cajunbelle's Blog at GardenStew.com

Daisy Comeback

cajunbelle — Tue, 08 May 2007 15:07:52 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Tue May 08, 2007 7:07 pm (GMT 0)

I can't believe it, my Shasta Daisies I forgot to water are coming back, one even has a bud on it. Amazing. I just kept watering them and then we had a couple of good rains, and they're back, now I gotta get them in the ground.

Latest Doings

cajunbelle — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 21:20:51 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2007 1:20 am (GMT 0)

I have finally gotten the whiskey barrel half planted, I need some cane reeds to do the middle part. I am putting the passionvine my church Momma gave me in the middle, and I want to get some yellow or gold million bells to trail down the side. I think it will get enough light for them. I started planting my plants still in their little containers. Much to my dismay, I forgot to water them Saturday and lost my Shasta daisies, and my herbs look pretty bad. I was so upset with myself. Too much to do and not enough time. We have cannas blooming and daylily spikes everywhere. The roses are coming along nicely, most of them anyway. My goal tomorrow is to clean out the winter shelter and get as much or all of it in the ground or containers. One day I may get it all together. I promise pics as soon as I can get DD to take them, she does so much better than me. Oh, how could I forget, I bought a Jacobinia:
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/643/index.html

Accomplishments

cajunbelle — Wed, 11 Apr 2007 22:48:05 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 2:48 am (GMT 0)

Since it rained until late yesterday evening, I think I got a good bit done. I set up and planted my fan grate yesterday evening. I kinda messed up assembling it. I got the pole on the crosspiece stuck and it didn't go down on the pipe as far as I would have liked. Once the spagnum moss, dirt and plants were in it was heavy. I hope the pipe does not bend, it is 1/2 inch copper pipe. Copper is soft. Pics as soon as DD gets back with the camera.
Today, I planted two containers for Mom, repotted her mini rose we got her for Easter, and set up my big half whiskey barrel planter after Richard drilled the holes in it . I need some more packing peanuts to fill it in partially so it won't use so much dirt. I also put a large plastic pot upside down in the bottom. The plants I am putting in it just don't need that much root room.
I did some weeding around the spot where I have the fan grate and barrel set up. There is a gate that leads to nowhere, on one side of it I have pinecone ginger, which is just peeping through the soil, and shell ginger planted. On the other side I am putting alternanthera "party time" and pink begonias. I have the barrel and fan grate on either end. I will also plant around the pipe for the fan grate, probably torenia. It should be a nice spot when finished. I had to dig two beauty berry bushes up that were volunteers. We have them all over. I also got one of my yellow hibiscus planted. I think that is all, all I can remember anyway.

Ramblings of a Sleep Deprived Mind

cajunbelle — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:16:14 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Tue Apr 10, 2007 1:16 am (GMT 0)

I have worked the last 7 days, over the Easter weekend. I haven't been sleeping well and this morning I was up at 3:30 am to tell DD goodbye before she left for New York. I couldn't go back to sleep so I have been up since. I now have 2 days off and there's so much to do I don't know where to start. So here on the Stew seemed like a good place.
When I was leaving work the garden center assistant manager was at the trash compactor. She was throwing away carts of Easter lilies, the big white trumpet ones. I was sick at heart. I went to my locker and on the way back they had several more carts full with a pretty pink lily. I don't know why they can't mark them down and try to sell them. They were going out of bloom but gardeners would have bought them to put in the yard. They let so many plants die bc of lack of water and over ordering.
After I put Mom to bed I stayed out for a while. I got my pole driven into the ground for my sedum/succulent fan grate planter. I have to wrap the pipe so the cross piece will fit a little tighter. Then I will lash the grate on it with zip strips. The cross piece sticks out a little further than the grate, so I guess that means I will have to come up with some sort of garden junk to hang from them so they won't look out of place. DD has the camera with her so I will have to tease y'all till she gets back to take pics. I hope it doesn't look totally ridiculous. We'll see.
Sarah is at a friend's house and without the kids it is so quiet here. I'm not to used to this. They are usually arguing about one thing or the other. Of course we have the dogs and cats to keep us company. Richard just fed the dogs and has them out for the last time tonight. Then he can finally relax. After the drive to New Orleans and back he is tired. And he has to go to Baton Rouge in the morning.
Tomorrow I plan on finishing up the planter and planting up some containers for Mom. I also have a small bed to finish up and plant. A lot of that depends on the weather. We have rain in the forcast. If it does rain then I will do much needed housework.
I'd better quit my insane ramblings before I bore everyone to tears. I think I will check out the forums.

