Old habits are hard to break

[marlasmom]

I'm back to buying something I like and then deciding on a place. Today I planted a red passion vine, a beautiful sky-blue so-called sky vine, a vine I don't know the name of, but it has a beautiful pink flower, another camellia (that makes 3 so far and I want more) and a butterfly bush. I'm going out to fertilize now. The man at the garden center told me to scratch the bark of the plants that have lost their leaves in the frost and if I see green the plant is alive. All except one seem to be alive.

I have two big bags full of exotic bulbs (from Walmart and Lowes0 that I'm going to plant soon. My sister sent me a bag full of datura seeds. I planted half of them and only two germinated. They do reseed themselves though. The cutting I took from her yard is growing. So I'll have datura seeds next fall (I hope) for all of you. btw they are $3.95 for ONE SEED at Park Seed.

The crepe myrtle is completely barren but it is green so maybe it will come back. Garden center man says they go dormant. I wish someone wanted the banana tree and the two bottlebrush trees and would come over and dig them out. I'll have to hire it done, but I don't know how they would get big equipment through the fence. The one and only gate is only about 4 feet wide.

SOON I will have flowers. Soon, soon.

 

[gina2000]

I am SOOOOOOOO jealous, marlasmom! Our landscape is dead, dead, dead except for evergreens. And no hope in sight anytime soon!

Soon I will have....uh....well.....if I'm lucky.....a peep of green somewhere, somehow......sigh.....

 

[marlasmom]

Gina - you can have peonies and lilacs and iris and coral bells and hostas and so much more I can't have. I can't have daffodils or tulips or hyanciths. I will miss my peonies more than anything. Sorry to keep *****ing.

 

[Tulirose]

So, I guess everything is a trade off. I was feeling a bit like Gina when I was reading your first post here. Can't even fathom being outside in the yard, let alone doing gardening chores (some of which are more pleasurable than others). And then I read your second post here and realized what you miss by being in the warm climate.

So, I guess I will try and be content with this hibernation season and do my best to stay warm and toasty and focus on in-house projects and just wait for the spring. Meanwhile, post photos if you can to help keep us warm and allow us to admire your hard work.

Have fun and enjoy!

 

[gina2000]

Oh, Marlasmom......I didn't realize what was bothering you! I'm sorry! Once you get that garden into tip top shape, though, I'll bet it'll be a showcase full of wildly exotic blooms, hot colors and glorious textures!

Have a hug, garden bud. Sometimes I'm just thick.

 

[marlasmom]

Yes - I will desperately miss the peonies (I had over 30 of them), the iris and the lilacs, but I wasn't so much complaining about that. It's just that even with everything I have planted everything looks so barren and brown, the plants look skimpy and the lawn looks terrible. I have never cared much about the lawn one way or the other, but it is so small that it should look good, but it is big enough to be a problem mowing. I need everyone to come down here and sit by the pool and sip watrmelon margaritas and make suggestions. That is a very serious offer. I can easily sleep 3 people with their own private bath. Things should look better in another month or two I hope.

I had an expensive tree peony I gave to my son and I am so glad I did with the new people pulling everything out. I had finally learned how to buy peonies - must have strong stems and be fragrant. Lots of peonies are not fragrant. I would have divided the peonies with the neighbors, my son and all of you. After division there would have been at least 90 of them. I had over 100 daylilies and lots of iris. I know you would have enjoyed them and the thought of them in a garbage dump just makes me so unhappy.

Best place to buy peonies and daylilies is Gilbert H. Wild. They have a website - just type in GilbertHWild or spread out the name (I'm not sure) but the best buys are the flyers they will mail to you where daylilies are about $2 to $3 each and peonies are $6 to $10. The daylilies always have at least two and usually three fans and the peony roots are huge. They have iris too and that's all they have.

Lots of the stuff down here is not fragrant. I found a beautiful vine the other day, but it is called "garlic vine" for a very good reason. It stinks.

Thanks for caring as always. Come and see me and I will cheer right up.