Hot July in the Garden

Monday, July 28, 2008

I know it seems as if I have really neglected this garden blog, but really, it's July in Florida! Go get yourself a nice cold glass of Iced Tea and cool off. It's too darn hot to do much outside in the garden. So I admire it from afar, from the windows of our cushy air conditioned house. Really though, we get out there enough to do what absolutely has to be done and that's about it this time of year. It is much to hot and humid to enjoy much time outdoors. In the evening when it's cooler and I would go out, we are usually having one of our evening rain storms. Then the mosquitoes come to feast! They love me and if I am not completely doused in that horrible repellant, they will eat me alive! I do still take a meandering walk around the yard to check things out before I high tail it back inside. Here are a few photos that I took the other evening on one of those walks.

This is in the Baby Garden.

That is pink & white Gaura and & First Love Dianthus.

Also in the Baby Garden, Diamond Frost Euphorbia & some miniature roses. This is a container garden. I love the Red Fountain Grass

Rudbeckia, Ritidiba & Purple Buddleia Some of my amazing Four O'Clocks Coleus out front have gotten monstrous and we are even pinching them back & taking cuttings! Chinese Abelia~the Butterflies go crazy for this.

There is actually a lot of color out in the garden for the dead of summer. Of course, we have tons of Four O'Clocks blooming: Peppermint, White, Yellow, Fuschia, Pink, Peach and variations of all these colors. Our Crepe Myrtles are blooming, Roses, Cleome, Rudbeckia, Ritidiba, Buddleias, Rose of Sharons, Malvas. Jacobinia, Crinums, Daylilies and the list goes on. I have a beautiful view of the Baby Garden and some of the other gardens from my office window. It sure makes the day more enjoyable! Happy Gardening!

Odds & Ends.....& of course Four O'clocks & Oliver

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Since I am here, I thought I would throw in some Odds & Ends! Below is a picture of my baby Oliver. He is mama's boy. We had to take him to the vet last week. His first signs of old age are starting to manifest themselves, although him & I both started getting gray/white hair around the same time two years ago! LOL! (Actually, I think mine started way before that but my hair color in a box kept it hidden from even me!)

He is so sweet and gentle, tender hearted & sensitive.

See how much the Coleus bed out front has grown! It looks great!

(I know that window ac unit is terrible but it's to cool the garage for our pets, haven't found a good way to screen it yet. My husband doesn't seem real concerned with it but it bothers me.)

I had to throw in our latest Four O'Clocks surprise! They are an awesome peach color that I am not really able to catch with my digital camera. The picture does it no justice at all. Bruce has dubbed these "Daddy's Peaches". He calls me Peaches and he says these are a gift from my Daddy in heaven. I thought that was sweet. Gotta run!

Sunday Morning Coming Down

Sunday, June 8, 2008

Yesterday I went Garden Center hopping. Okay, so I only had time to go to the big box stores because I didn't leave the house until after 5:00 and all the independents are closed by then. Below is a picture of what I came home with this time. Most of the plants are going in some pots that I am putting together. They are Draceana, some different Coleus and Joseph's Coat (Alternanthera) Burgundy Thread. I have some other plants that are going in the pots as well. I'll show them on here when I put them together. I am still waiting to get a few other plants from our wholesale supplier. I also got 3 daylilies; Lullaby Baby, Minnie Pearl & Little Business and a Texas Sage. I am so addicted to plants. I think it's getting out of hand; plants and books....those are my downfalls.This morning I went for an early morning walk around the gardens with my camera. I love listening to the birds first thing in the morning. There was a pair of cardinals singing to each other and chasing each other back and forth amongst the trees. I actually got a picture of one by zooming in up into the tree with my little digital camera. See that speck of red in the tree???....trust me, that's a male Cardinal. (The males are brighter red for those that wonder how I could tell it was a he!) Below are some of the other photos I took of things that were blooming. I took 195 pictures and I had to narrow it down to just a couple to put on this blog. Don't you just hate that part. I want to share them all! This is the first Crepe Myrtle that we have blooming so far this year.

It's a 'Natchez'. We have 5 other varieties that are getting bud on them but not yet blooming.

This is a garden bench that we bought recently. Got a good deal on it at Ross'. That is a White Althea bush blooming beind it. This is in the "White Garden". We haven't decided yet if this is where the bench will stay.

Here are some of the roses that were blooming this morning: Sexy Rexy is starting to bloom again Tamora Rose has one bloom so far this year!

Madam Lombard Roses The Dark Lady Roses Climbing Eden Rose Climbing Eden Rose growing on our Gazebo

Below are some 'Milk & Wine' Crinum Lilies that are blooming right now. I love these! They are so beautiful!

Okay, so you know I had to sneak in some Four O'Clocks right!

It just wouldn't be me if I didn't. Haha!

I'll be working out in the gardens today so maybe I'll have something interesting to tell you about later! Until then, Happy Gardening!

