Posts Tagged: wildlife garden
More Indoor Gardening Adventures with African Violets
As promised in my last entry, I will continue my indoor gardening adventures. The topic today will be the first of many discussing the quintessential African violet.
African Violets
It would be difficult to imagine any indoor garden being complete without a couple (interpret as dozens) of African violets gracing a window ledge or two or three. As an indoor gardener, we come by our obsession to grow these plants rather honestly. Raise your hand if your mom or grandma had African violets in the house. I thought so. Okay, you can put your hands down now. 🙂
Despite my mom’s success, it took me years to understand the nuances of growing violets. They are supposed to be easy plants but I actually find them difficult to this day. I recall a time when I thought I would be clever. I bought a pot of gargantuan proportions (think a size big enough to grow a ficus tree) and then I collected some rocks. The idea was to create a habitat similar to that of the native habitat of this beautiful, gracious, unassuming, amazing flower. Yes, the pot was giant but that was to accommodate the rocks and then I would sort of “squeeze” the flowers into the rock crevices and then I would have an amazing centerpiece for all to behold. Visitors would exclaim “Wow! I love what you have done here! Look at all these beautiful flowers growing as they would in the wild!” I would then smile inwardly. The joy for me would not be the accolades but the fact I could mimic a habitat. As a gardener – indoors or out – isn’t this our ultimate aim? Well, sadly, the venture proved very unsuccessful. Watering was a problem. Either the soil would be too dry or too wet. Looking back, I suppose I should have filled half the pot with perlite. That probably would have helped a lot. Now that I think about it, I am sure it would have helped tremendously. I may try this again one day but not before I master the art of growing these plants perfectly. By that I mean, I grow them without any issues and even get to the point where I can propagate my own plants. Once I have that down, I will revisit this idea.
Interlude:
Of course, by the name alone, we know these plants come from Africa – but where? I always envisioned an open forest floor dappled with enough sunshine to allow these plants to grow, thrive and multiply. Not true actually. This humble violet’s native habitat is within the rain forests of Tanzania specifically in the Nguru mountains. I learned this after reading probably one of the best written articles about this beautiful plant we all love and enjoy. Not only does it shed some light on the violet’s native habitat but it also raises awareness of its plight in the wild. I strongly encourage you to read it. You will be happy you did — particularly if you love African violets. Here is the link.
This image says it all when trying to determine how to best grow these plants. They grow in small nooks and crannies and love being root bound. In fact, it is my understanding that the plants will not bloom if they are not root bound and now that I think of my own successes and failures, this theory does seem to hold true.
Courtesy Andrew Evans, National Geographic. I want to thank Andrew VERY kindly for not only his amazing words but also for his generosity in allowing me to use this photo. This photo represents a dream for me — a dream that I too can observe these plants in the wild. Andrew, I will be forever grateful for your article. I read it over and over when I need inspiration or when I contemplate giving up on the idea of growing these plants.
Why do I have Such a Hard Time Growing African violets?
Well, to start, I believe I treat the African violet as I would an atypical houseplant. I have killed many by over watering. I have killed many more by under watering. I have grown in normal pots, specialized ceramic pots that have an outer pot for water and an inner pot that gradually soaks up the water over time and now I use Oyama pots. Even though the Oyama pot is superior in every way I learned that I have been using the pots incorrectly. Like the ceramic African violet pots, there is an outer container where you place water up to a certain line. You then plant the violet in the inner pot and again the idea is that it soaks up water as it needs it. Well, on the inside of this pot is a recess where you are meant to put in some perlite. What happens if you don’t do that? The soil clumps in that recess and one of two things will happen. Either the water will not penetrate through that clump or it will hold onto water like a sponge. So, you will end up killing the violet either by dehydration or by root rot. You see now perhaps why I consider these plants difficult!
Time for Some Education!
This past weekend, the Rocky Mountain African Violet Council had their annual spring show at my local garden center Tagawa Gardens. Oh! How I do love a visit to Tagawa! Having the African Violet Council there was a bonus. I gingerly made my way to the area where the African Violet show was set up. I quietly asked if there would be anyone who could help me determine the problems with my violets. I brought three of my worst. One had a very long neck due to many of the leaves dying, another had crumpled leaves and looked pathetic and the other, a trailer, had many dead leaves around the bottom, I thought for sure it was well on its way toward death.
A very nice lady named Sharon assisted me and then took me over to one of the more senior members of the group and I was told I over potted one, watered another too much and didn’t water another enough. As I listened, I consoled myself with thoughts of “but, I am trying so hard”. I then softly said “Can you help me?” and Sharon sprang into action. The first thing I needed was smaller pots. Her enthusiasm excited me. We bolted into the store on a mission. I purchased some small 3 ½” pots, soil and perlite. We then went back to all the tables, cleared a spot and began our surgical work.
I explained that I was contemplating throwing the sadder two violets out so if this experiment didn’t go well, all was fine. We removed the worst of the three, cleaned off the roots and then decided it would be best to cut off nearly all of the stem – roots included. With a snip, it was done. We then sprinkled some rooting powder on it and she explained I would need to put a baggy over it when I got home as it will gather its water from the humidity in the bag since it had no roots to gather water from the soil.
Violet at home in a baggy
Here are some photos highlighting the process:
Preparing the violet for surgery by removing leaves and scraping the neck.
Down to the bare minimum of leaves
Look! No root rot!
Once surgery was complete, the small, fragile violet was tucked into a pot and all that is left now is to hope it makes it through. That would be a tremendous blessing if it did.
We then worked on the other two violets. Here is the trailer getting its spa treatment of dead leaf removal:
Sharon removed all the dead leaves she could. We then set it aside and prepared the pot – properly by filling the recess with perlite.
And the violet in its improved home:
Sharon put me in charge of potting the final violet. This violet had a salvageable root system but I did remove several leaves and ran by thumbnail over the neck.
Here it is nearly ready to be potted up:
There we have it! All three violets are now in an upstairs room where I have a mini humidifier running 24/7 trying to mimic their native environment if only just a little bit. I will keep you updated as time goes by. I will close for now but before I do, I want to share with you the progress of my seeds!
