Correction! True Identity revealed...

Yesterday I had a call from my favorite grower at Blossom and Bloom on Birmingham Hwy in Alpharetta. It appears my inquiry about the unusual flower made its way to him through other plant friends...Turns out, what I earlier THOUGHT was a Toad Lily, is instead a Blackberry Lily.

Of course, it came from his nursery, so it was a snap for Reagan to identify my plant! This variety was hybridized, the name is x Pardancanda, its nickname; Lollipop (love it!) So, fellow horticulture fans, the mystery is solved. For more information on this flowering perennial, which is really easy to grow, check out the link.

http://www.goodnessgrows.com/id8.html

Reagan is working on his own version called Hello Yellow and he says mine is a reverted specimen of his cross with Lollipop. Beautiful mistake!


Here's to the unusual that makes our everyday lives special,

Lyn

P.S. If you have never been to this nursery, you are missing some of the best perennials, annuals and herbs in the area. Obviously you will find things here, you won't see at Pikes or Home Depot! Here's the mapquest link:
http://maps.google.com/maps/place?um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=blossom+and+bloom+alpharetta&fb=1&gl=us&hq=blossom+and+bloom&hnear=Alpharetta,+GA&cid=13938087119255095717

Odd sightings in the garden..

I think this is a cicada. It appears to be mating with a wingless relative? 

There are some 3,000 species of Cicadas, some emerging in the dog days of summer. I'd say that's right about now...

Taking advantage of the rain and cooler temps to do a little easy weeding,

Lyn

New Exhibits at Atlanta Botanical Garden

A recent visit to see the new exhibits of edible gardens and the revived Storza Woods, oldest stand of hardwoods in the metro Atlanta area. Get a peek here, but definitely plan a trip to see it for yourselves!

http://picasaweb.google.com/wintercohen/AtlBotGardenJuly2010#slideshow/5492706177938820130


It's cooler in the woods!
Lyn

Bocce Ball

Here is a sport for just about every age group, and it takes very little space...

Bocce, from the Italian for 'bowl' (boccia).  It's a lot like bowling, but the object of the game is to throw your ball closest to another ball called the pollino or boccini, which is smaller and white. There are all kinds of options for finished size and foul lines, as well as surfaces.

We decided to stick with a soft, easy surface and adapt to the surroundings. Our court was built by excavating about 3" deep and filling a trench with sand and rock before placing the landscape timbers on top. Timbers were secured with 12" spikes around the circumference.  (see slide show right for more photos)

This is a quick and easy installation. If you want the serious competitive version, you will be installing something similar to a clay tennis court. Lots of options in between exist as well, from crushed shale to oyster shells.

Here is a link to all the basics - if you want to learn more:
http://www.sportsunlimitedinc.com/boccecourt.html

More photos when the game is in full swing next week at the party!
Lyn