A Leafy Journal

Thursday, May 10, 2012

Stress Relief

I finally got around to planting my latest garden additions today. I don’t remember the name of the red-leafed plant but fortunately the locally-owned garden center had a sign that said to plant it in the shade—otherwise, I would have put it on the sunnier side and wondered why it didn’t do well. This garden center has begun posting full-color printed signs with name and care instructions for various plants. Not only are they helpful but they look neat (in both senses of the word☺) And the good old cobalt blue lobelia can do reasonably well in part shade or mostly sunny. I feel as though my garden isn’t complete without it. The intensely deep blue flowers cascade over the edges of pots until it gets really hot and then again in the fall. Deadheading the tiny flowers is tedious but when it gets overwhelming you can give them a full haircut. However, once you cut them back, depending upon how hot it is and how far back you cut them, they may or may not come back until fall. I had to buy a six-pack of lobelias in order to get a couple—I wish that retailers would make 2-packs or even 3-packs. The slightly larger individual plants that sell for almost as much as six of them isn’t all that helpful either since they’re harder to fit into small spaces in container gardens. It was a beautiful, sunny morning to do my planting. While I was at it I added some organic nasturtium seeds to my salad pots and hyacinth bean vine seeds (not edible) to a hanging basket. We’ve had so much stress, and activity lately, it felt so good to be outdoors working in the garden then sitting in it, enjoying the fruit of my labor.

Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Orange-flowered Bush

My miniature pomegranate is flowering at last! I’m so pleased to have an orange-flowering bush in my garden—one that is just the right size (though I may have to prune it to keep it that way). I look forward to the miniature fruit, which the tag describes as “colorful”; I like colorful. The new red-violet clematis has grown a foot and a half since I twined it up the monofilament on Monday! It must be happy. The heavens poured buckets of rain last night but I had to remind myself that just because rain fell on a plant it doesn’t mean that the water reached the soil. Some of the plants have large leaves that act as umbrellas, shielding the soil from the rain. Even if the rain does reach the soil, it may not have seeped far enough. However, I have no doubt that the big pot of white petunias, sitting in the open, was thoroughly drenched. The hanging baskets under the eaves get no rain at all—or rarely. Still, it didn’t take as much water to slake the plants’ thirst today.

Monday, May 7, 2012

Prettiest Petunias?

These white-edge fuchsia petunias that have come back for a second round may be the prettiest and healthiest ones I’ve ever grown! The leaves are larger, their cascade is more graceful and they’re blooming profusely. And I haven’t done a thing except water the stumps all winter.

I discovered that they make good cut flowers as well; who would have thought it? I accidentally broke off a branch and joined it with a bouquet I already had; it has lasted several days and is still in good shape.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Just the Thing

When I was a child I thrilled at ads for garden catalogs in the back of my mother’s magazines . I’d carefully tape my nickel or dime to an index card inscribed with my name and address, seal it in an envelope then with anticipation send it on its way to the wonderfully colorful nursery! Day after day the mailbox called to me until finally the catalog arrived! One of the glorious flowers that always caught my attention as I pored over the exciting pages was the clematis. They didn’t grow in our hot climate so I had never seen one in person and didn’t even know how to pronounce the name—until I moved east and often saw them vining on mailboxes—just like in the catalogs.

I needed a vine to block some of the hot afternoon sun on the end of our balcony and was thrilled to find a small clematis with a mini trellis at a large home improvement store! This one is just my color—and I am particular about color; it’s called Sunset. I’ve already begun training it up last year’s mono-filament. Clematis has the coolest seed pods with swirling tendrils—I’ve seen them in magazine floral arrangements. Guess what? This morning I found another daylily flower stalk!

Thursday, May 3, 2012

At Last!

As I arranged my garden yesterday I thought that my beautiful pink daylily given to me by my fellow artist S. in the ‘90’s might benefit from a move to the sunnier end of the balcony. It hasn’t bloomed in five or so years; every year I think, “I’ll fertilize it, make sure it gets enough water but if it doesn’t bloom this year it has to go.” It never did but I couldn’t get rid of it. I was all around it the last two days and saw no changes but today this flower stalk that holds at least two blossoms “suddenly materialized!” I’m getting a late start in posting today because I simply chose to sit in the garden and read scripture. If not for the strong 90 degree afternoon sun or the indoor things I must do, I could stay out there all day.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Surprise!