What you see below are (in order) lobelia, alyssum, tomato, ancho peppers, tomatoes. I am still learning the nuances of growing plants from seeds and already I have lost some but I planted so many, all should still be fine. Further, I should not have started peppers and tomatoes in the same tray as the ground covers due to the different needs of the plants. Still, this is farther than I got last year so I remain hopeful. Thank you all very kindly for reading and if you liked what you read, please share or leave a comment. Until next time, many blessings and Happy Gardening!
And now for some photos and what else but photos of violets!
A little bit of an artistic flare on this photo
Oh! I forgot to mention, I bought a new violet when I was at the garden center. How could I not?! This beauty is named Ness’s Dream Maker. Well suited to its name wouldn’t you say?
Blessings of Such Beauty
Is it spring or winter?
As I mentioned in my last post, my garden was responding to the unseasonably warm temperatures. The daffodils were rising ever higher toward the sky, clover was sprouting all throughout, irises were poking through, more violas were springing up in containers and all throughout the garden, chives and garlic onions were poking through the earth and if I am not mistaken, there was a mass of Flander’s poppy seedlings emerging. I say all these things in the past tense because the garden was quite rightly responding to what they perhaps considered an early spring. Then, in typical Colorado fashion, it turned very cold and six inches of snow blanketed everything. Snow is a natural insulator so I am not too worried but I can’t imagine these upstarts are enjoying the sudden rudeness of the cold. Maybe they are? I mean I LOVE the snow so perhaps they are enjoying it as well.
It is currently a balmy 41 degrees outside and the snow is disappearing rapidly. I am a strong proponent of conserving as much water as possible so I have been removing the snow from the stamped patio, the furniture, etc. and piling it in the various beds. We live in an Alpine desert environment so water is extremely precious and I garden with that in mind. As the snow recedes, I can see that the plants braving the sporadic nature of late winter don’t look too worse for wear. Unless we have another incredible heat spell, I think slow and steady will be the name of the game for the bulbs, etc. and those other plants that have yet to grace my garden will do so at a more appropriate time – I hope.
Seed Starting Indoors
This is the year I shall take my indoor seed starting very seriously! Last year, I started my seeds too late and because my grow rack is down in the basement, I learned so many important lessons. One – It is chilly down in the basement, thus don’t expect the seedlings to be too robust without a heating mat. Two – Sporadic watering is not a good way to ensure success. In fact, letting your delicate seedlings dry out is a very quick way to kill them quickly. You would think I would know better.
Well, this year, I built a bigger rack and I attached the light properly (with the help of my handyman). Next I bought a self-contained kit which includes a 72-cell tray, a lid AND most crucial, a heating mat. It is made by a company called Hydrofarm and I bought it from my local garden center. It has mixed reviews on Amazon but considering it is under $40, I am hoping to have success with it.
With everything set up, I filled the cells with some Jiffy mix and then selected some seeds. Here is what I chose to get started:
These selections were purchased from Botanical Interests.
Pepper Chile Ancho/Poblano Heirloom. Image courtesy of Botanical Interests
Alyssum Sweet Oriental Nights. Image courtesy of Botanical Interests
Alyssum Sweet Tiny Tim. Image courtesy Botanical Interests
Lobelia Trailing Cascade of Color Heirloom. Image courtesy Botanical Interests
Lobelia Cambridge Blue Heirloom . Image courtesy Botanical Interests
And finally some Cherry Roma seeds from Seed Savers Exchange
All the seeds were planted on February 22nd and yesterday I noticed some alyssum sprouts! This is a bit farther than what I got last year. Once the true leaves form on the alyssum, I will get them transferred out of the dome and into some paper pots. I need to purchase a second light, another mat and perhaps some other accessories such as a temperature regulator for the mats and timers for the lights. This can get very expensive very quickly but after this initial investment, the savings will be realized when I am not buying full grown plants from the nurseries. Anyone reading this knows that it is very difficult to walk out of a nursery without spending over $100.00 – particularly when you go in early spring and are very anxious to get immediate satisfaction with instant color!
Alyssum Seedlings
What’s Happening Indoors?
The botanic gardens currently has a fantastic selection of orchids on display – most likely to entice more people to visit during the “drab” winter months. I don’t find winter drab at all. I find it peaceful and quiet. For me, the ideal time to go to the botanic gardens is during the winter for these very reasons. I am invigorated by cold so that doesn’t bother me either. Saying this, when I go to the gardens this time of year, I am there to take photos of dried seed heads or perhaps something exciting in the tropical conservatory.
A few weeks ago, I was delighted to see the many varieties of orchids and I enjoyed taking several photos of them:
Well, as luck would have it (I say with a tad of sarcasm) there was a local nursery selling some of these beautiful orchids. “Oh no!” I thought to myself. I have tried growing orchids before. I mean, how can anyone resist trying to grow these beauties at least once? That ended badly. Once those first blooms were spent, the plant never bloomed again. Was it light? Water? Too much or too little of each? I read that they like this or love that so was trying so many different things. In the end, I think I watered it too much (or maybe too little, I don’t know) and the stalks withered away to nothing. “No more orchids!” I exclaimed resolutely.
This crafty vendor proudly displayed her wares directly adjacent to the entrance of the orangery. Tuning into my affinity for her beautiful specimens, she softly and sweetly asked what I thought of her orchids. I was taking photos of them so I smiled and said I love them very much. “We have several varieties that will grow well in a bright spot of the home” she added.
“Oh, I am sure” I replied with a giggle. I then explained my woes of past growing experiences.
She then grabbed the specimen I was drooling over and had previously photographed. “I see you like this one.”
I swallowed hard. “Yes, it is so beautiful.”
“Well this guy is so easy to grow” she chirped. “All you need is a bright window facing south and this orchid will bloom for you easily.” She went on to describe its watering and feeding needs along with another declaration of how easy it was to grow.
I held this forbidden bit of temptation in my hand. “Look, she said. I have one here where the pods haven’t opened yet! Do you have a south facing window?”
“Just say no, just say no,” I repeated to myself “and this whole affair will be finished in one fell swoop.”
“Yes, I do” I said. “It is very bright and I have a coffee plant growing there along with other plants that love bright lights.”
“What! What are you saying! Stop, NOW!” I exclaimed to myself.
“Well, this would go perfectly in that window, don’t you think?” The sweet lady asked with the sincerest tone.
“It would actually” I said with a smile that stretched from Colorado to Texas.
