Sunday, May 07, 2006
The yellow tulips scattered about the gardens are blooming and it's so lovely to see them.
With both small and large crabapples in bloom it makes for a spectacular view coming down the street.
Gardening In Helen Time!
Monday, May 08, 2006
The Poet's Narcissus are coming in to full bloom in the gardens.
About three years ago I received hundreds of bulbs from a lady who was cleaning out her flower beds.
I planted two or three bulbs here and there in the garden in dozens of locations.
And, I gave away dozens and dozens of bulbs to gardening friends.
Many of the bulbs were small and it took a couple of years but this year they are blooming!
The Poet's Narcissus are coming in to full bloom in the gardens.
About three years ago I received hundreds of bulbs from a lady who was cleaning out her flower beds.
I planted two or three bulbs here and there in the garden in dozens of locations.
And, I gave away dozens and dozens of bulbs to gardening friends.
Many of the bulbs were small and it took a couple of years but this year they are blooming!
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Tuesday May 09, 2006
We've been seeing cardinals for the past several days.
Today there was a pair of them in the crabapple tree outside the office window.
That brilliant red plumage against the white blossoms was so pretty.
We've been seeing cardinals for the past several days.
Today there was a pair of them in the crabapple tree outside the office window.
That brilliant red plumage against the white blossoms was so pretty.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Thursday May 11
"The Days of the Three Chilly Saints (May 11-13) traditionally these three days are cold and damp.
"May refreshes the Earth; the World is renewed!"
May is always a special month for me. Everything is coming to life and the days are getting steadily warmer and sunnier.
Most of my special plants will be moved to my sister-in-law's house.
I just called her and I'm now working on a landscape
design for her back deck area that is ideal for hosta. I'll move my specialty hostas there. And my dragon-themed daylilies.
Joan has the ideal hosta growing conditions and tall
pine trees that drop plenty of needle to mulch with and a huge mulch and leafmold pile.
Personally, I think it will work out for the best.
The small crabapple is past its prime with blossoms.
The large one in front of the office windows is still loaded with blossoms but those too have started dropping.
We've received a little bit of rain here and there ... on the whole though we've been drier than normal but not as dry as some of my gardening friends.
"The Days of the Three Chilly Saints (May 11-13) traditionally these three days are cold and damp.
"May refreshes the Earth; the World is renewed!"
May is always a special month for me. Everything is coming to life and the days are getting steadily warmer and sunnier.
Most of my special plants will be moved to my sister-in-law's house.
I just called her and I'm now working on a landscape
design for her back deck area that is ideal for hosta. I'll move my specialty hostas there. And my dragon-themed daylilies.
Joan has the ideal hosta growing conditions and tall
pine trees that drop plenty of needle to mulch with and a huge mulch and leafmold pile.
Personally, I think it will work out for the best.
The small crabapple is past its prime with blossoms.
The large one in front of the office windows is still loaded with blossoms but those too have started dropping.
We've received a little bit of rain here and there ... on the whole though we've been drier than normal but not as dry as some of my gardening friends.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Saturdy May 13, 2006
Rainy again today.
For several minutes today I observed a very fat Robin in the blossoms of the crabapple tree.
I am assuming it was a very large female all fluffed up due to the cold. She hopped around the branches and then sat for a long while on one of the front pickets of the picket fence.
Another wonderful nature observation today I shared with my husband, Gary.
A mother Mallard duck walking along the gutter followed by eight tiny little ducklings.
Our house is within two blocks of the Shiawassee River only the mama duck and ducklings were heading north ... away from the river!
Rainy again today.
For several minutes today I observed a very fat Robin in the blossoms of the crabapple tree.
I am assuming it was a very large female all fluffed up due to the cold. She hopped around the branches and then sat for a long while on one of the front pickets of the picket fence.
Another wonderful nature observation today I shared with my husband, Gary.
A mother Mallard duck walking along the gutter followed by eight tiny little ducklings.
Our house is within two blocks of the Shiawassee River only the mama duck and ducklings were heading north ... away from the river!
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Sunday, May 14
It's Mother’s Day and the Golden Showers climbing yellow roses that my children purchased for me a couple of years ago is blooming!
Mother's Day gifts for gardeners are so easy. One year they purchased 300 pounds of composted cow manure for me. I loved it! They were so thoughtful!
