Monday, March 23, 2009

The Eve's Necklace is Blooming!

My Eve's Necklace (Sophora affinis)tree has it's very first blooms on it! I am so excited! I bought it 4 years ago when it was only 3ft tall. I planted it on the North side of the house and I wonder if that is why it took so long to bloom or maybe it was just too little before? It is shady in that spot, but now that the tree is much taller, it reaches up to the sun. Anyway, here are the blooms in all their glory:

Ooooooh pretty!



Here is the tree:



Then there is the Golden Lead-ball tree. It looks like a poodle in the spring:



It is setting tons of blooms:



I just put in a few rock penstemon in the front hell-strip bed. I used to have Texas Betony there, but the last couple years have been so hot and dry, the betony shiveled up and died. it does much better in partial shade on the east side of my house. I wanted something around the same color as the betony, but that would take the glaring mid-day sun and drier conditions better. Rock Penstemon (Penstemon baccharifolius)fit the bill. I hope it does well.

Here it is:



Here is a link to what it looks like in bloom and its characteristics: Rock Penstemon

And here is my new Fuschia. I torture myself with these every year. They don't like our really hot weather, but last year I had one last into July. I love Fuschia so much though! Coming from the Northwest, we always had huge ones hanging on our house every year. I just have to have at least one. You really have to keep them watered, keep them in filtered sunlight, and let them dry out between waterings. Get them too wet, too hot, or put them in too much shade or too much sun and they will promptly die on you.

But isn't it pretty?:

8 comments:

Dawn said...

Your Eve's Necklace is lovely next to your house. What is growing below it? The contrasting color of the foliage is beautiful. I share your love for fuchsias, but I cannot keep them alive here in Texas. At this point it almost seems like premeditated plant-murder for me to buy one anymore. May your new fuchsia live a very long life.

Lee17 said...

Dawn,

Thanks! That is silver pony-foot (Dichondra argentea)beneath the tree. I love that stuff. It looks like a sea of silver and is very drought-tolerant.

And really, purchasing a fuschia IS like pre-meditated plant murder. But I have to have one. If just for a little while...

Anonymous said...

The Eve's necklace is charming with the silver ponyfoot at its feet. And I agree that rock penstemon is a good choice for your hell strip. It's a good, tough bloomer, and it doesn't appreciate being coddled. Damianita is also a good choice in that kind of setting.

Rock rose said...

I love those two native trees. Maybe I could find a place for one somewhere. I'm like you about growing a plant that really doesn't like to grow here but with me it is foxglove. This may be my last year if they don't flower this year. Fuschias are pretty though.

Lee17 said...

Pam,

I do hope the penstemon works well in my hell strip - and it certainly won't be getting any coddling there! I have lots of damianita in the hell strip and you are right - it is the best plant for that spot! It just sits and bakes and bakes and keeps on blooming all year long.

Lee17 said...

Lancashire rose,

Those two trees are really nice, just make sure if you put in a golden lead ball tree, that you keep it away from deer - they will strip it clean!

I love foxglove too! I used to have those back home. I haven't tried them down here though, and I see by your experience, that they probably wouldn't do well.

Anonymous said...

Hello there :) I found your blog searching to buy an Eve's Necklace. If anyone knows of any way I can get one shipped here to NC, please please let me know. Even seeds would be helpful. Yours is gorgeous. Congrats on the blooms :)

--CK cafeaulait@juno.com

Anonymous said...

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