I had to concede. I had to! I mean, look at this plant. This is MY plant after the pods opened. I listened carefully to all the advice this wonderful woman was willing to part with including light suggestions (my orchid would love the bright, south facing window) and water (at least once a week, don’t let it dry out).
Pot. Dick Smith “Paradise” Cattleya Orchid
Pot. Dick Smith “Paradise” Cattleya Orchid
Pot. Dick Smith “Paradise” Cattleya Orchid
Neostylis Lou Sneary ‘Bluebird’ orchid
“Do you have food?” She asked.
“I have some from when I tried this a long time ago. It is some smelly yellow powder” I responded.
“I have something here that we make ourselves.” She then handed me a tub full of white and green dots. It was almost like getting handed a serving of Dippin’ Dots. The tag of $20.00 was displayed prominently. “This is quite expensive” I stated after tallying in my head what all this was going to cost me (as you can see from the photos above, I also picked up another beautiful orchid — Neostylis Lou Sneary ‘Blue Bird’ — oh and a pot for the Cattleya).
“You only need ½ teaspoon” she returned. “So, this tub should last you a year. Do you have African violets?”
“I sure do” I responded happily because I am always on the lookout for a decent violet food.
“You can use this for your violets as well. They’ll love it!”
“I’ll get it!” And with that, after not intending to buy a single thing, I purchased two orchids and this wonderful, homemade orchid food. I was feeling good and optimistic about my purchases!
Before I left the gardens that day, I noticed (conveniently) they had several books on orchid care in the gift shop. I started thumbing through one called “The Orchid Whisperer”. I resolved to buy it but to save money would buy it online. I hate to say that but I dropped nearly $100.00 on the orchids, food, etc. and being on a budget, saving $15.00 on a book was very appealing.
Well, my orchid buying adventures went on for a bit there so discussing all my other indoor gardening adventures must wait until next time. I will end by saying that my orchids are still doing well and I am learning a lot from my book. I will touch more on that next time as well. Until then, happy growing. May you all have a very blessed day and as always, thank you so kindly for reading!
And, now some garden photos!
Flax preparing for spring
Beautiful seed head
A macro of snow
Icycles from table
Mysterious seedlings — possibly Flanders Poppies emerging
My Winter Garden
Sitting Outside on a Sunny, Mild Day
The wind blows gently but steadily throughout my winter garden. The chimes provide the melody while the swaying dried grasses create the chorus. There are still leaves blowing about the lawn and the patio seeking a home for the remainder of the winter. I leave them wherever they end up. They will hopefully find some place nice to settle in, sleep and transform. As they decay, they will provide much needed nutrients for the worms within the earth allowing for the cycle of life to complete. All summer they cleaned the air I breathe. Bits of flowing green gathering carbon, singing and dancing allowing the odd insect to have a nibble now and again. As the days grew shorter and the nights cooler, the roots sent the signal to the trunk who sent a signal to the leaves – it is time for rest. The leaves responded. Now, there are only a few clinging dried leaves on the trees but that will change.
It is days like today where I feel the pull to garden a bit stronger than usual. It got up to 65 today and I took a leisurely stroll through the entire garden. If Alice Morse Earle were here, she would be absolutely delighted by the viola blooms. I have two of them if you can believe it! Not to mention, there is a snap dragon beneath the cluster of aspens near the house that still has green leaves. How inspiring nature can be with her tenacity and fortitude.
Winter Snapdragons
First viola tricolors of 2017
Winter viola tricolor
Interlude from Old Time Gardens
I wanted to include this segment from Alice’s book “Old Time Gardens”. The words are so wonderful and beautifully characterizes this humble little plant.
For several years the first blossom of the new year in our garden was neither the Snowdrop nor Crocus, but the Ladies’ Delight, that laughing, speaking little garden face, which is not really a spring flower, it is a stray from summer; but it is such a shrewd, intelligent little creature that it readily found that spring was here ere man or other flowers knew it. This dear little primitive of the Pansy tribe has become wonderfully scarce save in cherished old gardens like those of Salem, where I saw this year a space thirty feet long and several feet wide, under flowering shrubs and bushes, wholly covered with the everyday, homely little booms of Ladies’ Delights. They have the party-colored petal of the existing strain of English Pansies, distinct from the French and German pansies, and I doubt not are the cherished garden children of the English settlers. Gerarde describes this little English Pansy or Heartsease in 1587 under the name of Viola tricolor: –
“The flouers in form and figure like the Violet, and for the most part of the same Bignesse, of three sundry colours, purple, yellow and white or blew, by reason of the beauty and braverie of which colours they are very pleasing to the eye, for smel they have little or none.”
Signs of Life
It is now nearly 4:30 in the late afternoon and I am sitting outside allowing the setting sun to wash against my face. I filled up all the bird feeders and a group of finches and nuthatches are darting about enjoying a feast of shelled sunflower seeds, whole sunflower seeds and a variety of nuts. In the distance a jay is calling out. Yes, I have food for you as well. Just come and look. I have a whole feeder of cracked corn and whole peanuts just waiting for you.
I went off topic a bit there. As I was saying, I took a leisurely stroll through the entire garden. Beyond the two little brave violas and snapdragons, verbascum leaves are popping up everywhere, the ajuga chocolate chip is also demonstrating its desire to wake from its winter slumber. Well, don’t be fooled my friend. The cold, bitter temperatures will return with a vengeance I am sure. Then again, we may get lucky as we sometimes do and the rest of the winter will be mild. The snow-in-summer leaves are gorgeous right now and they are faring wonderfully. The leaves on the early spring blooming phacelia have been pretty much evergreen. I am already looking for their gorgeous lavender clusters of flowers. Oh! Just near the ajuga and one of the small violas, I can see the tips of some bulbs! The only bulbs in this area are daffodils – unless a squirrel played gardener again. It is a bit early for them but still this provides an early reminder that spring will soon be here.
Common Verbascum Leaves
Snow-In-Summer draping over the retaining wall
First bulbs of 2017
At the top of the garden in the water smart garden, the silver edged horehound is still green and of course the sedum is draping beautifully over the rocks. Under the kitchen window the dragon’s blood sedum and vinca have been enduring the cold and I know they are eager to stretch their legs a bit. At the bottom of the garden where a grove of bee balms grow, I was amazed by how perfect the creeping Veronica looks. Once those warm days and evenings arrive, I have much to look forward to with this plant.
