bulbs

This and that …

Can you see my little friend up there in the tree?  He was CHEEEEEPing at me today as I worked in the yard.   I think it was a wren, but it’s hard to say.  I couldn’t see him any better than this photo.

He must have a nest near by because he was fussing at me.  I went away for a little while and left him in peace.  But it sure was a lovely sound.
We lost a male cardinal this week … I’m so sad to report that he was the victim of one of our dogs.  I suspect it was our new hound girl (the chicken-killer).  Made me so sad to find him.  We specifically don’t feed or put up houses for the birds in the back yard, but they often sweep across the back and fly really low to the ground.  And sometimes they just hang out in the bushes.  I know it’s all part of the cycle of life, but I don’t like it when my dogs contribute to it.  
And here’s a two-fer for you:  My new Felco pruners, posing next to the two daffodil tips peeking up out of the ground — already!  See them?  I LOVE the daffodils.  And though I didn’t get a photo of it, I saw one tiny bloom on my Anacacho Orchid today.  Spring is just around the corner…or just under the mulch, as the case may be.
And since it worked for me last year, I actually PLANTED daffodils today and yesterday.  I got two dozen into the ground in various spots.  When I did it in January last year with bulbs I had forgotten about, they all came up, so, since now is when I have the time to plant them, now is when they are going in the ground.  
With our bizarre weather these days, I don’t think any of the conventional rules apply, anyway!
It was 80 today – but it’s supposed to be in the 50’s tomorrow.  Summer today, winter tomorrow.  Hey – I’m just happy to have had a little break with sunshine.

Oh, what a beautiful day …

After months of making hors de oeuvres and preparing for birthdays and holidays and company and a whole New Year, today was the perfect day to get back into the garden.

Kallie and I spent the afternoon in the sunshine — it was 78 here — and got some work done.  In between playing with dogs, bike riding, writing and painting with watercolors, she helped me plant some seeds.
I planted a row of radishes in the veggie garden, and she planted a Big Boy tomato, some Genovese Basil and some Sweet California Wonder bell peppers in little pots to go into the greenhouse for an early start.  We’re crossing our fingers…
I also planted some orange ditch lilies that were a gift from Lori at The Gardener of Good and Evil.

And then I planted a fistful of Larkspur seeds that were generously given to me by MSS of Zanthan Gardens.
And I planted what I think are Crinum Lilies, given to me by one of my dear blogging friends on our adventure to Peckerwood, but now I can’t remember who shared them with me.  Help – if you are my generous friend, please take pity on my poor memory and let me know and remind me what kind they are.  (I have a terrible memory…it’s a wonder I can garden at all sometimes!)
All in all, a very good day!

By |2017-11-29T23:27:51-06:00January 2nd, 2009|Blog, bulbs, seeds, Sharing Nature's Garden|11 Comments

Ooops…..


Well, this is right up the “I’m not in charge” alley again.  But, it’s my own fault.  Last week I was gardening out front and along the driveway and my daughter had 3 friends over playing in a sand and water table.  When I ran out of things to plant that would allow me to continue to watch them, I thought, to myself:

“Myself, what the heck – why don’t you just plant those dahlias in this little hole along the front walk, instead of in the back yard in the corner?  They’ve been sitting in the garage for weeks and really need to go in the ground.”
This is what I said to myself.
So I planted them.  
And THEN, I looked at the label.
Ooops.
Unllike Dahlias I have had many times before, Dahlias that were about 18″ – 24″, THESE Dahlias, are 48 freaking inches tall.  
Yes. 4 feet tall.  NOT what needs to go along this tiny stip of walkway where I have been trying deperately to eradicate the 4 foot-tall salvia that came before me.
Sigh.  So, it’s operator error yet again and now at the top of my to-do list is “Move Dahlias to the back.”
(I suppose I could be in charge if I would just read the label!)
By |2017-11-29T23:27:54-06:00May 1st, 2008|Blog, bulbs, dahlias, Sharing Nature's Garden|0 Comments

Spring has Sprung

Signs of Spring are everywhere.

Before my outside bulbs started to open, I’d ordered this little Spring planter from a catalog.

It’s a little wooden picket fence with potted bulbs in it. Very festive to have in the house over the Easter holiday. I set it outside for some fresh air and sunshine today. It was 64 here today and breezy. Supposed to be a little warmer tomorrow.

I’m amazed that the daffodil bulbs I planted in January opened up today. And I’m thrilled to report that two of the allium I planted in the fall have poked up through the mulch. I’ve always wanted some and this is my first attempt.

