Monday, June 30, 2008

Rain Rain PLEASE Go Away...



Tired of this rain, really tired of it...Petunias are water logged. I just want some sunshine for one whole day...I did get a picture of the Crocosmia. It is really starting to bloom.




  • Name: The name name 'Crocosmia' comes from the Latin 'croceus' meaning saffron coloured (ie golden orange). Often called Montbretia as well.


  • Description: Crocosmia are rich orange tube shaped flowers arranged around a central axis with little clusters of flowers that branch out into a typical freesia-like flower spike.


  • Origin: Crocosmia originate from South Africa.


  • Colour: Fiery yellow, orange, red and tan colours.


  • Availability: Main season June to September


  • Care Tips: Crocosmia must not be left out of water too long, or else their colourful orange flowers will soon fade. Cut the end of the stems at an angle and place them in lukewarm water containing cut flower food.


Well it is suppose to be nice on Wed. I sure hope it is. We need one day so we can get in the garden to do some work and a day to mow grass. Than back to the rain for the rest of the week I think..

OH WELL...

HAVE A GOOD ONE...

Lynn

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Rain Rain Go Away...

Ok the rain is great but enough is enough.. I love not having to water and everything is growing great but enough already....

So I took a few pictures of things inside.
This is the flower pot i had to fight to get in the car. Tom & I went to Pa. one evening, while shopping I found this pot. It was really on sale but it was big and weighted about 90 lbs. All I knew was I had to have it!!! lol I would have had 2 if I could have gotten them both in the Trail Blazer. But it was already full of chairs for Colleen, & I was pushing it with one!!! Well it is full of what ever that big thing in the middle is and Hoya and Philodendron. It loves that window, so it stays right there until Xmas when the tree replaces it.


Nigillia in full bloom. This one is great you sprinkle some seeds in the fall and next year there they are. After they bloom and the pod forms I pull them completely out. So this is the before picture and ...



This is the after picture.... I set them on the porch and each time i sweep or hose off the porch there goes those seeds that fall from the pods right into the front flower bed. How easy is that.

Then use those pretty pods in flower arrangements...

Cala Lilys are in bloom now. It's been here for a long time and new ones pop up each year.



Ok time for bed!!
HAVE A GOOD ONE,
Lynn





Friday, June 27, 2008

It's been a busy week

It has been a crazy busy week. Worked 4 days at the Garden Center this week long hrs. but lots of fun... Wow was it hot. At least we got plenty of rain to water things. Then he hose at work cooled me off ofter... lol

Lots of work was done at the daughters house and I think we are finally finished there too...

Things are finally growing like crazy and I have taken a few pictures.


Red Cinquefoil
Finally blooming.. Such a tiny flower and blooms upright where the yellow one blooms on runners on the ground. Leaves look so much like a strawberry.

Stokes Aster...
I had to cut some things back to find this one, but it is finally blooming great.


Coreopsis are buzzin with lots of bees making that great honey..

African Daisy

Not doing as well this year as last. I'm still trying to get some seeds off this one but it is hard. Only got a few last year and had no luck with them coming up. I will try again this year. But prob will winter this one inside .


This green petunia is going crazy for sure... I will try and keep this one for next year.
Ok I'll try to check in tomorrow with some new stuff..
HAVE A GOOD ONE...
Lynn



Sunday, June 22, 2008

Some Mystery Plants...

Another beautiful day...


The Garden is finally "all" planted. Tomatoes are tied up and ever thing is hoed. Of course the weeds will start back tomorrow, but for today it looks great.





Working in the flowers today I came across a few I have no idea what they are. Both were given to me and I just can't remember what they are. I usually just take a picture and send it to my favorite web site and he identifies them . That site is Robs Plants: http://www.robsplants.com/


He hasn't missed one yet.


But I will let you look and see if you all know them?????

This first one is about 2 ft. tall with burgandy leaves and a sm pink flower.

It is really cute and really blooming right now...

The second one is really small, about the size of a pencil eracer. But really would grow and vine all the way up my holly if I would let it. But what detail it has....

So if you have any Idea let me in on the mystery.....





Have a Great One,
Lynn

Saturday, June 21, 2008

Things Were "BUZZIN" in the Garden Today...

Lots of garden work got done today, it was a great day to be in the yard. Did a lot of dead heading and cutting things back and planting some new annuals to make up for the loss of color in those areas. But most of all I dodged bees... They were loving the million bells, mallows and

petunias for sure..
This one was lovin that Mallow..


ANTICIPATION...

Lots of thing just ALMOST ready to pop into bloom. I guess this is why I really love summer . All summer long something is blooming. I remember the first time I planted Moon Flowers, we sat a chair in front of that plant and just watched it open ever so slowly. All the neighbors were there with us. I suppose we all looked a little funny but it was beautiful, to see that big flower unwind and open in front of our eyes just before dark. The aroma was wonderful. I still watch them sometimes and I bring a couple in every evening, it makes things smell so wonderful. A few more weeks and they will be going strong..

The new Envy Zinnia it will be Lime Green...
MAYBE TOMORROW...

Crocosmia is Almost ready...
Petunia...
This is the one plant my husband thought I would never have. I always hated them. Now I grow them from seed and they come up like grass seed... (Kentucky 31 Grass Seed... inside joke)..
I have given away about 400 petunias in the last couple weeks and still have some left. And yea I like them now.All of my relatives have them like it or not !!!
OK time for bed so i can start another day..
HAVE A GOOD ONE...
Lynn

Friday, June 20, 2008

THE FIRST DAY OF SUMMER...

In the United States and the rest of the northern hemisphere, the first day of the summer season is the day of the year when the Sun is farthest north (on June 20th or 21st). This day is known as the Summer Solstice.
SO AS FAR AS I'M CONCERNED IT IS "SUMMER !!



