Benefit #47 of 50 in retirement

[Midpack]

DW is the garden expert, when I was working I hardly noticed anything that grew in our yard beyond the grass I had to mow. Even flowers right under my nose!

Now I notice changes almost every day, and it's wunderbar!

For you advanced green thumbs, how many can you ID? I can only ID a few without the chart DW helped me develop.

 

[ERD50]

Light purple-ish/pink-ish flowers, blue flowers, yellow & brown flower, deep pink flower.

Did I get them right?

I'm bad with names of plants unless I've been directly involved in selection/care, or I just know from way back or common ones (like roses). I'm pretty sure about 3 of 4, and I recognize the spiky blue, but can't recall the name.

SPOILER - highlight below for my guesses

Upper Left - Hydrangea? or one of those "H" words. Hyacinth?
Upper right = ? ?
Lower Left = Brown Eyed Susan, or maybe some kind of daisy?
Lower Right - Hibiscus, or maybe something that looks like hibiscus?

-ERD50

 

[Red Badger]

I know I have seen at least 3 of the 4, but can't name them. And yep, DW is the green thumb here as well. We do 80% veggies and a few areas for flowers (both for contrast/beauty and to attract bees).

Now retired, I am trying of be more of a help beyond prepping garden beds etc. It's a work in process.

 

[cathy63]

Hydrangea and Hibiscus are easy, because my Dad always grew those.

The yellow one is some kind of daisy, but there are so many. Is it Black-eyed Susan?

Is the blue spiky thing related to sage? I've seen those, but don't know what they're called.

 

[FIREmenow]

Wait, what? Only 50 benefits?

 

[Bigdawg]

Sun flower

 

[Midpack]

Hydrangea and Hibiscus are easy, because my Dad always grew those.

The yellow one is some kind of daisy, but there are so many. Is it Black-eyed Susan?

Is the blue spiky thing related to sage? I've seen those, but don't know what they're called.

Oops, I just looked at my handy dandy landscape diagram and the purple spiky thing is one of the few unnamed. Maybe someone here will tell me too!

 

[Meadbh]

The purple spiky one looks like foxglove (digitalis purpurea) to me.

https://www.gardenia.net/plant/digitalis-purpurea-common-foxglove

Whatever, they are all gorgeous!

 

[sturbridge]

The purple spiky one looks like veronica to me (based on the leaves) but it could be a salvia.

 

[Lawrencewendall]

hydrangea, Hibiscus and black eyed susan. Don't know the fourth. I have the green thumb in the house.

 

[W2R]

Could it be some sort of lupine, like the bluebonnet?

Oh well. To me, all of the flowers imply spending time gardening, and I am just not into that these days.

So many wonderful, intriguing, enticing things to do in retirement, and so little time... every year there is less time left for all of us. I know, that is not a cheerful thing to say. I am running FIRECalc for 25 years instead of 30 these days.

Anyway, I love having nothing but grass in my yard, plentiful rain, and a lawn guy to mow and care for it. I do have some containers if I get the desire to grow anything, but so far that has been the furthest thing from my mind.

 

[MuirWannabe]

Could it be some sort of lupine, like the bluebonnet?

Oh well. To me, all of the flowers imply spending time gardening, and I am just not into that these days.

So many wonderful, intriguing, enticing things to do in retirement, and so little time... every year there is less time left for all of us. I know, that is not a cheerful thing to say. I am running FIRECalc for 25 years instead of 30 these days.

Anyway, I love having nothing but grass in my yard, plentiful rain, and a lawn guy to mow and care for it. I do have some containers if I get the desire to grow anything, but so far that has been the furthest thing from my mind.

It's not a bluebonnet imo. But a lupine variety seems likely.

 

[Moemg]

Gorgeous Flowers ! Your wife did an excellent job .

 

[MissMolly]

Definitely Lupine.

 

[aja8888]

If it's different than a rose, I can't name it. I was born with no landscaping gene in my body. But those are quite nice and your DW is skilled.

 

[splitwdw]

hydrangea, salvia (might be 'Violet Riot'), rudbeckia goldstrum, hibiscus

 

[Mango1956]

My guess on the purple one is Veronica spicata. It's lovely in any case! Not a Salvia.

 

[Midpack]

After comparing a bunch of online images to our actual plant, I'm convinced it's a purple salvia or veronica (better pic for ID below?). Leaves are clearly unlike lupine. Blooms are different than foxglove. There are multiple blooms on some stems unlike the veronica images I found, but DW says "it's not salvia." I'm over my head here.

Ain't retirement grand...

 

[splitwdw]

Midpack, Does the plant have a square stem?

 

[Mango1956]

Midpack, Does the plant have a square stem?

+1. Go and feel the stem. Salvia is in the mint family. They all have square stems.

 

[splitwdw]

+1. Go and feel the stem. Salvia is in the mint family. They all have square stems.

Were you in my class at Longwood?

 

[Mango1956]

Were you in my class at Longwood?

No just my local community college. Good times!

 

[Midpack]

Midpack, Does the plant have a square stem?

+1. Go and feel the stem. Salvia is in the mint family. They all have square stems.

Wow, you're good. The stems are found, so I guess it's a veronica and DW was right (again).

My guess on the purple one is Veronica spicata. It's lovely in any case! Not a Salvia.

I should put pictures up of the 2-3 other plants in our yard we've forgotten and haven't identified.

 

[Mango1956]

Wow, you're good. The stems are found, so I guess it's a veronica and DW was right (again).


I should put pictures up of the 2-3 other plants in our yard we've forgotten and haven't identified.

Yes please!

 

[Midpack]

Yes please!

Thank you very much! You're very kind. They're undoubtedly easy ones, I'm just that clueless. DW identified most of the others. She thinks the first three are some kind of yews. The last must be very common, she just doesn't know off the top of her head, she's best with flowering plants.

My decidedly amateur notes:
Pic 1: Some dwarf variety. Chosen to stay very small, about 18" across after 10+ years. Small light/mint green needles. Very dense.
Pic 2: Moderate size, 2-3 foot, typical green needles, average density. Nothing special, prob common.
Pic 3: Has remained small, low flat thin layering branches. Pic doesn't show the layering well.
Pic 4: A dwarf grass, less than 18" across after 10+ years. Chosen to remain very small, and they have.