What I planted: Zinnias

One of the things I planted late was several packets of Zinnias.  With effective and frequent watering, they are doing well and are now starting to bloom. I have a variety of colors and planted the larger bloom varieties this time.

I should have Pink, Purple, White, Yellow, and Red.

I'm hoping to have some as cut flower bouquets for the house. I hope you have bright spots in your garden, wherever your garden happens to be. ~JB was here.

Drought, My Guests in the Garden and Resilience.....

We are in the throes of a real drought here now! Fireworks were cancelled. It is truly serious. I have been watering almost non-stop to try to save my young trees and have something from my garden for a little while, at least!

As I think I've mentioned, we have taken steps to encourage wildlife in a way that we can co-exist happily and enjoy watching them. You may imagine, and you'd be correct- this involves some compromise. But it's working! We left some “cover” for the rabbits and birds this year near the house so they can hide their young, and hide from predators. We have fed hummingbirds and birds over the years and that continues. Strangely, the birds never left my feeders so I am still keeping those full. I assume they have some food supply challenges.

I want to show you some of the rewards of taking these actions. Sure, you are going to sustain some damage in your garden. Sure you are. One must decide the level they can handle and plant enough to share…..one of my main concepts. But they are so beautiful and fun to watch, and I can't help but notice that the bug issues don't seem as bad as back when I didn't have the bird populations, specifically.

Here is a regular guest of mine.

This is one of several. They seem to really not do much to my garden as long as I keep the bird feeders full and put some out on the ground. They really are sweet.

I am struck during weather challenges by the resilience and adaptability of our wildlife. The animals and birds seem to somehow know I'm not going to hurt them. I can get quite close. Or it could be that they are just that desperate, I realize. Anyway I'm going to help them if I can. More visitors portraits arriving soon. Wishing you a great weekend! ~JB was here.

Container Enthusiasm-they are thriving!

My containers are really thriving! I took this before giving them a nice trim. It is now really hot again and also dry, and the outlook for us is for this to continue. I don't know how long I will fight that scenario, but I think I'll attempt to keep up with the watering and enjoy them at least through July 4^th. I have made that a goal, and then I'll regroup depending on what the weather between now and then does.

I wanted to show some of my blooming plants so I put together a collage of sorts. Included in this are some flowers in that little strip by the sidewalk but also some others that I have in different places. My vision for this project is really taking shape and I think it was the right decision to have containers with the way the weather is acting. In this mix are Callibrichoa, a very tough little plant that looks like a baby petunia, a double rose impatien, a couple of shots of Salvia that I sowed, varieties are Evolution (white) and Fairy Queen (purple) and some moss rose or Portulaca, sown in a litttle shallow sun container.

I hope if you dropped by, you are having a wonderful weekend. ~JB was here.

What I Planted-Last Year

Since I started this blog just back in the fall, and it's kind of a garden journal for me, I thought I'd go back and look at last year's photos. I am not sure if the weather this last winter is to blame, or the drought of last year, but I am not getting much from my daylilies this year. I'm rather disappointed in them, in fact. And I always thought of those as “no-fail” .  

Here is a mosaic of some of the great ones I enjoyed last year:

I guess at this point, it could be that it's still early. But I look at the foliage on those lilies which looks pretty spent and I'm afraid maybe it's just not going to happen. Oh, well, maybe next year.

I am pleased at how the coneflowers look though, they are getting ready to bloom very soon. Hope you are having a good weekend. ~JB was here.

What I Planted

Last weekend, I scored a few late season bargains for my collection. “Scored”-that sounds like it's coming from a junkie. “Collection” -that sounds like it's coming from a wine or art snob. Might as well be amused at myself.

What I Planted
June 2 2012
1. A wildflower that I got seed for off the side of the road. Some sort of Coreopsis, I think....not sure
2. Flamingo Rose Geranium , Fantasia Geraniums-new over the weekend
3. Black Eyed Susan, found the plant on sale over the weekend.
4.Vinca in my planter, they are really thriving. The Vinca has grown as a perennial for me and I transplanted in the container this year.
5. A full profile of the Flamingo Rose Geranium in my Bauer Planter
6. One of my planters I already had put together, they are really getting pretty
7. Salvia Variety Vista, Red and White-new over the weekend
8. Lantana, Variety, Dallas, bought over the Weekend
9. Variegated Leaf New Guinea Impatien, bought over the weekend.