yardgranny6's Blog

Been a slow week
Jul 12, 2008 | 12:42 PM PST
Tags: painting , Mr Cereus , seeds sprouting

in the gardens for me. Those weather fronts that  came bursting through last week messed with my joints which limits my desire and ability to bend and do much digging.  They seem to have passed today. Bright sunshine with a high of only 90 expected this afternoon.

So the little plant table I created out of old wooden window valences some years ago got a much needed coat of paint. When we moved into this house those old  knotty pine valences were one of the first things to go. They were stored for a bit of time until one an idea came to make a small low bench for my day care tots to sit on outside. The one son still at home was a teenager and he nailed a wood plank on top for me. They kids got the most use out of that thing. After those years were over and there were no more little ones, I decided to make a planter table out of it. My carpenter skills are quite laughable but I managed to cut a plank to make for legs and put a shelf on the bottom to stabalize it and WA-LA there you go. It has held my plants for a lot of years now.     

Then I tackled Mr Cereus the night blooming cactus. He is just not a good looker at all. That plant had put out from the root the longest skinniest shoots I ever saw. That did not cause him to be any better looking. Did manage to get the plant out doors and after some long critical looks on my part, decided to cut the better looking leaves off and root them in a hanging basket. This is now hanging under Gramma Dogwood, she really is a good babysitter for most anything I choose to sit under her boughs.

The rest of the plant will get cut back, the better shoots put in some soil to share at the next Master Gardener meeting. Then the original plant will be put under the tree to see if anything comes up from the root during the summer. If not - then in the trash it will go come frost.  So if any of you want a cutting, let me know and I will mail it to you. 

Have seen in a couple of my magazines, front yard flower gardens. As my lawn is nearly non-existant, this idea really appeals to me. Am considering asking my Garden Center to send someone over to look and give suggestions. My only thought is how it will look to a buyer in the future. I hope this will be many years from now but it is something to comsider. I am a person that needs to vision things. Though I am accepting of things that come with life, joy or sadness. Think that is the 'dreamer' in me. Even as a child I would dream about a new event coming about in our family. Baby sister was a great dream and I actually got to name her, but the reality set in after a few months. Babies are actually a lot of work.

Sowed a few seeds around in different places and am seeing some of them sprout out now.  Some Hollyhock blend from Wintersown are showing, the Balsom is coming up and I think I see a few of the Cosmos Picatee seed sprouting. A few Malva Zebrinas are coming up and maybe a few Bachelow Buttons.  So far so good. Time will tell how many actually become plants. Still need to set out the baby zinnias the were started a few weeks ago, and the Gomphrena sprouts are getting bigger too. So there will be a bit of color later in the summer.

More To Come Later