southernmagnolia's Blog

Red Mittens in the Trees
Sep 18, 2009 | 2:31 AM PST
Tags: sassafras , tomatoes , zinnias , hummingbirds

I was standing out in our backyard, looking into the woods.  The sassafras trees' leaves are turning red and look like childrens' mittens waving in the breeze.  A few leaves fluttered from oak trees and blew to the ground.  I like the changing of the seasons because it gives me a sense of freshness, newness, renewal.  I like the autumn because I love the holidays, and autumn gets me thinking about how I'll decorate this year.

The garden is drying back and the zinnias are about spent.  I leave the flowers there until I quit getting any new blooms.  I can't bear to yank them out when they are still producing flowers, even though the stalks are getting splindly and the leaves are turning brown.  The pentas are still going strong and the hummingbirds are still visiting.  Last year we saw the last one in early October. 

I am not a tomato gardener.  In all, we have gotten 21 tomatoes from the two plants and I didn't think they tasted any better than grocery store tomatoes.  For all the effort and the cost of the plants, I am not going to put them in again.  Not unless someone I personally know gives me some plants that will yield some really flavorful tomatoes. 

I am going to Southern Vistas nursery today and get some new flowers for the fall and hope to put them in this weekend. 

My Giant Zinnias
Oct 11, 2008 | 6:36 AM PST
Tags: zinnias , zinnia seeds , giant cactus flowered zinnias , hummingbirds

I bought a package of giant zinnia seeds at Lowe's (Lowe's brand) this June and sprinkled them in an inch or two of dirt along one side of our patio.  They sprouted right away and, according to the package, they were to grow to 2-3' in height. 

They are now up to 5' tall with beautiful big blooms.  The package reads "Zinnia Giant Cactus Flowered, Mixed Colors" and cost $1.25.  I must have 50 plants and they have been the highlight of my first summer garden.  The soil around my patio has alot of sand in it.  Maybe that helped.  I put MiracleGro on them twice.

I didn't know that hummingbirds would be attracted to zinnias, but they were and they loved them.  The little yellow "mini-flowers" (?) inside the big flowers must have had good nectar.

I plan on putting more of these in next season.

Attracting Hummingbirds
Jun 14, 2008 | 5:25 AM PST
Tags: hummingbirds , pentas
For the past two years I have successfully attracted hummingbirds with potted pentas.  This year, my pentas are hardy but are not getting much attention from the hummingbirds.  I watch them visit a couple blossoms but then fly away.  The pentas I have this year actually seem bigger and with more flowers than the plants I have had in the past.  I am wondering if there is something different about these and what I might do to get them to produce more nectar.