GreenWise Gardening 2017
“There is a continuity about the garden and an order of succession in the garden year which is deeply pleasing, and in one sense there are no breaks or divisions–seed time flows on to flowering time and harvest time...”
– Susan Hill and Rory Stuart
5/23/17:
I am getting closer to identifiying the mystery plant I wrote about last week! Joanie Lapic (@HerbSpecialist) of Everlasting Gardener and Improving Your Herb Know-How has helped me to discover that it’s in the “ice plant” family. Narrowing it down further, I think it’s a species of Dorotheanthus or Aptenia. It’s great to have some information about these (such as a preference for bright sun and becoming a trailing plant when bigger) so I can care for it properly.
This is one of my favorite times of year around our yard. The privet hedge is in full bloom; bringing the buzzing of bees and a jasmine-like fragrance to the air. All but two of the younger rosebushes have bloomed during the past month. I cleaned ivy and clover out from around many of the bushes, and plan to move smaller flowering plants into the soil under the roses. The Royal Blue Ensign morning glories are finally open. Their intense color is so pretty, especially in contrast to all the orange and golden yellow nasturtiums. I’m still waiting on Heavenly Blue morning glories and the lilies, but hope to see them start flowering in a few weeks.
This is one of my favorite times of year around our yard. The privet hedge is in full bloom; bringing the buzzing of bees and a jasmine-like fragrance to the air. All but two of the younger rosebushes have bloomed during the past month. I cleaned ivy and clover out from around many of the bushes, and plan to move smaller flowering plants into the soil under the roses. The Royal Blue Ensign morning glories are finally open. Their intense color is so pretty, especially in contrast to all the orange and golden yellow nasturtiums. I’m still waiting on Heavenly Blue morning glories and the lilies, but hope to see them start flowering in a few weeks.
Clicking on the small images below will bring up a larger version.
Royal Blue Ensign morning glory.
Best rose of the week.
Snapdragons in sunset hues.
I’m going on vacation to Hawaii for over a week, starting the day after tomorrow. I might manage to make my weekly update to the blog while there, perhaps an island botanical photo essay?
I’ll water everything thoroughly the night before leaving. Hopefully my plants won’t dry up while I’m away. For the thirstier plants, and those in shallower containers, I’m going to try an inverted bottle self-watering system. Also, I’m placing a temporary layer of damp mulch on the soil of pots that are in full sun, such as the snapdragons and other little flowering plants around the front porch. This should delay evaporation.
I’ll water everything thoroughly the night before leaving. Hopefully my plants won’t dry up while I’m away. For the thirstier plants, and those in shallower containers, I’m going to try an inverted bottle self-watering system. Also, I’m placing a temporary layer of damp mulch on the soil of pots that are in full sun, such as the snapdragons and other little flowering plants around the front porch. This should delay evaporation.