I concentrate more on the flora.  This is the Spider Flower (botanical name Tarenaya hassleriana).  It is also known as the Pink queen, Grandfather's whiskers and Spider plant.  It is a flowering plant native to South America and has other colors than the white one shown.  It can also be seen as pink or purple.

The following shows something I have seen in other gardens, and is called Cardoon (botanical name Cynara cardunculus).  It's other names are Artichoke thistle, Globe artichoke, Prickly artichoke and Cardy.

The Cardoon was first brought to the United States by Spanish and French settlers in the middle of the 19th century.
According to my plant app, it says that Sicily happens to be one of the few places where the stalks of certain types of thistles are consumed.  
In Sicily, the dish is called carduna, from the latin term carduus, which is the plant's principal genus.  The Italian word cardo is more generic and does not refer to a specific scientific family.  Therefore, it is called Cardoon.

Next is the Red amaranth (botanical name Amaranthus cruentus).  Its other names are Mexican grain amaranth and Purple amaranth.  Its leaves are often used for decorative purposes and are also used to make red dyes.

The plant is named for its bright gold, purple and red leaves that retain their beauty even after harvest and drying.  With the color of the leaves it is called the red amaranth.
Normally the first thing I notice are the blooms of the Crimsoneyed rose-mallow, but I found this stage interesting.  Its botanical name is Hibiscus moscheutos and is also known as Swamp rose mallow, Rose-mallow and Eastern rose-mallow.  It is a very hardy plant and can tolerate frozen temperatures up to -13 degrees.
It is providing a resting place for a Skipper in the next photo.  These little creatures were everywhere.
This plant is called Coleus (botanical name scutellarioides).  It's other names are Common coleus, Painted nettle, Coleus blumei and Trailing coleus.  It will grow in full sun to medium shade but the colors are most vivid in full sun.  
I always like to hear that a plant is super easy to take care of and this is one of them.  It is resistant to almost all pests and diseases.
This is also a Coleus plant with different colored leaves, as you can see.
In the following photo you will see the Rosehip of the Dog rose (botanical name Rosa canina).  It is also called Dog briar, Common briar, Briar rose and Dogberry.  
I read that all Rosehips are edible and has a high level of vitamin C.  It is used to make things like syrup, tea and marmalade, and more.  You can read about it here also.  The color is typically red to orange but ranges from dark purple to black in some species.  They form after pollination of the flowers in spring or early summer, and ripen in late summer through Autumn.
Here we have China pink (botanical name Dianthus chinensis).  It's other names are Chinese pink, Rainbow pink, Japanese pink and Indian pink.  The China Pink is also called the "mother's flower" in many countries.  Wearing this flower on Mother's Day implies wishing mothers happiness and good health.  China pinks have also become a flower of love for mothers.  
The next photo shows the Porcelain Berry (Botanical name Ampelopsis heterophylla var.vestita).  Other names are Porcelainberry, Porcelain-berry and Porcelain berry vine.
Next is the Common sassafras (botanical name Sassafras albidum).  Also known as White sassafras, Red sassafras and Silky sassafras.  The name "sassafras", given by the botanist Nicolas Monardes in 1569, comes from the French word, sassafras.  Some sources claim it originates from the latin word, saxifraga or saxifragus meaning "stone-breaking", saxum meaning "rock" and frangere meaning "to break".  As it is also the most common species in the genus, it is called common sassafras.
This is Sulfur cosmos (botanical name Cosmos sulphureus).  Other names are Klondike cosmos, Yellow cosmos and Orange cosmos.  It is an annual flower and is native to Mexico, Central America and northern South America.  It attracts bees and butterflies, including the Monarch butterfly.
I am very grateful to my plant app called 'Picture This', where I get most of my information from. 
And that's about all for the plants and flowers.  I thought I would end my post sharing some of the scenery from our walk.  
We sometimes sit down inside the gazebo but we left others to enjoy it today.  Instead we made use of one of the benches along the path nearby.
There are several benches along our walk and it is a very welcome feature of the garden.  
We chose another shady spot where we like to sit and talk and take in our surroundings.
And that's about it for today's walk around Meadowlark Gardens. We are very happy to be visiting again.  
Thanks for stopping by and I hope your day is a great one.



40 comments:

  1. The China Pink and Cosmos are stunning! The Cardoon is brown and huge, I have never seen anything like it. It itsupposed to be this color, or is it dying? I grew coleus plants like this in our apartment on the kitchen wondowsill for many years, they grew to be quite big.

