What a gray day!! It is drizzly, dreary and miserably chilly because of the dampness. No yardwork today. :( It's a little depressive in that the flowering trees have come out and now the blooms are fading. There was never a time of mild weather where it was comfortable to be outside and enjoy their beauty. Some of the Star and Saucer Magnolias have been nipped by the cold and their blooms are browned up before they even fully opened. I remember when this happened as I was growing up. I sat there looking out at our Saucer Magnolia, crying because the cold had browned the buds. I wouldn't get to enjoy them! Daddy explained that sometimes these things happen. We can't fight it.
On the bright side, my Ranunculus has sprouted!! Finally! Little green leaves and stems are peeking out. I hope they will survive and bloom for me.
Can't wait for warmer weather and time spent outdoors.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Saturday, March 26, 2011
There's no business like snow business
We are expecting snow tonight. Snow. SN*W??? Seriously?
Do you have any idea what the word snow does to the spirits of those who want to get in the garden? It's not pretty.
I was hoping to get the rest of the flowerbed weeded and mulched but it is just plain too cold.
I brought the Stellas and my Brazilian Rock Rose into the garage. The BRR hasn't sprouted yet but I have my fingers crossed. The Stargazer Lily is getting taller and my Ranunculus? Well. Nuttin' hunny. But I remain hopeful. Gardening teaches one hope and patience.
Once I am ( somewhat ) confident that we are beyhond bad weather I am going to plant some Mexican Primrose seeds and move some of my lilies.
Do you have any idea what the word snow does to the spirits of those who want to get in the garden? It's not pretty.
I was hoping to get the rest of the flowerbed weeded and mulched but it is just plain too cold.
I brought the Stellas and my Brazilian Rock Rose into the garage. The BRR hasn't sprouted yet but I have my fingers crossed. The Stargazer Lily is getting taller and my Ranunculus? Well. Nuttin' hunny. But I remain hopeful. Gardening teaches one hope and patience.
Once I am ( somewhat ) confident that we are beyhond bad weather I am going to plant some Mexican Primrose seeds and move some of my lilies.
Friday, March 25, 2011
A farewell to Big
Big died two days ago. He was also known as Mr. Big. Formally, his name was Beauregard. G. gave him that name. He was a red and blue colored tie dye looking Betta fish.
I can't tell you how old he was precisely. I know he had to be at least four years old. He was big for a Betta which is how he came by the name. He was friendly and curious. I would greet him the morning at feeding time, "Another morning with Big!"
Now, no more mornings with Big. He is buried with the other fishes.
Swim on, Big! Swim beneath the Rainbow Bridge.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Spring has sprung!
YAY! Temps yesterday flirted with the seventy degree mark. It was overcast most of the day. Very pleasant for working in the yard. I cleaned up the flowerbed around the mail box. Got all of the winter debris cleaned out and side dressed it with leaf mulch. The leaf mulch will enrich the soil, keep the soil somewhat insulated on any chilly nights and gives the bed a little more finished look.
The Ditch Lilies are magnificent. I am so looking forward to their blooms. I only wish that they had a longer bloom time. I have a cultivated Daylily that looks to be be doing well, also. I use the term "cultivated" to differentiate between a wild plant, like my Ditch Lilies, and one that was bred by a grower and purchased at a nursery. Granny always broke things down that way so this is how I reason it in my mind. Anyway, the cultivated Lily is a real pretty apricot color. It's not been very hearty the past couple of years. I was surprised to see it starting off so well. I hope it will continue growing at this rate.
My Stella D'oro lily has come back, too :) Last season was my first try at growing those. I have it in a pot right now but will most lilely transplant it out by the mailbox. Unless! I can find a cobalt blue planter. I would like to do some Stellas in a planter that color. I have learned through some online searches that I would prefer the Happy Returns lily. Happy Returns is a pure lemon yellow. Stella is the color of cheddar cheese. Not everyone is a fan of Stellas because they feel they are overplanted. I learned online recently that some people refer to them as Gas Station Lilies because landscapers use them in that setting so often. I know our city has used them extensively in landscaping a median strip. I'm a little put off at the tin soldier grid planting but it is otherwise pleasing ro the eye. Sure beats the usual overgrown strip of grass median . Ah well, to each his own. That is the wonderful part of gardening: no one can patently tell you that you are doing it wrong. If you like grid plantings and alot of manicuring, go for it. If one plant especially appeals to you, plant it with abandon. Do what makes you happy.
