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Musings from todays gardening with a muttering thrown in

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Category: FRED - the garden | Posted: Wed Mar 26, 2008 8:50 pm

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I got some Hollyhocks in the ground this morning, don't know how good the quality is they were a bag of 7 from Home Depot. The two Double Red's I planted last fall stayed green thru the winter, even during the light snowfall and ice we had earlier this month. Now they are starting to put some height on.

I got some Canna-Princess Di planted too. They are short ones about 30 inches tall and a peach cream color. I have them in the first bed with the big birdbath so I can see them from the door while doing laundry. I noticed that the White Coneflowers I planted last fall have broken the surface.
The Black Magic Lilies and the Monte Negro Lilies are both on their way skyward, really looking forward to seeing those bloom. Two of the 4 Black Iris are coming up and in that bed are some Glads coming up that I really don't remember planting there.
All of the Blue and Purple Bearded Iris are getting tall too. It shouldn't be too much longer until I can start my day by inhaling their 'popsicle' fragrance and remembering good times from my childhood.

I took all the Tulip bulbs out of their pots and even tho there were only 5 blooms out of 52 bulbs, the bulbs themselves have been busy multiplying like crazy. I have them in a bucket and plan on covering them with soil, labeling the bucket and sticking them in the really shaded area under the Hackberry tree for the summer. If they survive then I will replant them in late fall. In their stead I planted Bachelor Buttons (cornflower) in one pot, Marigolds in one, transplanted some purple and red Zinnias to one, planted Calendula seeds in another. The last of the pots is a decorative planter with no drainage and very shallow, so I am going get another Water Lily and add it to my water garden.

Put three Blanket Flowers in the ground.

Only three of the cucumber seeds I planted have come up, I need 5-7 to produce enough cukes for the pickles I need to make. Went looking for the packet of cucumber seeds to plant more and cannot find it anywhere. It should be in the box with all the other seeds packets but it isn't. Okay, I have to buy more cucumber seeds. Also was looking for the Moonflower Vine seeds, the weather is warming up nicely so it is time to get them started.....they are nowhere to be found.
Either I have pixies playing tricks on me like DevonPete or the Cukes and Moonflowers have run off together. Wanna bet that both packets will show up less than a week after I buy more??

Tomorrow will be 'repotting day' all the seedlings are ready for the next size pot. Some will have to stay potted while I work on the front yard.

Oh, yeah, the front yard. Guess I will start cleaning out some area for moving Lemon Balm, Mint Marigold and a couple of small Malva Zebrina that have come up in the wrong place and several Coreopsis that I dug up last fall.








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Droopy wrote on Wed Mar 26, 2008 9:04 pm:

Whew, you've been busy! Good luck with your hollyhocks. The divided tulip bulbs explain why they haven't managed to bloom for you then. They've spent their energy multiplying. Rascals. In my home all seed bags emerge a couple of days after new ones are bought, so I guess they will surface eventually.

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kuntrygal wrote on Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:14 pm:

Toni, you have been a busy lady. How do you manage to get so much done and have a family to take care of? A lot of the names of plants you mentioned, I have never heard of, so I will await your gorgeous pictures when they come up. ;)

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Sjoerd wrote on Wed Mar 26, 2008 11:59 pm:

I got all excited reading your post, Toni...all that planting and the tulip mystery solved to0 boot! You must be well chuffed. Congrats.
I'm so glad that you posted this one, it comes at a time when my stuff is beginning to come up in my seed trays...but I still have a very long way to go yet. I always plant-on 2 and sometimes 3 times before the stuff goes into the ground--and I haven't even planted the first flower seeds yet!
It's because you are so far ahead of me, and hearing what you're doing...well, it keeps me "in the mood" until I can get to my next stage. Thanks again and it sounds like you're going to have a grand garden this year.
I'm joining in with the rest in eagerly awaiting the pics showing your/their progress.

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toni wrote on Thu Mar 27, 2008 12:18 am:

Droopy, thanks for clearing that up. When I was digging them up I wondered if their dividing had kept them from blooming.

Kuntrygal, the family pretty much takes care of itself now. Amanda is almost 21 and Randy is wellllllll old enough to fix his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich if I don't feel like making supper.

Sjoerd, yes I was really happy to find out why the Tulips hadn't bloomed. I was beginning to wonder if I had said something unfriendly to them when I planted them.
I have to keep reminding myself that it is still only March and I shouldn't be in such a hurry for everything to be planted in the ground.
Glad I could help keep you in the gardening mood.

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Netty wrote on Thu Mar 27, 2008 1:06 am:

You sure have been busy in your yard Toni. I can still only dream of getting dirty...loads of snow still to melt. I look forward to some pictures!

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glendann wrote on Thu Mar 27, 2008 4:20 am:

I'm really tired after working in my yard lots of the afternoon and then hearing all you got done just wore me out.:) I will be waiting for your blooms.

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Palm Tree wrote on Thu Mar 27, 2008 8:49 pm:

I read through this and I feel tired.
You sure work a lot. I need to learn from your example.
From all this written in here, you will have a riot of flowers and colour in your garden. I cannot wait to see them.

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tschnath wrote on Fri Mar 28, 2008 3:27 pm:

I can't wait to see the pics Toni. I haven't even started my seeds yet, I still have a way to go before I can plant them, but I know it's coming and I'm trying my best to be patient. In some parts of my garden the snow had melted (until today) and I was thinking about all the clean up I have to do since I never really had time to do it last fall. But I was looking forward to getting started real soon and I guess with all the snow today (more than 3 inches now) I'll have to be a little more patient and wait a little while longer. You do give me hope...

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cajunbelle wrote on Sat Mar 29, 2008 3:08 am:

Toni, if your tulip bulbs survive be sure to pre chill them for 6 weeks before planting them.

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