Monday, June 28, 2010

What happened to my Lantana love affair?

I used to love them, collect them, treasure them...

now they are forgotten in the garden.  They are fantastic performer's in the garden, comes in all shapes and colors (except blues).  So what's not to like?  I don't know what happened.  They were my first reliable performer's in the garden when I started many years ago.   Maybe they are just too low maintenance to be appreciated? 

While walking through the garden center the other day I thought to myself, "they have nothing special, just a bunch of different Lantanas."

I think I want to re-discover them...What's not to like.  The hotter and drier it gets, the better they perform.  The only plant I know of that's 100% dogproof, butterflies and hummers love them, no need to fertilize or water.  They are really great plants, but WHY, oh Why can't I get excited about them? Why do I strive to grow "high maintenance plants", plants that need constant care ? 

Tomorrow is a new day, and I WILL start to appreciate Lantanas again.

Monday, June 21, 2010

It's Dahlia time


It is Dahlia time. Dahlias might be my absolute favorite flower ever. They are so perfect looking, actually fake looking. Each one is more stunning than the next, always a surprise, always joyous. Everytime a bud opens I get giddy, it's like unwrapping a gift.
A few were lost in last years drought and this past winter's awful cold and wet. A couple of new acquisitions have been made, but no blooms on those yet. Fresh tubers in the ground usually bloom later than the established ones. My all time favorite, the Nenekazi, was lost.

Saturday, June 19, 2010

RAIN

 

Finally.. I had given up hope, but somehow with a coldfront stalled above us we got RAIN.

and not just a little teaser drizzle, nope real rain.  A whole 5 inches of rain.  I do wish it could have been spread out over a few weeks, but I'll take it.  I'll take ANY precipitation in summer.  Only bad thing is the grass will now hit a growth spurt, and grow leaps and bounds overnight and create a jungle.  maybe not quite that quick, but almost.   A nice bonus with this rain, is that the temperature dropped into the 70's.  I haven't seen 70's in a long time.  I've heard that they exist, apparently at 4am...but not when I am awake.

Tomorrow afternoon, when things have dried up a bit, I'll start planting.  Since I lost all my white CF last year during the record heat/drought, I now have 7 new ones, waiting for their new spots.  Also picked up some pink Daylilys and a couple of tall pink Ruellias.  Time to start planting in my newly created sunny bed, and move the shade loving residents elsewhere.  Nothing is more invigorating during a hot TX summer than rain.

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

More Hydrengas

9207iBF73B339E8F03979That's right, Bright and early Sunday morning I went to the HD to look for potting soil.  Looked at their plants, and right by the entrance to the garden center a cart with Hydrangeas.  Reduced, and needing a home.  I picked 4,  5gal sized ones, One Glowing Embers, one Queens Lace, and 2 Variegated ones...Also picked up some white plumbagoes... ( haven't seen them for sale in YEARS, and they don't produce babies like the blue variety...)
THEN....I had to see what was going on at LOWES.  Had to get mulch anyway.  Ended up with pentas galore some vincas and lantanas.  50 pentas, 15 white trailing lantana, 30 vincas(white)...I had JUST about caught up with my stash, and now it's refilled.  CGD...compulsive gardening disorder...Yeppers, that's what I got.
The picture is of Merritts Pride... Acquired with another Deja Bloom Saturday.
I have a feeling that the colors listed and the colors I'll get aren't going to be the same.  Merritts Pride, according to the tag, has BRIGHT RED flowers....We'll see

Thursday, June 3, 2010

Crazy Aboy Hydrengas

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Or absolutely NUTS!! I have always loved the, and never successfully grown them
I think this year things might go differently.  Over the years I have killed many hydrangeas.  Though this year I have gone completely crazy.
The picture is of my "Doublicious" I have bought two of them, one planted in a planter with potting soil, and the color changed from blue to pink.  The other I haven't planted yet, I have to get something to turn the potting soil acidic.  I want BLUE blooms. 
The list of my new acquisitions started with some mailorder hydrangeas.  To think there were none in my garden 4 months ago, and now I have 12 at least. 
6 Blue Moon, 1 Blueberry Parfait, 1 white, 2 Doublicious, 1 Deja Bloom, 1 Glowing Embers... This is the list so far.  I am definitely getting another Deja Bloom, and who knows what else I'll stumble on at the garden center.