Hostas

Unknown

6/11/10

budding up

Blue Angel

6/3/10

6/11/10
budding up

6/22/10

Seedlings:

I've experimented with growing hostas from seed. The majority of the batch looks like the big green leafed one below with very nice flowers when it blooms. They are 3 year old plants now and the green ones are going to be quite large. This one is the largest of the seedlings--most vigorous. There are little difference other then that in the others except a slight difference in the shapes of the leaves but I like how the edges are kind of wavy on this one.

5/16/10

5/29/10

6/11/10

budding up

6/22/10

6/24/10

However I had one odd ball from the same group of 3 year olds that is the complete opposite of the green ones. I call it Oddball as so far in the 3 years of growth, it's done something different every year. The first year it stayed tiny while the other ones grew gangbusters and had paler leaves until later in the summer where it became green. The second year it started out with pale leaves and a few stripes randomly on a few of the leaves but it stayed small. The stripes faded as the leaves darkened for the summer. Note the thinner shaped leaves as well. This year it's still small. It makes a nice mini sized clump in full summer. This spring the leaves are clearly yellow as well.

5/16/10

5/29/10

Morning Glory

'Grandpa Otts'

6/24/10

'Heavenly Blue'  I planted these in the same new bed as I planted the large sunflowers. Again, a bunny came along and nibbled most of them and I only have two but that is more then enough for this small trellis anyway. Wonderful husband's favorite flowers are morning glories. He always buys me seeds for them even though I still have plenty of seeds from previous years. I can only plant so many!

6/4/10

Our Storms.

I'm a weather fanatic. I find it both scary and fascinating living here. When I can. I will share some of our wild weather.

BREAKING NEWS!

6/23/10

We had quite the bumpy ride this evening. I was at work, but could see the sky go from clear blue to midnight green in a matter of minutes. Then the area sirens were going off, like crazy. The storm was on top of us. Torrential rain, tornadoes, etc. I had to shelter here, as did my co-worker. I warned Mike on the phone he needed to find shelter. He took shelter with the 3 dogs in a bike tunnel as the storm hit porter...

I couldn't get a hold of him when the storm had passed. I feared the worst. Finally after an excruciating amount of time, we got a hold of each other. The trailer is fine but there is no power at all. This is a very dangerous storm. Work is flooded at the ground level. Streets are flooded. Trees down everywhere from what I hear. Going home tonight might be perilous. You likely won't hear from me tomorrow if the power is out.

Take care, stay safe out there, and lots of love.

6/5/10

Our first tornado box of the year....
Or is it the second one? I can't remember. All I know is it's looking nasty. It's not in my county yet but it's in the county where I'm at work right now. They called a code "grey" which means it may be a long night.

6/18/10

This is really the second wave of storm that has come through, and we are past the worst of it in my area. We had 75 mph wind gusts and there are tree debris everywhere. A good friend and co-worker of mine had tree branches break her windows.

My Wishlist.

I've come to realize that there are far to many things in this world I would LOVE to have in my garden, but I have neither the cash, space or time to buy and tend them all. I envy those folks who seem to be able to focus on just one kind of collection, like Hostas, for instance. I'm starting to realize what my yard needs, and what does well here and what isn't worth me growing at all.Still, there are plenty of things I wish I had and PLAN on adding, sometime in the future, near or far. As I see things I'll add it here. Maybe I'll get lucky and find them cheap.

• small garden pond
• Black Eyed Susan Cherry Brandy

Plains Coreopsis

Calliopsis tinctoria

This is an annual that reseeds itself every year in my garden.

6/23/10

Sedum

Sedum spurium 'Voodoo'  I grew this orriginally from seed. It's normally a dark red but in shadier conditions it looks more green.
6/6/10

6/12/10

sending up flower stalks

6/22/10

Hardy Geranium

Seedling from Splish Splash

I noticed a seedling from splish spash (the only kind I have growing) threw off an diffrent offspring altogether. All the other seedlings have been just like the parent with variegated flowers. This one has mauve flowers, no white, and the flowers are smaller too.