It's Mother’s Day and the Golden Showers climbing yellow roses that my children purchased for me a couple of years ago is blooming!
Mother's Day gifts for gardeners are so easy. One year they purchased 300 pounds of composted cow manure for me. I loved it! They were so thoughtful!
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Wednesday, May 17, 2006
Misty rain, cold
We received word a dear friend had died suddenly the morning of Mother's Day and his funeral was today.
He loved to garden and along the route to the service and such I couldn't help noticing that Spring is still in the air with beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.
Several dark pink flowering crabapples in full bloom, a magnolia here and there.
Spring always was his favorite time of year.
Misty rain, cold
We received word a dear friend had died suddenly the morning of Mother's Day and his funeral was today.
He loved to garden and along the route to the service and such I couldn't help noticing that Spring is still in the air with beautiful flowering trees and shrubs.
Several dark pink flowering crabapples in full bloom, a magnolia here and there.
Spring always was his favorite time of year.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Sunshine and cold 48 degrees partly cloudy
The crabapple outside my office window has a few blossoms remaining.
I am suddenly feeling sadness that I will not see this again from inside this house. When I'm working in my office and the crabapple is in bloom it is like being in a flower bower and the fragrance is a delight!
Many of the mid-season yellow tulips are still blooming in the oval garden bed and the alliums are just starting to bloom their purple round heads off.
Perennial geraniums of different varieties are blooming and blooming.
It is such a delight to look out the windows and see all the blooms.
On my garden calendar today it reads: "The end of May will be here soon; plant containers for June blooms."
Sunshine and cold 48 degrees partly cloudy
The crabapple outside my office window has a few blossoms remaining.
I am suddenly feeling sadness that I will not see this again from inside this house. When I'm working in my office and the crabapple is in bloom it is like being in a flower bower and the fragrance is a delight!
Many of the mid-season yellow tulips are still blooming in the oval garden bed and the alliums are just starting to bloom their purple round heads off.
Perennial geraniums of different varieties are blooming and blooming.
It is such a delight to look out the windows and see all the blooms.
On my garden calendar today it reads: "The end of May will be here soon; plant containers for June blooms."
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Saturday, May 20, 2006
Planted the pale yellow petunias in the front step pots (there are 10 pots) and in some of the hanging baskets in back near the deck.
Over the next few weeks I'll add more stuff to the pots.
Cleaned up and bagged up miscellaneous plastic pots and empty flats and stuff leftover from last year to go to Farmers’ Garden which is a local grower/greenhouse. He is just getting his business started and he also sells at the Owosso Farmers' Market.
Gary (hubby) and I dug and pulled weeds.
I find myself moved to tears sometimes that I am leaving this garden. It took me 20 years to get it to look the way I wanted and in one summer I will be gone from it forever.
Planted the pale yellow petunias in the front step pots (there are 10 pots) and in some of the hanging baskets in back near the deck.
Over the next few weeks I'll add more stuff to the pots.
Cleaned up and bagged up miscellaneous plastic pots and empty flats and stuff leftover from last year to go to Farmers’ Garden which is a local grower/greenhouse. He is just getting his business started and he also sells at the Owosso Farmers' Market.
Gary (hubby) and I dug and pulled weeds.
I find myself moved to tears sometimes that I am leaving this garden. It took me 20 years to get it to look the way I wanted and in one summer I will be gone from it forever.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Sunday, May 21, 2006
Allium and deep navy colored columbine and the bluish bachelor buttons and some later yellow tulips are blooming.
The large white allium in the front oval bed is blooming.
It's cold today but there is sunshine.
I've been working with the Listo dark green plastic hanging baskets getting them ready for planting this week.
I like these hanging baskets because they come in green or white and have a little tab at the bottom that can be closed during drier and hotter days and opened on cooler and rainy days.
With these pots I don't have to water as often and they have a classic fluted design.
The designer and manufacturer is out of Canada.
I worked on three baskets and brought up all the baskets and pots that over-wintered in the basement.
Allium and deep navy colored columbine and the bluish bachelor buttons and some later yellow tulips are blooming.
The large white allium in the front oval bed is blooming.
It's cold today but there is sunshine.
I've been working with the Listo dark green plastic hanging baskets getting them ready for planting this week.
I like these hanging baskets because they come in green or white and have a little tab at the bottom that can be closed during drier and hotter days and opened on cooler and rainy days.
With these pots I don't have to water as often and they have a classic fluted design.