Progress Report

cajunbelle — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 22:53:17 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2007 2:53 am (GMT 0)

My amaryllis are almost open, I only have 2 different varieties. One is a double white and red, the other solid red. I have single, low growing red cannas blooming, my clematis has 7 beautiful flowers on it. The La. irises are blooming, one kind is finished, the others at peak bloom, the copper color have not started. The pink seven sisters climbing rose is going to be in full bloom in a couple of weeks, an awesome site. The pine cone ginger is peaking through, as is the shell ginger. I may have lost the hidden lily ginger, the bulbs heaved and are mushy feeling. The butterfly ginger is really big already. The passion vine is off to a good start, I fertilized it and mixed some manure into the top third of the soil. The white hibiscus with the wine center is back with 12 shoots so far. It is also fertilized and manured. Oh, I got a new passion vine and a tea rose, both babies, but they will grow. They were given to me by a friend at church. The pink osteospermum is blooming along with the snaps, pansies, and violas. I have 2 daylily flower spikes, the big different one that I got free has a spike. The plant that wins the most blooms award, besides the Seven Sisters, is a little daisy called Becky. I had her in a pot last year, dug her out and put her in the ground in January. She has over 30 flowers on her as far as I could count, and my balsam has self seeded very freely again. Awwwww, the bed is calling my name. I am so tired.

Flower Bed Update

cajunbelle — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 13:24:13 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:24 pm (GMT 0)

Well it is almost finished. I will take some pics with a disposable and by then it will be filled out a little more. So be visual with me for a minute.

Starting at one front corner, across the back and up to the other front corner, purple perennial verbena, giant yellow daylily, purple angels trumpet, yellow hardy hibiscus, purple butterfly bush, bright yellow daylily, purple hardy chrysanthemum, another clump of giant yellow daylily. On each back corner of the bed behind the AT, I have yellow canna, and behind the mums, a yellow cassia alata or candelabra tree. In the middle I have gold marigolds and purple salvia. I have a little filling in to do, but haven't figured out what to put yet. I think I will try to get a couple of the coreopsis nana for some more gold.

New Flower Bed, Yeah!!!!!

cajunbelle — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 13:06:26 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Wed Mar 28, 2007 5:06 pm (GMT 0)

Do y'all remember last year when we dug all of the daylilies and irises out of a bed in front? Well, it is a bed again. Richard tilled it yesterday, we raked it and got the grass out today. I hauled 5 wheelbarrows of good dirt from our brush pile in the back, not the easiest of hauls. I broke the wheelbarrow when I hit a log covered by leaves. Richard fixed it, the axle had just slipped out of the little metal holder. I dug the log out, and it now sits in front of the new bed. It is really curvy and bumpy and adds interest. One the high end I will plant some type of trailing plant to spill over it. It broke in two, but I got it to sit back like it was in the ground. And I need to find another piece about 4 ft. long to finish off the front of the bed. When our land was cleared the idiots who did it pushed all of the brush and trash trees in a corner with oak trees, so we can't burn it without hurting the trees. A lot of our topsoil was pushed back there too. That is where I got the dirt. Anyway, I will start planting the bed this afternoon, I want all purple and gold/yellow plants in it. Go LSU!!!!!
I have a butterfly plant, a candelabra tree, a purple angels trumpet, and some purple perennial verbena so far. I will probably put some yellow daylilies in there too. What's a flower bed without daylilies. I want some glads and some low growing gold coreopsis but my flower allowance is used up for now. Oh well, we'll see what else can be found to put in it. I will update everyone on the progress in a couple of days.

