tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75061501631515744092024-03-05T03:11:42.811-05:00Hoot Owl HollowAll about gardening - plants, cultivation, weed and pest control and what's happening here in Appalachian Ohio at Hoot Owl Hollow Nursery and Botanical Garden.Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.comBlogger535125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-46990597490942057642016-02-16T09:36:00.001-05:002016-02-16T09:36:39.363-05:00Daffodil 'February Gold'Such a hopeful name. Any flower that is willing to bloom in February gets my vote. Unfortunately, in all of our years in the hollow, I don't think this pretty yellow harbinger of spring has bloomed in February more than once. March or even early April is more like it. It does bloom in February down south of us in zone 7, but still... It has been around since 1923, from what I could find out and was hybridized by deGraaf in Holland.<br />
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In fact, it isn't even our earliest bloomer. 'Rijnveld's Early Sensation' from around 1943, is the first large flowered one to bloom.</div>
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The prize, though, for the earliest bloomer, goes to a little miniature one, unnamed, that grows along the driveway in amongst the Snowdrops.</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-372799857260084362016-02-14T09:14:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:14:56.587-05:00Dicentra of various sortsIs there a flower more perfect for Valentine's Day than Dicentra, or Bleeding Heart. Besides the old fashioned pink one, we grow a number of other ones here.<br />
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The first is Decentra exima with it's ferny leaves and more elongated flowers.<br />
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This one is Dicentra 'Gold Heart', though it's the leaves that are gold, actually, not the heart-shaped blooms.</div>
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Dicentra 'Burning Hearts' is rather new in the Hollow. Very pretty red.</div>
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And the first one we got, the old fashioned Bleeding Heart</div>
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The white version is a bit less robust and doesn't increase as fast, but is just lovely.</div>
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And last, but not least, is 'Spring Magic' We have had this for many years and it is still just a small clump. This one is a much more petite Dicentra, only about 10-12 inches tall and the most lovely shade of pale pink.</div>
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These all like shade and woodsy soil. On years with hot summers, they will go dormant by mid summer. On more moderate years, the foliage will persist, though the bloom is only in the spring</div>
Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-70565269979955360322016-02-13T10:05:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:15:21.891-05:00Cold, Sun, Blue Skies10 A.M. and 10 degrees outside. Not a day to be running around taking pictures. The hollow is sleeping under about 10 inches of snow at this point since we got more overnight. I hate the cold and am not crazy about this much snow, but when it is this cold, the snow offers a nice layer of protection for the plants. Just a few weeks until we can be outside working and getting ready for the new season of gardening and sharing plants Hard to believe as I look out the window right now. So, for today, photos of lovely blue skies so we can pretend that the snow isn't really here.<br />
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-37134983011841797662016-02-12T09:33:00.002-05:002016-02-14T09:15:35.498-05:00Rhus radicans, otherwise known as Poison Ivy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Poison Ivy. Dreaded garden weed. So pretty in the fall. I know it doesn't seem like the time to talk about summer and fall weeds, but what some people don't realize, is that you can get a very bad rash from the roots, and they are pretty hard to tell from other roots when you are clearing land or making new flower beds in late winter of early spring. My worst case ever happened just that way, at a new house that I had moved into over the winter and didn't realize that where I was clearing for flower beds was actually a massive patch of poison ivy. The results of my good intentions weren't pretty.</div>
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The fall color can vary greatly, from yellows to reds to oranges and combinations of them. The tiny white flowers turn to shiny white berries, looking something like Mistletoe berries, which the birds will do their best to spread to other places where you'd rather they didn't.</div>
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I am blessed to have a partner who isn't allergic to it (I think 40% of the population isn't) and can pull it for me. My father wasn't allergic either and I wasn't until I was in my 20s, about the time my other allergies also appeared. </div>
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So enjoy the photos from a distance, and if you do have a run-in with these leaves or roots, there are 2 things that I find work very well to relieve the itch. The first if Jewelweed, Impatiens capensis is the orange one and Impatiens pallida is the yellow form. The sap will sooth the itch pretty quickly.</div>
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If you don't have this growing nearby, an even easier fix is to just submerge the itchy spots in water at a temperature that is as hot as you can stand (or use a washcloth for places you can't easily submerge. This takes the itch away for me for at least 8 hours, and usually more like 12. Since my hands are the most likely place to be itchy, just washing dished in very hot water usually does the trick.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-43667476900710431572016-02-11T09:39:00.002-05:002016-02-14T09:15:47.213-05:00TillandsiaAnd now to write about a subject about which I know very little - and about which I would love some advice. I have always looked at Tillandsias and thought that sometime I would like to try some. About a month or so ago I became the proud owner of this one.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxI7SS4hGfSYn_C83iS0tJP7y4WO2HF6MPdmF0JeyIPOChuVzq9HYpnraGN532HDzutLhtnIdb7lJukIEmSrcn-8n6EqvdsDlQ_XlFaX-yoL8V6kA7nkIA1JhRluVJ_OuEqBsx7NIN0xl/s1600/tillandsia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdxI7SS4hGfSYn_C83iS0tJP7y4WO2HF6MPdmF0JeyIPOChuVzq9HYpnraGN532HDzutLhtnIdb7lJukIEmSrcn-8n6EqvdsDlQ_XlFaX-yoL8V6kA7nkIA1JhRluVJ_OuEqBsx7NIN0xl/s320/tillandsia.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have read up on them and so it gets dunked or sprayed once a day (our house is a bit dry this time of year). It has bright light for about 12 hours a day and gets a nice soak in pond water once or twice a week. Not cold pond water; I brought a jar of it in the house so it would be nice and warm. What else do I need to do. I know they are called air plants and some articles would have you believe that you can just totally ignore them. The whole idea just doesn't ring true. It must need some sort of care. It hasn't changed or grown, but it hasn't died either, so I must be doing something right. Any comment would be most appreciated from people who are successfully growing these.</div>
