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All posts about: flowers
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Feb 22, 2008 | 6:21 PM PST
Tag: flowers
Yay, spring is almost here!!! I just started 3 Envy Zinnias, 2 Red Sun Sunflowers, 3 English Daisies, and 3 Purple Morning Glorys!!! All in little cups by the window. My dad is gonna help me plant my Venus FlyTrap, hopefully tonight!!! Im so excited!!!! But I'll be really sad if they don't grow. Can you blame me!?!? hehe, till later!!!
bri
Feb 21, 2008 | 9:25 PM PST
Tags: lessons , flowers , information
I have grown flowers all my life, most if which where tropical. Now I find myself in Neveda with no clue on what does well. Any help would be a blessing! I am willing to work in a garden in exchange for information.
I live in the suncity area and am willing to travel to learn and photopgraph , As a photographer I find My best subjets are often in my own gardends.
thanks in advance
Trizia Koelzer
Feb 18, 2008 | 3:28 PM PST
Tag: flowers
I have to thank you all of you for such a warm welcoming and today i finally succed to arrange a little bit more my little garden :) I posted my new album with fresh photos of my darling flowers. They are so beautiful - but i am very proud of my roses. They are more and more beautiful and i hope this year to have my first little babies :D
Sep 11, 2007 | 2:36 AM PST
Tags: chickens , pesticide , DDT , herbs , vegetables , flowers
The discovery of pesticide residues in my garden came as a bit of a
shock, but I'm now trying to find ways to work with what I have. My
main approach will be to build the beds up with imported soil and plant
in this soil only - no digging, no root vegetables, no direct
planting.. It's inconvenient, but what can you do when pesticides
remain there for decades? I'd say it's probably a very common sob story
and I'm just glad that I do know what's really in my soil - my old
chickens probably did serve me DDT infused eggs, but I just didn't know
about it!
I had a look into my seedling diary for the spring expectations - am waiting for these darlings to grow:
Vegetables:
Thai, Bangalore, Cabai Burong Chilli
Tomatoes: Cherry Pomodoro, Tomato Mix, San Marzano
Eggplants: Machiaw, Melanzana, Asian Bride, Thai
Leek, Soy beans, Watermelon, Pumpkin
Herbs:
Lemongrass, Coriander, Shiso, Thai basil, Basil, Chamomile, Dill, Parsley, Sage, Chives
Flowers:
Foxgloves, Snapdragons, Poppies, Toadflax, Thistles, Sweetpeas,
Wisteria, Natives, Platycodon, Calendula, Cornflower, Strawflower,
Marigolds
I also bought some Rue and Feverfew at the garden center on the weekend. Will plant them with the Wormwood cuttings I took recently - they will go around my chicken run to keep them healthy. For the chickens, i will also grow Pigeon Pea, Tagasaste, and Lablab, plus my soy leaf scraps and linseed too for omega content in the eggs! The coop is still being built.. we are architecturally challenged..
I was sure I planted cucumbers and other things - will need to investigate further!
Above: 2 cute chickens from this Japanese website: http://www.is.hallab.co.jp/~a
ndo/index.html
There are loving photos of these chickens as they grow up!
Jul 23, 2007 | 7:09 PM PST
Tags: seeds , Catalogs , flowers , blueberries
someone is going to have to save me from myself...hehehhe I got a Park Seed Fall Catalog today...I want at least one of nearly everything, EXCEPT irises and daffodils (I dug up soo many of them cleaning out my flower beds here)..Right on the top of my list is a bicolored butterfly bush...ohhh my goodness it is so gorgeous..sooo sooo pretty..ohh and they had some gorgeous looking blueberry bushes in there too..I love blueberry bushes...and I want 3 more to add to my two I have I really like blueberries YUMMO...
Today I examined where I planted the marigolds and coleus and chives that were packaged for 1982 I saw little sprouts coming up where the marigolds were planted, nothing yet where the coleus is planted and there is something coming up in one of the chive pots but I dont think it is a chive...going to have to do some research of what they look like as babies..LOL
~C~
Jul 23, 2007 | 10:39 AM PST
Tags: Veggie , Compost , mulch , tomato , zucchini , flowers , gerbera , petunias , hardy hibiscus
I could not bring myself to do anything inside this weekend, so the dust bunnies are still hopping around my house this morning. Oh, well. I spent both days out in the flower beds and veggie patch. Watered early Saturday and got the holes dug for the butterfly bush and hardy hibiscus that I got. As I was weeding and deadheading, there were a lot of thin spots in the mulch. I went down and got about 10 bags and brought that home to spread around. I love new mulch. Covered all the beds and had enough to put back behind the pond.