I have to say I was very happy out there yesterday! The crows were holding a convention. They kept calling to one another. One was very near me and another was far off. After a period of calling they took a road trip ( tree trip? ) and I could hear both of them in the distance chattering. Suddenly, I noticed a chorus of crow calls.. I looked up and the sky was full of them! They were circling like vultures, soaring way up high, and calling to one another. They would leave for a bit and return to circle and caw. I sometimes wonder what the birds are up to. I know all the cawing and circling was serving a purpose, I just don't know what that purpose was.
I also started on cleaning up the area by the garage where I have my container plants. An Aster and several pots of Mums. Yay! All of my Mums came back. I have a couple of Mum pots that I have been growing for years. I just leave them in the pot they were grown in, usually. Once I dismantle my Fall display I set them out by the garage and let them hibernate. They get plenty of winter sun and they do quite nicely. I leave them in their pots because I just plain do not have the space to plant them in the landscape. I have a small area in the yard that gets full sun. The rest is shaded by the hedge and two ginormous Southern Magnolias. I was also cleaning up the leftovers of my volunteer sprawling Petunias. Is that their name? Not Wave Petunias but they have a similar groth pattern. I had a hanging pot of them in the summer of 2009. The pot dropped seed and in Spring 2010 I noticed little baby Petunias coming up in the lawn. I asked G. to avoid mowing there. I was rewarded with a blanket of gorgeous volunteer Petunias. Purple and lavender and hot pink. So pretty! I went out every evening in the fall and faithfully covered them so I enjoy them for as long as possible. I was hoping for a comeback but I don't see any babies. I did, however, notice that one stem, deep in the tangle of stems, appears to be green and have life in it. For now I am leaving that little piece of the plants. Hopefully it will revive.
I wandered down into the lower 40, as I call it. It's a corner of yard that I don't often visit because it is so hilly and steep. There, I have a volunteer Autumn Olive shrub. It is so frgrant in the spring that it perfumes the entire street! When we moved in there was this tall trunk of a dead tree where the Autumn Olive now grows. G. had the city remove it, since it is on their easement for the public walkway. Not long after the tree was removed I noticed sprouts at the base of the stump that did not appear to be sucker growth on the tree. It is now a shrub that is 15 feet tall. I noticed a couple canes of the Forsythia had twined into the Autumn Olive and grew straight up on thier makeshift support. Yellow blooms fifteen feet up that appear be floating there. Crazy. As I said before, I lke growing things so I left it as is. I know most people would probably cut down the stray canes of Forsythia and prune back the Autumn Olive and make things more "controlled"! Bah. They wouldn't enjoy the fragrant Olive blooms in the spring or get to look up and see the yellow blooms in the sky. There is something to be said for that, as far as I can see.
The Ditch Lilies are magnificent. I am so looking forward to their blooms. I only wish that they had a longer bloom time. I have a cultivated Daylily that looks to be be doing well, also. I use the term "cultivated" to differentiate between a wild plant, like my Ditch Lilies, and one that was bred by a grower and purchased at a nursery. Granny always broke things down that way so this is how I reason it in my mind. Anyway, the cultivated Lily is a real pretty apricot color. It's not been very hearty the past couple of years. I was surprised to see it starting off so well. I hope it will continue growing at this rate.
My Stella D'oro lily has come back, too :) Last season was my first try at growing those. I have it in a pot right now but will most lilely transplant it out by the mailbox. Unless! I can find a cobalt blue planter. I would like to do some Stellas in a planter that color. I have learned through some online searches that I would prefer the Happy Returns lily. Happy Returns is a pure lemon yellow. Stella is the color of cheddar cheese. Not everyone is a fan of Stellas because they feel they are overplanted. I learned online recently that some people refer to them as Gas Station Lilies because landscapers use them in that setting so often. I know our city has used them extensively in landscaping a median strip. I'm a little put off at the tin soldier grid planting but it is otherwise pleasing ro the eye. Sure beats the usual overgrown strip of grass median . Ah well, to each his own. That is the wonderful part of gardening: no one can patently tell you that you are doing it wrong. If you like grid plantings and alot of manicuring, go for it. If one plant especially appeals to you, plant it with abandon. Do what makes you happy.
