tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33065102011-07-23T17:12:20.444-07:00Garden Spoterica's gardening journalEricanoreply@blogger.comBlogger3961100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1061221597045563252003-08-18T08:46:00.000-07:002003-08-18T09:04:57.936-07:00New Home.i've decided to make typepad the permanent (at least for the foreseeable future) home for garden spot -- please adjust your bookmarks accordingly -- gardenspot.typepad.com.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1057627150522733172003-07-07T18:19:00.000-07:002003-07-07T18:29:15.036-07:00Beta Blog.i'm beta-testing typepad over here.
good timing, i'll say. weather is currently hot, humid and intermittently rainy, so i'm perfectly happy to stay inside learning new blog tricks. most of my posting will probably be at the typepad site for a while, so look for me there.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004310932003-07-01T12:59:00.000-07:002003-07-01T13:03:05.820-07:00June Flowers...anethum graveolens (dill)
aquilegia canadensis (red columbine)
crinum
cuphea hyssopifolia (mexican heather)
hamelia patens (mexican firebush)*
hibiscus
justicia spicigera (mexican honeysuckle)*
lantana camara - "new gold," "radiation," "raspberry," "silver mound"
lavandula heterophylla (sweet lavender)
liriope muscari
lonicera japonica (hall's honeysuckle)
meyer lemon
origanum vulgare (greek Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056909629621444882003-06-29T11:00:00.000-07:002003-06-29T11:30:39.363-07:00Salvia Habit.i seem to have a growing salvia habit (ha, ha, unintentional pun).
it's not entirely my fault. darin started when he bought a pineapple sage (salvia elegans) last year. it's a beautiful plant and it bloomed exuberantly from december into may, but he's gone overboard taking cuttings from it. there are now seven or more "babies" of this plant scattered around the backyard.
i started with a blue Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056904409831671582003-06-29T09:33:00.000-07:002003-06-29T09:36:27.356-07:00Caught in the Act.i can now identify the tomato patch terrorist -- a mockingbird. i saw it flying away with a nice, red cherry tomato in its beak.
given that mockingbirds tend to be territorial, i daresay this is the same bird that has also been plundering the fig tree. at least it's eating well.
this bird also provides us with occasional entertainment (between the frustration it causes by eating figs and Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056859987848034552003-06-28T21:13:00.000-07:002003-06-28T21:24:31.250-07:00New Plants.dichondra argentea (silver dichondra, silver pony-foot) -- two 4-inch pots
hymenoxys scaposa (four nerve daisy) -- two 4-inch pots
rivina humilis (pigeonberry) -- two 4-inch pots
salvia sinaloensis -- one 6-inch potthe daisies and salvia have already been planted in the driveway bed; the pigeonberries are in the front bed. i haven't yet decided where the silver dichondra will go.
i know i've Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056420916724518582003-06-23T19:15:00.000-07:002003-06-23T19:20:52.293-07:00Yay, Owls!Rice wins College World Series.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056391936520702092003-06-23T11:12:00.000-07:002003-06-23T11:39:08.860-07:00Monday Miscellany.the carolina jessamine that i had so badly neglected has apparently forgiven me and is rebounding admirably.
it now has more than 20 leaves (from eight). even though it still looks quite pathetic it is not nearly so pitiful as it was a week ago.
two of the recently acquired crocosmia have sprouted, including one of those that i relocated to the driveway bed. others may be a bit slower to Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056244486773401442003-06-21T18:14:00.000-07:002003-06-21T18:39:42.100-07:00Farewell to Figs.i'm afraid we won't get to eat any figs at all this year.
there are plenty on the tree, but they aren't yet ripe enough for human consumption and the neighborhood birds and squirrels have already started feasting. just this morning i spotted four different birds -- robin, bluejay, mockingbird and woodpecker -- helping themselves to a nice fig breakfast. and this afternoon i scolded a squirrel Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-1056164849241663502003-06-20T20:07:00.000-07:002003-06-20T20:25:47.506-07:00Toad Returns.i was pleasantly surprised this afternoon when i looked into the toad hole while puttering in the back yard and saw a large toad peering back at me. i can't be sure, but it certainly looks like last year's occupant.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004424202003-06-20T10:33:00.000-07:002003-06-20T20:09:12.000-07:00Terror in the Tomato Patch.due to the graphic violence depicted in the attached image, this post may not be suitable for sensitive gardeners.
i was in the midst of my morning garden / yard stroll when i came upon this horrifying scene. these partially eaten tomatoes had been brutally torn from their branches and flung outside the bed. note the shreds of tomato peel and the seeds scattered about the scene.
definitely not Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004405162003-06-19T18:54:00.000-07:002003-06-19T19:05:57.000-07:00Tasting the Tomatoes.something -- birds, i believe -- has recently started eating the tomatoes. the culprit has a preference for the 'sweet million' tomatoes, which is fine by me. i prefer the 'matt's wild cherry.'