<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-57261149253668671802016-02-09T10:37:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:16:01.560-05:00 Snow, again.Between lack of a WIFI connection and nothing much outside to talk about, I've been absent for a few days. Back now, and enjoying watching the snow, since I don't have to go anywhere for a few days. I took a walk a bit ago and here are some photos. I seems that we did a pretty good job of pruning trees and shrubs along the driveway since, despite things being covered in snow and hanging down, it was still easy to walk out. That's a big improvement over a few years ago when walking was impossible as the whole driveway would be gone - covered with leaning branches. No comment needed on these photos, just some pretty snow.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQsK3ChvFSvk1OzbelLKKKI2h7J9F5eEg49ETZfcFkLgTlvfLcFFxRxdBEMGh8hLdQnzkmir_atNrh1Ikho5PXUeMPzBomno-bKcvn1bBf3wWTwehR5nsK5r9QaLG_zA1qQ9wm7Yi1Wuo/s1600/IMG_2436.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhQsK3ChvFSvk1OzbelLKKKI2h7J9F5eEg49ETZfcFkLgTlvfLcFFxRxdBEMGh8hLdQnzkmir_atNrh1Ikho5PXUeMPzBomno-bKcvn1bBf3wWTwehR5nsK5r9QaLG_zA1qQ9wm7Yi1Wuo/s320/IMG_2436.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-55417185890390663502016-02-07T05:58:00.002-05:002016-02-14T09:16:12.308-05:00ScillaI think all gardeners have special plants - ones that bring back memories of childhood, family and friends or special places. Scilla is one of those for me. We had them growing, a small patch of them, between 2 Azaleas in the front of the house. They were tiny things, not flashy or showy and likely to be overlooked by most people, but as a small child, they were right down there where I was and I loved the color, such a deep, clear blue. I now have lots of them spread throughout the garden. They come up early and don't last all that long, but while they are here, they are just so pretty. Since I've not been adding much cultural information to these posts lately, I decided I'd check on the zone for this one (2-8) and found out that it is considered invasive in some places. Originally from Russian and Eurasia, it has been grown here in the U.S. since the late 1700s. Grow them in part sun and a place with good drainage. I like them in masses as they are so tiny, one or two in a place are likely to be unnoticed. Bees seem to love them and in the very early spring, I'm sure it is a relief for the bees to find something, anything blooming. They spread by seed and the short, only about 6 inches tall, if that much, is gone by early summer. Hostas come up around most of ours, so I don't really know for sure when the foliage is gone . If you aren't growing them, I would recommend them. They are one of the cheaper bulbs, so you can buy a whole bag of them and spread them around the garden.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjKC4DMRydif2Vc5Spv4hb5F5Jz2B2ljdOxBC6bn21csHaqnn-6dTWbqIINptMHInmz4QMtxzgQPiqmkCUymmPqJNkCet6P8Xfg0K7m8mFWRlAeYzZuAQ5W77Gpz5Bf8gA-e3uTmJImGV/s1600/scilla_blue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMjKC4DMRydif2Vc5Spv4hb5F5Jz2B2ljdOxBC6bn21csHaqnn-6dTWbqIINptMHInmz4QMtxzgQPiqmkCUymmPqJNkCet6P8Xfg0K7m8mFWRlAeYzZuAQ5W77Gpz5Bf8gA-e3uTmJImGV/s320/scilla_blue.jpg" width="278" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkpy1-oHV4JRdYWB64v1vC3wny86l9TPfNp8moWbY1wU83n46DatWwoc1ydvvV74JqnUTBOiO2NtSpvU772h1h63EwrKN638a18KCSk6Ew8yVpd4-8ZEYSmJIqEcIDGXNzRvLm4xoIgrX/s1600/scilla_siberica2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHkpy1-oHV4JRdYWB64v1vC3wny86l9TPfNp8moWbY1wU83n46DatWwoc1ydvvV74JqnUTBOiO2NtSpvU772h1h63EwrKN638a18KCSk6Ew8yVpd4-8ZEYSmJIqEcIDGXNzRvLm4xoIgrX/s320/scilla_siberica2.jpg" width="165" /></a></div>
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And there is a pink form which I also grow, but it will never have the place in my heart that the blue ones have.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn-j5aLFtVF7J7tX-sfPOwEtVwYvFeuvtqMDOJ_E8f8y8Pz-N-vXkEt36fzKEldTcc6OEjUj0pBzad7J3LYnFQrq34X-UfzVb4KWpoXQtj1pDij42vNVYnVS7eOzAxLn6FhwwhkOcTbK1/s1600/scilla_pink.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="251" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCn-j5aLFtVF7J7tX-sfPOwEtVwYvFeuvtqMDOJ_E8f8y8Pz-N-vXkEt36fzKEldTcc6OEjUj0pBzad7J3LYnFQrq34X-UfzVb4KWpoXQtj1pDij42vNVYnVS7eOzAxLn6FhwwhkOcTbK1/s320/scilla_pink.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-39537657907620926282016-02-06T13:31:00.000-05:002016-02-14T09:16:25.586-05:00More CactusA few days without WIFI has certainly put a crimp in posting things here, but as promised, some photos of other cactus that are hardy here. These are all Opuntias of one sort of another, all hardy and all gorgeous when in bloom, as the following photos show.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNu81RuY100BgD-0gIW1NZWkXJWUCtuKk8-ca__fkXGD8YB5zcGUPxfyAZRuZhfEswa0y7ICv-vBHF6ZYrjHuZrmF0zkZlsATfCXIxaSVwsIuQ-oLHuvkp_eI1LrfhEolGyy2qIurjN765/s1600/IMG_1095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNu81RuY100BgD-0gIW1NZWkXJWUCtuKk8-ca__fkXGD8YB5zcGUPxfyAZRuZhfEswa0y7ICv-vBHF6ZYrjHuZrmF0zkZlsATfCXIxaSVwsIuQ-oLHuvkp_eI1LrfhEolGyy2qIurjN765/s320/IMG_1095.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhm4CHlwHdukWNRnpddhR24kAxZk4NNkOjFlKHeTEcsLys2nmYR42Y5QPXaF5_ngfnERna3uc6weWsrk4uygA1vUPGGQVDYhxfuBkU3sYO4IxaDcoGAi51hWcLw2wfmA-DYIyN_PBGr6l/s1600/opuntia_2_tone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhm4CHlwHdukWNRnpddhR24kAxZk4NNkOjFlKHeTEcsLys2nmYR42Y5QPXaF5_ngfnERna3uc6weWsrk4uygA1vUPGGQVDYhxfuBkU3sYO4IxaDcoGAi51hWcLw2wfmA-DYIyN_PBGr6l/s320/opuntia_2_tone.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The pads on Opuntias are mostly oval and flattened with spines of one sort or another, some more vicious than others (though none are really weeding friendly)</div>
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The first is Opuntia fragilis. It is widely distributed in North America and is hardy almost up to the Arctic Circle.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJEnzuUfwmYA6MNwjDFo2x1JQ4uxtZ9ZlFnfJMU2ygunXutT4je5eXG7tSSwn3uaR-Z8zw-hxa3-1ILa-nFgMXWwI5DOTMA_atsx70_g-VFO7mQe3olzNZ59Xdhkb0-BsGxcFlCJNEDXX/s1600/opuntia_fragilis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHJEnzuUfwmYA6MNwjDFo2x1JQ4uxtZ9ZlFnfJMU2ygunXutT4je5eXG7tSSwn3uaR-Z8zw-hxa3-1ILa-nFgMXWwI5DOTMA_atsx70_g-VFO7mQe3olzNZ59Xdhkb0-BsGxcFlCJNEDXX/s320/opuntia_fragilis.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Opuntia humifusa also grows happily in much of the U.S., from Montana down to the Florida Keys</div>
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Opuntia phaeacantha with persimmon colored flowers. The phaeacanthas are less widely distributed, being mostly found in the southwest U.S. to the lower midwest. We have these with several different colors of flowers.</div>