Some of the other daylilies have put up scapes and have buds. Can’t wait to see them. The gereberas have finally decided to bloom again and for some reason the wave petunias have also gotten a second wind from the something and are flowing all down the side of the old stump, thick with purple flowers.
Hubby helped me finish the three sided slat fence to put around my compost pile. My pile isn’t very big yet but I am working on it. Chopped up the kitchen scrapes in the food processor and put them out there too. Bill got me a pitch fork this weekend. I was trying to turn the pile with a shovel. Wow what a difference that made. (Duh!)
Cleaned and weeded in the veggie patch and tied up some more tomato limbs to the trellis. I have two zucchini left that haven’t been hit by the vine borers YET. My cukes have climbed nicely all over the fence and there are dozens of fruit hanging down. They are so good and crisp.
We did not get the new raised bed up. Hubby brought home work for a project that he was under a crunch on, so it will have to be next weekend. Will go by the dump and pick up some compost (have to make do until my own is ready) and some topsoil down at the landscape yard.
Had enough tomatoes to make another batch of sketty sauce. Added a few of the yellow tomatoes to it. They did lighten the color of the sauce but it still tasted great. Used loads of fresh basil from the herb pots of the deck. Made some Penne, a tomato, cuke and pepper salad and had a yummy dinner. Only things not from the garden were the pasta and the bread. You just can’t beat that!Jun 18, 2007 | 10:07 AM PST
Tags: masculine , feminine , flowers , gardening
To many guys, flowers represent all that is feminine. For a guy to admit flowers as being anything more than a tool of courtship or romance is to invite the “ewww” factor, driven by fears of being labeled gay by themselves or by others. There are even derogatory statements that invoke this engendering of flowers being effeminate, such as “He is such a pansy.” To get almost any guy to openly admit that he likes flowers, without any squeamishness, would be quite a feat.
Don’t get me wrong, I live in the very liberal city of Seattle, which means I work and associate with guys who are openly or privately gay. I consider them to be good friends and co-workers. I respect them and do not pass judgment on them for their orientation. At the same time, I am most definitely not gay. It is something I have never questioned about myself.
I am an edible landscaper, and as such I’ve come to accept that a good landscape design includes flowers. Without being gay and feeling able to break gender stereotypes, how did I get over the “eww” factor and grow flowers for me, rather than for a wife or girlfriend? It is really quite simple, first off I am secure in my gender and orientation, and secondly, I make it all about food. I make the topic of flowers safe to discuss, including the beauty, the wonderful fragrances, and the joy they impart, since I also include the more masculine utilitarian concepts, such as edibility, taste, medicinal herbal use, and adventures in the kitchen.
In other words, to me edible landscaping becomes a melding of both the feminine and masculine components of gardening, becoming gender neutral. It is safe for me to have a flower garden, since it is much more than flowers, it is an extension of my herb garden and vegetable garden, all intermingled.
If you struggle with your husband or boyfriend never showing interest in your flower gardening, try including some of the utilitarian concepts in your sharing about them and see if that sparks something. You might be pleasantly surprised.
Jun 10, 2007 | 11:54 AM PST
Tags: Pictures , Flowers , Wildflowers
We spent yesterday out floating Big Sugar Creek in the kayaks. The day was perfect and there were tons of wild flowers in bloom. I took a cheap throw away camera and hope the pictures turned out well. I was not about to risk the Canon out in the water.
I did take some pix around the house with the REAL camera. I posted them in my photo album under June Flowers. Hope you all enjoy.
May 9, 2007 | 6:52 AM PST
Tags: bush beans , flowers , sunflowers , english lavender , cucumbers , shakespeare , sonnets , ants , scotch bonnet
Well, just about all of my bush beans are up now. There's always something very satisfying about growing a simple bush bean, of the few things guaranteed in life, bush beans are one of them. I wish I could say the same for growing flowers!