The designer and manufacturer is out of Canada.
I worked on three baskets and brought up all the baskets and pots that over-wintered in the basement.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Monday, May 22, 2006
Today we went to Meijer Inc., to pick up a $100 gift card they donated to the Civil War Monument flower plantings.
We spent all but 76 cents of the card to purchase deep red geraniums and white geraniums and pots of perennial speedwell and the regular dusty miller and other stuff.
Then we planted until about 3 p.m. and were able to get almost all of the big CW monument on the courthouse lawn done.
I still have some plants to put in but I have to purchase those yet. And I have some beautiful pale blue clumping fescue to put in there up close to the monument.
We are trying to add a few more perennials every year and then will interplant with the annuals.
And then home ... since I was already dirty and sweaty I re-planted three deep green hanging baskets and emptied out two or three that I won't be planting.
I put in the geraniums we were able to winter over and the gold creeping jenny (lysimachia mummularia) which looks great in hanging baskets and some fern-leaf dusty miller and a stray petunia looking thing that Paul at the garden center said I could have because it wasn't a dusty miller and a dwarf dusty blue scabiosa (Scabiosa japonica var. alpina 'Blue Diamonds' that I tore into two parts and put one with an orangish-leafed geranium. It's really an interesting color combination. The geranium grows about 10-inches and the scabiosa to about four inches and has continuous bloom. The second piece of the scabiosa will be divided again for a pot. But I'm not to that point yet.
I refreshed all the soil in the hanging baskets this time, I dumped all the old potting soil and cleaned around the plants that I decided to keep and put in fresh poitting soil.
I think I told you about the front step pots. I planted them last weekend with light yellow petunias in them and I'll add a couple more things over the next couple of weeks as I find them and after the frost threats go away.
Last night it dipped below 32 degrees F. and a lot of the gardeners outside the city who pushed the envelope had their stuff nipped. I stayed a bit warmer in town so I was able to dodge the bullet with the petunias.
Tomorrow we do the large cemetery monument in Owosso and the Owosso City Hall monument. I'm not going to try and plant everything all on the same day like I have in the past. These 52 year old bones and joints are beginning to yell at me if I try to push it so early in the season before I get my "garden legs."
I don't know when I'll get to the two Owosso Farmers' Market gardens. They are rather high and dry so, one will be a sedum garden and the other will have flowers of various types. We need it to be Round-up-ed (I know this is not the correct word but I don't want to re-do the sentence) to get rid of the grasses and weeds. We had several tulips come up voluntarily that are evidently very deep ... I thought we got everything before they dug out the old soil and put the new in. Sigh!
It feels so wonderful to be able to spend a good part of the day gardening! I so love the exercise and the birds and the insects ... except for that one ant that decided to go home with Gary! (smile).
Today we went to Meijer Inc., to pick up a $100 gift card they donated to the Civil War Monument flower plantings.
We spent all but 76 cents of the card to purchase deep red geraniums and white geraniums and pots of perennial speedwell and the regular dusty miller and other stuff.
Then we planted until about 3 p.m. and were able to get almost all of the big CW monument on the courthouse lawn done.
I still have some plants to put in but I have to purchase those yet. And I have some beautiful pale blue clumping fescue to put in there up close to the monument.
We are trying to add a few more perennials every year and then will interplant with the annuals.
And then home ... since I was already dirty and sweaty I re-planted three deep green hanging baskets and emptied out two or three that I won't be planting.
I put in the geraniums we were able to winter over and the gold creeping jenny (lysimachia mummularia) which looks great in hanging baskets and some fern-leaf dusty miller and a stray petunia looking thing that Paul at the garden center said I could have because it wasn't a dusty miller and a dwarf dusty blue scabiosa (Scabiosa japonica var. alpina 'Blue Diamonds' that I tore into two parts and put one with an orangish-leafed geranium. It's really an interesting color combination. The geranium grows about 10-inches and the scabiosa to about four inches and has continuous bloom. The second piece of the scabiosa will be divided again for a pot. But I'm not to that point yet.
I refreshed all the soil in the hanging baskets this time, I dumped all the old potting soil and cleaned around the plants that I decided to keep and put in fresh poitting soil.
I think I told you about the front step pots. I planted them last weekend with light yellow petunias in them and I'll add a couple more things over the next couple of weeks as I find them and after the frost threats go away.