I have to say I was very happy out there yesterday! The crows were holding a convention. They kept calling to one another. One was very near me and another was far off. After a period of calling they took a road trip ( tree trip? ) and I could hear both of them in the distance chattering. Suddenly, I noticed a chorus of crow calls.. I looked up and the sky was full of them! They were circling like vultures, soaring way up high, and calling to one another. They would leave for a bit and return to circle and caw. I sometimes wonder what the birds are up to. I know all the cawing and circling was serving a purpose, I just don't know what that purpose was.
I also started on cleaning up the area by the garage where I have my container plants. An Aster and several pots of Mums. Yay! All of my Mums came back. I have a couple of Mum pots that I have been growing for years. I just leave them in the pot they were grown in, usually. Once I dismantle my Fall display I set them out by the garage and let them hibernate. They get plenty of winter sun and they do quite nicely. I leave them in their pots because I just plain do not have the space to plant them in the landscape. I have a small area in the yard that gets full sun. The rest is shaded by the hedge and two ginormous Southern Magnolias. I was also cleaning up the leftovers of my volunteer sprawling Petunias. Is that their name? Not Wave Petunias but they have a similar groth pattern. I had a hanging pot of them in the summer of 2009. The pot dropped seed and in Spring 2010 I noticed little baby Petunias coming up in the lawn. I asked G. to avoid mowing there. I was rewarded with a blanket of gorgeous volunteer Petunias. Purple and lavender and hot pink. So pretty! I went out every evening in the fall and faithfully covered them so I enjoy them for as long as possible. I was hoping for a comeback but I don't see any babies. I did, however, notice that one stem, deep in the tangle of stems, appears to be green and have life in it. For now I am leaving that little piece of the plants. Hopefully it will revive.
I wandered down into the lower 40, as I call it. It's a corner of yard that I don't often visit because it is so hilly and steep. There, I have a volunteer Autumn Olive shrub. It is so frgrant in the spring that it perfumes the entire street! When we moved in there was this tall trunk of a dead tree where the Autumn Olive now grows. G. had the city remove it, since it is on their easement for the public walkway. Not long after the tree was removed I noticed sprouts at the base of the stump that did not appear to be sucker growth on the tree. It is now a shrub that is 15 feet tall. I noticed a couple canes of the Forsythia had twined into the Autumn Olive and grew straight up on thier makeshift support. Yellow blooms fifteen feet up that appear be floating there. Crazy. As I said before, I lke growing things so I left it as is. I know most people would probably cut down the stray canes of Forsythia and prune back the Autumn Olive and make things more "controlled"! Bah. They wouldn't enjoy the fragrant Olive blooms in the spring or get to look up and see the yellow blooms in the sky. There is something to be said for that, as far as I can see.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Gray day
It was a gray day. Windy. Old man winter does not want to yield.
More rain predicted for tomorrow afternoon. I'm breaking out the ark building supplies.
I noticed that the wild rose is putting out leaves. :) The Knockout roses are still dormant.
I have a mounding wild rose in the side yard. Shortly after we moved in, I noticed two little rose leaves in the grass. I marked them and asked ( told? ) G. not to mow there. As the rosebush grew I assumed it was a climbing rose. So I erected a trellis and did my best to tame it into growing on the trellis. Espellier at its' finest! Yeah. Not so much. After some research, I determined that I have what is known as a mounding rose. I am wasting my time trying to train it onto a trellis. This baby is like Macy Gray's hair: it has a mind of its' own. Allowing it to mound into its' natrual form and tenacious pruning has kept in a shape we can live with. Seriously, it started taking over the yard at one point. I let it mound out of bounds and it just plain took over. Last fall, for the second season in a row, I pruned it back right after Halloween. I'm hoping it will bloom for me this season. Certainly, I know it will sprawl everywhere. It's like The Little Shop of Horrors. Rose canes flying off in all directions, bowing down across the fence line and into the public walkway that borders our yard. Which means the city will come along at some point in the growing season WITH A WEEDWHACKER, thank you very much, and lop it back if I don't keep it contained. Poor thing has endured some butchering in the past. It cheerfully comes back every spring and forms little white apple blossom-esque roses. It is truly a wild rose and most people would probably call it a weed, whack it off at the beginning and be done with it. Not this kid. If it lives and flourishes I try to work with it. I know I wear on G's nerves and the nerves of my neighbors with my staunch protection of the "overgrown" ( G's words ) landscape. I should probably bite the bullet and be more austere. I just can't quite bring myself to have a manicured, suburban, cookie cutter landscape.