Unplanned Plants

cajunbelle — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 23:01:16 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Sun Mar 25, 2007 3:01 am (GMT 0)

My brother needed to buy veggie plants. So we left for work early and stopped by a small garden center on the way. Gosh, they had so many flowers, I could have went nuts. The plants were really healthy too. I have been to this place before, but don't remember such a wide selection. I am going back to get some herbs. Today I got 2 Homestead purple verbena, a shrimp plant, and indigo ferra, 2 sedums, a persian shield, a gaura, and 2 alternanthera party time, a hot pink and green foliage plant, a pretty red curly coleus, all of these are in 4 inch pots and were from $1.29-$1.99 each. In Wayside Catalog the gaura in a 3inch pot is $9.95. I also got a 6pk of coleus, a pretty lime green color, a six pack of pink moss rose and 2 packs of marigolds, plus some tomatoes and peppers. I am a happy camper. The only blight on the day was the fact that I had to send the plants home with Richard and work till eight o-clock tonight. Oh, I forgot, I also bought 2 nine pack impatiens at WalMart tonight. They are a pretty dark lavender with a white star, plain lavender, and white mix. These will go around a stump in front of a beauty berry bush, we will plant a moonflower vine to twine up the bush like we did last year. I can't wait to go back to this place and take a little longer to browse, they were crowded today, being a Saturday. They have some really awesome garden ornaments too.

Plantings

cajunbelle — Thu, 22 Mar 2007 21:18:54 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Fri Mar 23, 2007 1:18 am (GMT 0)

I bought a perennial verbena today. It is pink, I think the name is Rapunzel Pink. It is loaded with clusters of buds. It is also starting to root at the little nodes along the stem. In two years it will probably cover the whole side of the bed where I have it plantd. I have a society garlic I planted there also and put hot pink vinca inbetween them and on around the curve of the bed. If I get really industrious I will finish going around the bed and widen it like I did here and plant other things. I think I will get some moss roses to plant in front of the vinca along the edge of the bed. This fall I will take tip cutting of the verbena so next year I can go all the way around the bed with it. This will eventually be my pink and white bed.

Discoveries Part Two

cajunbelle — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 15:39:26 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:39 pm (GMT 0)

How could I have forgotten about the clematis. I checked it last week and nothing. Since our rain the other day it is going beserk. So I got the troublesome grass out of it, put some fertilizer and horse manure on it and mulched it good, now it should really go crazy. I also but a small oblesik over the passion vine to keep the cats out of it. This afternoon I am going to freshen the dirt with some manure and fertilize it also.
I dug up my Little Missy daylilies bc they were not happy, I put them back in a large pot with some hot pink vinca. They did really well in the pot but I thought they should be in the ground, they didn't like the ground, at least not where I had them.
I was very good at HD this morning. We got the ant stuff, rose food, plant food, a part for the pump so we would have more water pressure and some cacti soil. They had no RoundUp except the premixed which is way too expensive if you have a lot to do. In fact, there had barely anything. Most of the bedding plants were in really bad shape, and they had no perennials hardly at all. I got a flat of pink flowering vinca and a flat of pink begonias, I like pink flowers. There was hardly any bagged soil or mulch, which I thought was weird. And we frogot the hose for the washing machine. Time to mop the kitchen and think about supper.

Things I Have Discovered

cajunbelle — Mon, 19 Mar 2007 10:09:12 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Mon Mar 19, 2007 2:09 pm (GMT 0)

