Lilium 'Tiny Pearl' Seed Pods

My Lilium 'Tiny Pearl' is way past blooming and has mature seed pods on the dried up stalks. They split open and rattle if you touch the stems. Tiny thin seeds fly out of the dried pods. I thought, "wow wouldn't it be cool to grow some more from seed?" Well, after finding this video, I realized that might not be so easy. 

Oriental lilies can take weeks to germinate, and then months in the fridge to get ready for next season. No thanks! I'd rather buy them for $2 in September when they're just slightly out of season but growing just fine. 

Beautiful Pinus strobus 'Pendula' at Butler University

I was on campus for a meeting at Butler University today and I was a little early so I thought I would take a stroll and check out the formal gardens and other plants on campus. The landscaping overall was beautiful, but I had heard plenty about the formal gardens so I wanted to check them out especially.

Pinus strobus 'Pendula' at Butler University

Pinus strobus 'Pendula' at Butler University

My favorite was the belltower tucked along the edge of the woods on a hill overlooking a pond, and 3 absolutely gorgeous shaggy weeping white pine trees [Pinus strobus 'Pendula'] out in front of their HRC building.

Beneath the bell tower at Butler University

Had to crank the brightness on this photo to make up for the shade and backlight

The bell tower was really cool, and it was right by the pond in the woods near the observatory (the only other building on campus I've been inside).

Rows of flowers and a grassy lawn with a groomed evergreen hedge

Rows of flowers in large beds on both sides of the grassy lawn

New Addition Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears'

This is my first miniature Hosta, it's a little tiny Hosta 'Blue Mouse Ears' that I'm trying out in my dry side yard and hoping to divide and fill in little spaces in both of my shade gardens. It only gets to be about a foot wide and 8 inches tall. Reading up on it a little, I'm thinking I may have to keep it watered quite well on the dry shade side until it is established.

This hosta is considered 'blue' because it is dark blue/green in contrast to other types that are lime green or yellow

Tiny blue mouse ear leaves!

This miniature hosta is a perfect size for my dry shade garden that curves in to only 9 inches wide at the narrowest point (to give me access to the water spigot).

Speaking of tiny Hostas, I noticed what I believe to be Hosta 'Libby' sprouting a baby. Rather than dividing this entire plant, I cut the baby off and planted it in a new spot. I'm not sure if all Hostas have babies like this, but I didn't notice the same thing happening with my Hosta 'Patriot'.

What I think is Hosta 'Libby' with a little baby off-shoot. I harvested this one instead of dividing the entire plant for a new division.

Free plants, can't beat it! Let's see if this one survives the winter.

Update 9-20-2015: The next morning I found that a rabbit had immediately enjoyed the young hosta leaves from my baby transplant (not my store bought Mouse Ears thankfully). I had my first sighting of the actual rabbit as well! He was hiding in the Russian sage by my utility box and went running. I sprinkled some Animal B Gon all around the bed and the utility box and I haven't seen him since.

My divided baby off-shoot hosta immediately became rabbit breakfast