Old Man Winter

The last 2 days have been beautiful!! Yesterday was especially pretty, which gave me the opportunity to get out and do some winter clean up. Little Benjamin bunny supervised as I worked cutting back a few things and watering wildflower rosettes.
I have decided that I really like kale. Isn't it pretty in the old wash tub? I am going to make a note in my gardening journal to buy more next year. But..of course, these spring like days are not going to last! Old Man Winter is returning--and returning with force. The forecasters are telling us that Alaska is sending us a cold front that might bring ice on Tuesday and frigid temps. The low Thursday night will be 14. Really! Texas weather is so fickled!
Oh well--I don't care. I am making more soup, oatmeal cookies this time--and-- planting seeds indoors! I always start nasturtiums inside so they are ready to go outside in early spring. I use the fiber containers so when the time comes, I can plant without disturbing the roots. Kind of ironic though..one of the nasturtium seeds I am planting is appropriately named "Alaska!"

Wildflower Seeds, Backyard Tree and Thanksgiving

I thought I would give you an update on the wildflower seeds I planted in October. With the warm sun and lots of watering, it didn't take them long to germinate. This little area behind the pond is not the best place for spring wildflowers, but even the few seeds I scattered here have developed into tiny seedlings.
Along the fence and in the corner wildflower bed I scattered Lemon Mint and Standing Cypress seeds. There are lots of little seedlings in both areas that are continuing to grow. We have had some rain, but not enough so I have tried to keep all areas watered enough to help the little plants out. Wildflowers are drought tolerant, but not until they are larger rosettes.
I found an empty area in the corner bed and planted Golden Wave Coreopsis that are starting to come up. I wish they were further along as our temps may get to freezing this next week. I also planted pass-along poppy seeds and some heirloom larkspur seeds a MG friend of mine gave to me. I am so hopeful both of these plants come up and produce blooms.

Along with all the new little seedlings are bluebonnets that re-seeded. You can see how nice and healthy they look. I really wish everything was this big and may regret planting in October instead of September. We are due for a warmer winter this year, so maybe all the seedlings will be fine. Fingers will be crossed!
The Chinese Pistache tree in back has been turning a beautiful red this year. It is still not the prettiest tree, but we are hoping this is still part of the "ugly ducking" stage they say Pistache trees go through for 5 years. I do think the size makes it perfect for our little backyard.

But now let's talk about the wildflower seeds that I scattered under this tree...
Well, I am not very excited about all these little plants because I just planted Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush here. As you can see, there are tons of things popping up and I can tell you it's not just bonnets and paintbrush! My biggest problem with this bed is that it is being taken over by Carolina Geranium! I think I told you last year there were a few plants in this bed I couldn't identify and I think a few of you told me it looked like a wild geranium-and it was! As soon as those plants got bigger and I could tell what they were, I pulled them up. This year they have taken over! Yes, there are bluebonnets and I think paintbrush growing among the "weeds", but I am not sure who will win out. I have tried to pull the unwanted plants, but it is not easy-plus I have trouble not pulling bonnets that are mixed in. So..bottom line is that I may not have a pretty wildflower bed around the tree in spring, plus next year I will probably not plant seeds here and try to eradicate the unwanted weeds. Just hate this, but I will have to live with the problem for now.
It is hard to believe next week is Thanks-

giving. And, it's hard to believe 2010 is about over. Time really does fly by when you are having fun, and I have had lots of gardening fun this past year! I am grateful for all the success with plants I had, and even for the failures as we learn so much from those experiences. I am grateful for my wonderful family and my home, and for all my precious friends.

So, from my home to yours:

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

For each new morning with its light,

For rest and shelter of the night,

For health and food, for love and friends,

For everything Thy goodness sends.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;

For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;

For song of bird, and hum of bee;

For all things fair we hear or see,

Father in heaven, we thank Thee!~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Thyme" for Seeds!