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Opuntia Super Rutila is a hybrid and is hardy to zone 5. Very pretty pink flowers on this one.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPlxW6JBY7RgewRtBMMqNnH8beMTyprl2fvsVZxh_4P3Pj8J2n5s528kPAhXaCxyVBH9327foPLDlwNy3R79FFG4KE-AW0XkJhyj2DaTk0C4IgQXDIJggVhISaMjrCPWXmakGB5tTE8TW/s1600/opuntia_super_rutila.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlPlxW6JBY7RgewRtBMMqNnH8beMTyprl2fvsVZxh_4P3Pj8J2n5s528kPAhXaCxyVBH9327foPLDlwNy3R79FFG4KE-AW0XkJhyj2DaTk0C4IgQXDIJggVhISaMjrCPWXmakGB5tTE8TW/s320/opuntia_super_rutila.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Wish we still had them growing wild here in Athens County Ohio, but pigs rooted out most of the wild populations in the 19th century. We will continue to plant them as try to re-establish a native population, at least here in the hollow.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-128170179332381612016-02-04T09:22:00.003-05:002016-02-14T09:16:43.491-05:00Hardy Cactus People are often amazed when they tour the gardens, that we have a good collection of cactus growing here. Most are Opuntias, many types of which are perfectly hardy here and grow and bloom easily. They're not crazy about being covered with a foot of snow or ice, and sometimes look a bit bedraggled in the spring, but they survive and bloom.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjHpSNjoLTclQ-rUcBePsJc6SgzrlEyNvgZPlBXpXoXUKN1Kl0IcvsF02dntOHSaUxLI5gEZlh4XZJAd6K7Us4ZvWMZLicODaRYnPVbeR_hyphenhyphenDx97GbgEY4vVlzgx7pRSPuOtXbrXzFq2a/s1600/opuntia_humifusa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKjHpSNjoLTclQ-rUcBePsJc6SgzrlEyNvgZPlBXpXoXUKN1Kl0IcvsF02dntOHSaUxLI5gEZlh4XZJAd6K7Us4ZvWMZLicODaRYnPVbeR_hyphenhyphenDx97GbgEY4vVlzgx7pRSPuOtXbrXzFq2a/s320/opuntia_humifusa.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Some of the other we grow are also perfectly hardy, but can't tolerate the wet winters. Our solution is to put used, and no longer good for fish, aquariums over them. It lets in the light and keeps the rain off. They thrive this way. In fall and spring we just need to prop one end up a bit with a rock to keep them from getting too hot. Even cactus, those heat lovers, don't want too much of a good thing.<br />
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I know it's hard to see the cactus inside, so here's what it looked like last summer.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7OCJMb2q8O2-sMfPTAVTf74weCZl3voIQuUf0Iwvji2jiVS28BISRaLhlDcNTdh6RA6ZYbF__kZpR6pEFeFsbLNOfMSBd6IyzG05KaKpxuTgalG9ROMrKsFlp2WTyjgGOlKUYEemQTJJ/s1600/echinocereus_triglochidiatus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="301" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD7OCJMb2q8O2-sMfPTAVTf74weCZl3voIQuUf0Iwvji2jiVS28BISRaLhlDcNTdh6RA6ZYbF__kZpR6pEFeFsbLNOfMSBd6IyzG05KaKpxuTgalG9ROMrKsFlp2WTyjgGOlKUYEemQTJJ/s320/echinocereus_triglochidiatus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And since these snowdrops (lots of them now) are just about the only other thing blooming right now, I think I'll continue the tour of the cactus collection tomorrow. You con't get flowers much cheerier and bright than those on cactus. Weeding can be a challenge, but well worth it.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnwG1ej9HRagBIGvs44mR6Ui6KPeedA9ephu0fp5ZGrzTALAgVi75hS90u132PCTXDDr9gND9tovYJrlE4QJerwJ1vCHB6Xp4NRQHx6RCQ7DiPfDR-N2j9kULY0HuOf6lPjm83mPuVT3R/s1600/snowdrops.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGnwG1ej9HRagBIGvs44mR6Ui6KPeedA9ephu0fp5ZGrzTALAgVi75hS90u132PCTXDDr9gND9tovYJrlE4QJerwJ1vCHB6Xp4NRQHx6RCQ7DiPfDR-N2j9kULY0HuOf6lPjm83mPuVT3R/s320/snowdrops.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-32825364546225174342016-02-03T09:36:00.003-05:002016-02-14T09:17:07.221-05:00 PetasitesPetasites japonica Gigantea. 3 foot tall stems, 3 foot wide leaves and about as tropical looking as you can get. Looks right out of a tropical rain forest. All that, and here it is blooming in February, which is what it does most every year. We grow 5 different varieties. All are happy growing in light shade and love moisture, even going so far, in the case of 'Golden Palms' to preferring seeps and springs on the hillside to anywhere else. Rubra has better color in sun, but won't get as big. People are instantly attracted to them in the garden. While they can spread a bit more than one might like, they are easy to control. They also hybridize easily with each other, so if you're going to grow more than one kind, it is probably best to separate them. They spread both by runners and by seed. But enough talk, here are some photos. The first is a bud, ready to open and only bothered a little bit by the cold. These blooms are about the size of a baseball and just covered with little white flowers.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LfW11bMhWD0Lk1wlsXiaqA5aldpMCcg_QZKptsXXNh_hfDQdVffskxyPeP_i_Lvp5s_lCOkX1R3kDn4uuCkrRXPTCtA0P_631A6glYWW6dM4YLyGOZn90zULjDY7CRhrcV4xPd_N8UXu/s1600/petasites_variegata_bud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="283" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LfW11bMhWD0Lk1wlsXiaqA5aldpMCcg_QZKptsXXNh_hfDQdVffskxyPeP_i_Lvp5s_lCOkX1R3kDn4uuCkrRXPTCtA0P_631A6glYWW6dM4YLyGOZn90zULjDY7CRhrcV4xPd_N8UXu/s320/petasites_variegata_bud.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is Petasites hybridus, the leaf is a little more heart shaped than gigantea</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdeTFs4ZX0Mc7eGrTZCkgcJif1eGv4xvbmnV8XrUw7Z9u31xUY8-nCzvoonqfFaEWmo2i1MFGQIG433H07y1Bc-TFYMktK43SAQzgfsMddbQqpgSLrpIL237AC9ZvWDMBdhELjZ1cUzEH/s1600/petasites_hybridus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJdeTFs4ZX0Mc7eGrTZCkgcJif1eGv4xvbmnV8XrUw7Z9u31xUY8-nCzvoonqfFaEWmo2i1MFGQIG433H07y1Bc-TFYMktK43SAQzgfsMddbQqpgSLrpIL237AC9ZvWDMBdhELjZ1cUzEH/s320/petasites_hybridus.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And here is the bloom from P. hybridus which is unlike any of the others we have growing here</div>
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A patch of P. gigantea</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-cGXVC1k2NaQEETCY2HtuU2NBBVD9E61cqPUOtrSapwhVIQger0WcfI9qqILIlLx8y6snV5OHu6_Q9PJSGVtX9Qv4BC7gB0zVQRj7TOZZF5grlmOPUYoLeBIBomayHp69HUbVsQUHDjc/s1600/petasites_japonica_gigantea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc-cGXVC1k2NaQEETCY2HtuU2NBBVD9E61cqPUOtrSapwhVIQger0WcfI9qqILIlLx8y6snV5OHu6_Q9PJSGVtX9Qv4BC7gB0zVQRj7TOZZF5grlmOPUYoLeBIBomayHp69HUbVsQUHDjc/s320/petasites_japonica_gigantea.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And a bloom that has opened.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXmrowPkIwypy3pGSUL9R_kiKuirJKshvJcb4UGGQHW7L7z0a_zomoP2y-KtIgTJQlkeLaiq-m9hJdbhhzKcFkIHnhvFSv6vhsVDcAwVhxPjO9vXWV1Tmdo9MaZD_rZvcfdJhVEvoKqVk/s1600/petasites_japonica_gigantea_bloom2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicXmrowPkIwypy3pGSUL9R_kiKuirJKshvJcb4UGGQHW7L7z0a_zomoP2y-KtIgTJQlkeLaiq-m9hJdbhhzKcFkIHnhvFSv6vhsVDcAwVhxPjO9vXWV1Tmdo9MaZD_rZvcfdJhVEvoKqVk/s320/petasites_japonica_gigantea_bloom2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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P. rubra showing that good red color on the undersides of the leaves.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aK9ie0IIIWq9BOwAUTGOroDNC4RJeK84LYFcdiOiLnl1BV9UAaQWihf4a1Eh6pSS0H-GBjNuf7z-wl1he3x63UulLZvQXiBHTBXf388zcnMf0n57-DzRu2Py9Ysv_6UHaafyfK_h3vVt/s1600/petasites_japonica_rubra.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7aK9ie0IIIWq9BOwAUTGOroDNC4RJeK84LYFcdiOiLnl1BV9UAaQWihf4a1Eh6pSS0H-GBjNuf7z-wl1he3x63UulLZvQXiBHTBXf388zcnMf0n57-DzRu2Py9Ysv_6UHaafyfK_h3vVt/s320/petasites_japonica_rubra.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And P. variegata, the first one we grew and still a favorite.</div>