I had some new bloomers today..


This first one is a petunia ... Limonchello F1 Hybrid
It's just a nice lemon yellow.

I started this one from seed this spring.
















This one will soon be a sea of yellow all over it. It is Coreopsis Verticillata. This one really gets big, but it is easy to dig just a chunk of out to share early in the spring.
















This Calla Lilly is one I have had for a long time, I never take in the bulb in the fall, but it is in a really protected area close to the house. Right now it is a light pink but will change to a dark burgundy. They have multiplied over the years a little so I have a few in this little corner.


The Pink Yarrow is in full bloom right now and will bloom most of the summer. Although I have to keep it standing with a little fence it gives this space lots of color. It stands 1.5 to 2 feet tall and is a dusty red color that blooms June to September. Really low maintenance and great cut flowers.
OK NITE FOR NOW
HAVE A GOOD ONE....
LYNN



Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Yellow...










Every garden needs a little bit of yellow. It is like instant Sunshine in your garden. I like to have something yellow blooming at all times. I got something new this year, of course it WAS blooming!! lol But it isn't now. I'm hoping it will bloom again. With all this crazy weather who knows. This one has a long name for such a small flower:

Helianthemum nummularium Ben More "Rock Rose".





This one is Yellow Geum it blooms most of the summer...


Yellow Primrose along side the Campanula Bellflowers is a great pop of color...
Yellow Loosestrife is a nice one but you have to keep an eye on it so it doesn't take over everything. It is nice and tall so I keep it in the back of the garden..


Look at the detail in this little guy.. This is a tiny one about the size of a nickle but what a beauty.

This is Cinquefoil...

It has a leaf like a strawberrry and also comes in red.



This is a long bloomer and great cut flowers. They are tall but stand on their own.

It is Helipsos or Summer Sun Sunflower. I grew this one for the first time from seed and gave it to my daughters... It is a keeper...

Helenium autumnal or Sneezeweed it is 4-5' tall. Also a great long bloomer and stands by itself. I moved this one a few years ago and split it, into the back bed.

Ok are you tired of YELLOW yet???

Finally an annual, Gazinia I plant them every year and they bloom...bloom...bloom... and come in all different colors. Also another one that is easy to grow from seeds.

I didn't realize how much yellow I really had but I will quit now and save some for later..

HAVE A GOOD ONE...

Lynn

Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Coleus "means" Color...Color...Color...

Again lots of beautiful LEAVES..

Of course they do bloom but I pick most of the bloom off until fall when I let them go to seed so I can plant them in the spring...

This one from last year got really big and beautiful.
They love the full sun and are so easy to just pick off a stem and stick it down in the dirt to start one for a friend.
This is the curley leafed one I saved from last year. But I can't remember it's name, sorry.
And lots of new babies if anyone wants any... just call me...

This is a new one called Defiance it is really red..




Curley leafed one again...










This one is "Lime Red" another new one...






This is new and really lime green...


We sure had lots of rain yesterday so we won't have to water for a while, maybe I will get something done in the house today... lol
HAVE A GREAT ONE...
LYNN





Sunday, June 15, 2008

Leaves, Just Beautiful Leaves!!!

Every garden should have some interesting leaves. Weather they bloom or not they give your garden lots of color all season.

Here are a few of mine...

This is Oregano.. Kents Beauty (the one hanging out of the pot that is light colored)


this is what they call the flower you can almost see it.. the little tiny purple things. But the tips of all the stems have a light ivory and pink color to them that are just beautiful hanging from a basket.


Here are two of my three sweet potato vines..
the first one is Marguetite and the second is Sweet Caroline.. Bronze and I have the tricolor one too.



This one right in the middle of the 2 Coral Bells is new this year it is Bloody Sorrel. I love the greagreen leaves with the red veining. It says it is good for Zone 5 so I'm not sure I may have to bring this one in for the winter.


Amber Waves Coral Bells..

This one is really bright in the bed, it is also new this year...

Of course these two Scented-Leaf Geraniums will flower but I get them just for their beautiful leaves.

We will leave the cloeus for tomorrow, I love them and have a few new ones this year. They were a favorite of my father-in-laws as long as I can remember so I always keep a few each year and think of him when they are up and blooming...

TTYL,

LYNN

















Friday, June 13, 2008

Lots of stuff blooming






We had another beautiful day for being outside. Working at the garden center has been alot of fun this summer. But we could use some cooler temps!! Here's a couple new pictures:






Some Deadnettle, nestled in between blooming

like crazy ...

I know you are prob. tired of seeing this one


but it is prob over 3 ft. tall now and still blooming,


but not for long.


Millionbells... Got to love them just water and

let them go crazy....

So easy to pinch off and just stick down in the

soil and start new ones..... Try it !!!

HAVE A GREAT ONE ......TTYL




Thursday, June 12, 2008

New Green Petunia

My new Green Petunia is blooming, I love it, it is so different. Hope I can get seeds off it so I don't have to winter another plant cause this one is a real keeper. My petunias I swipped seeds from at Ruby Memorial last fall are blooming. Of course that husband of mine thought I was crazy at the time. But now that they are hanging out of those baskets it is OK!!! Here's a picture of the new petunia...
I finally had to cut all the Salva May Night back, I love it because it blooms so long, but that big rain finally did them in. So I planted some of the new annuals in that bed tonight. Then the salvia will be back in the fall.
Ok everyone start sending me some of your pictures so I can add them!!
Have a great day!! TTYL





The heliotrope is blooming finally. Just another

one of my purples.



The other side of the gate is finally blooming, only I don't know what the name of this clematis. Any one have any ideas??