It's a jungle out there! (Updated with pictures)

[Rajah]

For the past week and a half, I was unable to get out and do anything with my garden (okay, so I was lazy most of the time). New kitten, sick other kitten, horrible weather...

Anyway, I expected to step out to a dead porch. I was partially right.

I waited too late on my bluebonnets. I was waiting for the seed pockets to dry... went out this morning and they'd opened up, so I don't have any bluebonnet seeds after all That one gets thrown away this weekend.

My geraniums were starting to do more blooms, even though they hadn't been deadheaded. So I deadheaded (partially) those. They're doing okay with little attention. But I suspect they got water during the heavy storms the past week or so.

My morning glories and moonflowers just aren't. It's as though I planted a whole handful of plastic leaves, because they haven't grown or anything since the first leaves appeared. I don't know what's wrong with those.

I'm thinking that of my two iris, birds or something (what birds??? I never see birds at the apartment) got one of the bulbs. There's a depression in the middle where the bulb *should* be doing something. But the other iris is shooting up a couple of more leaf spears. No flower stalk yet, though.

All my impatiens were looking very, very sick. Little more than green stalks...but there are buds, so I might be able to pull it out of its slump if I can survive the humidity. Of course, traditionally at our house once the humidity arrives, the impatiens don't do well, either.

The begonia was half good, half unhappy. A little water and it should pull back out fine.

My hanging basket is dead. Entirely and completely. I need to replace it with something else. When and what, I don't know, though.

But the last basket I put in had turned into a full jungle!! The hosta are still going fairly well, even without me doing anything for a week and a half. I need more of those.

But the Mandevilla (never can spell that right) has taken on a life of its own!

I have two. The Red Riding Hood (non-climbing) has 3 or 4 flowers on it and is staying about 8-12 inches high. Beautiful.

But the Alice du Pont... yikes!! Last I looked, it had *one* tendril that was wandering aimlessly trying to find a place to climb.

This morning, there are *5* tendrils. One shooting out from the bottom of the plant and running almost along the ground. It just *might* find its way over to the trellis I have set up three pots away for the non-growing moonflowers and morning glories! I don't want to cut it, though, because there are two beautiful hand-sized blooms on it and one more bud.

Then another tendril had found its way to the porch railings and started climbing that.

Then there are at least 3 other tendrils searching for a hold along the wall! And one of those had several of the huge flowers and some buds, and I think another one had a bud.

My Alice du Pont is going to take over the porch! And all of this without any attention from me for the past week and a half! Yikes!

 

[Snowwark]

Let me see Rajah.... the geraniums are happy, the begonias so-so (maybe they're just moody..lol), the hostas are content, and the mandevilla is ecstatic!

I think that's pretty good really. You're finding out what works and what doesn't, and what requires little maintenance.

Just how long is your Alice du Pont mandevilla now?

Kim

 

[amid chaos]

I have been very busy also and have neglected my gardens also...hey, sick kitty? who's sick?



ok, back to the post...The sun can do a real job on plants whether you water them or not so please don't blame yourself completly. I would love to see that vine though

I wasn't going to do annuals as we have a water restriction and annuals are such water hogs but DD age 7 wanted some "pretty flowers"...hey, mine aren't pretty enough?
So, she picked out a bunch of stuff and put it in my new bed, since i won't be doing much till I move perennials in the fall there.

Along with her pretty flowers she brough slugs...ugh!. I had gotten rid of all mine using Escar-go last year and hadn't seen one before these annuals arrived. So, i orrdered more stuff and will apply it liberally.

My Perennial garden in the back is out of control....did you know there are stepping stones in there? yup, but you sure can't see them.

I got alot of compliments on my foxglove and one stalk is closing ibn on 10 feet...going to save that suckers seeds.

 

[Rajah]

Here are some pics (I came home early today so got some pics while it was still light out)

Here's a full view of the pot that's doing the best.

This shows the (dead) hanging basket with one set of mandavilla buds, and blooms in the background.

Closeup of one of the blooms and buds from the lowest vine of the Alice du Pont

Closeup of one of the blooms and two buds from the Red Riding Hood mandavalla

The vine that has found the porch railing...

The vine that, if it keeps going, will find the moonflowers' trellis...

A closeup of the big patch of blooms on the main Alice du Pont vine

The red geranium, which I swear opened two new sets of blooms just today after I deadheaded it this morning! Only one set of blooms was there this morning, I'm sure of it!

(and to answer your question, Amid -- Blaze had a bladder infection about a week ago. He responded right away to the medicine and is acting perfectly healthy now )

 

[olena]

It wasn't a total disaster. The blooms are lovely.

 

[amid chaos]

Wow...beautiful...the colors are fabulous!

 

[Snowwark]

Beautiful blooms Bud!

 

[gina2000]

What a beautiful color on those flowers! Not a total loss, I assure you!

Flowers are such gifts! When they bloom it's like heaven is smiling at you!