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P. 'Golden Palms'. Different species, different leaves, different blooms. Much more difficult to find and slower to grow and slower to spread.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVVmfedaA5rNTYIr3_P-MdTA66VwZgQLLrLS38d41wgXJG17_QGgIZdOWCBaptP6KCyVycStHJRrU9heohQpAOScvJQKVzyLNGa8RhxmLVjwD2zk8JDbmvXNZzhosgXPWgFBSts-8QZI1/s1600/petasites_palmatus_golden_palms.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVVmfedaA5rNTYIr3_P-MdTA66VwZgQLLrLS38d41wgXJG17_QGgIZdOWCBaptP6KCyVycStHJRrU9heohQpAOScvJQKVzyLNGa8RhxmLVjwD2zk8JDbmvXNZzhosgXPWgFBSts-8QZI1/s320/petasites_palmatus_golden_palms.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-91526579196121377402016-02-02T09:48:00.000-05:002016-02-14T09:17:23.423-05:00Hoot Owl Hollow HIstoryI am by inclination a historian. I come by it naturally; got it from my grandfather. I love old houses, and that is why I put up with the idiosyncrasies of the antique which I call home. I have lived in this house longer than anyplace else. I have no desire to ever leave. Luckily I am pretty handy and can keep up with its ever changing challenges - bad floors, composting windowsills, no central heating, and right now, one electrical circuit that had ceased to function, making lighting in half of the downstairs a challenge. But I do love the history of the place and knowing a bit about those who have been here before me. We have been fortunate to have know people who were raised here and who could tell us stories. The house was built in 1862, from plans you could get back then, from wood that was cut on this land and with a cut stone foundation which was also gotten on the property. We have tried to keep it as original as possible, with the 'modern' stuff in an addition on the back that we added when we took off the 1940s addition that had pretty much composted. The Stewarts owned it back in the late 1800s or early 1900s, but only had a daughter who inherited the house with her Rhoric husband, hence the name of our road. When Hank bought the place, it was one of only 2 houses on the road, a distance of about 2 miles. There were usually only 2 cars to come by a day - the mail person and the newspaper person. Times have changed a bit since then, but it is still quiet and without much traffic. This was a dairy farm for many years, and one of the owners 'drove' the horse drawn schoolbus. They farmed with horses, 2 of which are buried on the hill above the back garden. It was a farm in our early years here too - horses, pigs, geese, chickens, ducks, goats and I'm probably forgetting something. It has evolved from that to being purely a pleasure garden - pretties and not much to eat, though I do stick edibles here and there and hope the deer and rabbits don't find them. But enough talk. Here are some photos from times past.<br />
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This first one is take just about at the end of the driveway. The horses used to bring in the firewood. Amazing how not wooded it is down there compared to now.<br />
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This is one of the sheep the year she had quadruplets. This was taken back near where the bog is now</div>
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And 2 geese, Gus and Gloria</div>
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The back barn and Roch, the horse. The back pasture was a lot cleaner then as the sheep grazed over there back then .</div>
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This was the parking lot back then it was for growing potatoes or popcorn or sunflowers.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-21946859363614748892016-02-01T09:18:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:17:45.385-05:00Thawing OutThe snow is still here, though not so much in town, as we found out this morning. Still ice on some paths, but it is certainly melting and it is once again safe to walk and enjoy the garden. That means new photos of the progression from winter to spring, though probably temporary progression as more cold weather is predicted after our nice warm spell.<br />
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As you can see, the creek, though still frozen, is starting to run nicely again. At least visibly nicely. It was running all along under the ice. Very cold water right now.<br />
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Another spot on the creek with very fast water. Tiny creek with rapids.</div>
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Shady spots still have a lot of snow. This ivy doesn't seem bothered by it, though.</div>
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Lake Amanda, the large pond in one of our shady gardens looks like it has ice bergs floating right now. Too late to save the yew foliage as the deer took care of it while the pond was still frozen and they could just walk out and get to it.</div>
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On of the pots of iris that grow in Lake Amanda. I think they're in a bit too much of a hurry.</div>
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And you can't forget the Snowdrops. Tiny buds are showing already.</div>
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The Tibetan Hellebores are also in a bit of a hurry. No snow on them as they have been covered by an insulated box to protect them. They are just in too much of a hurry this year. They are always early, the first ones to bloom, but this is just a bit much. They will be covered again when the cold returns.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-50785774047603770372016-01-31T09:04:00.003-05:002016-02-14T09:18:00.172-05:00The CreekI've always thought it was grossly unfair that having been blessed with a creek, and just loving the flowing water, both the sounds and sight of it, we have also been blessed with what is a sort of seasonal creek. On damp years we get a trickle all summer, but most years, about the time it warms up enough to want to go wading, there is no water in which to wade. While I love all of God's creations, there are a few places where I think S/he could have put a little more thought into things, as in a creek that runs all summer, the time when we need it most for enjoyment, watering plants, for the birds and animals to drink and a whole list of things. <br />
I could play in the creek for hours, looking at rocks, watching the tiny fish that swim in the deep puddles (and which sort of mysteriously disappear in the summer drought, only to reappear with the fall rains). Every heavy rain brings us new rocks, the most unusual and prettiest of which get carried up into the gardens for edges or accents. There is a piece of cut stone down there right now that I would love to bring up, but which is way to heave to lift. Maybe a couple of strong guys will volunteer for that job. There could be some free plants in it for you.<br />
As a child I was fascinated by the little spiders (are they actually spiders?) that walk on the surface of the water, as if they had little floats on their feet to keep them from sinking. Lazily moving across the water. I could watch them for hours. Still can. They seem to inhabit the same pools where the tiny fish live.<br />