Last year I bought a native passion vine, because I want the fruit it produces. I put it in a pot, babied it and ended up with a very puny vine, three flowers and nothing else. The caterpillars ate it up, but it put out new leaves which they ate again. Kittle was laying in the pot the other day and I had just about given up hope, especially since I didn't mulch or protect it in anyway over the winter. Well yesterday I passed by the pot and it has four healthy shoots coming off the roots. Hooray!!!!! Now I have to decide If I will leave it in the pot or put it in the ground.
My Dallas Red lantana is also coming back as is my Bengal Tiger Canna. No show from the Blue Daze, White Plumbago, and Mexican Heather, I think I have lost them, and also two orange and yellow lantana's. The purple Louisiana irises are in full bud, it won't be too long before I have flowers, no sign of the copper or yellow irises blooming yet. My amarylis have flower spikes coming out, they seem to be enjoying their new place as are the bearded irises, which have gotten huge. I found some irises in a place we didn't plant them, I guess they kinda just wandered around somehow and ended up there. Those things will grow anywhere. I was given a pink climbing rose by a friend last year and it is putting out new growth and some healthy new shoots, which I have to train to the fence. I have more glads coming up and all of the daylilies seem to be doing good, I have to move some bc other plants are taking them over. I bought a tropical shrub last year, grewia, never heard of it, but it's pretty lavender flowers were too pretty to pass up. I put it under the shelter to overwinter it. I was going to prune it yesterday, but it has flower buds all up and down the stems. So I guess I will wait till the fall. It bloomed off and on all winter, just three or four flowers at a time, but they were pretty to see on a dreary winter's day. Oh well, sitting here typing is getting nothing done in the yard so I gotta go.

Oops, forgot to add, I am going to Home Depot today, I will try to be very good, I hope they have their bulbs reduced and I am looking for a Duranta. Will let y'all know what we find.

The Return of Spike

cajunbelle — Fri, 16 Mar 2007 22:46:14 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Sat Mar 17, 2007 2:46 am (GMT 0)

Several years ago I planted a large round flower pot with various plants. One of these was a spike plant to give the container height. Don't ask me the name of it, a dracaena probably. Well, as common with my container plantings, by the end of the summer the only thing still alive was Spike, and he was a healthy fellow. Spike lived happily in his container, getting bigger and bigger. Two years ago, due to a complete lack of attention, Spike passed away. I never did anything with the container, just let it sit. This winter, when I made a shelter for my container plants I put the large round pot with the deceased Spike in it under the shelter. I did this because I knew a cat or two would get under there to sleep and I thought the container would make a good nest for them. Well lo and behold, the other day I was inspecting everything to see what had survived and what had not, and there coming off to the side of the old trunk was a brand new Spike. He is already about 10 inches tall and I think I will just call him Jr. Simply amazing!!!!!!!

Busy Yard Day

cajunbelle — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 17:49:44 -0400

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Mon Mar 12, 2007 9:49 pm (GMT 0)

Well the daylilies are planted. We put two new rows between my Mom's driveway and our property line. There is a Bradford pear and two Japanese persimmon trees there and we planted on each side. We could have put them all there but one spot is really low and we didn't have the dirt to fill it in. So we will work on that and divide them next year to plant there. We also reworked a flower bed, took the overgrown canna's out and put my gladioli and the rest of the lilies. It already had daylilies and glads in it, plus a crinum, which I will move, some irises which I have already dug out, a dahlia, and a cardinal flower, which is a native plant. I put the canna's behind Mom's house which has a low spot, so I will see if Glenda's advice works. I am sure it will. Now I have to rake leaves after supper to mulch so my dirt doesn't wash away during the rain. There was 30+ clumps of daylilies, some with as many as 4 fans in them, I figure more than the 50 he said. There was one really different looking daylily so I planted it separate, along with some from another spot that was not doing well bc of lack of sun. I am very anxious to see what the different one will look like. I did save about 8 clumps to share with people who have been so generous with me in the past. All in all it has been a very satisfying day.

Interesting Flower Trivia

cajunbelle — Sun, 04 Mar 2007 09:07:24 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 2:07 pm (GMT 0)

There are approximately 1300 species of Begonia and the number of hybrids is estimated between 1000 and 2000. Within the Begonia genus, there are plants which are tiny enough to grow in an egg shell and others which can cover a greenhouse wall.

In heraldry, the rose is used as a mark of cadency for a seventh son.

The first recorded plant collectors were the soldiers in the army of Thothmes III, Pharaoh of Egypt, 3500 years ago. In the Temple of Karnak these soldiers are shown bringing back 300 plants as booty from Syria.

The rose is the emblem of the British royal family. The Wars of the Roses are so named because the Lancastrians whose symbol was a red rose were fighting the Yorkists whose symbol was a white rose.

