Blog Feed: A Leafy Indulgence

OK. Que up the music from Deliverance. The red hot pokers (Kniphofia uvaria) are playing out a duet yet sparring with each other. Here's their updated story. They were planted from seed about four years ago after I saw them and thought they looked really cool and different. (I'm a sucker for those botanical attributes.) Three plants took and grew and bloomed in their second year. And grew. And grew. I wrote about their first bloom two years ago [posted 26.06.2010] and the reasons I fell out of [..] > read more

California In Virginia

Published on 2012-05-05 23:10:00

A month earlier than last year, the California Poppies (Eschscholzia californica) are blooming their pretty little butts off. These are the same that were planted from a free seed mixture last year and overwintered on the south side of the house in my protected micro climate. As reported earlier, these annuals can survive a winter if there is no severe ground freeze (as in last year's mild winter.) There were yellow, orange, and creamy white last spring and grew about 6-inches tall (15 cm). The [..] > read more

April 2012 Flowers In The House

Published on 2012-04-30 09:02:00

Indoor flowers on the last Monday of the month I brought in a few rhododendrons from the tangle of rhodies in the rear corner of the yard - otherwise known as the last frontier. This area has yet to be tamed, while the rest of the front and back have been cultivated. "Anything grows" is the motto for this dark inaccessible jungle. I keep promising myself to explore it someday, and eventually tame the savage plants that make it their home. We can't have rhododendrons indoors without something to [..] > read more

Bronze Beauty

Published on 2012-04-20 21:03:00

From the title, I would expect to get a lot of hits on searches for this post, just like I did on my post titled, "Maximum Maggie," the star magnolia [posted 23.03.2009]. I could not figure out why my blog analytics showed that the number of searches for "Maximum Maggie" was off the charts. With a test search of my own, I found the top result on Google for Maximum Maggie was to a busty porn star's web site. Bronze Beauty is what I think my Aguja (Ajuga reptans) cultivar is after comparing onlin [..] > read more

April 2012 Bloom Day

Published on 2012-04-14 20:58:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom DayWhat's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month. There are a few blooms in the garden this time, between spring and summer. Did I mean spring and summer? What season is really, with frost the past few nights, and temperatures in the 80's (upper 20's C) tomorrow. Outstanding at the moment are the California poppies that overwintered. Their performance earns them a future post.You can find other garden bloggers' April bloom days at the blog May Dreams Gardens.Calif [..] > read more

Color Me Happy

Published on 2012-04-07 18:02:00

In the past few years I have become more aware of planning and consideration of color combinations. It probably stems from those dreamy magazine landscapes that grow the same plants that I have but don't look like a patchwork quit. I used to gaze out the window at this time of year and see a yard full of several different shades of purple, with no other color. Only height, width, and season were really considered in any planning attempt. Although not yet adept at color planning, at least now co [..] > read more

March 2012 Flowers In The House

Published on 2012-03-26 05:00:00

Indoor flowers on the last Monday of the monthThere are not a lot of flowers around the house yet, so I like to keep them outdoors until more come along. Then, when I bring a few indoors, the yard will not miss the picked ones. Today I have a simple elegant pair of the Poet Daffodils (Narcissus poeticus) staring out the kitchen window.I hope my vases do not bring back bad memories of your high school chemistry class. These were cast-aways from one of my projects - a renovation of science labs at [..] > read more

You Know It's Been A Warm Winter When...

Published on 2012-03-24 10:36:00

• The nicotiana did not die in the fallThe white nicotiana (Nicotiana alata) is a reliable annual that reseeds itself year after year. Seeds usually begin sprouting near the end of frost, taking about a month to reach happy bloom time. So, early summer in June is when I expect to see and smell the night blossoms. This is great timing for the first outdoor barbecue of the season. Last fall, the plants died back as usual, but apparently only from the ground up. Last year's plants are now spr [..] > read more

March 2012 Bloom Day

Published on 2012-03-15 19:02:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom DayWhat's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month. Yawn. These spring pretties have starred in past blog posts, so this time I tried to get as close as my limited camera allows. And, in order to avoid featuring the newest blooming weeds in this bloom day, I present a few words on the one new plant: the blue hyacinth.A year ago, I forced some hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) bulbs indoors as I had in the past. This time, I tried Sky Jacket, a light blue color. They [..] > read more

