Faerisweet's Garden Diary

13 Jul '07 6:44 pm

intended to move some over crowded annuals to this new border for the season, til I could make an actual plan for the border and afford to carry it out. However...planning is not my strong suit, I am one of those dreadful gardeners who plants and transplants til I am, satisfied? (I don't think I have ever actually been perfectly satisfied with my results or I would stop at some point wouldn't I? Nope, never gonna happen.)
SO anyway I wandered into a nursery with no intention of purchasing, really Rolling Eyes

, I was only going to look. After all I hadn't made a plan yet and the pocketbook was not exactly overflowing either. So far the border has blue bedder salvia, some white salvia, black and blue salvia, leadwort, spotted dead nettle, razzmatazz coneflower, penstemon, purslane, lantana (red something, can't find the tag now) angolina, persian shield, a dark purple foliage plant that had no tag, white begonias, purslane, and a few of those zinnia, cosmos, and forget me nots that needed more room. Oh yes and a small hawthorne pink lady. Here is the few pics I have taken, just a couple of some of the small (yet) plants.
Forgot I moved the lily of the nile over there too, hoping a little sun will make it bloom. I have had it 2 years but in the shade and no flowers yet, when I got it they said it was a shade plant, now I have read it is a sun plant, I must remember always double check on these things, nursery staff may get things wrong like the rest of us. I have to widen the border some more, it is kind of narrow, a rush job to get things in the ground. I seem to try to do it all at once while I have the chance because life seems to get in the garden's way alot.

14 Jul '07 4:28 am

Is that your description or the name given to this fancy guy? I like the flower and that name. I forget which plant is called lilly of the nile, that isn't Agapanthus is it? If so, I'd definitely give it full sun here in the foggy bay area. In brighter, warmer Texas perhaps some light shade would be as good or even better.

By the way, I too am more a garden-evolver than a garden-planner. I edit constantly. My wife used to think I was trying to kill them all off by moving things around but now she gets it. Nor do I think "it" will ever be done. If my garden is ever finished it will be because I'm gone or have lost interest. With that in mind there is no need to rush to fill every corner. I try never to drive myself to work in the garden beyond the amount I feel like. I really enjoy working in the garden and don't want to screw that up by becoming all goal oriented about it. It should be more like dancing and it's always okay to sit one out or go get a cup of punch.

14 Jul '07 5:14 am

[quote="Mark"]Is that your description or the name given to this fancy guy? I like the flower and that name.

Me too; but for some rason every coneflower I've planted in this garden died soon after. No idea why.Maybe they don't enjoy coastal (wind, salt, rain).

I forget which plant is called lilly of the nile, that isn't Agapanthus is it? If so, I'd definitely give it full sun here in the foggy bay area.

I had been cautiously buying different agapanthus and keeping them in pots,(white and pale blue are just opening by the front porch) but have gradually realised they are as tough as old boots here and do just as well in the open garden.They like salt wind rain. I'd also nurtured a tray of dark-blue agapanthus seedlings. Just before our open gardens weekend /plant sale, I was going to put out these dozen or so sturdy young plants for sale. Then I decided, instead, to keep them for my own garden; what an ideal opportunity to offer them different conditions and situations all around the garden and see what they like best, wet/dry/sun/shade. (I have seen them growing as luscious weeds along wet ditches in Madeira). Next year I might have enough agapanthus to cut for the house.

14 Jul '07 7:16 pm

Mark- I can't take credit for the name, that is the cultivar name. Here is a link with info on it and some pretty pictures of it in others gardens. Love the name too. http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/60229/
Yes, Agapanthus is the Lily of the Nile, I am trying it in some sun with a little afternoon shade now, alot of the plants that are supposed to be in full sun appreciate some light shade during the heat of a Texas summer. I agree about driving yourself to work in the garden, it should be enjoyable. Alot of times (because i have 2 teenagers mainly) life gets in the way of gardening. When I do manage to find a larger than usual block of time to do my own thing, I tend to go a little crazy in the garden. I will work for hrs. the just finishing this up and oh, I will do that real quick, kind of thing. Soon it is getting dark and I am forced to give it up. Only when I quit for the day, do I really feel exhausted. I don't know how to explain it really, as long as I am at it I feel great, when I stop.. it catches up to me (age I guess) usually tho a shower and some sleep and I'm ready to get out there again. However with the kids I don't get so many full garden days, tho I do make sure to get up at least an hour or so before anyone else to at least walk around and check things, pull a weed or two, deadhead, whatever. Mornings are my favorite time to spend in the garden, working or just relaxing with my morning coffee.