A creek is not a static thing. It is continually changing. In the last 20 years, ours has dug itself a much deeper channel. It used to be only about a 1 foot step down to it, but now it is at least 4. It keeps it from flooding the gardens, but the banks crumble with heavy rains or floods, so I expect it will at some point be more level with the surface of the gardens. That's a log time away, though, so I probably won't live long enough to see that change. Across the road, it becomes very wide and flat, probably at least 12 feet wide. It's lazy and slow compared with our narrow one near the house. I don't walk there much as it is hard to get to sometimes, but its banks shelter ferns, yellow violets and trilliuims so it is well worth the trek.<br />
Here are some photos from the many seasons of our creek, which travels from it's source above our back pasture and joins others to enter the Hocking River at White's Mill which then heads on the the Ohio River.<br />
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This is between our wooden bridge and the bridge down on the road. What you see on the left of the photo is where the road used to go. The 'new' bridge was a WPA project, so it is getting pretty old too. The road used to go almost right in front of the house.<br />
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It's amazing how we can have rapids in our little creek when the water gets high and fast.</div>
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And 2 photos of different floods. Only once has the water come high enough to get near the house and that was during a hurricane where we got 9 inches of rain in not too many hours. I think that had more to do with the rain than the creek.</div>
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The water here is at least 4 feet deep and would wash me all the way to White's Mill is I was silly enough to venture into it.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-32057166278921625902016-01-30T15:07:00.002-05:002016-02-14T09:18:18.982-05:00Ice and KittiesThere comes a time when slipping on the ice isn't nearly as funny as it was when you were eight or ten. Ice is downright scary. That said, I don't think I ventured outside at all yesterday. The little bit of melting just added to the ice. Less snow, more ice. Not a good thing. It gave me time to play with kitties, though I'm sure there were any number of things I should have been doing. The kitties get their own post today so they can all introduce themselves. Not plants, but the Hollow wouldn't be the Hollow without them. So, in alphabetical order so as not to offend anyone, especially Princess Fanny who probably thinks we shouldn't bother putting anyone else's photo up anyway, other than hers.<br />
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First is Alexander. He arrived as a group of 8 that someone dropped off on the road in front of the house. He was quite the charmer, even as a small kitten, and he got to stay. Wish I could have kept all 8, but the others had to go to other homes. He now weighs almost 18 pounds. Kind of like picking up a cinder block.<br />
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Next is Ammimal. He arrived here as a young cat, probably under a year old, and lived in the yard for about six months before we could get close enough to really make friends. He hung around and seemed to want to get closer, but he was, and still is, terribly shy. Makes you wonder what he ran away from. Glad he's here now. Another of the 'boys' and very silly when he plays.</div>
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Fanny is one of the sisters. We rescued them from the cat shelter the last day that it was open. She and her sister Maude, pictured next, are lucky if they weigh in at 5 pounds apiece. Tiny little ladies, bur don't let their size fool you. Fanny has a vocabulary like a drunken sailor. She is in charge and the boys do as she says. Size isn't everything</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBP6rnFp_8oudl1ohSz36HsBLNlwQtUjJYy8QBzaIZq58FHSqNYSpJF_Up_qkEGEZtA5ytAjlkmjCwLby3q1-3179BbNE5Pg8NCrnaL-C36Tks5fuguG4fkz3nVyqxLiJzk9XxnrxGBbV/s1600/fanny_in_flowerpot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZBP6rnFp_8oudl1ohSz36HsBLNlwQtUjJYy8QBzaIZq58FHSqNYSpJF_Up_qkEGEZtA5ytAjlkmjCwLby3q1-3179BbNE5Pg8NCrnaL-C36Tks5fuguG4fkz3nVyqxLiJzk9XxnrxGBbV/s320/fanny_in_flowerpot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And Maude, the other of the sisters. She loves being on the enclosed porch. She is attached to me and Fanny is attached to Hank. Funny how kitties pick their people Occasionally they will acknowledge their other 'parent', but not often. She especially likes sitting in the wagon that was Hanks when he was a little kid.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJGZUlzRmD0T8mQzBvBwOfTGA3PejC8YANHT-za1K-uYeBa21zRnb2-1PLBE8kABMW2JK16pwmQ1yk-GzN92GX1isIhNoFB8NxV1hw3xQeHLPd_c1Z4sWTQz9y2iiqCKWzTqMhi0wZABi/s1600/maude_wagon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="207" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWJGZUlzRmD0T8mQzBvBwOfTGA3PejC8YANHT-za1K-uYeBa21zRnb2-1PLBE8kABMW2JK16pwmQ1yk-GzN92GX1isIhNoFB8NxV1hw3xQeHLPd_c1Z4sWTQz9y2iiqCKWzTqMhi0wZABi/s320/maude_wagon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Muffin, or Mister Muffin as he prefers to be called, arrived as an adult. Just came up to the door and expected to be let in. He's been here ever since and has never shown any inclination to go back out the door. All of our kitties are inside only cats. Too many dangers out there between coyotes and crazy neighbors with guns who like to shoot at pets. Sad. I used to love gardening with them. Oh, the stories I could tell. Another kitty who has a story to tell, and probably not a happy one, from before he found and adopted us.</div>
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<a href="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/photos/kitties/muffin_on_mantle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/photos/kitties/muffin_on_mantle.jpg" height="264" width="320" /></a></div>
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Seigfried is the closest thing we have to a dog. He runs like a dog, used to almost bark when he was little and just doesn't act very cat-like. The kitties have told us that no dogs are allowed in this house, so we will have to make due with Siggy. He is my cat, plain and simple. I seem to attract the misfits. Not sure what that means or if I even want to contemplate what it might mean. Another one who just wandered into the yard, though I expect most don't actually wander from anywhere, given that we're not exactly near anywhere. Always was funny how strays seem to show up at the end of semesters.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9vON0WRHv739JzAz_Niu-ZcRRHdQB9Z_L_TDeQIXaid_B7Gp9qURF3_SJMugceI2jPJWaBBszEXlAo_uzBbiv4nNi4JlJsZ_A_ovs9yDuuqVMcSdybbzGAohs9pYB_bHcJ_3TBEfyMx4/s1600/seigfried2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW9vON0WRHv739JzAz_Niu-ZcRRHdQB9Z_L_TDeQIXaid_B7Gp9qURF3_SJMugceI2jPJWaBBszEXlAo_uzBbiv4nNi4JlJsZ_A_ovs9yDuuqVMcSdybbzGAohs9pYB_bHcJ_3TBEfyMx4/s320/seigfried2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Spook is our feral cat. He mother, Ms. Kitty, appeared at our door when she was pregnant. She lived in the root cellar with her kittens Petunia and Spook. Ms. Kitty and Petunia are long gone. Spook is our oldest cat right now, almost 13. It took at least 6 or 7 years before I could even pet her without risking needing bandages for my fingers. She has been living in my sewing room and studio since she was pretty small, after her mother died. Another of the odd ones, so of course she is all mine. She runs under the furniture if anyone else appears in her kingdom. A sweet, tiny lady cat.