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Things are starting to shape up

Category: Work in the garden | Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2007 11:15 pm

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The garden is really coming together now, even tho I got such a late start. The perennials are starting the show as usual. The annuals are 'getting there'. The pots are for the most part done (except the deck pots).



The corner garden has all the Day Lilys in it, along with other plants and shrubs. The first Lilys to bloom each year are the 'Stella D'Oro'.



These bloom all summer long.




They are like gold in the garden. As all the other Lilys and perennials ebb and flow, these stay steady at it.




The 'Stella's' also multiply like crazy. I can divide them every other year...or not.



The 'Kiss Frost White' Gazania are in front of the Lilys. They are some of the all white plantings I am putting in this year. This isn't a great picture, but for one thing I want to show you. This plant's leaves, as it gets older, turn fuzzy and grey. (Kind of like a Dusty Miller). Against the white showy flowers, its quite striking.



This is a better picture, but they are still quite small compared to their mid summer size. They love the heat and sun.



Roses are not my faves. This gal was new to the garden last year. It was the new intro from the 'Knock Out' series. It's a double 'Knock Out, Red'.




She was the sample sent to me by a company to confirm a truck they were sure I would not accept. They were right...she had one whole branch...so they didn't send the truck.
:) I did get to keep the pitiful sample, and this year the ugly duckling is a swan.


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I don't Like Roses

Category: Work in the garden | Posted: Sun May 27, 2007 3:11 am

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I'm sorry. I just don't.

Everyone loves roses.

My hubby loves roses. It's one of the ways he tried to meet me where I work. "I'm also a member of the National Rose Society"...he's lucky I went on our first date with that line!

My mother-in-law loves roses. She has many, many, many, many roses in her yard. She herself is a lovely English rose from Peterborough, England.

I sell lots of roses where I work. Lots of people love roses. I DON'T!

Don't get me wrong. Roses are beautiful. The fragrance of roses, divine. And was Valentine's Day invented for roses or what? (but give me a rose bush over a dozen in a vase anyday)

My problem is...bugs and diseases ALSO love roses. I don't have time to keep after every little bite, snip, and hole made in the roses. I don't have time to look after black spot, powdery mildew, and what-ever-the-heck-else that comes down the pike AT the roses. I don't like roses!

I however,
DO love my husband...
who loves roses.

Therefore I have roses in my garden.

I have 'Knock Out' Roses in my yard. In fact I have 20-some lining the driveway. They are wonderful 'no work to do' roses. I don't take care of them at all...other than the first prune in Spring. These are roses I can get along with at least.

There is only one rose I take care of in our yard. It's called '4th of July'.



I spray, spritz, and prune this baby.



I look at her everyday (almost) to see how she is doing.



Believe it or not these blooms all came from the same bush. It's called 4th of July because it looks like fireworks are in each bloom. Like fireworks, each bloom is different.

I think this rose is
...ok. :)

Boy, do I love my husband.
(...still don't like roses)





Last edited: Sun May 27, 2007 4:00 am

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I Solemnly Swear...

Category: Work in the garden | Posted: Fri May 25, 2007 2:22 am

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Each year I tell myself the same thing.

Chitweed...listen to yourself... Remember all the work and sweat last year. You want to change how you do the garden. This year only perennials. Don't fill the yard. Let's actually SEE some of the 60 bags of mulch you put down each year. Make it easy to take care of the garden. No annuals...you'll have to plant them all again next year.

With this in mind...

I solemnly swear

to

buy everything in sight that I like

as usual.
:)

I've also decided to make the garden even harder on myself than usual. So there!

I usually have a very colorful garden. I love blues the most, as far as flower colors go. I accent them with other bright colors...usually oranges, salmons, purples and watermelon kinds of colors.

Not this year. For some reason I decided to step out of the box and do white. All white. White flowers. If there is not a flower the plant itself shall have a green, blue or grey foliage.


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These 'Super Olympia White' Begonias are going in the backyard garden.



These 'Nightlife White' Begonias are going in the front yard. The garden near the section of the house that has white siding. They should show up nicely there with the dark leaves.



These Argyranthemum 'Molimba Helio White' will be nice in pots in the side yard.



These 'Butterfly White' Penta will go in pots on the front side of the house where the sun is a bit harder.



I've also planted Nicotiana, Gazania, Pot n Patio Asters, and Snapdragons. They are all white.

White Lavender (doesn't that look funny?) and Stevia are 2 of the herbs I've planted so far. I've done lots already even with the very late start. There is still quite a bit to do.

Now that I've figured out how to do the picture thing (woo hoo!)...I'll be able to take more pictures as the rest of the yard gets planted and starts growing.

I swear next year I'm taking it easy!!
(not)



Last edited: Fri May 25, 2007 2:22 am

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I have a gardening hang over

Category: Work in the garden | Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 1:04 pm

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I ache all over. My husband aches all over. My dog aches all over. My kids ache a little bit. The cats are just fine. :)

We worked in the garden all day yesterday. It does look lover-ly tho.

I pulled the weeds in all the beds that have been growing unimpeded so far this season. (pull, pull, whack, whack)

The boys limbed up the trees in the front circle bed to allow light to penetrate a bit more. (I've been wanting to get that done for quite a while now.) (saw, saw, saw, timber....watch out Dad)

The plants that didn't mind the neglect of having to stay in pots over winter, were planted finally (I know...I know...very bad girl Chitweed)

Kitty (the Rottweiler) followed us around the yard as we moved from project to project. She inspected our work. She basked in the sunshine to make sure we could see how truly beautiful she is. She showed us a 12 yr old gal can still circle the yard at a good clip to shoo an invading chipmunk. (wag wag wag)

The first 10 of MANY bags of mulch went down. (ziiiip, dump, rake, rake, rake)

The debris from the overhead trees (a.k.a. tree poop) was cleaned off the deck, the lawn furniture, the gutters, the outdoor light fixtures, the grill, the umbrella, and even Kitty at one point. (sorry baby... wag, wag, wag)

Weed killer was put down on the weeds creeping their way into the flagstone walk way. (spritz, spritz)

15 bags of leaves were gathered up for the trashmen this week. (MOMMMMMM... we did leaves forever this fall and have more? moan, moan, moan)

The cats (Filbert, Hazel, and Jane) looked at us from the windows and thought we were pretty silly. (Where's the catnip planted? yawn, yawn, lick, lick, stretch)

The roses got their first treatments to ward off the aphids and other rose loving enemies of the garden. (spritz, spritz, again)

Yes I have a gardening hangover. The yard looks a lot better than it did before. The kids actually lived thru it, contrary to their predictions. Kitty slept very well, and didn't bother the other 'real' cats at all.

It a good kind of hangover. I hope to get one again later this week. ;)



Last edited: Mon May 21, 2007 3:51 pm

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