Last night it dipped below 32 degrees F. and a lot of the gardeners outside the city who pushed the envelope had their stuff nipped. I stayed a bit warmer in town so I was able to dodge the bullet with the petunias.
Tomorrow we do the large cemetery monument in Owosso and the Owosso City Hall monument. I'm not going to try and plant everything all on the same day like I have in the past. These 52 year old bones and joints are beginning to yell at me if I try to push it so early in the season before I get my "garden legs."
I don't know when I'll get to the two Owosso Farmers' Market gardens. They are rather high and dry so, one will be a sedum garden and the other will have flowers of various types. We need it to be Round-up-ed (I know this is not the correct word but I don't want to re-do the sentence) to get rid of the grasses and weeds. We had several tulips come up voluntarily that are evidently very deep ... I thought we got everything before they dug out the old soil and put the new in. Sigh!
It feels so wonderful to be able to spend a good part of the day gardening! I so love the exercise and the birds and the insects ... except for that one ant that decided to go home with Gary! (smile).
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Saturday, May 27, 2006
I am one very tired Helen today!
I worked in the garden all day today.
We have a pair of owls plus an owlet again this year! It's fun listening to them in the early evening and it gets really quiet around here when they come through!
I am going to head out on the deck in a few minutes and enjoy my labors.
I have a large glass of iced lemony sweet tea and am just going to enjoy the next hour or so on the shady side of the house ...
Friday, yesterday, Gary, his sisters Joan and Sally and I traveled from Saginaw to near Alma to Carson City (Michigan) and back again.
Three cemeteries.
We planted a large urn at the family plot, cleaned up the six grave sites there, planted flowers at seven more then to Alma area for the Civil War ancestor and then to Carson City for the War of 1812 ancestor.
Then back to Joan's house and to a nearby large garden center and back to Joan's where I potted up eight hanging baskets with these lovely pink geraniums with dark velvety purple petunias and spikes and planted some other stuff for her.
I did a lot of the cemetery work for various reasons. Sally has rheumatoid arthritis, Joan is dealing with some physical problems and Gary is, well, dealing with other stuff.
We had dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant.
Gary and I stayed overnight and Joan drove us home this morning with her one grandson and granddaughter accompanying us. We went to breakfast at Ruthann's and then stopped at the Owosso Farmers' Market where I picked up a few more plants for the hanging baskets.
I emptied the four featherlight back step pots and put them up for storage and also emptied the three larger pots that match those step pots.
I'll probably end up potting the four smaller pots for my daughter Anne's apartment balcony.
I planted the three large 'Greenman' pots with variegated geraniums and the Proven Winner deep purple double flowering petunias and finished up the four hanging baskets on the south deck path that had the pale yellow petunias in them. Two received deep purple peturnias, one a deep purple trailing verbena, another a deep purple/mauve "million bells" and called those baskets done.
I finished up three more hanging baskets and planted the pink and red Dragon Wing begonias at The Dragon's Lair in two more hanging baskets and then potted up another pot with a variety of plants including a small red Dragon Wings begonia on the shade side of the pot and a variegated geranium and petunias on the sun side.
Then I planted the three garage hanging baskets with deep purple petunias and lighter mauve purple ones
And also finished up the eight front step pots.
Oh, and I put lavender geraniums with a matching lavender petunia in the four green marble pots.
I just finished my shower and Gary just called to tell me that my stir-fry is done ... he was so sweet to cook for me!
Off to eat, sit and go to bed early!
I am one very tired Helen today!
I worked in the garden all day today.
We have a pair of owls plus an owlet again this year! It's fun listening to them in the early evening and it gets really quiet around here when they come through!
I am going to head out on the deck in a few minutes and enjoy my labors.
I have a large glass of iced lemony sweet tea and am just going to enjoy the next hour or so on the shady side of the house ...
Friday, yesterday, Gary, his sisters Joan and Sally and I traveled from Saginaw to near Alma to Carson City (Michigan) and back again.
Three cemeteries.
We planted a large urn at the family plot, cleaned up the six grave sites there, planted flowers at seven more then to Alma area for the Civil War ancestor and then to Carson City for the War of 1812 ancestor.
Then back to Joan's house and to a nearby large garden center and back to Joan's where I potted up eight hanging baskets with these lovely pink geraniums with dark velvety purple petunias and spikes and planted some other stuff for her.