i say it's a bird because the squirrels aren't keen to be on the ground in the back yard, especially at a distance from trees or fence -- never know when the dogs might come outside.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004404962003-06-19T18:44:00.000-07:002003-06-19T18:46:27.000-07:00Evening Rain.it rained pretty hard for half an hour or so. i haven't ventured outside to see how much fell, but i'm guessing it was about half an inch. good timing, too. i was tempted to drag the hose around this afternoon but was too lazy.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004360702003-06-18T10:27:00.000-07:002003-06-18T10:33:13.000-07:00Plumbago Puppy*.one of our dogs (major) has the habit of lying in the margin between the side fence and driveway, opposite the back door, when she's ready to come back inside.
not much grows in this narrow strip of overly shady clay but a few clumps of liriope and one plumbago that has been trellised up the fence. now that the plumbago is blooming, major comes inside with plumbago flowers and seed pods stuck Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004304342003-06-16T16:34:00.000-07:002003-06-16T17:08:29.000-07:00Monday Miscellany.scattered showers continue; one rain lily bloomed today (zephyranthes grandiflora), another will open tomorrow.
i think the aquilegia canadensis is getting ready to bloom; tiny flower buds appear to be forming.
i dug up two of the recently planted crocosmia from the island bed and relocated them in the driveway bed next to the ratty looking annual (red) and blue salvias. one of the crocosmia Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004275522003-06-15T18:42:00.000-07:002003-06-15T18:44:31.000-07:00Summer Seeds.i'm probably insane for doing this as summer begins, but i was looking through my leftover seed packets and decided i might as well a) throw out the empty packets and b) plant the remainer of the flower seeds.
so i have just finished direct seeding the following in the island bed (which seems to have become my repository for all "experiments": 'alaska' shasta daisy, bee balm and 'profusion Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004255262003-06-14T12:35:00.000-07:002003-06-14T19:31:42.000-07:00Crocosmia and Zephyranthes.how's that for two hard-to-pronounce names?
in my first ever plant trade, i sent a handful of gladiolus communis spp. byzantinus corms to another gardener in exchange for some crocosmia. as an added bonus (and because i told her my second choice was zephyranthes if the crocosmia weren't available), she sent two kinds of zephyranthes. i think some of them are the same as what i already have -- Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004255182003-06-14T12:27:00.000-07:002003-06-14T12:59:53.000-07:00Weekend Weather.it rained last night (~.75") and more is possible today and tomorrow. current conditions: overcast and humid.
update: raindrops are falling...Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004255112003-06-14T12:21:00.000-07:002003-06-14T12:26:06.000-07:008 Leaves. that's how many are left on my woefully neglected carolina jessamine (gelsemium sempervirens).
i take full responsibility for the sorry state of this plant. first, i planted it in too much shade and too much clay. then i hardly watered it. and for two (unseasonably) hot, dry months i basically forgot all about the poor plant. from time to time i would notice it tucked back in its dark corner Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004193972003-06-12T15:08:00.000-07:002003-06-12T15:12:56.000-07:00Surplus of Serranos.note to self (and other interested parties): five serrano plants are three too many for a two person household. especially if one member of the household doesn't like overly spicy food.
the large serrano plant has several dozen peppers, the other four are quickly catching up.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004186092003-06-12T12:08:00.000-07:002003-06-12T12:09:56.000-07:00Garden Spot RSS.i have (finally) added an rss feed - http://gardenspot.blogspot.com/gardenspot_rss.xml. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004184642003-06-12T11:44:00.000-07:002003-06-12T11:51:04.000-07:00Isolated Showers.we are officially in the season of "isolated showers." forecast is the same nearly every day: "20-30% chance of isolated showers." we had a shower last night. not enough to wake me up but enough to soak all the plants nicely. looking bright and green this morning.
* n.b.: i am referring to rain showers, of course, not bath showers. this is a garden blog not a Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2004001902003-06-08T14:14:00.000-07:002003-06-08T17:30:57.000-07:00Template Tweaking. mostly done; still some minor things to fix. leave a comment, tell me how it looks / what's broken in your browser.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003979772003-06-07T12:14:00.000-07:002003-06-07T12:52:35.000-07:00Caterpillar Hunting. i don't mind the monarch caterpillars munching the butterfly weed -- that's what it's there for.
and the black swallowtail caterpillars are welcome to eat the dill. at least four are presently doing so.
however, the tomatoes (and peppers) are strictly offlimits. tomato hornworms are especially unwelcome. i found and disposed of one yesterday.