I'm a bit puzzled as to what to do with my flower seedlings. Not sure whether to put them in bigger cells or what. They are still indoors and not doing much of anything. Can't you tell I've never grown flowers before, ever!
Only one of the sunflowers I sowed has surfaced, and it's not looking that great. The seeds were bought (two packs) in the UK. This particular pack has a really low yeild. I may try the other pack and see if it fares any better. Or maybe sunflowers take forever to germinate in general. I'm not sure.
My english lavender is struggling a bit. Some of them have browned and are almost dead. I'm thinking it may have been the fertilizer burning them or something.
I had to pull up another sickly looking cuke. So now I'm down to four. Well at least they look healthy and are fruiting nicely.
I saw a hummingbird hopefully pollinating one of my Scarlett Emperor beans, yes, I'm still hopeful. Even though another hummingbird came and chased it off before it could do much. Apparently there's a problem with honeybees in other parts of the world too. I rarely ever see any here anymore.
One 'Golden Sunrise' and two 'Red Pear' tomato seedlings are now up. It will be quite a while before they get planted out, looking quite frail and a bit leggy right now.
None of my english peas have germinated yet. I know they are generally slower, I hope they make it!
On my to do list is getting rid of an army of black ants that have taken up residence on one of my older sweet pepper plants, I tried blasting them off but they're pretty resilient. Lemon juice carefully applied might help. They're coming from next door's garden.
The chives in the herb bed got 'shaved' on sunday, I sent our youngest out, he did a pretty good job. They're around a couple inches tall now.
I was looking at some scotch bonnet pepper pictures online last night, I read that they are small and grow to 2-4cm, I was wondering why one of my sons asked 'why are your peppers so big?' . They are quite big compared to the size they're supposed to be. I'm not sure what's going on there?! I planted them right next to my sweet peppers, I'm not sure if that factors into their size though? All of them are still pale green, they're supposed to change to various shades of orange and red. Looking forward to that.
Mmm, this seems to fit in here somehow, my favourite of his sonnets.....
When, in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,
I all alone beweep my outcast state,
and trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries,
and look upon myself, and curse my fate,
wishing me like to one more rich in hope,
featured like him, like him with friends possess'd,
desiring this man's art and that man's scope,
with what I most enjoy contented least;
Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,
haply I think on thee, and then my state,
like to the lark at break of day arising from sullen earth,
sings hymns at heaven's gate;
For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings
that then I scorn to change my state with kings.
Shakespeare- Sonnet #XXIX
May 7, 2007 | 5:35 PM PST
Tags: pinestraw , backyard , mators , flowers , heirloom , beds , tree , rose , containers , chicks , chickens , eggs , plants
Got home and remembered I wanted to check with the neighbor up the road about a pile of pinestraw he's had in his back yard. So I asked him what was he gonna do with it an he said he was gonna give it to me if I wanted it. He had told me a year ago when he had a pile of that I could have it. I never got around to getting it. So today I made time for a truckload at least. He had to show me his mators and flowers. I mentioned that I had some extra plants if he wanted some, so tomorrow I will take him a few things. He also wanted to try some of the heirloom mators I have extra of so he can sure have them. I'm outta room for them anyway. Before I left he came back around to the truck an said that for me to get all I wanted of the straw today an saturday he will deliver the rest to me for sharing my plants with him. Says he rides by the house occasionally to see whats in bloom but never stops. So I invited him to take a tour anytime he wants to. I've been knowing him for years, but we hardly ever get the chance to talk. He's bought eggs from me before as well.
I got the truck unloaded and had enough to do 2 fairly good size bed, a tree, a rose and part of another huge rose bed. Its looking better already. I am hoping he has enough to do all the others which will amount to about 6 more loads, I think he will judging from his piles of straw he had here an there. Got busy watering all the newly planted plants and containers as well as the garden.
The baby chicks have been flying around in the pen and I keep looking for them either to get hurt or get out over the door where there is an opening. Its the smaller pen inside the large pen, but the fencing on the outter pen they could get out without much difficultly. So I clipped their wings hoping that will keep them landed a little better. The older chickens have been sporatic on laying, some days I get 8 an others who knows. Today I only got 3, but not complaining seeing how I have 6 doz in the fridge I need to do something with. I'll give my neighbor some tomorrow when I deliver his plants. Well thats life on the Lane for today.