I did a lot of the cemetery work for various reasons. Sally has rheumatoid arthritis, Joan is dealing with some physical problems and Gary is, well, dealing with other stuff.
We had dinner at our favorite Italian restaurant.
Gary and I stayed overnight and Joan drove us home this morning with her one grandson and granddaughter accompanying us. We went to breakfast at Ruthann's and then stopped at the Owosso Farmers' Market where I picked up a few more plants for the hanging baskets.
I emptied the four featherlight back step pots and put them up for storage and also emptied the three larger pots that match those step pots.
I'll probably end up potting the four smaller pots for my daughter Anne's apartment balcony.
I planted the three large 'Greenman' pots with variegated geraniums and the Proven Winner deep purple double flowering petunias and finished up the four hanging baskets on the south deck path that had the pale yellow petunias in them. Two received deep purple peturnias, one a deep purple trailing verbena, another a deep purple/mauve "million bells" and called those baskets done.
I finished up three more hanging baskets and planted the pink and red Dragon Wing begonias at The Dragon's Lair in two more hanging baskets and then potted up another pot with a variety of plants including a small red Dragon Wings begonia on the shade side of the pot and a variegated geranium and petunias on the sun side.
Then I planted the three garage hanging baskets with deep purple petunias and lighter mauve purple ones
And also finished up the eight front step pots.
Oh, and I put lavender geraniums with a matching lavender petunia in the four green marble pots.
I just finished my shower and Gary just called to tell me that my stir-fry is done ... he was so sweet to cook for me!
Off to eat, sit and go to bed early!
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
6-6-6
An appropriate day for the house to go on the market.
A pair of cardinals came to the feeder today.
The female sat on the fence watching while the male hopped up the steps and checked things out and then he chirped to her and she flew down to eat.
As she ate he stood guard and then she stood guard while he ate.
My garden saying: "Calm weather at the start of June sets corn in tune" ...
It was 77 degrees today with thunder showers.
An appropriate day for the house to go on the market.
A pair of cardinals came to the feeder today.
The female sat on the fence watching while the male hopped up the steps and checked things out and then he chirped to her and she flew down to eat.
As she ate he stood guard and then she stood guard while he ate.
My garden saying: "Calm weather at the start of June sets corn in tune" ...
It was 77 degrees today with thunder showers.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
Monday, June 12, 2006
That's it.
I'm done.
No more purchasing plants or planting them, except for the partial flat of marigolds. Or, so I say.
Farmer's Garden, a garden grower friend called to tell me that his plants were half off.
Flats plus lots of "extras" thrown in for $5 per flat.
I picked up 2 1/2 flats and he kept trying to push more plants at me.
I said I have to wait to see what I need after this.
I found orange and yellow fern leaf marigolds ... ideal for filling in the holes in the hanging baskets and the pots. And, the orange is such a complement to the deep purple and lavender blues of the petunias.
Gary picked up the rest of the vegetables for the veggie garden.
I won't plant any vegetables until after June 1.
We have a nice large plant of Sweet 100 and a Beefsteak tomatoes and four smaller plants of Bonnie Best.
And then we picked uip two zuchinni and several summer squash (some of the extras that were tossed in) ... and cucumbers.
The overall garden is really beginning to get "bloomy" ... roses, Galadriel, Stella D'Oro, feverfew, and peonies and all sorts of little cobbity daisies and more.
I always try to find plants that bloom at different times to stagger what's blooming in the garden.
We've had several days in the 80s and I don't garden when it's that hot. We suddenly went from cool and rainy to hot and dry.
Today was our first somewhat cool day in a while and I took advantage of it. I even called my editor and said I would not be available today so I could spend time in the garden.
Memorial Day was full of busy stuff ... and the weekend after was the annual Curwood Festival. I sit on the board as a committee chairman for the Pioneer Area so I had no time to garden on those days.
The squirrels knocked off one of my favorite sage green ceramic pots. It wa sitting on the railing of the deck and I found it broken today.
I love watching the squirrels but sometimes they can be such a nuisance!
It was my fault for placing the pot in that spot. I have to be a more concientious gardener and think about where I place my favorite pots and plants.
It's not the squirrel's fault they are just doing what comes naturally.
That's it.
I'm done.
No more purchasing plants or planting them, except for the partial flat of marigolds. Or, so I say.
