Red Zinnia Flower

Red Zinnia Flower

Welome to the Jungle | Our Backyard Watergarden in North Alabama

Our private garden area contains a fully built-in backyard pond, with a cascading waterfall. The area has a varied mix of plants to include fruits, veggies and flowers. Our goal was/is a rustic tropical appearance with many banana trees to maintain a tropical look. Thank you for visiting our amateur gardening venture. Please return often to see our wins and failures.

Watermelon vs. Baseball | A Size Comparison

Watermelon vs. Baseball | A Size Comparison

My watermelon is growing nicely. Here I hold a baseball to use as a size comparison. WARNING: Do Not Eat Baseballs

An Eclectic Mix of Flowers in a Vase | Flowers From Our Garden on Show In a Vase

A Broad and Diverse Mix of Flowers From Our Garden on Show In a Vase

This is a vase full of a mix of flowers from our private water garden area. In the background hangs a picture of a riverboat that my grandfather altered to rename as the Mary Dean in honor of Mary Dean Jepsen (Mary Dean Holmes) of Tunica. She was his second wife after the passing of my grandmother. The frame of the picture was made from the wood of one of the old barns on her farm.

Basket of Blueberries and Blackberries | Additions to My Morning Oatmeal

Basket of Blueberries and Blackberries | Additions to My Morning Oatmeal

Canna Lily With Skull Sentry

Canna Lily With Skull Sentry

Pink Zinnia

Pink Zinnia

Blueberry Color Changes | Nature's Palette

Blueberry color changes as they ripen

As bluberries ripen, they remind me of a palette used by an artist to mix paints.

More Water Lilies

Water Lilies in a Backyard Water Garden

Carpenter Bee on a Sunflower

Carpenter bee on a sunflower. Great Pollinators!

Watermelon Growing | Yummy Expectations

A Fake Butterfly Being Used as Ornamentation for Plants and Pots

* A Gift From Karen BloodWorth in 2020

Bluebirds | Picture of A Bluebird in Prayer

Male Bluebird

Bunch of Grapes

The grapes are growing well, but as usual, they have developed black spots on them. blogs.cornell.edu/grapes/ipm/diseases/grape-disease-control-spring-2021/ tells me If the early season diseases were competing in the Olympics, Black Rot would easily claim a spot on the podium. Black rot thrives in humid climates and is prevalent in the eastern industry. Under my conditions, berries are highly susceptible to black rot from cap fall until 3-4 weeks (Concord/Niagara) or 4-5 weeks (V. vinifera) later. After this point the berries begin to lose susceptibility and will become resistant/immune after an additional 2 weeks. While black rot can be spread by spores blowing in from distant infections on wild grapevines, it is most frequently started from mummified berries left by the previous year’s infections, making vineyard sanitation CRITICAL for effective black rot management (see subsequent section on cultural management for moProtectants mancozeb and ziram have been shown to provide effective control. Captan is less effective but will provide some control. Copper only provides slight control. Unlike powdery and downy mildew, the DMIs and strobilurins will generally provide strong black rot control. High efficacy products include Abound, Aprovia Topre detail). Infection will spread from leaves to the fruit and can result in complete crop loss under severe conditions.

However, the above remedy for my problem is not he answer for me. I grow fruit and vegetables at home to avoid chemical application. I would rather let the grapes go to the birds rather than applying chemicals. Usually I can harvest a few of the grapes that are not exhibiting these issues. I feel success in life and relationships often requires sacrifice from all equally in order to find balance. We all have to determine to what degree we are willing to make sacrifice and where we personally desire to draw our line in the sand relative to such.In this case, I am willing to succumb to the loss of produce rather than ingest the chemicals. You have to decide where you stand.

Barn Swallow Eggs and Nest

Barn Swallow Eggs and Nest,Barn Swallow Eggs,Barn Swallow Nest,Barn Swallow,

Morning Over The Backyard | A Flat Stratus Cloud Deck

This is a picture of a Flat Stratus Cloud Deck. It was a beautiful an interesting horizon to view this morning, especially with the near full moon in the backgroud. AI describes this as follows:

Flat Stratus Cloud Deck

A flat stratus cloud deck is caused by widespread, gentle upward motion of moist air combined with a temperature inversion that caps the cloud layer from rising. Unlike puffy cumulus clouds driven by local, intense thermal updrafts, stratus clouds form under stable atmospheric conditions. When a large mass of warm, moist air slowly overrides a cooler air mass—or when air cools uniformly near the ground—moisture condenses horizontally into a vast, featureless sheet. A temperature inversion acts like a rigid "ceiling," flattening the top of the cloud deck and preventing any vertical growth.

Watermelon is vining good

Black-Eyed Susan Blooms | First Bloom of the Black-Eyed Susan for 2026

Cattails Begin to Mature to Fuzzy Brown Flower Spikes

Cattails begin to mature to the beautiful fuzzy-brown flower spikes. Cattails are great as a natural filtration system although they should be controlled through monitoring in an effort to prevent the roots from taking over your pond. It's very exciting these were initially derived from birds accidentally dropping the roots from cattails they brought to the area as a nesting material.

First Blueberry Ripens for 2026 (May 31, 2026)

Grapes are proliferating well (May 31, 2026)

The grapes are thick this year.

Zinnia Flower and Canna Lily

Zinnia and Canna Flowers coloring the backyard pond and garden area.

Begonia in a Hanging Basket

This Begonia sits west-facing. It is shaded thru early morning and then sits in full sun until dusk. The Begonia is a plant that needs to be deadheaded regularly and responds well to it. I also tear off any leaves that begin to brown or show any sign of damage or a lack of vibrancy.

Cattails are Producing Tails

These Cats are producing tails.

Flowering Rosemary Plant

The Rosemary is producing fragrant flowers. They make a nice garnish and are not as strong tasting as the rosemary leaf.