In our first home the same exact thing happened with a rose. I noticed rose leaves in the grass and took it on as a pet project. Turns out it, too, was a moundng rose. It had medium sized burgundy blooms in the springtime. I think it's neat that both properties have yielded volunteer roses for us. With the first house I'm sure it was a planting that a former owner had tried to cut back. With this property it's just a wild rose hip that got dropped by a bird. Must've been a landscape designing bird. The rose is right against the fence. But I guess that would come with a bird being perched on the fence. At any rate! I love my wild rose.
Back to our Garden of Eden, the front of the house is surrounded by evergreen shrubs ( Leland Cypress, maybe? ). When we bought the house the shrubs were maybe three or four feet high. Our lot is oddly situated in that the house is in the middle of a hillside. There is the street level, the driveway slopes down to the site of the house and then the yard drops off to the back. There is a concrete retaining wall which affords us about ten feet of turf right behind the house. Which is, of course, shaded by the house so it is pretty much mossy back there. I'm flying afield, though. Because of the topography, the living room windows are just about at eye level with the street. This means that anyone driving into the cul-de-sac at night will be shining their headlights right into our living room. Yes, I'm aware of something called draperies and blinds. I'm just not too big of a fan of them for a multitude of reasons. So, anyway, the hedge at the front provides some privacy. After twenty years, the hedge is taller than I am. Neighbors have suggested to G. that we tear out the hedge. What?? The house can't be seen, they opine. Half the house is readily visible from the street. I don't like the idea of tearing out the shrubs because they are so established, it would mean completely re-landscaping the front and, personally, I like the privacy. I can be out working in the front part of the yard and nobody knows I'm there :) The summer before last, I took loppers in hand and Bonsaied the hedge. I was inspired by neighbors who live near MIL. The bottom of the shrubs are bare and the branches provide a sculptural element. The top was left natural. G. just gives them a haircut once a year. I love the look. And if nobody else wants to look on it, well, God made your head so that it swivels on your shoulders. Just look the other way is all I can say. I'm keeping my sculptured hedge.
More rain predicted for tomorrow afternoon. I'm breaking out the ark building supplies.
I noticed that the wild rose is putting out leaves. :) The Knockout roses are still dormant.
I have a mounding wild rose in the side yard. Shortly after we moved in, I noticed two little rose leaves in the grass. I marked them and asked ( told? ) G. not to mow there. As the rosebush grew I assumed it was a climbing rose. So I erected a trellis and did my best to tame it into growing on the trellis. Espellier at its' finest! Yeah. Not so much. After some research, I determined that I have what is known as a mounding rose. I am wasting my time trying to train it onto a trellis. This baby is like Macy Gray's hair: it has a mind of its' own. Allowing it to mound into its' natrual form and tenacious pruning has kept in a shape we can live with. Seriously, it started taking over the yard at one point. I let it mound out of bounds and it just plain took over. Last fall, for the second season in a row, I pruned it back right after Halloween. I'm hoping it will bloom for me this season. Certainly, I know it will sprawl everywhere. It's like The Little Shop of Horrors. Rose canes flying off in all directions, bowing down across the fence line and into the public walkway that borders our yard. Which means the city will come along at some point in the growing season WITH A WEEDWHACKER, thank you very much, and lop it back if I don't keep it contained. Poor thing has endured some butchering in the past. It cheerfully comes back every spring and forms little white apple blossom-esque roses. It is truly a wild rose and most people would probably call it a weed, whack it off at the beginning and be done with it. Not this kid. If it lives and flourishes I try to work with it. I know I wear on G's nerves and the nerves of my neighbors with my staunch protection of the "overgrown" ( G's words ) landscape. I should probably bite the bullet and be more austere. I just can't quite bring myself to have a manicured, suburban, cookie cutter landscape.
In our first home the same exact thing happened with a rose. I noticed rose leaves in the grass and took it on as a pet project. Turns out it, too, was a moundng rose. It had medium sized burgundy blooms in the springtime. I think it's neat that both properties have yielded volunteer roses for us. With the first house I'm sure it was a planting that a former owner had tried to cut back. With this property it's just a wild rose hip that got dropped by a bird. Must've been a landscape designing bird. The rose is right against the fence. But I guess that would come with a bird being perched on the fence. At any rate! I love my wild rose.
