For the past few days we have been enjoying some beautiful weather due to (what I'm assuming is now) tropical storm Fay. There has been thick cloud cover which has kept us relatively cool, wonderful breezes, and now we're actually experiencing rain! It's been a delightful weekend with this weather!
I was so anxious to go plant shopping Saturday morning! I had been plotting this little shopping trip all week and since I needed dog food I had a good excuse to head into Greenwood.Momma had told me that the Jackson Perkins Outlet Store had a "buy six packs of bulbs for a dollar" going on in addition to having a good supply of herbs so I had high hopes for this expedition!
I found that the deals Momma had gotten earlier in the week were still going on, and I was able to pick up quite a few plants. I got three elephant ears, two Gerber daisies, a chocolate mint plant, a oregano, a basil, an aster, and what I'm calling a "pincushion flower". I also picked up three elephant ears for Trevor and two dollars worth of bulbs (twelve packs). To say that I was ecstatic is pretty close to what I was feeling!
I spent the rest of the afternoon planting my finds and tidying the place up a bit. I had finally gotten around to planting the rosemary, parsley, and heliotrope earlier in the week and I was anxious to get things looking completed around their new homes.
I planted most everything in this spot leaving enough room for the rose bush to grow to maturity. I had added compost to this area several weeks ago so it should be "good to grow".
In other gardening news, the sunflowers that I planted last month are beginning to bloom!! Forget the fact that they are only two and a half feet tall... They're BLOOMING!!!! It's wonderful to see new life amongst the plants that have come to the end of their life span.
The caladiums are still going strong. Their bright colors add so much to the shady area of my garden. I have several varieties here; my favorite is called "Gingerland" and they are red, green, and white.
Sawyer has spent several days helping me. I have an old putty bucket that I fill with water for planting and he enjoys giving the plants a drink with the handy dandy cup that I have out there.I've had to impress upon him the necessity of only riding his dirt bike on the garden paths and not through the plants. It's so sweet to hear him say "dir by own-ee on paf" as he rides through the garden. Time with him is precious!
Does anyone have any suggestions as to what I do with this little spot? It gets good morning sun and a good bit of afternoon shade. I'm open to suggestions!
As I was watering things yesterday I was rather careless with the hose and accidentally knocked two of the stems from my rosemary off. I brought them in and put them in some water thinking that it would be a nice addition to a windowsill someplace. Today I noticed that they have began to put out roots! I never dreamed that they would do that, but it sure is exciting! I now have two plants that I can put someplace else in my garden!
5 comments:
Wonderful post, Ashley! What a great blessing to be able to purchase so many bulbs and plants for so little! I just love those fall plant sales. :)
The sunflower is just beautiful! What variety is it?
Your little brother, Sawyer, is a dear! I am sure that you greatly enjoy the time you spend with him!
Hmm . . . in the sunny/shady spot, maybe you could put daylily's? Or maybe some hostas? I am not much of a flower gardener though, so my advice is not worth a great deal! ;)
That is amazing that the Rosemary stems began sending out roots! Will you try planting them? It would be interesting to see what would happen.
I think the sunflowers are called Velvet Queen Sarah. I bought them from select seeds which where I get the majority of my seeds. I've been really pleased with the company so far!
Yes, I do enjoy spending time with Hammy (sawyer! He has a variety of nicknames:o) Yesterday morning we curled up on my bed together each reading our own books... it was so sweet!
Thank you for the suggestions on that poor lonely piece of garden. I had forgotten about hostas!
I too was amazed that the rosemary took root! Actually, I think everyone in my family is! I am going to plant them, although I may give one to Trevor for his future garden. I may put one in a pot and keep it in the house... I'll have to see.
Thank you for your comment!
~Ashley
I LOVE Sweet William for shady places. In SC, you should sprinkle seeds in the fall (September/October). They'll grow some and then stop for the winter. Then, they'll continue to grow and flower in the spring. They're technically a biennial, so they're a bit different. Get a mixed pack of seeds so that you have a variety of colors - red, white, pink and variations. BEAUTIFUL in a mass. They self-seed, so you have more and more each year.
Also, you'll LOVE the chocolate mint. I think it's soooo pretty in flower. Bees love it. It's quite invasive, so if you don't want it everywhere, plant it in a pot and then put the whole pot in the ground (to contain it come). You'll have plenty to share - that's for sure!
Anonymous- I will be looking into sweet william! Thank you for suggesting that!!
I didn't know that Chocolate mint was invasive... hmm. I think I'll go dig it up, put it in a pot, and re-plant it. Do you have any suggestions as to how to use it?
~Ashley
All mint is invasive. It sends runners everywhere. I love to chew the leaves of the mint plants. Chocolate mint gives a nice flavor to your mouth. I also have a lemon mint plant that really does taste like lemon and mint. I think it'd be nice for using in iced tea.
I have not really used much of the mint in the kitchen, but that's where I'm headed. I think you could dry the leaves and then crush them. Use about the same amount that you'd find in a teabag and make tea. I've also heard that you can just cut a stem and steep the whole stem (leaves and all) for tea. But, I'd check that out on the internet somewhere first. You can read about mint and other ways to "contain" it from invading, too. Or just stick it in a corner that you want filled in and let it go :)
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