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Strawberry Tree

Since moving to Washington, I have discovered a great number of new trees. One of my favorites is the Strawberry Tree ( Arbutus unedo ). It is a four-season tree with semi-glossy evergreen leaves and lovely mahogany bark. In autumn, clusters of white flowers appear, bearing a resemblance to Lily-of-the-Valley flowers. And then there are the little fruits, which resemble strawberries that appear at the same time as the flowers. I am not sure why, but I have only seen a few fruits on ours. I don't know if birds are getting them before I see them or what happens. The fruits are said to be edible but not very tasty (to humans). This year, our tree is loaded with flowers, the most I've ever seen. Bees absolutely love it and so do the hummingbirds. The flowers usually continue to appear straight through winter, and it can be blooming even during the coldest periods of winter. Aside from the fact that I have not seen much of the colorful fruits, the major negative note is the fact tha
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Fantastic phlox



Is August the pits or what? I officially hate it. It has been so hot and humid this week that you can't be outside for ten minutes without enduring a sweat bath. To add insult to injury, there is no rain in sight. This morning the weather man was talking about some type of front in the pan handle of Florida that was preventing tropical moisture from reaching us here in north Alabama. Typical!

Despite this, there are some plants that actually look great this time of year. Phlox is one of them. This is a very forgiving perennial and seems to do well in either sun or shade and snubs its nose at the heat and drought. The variety in the photo is "Robert Poore," which, true to the catalog descriptions, is resistant to powdery mildew. You can't beat it this time of year for blue color in the garden and it is great in flower arrangements.
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  1. chuck b.August 5, 2007 at 8:54 PM

    When I lived in Atlanta, it rained every day at 4 p.m. during the summer. Like clockwork. It was quite an adjustment for me.

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  2. TraceyAugust 6, 2007 at 8:36 AM

    Thanks for reminding me about Phlox. I am in Charlottesville, VA - dry, dry, dry. It is great to remember what keeps going during these down-times!

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  3. Annie in AustinAugust 14, 2007 at 10:02 PM

    Hello Phillip - thank you for coming to my blog and leaving a comment - what a beautiful site you have!
    My one little white phlox nearly croaked when we had too much rain - and is now being fried. 'Robert Poore' looks great.

    As one movie-loving gardener to another - have you seen the YouTube called Women in Film ?

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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