Back to our Garden of Eden, the front of the house is surrounded by evergreen shrubs ( Leland Cypress, maybe? ). When we bought the house the shrubs were maybe three or four feet high. Our lot is oddly situated in that the house is in the middle of a hillside. There is the street level, the driveway slopes down to the site of the house and then the yard drops off to the back. There is a concrete retaining wall which affords us about ten feet of turf right behind the house. Which is, of course, shaded by the house so it is pretty much mossy back there. I'm flying afield, though. Because of the topography, the living room windows are just about at eye level with the street. This means that anyone driving into the cul-de-sac at night will be shining their headlights right into our living room. Yes, I'm aware of something called draperies and blinds. I'm just not too big of a fan of them for a multitude of reasons. So, anyway, the hedge at the front provides some privacy. After twenty years, the hedge is taller than I am. Neighbors have suggested to G. that we tear out the hedge. What?? The house can't be seen, they opine. Half the house is readily visible from the street. I don't like the idea of tearing out the shrubs because they are so established, it would mean completely re-landscaping the front and, personally, I like the privacy. I can be out working in the front part of the yard and nobody knows I'm there :) The summer before last, I took loppers in hand and Bonsaied the hedge. I was inspired by neighbors who live near MIL. The bottom of the shrubs are bare and the branches provide a sculptural element. The top was left natural. G. just gives them a haircut once a year. I love the look. And if nobody else wants to look on it, well, God made your head so that it swivels on your shoulders. Just look the other way is all I can say. I'm keeping my sculptured hedge.
Yoohoo!! Springtime!!
Springtime: you are cordially invited to come on to my house and sit a spell. You can bring some sunshine and warm breezes and purty flowers and I won't complain a lick. C'mon!
The temps are into the 20s again at night. More rain is predicted for tomorrow. Um, how's a dirt diva sposed to get in any diggin' time??? As I always say, I'll just appreciate the warm weather all the more once it gets here. But I am getting impatient. Besides, my shorts and flip flops need some air.
Well, now! This is a hoot. I couldn't get the pics of the creek behind the house to upload full size so on a lark I C/Pd them. I wound up with a lttle panorama shot! I will post the full size pics later when the 'puter is more cooperative.
The temps are into the 20s again at night. More rain is predicted for tomorrow. Um, how's a dirt diva sposed to get in any diggin' time??? As I always say, I'll just appreciate the warm weather all the more once it gets here. But I am getting impatient. Besides, my shorts and flip flops need some air.
Well, now! This is a hoot. I couldn't get the pics of the creek behind the house to upload full size so on a lark I C/Pd them. I wound up with a lttle panorama shot! I will post the full size pics later when the 'puter is more cooperative.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
It's Raining, It's Pouring!
Rain, rain and more rain today. Which is OK because I know the plants need the rain.
I was able to get outside for a bit yesterday. It was mild but breezy, bordering on windy, so I didn't stay out for long. Just long enough to get all three of the Butterfly Bushes at the front of the house pruned back. They are monsters! They grow like beasts every season. I planted one and I have four of its' babies around the yard. I've given away three or four others. I try to keep them deadheaded during the growing season so I won't have so many new plants. It doesn't always work that way, though.
I've learned one thing about Butterfly Bushes, if you plan on transplnating/moving them do it early in their lifespan. If left for any amount of time they develop a root system that cannot be disturbed. I have one volunteer in the front of the house. I had left it for several years and kept it pruned back. I finally decided to move it. HA! Right. Its' root was as big around as my forearm. There was no way I was getting that sucker out of the ground. After all my digging to learn this I figured the plant would die. Ha!, Jr. Nope, It is still as vigorous as ever. And to think that at first I worried about pruning them!
The wild Violets are starting up out of the earth and the Forsythia has buds. Once the Forsythia begins blooming I will prune the Knockout roses. I read that this is the perfect time of year for pruning roses since the Forsythia blooms mean that the earth is now warm. What warm earth has to do with pruning roses, I don't know.