this whole caterpillar post Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003945762003-06-06T09:58:00.000-07:002003-06-06T10:00:45.000-07:00More Rain. ~ 1/2 inch fell yesterday. (note: i'm not complaining; we desperately needed the rain.)Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003853752003-06-04T12:12:00.000-07:002003-06-04T12:27:49.000-07:00Rain. thunder and lightning woke me in the wee hours of the morning. i looked at the clock but it didn't yet read "time to get up" so i don't remember what time it was. i'm not much of a morning person and even less of a pre-dawn person. judging from the water-logged condition of our newspaper the rain must have started after the paper was delivered [1], i.e. after 6 a.m.
i do remember lying in Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003701332003-06-01T08:53:00.000-07:002003-06-01T09:15:18.000-07:00May Flowers ...
allium schoenoprasum (chives)
anethum graveolens (dill)
cuphea hyssopifolia (mexican heather)
gardenia
lantana camara - "new gold," "radiation," "rasberry," "silver mound"
lavandula heterophylla (sweet lavender)
lonicera japonica (hall's honeysuckle)
meyer lemon
origanum vulgare (greek oregano)
penstemon tenuis (brazos penstemon)
pentas lanceolata
peppers - banana, bell, serrano
Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003685842003-05-31T15:42:00.000-07:002003-05-31T15:54:54.000-07:00Pepper Pictures. not yet ready to eat, but here are pictures of a serrano (l) and a banana (r) pepper. sorry, but the camera batteries pooped out before i took a picture of a baby bell pepper.
my fingers provide size perspective for the serrano; the banana pepper is about four inches long. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003679222003-05-31T10:28:00.000-07:002003-05-31T10:28:07.693-07:00Island Ideas. suggestions for the backyard island bed -- the best plants for our area.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003678982003-05-31T10:16:00.000-07:002003-05-31T10:21:36.000-07:00Water Woes. chronicle garden editor kathy huber wrote yesterday about the serious lack of rain in the houston area this may. we were among the lucky few to get some rainfall on memorial day (half an inch or so), but that's the only rain we've had all month. our most recent water bill was almost three times the previous bill (but certainly not approaching three figures). darin used the sprinklers Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2003579342003-05-29T09:55:00.000-07:002003-05-29T10:04:37.000-07:00Hot and Dry. it has been unseasonably hot and dry for most of the month of may so i haven't been doing much outside. we did have a bit of rain here monday night -- enough that seven rain lily buds have appeared and should bloom in another day or two.
my two cherry tomato plants are thriving. both plants are a couple of feet in diameter and the 'sweet million' is taller than me. in the last ten Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2002929242003-05-15T17:43:00.000-07:002003-05-15T18:17:19.000-07:00Our Owl. one of the best things about our neighborhood is that there are many large, old trees. and lots of trees means lots of birds (and squirrels, but that's another topic).
we know there are owls in the neighborhood because we hear them all the time. but we had never actually seen any until a couple of weeks ago when we were eating dinner outside and an owl entertained us by flying through Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2002857192003-05-13T12:01:00.000-07:002003-05-13T12:02:52.000-07:00Heat Hiatus. it's already disgustingly hot and humid and it's only the beginning of may. i haven't been doing much outside lately, although yesterday morning it was nice enough out that i finally finished planting my pepper plants. i can deal with these conditions, just not so early in the summer. instead, i've been working on various indoor projects.
the gardenia flowers have come and gone. theEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001475212003-05-01T08:32:00.000-07:002003-05-01T08:53:13.000-07:00April Flowers ...
allium schoenoprasum (chives)
asclepias tuberosa (butterfly weed)
white clover*
coriandrum sativum (cilantro)
cuphea hyssopifolia (mexican heather)
gelsemium sempervirens (carolina jessamine)
gladiolus byzantinus
ipheion uniflorum "wisley blue"
lantana "radiation"
lavandula heterophylla (sweet lavender)
leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)lilies"crimson pixie"
"lemon pixie""
"Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2002199392003-04-29T22:27:00.000-07:002003-04-29T22:27:22.600-07:00More Lilies. the longiflorum asiatic 'royal fantasy' lilies by the front door started blooming late last week. they're a wonderful contrast to the pixies by the front step. but i confess i'm a little disappointed that they are more buff than yellow. apparently i was sucked in by the catalog photo and didn't notice that the description does in fact read 'soft yellow to cream' [emphasis mine]. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2002135092003-04-28T18:29:00.000-07:002003-04-28T18:31:54.000-07:00Edibles. we've enjoyed sugar snap peas with a few meals (and straight off the vine several times), but sadly they look like they're just about done blooming, too hot already.
figs are about the size of the my fingertip. not yet tempting the squirrels and birds.
the two tomato plants have lots of green tomatos and blossoms, but nothing ready to eat.
the peppers are just starting to bloom. i Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2002039012003-04-26T12:39:00.000-07:002003-04-26T12:43:18.000-07:00Wireless Garden. been busy with various non-gardening activities this week, not least of which was getting our two home computers (an ancient mac powerbook and a not-quite-as-ancient dell inspiron) to recognize the 'wireless world.'