Apr 30, 2007 | 10:21 AM PST
Tags: lobelia , sunflowers , gladiolus , flowers , cauliflower , chives
I haven't been in the garden since early saturday, sometimes I like to have time away, that way I really notice changes that have happened. I'll be out there this evening, just before the sun sets to check on things. We may be having one of those cauli's with dinner tonight. Will be cutting back the unruly chives in the herb bed and adding that to some mashed potatoes, throw in some fried fish and we have dinner!
My flower seedlings are coming along nicely. the Lobelia seeds have all come up, they're so TINY! I'm not sure how I'm going to separate/space them. Sunflowers had to be started again, I had checked thru in the soil to see if any were germinating, only one seemed to be, kept that one and threw out the rest as the cardboard (toilet rolls cut in half!) had been placed too close together and had begun to go mouldy. So I should see at least one pushing thru in the next couple days.
I potted up my gladiolus' (april 28th) in a couple of large pots, they're on the patio for the moment.
I NEED MORE GARDEN SPACE! Now that I'm getting into flower growing. Hopefully I should get two 3x15 ft beds in the front for all my flowers. Will have to pave over the rest for parking space.
Apr 19, 2007 | 1:26 PM PST
Tags: roses , Iris , Melons , houseplants , flowers , greenhouse , feathers , coop , chicks
This post has been edited by an administrator
I finally got the melon patch planted 2 days ago, I planted Santa Clause, Moon & Stars, Banana, Paradise and Canary. Can u tell we love melons. Still have a good bit of flowers left to plant and the house plants to get out of the greenhouse an placed about the beds, but I'm in no rush. The nights have been in the 50's here, so I know they'll like the cool temps. The baby chicks are growing and doing well, thinking about putting them outside in a coop with a light so they get a chill during the night. At least the larger of them, some are still getting their true feathers and some already have them. Some more flowers have started blooming an here they are:
Lemon Mist Bearded Iris
Unk. Purple Bearded Iris
LaReine rose
Mrs. B. R. Cant
Belinda's Dream
and another rose I can't remember the name, have it written somewhere
Felicia
trudy
Apr 16, 2007 | 8:55 AM PST
Tags: fruit , plums , pear , flowers , apple
I just love spring. I really know it is spring when my fruit trees become covered in showy displays of blossoms. In my yard I have a spring time succession of blossoms that cover my fruit trees. First with the plums, then pears, then cherry trees, and apple trees.
My plum trees are often so covered in blossoms that they are really a sight to see.
Here is one of my cherry trees in bloom that I took a picture of yesterday.
My apple trees are not as showy, but they too are lovely
If you look carefully, you will probably notice that my fruit trees don't look that pruned. The reason being that I usually prune my fruit trees in the summer's dry season, which tends to have more of a dwarfing affect on the trees.
I am looking forward to seeing the spring time blossoms of my pear trees, asian pear trees, asian persimmon tree, and peach trees, but sadly they are still too young to put on much of a show.
For me, I see so much more beauty in a real fruit bearing tree then an ornamental tree, since I see real beauty not only in the spring time flowers but also in the wonderful color of the fruit in the fall. Maybe it is a guy thing, but I also see a whole lot more value in something that has a productive use, such as bearing fruit, then something that is all show.
I know that many people are worried about extra maintenance of fruit trees, in particular having to spray them for fungus, viruses, or bugs. My solution has been to focus on disease resistent varieties, so spraying isn't needed.
Apr 8, 2007 | 12:03 PM PST
Tags: video , gardening , tomato , seeds , containers , flowers , shrubs , lawns , weeds , crabgrass , peas , hydrangea , deer
This post has been edited by an administrator
This week I started some seeds of romaine inside in the house. The main reason to start seeds indoors is to give them a jump on growing outside. In spring the weather is cool and the seeds often have trouble germinating. Also, if you plant certain seeds, like a tomato in the ground directly you run the risk the plant will never get mature enough to yeild a tomato.