Can somebody please explain to me the purpose of Stinkbugs?? One woke me this morning out of a sound sleep by crawling on my face!!! UGH! This is not the first time it's happened but it is still as disgusting as ever. Then I found one lurking in G's bathroom, just hanging out on his razor. THEN! I went to get in the shower and one was hanging out on the bath mat! I had just finished scrubbing down my bathroom so I don't know where he came from. He wasn't there an hour earlier when I was cleaning. I shudder to think just how many of these little disgusting creatures I will have to contend with this spring and summer. They were imported from Asia and they have no natural predators here. There isn't even an insecticide that will kill them! I tried using the old stand-by: water with dishwashing liquid added in. Nope. It seemed to stun the little bugger but didn't kill it. I just scoop them up in a Kleenex and flush them. A friend of mine at work says that the attic of her garage was alive with them a couple of weeks ago. She was hoping that the bat population would take them out, but no. Yech. I will happily hug whoever creates an insecticide or control for these stinkers. Pun intended!!
It's planting time: I have Stargazer Lilies and Ranunculus to pot up :) I've not grown either of them so this will be an adventure.
It's dumping outside!
I was able to get outside for a bit yesterday. It was mild but breezy, bordering on windy, so I didn't stay out for long. Just long enough to get all three of the Butterfly Bushes at the front of the house pruned back. They are monsters! They grow like beasts every season. I planted one and I have four of its' babies around the yard. I've given away three or four others. I try to keep them deadheaded during the growing season so I won't have so many new plants. It doesn't always work that way, though.
I've learned one thing about Butterfly Bushes, if you plan on transplnating/moving them do it early in their lifespan. If left for any amount of time they develop a root system that cannot be disturbed. I have one volunteer in the front of the house. I had left it for several years and kept it pruned back. I finally decided to move it. HA! Right. Its' root was as big around as my forearm. There was no way I was getting that sucker out of the ground. After all my digging to learn this I figured the plant would die. Ha!, Jr. Nope, It is still as vigorous as ever. And to think that at first I worried about pruning them!
The wild Violets are starting up out of the earth and the Forsythia has buds. Once the Forsythia begins blooming I will prune the Knockout roses. I read that this is the perfect time of year for pruning roses since the Forsythia blooms mean that the earth is now warm. What warm earth has to do with pruning roses, I don't know.
Can somebody please explain to me the purpose of Stinkbugs?? One woke me this morning out of a sound sleep by crawling on my face!!! UGH! This is not the first time it's happened but it is still as disgusting as ever. Then I found one lurking in G's bathroom, just hanging out on his razor. THEN! I went to get in the shower and one was hanging out on the bath mat! I had just finished scrubbing down my bathroom so I don't know where he came from. He wasn't there an hour earlier when I was cleaning. I shudder to think just how many of these little disgusting creatures I will have to contend with this spring and summer. They were imported from Asia and they have no natural predators here. There isn't even an insecticide that will kill them! I tried using the old stand-by: water with dishwashing liquid added in. Nope. It seemed to stun the little bugger but didn't kill it. I just scoop them up in a Kleenex and flush them. A friend of mine at work says that the attic of her garage was alive with them a couple of weeks ago. She was hoping that the bat population would take them out, but no. Yech. I will happily hug whoever creates an insecticide or control for these stinkers. Pun intended!!
It's planting time: I have Stargazer Lilies and Ranunculus to pot up :) I've not grown either of them so this will be an adventure.
It's dumping outside!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Believe half of what you see and none of what you hear
♫♪♫ I bet you wonder how I knew ♪♫♪♫ I love me some Motown.
OK, so I had an eye exam today. I know my vision is changing but even I can see that the label on my Amaryllis is all wrong. Somehow the tags got switched and I have no idea what variety I'm growing. It's lovely but , due to the lack of a proper nametag, I am calling it Orangina.
I'm suuposed to have an Apple Blossom Amaryllis. Apple Blossom is a white bloom tinged with pink. Just like an Apple Blossom. Makes sense. My Amaryllis is a beautiful salmon/orange color. I'm lovin' it but I don't know what it is. I will enjoy it anyway. A rose by any other name, or without a nametag, would still smell as sweet. And an Amaryllis would be just as purty.
It was downright cold today. Not bad in the direct sun but a smidge breezy and just a li'l too bitter for yardwork. Maybe tomorrow.
OK, so I had an eye exam today. I know my vision is changing but even I can see that the label on my Amaryllis is all wrong. Somehow the tags got switched and I have no idea what variety I'm growing. It's lovely but , due to the lack of a proper nametag, I am calling it Orangina.
