The Best Laid Plans

I can't wait until spring to show all of those bulbs I planted last fall, but this is not going to help the gardener as far as planting for this year's show.

I have decided to share some of the plants which have done very well in my garden last spring and summer.  It was very rainy and hot last year which contributed to the huge growth of many plants and the demise of others.

Variegated Solomon's Seal

Dicentra Spectablis

Astilbe Chinesis Pumila

Carex Ice Fountains

These are mostly plantings that do well in shade to part shade.  I am going to be adding some shade perennials and move some of the hosta which fill in when the Bleeding Hearts die back.

I like the way Halcyon and August Moon look together but I have got way too many of them along the north side.  It's time for some diversity.

They do look nice most of the summer, but I think I need a little color in here!

Hydrangea Endless Summer

This is one hydrangea that did not perform well in the heat.  It had a great first bloom but then sort of shut down with a few new blooms off and on during the summer.  The previous year it bloomed beautifully all summer.  I am going to stick with them another year to see how they perform this summer, not great reports from many of the nurseries I frequent.

I really hope they do well this year because I love the colors!

Hydrangea Unique

Euonymus Wintercreeper

The euonymus still had scale last year after using an all season oil spray.  I will have to try something else in the spring.

Heuchera Raspberry Ice

Japanese Painted Fern

Dinosaur Fern
Cannot find the Latin name of this fern

All of the above plants will survive and do very well in part shade, the ferns and hostas even in deeper shade.  They withstood the heat of last summer on the north side of my home.

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Dem Bones

There is a book I used to read each year to the children about the human skeleton called Dem Bones by Bob Barner.  It was a fun way through song to learn the names of the bones in our bodies

Take a look at "Dem Bones" in your winter garden, sorry I don't have a song to go along with these bones.  If you look out and you do not see anything but borders, sticks and mulch you need some bones to your garden.  What I mean by bones is structures or plants that are visible after everything else dies down.

Bones can be achieved through trees, conifers, fences, gates, pathways, raised beds, arbors, pergolas, decorative garden sheds, obelisks, trellises, benches and year-round planters.  If you are on a wooded lot, you are not going to miss all of those other structures as much (this is not to say that a wooded lot cannot be improved by some of the above) but if not, your garden will look pretty desolate in the winter without some interest.

Bird feeders add to the structure of a garden

I doubt if anyone would want to sit here during the winter but it gives the feeling that you could take a rest.

Another place to take a rest at the end of a pathway before going through the gate becomes a focal point in the garden.

Raised curved planter with boxwood for winter interest

Raised bed veggie garden

Choose decorative trellises for a little winter art in the garden.

 

I guess if I had to pick my favorite structures to look at in the winter I would have to say my larger structures give me the most pleasure, the pergola, arbor and garden shed.  Maybe, this is because they are always visible even in deep snow.

Soon these bones will be covered with all of the beauty of color and growth in the garden.  I can't wait!

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

My paperwhites are gone, my poinsettias are gone and my amaryllis is gone.  Even my cyclamens have almost stopped blooming.  The Christmas cactus has put forth some more blooms but it certainly doesn't look like a robust plant.

I can forgive the lack of flowers outside during our zone five winters, but to have a home devoid of any flowering plants I had to do something about this!

I headed off to Home Depot to pick up some parsley seeds and seed starting soil for my new plant light stand and guess what I saw - a huge tall rack of orchids!  They are a smaller variety all in beautiful colors and one that would look perfect in my living room.  I read somewhere that orchids are great decor in formal rooms.  I bought two orchids at $12.98 each which seemed like a fair price for these beautiful plants.

I should tell you that I have never had an orchid, always intimidated me as far as care.  Ice cubes I can do, they're called Just Add Ice Orchids (three ice cubes once a week and a little fertilizer once per month) success promised.  I even signed up on their website so they will email me once per week to remind me about those ice cubes.  http://www.justaddiceorchids.com/

There are many new buds, so I hope I can keep them alive to see all of these beautiful flowers.  They are tall but are "see through" plants so they can be placed in front of other objects without interference.

It's Only The Beginning

The seed starting light stand is on its way and I have placed an order for the seeds from Burpee.  I received many catalogs and went through each one to see where I could order the most seeds at one time rather than paying numerous shipping fees.  For what I needed this year Burpee had the most of what I wanted.

I ordered the narrow four-shelf model which will fit very well in the space that I have available in my basement storage room.  The plant light stand is from http://www.birds-n-garden.com/

For the veggie garden I am going more conservative this year with varieties that I know will perform well.

Baby Leaf Mix (5 gourmet baby lettuces)

Looseleaf Blend (5 loosleaf lettuces)

I find that my family likes the lettuce blends so this is a better choice for me rather than the new single introductions.

Mariachi Pepper (2006 AAS Winner)
Very prolific pepper on the spicy and hot list

I am going to start some old friends like Amaranthus and some new zinnias, impatiens and petunias.

Amaranthus 'Love Lies Bleeding'
I will grow this in full sun this year not overshadowed by grasses.

Amaranthus Green



Zinnia, Zahara Double Fire

Zinnia, Highlight Zahara Yellow

Tidal Wave Petunia Silver (All America Winner 2002)

Impatiens Wild Thing

Well, I am back seed starting after several years of down time.  I didn't think I would take this on again, but this is one of the results of blogging and wanting to try some plants that were not readily available on the market. 

I won't be starting any of the veggies under lights this year, buying already set plants in the spring. but the flowers will take center stage with selections that I have not seen at the nurseries or garden centers.

It Has Been One Year

It has been a year since I began blogging!  I cannot believe that I have lasted this long because it is really an endeavor and a job.  I have always loved writing so it is not a surprise to me that I have sustained the writing part of blogging.  But, the photography challenges have been a definite learning process.

I began with a Canon EOS Rebel Camera, very heavy, not a portable camera to carry with you on a daily basis.  I bought a polarizing lens during the summer and subsequently lost it in the garden, fell off of the camera. 

I then bought a small point and shoot camera, a Canon 210 SX 14 megapixal with a great zoom lens.  It is fine but does not get the macro pictures that the larger camera gets. 


I have been challenged by the concept of the blogger in todays society and the idea of writing and using photos to tell a visual story very similar to a newspaper. 

My first post was on the rabbits and my concern about them eating the tips of my tulips.  This is still a concern since I have seen many rabbits in my garden this winter.

I need to spend time organizing and labeling my photos for easy access.  I really like Frances' idea at Fairegarden where she has organized many of her garden plants into pages and attached them to her blog for all to see.  I really didn't understand how I would use this feature until I saw what she had done.

I am looking forward to another year of learning and I thank all of my fellow bloggers for their support.