See my little pretties? I visited some local nurseries to talk about donations for the Garden Bloggers’ Spring Fling and couldn’t help myself! Heck – I was at 3 nurseries today and they were full of eye candy! I bought a beautiful Texas Scarlett Japanese Quince at one, and three roses at another. Annie at the Transplantable Rose inspired me with her pots and talk of roses. I pulled one out when we moved in here – it was in the wrong place and not doing well. And then, last year, some construction required that we pull out a huge, lovely pink climber that I was in love with. It went high into our oak trees. So, I missing some roses and I decided to remedy that!
Because I don’t have a full sun spot for them, I was somewhat limited in what I could purchase, so I am now the proud mother of an Old Blush Climbing Rose, Mrs. B.R. Cant, 1901 and a Martha Gonzales that I’m going to put in a pot like Annie’s! The other two will enjoy a nice morning to early afternoon sunny spot on the east side of the house. They are all supposed to be sun/part shade, so we’ll see if that’s accurate. I will have to take a walk to see them, but I will have them and can cut them and bring them in the house. I’m psyched!
Can you see the numbers on this thermometer here today? I think it’s skewed a little, but suffice it to say, it was warm today.
My mahonia is now in full bloom. But still enjoying the cooler weather – it gets kind of hot here for them if they get any sun and I have one that may have to be moved this year.
WOW! See my garden. All the dead stuff is gone. Including any last dead tomato bits that might have been lingering and calling to the dogs! They scaled the fence again before the garden got cleaned out and ate something — who knows what — there were only leeks and parsley in there other than dead scraps and mulch. Tomorrow I’ll show you the rest of today’s progress (it got too dark and I couldn’t take a picture), but the fence is UP! And, if they can scale this fence, then I’ll quit blogging — they’ll be in the Guiness Book of World Records and I’ll be a rich woman!
These are the leeks I pulled from the garden today. I guess I will make some leek soup and then sautee the rest. I am assuming I can just freeze them sliced up and sauteed for use in soups and stews and sauces later on. There are far too many for me to use right now! But I want all the garden beds tilled and new garden soil brought in and it’s just better if it’s empty when you do that.
Here are a few other things peeking up in my beds these days. Above are some lovely red Daylilies and below are the shoots of a black Elephant Ear.
Below are some beautiful yellow and orange cannas…well, that’s what they WILL be in a few months!
And these are a few of the shoots in my cloche inside. These are tomatoes.
I planted nasturtiums, they got so tall so fast I took them out of the cloche, and they instantly started to dry out and die. Help! They are bumping against the top of the other cloche, and turn black when they do that, but they clearly aren’t ready to be out on their own. Or, maybe I needed to get them sopping wet…Any ideas?
Thanks for sharing. Something that might help your seedlings, besides more light, is a topping of vermiculite or chicken grit.Yours may be suffering from damping off disease, more water is probably not going to help.
Frances at Faire Garden
Diana, I started to comment but decided to look up photos of ‘Martha Gonzales’, ‘Mrs B R Cant’ and ‘Old Blush’ first… well you know where that kind of thing can lead – to lots of rose websites and a wish for somewhere to plant more of them!
Some kind commenters have told me my rose will do fine in the container – hope we’re both successful. It must have been upsetting to lose that climber in the oak tree.
Good luck with keeping the dogs out of your vegetable garden…aren’t they supposed to be guarding it from squirrels and possums instead of foraging in it?
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
I have spent the past few minutes just staring at the temperature there. No fair when mine refuses to even record that it is -25c.
Is it ever possible to go to nurseries in spring and not walk out with at least 1 if not more plants?
I hope the roses do well and that your dogs stay out of the veggie patch.
Your daughter is adorable – I love the name of their soccer team.
I haven’t read ‘From the Ground Up’ yet – have put in a request for the library to buy it. They often seem to buy requested books unless they have gone out of print. I requested ‘Flower Confidential’ several months ago and it arrived two weeks ago!
Happy Valentine’s day!
Thanks, Frances, I’ll try that. I hate to have gone to the trouble just to have them die. Guess that’s the yin and yang of gardening!
Annie – I know what you mean about getting lost in garden websites! Time flies when you’re surfing! This morning I lost an hour on blogs when I should have been planting those roses : ) I did get them in the ground this afternoon though, so they can appreciate the rains this weekend and get a nice start. I also planted the quince. The Martha Gonzales will have to wait for the purchase of a pretty pot. And yes, the dogs are SUPPOSED to GUARD the garden, not EAT it.
Kate – I wish you some warmer weather. Thanks for the comments on my cutie. I’m going to order the Flower Confidential book as a friend just gave me a thank you gift card to Amazon. I’ll just add it to the stack.
You’ve been busy. Your new roses sound like beauties, as is your daughter. I’m glad she likes roses too.
Thanks for your efforts on behalf of the Spring Fling!
Pam — I have been busy! I’m inspired by all the beautiful things I see on these late night garden blog surfing expeditions that are killing my tendonitis! I see so many great things that I want to have and I know I have a long way to go to get it the way I want it. The Spring Fling feels like a good deadline for me, so I’m motivated and goal-oriented. Being the ant these days!
So glad for the nice rain today. I put my roses in the ground on Thursday afternoon instead of giving Kallie a bath! I had to use that late afternoon sunshine to get them in the ground before the rain and cold thatI thought was coming Friday! (we got up a little early Friday for the bath!)