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK6qNkUz44VDHxH2CrG34zF5W5NB1NQ4RPdDLDKwIappz5j8wnmQlnZ4e6oQ2v3kNNCyduJioUJ8uyJFnHLgskWZtThav1PAGx-lUL0r_HSADglxfkaXu0z3SjngY0Jog39qbshKCsO0H/s1600/spook3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYK6qNkUz44VDHxH2CrG34zF5W5NB1NQ4RPdDLDKwIappz5j8wnmQlnZ4e6oQ2v3kNNCyduJioUJ8uyJFnHLgskWZtThav1PAGx-lUL0r_HSADglxfkaXu0z3SjngY0Jog39qbshKCsO0H/s320/spook3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Last, but not least, is Thomas. He is the baby, though he is now 5. He will tell you he is still the baby and should be spoiled as such. He arrived as a very tiny kitten, just walking down the road all by himself very early in the morning. Hank was out, as is his habit, almost before the sun is up. Barely awake, I was suddenly aware of a tiny kitten who was looking me right in the eye. He is very frustrated with the older kitties since they don't have nearly the energy that he does. He has been known to wake the big guys up so that they can run quickly from one end of the house to the other.</div>
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So, that's the family. Back to plants tomorrow.</div>
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-38729020542625583272016-01-29T09:23:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:18:33.196-05:00GalanthusAlmost a month of posts and I'm still enjoying the discipline of writing every day. Makes me think about the garden in a different way; what's there right now, what do I want to share, where do I want to go with the garden changes in the spring (and spring will get here - many years of living tell me that). Just before all of this snow and cold started the Galanthus (Snowdrops) were starting to poke foliage through the earth. I told them to wait. Experience told me that it was way too early, though we have had years when they showed up in January with no problems. The advantage to that, if we don't have too much snow and horrible cold, is that we have a very long season to enjoy them, before the heat flattens them and they give way to crocuses and daffodils which are followed all too quickly by everything else rushing to be part of the show. Late winter and early spring are different. Slow, small changes every day. One step forward and two steps back. Tentative small steps to be savored. That said, I give you a taste of spring with Galanthus of various sorts from years past.<br />
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This first one is Galanthus nivea, just the common single flowered form. We don't have too many of these, strangely as we have many more of the doubles, which we keep dividing and replanting.<br />
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The double one is much fancier, though not always appreciated for its delicate petals as you pretty much have to be lying on the ground looking up to see them well.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ3ca38LjDCZSRI-QTM7RwVXzOQ6g7YMVFAptbh9nGh8wePWSbMh7rD4M6fskvEfCwHY5QHoAscCOKw5wqU3blpoyA_j_eo0ZkY5q3-gC6uRyC2BrYaYNSQWFweNkLosFBE4L2Di0RrCb/s1600/galanthus_flore_plene2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="235" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPZ3ca38LjDCZSRI-QTM7RwVXzOQ6g7YMVFAptbh9nGh8wePWSbMh7rD4M6fskvEfCwHY5QHoAscCOKw5wqU3blpoyA_j_eo0ZkY5q3-gC6uRyC2BrYaYNSQWFweNkLosFBE4L2Di0RrCb/s320/galanthus_flore_plene2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This on was obliged to turn over so you could see it better.</div>
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January Snowdrops</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqECxCqkh3Bqyw7HLD7A6UzlrsfLrEq9p0QTf7rXUcvV2tJs34AVc2ceuuExAEHSRYwL5S3d1Y__aZlL4uFTxYKAXYSa-36-VhiO-rDGoR5rx8deIo8PAz_q8_F44nYNJh0nIlNql9_c8z/s1600/galanthus_nivea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqECxCqkh3Bqyw7HLD7A6UzlrsfLrEq9p0QTf7rXUcvV2tJs34AVc2ceuuExAEHSRYwL5S3d1Y__aZlL4uFTxYKAXYSa-36-VhiO-rDGoR5rx8deIo8PAz_q8_F44nYNJh0nIlNql9_c8z/s320/galanthus_nivea.jpg" width="303" /></a></div>
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On of the select forms, this on Galanthus nivea 'Sam Arnott'. We have looked at several others to add to the collection, but at $25 a bulb for the fancy new ones, we aren't likely to be buying a lot of them any time soon.</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-3645985635459849972016-01-28T09:09:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:18:51.055-05:00YewsI posted yesterday a photo of the poor little Yew in the front yard that had been ravaged by deer. They love them and strip the needles from them any time there is snow on the ground and they can't graze on grass. Ones overhanging the ponds (with a bit of fencing) are safe until the surface of ponds freeze and then the deer just walk over the pond to get to them. It's frustrating. We are fortunate to have at least one Yew that is large enough to be safe from nibbling. It was here when Hank bought the land in 1971 and pretty large even at that point. I love the way the trunks get so interesting with age. And age they do. I've heard that 400-600 years old isn't all that unusual in England, where they are called, unsurprisingly, English Yews.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/yew_trunk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/yew_trunk.jpg" height="260" width="320" /></a></div>
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I tried to get a photo of the whole bush, but no luck. It is tucked in amongst lots of other shrubs, Hamamelis, some Cornus and other things and was just hard to see. Here's the best I could do.<br />
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<a href="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/yew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/yew.jpg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
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When I was growing up Taxus baccata was a sort of nondescript green shrub planted by the foundation of the house. Some of our are so much more than that.</div>
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<a href="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/taxus_yellow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.hootowlhollow.com/blog/taxus_yellow.jpg" height="315" width="320" /></a></div>
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The deer, unfortunately, seem to like the yellow ones even more than the plain green ones.</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-21563725584999349512016-01-27T10:02:00.000-05:002016-02-14T09:19:08.354-05:00A Rant on DeerSooner or later, if you garden, it always comes around to deer, at least when you live in the woods. For years we had them around, and through the garden, especially at dayliliy bloom time, but they pretty much avoided the front yard. Not any more. Either they are super hungry (probably) or this is a new bunch who didn't read the rules (probably) or we're very overpopulated with deer despite our best efforts to fix that. (surely).<br />
Here's what happened to one of the Yews that is just a couple of feet from the front door.<br />
