southernmagnolia's Blog

What's New In My Garden
Apr 17, 2009 | 4:29 AM PST
Tags: tulips , snapdragons

Last fall, I planted 16 bulbs... 12 tulips, 4 hyacinths and 4 Dutch iris.  The tulip leaves came up fast and furiously last month, and each produced mulitple flowers - most had 4 flowers each.  The bulbs were corally in color, some striped with a light salmon too.  The hyacinths were the biggest disappointment.  I was expecting long sheaths of flowers and they seem to be real duds.  Only a few flowers on each stalk.  Maybe I could have done something to get more flowers... I will have to research them.  The Dutch iris were beautiful with 2 purple, one a brilliant yellow and one blue. 

Now let me tell you about my snapdragons.  I put in 4 snapdragon plants in the Fall of 2007.  They didn't do a lot the first year.  Some flowers but nothing impressive.  I kept breaking off the dead parts of the plants and green leaves kept appearing.  These little snaps have been the show piece in this Spring's front yard flower bed.  There must be over 100 flowers on them and they are quite noticeable from the street.  I wonder how many years you can keep snapdragons going.

Once again, the weeds are trying to take over the lawn.  I weeded the front yard 2 weeks ago and had the energy to cut it.  Then last weekend I only got 1/2 the back yard weeded before cutting.  I will have to work on the front yard again this weekend and cut it again.  I am determined to get a handle on it this year.  We may be selling this house in a couple years and I know a nice lawn will help move it.

Hello Spring
Apr 5, 2009 | 5:30 AM PST
Tags: Seasons , South Carolina , dogwoods , azalea

The last whisper of Winter is due here on Wednesday April 7, when low temps are supposed to be around 30.  I hope it doesn't affect any of the budding trees and plants.  That really isn't all that cold, so I doubt it will cause any trouble.  I am glad to see Winter go.  I like all seasons, and I think God made them all to last just the right amount of time.  By the time each season ends, I am loving the signs of the new one ahead.  It awakens something in me, and Spring awakens my desire to get outside and put my hands down in the soil, to pull out the unwanted plants and seed in the new ones.

I like living in South Carolina because we have the seasons and yet none are extreme.  Last night we went out to our lakehouse and walked around, admiring the two dogwoods we let come up naturally.  One is in a bed of azaleas and  is just loaded with beautiful white blossoms, the other is up near the house.  The second one is getting its first blooms.  The tree's been there for quite a few years but had been shaded by some big pines we had removed last year.  Now it's getting enough sun and it is looking quite giddy to be doing its thing. 

We have at least 50 azalea bushes at this house and they are just beginning to bloom.  We have all colors.  When we bought this house in 1996, the house was new and the bushes were small.  Now there are no spaces between them and they grace our property from the street to the lake, down each side of the lot.  They are about 3 feet tall and spread to each other, with a few trees coming up between them (including the dogwood). 

The daffodils/narcissus are done at the lakehouse, and I cut the last of them yesterday and brought them over to our Irmo house.  They are the double white narcissus and their fragrance is strong and heavenly.  It is like that of gardenias.  I cut them short, put them in a vase on the raised counter in the kitchen so we can stop and smell them whenever we walk by.  You can smell them as soon as you enter the kitchen.

I did my first grass cut at the Irmo house yesterday.  I have lots of unwanted plants in the lawn.  I need to go to a garden center and get some help.  I would like to make the lawn nice here. 

Today we are going to the State Farmers Market to the Midlands Plant and Flower Show.  I hope to find some good plants and learn some new stuff about gardening.