Silver edged horehound
Evergreen sedum
Dragon’s Blood sedum
Creeping Veronica
The excitement is building and already I have visions of what I hope to see this spring and summer. Last year the anemone Coronaria provided me with some exquisite blooms. I did not remove the corms so I am hoping they will survive the winter though odds would suggest they won’t. The star attraction under the kitchen window where the vinca and sedum grow are the old fashioned irises. Last year I had plenty of foliage but no blooms. I am hoping to be greeted by fragrant blooms this year.
In my mind, I have a myriad of tasks to carry out and it won’t be long before I can get to work. In the interim, the sun is setting on this small winter garden so I should think about getting inside. I ordered some biodegradable pots from Botanical Interests today and when they arrive, I shall get some lobelia and peppers started and maybe a few herbs. I am getting a bit of a head start considering I won’t be able to put my plants into the earth until mid-May. No matter. They can grace the inside of the house with wonder as they emerge and grow all the while staring outside waiting for their day in the summer sun.
I thank you kindly for reading! Blessings to you all and happy gardening!
And now some more winter garden photos!
Dried bee balm seed head emerging from melting snow
The Aspen Catkins are Forming!
Dried leaf on garden floor
Dried Leaves of Viburnum lantana ‘Mohican’
I had some frozen water in a bucket. I dumped it into the garden and as it thawed, some wonderful designs emerged
Seed Heads
Garlic Chives Seed Head
Dried Grass
Dried Roses
The Bellis Perennis Obsession
The Bellis Perennis Obsession
The lunatic is on the grass.
The lunatic is on the grass.
Remembering games and daisy chains and laughs.
Got to keep the loonies on the path.
This is a snippet of the lyrics for Brain Damage by Pink Floyd. Every time I hear it I think of my time in England and the profusion of white lawn daisies – Bellis Perennis – that would adorn each and every lawn for miles around come spring. Lawn purists hate the lawn daisy because it can grow lower than the grass is being cut and just like our dandelion, the little white daisy soon pokes through taunting said purist. I could never understand how anyone could not want this flower to grow en masse but alas.
The lawn daisy, to me, is such an amazingly beautiful little flower that evokes pure happiness and joy. Lazy summer days sitting on the grass making daisy chains is something all should experience. Should you not know what a daisy chain is, basically, you pick the daisy as far down as possible ensuring you have plenty of stem. You then join each stem of each daisy forming a circle. That circle can be as big or as small as you like. A scene comes to mind of a young girl making a chain big enough to fit over her head. Pure joy!
Interlude:
Even Chaucer adored this beautiful simple flower:But for to looke upon the daisie,
That well by reason men it call may
The daisie, or els the eye of the day,
The empress and floure of floures all,
I pray to God that faire mote she fall,
And all that loven floures for her sake.
Longing for those days in an English Garden
As the years have passed, the longing for the ideal gardening conditions of England has not really dissipated. There were plenty of plants that graced my English garden I never thought twice about or in some instances actually considered a nuisance (geraniums for example) that I now tend to pine for. An English garden is something extraordinary to behold and when I find myself missing my own personal piece of paradise of yore, I attempt to grow plants from my gardening past. There is always the hope that perhaps I will get it right and the plants will move beyond survival and actually thrive.
While I could easily find the taller, Bellis perennis double varieties at practically any garden center, this is not the simple lawn daisy I was longing for. They are too fancy for a start and they are not the English lawn daisy I knew and loved. Trying to find plants proved impossible so I had to opt for seeds. I found a good vendor selling them on eBay. I just checked my online order history and it seems I started this project to grow lawn daisies in July of 2012 which would have been one month after moving into this house. I am trying to remember now where I would have planted them. I have a bed along my right fence that I dug out for the purpose of growing bulbs. It is quite possible I planted them there but if that bed was not formed yet, I would have planted them somewhere else – perhaps under my aspen in the retaining wall. I wish I had created a journal entry to mark the occasion.
Regardless, it seems this endeavor failed because I ordered more May 24th 2014. I do have a journal entry for that and I did plant them in the bulb bed near the front. Here is that entry:
Seed planting! I have been putting random seeds in random locations. For example I potted up the sweet potato vines in the hanging baskets and added some sweet peas along with borage. I took a bunch of miscellaneous seeds including some Achillea and broadcast among the withering bulbs. I also planted some Flanders Poppies. My Bellis perennis seeds arrived and I planted them at the base of the bulb bed. My Phacelia also arrived and I planted them in the right corner near the patio where I placed some Gladiola bulbs. I also put some in four small starting pots and they now sit on the dining table outside. They are also planted in the black planter near the old stand where the converted watering can sits. I hope to see them come up.
The Ever Changing Garden!
I am amused by that old journal entry. While it does accurately record my first planting of the Bellis, I realize that the other seeds planted are now nowhere near their original locations. The Phacelia now is controlled to one area under the kitchen window for example. It is only this season that I had a successful bloom of the Flanders poppies and I never did see the achillea come up. Well, just today I was cleaning up that bulb bed a bit and I think I did see some small sprouts of achillea but it is doubtful they are from that original broadcasting of seeds but the result of my residing birds doing their own bit of gardening.
Phacelia
A bee enjoying one of the many poppies that bloomed this season
So, what happened to the Bellis planted in the bulb bed? Well, they came up and I did receive a few small blooms but I discovered a problem. They were growing way too close to the lawn. Now, I know that these plants can be mowed down to ground level and would come back and bloom BUT that was in the ideal growing conditions of England. Here, in my arid, cold Colorado garden, I was not willing to risk putting any stress on these plants so I had to schedule a surgical procedure. I took out my Hori-Hori and dug deep down in a perfect circle around the healthiest specimens and managed to extract a large clump. I then found a space that received morning sun only, cleared it out, amended the soil with all sorts of yummy compost and the like and transplanted the clump.
Post-surgery, I monitored my patient and I babied it something terrible. I hand watered it and ensured no weed came near it. The area I cleared out was of decent size and I thought perhaps my little Bellis Perennis clump could use some company so I performed another surgical procedure. This time, I lifted some Labrador violets and placed them to the left of the clump of daisies. Days and weeks passed and both patients seemed to have adapted quite nicely. Oh, the reason I moved the violets is due to them being planted in an area that had wonderful deep, morning shade but then horrible, menacing afternoon heat and these plants do not like full sun let alone full afternoon sun!