after a couple of days, three (or was it four) trips to the computer store, one fedex delivery and too many four-letter words, we are a wireless household. so now iEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001734712003-04-20T13:24:00.000-07:002003-04-20T13:30:06.000-07:00 Easter Lilies. they aren't "real" easter lilies, but my pixie lilies are blooming for easter anyway.
the first yellow opened yesterday, and the crimson started opening today. i'm very pleased with how they look. darin likes them, too.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001669332003-04-18T10:03:00.000-07:002003-04-18T10:34:04.000-07:00Good Friday Flowers. a selection of what's blooming today...
salvia greggii "coral"trachelospermum jasminoides (star jasmine / confederate jasmine)
plumbago auriculatalonicera sempervirens (coral honeysuckle)
Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001540562003-04-15T21:32:00.000-07:002003-04-15T21:39:58.000-07:00Star Jasmine and Honeysuckle. the star jasmine (trachelospermum jasminoides) is just starting to bloom between the back door and garage. only a few flowers are open yet, but the entire thing is covered with buds. you can already smell a hint of the fragrance -- it will be almost overpowering in a few more days.
this is just about exactly the same date it bloomed last year.
the coral honeysuckleEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001540172003-04-15T21:19:00.000-07:002003-04-15T21:19:49.273-07:00'Nother Gardening Blog. just spotted via my referral logs -- mimosa gardening.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001474782003-04-14T17:20:00.000-07:002003-04-14T17:26:51.000-07:00Hinckley columbine an easy-care native. in her gardening q&a this past saturday, kathy huber shares a few tips on growing hinckley columbine (aquilegia hinckleyana) here in houston.
i finally got around to planting my two columbines -- hinckley and aquilegia canadensis) -- in the front bed a couple of weeks ago. both are putting out new growth, so they must be happy.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001426872003-04-13T20:16:00.000-07:002003-04-13T20:21:37.000-07:00Pyracantha. the "thorny tree-thing" by the garage is not a yaupon. it's a pyracantha coccinea (firethorn, appropriately enough).
it's a nice enough looking tree -- great clusters of white flowers right now; later it will have bright red berries. but it has the wickedest thorns of just about any plant i've ever encountered. and it grows so much we have to prune it three or four times a year to Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001407922003-04-13T09:59:00.000-07:002003-04-13T19:44:43.000-07:00Blueberries, Blackberries and General Busy-ness. darin has gotten on a "let's grow our own fruit" kick and decided we need berries in the backyard. specifically, blackberries. i like eating blackberries, but i have traumatic childhood memories of picking wild blackberries and being simultaneously shredded by the briars and eaten by mosquitoes. and ticks. so i did my darndest to talk him out of Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001188302003-04-08T21:53:00.000-07:002003-04-08T21:58:02.000-07:00Ladybug Larva. this afternoon i noticed one of the cats sitting on the couch staring intently at the library book i had left there (requiem for a lawnmower). taking a closer look, i see an odd bug scurrying across the cover. looking even more closely (i really do need to wear glasses), i decide it looked like the larva of a ladybug.
so i gently brush it onto my finger and head outside where i Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001187782003-04-08T21:37:00.000-07:002003-04-08T21:37:19.220-07:00Wind Woes. it's been very windy here for the last few days and my poor sugar snap peas are suffering. i've tied them to the supports, but the silly things keep growing and i can't go any higher. they've started blooming (finally) and are producing pods but now i'm afraid that the repeated wind abuse will permanently damage / break off the upper growth.
i have great plans for next year -- we're Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001051172003-04-07T15:15:00.000-07:002003-04-07T17:24:21.000-07:00Tulipa batalinii "Bright Gem". they started blooming last week along the front walk; five or six are open today despite overcast, drizzling skies. two from the group belatedly planted in the driveway beds are also blooming, with others looking promising. but no sign of the group planted by the walkway on that day. i think they were consumed by squirrels and / or rampaging liriope.
this may be myEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001109872003-04-07T13:50:00.000-07:002003-04-07T13:55:30.000-07:00Yellow Iris. the unidentified iris...Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001049992003-04-06T10:56:00.001-07:002003-04-06T11:04:08.000-07:00Garden Therapy. what does gardening mean to you? -- a great thread on the gardening in texas gardenweb forum.
healing garden yields renewing quiet -- from today's lazy gardening column in the houston chronicle.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2001049982003-04-06T10:56:00.000-07:002003-04-06T10:56:15.193-07:00Garden Therapy. what does gardening mean to you? -- a great thread on the texas gardening gardenweb forum.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000796072003-04-01T09:03:00.000-08:002003-04-01T10:21:48.000-08:00Catching Up. i was very productive last week before we headed out of town; i just didn't get around to noting all the progress. planted two peppers -- the poblano and the largest serrano -- in the new bed
transplanted the remaining peppers from their oh-so-small cell-packs to 4-inch pots
transplanted various seedlings from newspaper pots into 'real' pots~ 24 basil seedlings
8 butterfly weed (Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000794822003-04-01T08:38:00.000-08:002003-04-01T08:43:07.000-08:00Scary-Ass Bug. so it's technically acanthocephala declivis, but it sure scares the heck out of me.