Happy Fall Y'all! It has sure been busy at my house. No one told me Master Gardening school would be so..well..hard! Sorry I haven't been visiting your blogs lately. I study all the time! And, all of a sudden, it's fall! The temps are cooler, pumpkins are at the markets, as are mums and scarecrows. Love it! In the business of life, I almost forgot that it was "thyme" to plant wildflower seeds. Well, I didn't really forget-but the temperature was so hot here mid September I thought I better wait. I called the Wildseed Farm to verify, and they agreed-"wait for October" they said.
So, as I turned my calender to October yesterday, I realized the time had come. I had to pull up a lot of flowers from this bed around the tree. That was quite a job, both physically and emotionally. The flowers were leggy and looking pretty sad, but they still had blooms on them. I hate, hate to pull up things in bloom, but I did have seeds ready to plant, so I got busy.
Last night I soaked the bonnet seeds, and bright and early this morning I was ready to start scattering. Wildflower seeds must touch the soil, you don't really plant them. After soaking all night, the bluebonnet seeds became plump and felt like tiny little rocks. Very easy to grab a handfull and toss them here and there. I love scattering seeds-makes me know how Johnny Appleseed must have felt! :)
I do have a few rosettes coming up from last year-can you see this little one in front of the rock-but I have so little space to have flowers in the back, I use the beds to plant annuals which makes it hard for the bonnets to re-seed successfully.
I scattered seeds everywhere I could find a bare spot. They may not germinate in all spots, but why not try and hope for spring blooms.
This sunny spot is the corner wildflower bed that has only crazy wild things in it. I scattered bluebonnet seeds, mexican hat, horse mint, standing cypress and indian paintbrush here. In spring, I will add plains coreopsis and ox eye daisies.

I love seed planting day in fall! It teaches me patience, gives me hope for the future, and brings me joy! I can't wait to see what surprises these little seeds will bring me next spring!

"The most noteworthy thing about gardeners is that they are always optimistic, always enterprising, and never satisfied. They always look forward to doing better than they have ever done before!"

Vita Sackville-West

They're here!!

The UPS man just pulled up out front. Hubby went out to see what "we" ordered and brought me this very familiar box. My wildflower seeds are here!!
I got my catalog out last week and decided what seeds I will try for spring blooms and called the order in. Here in the Dallas area, most wildflower seeds will need to be "scattered" around the middle of September to early October. I should have some plants that re-seed from this past year, but I always like to plant more seeds each fall just to assure flowers. And, I also like to buy something new to try as well.
These are the seeds I ordered:
Bluebonnets (of course!)
Texas Paintbrush
Ox-Eyed Daisy
Wine Cup
Dwarf Red Coreopsis
Lemon Mint
Ladybird Dwarf Cosmos
Standing Cypress

Of course all I can do right now is look at the seed packets, but this time next month I will be getting ready to throw out those seeds! I can't wait--hurry September!!


"To own a bit of ground, to scratch it with a hoe, to plant seeds and watch their renewal of life--this is the commonest delight of the race, the most satisfactory thing..one can do."
Charles Dudley Warner

A new plant and LOTS of new seeds!

Knowing how I love to plant seeds, my sweet blogging friend Nola from Alamo North asked me if I would like some pink four o'clock seeds. Well, of course I said YES, please!! I received a little packet in the mail late last week from Nola, and there wasn't just 1 envelope of four o'clock seeds (acutally there were 2!) , there were 4 other envelopes of other kinds of seeds! I cannot tell you how excited I was. (but I know you love gardening like I do, so you know how excited I was!) Nola also sent me Angel's Trumpet, Hummingbird Vine, Bird of Paradise, and Moonflower Vine! Thank you, thank you, thank you Nola for sharing part of your beautiful garden with me!

This is my Gaillardia Indian Blanket, Firewheel. It is a drought hardy plant that we see a lot here in Texas beside the side of the road or out in fields. For some reason, they are very hard to grow in a flower bed. This plant is about 3 years old, and does well in spring, but even though it is drought tolerant, it tends to die back in the summer..when it should be at it's best!

Last summer Jimmy Turner from the Dallas Arboretum recommended a new variety of Gaillardia that does well in flower beds. It looked good at the Arboretum all summer, so I thought this year I would give it a try. This is Gaillardia "Frenzy" or Frenzy Blanket Flower. You plant it in full sun. It is also drought tolerant.
There was only a bud on the Firewheel, so you can't see a picture of the flower, but you can see the difference in the buds. The foliage is also different on the 2 plants. I really liked the flower of the Firewheel better I think, but if this one is happier in flower beds, then it will be a better plant for me. Time will tell...I'll keep you posted!