Name That Plant

Published on 2012-03-09 20:10:00

I found this growing in the side yard garden last week and am at a loss to identify it. We have ovate leaves with a slight gray color and somewhat serrated edges, symmetrically arranged in pairs on the stem, with about 12 inches in height (30 cm), and a growth not very vertical. I do not believe weeds of this size normally grow fast in the late winter. I ponder the possibilities:• Lobelia cardinalis.This is what I am hoping for. In fall 2010, a local nursery went out of business. I purchas [..] > read more

Seed Exchange Bounty

Published on 2012-02-11 21:12:00

A week ago I attended the Washington Gardener Magazine Seed Exchange at Green Spring Gardens in Alexandria. This was my second year, and it was an overcast, dreary, shower-filled day, just like last year. I learned a few tricks from my previous experience that made this year more rewarding. I also briefly spoke to fellow blogger the Indoor Garden(er), recognizing him from his blog photo (and his name tag.)Last year, I loaded up about 100 seeds of the Castor Bean [posted 2009.9.3], and the same o [..] > read more

Free Range Poinsettias

Published on 2012-01-14 16:29:00

Do I have a green thumb or what?How many people keep poinsettias after Christmas and try to get them to rebloom the next year? And how many people, with fungus gnats, white flies, and yellow leaf drop throw in the towel and throw the darn thing away? They may be cheap but they're not easy.Two years ago, I planted a cheap holiday poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) outdoors in the spring. I wanted to give it a chance to live on past its normal life expectancy so retired and moved it to a warm sunn [..] > read more

Alexandria Holiday Decoration

Published on 2012-01-07 18:01:00

It was a busy time during the holidays, and without many plants growing, there was not much material for the blog. I thought another yearly door decoration post might be in order.Over the past few years, a securities company across the street from my office in Old Town Alexandria decorates its front door in true colonial style. Natural fruit and greens adorn the door and transom window during the holiday season. A few years back, I took a candlelight tour of nearby Mount Vernon. George Washingto [..] > read more

Iris Rerun

Published on 2011-12-19 21:30:00

This is just a quick post to keep the blog going until the next post. Winter does not have a lot going on for me that hasn't been mentioned before. One exception is yet another post about Clarence the bearded iris [2011.05.03].As mentioned in a previous post [2011.10.23], he started showing signs of blooming in November and December after taking the summer off. I did a bit of research online, and discovered the wonderful world of re-blooming iris. Clarence apparently belongs to this group. I bel [..] > read more

Neon Hostas

Published on 2011-11-06 20:34:00

With three or four years of hostas under my belt, you would think I know my plants pretty well. This fall they surprised me, maybe because of the unusual weather, maybe because of they are more mature, or maybe because they are trying to impress me.Two of the hostas have stood out. The first, True Blue, was purchased three years ago and is described as, "Large, heart-shaped gray-blue leaves with slightly wavy margins and moderate puckering, excellent substance and pest resistance, near white flo [..] > read more

October 2011 Flowers In The House

Published on 2011-10-30 23:11:00

Indoor flowers on the last Monday of the month.No corn or corny-copia on the front door, so what does one do for the holiday season? Why not join the Flowers In The House gang. There were a few zinnias and marigolds left in the garden after the cold storm this weekend. Fortunately, after last night's freeze I could still harvest something and will enjoy them for a few more days indoors. This samples the bounty of peppers and flowers that were brought in Sunday.Along with my obviously contrived c [..] > read more

Act II - Autumn

Published on 2011-10-23 19:36:00

Many of my perennials begin in the warmth of spring with a vibrant burst of life, only to slowly give up in our notoriously hot and humid Washington summers. In August, the plants are as tired of the heat as I am of trying to care for them. The garden comes back to life for one brief final fling when the nights cool and the days shorten. The steam-heat-loving fungal diseases disappear, as do many of the crawling and chomping beasties. Several plants are now on their encore performance prior to t [..] > read more

And It Goes With...