one of these has taken up residence in the honeysuckle on the trellis by the back door. it is very disconcerting to come eye-to-eye with this creature. i would relocate the bug, but as i said, it's darned scary looking. even the cats won't mess with it.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000068412003-03-31T12:27:00.000-08:002003-03-31T12:27:12.000-08:00March Flowers ...
allium schoenoprasum (chives)
white clover*
coriandrum sativum (cilantro)
crocus tomasinianus
cuphea hyssopifolia (mexican heather)
ipheion uniflorum "wisley blue"
unidentified (yellow) iris
leucojum aestivum (summer snowflake)
meyer lemon
narcissus tazetta "erlicheer"
n. triandrus "petrel"
oxalis*
prunus caroliniana (cherry laurel)
salvia elegans (pineapple sage)
tomato - "Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000744442003-03-31T11:33:00.000-08:002003-03-31T11:33:12.340-08:00Home Again. we're back from a few days in the d.c. / alexandria area. the cherry trees were just getting started but were very nice in a few places; japanese magnolias were spectacular.
the snow mixed with rain that we awoke to yesterday morning reminded me again why i live in houston. although houston also experienced a bit of a cold snap while we were gone, it doesn't appear to have damaged Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000406812003-03-24T20:25:00.000-08:002003-03-24T21:02:16.000-08:00 Yellow! imagine my surprise this morning when i was taking my morning stroll through the yard, admiring how upright and bold the foliage of the unidentified iris has become, and saw a flower bud!
it's just peeking out but you can see a beautiful, clear yellow tip. the bud is huge compared to the bearded iris i remember my mother growing -- it's about two inches top-to-bottom. i'm incredibly Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000327792003-03-23T09:33:00.000-08:002003-03-23T09:54:56.000-08:00Weekend Update. perfect spring weather -- lots to do outside today.
but first, recent garden developments: the narcissus triandrus 'petrel' started blooming this past week. one stem of two flowers currently open; many more up and expected to open over the next few days. the petrel foliage is only about half the height of the erlicheer foliage (~12 inches vs. ~24 inches).
the pixie lilies are Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000240782003-03-21T09:59:00.000-08:002003-03-21T11:34:11.000-08:00March Mart Buys. i went to march mart at mercer arboretum this morning -- wow. i've never seen so many different plants for sale.
i only allowed myself to buy as much as i could carry, which turned out to be 13 plants squeezed into a nursery flat.coreopsis grandiflora (big flower coreopsis) -- something to try in the border between our driveway and the neighbor's
gladiolus byzantinus (byzantine Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000179642003-03-20T11:16:00.000-08:002003-03-20T11:16:47.790-08:00March Mart 2003. guess where i'm going tomorrow?Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000177242003-03-20T10:40:00.000-08:002003-03-20T11:01:29.000-08:00Miscellaneous New Plants.peppers*(7) serrano
(6) sweet bananapurple ruffles basil*
hippeastrum x johnsonii (st. joseph's lily)
unidentified louisiana iris
unidentified rain lilies (white?)* purchasedEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-2000024502003-03-17T20:37:00.000-08:002003-03-17T20:49:49.000-08:00 Tulipa clusiana var. chrysantha. one t. clusiana opened today; two or three more should open tomorrow.
t. clusiana looks very similar to t. kolpakowskiana but with t. clusiana the pink / rose streak is wider, the foliage is finer and the flower stem is a couple of inches taller. and it's blooming about a week later.
both pictures accompanying this post are t. clusiana.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-908294052003-03-16T19:48:00.000-08:002003-03-16T20:28:16.000-08:00 Playing with Rocks. yesterday darin and i bought 300-odd pounds of rocks -- "san jacinto ledgestone" (i have no idea what the scientific name is).
we spent over an hour wandering through a local stone yard -- san jacinto stone, for the curious -- looking at rocks. rocks for edging, paving stone, gravel of all sizes, and big boulders for "focal points." we were looking specifically for rocks to Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-908293252003-03-16T19:27:00.000-08:002003-03-16T19:39:29.000-08:00Crocus tomasinianus. the crocus finished blooming earlier this week.
all in all, i'm extremely pleased with their performance. there were so many flowers that i think every one of the bulbs i planted sprouted and bloomed. i know for a fact that several had multiple blooms.
now i just have to be patient and wait eleven months to see whether they return and whether they multiply.