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We do spray, especially in the summer with Liquid Fence or any of a number of other sprays and spread Milorganite around everywhere both as deterrent and fertilizer, but once there is a deep layer of snow on the ground, they just eat anything they see. Why they can't just make do with the grass that is now popping out where we've shoveled (and looks invitingly green) is beyond me.</div>
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I'm not sure how many are running around here, though I did chase a young doe who was about to nibble a Rhododendron over by the greenhouse. That was just at suppertime. We rarely have them down by the house in daylight. She seemed very surprised to see me. Not sure just how many we have and it's either a lot of them or one that runs around in circles a lot. Here are some tracks from over in the parking lot.</div>
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And speaking of snow, we always think about the country being so nice and clean, not traffic, less pollution. Well, it was a rude awakening when I looked at our snow which had been so nice and white looking like I was back in Philadelphia. Depressing. No snow ice cream for supper tonight.</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-34618333801672019682016-01-26T09:31:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:19:29.094-05:00Lavender PhenomenalThere is the occasional plant that just stands out in the garden. Maybe not the most showy or most fragrant or most anything, but sort of all of those. An online friend developed this cultivar and I added it to the garden in the fall of 2014. Probably should have been planted in the spring, but didn't find one until then. Lavender here in SE Ohio is an iffy proposition. Some will do well sometimes. Most don't do well at all. We're too damp, too cold, soil is too heavy. Any number of problems. People were raving about Lavender 'Phenomenal' and how it would take just about anything, even in zone 6 which is at the edge of the range, despite what the plant catalogs will try and tell you. The wonderfully hardy (and pretty and fragrant) plant made it through 20 below zero with no protections. I thought about covering it, but wanted to really put it to the test. No more Lavenders that I fall in love with only to have them die rather quickly. It came through with flying colors and grew and bloomed prolifically this past summer. Given last year, this winter should be easy. Here is a photo of it last week, before the snow, and one taken with our 8 inches of white fluff. Let's just say I'm impressed with this one. I hope to have some to sell at the nursery this summer if you want to give it a try too.<br />
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-46742219266150841612016-01-25T10:57:00.003-05:002016-02-14T09:19:48.779-05:00Thinking About SummerSnowy weather seems to be a time to looks at something besides snow. Too cold, too snowy, did that in yesterday's photos and don't want to think about it today. That said, here are some of my favorites from last summer. Enjoy.<br />
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-48618845769162322402016-01-24T09:26:00.000-05:002016-02-14T09:20:06.783-05:00SNOW !I guess I shouldn't complain that we got 8 inches of snow given what a lot of my friends are putting up with, but, well, I'll complain anyway. It's too deep to walk in easily, so my daily walk around the garden has been put off indefinitely. I get crabby when I can't walk around the garden. I did follow Hank around while he was shoveling paths to here and there, mostly to the greenhouse and out to the road, so I could at least soak up some of that lovely (though cold) sunshine that we had in the afternoon. Of course, I took my camera. Here are some of the scenes from my very limited walk. Those of you who have been here should recognize most of these spots, as I didn't get much farther than the driveway between the house and the road.<br />
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-72055593147513646222016-01-23T05:59:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:20:22.181-05:00Huernia zebrina<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This has become one of my favorites over the years it has lived in the greenhouse. Huernia zebrina is more commonly known as Life Saver Plant. The name is perfect. I've been told it is difficult, but ours seems to thrive, maybe on neglect. It does want to dry between waterings, and doesn't seem to have a problem with getting pretty dry. It does like full sun, something sometimes lacking in the hollow this time of year. The stems, though they look prickly, are really just soft spikes, not thorns. Every piece that breaks off (and they do break off as they get long) will root. Just stick it in some dirt. It blooms intermittently all throughout the year, which is an especially nice trait in a houseplant. It doesn't get to go outside with most of the others in the summer, as I think it would get just too wet and be unhappy. It isn't an expensive plant, probably due to the east of rooting and starting new ones, and great for someone with a sunny window who tends to forget to water things.<br />
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<br />Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-54042024019027107052016-01-22T09:32:00.000-05:002016-02-14T09:20:38.042-05:00In the GreenhouseSome days just aren't good for walks in the garden, despite the fact that the sun is shining. I'm not a fan of cold as my friends will well know. Cup of tea and a book in front of the fire. That's more my speed. That's where the greenhouse comes in. It's only a short walk to get there and leave winter behind. The sides and top are frosted, so that no reality of what is really happening outside can sneak in. It is warm, humid and smells good, especially when something is blooming. And things are starting to bloom. The Christmas Cactus (which all bloomed this year at Halloween) are starting up again. I hated when they bloomed so early, but love it that they're going to now apologize for their indiscretion and make it up to me by putting on another show. The first is in full bloom now. The second thing I noticed blooming was the Veltheimia capensis with it's lovely light pink blooms. It is a flowering bulb which is dormant in the summer and usually blooms for us this time of year. It is best put in a spot where the foliage won't be damaged by other things moving about as it is easily broken. It sits at the back of a shelf, which is just fine as the bloom scape is easily visible above everything else. The third thing I noticed blooming was this tiny little Corydalis solida. I found 2 tiny bulbs on the ground in one of the gardens a few weeks ago, didn't recognize them, but as is my wont, planted them anyway and put them in the greenhouse. Well, that's what they turned out to be. The tiny leaves appeared last week and were instantly recognizable. I expected that I'd have to wait until next year to see what color it turned out to be. Wrong. It is a pale pink and will stay happy in the greenhouse for now and be planted out in the spring. Last but not least, of what's blooming inside now (not counting Coleus which have the tendency to just keep blooming and blooming no matter what) is the Pepperomia clusiifolia Jellie. Not sure I would call this flowering, but blooming probably works. This isn't what most people think of as a flower, just tall white spikes, and plenty of them. I think it's happy.<br />