6/21/10

Geranium pratense striatum Splish Splash   I started this from seed one winter. It was surprisingly easy but it is even easier to let it go to seed in the garden for more plants. I keep finding offspring popping up in all kinds of places. I love the flowers though so I do not mind and I move them around when they are in a place I don't want, like the vegetable garden.

5/18/10

5/29/10

 Blooming.

6/4/10

Some seeds are forming.

6/6/10

6/20/10

Evening Primrose

Oenothera berlandien Siskiyou Pink Evening primrose

From the plant tag "Profuse day blooming flowers over a long season. Ideal ground cover, especially in dry, poor soil. tolorates heat and humidity" I picked up two of these plants as cheap 4" pots and planted them into gallon sized pots untill I get the new bed ready for them.

6/10/10 Blooming

6/11/10

6/20/10

I planted them on the corner. I usually put some annuals there but thought these would be great instead.

Peppers

SWEET

Purple Beauty Bell Pepper

6/16/10

I picked up this 4 pack of pepper plants for free with a coupon today from the nursery. I could not pass up free.

6/20/10

Finially planted them.

Brother the Cat

Trying to get hit by car cat.

Pot o sedum cat.

Composting cat

Grass cat.

Lily

Lilium longiflorum- Easter Lily
6/20/10

Unknown Asiatic Lily A friend sent me this a few years ago. It's not one that gets super tall but it does spread like crazy and I have plenty of them spread around the yard. I will dig them for sale or barter if anyone wants them.

6/3/10

6/6/10

UNKNOWN ASIATIC LILY, Orange

These were freebies with an order of fruit trees a couple years ago.

6/12/10

6/4/10

I lost a tall Asiatic lily to the wind. It was loaded with buds and was my favorite one. I made sure to stake them all up today so I do not lose any more. A crying shame! :( Fortunately, the lily had a young one growing from the base too so not all is lost- just the impressive show it was going to put on this year.

Note to self: Due to the growing apple tree, the spot these ones are in is getting too shady. I will need to move them this year when they start to go dormant.

UNKNOWN ASIATIC LILY, Pink

6/16/10

UNKNOWN ASIATIC LILY, Light Orange

6/16/10

UNKNOWN ASIATIC LILY. yellow

6/18/10

Fairy Fan Flower

Scaevola aemula- Fairy Fan Flower: I bought this as a 99 cent hanging basket on special that I could not pass up. Its a perennial native to Australia but not hardy here so I will have to take cuttings to over winter in the house.

6/3/10

6/20/10

Iris

5/16

Unknown Red tall bearded iris. I don't know the name of this iris or even if it has a name. I found a tiny little root about 6 years ago growing in a fence line or another house we lived in. It could of started by seed as there were no iris near by. It took a few years before it bloomed but has been a reliable bloomer and spreader ever since. It has large nicely scented flowers.

5/13

"Total Recall" tall bearded rebloomer

"Lo Ho Silver" tall bearded rebloomer

'Honorabile' - An old fashioned miniature tall bearded from 1840. I will be dividing these ones after they bloom, shortly. I will have plenty of nice roots to share. They have small blooms but look great when they are massed together. This little iris is hardy and takes all kinds of rough and tough conditions and does just fine, all the while multiplying nicely. I will sell them $1 a root or barter. They start blooming in May for me.

Iris are hardy and like to have their roots in the sun. I've forgotten roots sometimes while dividing iris and tossed them aside somewhere over winter and in the spring, there they were, happy, growing, still not planted in the ground. They like clay dirt, they do fine if it's dry. Easy care plants.

5/24/10

6/20/10

deadheaded.

6/12/10

NOTES: All iris are done blooming for the year. Need to divide and concor the Honrabile, order new iris, and deadhead everyone. Recieved a siberian iris division from a neighbor that needs to be planted.