October Bloom Day Outside the Greenhouse

There are no blooms to speak of inside.

Outside is an abundance of crimson Salvia elegans blooms.

I tucked Pineapple sage between Gardenia plants on the north side. Plants in full sun did not fare so well. I need to take cuttings.

Lantana montevidensis on the south side.

By the door a rusty well bucket with no bottom holds

Sweet Alyssum and a Gerbera Daisy from seeds of a white.

A spoon mashed flat in a vise in a pot beside these is 

stamped THYME using an alphabet die set. 

A few Begonia Bits not worth a photo and some blooms on my Tall Tomato plant are the blossoms inside. The Tall Tomato that I shook faithfully in hopes of some pollen finding the right spot now has tiny tomatoes -- I counted five before I gave the plant some fertilizer.

There's a plant inside with a fat bud that I can hardly wait for bloom.
Clue: it's a big blossom and fragrant and two months ahead of schedule.

Waiting for Calla Lilies and White Echinacea

A couple weeks ago I wrote about buying Zantedeschia Hybrids bulbs. A third of them have sprouts. I hope the others are forming roots before they send up leaves. The pots are full of juniper needles from the recent storm.

 

I wonder if I'll see all these colors?

I showed you last month the rusty well bucket. Alyssum and a Gerbera Daisy are growing, notice on the right. In front of the bucket is a white Echinacea that Susie gave me last year. That one blossom is lasting. When I can bring myself to deadhead it, it should have a profusion of bloom.

I like the contrast between the coarse bloom of the coneflower and the tiny blossoms of Alyssum. When the white Gerbera seedling blooms there will be 2 kinds of daisies.

I am trying for a succession of white flowers around the greenhouse. A half dozen Gardenia cuttings on the north side have thrived but too small for bloom except for one brave bud on the end. White Iris early on had a rogue purple. I liked that.

One white Lantana survived on the south. I will take cuttings from the Front garden Lantana that finally bloomed enough that I can identify which is white. Gerberas on the South side tend to want to bloom in color where I tried for all white daisies.

I guess I could add Shasta Daisies.

It Is Goiing to Freeze

No matter how I prepare for the inevitable freeze, I am always out at the end of the day, getting ready. Irrigation buckets were stripped of their standpipes and the covers put into place, I just turned the sprinkler pipes over so the holes were at the bottom and left them near the cabbages and broccoli. Have I mentioned broccoli starting to flower? I drained one hose and put it away, leaving two open-ended and outside. We will have warm days again after Friday.

I picked a last Gerbera daisy blossom, bright in the late sunlight. I cut the last red Pentas and some stems of red Shrimp plant. They're all in water for a greenhouse bouquet of which some may root. I cut stems of Pineapple Sage and put them in a bottle of water. The salvia that I cut two weeks ago has already rooted. More red blooms for the greenhouse, as I can't bear to see all of it freeze so I keep bringing in more pieces of things that may or may not root. I was so tempted by Persian Shield and Purple Heart, both of which are already rooted in the greenhouse.

 

While I was cutting, I cut enough red Josephs' Coat to fill a mug. The little pieces I stripped off the bottom I stuck in a 6-cell tray, more than one piece to a cell. You can't have too many Alternanthera plants, come spring and they keep over very well in soil or water so I do both because I like to see a coffee mug filled with rooting stems.

As I was typing, I remembered two Gerbera Daisy pots, one with a bud, and the cat's Lemon Grass pot left out in the cold, rushed out and thrust them in the greenhouse. It's 40 degrees with a low of 28 predicted. The air is still and it doesn't seem so cold as when the wind was blowing yesterday between rain showers.

I brought in a pot of fern and another pot with both fern and Cardamon Ginger in it just because I can't bear to see them freeze and I never took time to put them in the ground where they could survive a freeze.

 

My palm is too big for the house, so it went to the greenhouse. I brought a blooming red Schlumbergera into the house.  There's a tiny mitten sprout on the stem of one of the orchids.

Indoor joys! 

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From Seed to Fruit in a Season

 

The season isn't over and fruit is not ripe but we are seeing progress.

Seed planted late April now producitng tomatoes.

 

Cassia alata Candlesticks from seed. Bloom expected late summer.

Fruit from Candlesticks are seeds for subsequent years.

 

 

From bottom: Cassia alata, Silene from scattered seed, reseeded

petunia and second year Pride of Barbados plant from seed.

 

Pride of Barbados and Cassia were started in greenhouse.

 

Flamme tomato plant started in greenhouse in April, now in Front

Garden bed and starting to bloom.

 

All tomatoes fertilized yesterday and today and given a small spoonful of Epsom Salts.

Black Cherry Tomatoes in Ruins Bed were staked and grass and weeds pulled.

 

Dark buds of Purple Datura and black stems, plants from seed this Spring.

 

 Not many seedlings are left in the greenhouse except for a couple of Gerbera Daisies. Something has sprouted where I thought cuttings were earlier that I have to wait to identify until it has true leaves.

