Um, memories of Antonelli's Begonia Farm. I should see if it still exists and if there is a link.
I think we had our last rain two weeks ago, so today after work I dragged the hose over the fence to water the front yard in progress. My front yard has 'bones' but nothing else. I have to move this pressure treated frame I have made for a terrace in the back yard, and then I can add some of the soil in the front yard to it, and then I can dig trenches for irrigation in the front, and then do it (already have the sprinkler pop ups), but first I have to get drainage going under the entry walkway and over to the north side where...oh, never mind.
Once all that is done, I can plant the daylilies that have been amassing in the raised beds and start my snail farm, no, no, I mean intersperse some other wonderful plants. The trees are in and doing well in the front (seven new ones) and the transplanted hedge is beginning to look less awful. The white erodium in front of the hedge needs weeding...
but what did I actually plant this last weekend? when weeding I yanked part of a dark blue hydrangea out of the ground by mistake, and so put it in a pot to see if the few roots it had will take hold. I have been lucky with hydrangea rooting, so I am hopeful.
Haha, snail farm....
I planted more last weekend. Some plants from my mother's house (violets, bergenia, queen of the meadow....). I added a medium blue lobelia to the hanging pots and three double flowering pink impatiens.... even though I'm not a big impatiens fan.
Have I mentioned the new ferns and funky helebores?
What's a queen of the meadow...nice name...
Found it. Apparently they are more widely known than just in California..for hybrids, etc.
http://antnelli.infopoint.com/
I went to Home Depot today, and bought a cart full of flowers. I planted half, and left the other half for planting tomorrow when it's cooler in the morning.
c.i.
Osso - queen of the meadow is the same as filipendula almaria:
http://www.em.ca/garden/per_filipendula_ulm_variegata1.html
I planted tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, zucchini, pole beans (Blue Lake are the very, very best), red leaf lettuce, cucumbers, watermelon, sunflowers, and squash.
It has been cold and wet late here this year, so I'm about a month behind the normal planting schedule, or more. Snail farm is a good word for it, not to mention squirrel ranch.
It's STILL cold and wet here. in the low-50s and rainy for today and the next few days. Ugh. I actually don't mind the weather. But, I have a June 1 deadline for getting this yard into shape for the landlords' BBQ.
Didn't plant anything new over the past couple of weeks ... but am very impressed by the rapid, healthy growth of the bok choy I planted recently ... They seemed to wave at me from the garden
... A whole little sea of them!
(Which makes me wonder: Why no "Seedlings for Singles" vegie plant packs at the nursery? .... There are SO many seedlings of tomatoes, parsley, carrots ... almost any vegetables in the smallest containers .... too many for any one person to consume ... I give lots away, but still have way too much of the same at one time.)
Isn't it fall in Oz? Why would they have summer seedlings? The Bok Choy sounds appropriate though.
TOMATOES!!! I planted tomatoes. And Kerria Japonica single flowering, and another handsome bush, whose name I forgot (not george), but littlek knows. by now my tomatoes have bunch of new leaves and oh, they please me so!
cjhsa
Yes, it is fall/autumn here in Oz. I honestly have no idea of when is the "right time" to plant bock choy. I saw some small seedlings at the nursery & planted them with no idea of the best soil conditions, etc .... Anyway they, & everything else I've planted in my new garden ( moved house not long ago) have flourished despite the drought, a ruthless summer & now a reasonably wet autumn. My natives & herbs are having a great time!
Nothing like picking your own herbs & vegies from the garden, is there?
I've got two more six packs to plant this weekend. I sprayed the garden this morning for bugs and weed, and sprinkled some slug plugs.
c.i.
Yesterday, our first dry day with sunshine in almost a week, I repotted a lavender plant for the container garden and did alot of deadheading. Taking notes on what I won't put into pots next year. Petunias are out and so are vincas. I like flowers that grow and spread.
Keeping a gardening journal for the first time this year.
c.i.: oh, oh - spraying? slug pellets? i hope it was all ORGANIC AND NATURAL material that you used or the bugs and slugs might develop into SUPERSIZE ! after going after the slugs with a pair of scissors at night for some years(which was duly reported by ebeth in school under the heading "what does your father do after work" - and which quickly spread through the neighbourhood !!! ) - i now use DIATOMACEOUS earth for pest control. it's pretty well non-toxic and works quite well. some red beetles are attacking our lilies with great vigour and my wife and i are handpicking them and SQUASHING them(YIKES !) or put them into a container of water and oil - pretty cruel i guess. hbg
It finally stopped raining here a couple of hours ago. The garden is too wet to work in. The grass and weeds and everything got huge !!!! over a week of fairly constant rain. It's going to be interesting when I can finally get out there to beat the jungle into submission.
hamburger and mrs. hamburger were good gardening mentors. Perhaps too good. The first year I had tomato plants at my house, I followed all of the care instructions I could recall and ended up with so many tomatoes that I was forcing them on people I barely knew - including the guy who came to clean the furnace. He left with 3 grocery bags of tomatoes. I've learned that 1 regular tomato plant and 1 grape tomato plant are enough for me.
hbg, It's the first time I've heard of "DIATOMACEOUS earth for pest control." I'll look into it. Thx, c.i.
c.i. : it's sold in canada under the trade name INSECTIGONE - have you installed and tried the new google taskbar yet ? - it'll come handy in here! hbg............ having a bit of trouble working at the keyboard; ebeth's dogs are staying with us and cleo thinks she ABSOLUTELY has to sit on my lap while i'm keyboarding! ...... not an easy task...
Impatiens, all white, and lots and lots of them.
Moved some hostas around as well.
