garden98011's Blog

Duplicate Blog-testing
Feb 21, 2008 | 12:14 PM PST

I Think the several day blog is more my style, testing this format out:

Thursday,  2/14

Well today was so fun. I potted up  cannas, hanging begonias, elephant ears,  ostrich & cinnamon ferns, more gloirosa vines and even planted some castor bean & luffa seeds(thanks Deb).  Fridays are a free day for me, my mom attends a memory class -she always ask me where we're going as pull into the parking lot :)-gotta laugh! So I have from 10-2 alone, weather wise it should be fairly decent-woohoo.  I plan on gleefully killing a bunch of lamium left from the last person's attempt! Personally, I feel lamium should be labeled under noxious weed along w/crown vetch & bishop's weed~Andrea

Saturday, 2/16

I was going to keep my husband company on a ferry trip to see a client in Port Hadock, but our caregiver (for my mother) cancelled at the last minute.  It is wonderful how things seem to work out.  While I would have enjoyed spending time w/DH and seeing the project, my garden helper and I  accomplished sooooooooooooo much in the garden that I feel ahead of the game-whew.  Chris(Mosaic2007) arrives Wednesday morning and now I'll feel comfortable letting her in the backyard!

Sunday, 2/17

With help from my mom, I finally cleared the akebia & climbing rose off the arbor over our swing so I can repaint.  I will replace w/C.armandi-the whole structure will be removed with the new addition, but I wanted the white gone until then-could be a year or two.  Plus, I was tired of trying to keep the roses looking tidy.  Unfortunately, while clipping the roses, my mom became ill, she went to bed. 

Monday, 2/18

Turns out we all had food poisioning from a lunch we ate at a local fish & chips joint.  Dh & I were ill all day.....101 temp as well. No gardening today.

Tuesday, 2/19

After helping me put all the newly potted plants back in the garage (spent the day in the sun), my husband asked "are all these going in our garden?"....I almost fell over laughing.-all the while thinking to myself- oh yes, all these and many more that haven't even been purchased my loving husband!

Wednesday, 2/20  FLOWER & GARDEN SHOW

Once again, our caregiver cancelled short notice, but my darling daughter and sweet husband filled in caring for my mom so I could go to the show as planned-so thankful!  I picked up Chris at the train station and off we went.  I should take time to list what we bought-or at least what I did for my future reference.  I believe this blog will be as close to organizing a notebook as I will ever get!

Begonia Luxurians x 3, Paeonia japonica, Sarracenia 'Judith Hindle', Dichelostemma ida-maia, Disporum cantoniense 'Green Giant', Disporum cantoniense 'Night Heron x 2, Impatiens omeiana, Alstroemeria haemantha-orange, Kniphofia 'Vanilla'.  Non plant-a beautiful glass leaf from Glass Gardens NW www.glassgardensnw.com>

Chris is a great friend, unfortunately,we rarely get to spend time together since she moved to Oregon, so this day was a treat.  We were less than impressed with the display gardens, did see my tree ferns in one-they looked great.  We parked our loot at the plant check and went to Palomino's for happy hour, stuffed and two glasses of wine later, we retrived our treasures and made our way to Bothell.  Such bliss being around all those plants and spending time with Chris!

 

Odd
Feb 21, 2008 | 12:21 AM PST
Okay, on 2/14 I had started a lengthy blog expecting to cover the week, but deleted it and started rewriting it the next day-just posted it today and it listed as 5 days old-so timing must start from the initial date of typing.  Is there anyway to modify that? Thanks~Andrea

Glimmer of Spring
Feb 13, 2008 | 5:10 PM PST

We had a trace of spring here today, unfortunately as I was walking the dogs it started to sprinkle.  Boy, did we fly home, with that blink of sun, I really wanted to accomplish something in the garden today! Thankfully, the rain stopped and I was able to trim many of the ornamental grasses in the front beds.  I heeded that little voice to stop before I reinjured my elbow & shoulder,which, I felt,  was quite mature.  All the while I cut the grass, I felt sorry for the poor haircuts they were receiving and was ever thankful I didn't try to earn extra $ in college cutting people's hair(many friends did).

After working outside, I turned my focus to planting a few inside gardens for a customer.  This woman saw the containers I had donated to an auction and contacted me about creating three for her.   I am an outdoor gardener-this really made me step outside the box.   As I was assembling the containers in my laundry room, I noticed one of the glorosia vines I recently planted had grown almost two feet tall!  There was also a leaf on one of the plumerias and the Eucomis (pineapple lily)  planted at the base of that plumeria was several inches tall as well.  I  marvel at creation-how these bulbs know when to sprout , there is no light in that room other than when I do laundry-wow!  When I took the glorosia outside for light & a photo session, I noticed yet another treat.  My front container needed rotation and after I turned it I noticed a black elephant ear had wintered over in the back..They are usually less hardy and I have not had any winter over outside, but the porch is fairly protected.  So exciting!