Happy Gardening everyone!

Nasturtiums

Back in February I started Nasturtium seeds inside. Well..here they are today! I have 2 out front, one on either side of the porch. I thought I planted only Alaska, but realized I planted Jewel in front and Alaska in a small pot in back. Can you see the variegated leaves in this pot? That's the Alaska. I think when I transplanted the burlap pots I got a few mixed in with the jewels!
I have never grown Nasturtiums but have always loved them. I know they do much better in cooler climates, but thought I would give them a go here before summer's heat hits. I always love seeing them in Colorado when we travel there in summer. The colors are so vibrant!
Interesting thing about these plants, the leaves and flowers are edible with a peppery tang. As a matter of fact, ground Nasturtium seeds were used in World War II as a replacement for pepper. I have seen them in salads in the Texas Hill Country in early spring. However..notice anything NOT there?? No blooms! I made a big mistake and fertilized them..only once, but now I read you do not fertilize them as it will produce bushy plants but no flowers. Great! And I was looking forward to those flowers on my porch! Well, I am not giving up. From now on they only get water! And everyday I am going to tell them how pretty they will be when they produce those gorgeous flowers!


"Gardening is an exercise in optimism. Sometimes, it is the triumph of hope over experience!"
Marina Schinz

Saturday Seeds

This was the first Saturday in quite a while that I have not had something to do..or somewhere to be. That made it the perfect day to go through my seed box and get out in the garden and plant some seeds!

The first thing I did after deciding which seeds to plant is make plant markers out of popsicle sticks. I have such a hard time remembering what I plant where..these work great as little reminders.
Trading seeds is so much fun. I have little seed packets from Racquel the Perennial Garden Lover, and Tina from In The Garden. Three of my friends from work have given me seeds (thank you Carlina, Mary and Pat!) One of the best parts of gardening is sharing what you love with other gardeners.
So, time to plant. Remember this bed? It's where the lantana grew last year. I decided I want it to be my perennial cutting garden. This is what I planted in this bed: cleome, solidago (fireworks), datura, clasping coneflowers, purple coneflowers and zinnias. I also planted purple coneflowers in several other beds. They are one of my favorites.
I planted mexican hat and clasping coneflowers in the wildflower garden, and forget-me-nots in the back bed that gets some shade.
I planted moss rose and yellow 4 o'clocks in pots; and in this pretty pot I planted hyacinth bean. See the trellis--I am prepared for it to climb!


I watered them in and thought good thoughts about each one! (you talk to your plants too, don't you!)


My seed box is still full of seeds I will plant later in the spring-we are never done are we? There will always be another seed to plant, another flower to grow. I LOVE gardening!!

"This very act of planting a seed in the earth has in it to me something beautiful. I always do it with a joy that is largely mixed with awe!"
Celia Thaxter

Trimming Trees and Planting Seeds

It's been another busy weekend at my house. We started off Saturday morning looking for granite
...again. We've spent the last month and a half trying to find the right slab for new kitchen counter tops. We finally found what I hope will be perfect...but more about that another time. Luckily we got home in plenty of time to get in some gardening!
The first thing I did was plant seeds in these fiber cells. These are biodegradability so I can put them right in the ground as soon as the seedlings are big enough. I planted Gomphrena-Strawberry Fields, and Nasturtium-Alaska. I've had Strawberry Fields several times and I love the vibrant red color. They are perfect as a filler flower in cut arrangements. First time for Nasturtiums. They don't like our Texas heat, but I thought I would try keeping them as long as I could. I love the beautiful jewel colors. I put them in a sunny window anxiously waiting the sight of green! Wish me luck-- this is the first time I have ever started seedlings inside.
Then on to tree trimming. My husband trims, and I drag the limbs to the parkway for pickup on Friday. Hubby trimmed some on the Red Oaks, and some on the Bradford Pear. This is what I have waiting on. I needed some of those branches inside so I can force the blooms. Looks like I will not have to wait too long-the blooms are just about to open.
I put a small group of stems in the kitchen window. You can tell these are so close to blooming-I can't wait for the pretty white flowers. They will add such a cheery, spring-like look to my house.
And before you ask..yes, that is a snowman. He is ready to say goodbye until next year and will be replaced with a bunny March 1st.

