Monday, October 30, 2017

END OF OCTOBER

AND TIME TO PUT STUFF IN THE GREENHOUSES!
OK, Playing Catch-up here. I do a lot of that anymore. First, I finally managed to get the previous post here OFF the SPOTS blog. I know, for many of you that would seem a simple task, but I seem to get less techy all the time. Then I managed to get a few pictures taken and downloaded on the computer… pictures to answer a few questions I have had about certain plants. And then I managed to get what belonged on the SPOTS blog on there! Finally!



So, first, catching up in the garden… I told  many of you that I was finally able to go to get my newest day lilies and that included the day lily that started my love affair with lilies – Happy-Happy. I can hardly wait to see it bloom!!!!!
Happy-Happy is in the front corner of this new lily bed. I have had to cover the bed because the deer ate a bunch of my lilies down to the ground over on the side of the house… and I can’t afford to let that happen to these lilies. Some of these are rather expensive, not saying that to brag, just mentioning how bad my addiction has become. And, this is the last time I will be buying any daylilies. It has gotten too hard to plant them and care for them… I don’t have what it takes to start a new garden area.
When I picked up my lilies, one was in bloom. Of course, I was supposed to cut it off so the strength of the plant stayed in the root system to help it settle in… but, you can see it was too beautiful to cut right away. I just had to leave it for a couple of days and watch it bloom. This lily is named Passionate Prayer.


I have also had questions about a plant called Strobilanthes. I think its common name is Persian Shield?????  I just love the colors. It is seldom found in the local garden centers around here, so I work at taking cuttings or potting the plants to keep over the winter. I have a modest success rate, tho one year only one cutting survived. I also take cuttings from favorite coleus plants, or pot up small ones for the winter. I bring some cuttings inside tucking them in with the orchids that live in my kitchen window.
   
As usual, I hope you enjoyed the mini tour of the plant world here. Hopefully, more later!
 
Oh, did I mention I have been busy working to get Ralph Northam elected governor???? I first met Ralph when he was a boy in 3rd grade - my very first year teaching here on the Shore. He grew from a fine kid into a fine and HONEST man. Apparently not everyone requires- or finds- honesty in their politicians, but I do. Vote for Ralph Nov 7th!!!!!

Sunday, October 29, 2017

Confused!

I am not sure how I did it, but the previous post of the Sept garden got published on the SPOTS blog instead of here. It took some doing to get it off the SPOTS page and on this blog instead... it must have looked strange to folks looking for any SPOTS info! DUH!


Anyway... here it is - a month late... and the garden is even more beautiful now... more camellias are open, the hibiscus is gone, of course, more azaleas are open... but I have been so busy, I just haven't had much time to share. I know I have some pictures on the camera, some of which need to go to the SPOTS page. Some here. Maybe I can get it right this time.


more later!
SEPTEMBER AZALEAS, HIBISCUS, AND BIRTHDAY CAMELLIAS
AS you might remember, I have quite a few fall blooming azaleas... well, they do bloom in the spring, too, and most of them are huge bushes, most of the blooms are double the size of the spring-only blooming azaleas. They started to bloom in August this year and I took these pictures a couple weeks ago just before we had a big storm with some serious winds. They have a lot more blooms on them right now and a couple other bushes are just barely getting started. I will get to them later.
 





The Hibiscus was especially nice this year. The blooms tend to be 10 inches to a foot in diameter.

And every year, right on my birthday, my huge camellias in front of the house give me usually just one bloom each. I figure my yard is giving me a birthday present! These bushes have been right on schedule for about 25 years. That's pretty good, isn't it? These bushes are so big, I have had to have them cut back to get them off my roof.