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-85218656245230253722016-01-21T06:06:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:20:52.489-05:00Corydalis ophiocarpaYou would think that plants that survive the winter without going dormant would have tough, thick foliage, impervious to the freeze and thaw cycles they will need to endure. Corydalis ophiocarpa puts and end to that myth. It has delicate, ferny foliage and is not a ground hugging rosette the way many that stick around all winter are. The only real change, other than looking all frosty and icy some mornings, is that the foliage can get a more bronzy tone to it. This is a rather prolific self-seeder, so running out of plants isn't really going to be a problem. It also pulls out easily, so if it spreads around too much, it is easy to get back under control. It is a shade lover, mostly, but we also have it growing in some pretty sunny spots. The flowers are creamy white and the plants range from under a foot tall to over 2 feet tall. They are native to the eastern Himalayas. Ours are all the progeny of one packet of seeds planted back in the mid 1990s.<br />
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-44936310288152367822016-01-20T09:27:00.001-05:002016-02-14T09:21:09.135-05:00LichensWhen it's cold and snowy and freezing and, well, winter, there is one thing that can be depended upon to still be green and looking pretty much like it does in the summer and that is the Lichens.<br />
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I was fascinated by Lichens from the time I was little, but didn't know just how neat they were until I was older and read about them. <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">A Lichen </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">is a composite organism that is made from algae or cyanobacteria </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">(or both) and lives among the filaments of a fungus</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> in a symbiotic relationship. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">The combined life form has properties that are very different from the properties of its component organisms. Lichens come in many colors, sizes, and forms. The properties are sometimes plant-like, but lichens are not plants. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">may contain the word moss, as in</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> "Reindeer Moss</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">, and lichens may superficially look like and grow with mosses, but lichens are not related to mosses or any plant.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 11.2px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Lichens do not have roots that absorb water and nutrients as plants do</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 11.2px;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">but like plants they produce their own food by photosynthesis using sunlight energy, from carbon dioxide, water and minerals in their environment.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 11.2px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">When they grow on plants, they do not live as</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> parasites </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">and only use the plants as a base upon which to live.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Lichens occur from sea level to high alpine elevations, in a very wide range of environmental conditions, and can grow on almost any surface.</span><span style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 11.2px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> Lichens are abundant growing on bark, leaves, mosses, on other lichens,</span><span style="font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 11.2px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> and hanging from branches "living on thin air</span><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> in </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rain_forest" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" title="Rain forest">rain forests</a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> and in </span><a class="mw-redirect" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temperate_woodland" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; color: #0b0080; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-decoration: none;" title="Temperate woodland">temperate woodland</a><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">. They grow on bare rock, walls, gravestones, roofs, exposed soil surfaces. Just downright amazing little creatures.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">We have many different kinds that grow here in addition to the one pictures above that grows on the dying maple tree in the front yard (they were planted when the house was built, or shortly after so are well over 100 years old). Here are a few more from my photo archive that are also relatively abundant here in the hollow. Thanks to Wikipedia for the basic information above.</span></div>
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Want more info? Check out http://ohiomosslichen.org/</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7506150163151574409.post-69937614732202304302016-01-19T06:14:00.002-05:002016-02-14T09:21:25.864-05:00Digitalis purpureaI'm not a big fan of cold weather. Any time I can't be out in the garden, at least for a bit, isn't a good day. Yesterday was just too cold for all but the shortest of walks. Although I wouldn't go so far as to say that those plants that stay evergreen even in this weather enjoy being out in it, they do seem to tolerate it much better than I do. Another one of them is Digitalis or Foxglove, as least Digitalis purpurea which we have scattered here and there in the gardens. It grows in sun or shade and anything in between, scattering seeds around to make large colonies if allowed to. The color selection changes from year to year, anything from white to pink to purple, light to dark, some with more spots, some with less, but all pretty. After many years of self-hybridizing, we also have them in various heights from about 8 inches to over 4 feet tall. This is another biennial, like the Mullein from yesterday. Although I prefer perennials - things that just keep on from year to year and stay put in one place, the whimsy of something that moves from place to place (not always where I would choose) is the kind of thing that keeps gardening interesting. I give you a photo today of the rosette, what we see over the winter. It will bloom in late spring and some even rebloom later in the season before scattering seeds and then dying, making way for the next generation.<br />
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I don't know about you, but I certainly appreciate photos of things blooming even in those months when they're not and all we have is a rosette of leaves and a promise of things to come.</div>
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Hoot Owl Hollow Nurseryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07041487294520425396noreply@blogger.com0