I'm suuposed to have an Apple Blossom Amaryllis. Apple Blossom is a white bloom tinged with pink. Just like an Apple Blossom. Makes sense. My Amaryllis is a beautiful salmon/orange color. I'm lovin' it but I don't know what it is. I will enjoy it anyway. A rose by any other name, or without a nametag, would still smell as sweet. And an Amaryllis would be just as purty.
It was downright cold today. Not bad in the direct sun but a smidge breezy and just a li'l too bitter for yardwork. Maybe tomorrow.
 |
| Orangina |
I am but a young gardener
The Ditch Lilies are up higher than I recall them being at this time of year. As I eyed them this morning I panicked for one split nansecond ( Thanks, Charlie Sheen! He cured himself in a nansecond, you know. ) worrying whether or not I should be covering them overnight and then I realized, they survive beautifully in the wilderness and they would be this tall in the wilderness. They know what they are doing better than I do.
I started researching how to prune the Althea. I planted it last spring. Oh. My. Gosh. Swinging a pick axe in the bright sunshine is not for the faint of heart. I had to break up the clay soil somehow, though. I learned that I will probably do only a light pruning since the plant is a young'un. Althea is a relative of the Hibiscus family and is known as Rose of Sharon. Granny had a Rose of Sharon in the garden. Hers was lavendar. Mine is called red but the blooms are a medium raspberry color.
I learned that the Rose of Sharon of the Bible is actually a pungent Crocus type flower, not my shrub. And I learned that Sharon is an area in Israel. It's true what they say: you DO learn something new every day.
I learned that the Rose of Sharon of the Bible is actually a pungent Crocus type flower, not my shrub. And I learned that Sharon is an area in Israel. It's true what they say: you DO learn something new every day.
I love the Hibiscus flowers. Rose of Sharon, Confederate Rose and Brazilian Rock Rose are all related to the Hibiscus. I have some Brazilian Rock Rose seeds sitting in the garage. I hope to get them potted up this season. Along with my Stargazer Lily and my Ranunculus.
Why, yes, I will have some cheese with my whine
and some crackers, too, if you've got 'em. A little nosh never hurt.
The temps are in the 60's today. I'm at work.
The temps will be in the 40s tomorrow. It's my day off.
Hello, is this the complaint department? This be Miz Wannagetinthegarden. Couldja' wouldja' please turn off the air conditioning from the North Pole? I've had enough winter. I'm ready for some spring. Thank you.
Ah well. I will just appreciate the warm weather all the more when it finally gets here. I'll be able to have the screen door open and enjoy the cross breezes. ‼‼happy dance‼‼
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Ditch Lilies are up higher than I recall them being at this time of year. As I eyed them this morning I panicked for one split nansecond ( Thanks, Charlie Sheen! He cured himself in a nansecond, you know. ) worrying whether or not I should be covering them overnight and then I realized, they survive beautifully in the wilderness and they would be this tall in the wilderness. They know what they are doing better than I do.
I started researching how to prune the Althea. I planted it last spring. Oh. My. Gosh. Swinging a pick axe in the bright sunshine is not for the faint of heart. I had to break up the clay soil somehow, though. I learned that I will probably do only a light pruning since the plant is a young'un. Althea is a relative of the Hibiscus family and is known as Rose of Sharon. Granny had a Rose of Sharon in the garden. Hers was lavendar. Mine is called red but the blooms are a medium raspberry color.
I learned that the Rose of Sharon of the Bible is actually a pungent Crocus type flower, not my shrub. And I learned that Sharon is an area in Israel. It's true what they say: you DO learn something new every day.
I learned that the Rose of Sharon of the Bible is actually a pungent Crocus type flower, not my shrub. And I learned that Sharon is an area in Israel. It's true what they say: you DO learn something new every day.
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| Granny with a bouquet of her roses. I still have the vase shown in this pic. |
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| One of the Hibiscus family blossoms. I have a Confederate Rose pic around here somewhere. I just have to find it... |
I love the Hibiscus flowers. Rose of Sharon, Confederate Rose and Brazilian Roack Rose are all related to the Hibiscus. I have some Brazilian Rock Rose seeds sitting in the garage. I hope to get them potted up this season. Along with my Stargazer Lily and my Ranunculus.
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