So, I posted the photos on a new album-check them out.

Two other good things about today: Exactly one week before Chris(Mosaic2007) arrives (by train) for the garden show.  We will spend all day at the show and have a nice dinner downtown before we return to my house. Today one of my husband's new clients scheduled a consultation at their beach house in Port Hadock so we are taking a mini day trip together Saturday.  My youngest will be around to care for my mom while we're gone-what a treat!  It will be Gracie's first ferry boat ride!  Sure wish Heronswood hadn't sold, I could have stopped(shopped) on our way.

Happy Valentine's Day to all.  Eighteen years ago today we found out I was finally pregnant with our youngest daughter so this is my valentine's day!  She just got a new "arrest me red" car, so that's her present! (ha-not-though actually a gift from my mom)  Time flies.

Whew that was a long blog....

Best,

Andrea

Tree Ferns & Clematis
Feb 7, 2008 | 5:17 PM PST

My mom & I took a trip to a local nursery to purchase a palm tree for my friend whose dad passed away Monday.  They have a tropical garden so I thought it more appropriate than sending flowers.  While at the nursery, I was able to visit my tree ferns and thought I'd share a photo.  The ferns are being loaned by the nursery for a display garden at the flower & garden show in Seattle, I will get them after and when ready to plant-April...At least we had a sun-break today. Woohoo!

I am also posting an interestingly trained C. armandi I saw on a drive.  The owner had it trimmed so well and in a way I have not seen before.

Since I am not techno savvy and have no idea how to upload photos to this blog, the photos are posted in a new album labeled "miscellaneous".

Another Ebay Success
Feb 6, 2008 | 6:48 PM PST

This gardening thing is such an addiction.  I promised myself I WOULD NOT purchase any plants during the winter season.  Every winter my laundry room and/or living room turn into a mini nursery, then I am stuck trying to acclimate everything.  My family gets tired of assisting me at night (pulling everything in) , I am constantly watching my animals so they do not nibble the new growth....Today I received (just arrived-mysteriously-hahaha) a huge (by mail-order standards) Michelia Figo (Banana Shrub), once again-great Ebay seller, perfectly packaged in a 3 gal contailer-3 1/2 ' tall. 

The weather forecast is bleak for the next ten days, but I am hoping to get a mini-prespring garden spruce done before Mosaic2007 arrives for the garden show on 2/20!  Per Mosaic-it will be time to trim the dead leaves off my bananas when she's here, for that and many other reasons, I cannot wait until she arrives! ~Andrea

New Cannas
Feb 4, 2008 | 5:56 PM PST

Today I received six canna plants I ordered from Ebay-Orange Punch, they were so well packaged and a great value.  I potted them up as well as some tubers (Tangelo) I purchased locally-added to my laundry room and now I realllllly long for a greenhouse!  Half of my laundry room is full of several large brugmansia & plumeria plus recently potted gloirosa vines and now the cannas.   I am thinking of adding a grow lamp on the counter, but need to know how efficient they are-I will post elsewhere for that answer.

Spring really is around the corner!

3-Day Walk
Feb 3, 2008 | 10:44 AM PST
My sweet friend and I just registered for the 3Day Breast Cancer Walk in Seattle this September.  We both experienced the pain of losing a friend or family member to breast cancer so we are  excited to raise money for research.  Now I just have to create the "walker's" web page-challenging aspect for me!  The additional beauty will be spending time with this friend and being surrounded by other women walking for the same cause. :)

Funny Thing Happened Today
Feb 1, 2008 | 11:54 PM PST
This is a story only a gardener would appreciate.  My darling friend has a 23yo son w/time on his hands, so I jumped at the chance to hire his services. If you remember, I have been battling Lamium,  I was away on errands all morning, but Craig (husband) was able to come home and direct his efforts.  Well, by the time I returned the sweet kid had torn out a HUGE clematis thinking it was a dead weed hanging over the fence!  In all reality, I am probably the only person who would realize that lovely plant was gone come summer.  I had to look away from the yard waste bin that held the huge(dead) vines of clematis  as I said "no problem, just remember that vine on the maple is a keeper(a passiflora)."  Though I usually only apply organic fertilizers, etc, I think a paint brush application of Round-Up will finish the job in spring-that stuff has all but taken over!  Any suggestions on how to eradicate it organically would be appreciated. ~Andrea