Baby Garden Dilemma

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Wow! Is it really June already? Yesterday and today were the first really insanely hot days here in Florida this year so far. (Where we live anyway.) The Garden is starting to show stress from the heat and drought. We have been hand watering in addition to our regular irrigation just about every day and things are still dry. We are also having trouble with some moles or voles. It's very disappointing. There are tunnels all over our yard. It's like the NYC Subway. They eat off the roots of plants while searching for earthworms in their tunnels. This of course starts to damage the plant and it is starting to show especially in some of my rose bushes in our Baby Memorial Garden. I went out this morning to do some planting in the Baby Garden. All I managed to plant were 3 Pink Gauras. I just couldn't figure out where I wanted to place things. The whole garden is starting to look so hodge podge to me. I haven't thought it out well enough. As my husband says, I am an impulse plant buyer. I buy it because I like it and then I try to stick it in somewhere. But I think that's an okay way to garden. Hey, plants can always be moved, right? It's all about trial & error. The Baby Garden theme is pink for Olivia & White for Quinn. At first I had trouble finding alot of true pink plants. Now I seem to be coming up with an abundance of them. So far, these are the plants that we have in the Baby Garden:

2 Pink Serissa, Belinda Rose, Abraham Darby Rose, Our Lady of Guadaloupe Rose, Moonstone Rose, Sexy Rexy Rose, The Fairy Rose, a miniature garden rose, a Conversation Azalea, Mansize Camellia, Kitty Camellia, Pink Perfection Camellia, a Sioux Crepe Myrtle, Near East Crepe Myrtle, a Cameo Quince, a Blush Quince, a Pink Althea, Flowering Almond Bush, Hoshima Flowering Cherry Bush, Loropetalum, 2 Sago Palms, a Callaway Crabapple Tree, White Muhly Grass, White Nemesia, Nicotiana Flowering Tobacco, Appleblossom Pennestemon, White Four O'Clocks, Pink Four O'clocks, Miniature Mallows, Pink Hollyhocks, Liriope, Narcissus, Indian Hawthorne, Pink Celosiana, Evergreen Giant Liriope and Vygie Sedums. There are also 15 Marcia Faye Daylilies planted there that I am going to dig back up and move to another garden. They were not as pink as I was led to believe. They are very pretty but alot of orange, peach, yellow coloring to them. This morning I planted some Dauphin Gaura. I still have a Siskyou Pink Gaura to plant, August Beauty Gardenia, Pink Muhly Grass, Pink Cleome, some Zinnias and a few more roses. It sounds like alot but everything is basically small so the garden still doesn't look like much yet. I have a wish list of alot more plants that I still want to add to it. We also have a bird bath, two little statues and 2 little baby wrought iron chairs. I am just having such a time planning this layout. I think it's just soooooo important to me because it's my daughter and sons memorial garden, that I am not able to make it perfect enough.

As I write this, Bruce & I are sitting out on the back screened in porch watching it rain and listening to the thunder. Haven't seen any lightening yet and I guess that's a good thing since I am sitting out here with my laptop plugged in on the porch. Probably not the brightest thing I've ever done. We really need the rain but I don't think it's going to amount to much. It's coming in waves. The thunder is getting louder RIGHT now! Funny though, there are still birds chirping.

I joined Blotanist which is a collection of worldwide garden blogs. I am really enjoying it. I get so excited as I look at other gardeners blogs and read their stories. I have to say though that I realize that my blog really pales in comparison to most of the ones that I see. The photography on some of them is absolutely gorgeous so I find myself daydreaming about getting a really good camera so I can improve my garden photography which is something I love to do almost as much as the gardening itself. Also the blogs are so interesting. I find that most have a really good sense of humor, are very talented, and much excellent writers. I have a long ways to go here but I will improve over time. I am starting to really enjoy this blogging thing!

I didn't get to take photographs this morning because my husband had the camera at a job today but I will take some picture this week and show the perils that I am having with the baby garden. Does anyone else have a memorial garden like this that they've created? I would love to look at some pictures, layouts and ideas.

Well, my blog wouldn't be complete without some pictures and I just happen to have some that I took the past couple of nights.

Here is a picture of the Pink Cleome

This is a Manarda but I am not sure which one.

Pink Hollyhock

Mutant Four O'Clocks

Here are some Four O'clocks in the backyard. One is 5' tall.

Mutant Four O'Clocks

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Okay, I know you're probably all getting tired of hearing about our Four O'clocks........but, I told you all about my mutant "Pink Peppermint" looking Four O'Clocks which I just love. Tonight, this bloom opened. It is half Fuschia and half Pink Peppermint on the same bloom. I am not kidding. It looks like I spliced this together, but I did not. Isn't it incredible?! There was also a bloom that had the Peppermint look with larger Fuschia striations on it. I love them! This is the only plant that I have seen this on to this degree. I think this plant was originally white and we had planted a fuschia one behind it. It is so cool what the mixing of the seeds is doing. I definitely want this in our babies, Olivia & Drayton's Memorial Garden! Does anyone else have blooms like this on their Fours? I've been growing them for years and this is the first I have seen this particular mix.