Seed starting kits are, in my opinion, the best way to go. I like the ones that have a little plastic cover because they create a mini greenhouse. You can also add a seed starting mat under the kit to increase the heat.
Be sure to place the kits in a sunny window. You can make your own mix to plant in or do the easy thing and buy a starting mix.
If you reuse your kit year to year sterilize the containers with hot soapy water. You can even use a bit of bleach, just be sure to rinse them out well.
Start your seeds indoors according to the directions on the back of the packet. Many seeds require 4-6 weeks of lead time before putting them outside. I have found that sees of carrots, peas and beans do not do well being started inside and then moved.
Lettuces, melon, tomatoes, peppers, and other warm weather crops are best started early.
Its a Cold Week Ahead
4/9/2007
It’s been a cold spring so far and this is going to continue through mid-April. I see the jet stream continuing to bring cold air in from Canada. Therefore, we have to hold off on some things we would otherwise be doing. The winter month caterpillars, a problem in the Massachusettes area, will be slow to hatch with this cold weather. Do not spray unless you are sure they have hatched. I have still not planted my peas or some of my other cold weather crops. With the daytime highs in the 40s it will be hard for much to germinate. If you have a cold frame or other covers for the seeds you can plant as they help mitigate the cold. Continue to clean up the lawn and perennial beds. Cut back your perennials.
You can prune summer blooming shrubs now. I cut back my rose-of-sharon hard this time of year. It will produce great blooms in August.
Apr 5, 2007 | 9:45 PM PST
Tag: flowers
Hello everyone:
Just thought that I would post a little comment about the new board. What a great new experience.
My flowers are blooming right now and just beautiful weather we are having. I have added some photos of my garden. Let me know what you think.
Have a wonderful Easter.
Flowersgalore
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:31 PM PST
Tags: trees , flowers , bushes
I'm going to plant some bushes in the front yard this year. Right now there's just a sickly lawn bordered by a picket fence and the small sprouts of old bulbs scattered on the perimeter. The yard is north-facing (the house blocks southerly sun) and shaded by the neighbors' large maple. Our meager lawn gave its last gasp when fall covered it with maple leaves. Now it's mostly mud. There are flower beds in front of the house that need to be filled out, too. It'll sure round out the yard when I put some bushes in the corners. The cat will like it too! I don't know if I have a green thumb, but I don't mind getting my hands dirty. I eat worms.
Apr 4, 2007 | 4:19 PM PST
Tags: wildlife , garden , design , plan , vegetables , habitat , flowers , native , birds , animals , bugs , insects
Here are some ideas about how to make your garden the most rewarding place to be for yourself and for wildlife.
1. Think about how you typically walk to your house and what parts of your garden you spend time looking at every day, walking by and looking out your windows. These areas will become your visual focus areas. The rest of the yard can become devoted to fruits, vegetables, compost, and wildlife habitat.
2. Plant your visual focus areas with all your most beautiful plants and with plants that grow fruits you can pick as you pass by every day. Remember that even garden areas designed for visual appeal can be made beautiful using native plants that provide nectar, seed and fruit for wild birds and insects.
3. Section off more remote areas of your yard for dense, native-only plantings to give your critter friends a place to feel safe when they visit your garden.
4. Keep your veggies clustered together so the extra watering they require won't be wasted on other plants that don't need it.
5. Find a corner of your yard where you can pile all your pulled weeds and prunings for compost. This spot should be easily accessible but out of sight from your normal paths. If you live in a temperate climate you can mix your non-greasy food waste in with your yard compost and within a year the bottom of the pile will become fresh, nutritious compost to feed your flower beds. If you use this instead of store-bought fertilizers you will cut the risk of poisoning the wildlife you want to invite to your yard.
Tips: Before buying plants, research the native birds, mammals, and insects of your area. Find out what they like to eat and live in. Remember that birds often come to plants to eat the insects which are attracted to those plants.
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:59 PM PST
Tag: flowers
The forgotten daffodils in the front yard are blooming! Don't eat them though, I'm told they're toxic.
Apr 4, 2007 | 3:53 PM PST
Tag: flowers
Did you know? A sunflower, worn in the lapel, was a symbol of the aesthetic movement. Aesthetes like Oscar Wilde believed in "art for art's sake."