15 Jul '07 5:46 pm

What an odd looking flower that Razzmatazz is, by which I mean I like it. I know what you mean about blasting away all day long and not noticing you're sore until you stop. Isn't that like dancing in a way? We have no kids at home and I teach so the summers offer long stretches of gardening opportunities. What I find is I can blast away one day, but now I feel it the next day. Also, after most of a week of having enormous amounts of time to fuss in the garden, my desire/attention wonders to other things. Never for very long. When we're home, no week goes by that I don't spend at least a couple of days in the garden and often much more but I actually think it's healthy to diversify my activities a little. Sometimes -like now- I have a sizable list of projects for the garden on my to-do list. I could certainly go at them more efficiently than I do, but I prefer to do them when the spirit moves. I'm trying to protect the garden as a refuge from the stress of deadlines and goals that make up so many other aspects of life.

15 Jul '07 8:31 pm

up and I know they won't be home for too many more years. A fact that has been pressed home more this past week than I really liked. A 15 yr old son that is making his college plans already, complete with tuition quotes from his 1st choice college, and an almost 17 yr old daughter having her first real date, reluctantly agreed to by parents.
In many ways I dread their leaving home and then again in many others I look forward to it, being a parent can be weird at times. I will miss them not being in the house daily and worry about all the things that can happen when they are on their own. Then again, I look forward to having more time for the things I enjoy and to being more a couple than parents. Sounds a bit selfish, huh?

18 Jul '07 3:46 am

was walking around the garden this morning and caught these butterflies on a zinnia flower. Usually they fly away when I approach and I can never get a picture hardly. These two stayed put, were still there after I took the pictures. I think maybe they are mating, I have no idea about insects. They let me take their pictures so I'm happy anyway.

23 Sep '07 5:41 pm

Well, I haven't been on much lately between work, the kids and the garden, I haven't had alot of time to spare. My daughter got her driving license, so she is always wanting to use my car, she won't get one till her birthday. My son is constantly on the go with cross country and basketball. He has a great chance of going to state this year for cross country, he is a sophomore but the fastest on his high school team, placing ahead of the seniors in 4 out of 5 meets so far this year.
I have been working on the garden, I finished Banjo's bed around the tree and it is filling in nicely, tho I was a little disappointed that my niko blue hydrangea blooms pink instead of blue, something to do with the soil ph I think. I need to add something to make it blue I think. Does anyone know? It is still pretty anyway, so if I can't make it go blue it will be o.k.
I started putting in a garden between the house and garage, about a 10 ft wide and 30 ft long space. It looks small but sure can hold a large amount of plants. I am probably overplanting and will have to move things again as they grow, but they start out so small. it is hard to think of how large they will become. I have put in so far, several types of salvia, blue bedder, black and blue, victoria, autumn pink, and white and red varieties, also coneflowers, purple wonder, harvest moon and razzmatazz, also rock rose, three varieties of brown eyed susan, blue phlox, plumbago, two types of lantana, two types of spirea, a disco belle hibiscus, confederate rose hibiscus, purple sensation butterfly bush, cherry brandywine gaura, lily of the nile, some yellow pixie lillies, heavenly bamboo, burgundy gallardia, shasta daisies, purple flowering tobacco, several types of pinks, purple asters, lavender and white mums, lambs ears, a Queen Elizabeth climbing rose, and strawberry foxglove, and a clematis vine. The space actually starts next to the porch and curves around between the garage and house. The idea is there will be a path splitting off the path that leads from the driveway to the front door, go under a rose arbor and between the house and garage, with plants on both sides and a bench for relaxing at one end. I bought a moroccan style lantern to hang by the bench, I will have to put a post in, to hang it. Still some work to do and I am afraid no pics til I can get a new camera, mine gave up the ghost recently, so I will have pics as soon as possible.

23 Sep '07 8:03 pm

I have been wondering how you were getting along.Faerisweet.Thank you for the update and telling us about how well your family is doing.
Your garden plans sound really exciting with so much going on.
When I moved here I brought cuttings of my deep blue hydrangeas.The first year they were all Pink !!So I sprinkled some aluminium sulphate around them with fertiliser and watered in, and they became blue again in a year or so.
I hope you can get some pictures soon,as your previous ones have been very interesting.
Dixie.

25 Sep '07 1:24 am

Hello again Faerisweet, you have been really busy! Your new garden sounds wonderful and I, for one, can't wait to see your pictures. You have certainly installed some beautiful plants. I was glad to see that Dixie already shared the secret to keeping hydrangeas blue. Acid soil will make them bloom pink, so the aluminum sulfate makes the soil more neutral or even slightly alkaline. Keep up the good work and try to stop in to share with us whenever you find a spare minute or two.

Faerisweet's Garden Diary

Ahh yes, the next border...

Razzmatazz coneflower? I'd buy it just for the name.

Re: Razzmatazz coneflower? I'd buy it just for the name.

Razzmatazz

Thanks for the link.

Kids are growing

butterflies

progress

Garden update

Garden progress