Did you know that Four O'clocks are also called Marvel of Peru & Beauty of the Night and the botanical name for them is Mirabilis Jalapa

Gallardia Galore!

Wednesday, May 21, 2008

I told Bruce that I wasn't going out into the garden tonight. I was just too tired. I had some things that I needed to get done in the house anyway. But those of you who are addicted to gardening as I, will realize that it didn't take long....and I was out in the garden! I just can't seem to pass up checking out all my plant babies every day to see how they have changed since yesterday, and change they do.

Our Climbing "Souvenier de la Malmaison" rose which I was just deadheading last night had twice the blooms on it that it did yesterday. It looks great! I hated to see though that our spectacular "Seven Sisters" roses are starting to fade. They are so beautiful but the great showing only lasts for a few weeks and it fades away for the most part. Alot of the roses are kind of fading and getting ready for another bloom. It's kinda sad when they're in that in between time.

On the other hand our Gallardia "Desert Sun" just keeps spreading and is so cool. I just love that plant. There are about 5 different looking blooms on it at one time and it is blooming profusely. Gallardia "Desert Sun"

Gallardia "Desert Sun" Gallardia "Desert Sun" blooming next to "LaMarne" RosesThis is Ritidiba blooming among Belinda Roses

Now of course, this just wouldn't be complete if I didn't show you some more Four O'Clocks photographs. I just really want to convey their "personality" if you will. They are just such a cool plant!

I told you that Four O'Clocks are the coolest plants!White Four O'ClocksHere is a flower from each different color of Four O'Clock that is blooming so far. Incredible, huh!

Well, it's time that I get to bed. But I have more for tomorrow. I love this time of year! Happy Gardening!

Love Those Four O'Clocks

Monday, May 19, 2008

(This is the white Four O'clock with pink specks from last year)

As I've said many times, Four O'Clocks were my Daddy's favorite and they are also one of mine. Bruce & I even got married at 4:oo in the afternoon just for that reason. It was kind of a sentimental thing. Those of you that don't know much about them, don't know what your missing out on. They are an old fashioned garden flower. They usually bloom after 4:00 in the afternoon and into the evening, hence the name. They are night bloomers and have a wonderful, sweet fragrance. They bloom all night and close during the day. When a flower is finished blooming it leaves a seed that falls to the ground and reseeds itself or gets carried and dropped in another part of the garden by a bird. I love to collect the seeds and use them in other areas or give them to friends. Butterflies & Hummingbirds also love them. They are easy to grow. They don't require alot of care, in fact they can withstand alot of abuse. They come in many colors now. They use to be found mostly in Fuschia or Yellow but now they are also Pink, White, Peachy, Broken Colors, Kalediscope. As a result of all these different colors, alot of them are what I refer to as 'Mutant colors" because sometimes you don't know what you are going to get from year to year. One year I took my mom some seeds and tubers from some Fuschia Four O'Clocks that were blooming at my father's grave. I brought them up to her in Pennsylvania and she planted them. They came up Fuschia. The next year they were yellow! That's one of the things that I also love about them. They are always full of surprises. In a particular area of our front yard we have a Fuschia one called "Limelight" planted next to a white Four O'Clock bush. The first year all color was at it should be. Last year the very same white ones were white but with a couple of faint pink specks or pink lines. This year they just started blooming 3 days ago and to my pleasant surprise they look like a pink peppermint. I have attached a couple of pictures below so you can see what I mean. Also, alot of our Fuschia ones have developed light pink or peach around the outer edges of the flower. Some of the whites have a pink stamen and then on another white bush they will have yellow stamens. I love the variety and the surprise! We also had one that hasn't bloomed yet this year but the past two years that one same plant had two color flowers on one plant; yellow and fuschia. I can't wait to see what it has in store this year. I know that I am very enthusiastic about my Four O'Clocks, but if your a gardener, then you understand this crazy love of plants. I get so much joy from them! Oh the simple things in life that God has created for us to enjoy! I know I will have alot more to say about my Four O'Clocks throughout their blooming season, so you haven't heard the last of me on this! Haha! Forgive the photography below. It had stormed and was still lightly raining and dusk when we took these pictures. Hope you enjoy them anyway! If you want to know anything about Four O'clocks send me a message. I'll be happy to help! I may even have some extra seeds laying around for you! Happy Gardening~

This is the Four O'Clock that came up as a Pink Peppermint looking flower this year. Bruce is holding it so you can see it better.This is one of the white ones which were the first to bloom this year.These are some of the "Limelight" Fuschia ones that have

developed kind of an apricot color around the edges. This is a yellow bush and there is a white starfish shape in the center of the flower. There's the "love of my life" posing in the rain, at night in the Four O'clocks. (He's such a good sport!) Look how big the Four O'clocks have already gotten.

Those are 2 big plants but there are about 6 more there also.

This is another picture of the pink peppermint looking ones with the fuschia ones behind it. Fuschia & Yellow Fours growing by Seven Sisters Roses Fuschia Four O'Clocks