Farmer's Garden, a garden grower friend called to tell me that his plants were half off.
Flats plus lots of "extras" thrown in for $5 per flat.
I picked up 2 1/2 flats and he kept trying to push more plants at me.
I said I have to wait to see what I need after this.
I found orange and yellow fern leaf marigolds ... ideal for filling in the holes in the hanging baskets and the pots. And, the orange is such a complement to the deep purple and lavender blues of the petunias.
Gary picked up the rest of the vegetables for the veggie garden.
I won't plant any vegetables until after June 1.
We have a nice large plant of Sweet 100 and a Beefsteak tomatoes and four smaller plants of Bonnie Best.
And then we picked uip two zuchinni and several summer squash (some of the extras that were tossed in) ... and cucumbers.
The overall garden is really beginning to get "bloomy" ... roses, Galadriel, Stella D'Oro, feverfew, and peonies and all sorts of little cobbity daisies and more.
I always try to find plants that bloom at different times to stagger what's blooming in the garden.
We've had several days in the 80s and I don't garden when it's that hot. We suddenly went from cool and rainy to hot and dry.
Today was our first somewhat cool day in a while and I took advantage of it. I even called my editor and said I would not be available today so I could spend time in the garden.
Memorial Day was full of busy stuff ... and the weekend after was the annual Curwood Festival. I sit on the board as a committee chairman for the Pioneer Area so I had no time to garden on those days.
The squirrels knocked off one of my favorite sage green ceramic pots. It wa sitting on the railing of the deck and I found it broken today.
I love watching the squirrels but sometimes they can be such a nuisance!
It was my fault for placing the pot in that spot. I have to be a more concientious gardener and think about where I place my favorite pots and plants.
It's not the squirrel's fault they are just doing what comes naturally.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
June 15, 2006
"Plant containers no later than today to establish them before July's heat get's underway."
I worked with my 84-year-old friend Liz today at the Owosso Farmers Market garden beds. I was joking with her about "sweating with the oldie"
... She's the market master and we've been friends for about 20 years now.
We put in about three hours this morning and then another three toward evening. I told her I didn't want to kill her. After the second three hours she told me that she would NOT be back tomorrow because she was convinced I was trying to kill her (smile).
She does pretty good for an old lady and there are times I am hard pressed to keep up with her.
If you will remember, last year I rescued a lot of the plants because the city was re-doing the parking lot where the farmers' market is held.
And the city re-did the beds and narrowed them and shortened them a bit and dug out the beds and then put new soil (really crappy stuff) back in the beds.
It's in full sun so we have to think hot and dry tolerant plants with an occasionaly mercy watering.
We also have to get the beds replanted.
In the smaller bed the city crews planted a tree and Liz and I are rimming it with sedums. I also planted two of my Green Ice miniature roses there and will anchor each corner with Stella D'Oro or Happy Returns daylilies just for fun.
I also planted Autumn Sedum two large and two smaller clumps.
The main bed we planted with geraniums and I moved Stella D'Oro from my garden there and then moved some campanula glomerata as a fill in onthe back side of the sign.
Oh, I forgot to mention in the main bed there is a very nice sign announcing the parking lot as the place where
the Owosso Farmers' Market is located. It's off-center which just adds to design problems.
Two large peonies magenta will be brought in and a triangle of rudbeckia "Goldsturm will be placed around each peony.
Daylilies will then fill in with some false indigo (baptisia) at the back of the sign and annuals here and there.
We're about one-third done with the main bed and the small bed.
In the small bed we are also planting Golden moneywort (Lysmachia mumularia) as a ground cover and are letting a couple of other ground covers grow to fill in.
The idea is the smaller bed with be minimal maintenance and the main bed will be minimal to moderate maintenance.
I'm pooped.
Hopefully we'll get some more annuals donated to us.
I am planning on moving my two favorite daylilies there ... I have several clumps of each and when one starts to fade the other starts blooming so if I stagger them when planting then it will be continuing color from June to first hard frost.
Gary's health continues to plague him. He has good days and bad days. Lately due to his allergies his lungs have been irritated.
I can't put into words how I'm feeling about this move. I don't even tell Gary how totally overwhelming my sadness is. I keep praying for a miracle to allow me to stay here. Oh, and I'm playign the LOTTO (smile).
We just get the house so it's workable with a decent office area and the garden is finally together enough that it requires so little mainteanance and it just blooms itself silly every year. I can only hope that the next place will be as homey.