one final noteEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-907430482003-03-14T19:17:00.000-08:002003-03-14T19:36:41.000-08:00Tulip Notes. the tulipa kolpakowskiana has finished blooming -- a few days ago, actually. the flowers were beautiful and each lasted several days. i think all of the bulbs that came up bloomed but only one flower per bulb.
the first t. saxatilis flowers are done, but now second stems are blooming. these have been very long lasting blooms; the downside is that of the 20 bulbs, only two bloomed. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-905602922003-03-11T21:55:00.000-08:002003-03-11T22:09:38.000-08:00 Fig Foliage. just a week ago the fig had nothing but brownish buds; now it's covered with tiny leaves.
looking back, this is very nearly the same time when the fig leafed out last year. a couple of days from now and the leaves should be large enough to be really noticeable.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-904736012003-03-10T13:02:00.000-08:002003-03-10T13:25:21.000-08:00Tulipa turkestanica. at least, i think this is t. turkestanica. i planted t. turkestanica and t. biflora around the base of the sycamore in the front yard. one of them is up and blooming now. it would be nice if the other would make an appearance so i could compare them.when these first started opening late last week, i was concerned that the flowers had all been damaged by too much rain / not Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-904239172003-03-07T20:26:00.000-08:002003-03-07T20:50:43.000-08:00 Sunbathing. not me, one of our friendly backyard anoles.
i also took advantage of the lovely weather to trim the liriope along the front walk. apparently, i should have done this a few weeks ago before the liriope started growing again. and before the tulips came up. now i have to do the trimming by hand to avoid cutting the new growth -- not that i care about the liriope, but i don't want toEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-904212592003-03-07T09:03:00.000-08:002003-03-07T09:04:34.000-08:00Sun! it seems like it's been overcast / rainy / dreary / blah for months, but now the sun is shining. yay! bloom flowers, bloom.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-904124762003-03-05T15:53:00.000-08:002003-03-05T15:55:31.000-08:00Tulip saxatilis. very briefly, between rain showers, two tulipa saxatilis opened in the backyard. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903970732003-03-02T15:22:00.000-08:002003-03-02T15:22:55.603-08:00Narcissus Notes. the narcissus tazetta 'erlicheer' blooms have lasted a long time, but are now fading fast. all five of the bulbs i planted came up; two of them had two stems of flowers. now, the real test will be to see how many return next year.
the narcissus triandrus 'petrel' that i planted in december are growing well but don't have flower stalks yet. i've been able to locate 12 of the 13 Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903968142003-03-02T14:32:00.000-08:002003-03-02T14:35:50.000-08:00February Flowers ...
white clover*
crocus tomasinianus
mexican heather*
meyer lemon
narcissus tazetta "erlicheer"
oxalis**
pentas*
salvia elegans (pineapple sage)
tulipa kolpakowskiana
verbena
lawn violets***mostly finished off by cold weather, but continuing to produce a few flowers
**growing randomly in the lawn, but i've decided to include them because the flowers cheer me upEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903805282003-02-26T15:03:00.000-08:002003-02-26T16:05:02.000-08:00Vines and Vegetables. after having lunch with friends today, i realized that a side trip to buchanan's would be only a few blocks out of my way. i really only meant to quickly check whether they had some native vines i was interested in.
thirty minutes later i left with an armload of new plants including two of the three vines i was looking for*:(1) carolina jessamine (gelsemium sempervirens)
(1Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903737372003-02-25T10:06:00.000-08:002003-02-25T10:07:59.000-08:00Shredded Lettuce. we woke up to violent thunder and lightning at about 5 this morning. i had almost drifted back to sleep when the rain started -- this was no gentle spring shower. it was a downpour. with hail. not large hail, only about the size of cat food kibbles, but it was big enough to shred the lettuce in the garden. bleah.
i suppose i'm thankful that was the worst of my damage. other Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903671882003-02-24T14:07:00.000-08:002003-02-24T14:16:11.000-08:00Spring Cleaning. valentine's day the is 'traditional' date for pruning roses in houston, but i didn't prune my rose then 'cuz the weather was overcast and drippy. however, the across-the-street neighbor did indeed prune his many roses that weekend.
yesterday i finally took care of my one lonely rose. it has many bud eyes ready to sprout, along with a bit of new growth, so i'm hopeful that it Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903687542003-02-24T12:46:00.000-08:002003-02-24T13:08:33.000-08:00Pineapple Sage. the pineapple sage (salvia elegans) by the back door has gotten huge -- and bloomed continuously for months now. it was crowding out the butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa), so i felt that the pruning of the sage was in order.
i didn't want to just throw away the trimmings -- ok, i would compost, not throw away -- but two people can only use so much garnish each day. so i went Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903593692003-02-22T09:01:00.000-08:002003-02-22T09:32:12.000-08:00Spring has Sprung. one of the many reasons i love living in houston is that spring comes early. indeed, what passes for winter here would be considered spring in many places.