Published on 2011-10-14 18:26:00

I am not known as a gardener that plans to match colors in blooms. For the first time this year, however, I began actually thinking about colors of adjacent plants. I believe it started last year when I noticed some green hostas with lime green trim ended up next to a yellow hosta, slightly greenish oak leaf hydrangea blooms, and a lime green coleus - purely accidental.This year I planted that lime green coleus with dark maroon spots near some maroon heuchera, and planted purple zinnia mixed in [..] > read more

Rain Lilies

Published on 2011-09-15 21:52:00

This spring, I found, ordered online, and planted one of the gems that I discovered at the Dallas Arboretum last year. The Rain Lilies Zephyranthes candida were planted along the edge of a bed with hopes of a blooming summer. After noting them in a past blog post, I found out the name signified that they bloomed after a rain in the late summer or fall. Zephyranthes are related to the amaryllis family, and are native to Argentina and Uruguay in South America. Those found blooming in the late sum [..] > read more

Zinnia-mania

Published on 2011-08-30 17:45:00

In the past I viewed zinnias in the same way as marigolds and petunias. They were easy annuals that grew and flowered nonstop through the summer, became ungainly toward the end of summer, and then succumbed to fall disease or needed to be taken out because of their old age. Let's hope I don't have the same fate in my old age.The Tall ZinniasHowever, I have since appreciated one trait that zinnias have over the other two: they make a good cut flower, and come back after cutting. The flowers can a [..] > read more

I Thought This Was Lobelia

Published on 2011-07-04 08:27:00

When a little local nursery that carried a unique selection of perennials closed for good last fall, I picked up a few cheap plants and planted them around the gardens. I am too lazy to label, but I did set markers out so I would know something was p > read more

None-nions

Published on 2011-06-26 18:09:00

Onions and radishes are two vegetables that I cannot grow well, (except for one year.) School kids can grow radishes, but I can't. Every year I try and every year the result is a row of plants with red roots but no radishes.This year's onion crop was > read more

Looking Good From Behind

Published on 2011-06-22 22:49:00

It was June 2010, and my first year as a master gardener-in-training. I received my invitation for seven members' garden tours, and decided to trip on down to a few located nearby.I had considered opening up my own plot to the tour but feared the con > read more

June 2011 Bloom Day

Published on 2011-06-16 17:38:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day (After)What's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month. There is so much going on in the gardens, I needed an extra day to document it all, and ended up leaving some things out. The peony poppies are about pooped out > read more

Hydrangea Gratitude

Published on 2011-06-12 04:28:00

Plants can evoke memories of a personal event or a person. A gift plant is permanent - marking an event or symbolizing thanks long after a gift basket is eaten or a floral arrangement has dried out. I have a few such plants in the yard and will write > read more

Not Your Grandma's Hollyhock

Published on 2011-06-04 19:42:00

I remember visiting my grandmother while younger and seeing hollyhocks growing on the side of the house. Last year I thought these would make a nice vertical statement in my side yard garden. I imagined upright sentinels standing tall against the hou > read more

Pipsqueak Rose

Published on 2011-05-28 20:33:00

My only rose bush is tiny. On New Year's Day, I host an annual open house for neighbors, who usually bring contributions of wine or food. Two years ago, my next door neighbors brought me a miniature rose bush in a small pot. It's name on the tag was > read more

A Change Of Heart

Published on 2011-05-21 19:52:00

After moving into my house around twenty years ago, it was obvious that past owners had been gardeners. Although it was a used rental when I got my hands on it, there were several plant specimens of note around the grounds from better times of previo > read more

Ain't No Rhodie Kill

Published on 2011-05-13 12:16:00

After purchasing my house, the hybrid rhododendron Roseum elegans was one of the first plants bought for the yard when my gardening journey began, back in 1988. An older hybrid from the 1830's, it was also one of the few 'first plants' that survived > read more

A Clearance on Clarence

Published on 2011-05-03 05:20:00

With four varieties of iris in the yard, why would anyone want a fifth? Because none of the four are a true bearded iris (iris germanica) with a true blue iris color - (my Dutch iris is blue, but it is Dutch.) I selected Clarence, a blue one from the > read more

A Clearance on Clarence

Published on 2011-05-03 05:20:00

My World Is Blue

Published on 2011-04-29 21:35:00

It is that time of the year when most of the spring blooms are finished and the summer perennials have not yet come on. In recent years, I tried to collect some plants for the cottage garden that can fill in this period with some interest and activit > read more

My World Is Blue

Published on 2011-04-29 21:35:00

Two Spring Favorites

Published on 2011-04-18 21:37:00

Although these two spring bloomers have been highlighted in previous posts, I include a few additional notes about them this year. The Narcissus poeticus or poet daffodils were first planted for spring 2007 [8.4.2007]. These bloom a bit later than ot > read more

Two Spring Favorites

Published on 2011-04-18 21:37:00

Overwintered and Underwhelmed

Published on 2011-03-26 19:35:00

As stated previously, a few annual plants are overwintered on a window sill and given a new life in spring. This is the second winter I tried this, and hoped to improve on last year by using larger pots and taking more cuttings. So far, the results a > read more

Overwintered and Underwhelmed

Published on 2011-03-26 19:35:00

Sorry Cocoa Say What?