The fleur-de-lis or white lily was the symbol of the French royal family. It is still the symbol of Quebec.

The florin (an Italian gold coin) was so named because of the fleur-de-lis on the back. The fleur-de-lis was also the badge of Florence.

The cactus family is divided into more than 100 genera. For simplicity North American cacti are placed into five groups: the prickly pears, the saguaro cactus group, the hedgehog cacti, the barrel cacti, and the pin-cushion and fishhook cacti.

6 Days Off, Hooray!!!!!!!!

cajunbelle — Thu, 01 Mar 2007 09:22:02 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 2:22 pm (GMT 0)

My anniversary date is coming up at work and I had 3 vacation days left, so along with my regular 2 days off and a personal day that is a total of 6 wonderful, no work filled days. I can do what I want, when I want and how I want. Today is the first, I am cooking a gumbo, we should be able to eat off of that 2 days. I want to go out to do some work in the yard, but right now I am just relaxing. Tomorrow I go junkin', can't wait. Calamity is bringing me some horse poop one day, probably Monday, so I have to dig her some plants. Sunday is church in the morning. Tuesday Mom has some test to run. So hopefully, weather permitting I will get the yard cleaned up, some weeding done, and if it isn't too wet, some planting done. It is just so nice to know that I don't have to go to work for 6 days I could explode.

Can't Wait Till........................

cajunbelle — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 22:10:44 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 3:10 am (GMT 0)

Friday. I get to go junkin'. There is a Trash to Treasure sale sponsored by some organization for a children's foundation. It will be at Cortana Mall in Baton Rouge in a now defunct huge department store. It runs 3 days, Friday being the first. I would also love to go back on the final day, bc then everything will be marked down for quick sale. I am going with 2 friends, who also love junkin', but they call it garage sailing. We will possibly hit some garage sales on the way home if we pass any, imagine that. I am also hoping to have time to stop by a few nurseries to check out what they have new this year. I will be looking for stuff for mosaics, my fairy garden, and of course glass for totems, and any other interesting looking stuff. Maybe I will find a new room for all my junk, I sure need one. Think they have those at garage sales. Hurry up Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm Upset

cajunbelle — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 21:03:58 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Mon Feb 19, 2007 2:03 am (GMT 0)

I started my Sunset Hibiscus seeds, had a really good germination rate going, about 75%, and guess what, they dampened off. I am so upset. I used peat pellet, have never had a problem with them and I would think they would be sterilized. I did not over water them and they had excellent air circulation. Now I have 2 seedlings left, with maybe 2 or 3 more peeking through. I have a few seeds left, but I think I will save them and start over in a couple of weeks. AAAAAAAAARGH!!!!!!!!!!!!

Last Bubba Update

cajunbelle — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 09:35:00 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Sun Feb 18, 2007 2:35 pm (GMT 0)

Bubba ate a whole can of cat food last night, so he is back to his normal self. He has two days of meds left and his eyes are still a little fa-di-ka, (yucky), but not bad. He insist on going out, so we let him, as he has no congestion. Now the problem will be to get him to eating dry food again as he loves his canned stuff. He is a charming fellow and I am very thankful that he is doing better.

Bubba's Back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

cajunbelle — Fri, 16 Feb 2007 07:48:27 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:48 pm (GMT 0)

Well the big guy is back to normal. He is eating like his old piggish self and he now protests his meds. He tried to bite me last night the bad boy. His nutrirional supplement is finished and he has 4 days of antibiotic pills left. I will be glad when he is finished those. His eyes are still a little runny but that's all. Thanks for everyone's concern.

PM Bubba Update

cajunbelle — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 22:02:58 -0500

Author: cajunbelle
Posted: Wed Feb 14, 2007 3:02 am (GMT 0)

Bubba if feeling much better. He is eating more, has had his second dose of meds. We let him out for about 5 minutes, just long enough to potty. He came in and got on back of the sofa, preened a little and is now sleeping with is strippety tail slowly swishing. I feel all better knowing that he feels better.

For those of you who do not know, we raised Bubba cat on a bottle from 2 weeks old. His mom was a feral who brought us the litter of 3. We raised them all and kept Bubba.