the japanese magnolias / tulip trees (magnolia x soulangeana) have been blooming for at least the past two weeks here in our neighborhood. we don't have one ourselves, but there are several on our block and if it weren't Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903592382003-02-22T08:13:00.000-08:002003-02-22T08:19:37.000-08:00"Help" from the Dogs. one day last week our beloved dogs decided they wanted to "help" me -- they picked up one of the still unplanted pots of queen's rain lilies (zephyranthes reginae) and dumped the contents in the middle of the yard.
not liking the spot the dogs selected -- too likely to be trampled by cavorting dogs -- i divided up the bulbs for planting elsewhere. there were, in fact, 19 Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903572322003-02-21T15:00:00.000-08:002003-02-21T17:00:00.000-08:00Bulb Backlog. last week i finally finished planting my bulbs. definitely late, but the majority of them were still in very good condition so i hope some will grow. here's what i've done:"petrel" narcissus (i planted the first 25 in december)(6) between the iris clumps off the corner of the deck (two groups of three)
(5) under the sunroom window between iris and pineapple sage, towards back of theEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903568212003-02-21T13:33:00.000-08:002003-02-21T13:55:01.000-08:00Tulipa kolpakowskiana. i was pleasantly surprised today to see two species tulips blooming along the front walkway - tulipa kolpakowskiana. fortunately, the rain stopped long enough for them to open fully and me to take pictures. now that the rain has started again, the flowers have closed.
there are also -- or were, until the rain resumed -- seven crocus blooming in the yard.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903327942003-02-16T21:22:00.000-08:002003-02-16T21:57:27.000-08:00Raised Bed Layout. a more-or-less accurate representation of the plantings in the raised bed.
scale: 1 square = 6" -- click for a larger view (113k)yes, it really is this haphazard. it started out being neat and organized, but as plants lived (and died) i just stuck more in the empty places. and darin keeps buying rosemary plants that i must find places for.
i used a nifty freeware Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903322052003-02-16T17:27:00.000-08:002003-02-16T17:34:26.000-08:00Changes. added a new garden blog link over on the right - 'talking dirty' is the journal of a gardener in mckinney, texas.
and i added a weather sticker thingie on the bottom of the left sidebar. got the idea after seeing it on talking dirty's site.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903285002003-02-15T15:57:00.000-08:002003-02-15T16:02:50.000-08:00Crocus tomasinianus.
i was pleasantly surprised today to find two fully opened 'tommies' in the front yard. part of the surprise was due to the fact that it had been overcast / raining all morning and crocus supposedly prefer sun in order to open up; but mostly it was the fact that when i looked yesterday, only one bud had emerged (see yesterday).
i've also located about ten more of the 25 Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903252122003-02-14T12:38:00.000-08:002003-02-14T13:03:02.000-08:00 Crocus! only a few days ago i was beginning to fear that none of my crocus tomasinianus would come up but on wednesday i finally found a few sprouting. and today the first flower appeared. it isn't fully open yet -- days upon days of cloudcover will do that. Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903215022003-02-13T20:02:00.000-08:002003-02-13T20:02:05.946-08:00Basil Beginnings. the basil is sprouting. it seemed to take longer, but that's because i actually sowed the seeds in soil instead of on damp paper towels.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903094652003-02-11T13:21:00.000-08:002003-02-11T13:21:43.443-08:00More Signs of Spring. the lilies are starting to come up. interestingly, the pixies have purple-tinged crowns while the others are lime green.
the 'petrel' narcissus are coming up around the oak tree, but i'm having trouble finding them in the beds in front of the house (although i have found a few).
and, last, but not necessarily least -- the various species tulips are poking up along the Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903090922003-02-11T12:28:00.000-08:002003-02-11T12:28:38.420-08:00Template Changes. spring is in the air, and i was getting tired of the old color scheme. this is much more spring-like.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-903027772003-02-10T09:06:00.000-08:002003-02-10T09:27:00.000-08:00Overachieving Seeds. the butterfly weed (asclepias tuberosa*) seed packet says the seeds take 20 days to germinate. some of the seeds i started five days ago are already sprouting. the trick will be to keep them alive and thriving until they're ready to move outside.
these are ferry-morse seeds bought at lowe's. interestingly, the packet is labeled "butterfly flower", not "butterfly weed" (the Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902999702003-02-09T17:36:00.000-08:002003-02-09T17:40:03.000-08:00More Plant Finds. those plants that i thought were attractive weeds and those flowers that i thought were lavender oxalis are apparently violets of some sort. which one is uncertain, but viola sororia is a possibility.