Published on 2011-03-02 12:40:00

The white forsythia [10.3.2009] and crocus are usually the first in the garden to awake in spring, announcing the beginning of a new growing season. This year there is a new addition to the early show. The Sweetbox (sarcococca hookeriana var. humilis > read more

Sorry Cocoa Say What?

Published on 2011-03-02 12:40:00

February 2011 Bloom Day

Published on 2011-02-15 06:04:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom DayWhat's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month. A second Strobilanthes on the window sill just flowered, but I caught the photo a day too late. The Christmas poinsettia is still impressive, and waiting patiently to b > read more

February 2011 Bloom Day

Published on 2011-02-15 06:04:00

Tropical Surprise for Winter

Published on 2011-02-10 07:30:00

Two years ago, I ran into (literally) a stand of 6-foot tall (2 m) Persian Shield [22.9.2009] (Strobilanthes dyerianus) plants at the Atlanta Arboretum. I was impressed with this hedge enough to research their use as a decorative hedge in my back yar > read more

Tropical Surprise for Winter

Published on 2011-02-10 07:30:00

N-Ice

Published on 2011-01-24 16:54:00

On January 18, a misty rain began after sundown and slowly continued through the night. By morning, a glistening coat of ice christened the garden and yard. While waiting for the car to thaw out in order to leave for work, I grabbed the camera and to > read more

N-Ice

Published on 2011-01-24 16:54:00

Holiday Plants On The Door

Published on 2010-12-29 21:42:00

The first Nandina (Nandina domestica) was picked up from a neighbor at a plant swap, but died in the winter (the plant, not the neighbor.) Next year, not wanting to be known as a failure, I picked up another and planted. This one survived and this su > read more

Holiday Plants On The Door

Published on 2010-12-29 21:42:00

Blooming After The Frost

Published on 2010-11-14 15:16:00

Garden Bloggers' Bloom DayWhat's blooming in the garden on the 15th of the month. The frost came on Tuesday morning of this week. There was no warning - the temperature forecast was for lows above freezing, but upon waking in the morning, there was f > read more

Blooming After The Frost

Published on 2010-11-14 15:16:00

Just A Cheap Throw Away Plant

Published on 2010-10-24 23:09:00

It was a cold and snowy December when I purchased an average size, over-fertilized holiday poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) for $4.99 at a local discount store. It lived for two months, providing some indoor color past the holidays into the winter. > read more

More From Dallas

Published on 2010-10-17 14:58:00

Fall has been on the warm side, with no killing frost yet as we head into the last weeks of October. This year I am getting a jump start on the fall cleanup, busy pulling out dead material, planting and moving newcomers, and preparing beds for spring > read more

Discoveries at Dallas Arboretum

Published on 2010-10-03 18:48:00

While in Dallas Texas last month for a convention, I took a side trip to the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. After a bicycle rental and 9+ mile (14 km) ride around nearby White Rock Lake, I spent a hot afternoon strolling through the later sum > read more

Duh…That's A Datura

Published on 2010-09-22 17:13:00

Two years ago, a friend was proud and excited about her "Angel Trumpet" (Datura stramonium var Tatula) blooming with a heavenly fragrance at night. My research indicates a nickname as Devil's Trumpet. It is known for containing toxic hallucinogens, a > read more

Critters' Annual Labor Day Picnic

Published on 2010-09-07 13:00:00

Like last year, I spent Labor Day weekend laboring in the gardens, preparing them for fall. This year as last, weather was perfect for working outdoors clearing out dying vegetables past their prime, cutting back flowers fried by the summer, coaxing > read more

Late Recommended

Published on 2010-09-02 21:34:00

Every year, dwarf sunflowers (Helianthus annuus) are planted in the front display garden along the walk to the front door. This is one of the sunniest spots on the property, the soil is fine, and sunflowers have always been happy here. And, every yea > read more

Small Black Eyes

Published on 2010-08-25 20:25:00

Seeds were obtained from Jim, a participant in the fall plant swap brunch last year. I wanted Black-Eyed Susans (Rudbeckia hirta) in the garden for a long time, given their exuberant displays in late summer through fall, when other stars in the garde > read more

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