"Plant containers no later than today to establish them before July's heat get's underway."
I worked with my 84-year-old friend Liz today at the Owosso Farmers Market garden beds. I was joking with her about "sweating with the oldie"
... She's the market master and we've been friends for about 20 years now.
We put in about three hours this morning and then another three toward evening. I told her I didn't want to kill her. After the second three hours she told me that she would NOT be back tomorrow because she was convinced I was trying to kill her (smile).
She does pretty good for an old lady and there are times I am hard pressed to keep up with her.
If you will remember, last year I rescued a lot of the plants because the city was re-doing the parking lot where the farmers' market is held.
And the city re-did the beds and narrowed them and shortened them a bit and dug out the beds and then put new soil (really crappy stuff) back in the beds.
It's in full sun so we have to think hot and dry tolerant plants with an occasionaly mercy watering.
We also have to get the beds replanted.
In the smaller bed the city crews planted a tree and Liz and I are rimming it with sedums. I also planted two of my Green Ice miniature roses there and will anchor each corner with Stella D'Oro or Happy Returns daylilies just for fun.
I also planted Autumn Sedum two large and two smaller clumps.
The main bed we planted with geraniums and I moved Stella D'Oro from my garden there and then moved some campanula glomerata as a fill in onthe back side of the sign.
Oh, I forgot to mention in the main bed there is a very nice sign announcing the parking lot as the place where
the Owosso Farmers' Market is located. It's off-center which just adds to design problems.
Two large peonies magenta will be brought in and a triangle of rudbeckia "Goldsturm will be placed around each peony.
Daylilies will then fill in with some false indigo (baptisia) at the back of the sign and annuals here and there.
We're about one-third done with the main bed and the small bed.
In the small bed we are also planting Golden moneywort (Lysmachia mumularia) as a ground cover and are letting a couple of other ground covers grow to fill in.
The idea is the smaller bed with be minimal maintenance and the main bed will be minimal to moderate maintenance.
I'm pooped.
Hopefully we'll get some more annuals donated to us.
I am planning on moving my two favorite daylilies there ... I have several clumps of each and when one starts to fade the other starts blooming so if I stagger them when planting then it will be continuing color from June to first hard frost.
Gary's health continues to plague him. He has good days and bad days. Lately due to his allergies his lungs have been irritated.
I can't put into words how I'm feeling about this move. I don't even tell Gary how totally overwhelming my sadness is. I keep praying for a miracle to allow me to stay here. Oh, and I'm playign the LOTTO (smile).
We just get the house so it's workable with a decent office area and the garden is finally together enough that it requires so little mainteanance and it just blooms itself silly every year. I can only hope that the next place will be as homey.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
June 19, 2006
I asked for a donation for the Owosso Farmers' Market Gardens from a local grocery store because they only had a few flats left from their plant sale and the manager told me to take what was left.
Nine and one-half flats of various colored Salvia, about half a flat of pink begonias and odds and ends of other flowers.
I planted all of the pink and other colored salvia at the OFM gardens and gave the begonias (shade lovers) to a neighbor for her garden.
I still have a partial flat of salvia flowers to plant and the
verbena and a couple of other goodies that were in those flats.
I never seem to be done with gardening.
I love the way the petunias and the geraniums are the same color but provide different visual texture in the green marble pots.
And the color of the petunias are definitely is more lavender than pink.
I doubt they'll ever get a true blue color in either petunias or geraniums. But they are moving in the right direction.
No way I can garden today. Everything is too wet. Thankfully!
We really needed the rain and I am so glad I got a lot of work done at the OFM beds BEFORE it rained and between the rains and then the rain helped to settle everything in.
It's hard for me to take a photograph of my gardens to show off everything in bloom.
Some of the colors are so subtle while others jump out and demand attention.
I'm really enjoying the "punch" of the oranges in the garden. A lot of people don't like orange in the garden but I think it adds a little "something something" that the color red doesn't.
I asked for a donation for the Owosso Farmers' Market Gardens from a local grocery store because they only had a few flats left from their plant sale and the manager told me to take what was left.
Nine and one-half flats of various colored Salvia, about half a flat of pink begonias and odds and ends of other flowers.
I planted all of the pink and other colored salvia at the OFM gardens and gave the begonias (shade lovers) to a neighbor for her garden.