What a surprise the dove had when he/she landed on my balcony railing and came face-to-face with me! I was definitely surprised but recovered more quickly. The dove immediately flew back to its mate in the tree and they both hastily departed. Too bad, I like doves. I’ve heard somewhere that doves mate for life. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology says, “When taking off, their wings make a sharp whistling or whinnying.” http://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Mourning_Dove/id All this time I had wondered if the sound came from the exotic throat of a misplaced tropical bird!

The honeysuckle fragrance surrounded me like a romantic novel as I planted new additions in the garden. The air had a peaceful feel, that is, until it suddenly swarmed with white-winged black insects! They liked my hair, my clothes, everything—except the buckets of plant water. I nearly swatted myself silly but they finally diminished and gave up. The empty pot among the herbs (2nd picture) awaits basil. I wish I had it today for my open-faced avocado sandwich but I do have golden oregano.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Out in the Garden Again

Though it was in the 80’s this afternoon, it felt so good to be working outdoors in the garden again! I remembered why I like gardening so much; yes I enjoy watching things grow, seemingly out of nothing but I relish being outdoors surrounded by my plants, plants that I can nurture and arrange to my own design. In my garden, once I complete the necessary tasks, I can sit and just “be”. Today I got too late of a start to transplant my new additions, since transplanting needs to be done in the cooler parts of the day, but I did get all the plants that will be going outdoors, out there. This is a picture of the tight quarters before I arranged them. I did get them in a first round order though and I’ll show you that soon.

Monday, April 30, 2012

Comeback

I’m amazed at how well last year’s petunias are doing! I had cut them back to a bug-bitten nub and would normally have pulled the dead, brown crown out by now. But these, thanks in part to a mild winter, have come back strong and healthy--maybe even better than when I bought them (larger leaves, better branching). While the mild winter definitely benefited my garden in allowing several plants another round, the bugs may, unhappily, have a greater comeback as well. Some “visitor” has already been dining on the fuchsia delicacy of a petunia flower. I’m also hoping that a sweltering summer won’t wear down the plants—and us! Now that I’ve traveled and met an art deadline, I can concentrate on putting together this year’s garden. Today I’ll begin taking the wintered-over plants out so I can design the layout for sun needs, height and color flow.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Still Standing

Recently, I readied my plants for being home alone while we traveled. I watered them extra-well each day, three days before I left—to the point that they probably wanted to gag. Then I filled the water globes and stuck them in the pots of the plants most likely to dehydrate. This time I made sure to start a hole with a pencil before setting in the water globe—no more water-blocking soil up the tube. I had read about putting plastic bags around the pots to hold in water but I ran out of time before I got to that. I worried a little during the week I was away but asked the Lord to take care of my plants and knew I would just have to deal with whatever happened with them. When I returned, I found that all were still standing though the pentas were very dry, even shriveled but water soon revived them. I’m also concerned about the new orange hibiscus, which has dropped a number of buds though I furnished it with a water globe. It might need a larger, non-porous pot. All in all, the gardens fared well, the outdoor one getting a little rain on this rainy, gray day. I love my garden but when the Lord calls me to travel, I will do it and prepare the plants the best way I can. Blogger changed it's interface while I was away so I'm having to learn it's ways. Change can be good but sometimes the adage, "If it's not broken, don't fix it," is more appropriate.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Greater Backyard

From time to time I have the privilege of visiting large gardens that are either provided by the state or a private trust. I’m so thankful that these lands have been set aside and lovingly tended for our benefit. Those of us who live in “the treetops” especially need some gardeny terra firma to walk through and even sit in for awhile.

I don’t have time right now to look them up but I know there are studies concluding that when people spend more time outdoors, they’re happier and healthier. I know I am. Being in an outdoor garden setting, with some breathing room around, refreshes my soul. A mall just doesn’t do it.