Labrador violets growing happily in their new location. This is an image from this season.
Happy Little English Daisies!
The summer of 2015 came to a close and autumn arrived in grand fashion raining down reds, oranges and gold’s upon the earth. I raked these gifts over my patients tucking them in for a long winter’s nap. After winter released its grasp from the land, I was once again amazed by all the new life in the garden. I slowly removed a portion of the earthly blanket I created from my two patients and was so happy to see green underneath. Weeks passed and soon, the last frost date arrived so it was time to clear the entire blanket of leaves not just from the Bellis but from all parts of the garden. Each day more and more leaves appeared on my treasured plants and then I was graced with blooms. Success and blessings!
Today, as summer starts to wind down, the Bellis Perennis patch is not much to look at but there is a decent amount of growth and there have been many, many flowers and I am confident the seeds are making traveling plans in their quest to spread throughout this entire space and beyond. Well, that is what I would like to hope. Next spring shall tell.
Final Thoughts
Some say there is no room for sentimentality in a garden. Some adopt the notion of ruthlessness when it comes to achieving the perfect ‘look’ for their little bit of earth. Why? Yes, you can come to regret it if you are not actively maintaining your garden. You know, the usual deadheading, trimming, dividing, weeding and the like are integral to the success of any garden but some take it a step further and refuse to allow anything that does not ‘fit’. Take the manicured lawn scenario for example. A greater portion of our population will go to great lengths to ensure there is no form of adulteration within their patches of green. Yes, a lawn is gorgeous but it is also a menace. Perhaps not so much if you live in England where you have the rainfall to sustain the perfect lawn but for where I live, one can waste so much time and more important WATER trying to achieve the perfect lawn. Come Late July, early August, no matter your efforts, your lawn is going to be more brown than the coveted green. Thank you to those wonderful watering restrictions! (And I mean this most sincerely)
Sorry, I went on a tangent.
I get attached to plants. I am sentimental and I make no apologies for it. I love the stories behind the plants and I have shared one such story with you today. I hope it has inspired you. Perhaps you too have a special plant you have cultivated in your garden that evokes some special memory. If so, please share. Have I inspired you to grow the humble lawn daisy of old? If so, here is where you can order some seeds.
Put some down in the autumn and see if you get some sprouts in early spring. I promise you will be delighted by these petite, humble white flowers popping up to greet you throughout the late spring and early summer – and if you are lucky in early autumn.
I thank you kindly for reading! Blessings to you all and happy gardening!
PS: Oh, yes, after that horrific hail storm mentioned in last post, I am very pleased to say that overall the garden DID bounce back for the most part. Yes, I lost some plants, the trees were damaged as was the roof of our house but overall, after all is said and done, the garden doesn’t look too worse for wear. And now, some photos!
One of many volunteer violas gracing the garden with their happy faces.
Beautiful rose in full bloom
A bee enjoying one of the many poppies that bloomed this season
Honey Locust leaves
Gold finch scoping the area before getting some water
Happy little fly on a climbing hydrangea leaf
Desert bluebells
More desert bluebells
Clamtis in full glory!
A beautiful variety of achillea (yarrow)
Hail Stone Meditations Part I
Hello friends,
I realize in my last entry I promised a feature on my Bellis Perennis and that is most definitely forthcoming. I promise. In fact, it is very nearly complete. Right now, I have this story that is begging to be written.
(Started writing this 14 June)
According to the forecasts, yesterday was going to be a cool day by all accounts with showers appearing off and on. The prognostications proved valid. The blessing of rain did fall heavily at times as clouds rolled in and then fluttered off nearly as quickly.
And then . . .
Like any self respecting monsoonal type moisture, the cold, dark sky opened up and released a brutal torrent of moisture. This moisture wrapped in ice pounded the ground relentlessly. No amount of sun could assist in softening it before it pummeled the earth below. All I could hear from the safety of my room were the stones bouncing off of every surface followed by steady accumulation. I wanted to close myself down as I did not want to imagine what this profusion of dark, icy moisture was doing to the plants below. So much fell so quickly the earth turned white as it piled up. The resemblance to snow was perfect and like a late spring snow storm, this storm would prove just as detrimental to my gardening efforts.
Where I have chosen to live and garden brings with it an inherited risk. The growing season can end abruptly as an early autumnal frost is not uncommon. Yes, certain plants will recover but usually that signals the beginning of the end for my little Rocky Mountain garden. When spring arrives, the excitement of all the new growth can be hampered by heavy, late spring snows crushing emerging bulbs and slowing down the growth of certain perennials even causing a bit of frost bite. This year I tried in vane to cover some of my daffodils and alliums. The snow was so heavy it sent my little makeshift tent crashing to the ground. Generally speaking, we are usually ‘safe’ from frost by Memorial Day which is observed on the last Monday in May for those who are not from the US. We typically get some decent spring rains but with that, comes the strong possibility of hail and this hail can be devastating to a garden shredding plants down to bare stems, defoliating trees and if a plant does survive the onslaught, it will end up with holes in the foliage which leaves it vulnerable to infection and bug infestation.
I could not bring myself to go outside after the storm. I am not my best in the evenings as I am very much a morning person so I knew any observations of damage would be skewed and considered worse than they actually appeared. The next morning I completed my work out, made my breakfast and with trepidation stepped outside. Upon exiting the house, the first plants I see are the annuals within the Talavera pots section. I have two large resin pots flanking the entrance to the main garden. There, I have volunteer plants growing including Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate, Zinnias (though I only see one coming back this year), violas, etc. Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate should be an easy plant to grow but here, they never look their best. One hail storm and you end up with this or if the hail is really bad, worse. This photo was taken at the time of my publishing this article so there are signs of recovery.
I planted up some sunflowers in the other pot and thus far they are faring well and were not greatly impacted by the storm. As I progressed into the garden, I was very sad to notice that my Flanders Poppies were shredded. I then completed my tour of the disaster area and concluded that overall things were not too horrible and as mentioned, today, the garden is recovering nicely. It is this optimism that prompted me to create this post. As gardeners, we experience the best and the worst that nature has to offer and at the end of the day, like all things in life, we just have to hope for the best. We have to believe that in the end, nature’s will be done and perhaps she will be kind enough to leave us with something beautiful — a reward if you will for all of our hard work.