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    1. Thanks Ginny, this is a stage where the Cardoon has bloomed and dried, then the fluffy seeds will be on their way to start other plants. Your kitchen windows must have looked a delight with such pretty flowers :)

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  2. Thank you for these beauties - some of which I know and many of which I didn't.
    Himself's mother had a hedge of coleus. They were dramatic in the sun, and I did envy her (though not the hot and humid climate they thrived in).

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    1. You are very welcome Sue. The hedge of coleus must have looked amazing. I can just imagine it :) Some people (and flowers) thrive in such heat. My hubby is one of them.

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  3. Interesting. So many plants were brought here from somewhere else.

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    1. True, I am always amazed at all the varieties from around the world :)

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  4. What a delight to see, the photos of the plants are good, excellent in my book and I do love coleus which we grow indoors here or in a sheltered area in the garden.

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    1. So glad you liked them Margaret, thank you :) I hope you take photos of your coleus the next time they are blooming.

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  5. Love how you always have a relevant picture where you sign off. Your post is full of beautiful plants and pics and information. Sounds like a great app.

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    1. Glad you enjoy my little signatures Diane. I have fun putting them together. I can highly recommend the app. Glad you enjoyed the plants also :) Thanks Diane!

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  6. Um belo jardim, gostei de ver as fotografias.
    Um abraço e continuação de uma boa semana.

    Andarilhar
    Dedais de Francisco e Idalisa
    O prazer dos livros

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    1. Muito obrigado. Estou feliz que você tenha gostado do jardim. Um abraço e boa semana para vocês :)

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  7. There is so much to see in there. You showed some plants that I've never heard of before.

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    1. Hi Ann, I am always delighted when I come across a new plant. Thank you :)

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  8. Hello Denise,
    What a lovely garden, a beautiful place for a walk. The plants and flowers are gorgeous. I like the boardwalk and gazebo. Take care, enjoy your day!

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    1. Thanks Eileen, it is a lovely place. You take care and enjoy your day also :)

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  9. Pretty area to walk and spend some time. You can find me at the gazebo by the pond.

    I'm not sure I'd eat thistle!! Hmmm, new to me that it's edible. My favorite today is the Dianthus... their fragrance is so similar to a carnation.

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    1. Happy you found a favorite Anni. Thank you and I will be joining you at the gazebo :)

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  10. Beautiful flowers! I would love to walk there...looks so peaceful.

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  11. The spider plant is beautiful I have seen those before but I have never seen the cardoon and I am really impressed with it. All the plants are stunning

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  12. Informative tour of plants. Those thistles are huge. We have a smaller variety in our planters.

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    1. Hi Ellen, I see the smaller thistles also and have only known about the larger ones for a couple of years, since I started visiting these gardens :)

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  13. I am so glad you post the names with the flowers and explain them. I have the swamp mallow hibiscus and it never disappoints. Only problem is the Japanese beetles love it. Spider plant I used to have in pink and I love that plant. I think I went crazy and just pulled up all the returning ones when weeding. Glad to be reminded to get more seeds. That orange Cosmos is beautiful. Love walks like this and I definitely would need a place for sit down now and then to rest the knees. Thank you for the walk among the flowers and plants. Betsy

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    1. Hi Betsy, I started naming plants thanks to my app, as I forget all the many. It's good for me to go back on these for a refresher :) You have a pretty garden Betsy, and yes I am grateful for the benches in several spots. I see several people making use of them.

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  14. This started out lovely, then got real ugly before becoming beautiful again. Nature is weird! 😊

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  15. great informative post, I enjoyed learning about all the plants

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  16. One can learn so much from a walk!

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  17. Hello Denise,
    Yet another beautiful conducted tour with some superb images as we passed between the flowers , like you I could do with taking a seat in the Gazebo.
    Super informative post,
    Best wishes ,
    John

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    1. Hello John, glad you enjoyed. I can attest to the fact that the Gazebo is a lovely place to sit :) Best wishes to you also!

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  18. this is a great post denise, so much interesting information. i have not been anywhere for some time so i really enjoyed all of the pictures. the skipper picture was so interesting, looking like it was standing up, spreading it's "dress" for all to see!!

    i like the more natural feel of this garden, i think the crimsoneyed rose-mallow is reminding up that fall is near!!

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    1. Thank you Debbie, skippers are such interesting little things aren't they? Yes, and so many other signs to let us know Fall is on the way :)

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  19. Thank you for sharing your gorgeous photos, Denise. Since we don't go out to gardens these days, it's lovely to see to see it vicariously.

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    1. You are very welcome Kay, so glad you enjoyed them :) I hope you can get to the gardens soon.

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