I still have a partial flat of salvia flowers to plant and the
verbena and a couple of other goodies that were in those flats.
I never seem to be done with gardening.
I love the way the petunias and the geraniums are the same color but provide different visual texture in the green marble pots.
And the color of the petunias are definitely is more lavender than pink.
I doubt they'll ever get a true blue color in either petunias or geraniums. But they are moving in the right direction.
No way I can garden today. Everything is too wet. Thankfully!
We really needed the rain and I am so glad I got a lot of work done at the OFM beds BEFORE it rained and between the rains and then the rain helped to settle everything in.
It's hard for me to take a photograph of my gardens to show off everything in bloom.
Some of the colors are so subtle while others jump out and demand attention.
I'm really enjoying the "punch" of the oranges in the garden. A lot of people don't like orange in the garden but I think it adds a little "something something" that the color red doesn't.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
June 21
It's a rainy morning here.
Gary said we are in a lull between storms that are expected all day.
From the looks of it we had quite a bit of rain overnight. Certainly there was enough thunder!
The solitary yucca blossom spike (it only took five years to produce it) is starting to open up and the individual blossoms are starting to plump up. They are such a lovely ivory color!
Speaking of orange ... I've always been fond of orange and not that fond of PEACH. Especially in flowers ...
I also enjoy tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) ... a definite back of the border plant with lots of pizazz!
It's been delightfully cool temperature-wise and I've been enjoying it!
The orange old-fashioned poppy blossoms were shattered by the last rain so they are done for the season.
However the orange ferny leaved marigolds are really starting to fill in as are the yellow ones.
The garden saying for:
June 11: St. Barnabas Day -- "If rain this day it predicts a good grape harvest."
June 14: St. Basil's Day -- "On St. Basil's day pinch back basil for a constant supply and bushier plants."
June 17: "Harvest asparagus no more this year for next year's plants to be healthier."
It's a rainy morning here.
Gary said we are in a lull between storms that are expected all day.
From the looks of it we had quite a bit of rain overnight. Certainly there was enough thunder!
The solitary yucca blossom spike (it only took five years to produce it) is starting to open up and the individual blossoms are starting to plump up. They are such a lovely ivory color!
Speaking of orange ... I've always been fond of orange and not that fond of PEACH. Especially in flowers ...
I also enjoy tithonia (Mexican Sunflower) ... a definite back of the border plant with lots of pizazz!
It's been delightfully cool temperature-wise and I've been enjoying it!
The orange old-fashioned poppy blossoms were shattered by the last rain so they are done for the season.
However the orange ferny leaved marigolds are really starting to fill in as are the yellow ones.
The garden saying for:
June 11: St. Barnabas Day -- "If rain this day it predicts a good grape harvest."
June 14: St. Basil's Day -- "On St. Basil's day pinch back basil for a constant supply and bushier plants."
June 17: "Harvest asparagus no more this year for next year's plants to be healthier."
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!
June 22
It's getting ready to rain again.
Gary's making garlic/onion chicken with rice for dinner and the aroma is making my mouth water.
The look of the Owosso Farmers' Market beds have really improved since the recent rains and most of the salvia has sent up axilliary (hope I spelled that right) blossoms.
I had a wonderful opportunity last night to take some unusual photographs of the garden.
As the recent storm was passing the light was very "pink" and it made the gardens look "in the pink" ... I took several photographs that came out showing the pink light but it was getting quite dark.
None of the photos were exhibition quality but I kept a few because of the color.
June is the month of The Full Strawberry Moon.
It's hard to believe that this month has gone by so quickly. That's what happens when I'm busy.
It's getting ready to rain again.
Gary's making garlic/onion chicken with rice for dinner and the aroma is making my mouth water.
The look of the Owosso Farmers' Market beds have really improved since the recent rains and most of the salvia has sent up axilliary (hope I spelled that right) blossoms.
I had a wonderful opportunity last night to take some unusual photographs of the garden.
As the recent storm was passing the light was very "pink" and it made the gardens look "in the pink" ... I took several photographs that came out showing the pink light but it was getting quite dark.
None of the photos were exhibition quality but I kept a few because of the color.
June is the month of The Full Strawberry Moon.
It's hard to believe that this month has gone by so quickly. That's what happens when I'm busy.
A day without laughter AND gardening is a day wasted ... oh ... and be kind to your children ... they will choose your nursing home!