there are quite of few scattered through the backyard and they've just started blooming. i dug up a couple and potted them for closer observation.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902975442003-02-08T18:15:00.000-08:002003-02-08T21:59:39.000-08:00Signs of Spring. the gardenias and azaleas have flower buds. i'm looking forward to seeing what color the azaleas are - darin bought two late last spring, but he doesn't take note of minor details like color when he buys plants. he just knows that "azaleas" look nice.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902969472003-02-08T17:27:00.000-08:002003-02-08T17:59:14.000-08:00Spring Clean Up. so it's not actually spring yet and it was overcast and chilly and a bit damp outside, but i went ahead and spent a few hours cleaning up the backyard today. mostly picking up fallen sticks and pine cones and pulling weeds.
pulling weeds by hand is a good way to get up close and personal with the yard. i'm fighting a not-quite-losing battle against the mock indian strawberry (Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902869802003-02-06T10:12:00.000-08:002003-02-06T10:36:50.000-08:00Growing Your Houston Garden. i've registered for a continuing studies class at rice -- growing your houston garden: practical advice from the experts.
all the sessions sound interesting, but i'm most excited about march 5: heirloom shrubs and small trees, and april 16: some like it hot. william c. welch, author of the southern heirloom garden, is the march 5 speaker, and brenda beust smith, Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902843552003-02-05T21:24:00.000-08:002003-02-05T21:30:15.000-08:00Beginning Basil and Butterfly Weed. tonight i started basil and butterfly weed seeds.
hopefully i'll be more successful with the basil this time; last spring all my basil seedlings died (too much water, too little water, too much abuse by cats).Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902814682003-02-05T19:55:00.000-08:002003-02-05T20:20:41.000-08:00Relocating (More) Rain Lilies. i was gazing out the sunroom window one day last week while on the phone and noticed what looked suspiciously like rain lily foliage -- dark green, strappy foliage several inches long. when i got off the phone i went outside, compared foliage to the rain lilies i dug up last year and decided i had a match.
i dug up five more bulbs -- one large (~3/4" in diameter), Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902811632003-02-05T08:46:00.000-08:002003-02-05T08:47:51.000-08:00January Flowers (belatedly) ...
mexican heather*
meyer lemon
pentas*
pineapple sage
sugar snap peas (just a few)*mostly finished off by cold weather, but continuing to produce a few flowersEricanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902714722003-02-03T10:49:00.000-08:002003-02-03T10:55:28.000-08:00Blooming Erlicheers. the narcissus by the front door are just starting to bloom. these are the erlicheers that i bought from wayside gardens.
the mast arboretum at stephen f. austin state university has some background of the narcissus tazetta, the group that includes the erlicheer.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902568802003-01-30T16:34:00.000-08:002003-01-30T16:34:22.590-08:00Pea Planting. today i planted the four remaining pea sprouts (one had succumbed to some sort of wilt or fungus). no space left in the raised bed, so these sprouts are in the bed along the east fence in the backyard.
i got creative with some stakes and made a four-sided teepee for the future pea vines to climb. and i solved the problem of how to secure the sprouts so they don't flop over before Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902546212003-01-30T08:14:00.000-08:002003-01-30T08:14:12.113-08:00Happy 1st Blog-Day! garden spot is one year old today. here's when it all started.Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902480872003-01-28T21:46:00.000-08:002003-01-28T22:03:41.000-08:00Crinum Bloom. lo and behold, the cut crinum has bloomed. so, now i know that they can bloom after cutting, even if bloom time is three days away.
as you can see, there are five small flower buds, only one of which has bloomed so far. this scape came from one of the in-the-way-crinums that i dug up from the area around the side door and relocated behind the garage early last year.
the older, Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902333252003-01-25T09:20:00.000-08:002003-01-25T09:20:44.590-08:00Combating the Cold. i've managed to preserve my three remaining pentas by covering them with cardboard boxes the last few nights.
we were supposed to have overnight temperatures in the low 20s earlier this week (i think it actually only got as cold as upper 20s), so i went ahead and cut the flower scape from the crinum. it's now in the kitchen windowsill and continues to progress -- it may go Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902246362003-01-23T10:02:00.000-08:002003-01-23T10:14:47.000-08:00Seedlings Everywhere. i've been trying to combat the cold weather by separating flower seedlings and putting them in pots. in addition to the five peas i still have inside, i now also have an obscene number of shasta daisy seedlings, a bunch of forget-me-nots, and a smattering of bee balm. oh yeah, and some miscellaneous herbs.
i'm running out of warm, suitably lit, cat-proof places to put all Ericanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3306510.post-902142992003-01-21T10:08:00.000-08:002003-01-21T10:18:40.000-08:00Damage Update. the giant caesar lettuce appears fully recovered from its initial sorry state. in fact, i think it may look a bit better than it did before the cold spell. it's now a deeper shade of green, more like what the burpee pictures look like. (note: i didn't buy these seeds, they were included as a bonus packet with my order last year.)
i overlooked the lantana and crinums when i did theEricanoreply@blogger.com