A gift from the storm

(NOTE:  This post was started over a week ago but I forgot to post it.  Since I first wrote this, it's been hot and dry. That's WI weather for you.)



'Hummelo' in bloom



Hey!  It actually felt like summer today!  And the mosquitoes have finally arrived.  It's weird; others in our town have been complaining about the mosquitoes for weeks and weeks but we didn't really see any until a couple of days ago.  Probably due to the cold but I'd like to think there are additional reasons.  Maybe my organic gardening methods have increased my amphibian population and that's why we  haven't had many mosquitoes?  Or maybe the rotting cupola on our garage has a new bat family in residence?  Whatever the reason, I am very thankful for the respite we had from those bloodsucking pests!

We are also thankful for a gift from the storm that blew through last week.  Last year, the top half of an aspen was knocked over by another storm and got hung up in a maple tree.  It was just out of reach on a steep slope and it was going to be pricey to get it removed.  It was pretty darn scary weeding under it, let me tell you, as it creaked and groaned in the slightest wind.  Well, our latest storm took it down from it's lofty perch and laid it out on the slope <i>perfectly</i>, avoiding every plant and shrub we didn't want it to hit.  Yay!

It was supposed to rain again today so I decided to transplant some sweet cicely to one of my shade beds.  The woods is once again full of garlic mustard.  We had just finished bagging up what we pulled a couple of weeks ago.   Ugh.



Maidenhair fern with Sweet Woodruff
at its feet: both Wisconsin natives



On the bright side, my 'Hummelo' betony is blooming and its reddish purple blooms look so nice with the variegated 'Goldwell' veronica near it.  I've never grown 'Hummelo' so wasn't sure if it would do well especially because it started off so slow.   It's leaves aren't felty like regular lamb's ear.  I like it alot and plan on adding more.

 

Another plant that has me clapping in admiration is maidenhair fern.  Now that it is settled in, it's looking really good.  Of course, we've had a really wet growing season so how it will look in a droughty year has yet to be seen. 

 While clearing out some space in the back yard for a lawn I found a shrub that I had overlooked last year.  After some digging on the 'net I think it's an elderberry, specifically Canadian Elderberry.  It's actually kind of pretty, although I suspect it suckers.  I hope it's the edible kind of elderberry...

Could this be Canadian Elderberry?  What a nice surprise if it is!