Hurry Spring--we are all waiting!!

Saturday Seed Update

I worked most of this chilly, cloudy day inside trying to get the house ready for Thanks- giving dinner. Around 2 I was ready to head outside and try and tidy up the back and check the progress of the wildflower seeds I planted. I am really pleased and wanted to share the progress with you. These are Bluebonnets from seeds I planted the first of September in the wildflower garden. They are coming up all over this bed. I am really excited that they look so good!

These are seeds that re-seeded from last year's bluebonnets They are in the bed along the fence on the other side of the yard from the wildflower garden.

These are from seeds planted this year also in the bed along the fence, but a little further down.


These little green mossy looking things are California Poppies! I am really happy to see them coming up. I planted them in several places and they are doing well..



except right here due to a certain squirrel that will not stop digging!


Finally, look very close and you can see the Red Corn Poppies starting to come up. They also have a mossy look. Last year my poppies did really well so I am hoping to have the same luck again this year.

Optimism--one of the most important words in a gardener's vocabulary!



"Like a good gardener, I believe that what does down must come up!"
Lynwood L. Giacomini

Crispy Critters are gone and seeds are in!

Well, crispy critters are not really gone...just relocated to the other side of the flower bed that is almost full shade.



They will be much happier here...they have many friends and no more of that hot sun!

Of course that leaves this an empty spot for something. I'm not sure what I will put there next year, but I know what I will put there for today!


Today is seed planting day--Bluebonnet seeds that is. I soaked the seeds overnight (this is just 1 batch, I did more!)











Then Sunday morning I raked through the dirt with my trowel, and scattered the seeds in the bed where the hostas were...
then here in the wildflower bed


Then here in another part of the sunny bed I cleaned out. You just "sow" the seeds, you don't plant them, and you need to keep them watered until they form rosettes. I can't remember how long that took last year. I just know I had pretty little seedlings all winter. Bluebonnets need lots of sun--that's why I think they will work where the hostas were.

It was a wonderful day in the garden, full of hope and anticipation for good things to come!

The Seeds are here!

The seeds I ordered from The Wildseed Farm in Fredericksburg have arrived! (Can you believe I am thinking flowers 2009? Of course you can!)
















I am hoping the Bluebonnets I had this past spring will
re-seed, but just in case, I ordered more seeds. I will soak them the night before planting, and they will be "scattered" by September first.



I have never grown Purple Coneflower from seed, but thought I would give that a try, so I ordered seeds for me and seeds to share. I am having such good luck with the little clasping coneflowers--so I ordered more seeds for them.

My Mother had beautiful California Poppies, so I ordered more poppy seeds for her. And I am trying 2 new things this next year: African Daisy and Scarlet Sage. I know--I can buy the plants at a nursery, but I wanted to try my luck with seeds. There is just something about digging in the dirt, adding a tiny little brown seed (that looks so dried up it would never grow), giving it water and plenty of sunshine--and going out one day and seeing that first seedling! It's magical!


"This very act of planting a seed in the earth has in it to me something beautiful.
I always do it with a joy that is largely mixed with awe!" Celia Thaxter

Time to harvest some seeds

The orange and yellow cosmos have been beautiful. They will bloom into the fall, but when the blooms go to seed, it's time to harvest. The seeds are easy to see--they look like little brown sticks. And you get TONS of seeds! I have given them out to lots of friends (let me know if you want some!) I am a walker, and when I walk through my neighborhood, I feel a little bit like Johnny Appleseed as I see cosmos flowers in several beds. I remember giving seeds to the gardener that lives in some of the houses , but there are a few flower beds filled with blooming cosmos that I think either the wind or my bird friends helped plant!




It's also time to harvest Hollyhock seeds. Since this is my first year with Hollyhocks, Becky had to explain to me how the seed pods dry out and start to open filled with little black seeds. As you can see, I have harvested quite a few Hollyhock seeds. I will pass-along some to my Mother and the rest to anyone else that wants some. You can also see the little brown cosmos seeds. They are so small and light, you can understand how the wind could blow them around.



Speaking of seeds--I am ordering my wildflower seeds this week. Some I will need to get in the ground my the first of September!

My---time really does fly when you are having fun, doesn't it?