There is a passage in one of my favorite gardening books that summarizes what I am trying to convey beautifully. Taken from Old Herbaceous by Reginald Arkell.
The gardener is a frustrated being for whom flowers never bloom at the right moment. Change and decay in all around he sees. It is all very sad, and how gardeners manage to keep going in the face of such adversities is one of those things that no fellow will ever understand.
Thank you kindly for reading and I pray your garden has presented you with more blessings than heartache. Do you have a success story this season you wish to share? Please do! I would love to hear from you. Have a photo of a beautiful bloom you are proud of? I would love to see it. Until next time, I wish you a blessed day and Happy Gardening!
Now for some images of seasonal blooms:
Talavera pots
Wasp making its home in one of my bird feeders.
Yarrow
Sunpatiens
Small morning glory type flower
Sedum growing in the cracks of the retaining wall
Keeping the aphids away from the tansy!
Fly having a rest on a bee balm leaf
Faded aster bloom
Day Lily Bloom in Whiskey Barrel
Blanket Flower in Bud
Unknown bee on small sunflower.
Funny Little White Flowers
Rain drops on a lily
Today is the 5th of May. Yesterday was Star Wars day and Sunday shall be Mother’s Day. We are now nearly two months into spring and today, for the first time since March 21st, I feel as if I can completely relax and stop worrying about unexpected cold and snow. Just a week ago, we had another storm that left its mark on all the emerging growth. The tulips were once again flattened as were the alliums but worse yet the fritillarias. I would love one season where these bulbs of the lily family were left unaffected. So it brings me to the inspiration behind the title of this post.
The peony in the cobalt blue pot (one of my favorites). As you can see, it came through all the storms just fine. Now, to determine if I need to put a cage in their to stabilize the blooms…. assuming I get any blooms of course!
My Beautiful Spring Garden from the Kitchen Window
Friend: “The flowers are so colorful.”
Me: “Aren’t they though! 🙂 Gotta love those white ones in particular…. they are very prolific this year.
Friend: “Yes, the white ones are stunning.
Me: Soon, before you know it, they will simply melt away into the landscape… disappearing almost as quickly as they arrived. But, for now, I shall enjoy them in all their bounty.
Hence the inspiration for this post’s title.
Now, let me say this. The snows have come and gone and today is actually May 18th! I have been working on this post for nigh on four weeks. Perhaps — and I have used this excuse in the past I know — it is because the garden beckons constantly. Take this moment in time for example. I vowed to used my lunch hour to work on this post with the hopes of completing it or at worst nearly so. So, I ate my left over pizza, had some tea and then looked out at the garden. Oops. I should not have done that. this grass is growing too high at the edge of the patio. I best get out the trimmer and trim it and perhaps work on the grass coming up around the paving stones as well. Thankfully (if that is how I should view it) the line for the weed eater came to an end and subsequently so did my grass trimming adventure. “Look at these dandelions near the steps!” “And the dried up debris in the herb bed?” Started cleaning those. On my way back from depositing dandelions and debris into my trash bag, I noticed my laptop looking lonely as if to say “Hey, you promised ME some quality time.” “Yes, I did. I am sorry.” I sat down and started to type.
I have so much to share and as I look up and view the beauty I have created I am at peace in my own personal heaven. So many things are coming up! First, I moved my bellis perennis (lawn daisies) and they are prolific! The Barbra Streisand rose is leafing out nicely! The lilies are coming up! The Flanders poppy seedlings are growing at a pace! Viola seedlings are abound and those I put out at the end of last season are coming back in full glory!
I could go on but if I do, I will never finish this post. So, for now, I shall say goodbye for now and until next time, happy gardening and many blessings to all who read this.
In my next episode, I will focus on reiterating some entries I created in my on line garden journal including some more detail on the Bellis Perennis project!
Thank you for reading.
Humbly, Benny
And now some photos of what is blooming now:
Wall Flowers. I am so happy these came up in beautiful masses this year. There is orange everywhere!
Tulip blooming in the side garden near the right fence. Gorgeous red!
This is a bit of a fun photo. This is a macro shot of a little light globe that is staked in one of the larger pots under my pergola
One of my favorite flowers! The humble yet glorious forget-me-not. I love this flower and they are coming up nicely here and there all over the garden.
Faded daffodil bloom. I believe there is beauty even in death and this to me is just beautiful.
Emerging Penstemon. I could not resist taking this photo. The way the leaves are contorted as they emerge created an amazing design.
Emerging Bee Balm. This plant is also coming up everywhere. Welcome hummingbirds!
Dried Leaf. I wanted to snap this before it fell victim to my clean up efforts.
Talavera Day of the Dead Pot. This is just a fun photo I wanted to include. I bought this from my local nursery and it was the only one of its kind. Many folks passing by complimented this as I was shopping. Gorgeous pot!
Side profile of daffodil petals. I love the artistic nature of this photo.
Can you feel it?
Sensations
Phacelia tanacetifolia lacy rosettes
Day lily shoots poking through in the whiskey barrels
Daffodil shoots
Strawberry leaves
Hollyhock leaves
Viola flowers
A sun rising earlier and setting later each day
A brightness foretelling glorious warm days to come
Sweet, embracing, comforting warm air
Energy flowing through the ground
Dried flower heads crackling between the fingers to release its seeds
Soft viola leaves
The warming earth
Stereophonic bird song
Dried grasses dancing in the wind
Seed heads rubbing against the rocks
The wet earthly aroma of the ground heaving off its winter blanket
The remnants of the autumn leaves offering themselves to the earth
Sweet violas
The tanginess of the first chives brave enough to emerge early
Prunus armeniaca, Armenian Plum in bloom at Denver Botanic Gardens
The moment I walk out the door my eyes capture little leaves emerging seemingly everywhere. I walk to the pots near the outside table and already see small leaves perhaps belonging to a viola or hopefully a petunia. I am leaning more toward the viola though.