If you look VERY carefully, you’ll see a tiny, lime-green bud in the middle of this photo. It’s the first sign of life on my coral trumpet vine.
This is the full vine – so much of the woody stalks cut back and it’s still huge. It takes over the whole fence and it’s beautiful when it’s in lucious bloom.

A little structure here – these are my fabulous Gardener’s Supply Co. square, foldable tomato cages. They held up even the 7 foot tall and unwieldy tomatoes last summer. I love them.
These are strawberries, mustard greens, swiss chard, cilantro, peppers and in the back, green beans.
I had to show you my little wooden tee-pee trellis. I got it at the Natural Gardener – paid way too much for it, but it was so beautiful I just had to have it. I can just imagine beans dangling from those cute little wooden sticks!

After all, part of the fun of gardening is shopping, don’t you think? It is for me.
Look closely, high up in the tree that’s behind the bi-color irises and the iron fence, and you’ll see my crossvine – going exactly where I don’t want it to go. (The story of my proverbial gardening life!)
And, finally, this is where the day lilies, a vine, some annuals and something I’ve yet to decide on will go — maybe even this week. I’m going to plant in an arc from the left front around to the back right. Just above this photo is one of our two breakfast room windows, so it will make a pretty sight when we’re eating.

Coming up roses … well, not really …

…but Toad Lilies and Mexican Flame Vines ARE coming up! These are two plants I wasn’t sure I would see again after this winter, but I’m so happy that they have little green sprouts peeking up out of the ground.

I especially love the toad lilies — they are among my favorites and someone did eat some of them last fall, so I wasn’t sure I would ever see these expensive little plants again. (Someone wild, not my rascally dogs on this one!)

The Flame Vine went in last summer, so it hadn’t overwintered here yet, and while it is supposed to be a perennial, you just never know, do you?!

This is where the Mexican Flame Vine will grow up!

These are those experimental daffodils that I planted in January because I hadn’t gotten around to them at Thanksgiving. I hope they make it, it’s supposed to be 90 F tomorrow — think it will stunt their growth?
And, since it’s going to be 90 F tomorrow, I plan to do my grocery shopping and a little work in the morning and RUSH home to plant all these guys in my garden. Below I have strawberries, tomatoes, peppers and collards. There is a stray sedum in there to put into the rock pathway, too.

Then, I am hoping to put the Thornless Mexican Lime tree and rose bush into pots and put the Japanese Red Maple into the ground. Whew…I’m tired already!

Don’t chew, I surrender!

I surrender. Sigh. After planting lots of little eye candy last week, I got up and went outside to survey Saturday morning. Lo and behold, several of my plants were strewn about the driveway and the beds. Clearly, someone, or several someones, came through for a tasting sampler and found some of them unpalatable! If they didn’t like them, I wishe they’d at least figure that out first, or put them back!

I was able to shove most of those back into their holes and water them. Unfortunately, there were also quite a few plants that were obviously tasty, because they were munched on. They ate all the blooms of Kallie’s Cyclamen, and munched on shrubs and annuals. I know the deer tolerance for most of the perennials and shrubs, but there are just too many annuals to keep track of. And, let’s face it, when I’m standing in the nursery oogling some cute new plant, I know I’m not going to rush home to look it up and come back to buy it. I want it NOW!

So after the deer had a nice salad from my beds Friday night, Saturday morning I went out with strips of laundry dryer sheets to tie around the plants I was most worried about. (They are very scent-sensitive and I’ve some success with it in the past to keep the deer out of the bird feeders.)

Mostly eaten.

Spared — and now with a dryer sheet scarf!
Munched on — sporting a lovely new scarf.

Here are a few bulbs from the experimental ones I planted last month! They are actually coming up now – I can’t believe it. I think these are daffodils or irises. I guess they will surprise me, or I can go back and search my posts.
These are two amaryllis that were eaten last year and managed to survive to grow another season. I guess I’d better chicken wire them until they’ve bloomed!
Here’s another little daffodil that sprouted up and surprised me — I thought these were hyacinths when they first peeked up!
Here is my new vegetable bed — the little one on the left. I just thought I’d squeeze one more in there.
These are the two cleaned-up beds — new garden soil inside and with weed block and thick mulch in the pathways instead of the zoysia grass that kept invading the gardens. Between that and the new metal edging, I’m hoping to keep most of the grass at bay. I swear, last summer it looked like a LAWN in my veggie gardens at one point! Cross your fingers for me.

The gate has been promised tomorrow. And it’s supposed to be 84f — unbelieveable. I’m postponing my teacher conference meeting until Tuesday when the cold front comes through and we drop to 63f 😉

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