Interlude:
It was Alice Morse Earle who wrote about the viola being the first flower of the garden to greet you in the spring before most others. I realize this is long but here is the exact passage. I just love the way she goes on about this flower for her thoughts mimic my own as far as the excitement of seeing this flower show up seemingly out of nowhere in the bitter cold:
For several years the first blossom of the new year in our garden was
neither the Snowdrop nor Crocus, but the Ladies’ Delight, that laughing,
speaking little garden face, which is not really a spring flower, it is
a stray from summer; but it is such a shrewd, intelligent little
creature that it readily found out that spring was here ere man or other
flowers knew it. This dear little primitive of the Pansy tribe has
become wonderfully scarce save in cherished old gardens like those of
Salem, where I saw this year a space thirty feet long and several feet
wide, under flowering shrubs and bushes, wholly covered with the
everyday, homely little blooms of Ladies’ Delights. They have the
party-colored petal of the existing strain of English Pansies, distinct
from the French and German Pansies, and I doubt not are the descendants
of the cherished garden children of the English settlers. Gerarde
describes this little English Pansy or Heartsease in 1587 under the name
of Viola tricolor:–“The flouers in form and figure like the Violet, and for the most
part of the same Bignesse, of three sundry colours, purple, yellow
and white or blew, by reason of the beauty and braverie of which
colours they are very pleasing to the eye, for smel they have
little or none.”In Breck’s Book of Flowers, 1851, is the first printed reference
I find to the flower under the name Ladies’ Delight. In my
childhood I never heard it called aught else; but it has a score
of folk names, all testifying to an affectionate intimacy: Bird’s-eye;
Garden-gate; Johnny-jump-up; None-so-pretty; Kitty-come; Kit-run-about;
Three-faces under-a-hood; Come-and-cuddle-me; Pink-of-my-Joan;
Kiss-me; Tickle-my-fancy; Kiss-me-ere-I rise; Jump-up-and-kiss-me.
To our little flower has also been given this folk name,
Meet-her-in-the-entry-kiss-her-in-the-buttery, the longest
plant name in the English language, rivalled only by Miss
Jekyll’s triumph of nomenclature for the Stonecrop, namely:
Welcome-home-husband-be-he-ever-so-drunk.These little Ladies’ Delights have infinite variety of expression; some
are laughing and roguish, some sharp and shrewd, some surprised, others
worried, all are animated and vivacious, and a few saucy to a degree.
They are as companionable as people–nay, more; they are as
companionable as children. No wonder children love them; they recognize
kindred spirits. I know a child who picked unbidden a choice Rose, and
hid it under her apron. But as she passed a bed of Ladies’ Delights
blowing in the wind, peering, winking, mocking, she suddenly threw the
Rose at them, crying out pettishly, “Here! take your old flower!”
Here are images of my own violas.
As I finish this entry, it is cold outside as a front comes in from the west bringing in cooler air and hopefully some moisture. The temperatures will warm again though and so it will go. I have completed some tasks such as spreading some prairie seed in new beds at the top of the garden and also planting my anemones. I will discuss that more in the next edition. Until then, here is what is coming up now:
Tulips planted beneath a spruce tree
Brave little vinca flowers planted beneath a lot from a downed olive tree.
Silver lace vine leaves. I hope they don’t shrivel up in the pending cold temps.
One of my favorite spring bulbs — iris reticulata! Love that blue!
Potentilla leaves. Planted also beneath the spruce tree.
Flax leaves also beneath the spruce.
Day Lily shoots emerging from the whiskey barrels.
A chive bud
Aspen Catkin! Don’t you just love it when the aspens flower?
One more of an aspen catkin.
I thank you for reading and until next time many blessings and happy gardening!
Just Being Nature’s Friend
I am not your atypical gardener. My garden is not neat nor tidy and has many flaws. These are not the hypercritical flaws that only a perfectionist could point out but more of the “I let weeds grow in certain areas” type of flaws. I grow clover everywhere and pray it will replace my grass one day. Dandelions have a spot as do certain thistles. A “weed” has to become much of a nuisance (pigweed for example) before I will pull it. Some things just get too invasive if left to their own devices. It can be argued that dandelions are very invasive to let stay. In the defense of dandelions, I consider it a crop as the leaves are extremely nutritious.
Interlude
Dandelion leaves are perhaps the most nutritious green you can eat. They are packed with antioxidants and the health benefits are proven. More on that in another post.
To add to all my idiosyncrasies, I grow certain plants for the sole purpose of being eaten – typically by caterpillars. When living in Tucson, I grew a passion flower vine native to the desert southwest of Arizona just to have it eaten by gulf frit larvae. The vines expected this however and once they were defoliated, they grew more leaves and along came more gulf frits and so the cycle went. I would never consider spraying butterfly caterpillars nor remove their larvae, etc. My garden is a reclaimed habitat for those that have been displaced.
This year I grew many host plants and the bounty of insects that arrived was a sort of homecoming I will forever cherish. First it was the ladybugs that swarmed to the yarrow and the Queen Anne’s lace. Every gardener wants ladybugs to visit their garden and yet few realize it is a simple process of including plants they love for food and raising young. My next visitor I am happy to say was the black swallowtail who by all sheer joys proceeded to lay eggs on my dill.
Interlude
For reasons that elude me, I have had difficulty in the past growing dill. I don’t know why but this year, many varieties came up including the mammoth dill. It is on this dill that the female black swallowtail decided this would be a great place to lay her eggs. I was excited to harvest the dill for myself but once I realized this was a host plant for this magnificent butterfly, I let them enjoy it instead.
During a casual morning of routine watering, I looked down and there were the caterpillars in various stages of growth. Most were in their first and second instar stages. In a flash, I had full grown caterpillars decimating my dill plant to bare stems. I loved every moment of it. Here are some photographs:
As quickly as they arrived, they were gone. I would really love to know where they wandered to pupate. I never saw a single chrysalis. I was told by a fellow gardener that they are camouflaged so well that I could be staring right at one and not even realize. I just pray they all emerged and are on their way to somewhere warm.
My friends, the garden is our solace and of course we want it to look its best. Saying that, our gardens are more than just the beds, the shrubs and the décor. They are home to many critters and with habitats disappearing at an alarming rate, wouldn’t it be great to give back to nature by being a friend to all. I am not saying to welcome the aphids or sawfly larvae with open arms but perhaps those creatures that benefit us in one way or another should be welcomed.
Perhaps next year, you can grow some dill or parsley (plants from the carrot family) so to attract the black swallowtail, some Queen Anne’s Lace for the ladybugs, milkweed for the monarchs and the list goes on and on. It is easy to be nature’s friend.
I thank you kindly for reading. I apologize for the lack of entries. If I can offer any defense, it is because I have been too busy gardening. Saying that, the season is winding down and I hope to post many articles highlighting all the miracles I witnessed. Blessings to you and yours and happy gardening!
Sensational Cosmos and Enchanting Christmas Cactus
Author’s Note:
First, please forgive the amount of time since my last post. Next, as you will soon read, this post was written in late March. I have many more things to write about but wanted to get this posted. Thank you so kindly for reading.
Despite the cold winter, there has been a lot of indoor gardening, and the idea of this particular article has been floating around since November when the Christmas cactus proliferated in bloom. It truly was enchanting but more on that in a bit.
It is the eve of the vernal equinox and I am taking pause to allow for some rumination. In my last entry I spoke of summer giving way to autumn and the eventuality of winter. Not only is autumn over but winter is also officially over as well. Five months, just like that. An equinox and another solstice, finished. I love all the seasons as each provides nourishment for the soul, but I suppose my order of preference would be the autumn equinox, the winter solstice, the vernal equinox, and then the summer solstice. I love cold and the peace that accompanies the short winter days. I love the snow and how it provides the perfect blanket for the slumbering plants. And now, today, a new season is about to begin. The snow has receded and all around, the soil is bursting forth with life. I shall devote an entire entry to the celebration of the vernal equinox but for now I wish to share my thoughts on two incredible plants that deserve celebration.
Drifting oceans of pink sway in the wind as the sun glances upon their perfect flowers. Immediately and significantly the swathes of cosmos sensation I planted from seed have lived up to their namesake by inducing a sensation of appreciation of their old world beauty.
The back border makes one perfect home for this plant, or if you have the space, you could incorporate this into your wildflower patch. Regardless, this for me is one of the more friendly summer annuals. I have seen these naturalized in fields as well as in the English cottage garden and in either setting, they stand tall begging to be noticed but are not so imposing as to overshadow the other beautiful plants and flowers around them.
I am instantly attracted to any flower that has an open face similar to a daisy, and couple that with the fern-like foliage and you have a plant that is a must for the summer border or grown en masse on their own. These flowers greeted me in the garden until the first hard frost came and I shall be forever thankful for blessing me with their beauty throughout the season.
Photos of the incredible, versatile Cosmos Sensation. I have applied some artistic filters to these images and I hope you like what I have done. Any and all of the images on this site can be purchased. For details, please email webmaster (@) bennysplace (dot) com and indicate what photo you are interested in, size, etc.
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Admittedly, I have not had much luck with growing Christmas cactus indoors. For whatever reason, previous specimens became unwieldy and tattered looking. Worse yet, once the initial bloom had finished, I rarely saw flowers again. Fast forward a few years and I was given a combination of different colors in one pot. The specimen was indeed beautiful and full of gorgeous blooms but previous experience prevented me from becoming overly attached to the plant.
After its initial bloom, I repotted it, removed the spent flowers and thought to myself, well, let’s see what happens. As winter faded into spring and spring into summer, the plant itself thrived and I allowed myself to become hopeful.
Then, it happened . . .
Just before Thanksgiving the following year, there were buds abound on this lovely plant and I let my excitement get the better of me. I had a thriving Christmas Cactus! It is important to note that in its native habitat, Christmas cacti grow within rock crevices and on tree trunks and branches, so a large pot is not needed but moisture is. In my previous attempts at growing this plant, I treated it as a succulent that required little to no water. Also, because in their native environment, they are shaded by a canopy of leaves, I moved my thriving specimen out of the direct sun and now I think it is perfectly content. So much so that I am about to get some more blooms! This time, white.
The enchanting Christmas Cactus gallery. Enjoy!
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As time passes I hope to write more features on specific plants. I thank you all for reading, and until next time which I promise will be very soon – Happy Gardening!
Here Comes the Sun (Doodle Doodle)
Hello friends. Before I get started I wish to thank Flora Jamieson over at Through the Round Window for her kind permission to use the photo for this blog entry. Please take a moment to check out her blog and her wonderful stained glass creations. You are a wonderful artist Flora and I thank you so much for allowing me to use this image for my blog post.
Unintended Miniature Pond
Here comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all rightLittle darling, the smiles returning to the faces
Little darling, it seems like years since it’s been hereHere comes the sun, here comes the sun
And I say it’s all rightSun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
Sun, sun, sun, here it comes
The rain aside, our growing season will be ending. Soon, we will have our first frost and not long after, our first snow. I can take a moment or two now to reflect on my successes and lessons learned this season. One major lesson since time immemorial for any gardener is that of creating a good foundation (soil) for which to garden. Why did that plant die or why did that plant struggle? A trowel plunged into the earth for which the plant sat languishing revealed subpar conditions. Whether it was a soil that was too wet, too dry, too many nutrients, not enough, etc., it seems I fell into the trap of not preparing enough before I planted. I thought I did enough. For example, the soil under the pine tree was meant to be good, rich soil only to discover it retained so much water and now it is no secret why I did not have daffodils or why other varieties of plants gave up the ghost.
Another victim of my carelessness was the cone flower patch. They sat in a soil too wet and too rich as well resulting in having to cut them all down to nothing and placing them in average soil with a nice top dressing of compost in hopes they will recover next year. Cone flowers are tough so thee is hope they will come back strong in the spring.
Beyond these lessons, I am pleased with my successes. First, I have Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. I will write a feature on this in my next entry but despite hail damaging the leaves, etc., I have beautiful long strands of hot pink flowers swaying in the sun.
As I prepare for September’s tasks, I already am becoming sentimental about the inevitable changes that will transform all the greens, pinks, purples and yellows to brown and grey. The lawn will be fertilized with alfalfa meal now and once more before the first frost. Plants will soon be cut back and soon it will be time to place straw around the tender perennials such as a newly purchased cardinal flower and a salvia greggii. Their slumber will soon be here but before that I will take joy in every communion with all my garden has to provide.
The garden creates so many memories and memories are like starlight: they go on forever. I thank you all so much for reading and until next time, happy gardening and blessings to you all!
Articles to look forward to!
Patience Rewarded (Success with impatiens)
My Personal Harvest
Flanders Poppies
Now for some images of what has been blooming since my last post.
Back of Volunteer Sunflower
Bee in a Blanket
Gaura Bloom
Marigold in Sepia
Oregano Bloom
Pumpkin Patch
Ripening Tomato
Sunflower Growing Near Patio
Sunflower in Blue
Sunflower Closeup
Small Yellow Flower