 

Only a month until time to plant perennial and biennial seeds. Some of my Sweet William plants have root rot. Dianthus has a hard time in hot humid weather. Bath's Pinks cuttings are struggling too.

 

 

There is no Bloom Day in the Greenhouse

Well, there is no Bloom Day in the greenhouse except for a few pots of White Begonias.

Begonias are still in there because I have not settled on where they're going. I'd like pots of white Begonias beside my curved bench in shade but I don't want to lug water to them every day or two. Maybe I'll do it anyway. It would join an urn with some very green Spider Plants with white stripes.

Today I put up shade on the west end of the greenhouse. I used some non-woven polyester material that some chairs we bought last year were wrapped in. It was too good to throw away; I knew it would come in handy. It was a very professional hanging -- I used paper clips, the metal kind with little wires that fold back. 

They come in all sizes and are very handy.

Even with shade and mist, it's too hot for most plants in the greenhouse through the summer.

 No blooms but this Bromeliad, ghost plant, jungle cactus sphere is still in the greenhouse. It appreciates the mist as it sits on the floor, the coolest spot. The rest of the Bromeliads are outside, or given away.

Outside the greenhouse, a watermelon has volunteered in the flower bed, the Sweet Williams are dying off before blooming and there's this:

Gerbera seedling.

How Long Do Seeds Last?

I found some seeds in my desk that had no date, from Janie in Texas. There was a small packet of red Hollyhock seeds and loose in the padded envelope were seeds about a half inch across, round, flat and kind of wrinkled. My first guess is Orchid Tree. I planted them in a tray, 3 to a cell since they are not exactly 'fresh' but being large seeds, probably will sprout. I set the tray under the mist so they'll stay damp enough to sprout in the heat, obviously tropical.

Come on in the greenhouse for your weekly peek.

Tomato seedlings.

3 Camellia seedlings.

I found seeds on a Gerbera and planted them

in a yoghurt cup. Year of the Gerbera, Yay!

Watch for little fat seeds, many are not viable.

White begonias look so cool. They haven't found a home. Yet.

 

 

Pink Begonias beside stone steps to secret path.

 

 

Bromeliads moved out to the rough steps to summer with Begonias planted along the path.

 

 

 

 

It's about Time to Empty the Greenhouse

This is the end of the Greenhouse season, more or less. Glenda in the Ozarks wants to see the hoses and mess that I'd rather hide. I'd rather show you what's growing and blooming.

This Neoregelia Bromeliad was a pup last summer. It's about to bloom, I had not expected so soon.

Here's the peek. There are two hoses, many jugs for watering the plants

I moved outside, bits and pieces that are rooting or salvaged.

 

 

I wished for years for a Burro's Tail. The small one I bought last winter, I saved the little piece that broke off and all the stray leaves. They're growing new plants.

 

I did a really dumb thing. I bought a Mistletoe Cactus at the same time as the Burro Tail. It grew fast and I divided it into three plants. Yesterday I picked up the soap/olive oil solution for spraying for pests, poured some in my watering can and started 'watering' two of my Rhipsalis with NOT water.

I soaked them good with clear water and today they look all right, but I hope I learned to label, or not leave things sitting around in milk jugs besides water, or something.

 

 

Left are pieces of Baths' Pink and right are Mexican Bush Sage that I salvaged when I dug into a bed.

I've already planted half the Pinks and gave my Daughter in Law half the Salvias.

 

Candlesticks from saved seed. I haven't grown Cassias in a while.

 

 

 

Outside, things don't always go according to plan.

I meant to have an all white bed.

 

 

 

 

So far the 3 seedling Gerbera Daisies that bloomed are all pink shades.

 

White lantana that I planned for last summer died in the greenhouse for lack of water. I have one new cutting in this bed that is about to bloom, waiting for those in the front garden to bloom so I can take more cuttings.

 

Last evening when I was watering, I said to myself, 'These Amaryllis in pots are a lot of trouble to keep watered until August.' I did a double take: Benfica who bloomed for Christmas has a

new bud!

 

Tomato seeds in compost came up. I let them grow just to see.

Looks like there are really two plants with two different 'Tommy Toes.'

 

 

 

A viola volunteer by the dog's water container.

The rest of violas have died in the heat.

 

Welcome to Summer!

 

Where Does the Time Go?

Where does the time go? I marvel at people who get so much done in a day.

It is hard to pull weeds while doing Constructive Staring, or pot up seedlings while dreaming of next spring's blossoms.

 Juanita in the Spring -- Daffodil bulbs to plant next month.

 In the North, you should be out planting now.

I spend too much time reading the blogs of others and trying out new ideas, like deciding which font looks like typewriter.

Viola seedlings

White Sweet William seedlings -- I think

every 3-year old seed sprouted.

Violas left and center; Sweet William right

 

I used two year old seeds, or maybe they were from 2009. In case they didn't germinate well I planted them very thickly. Fortunately I saved back some viola seeds because the dog chased the cat and my violas upended onto the greenhouse floor before the seeds sprouted. I replanted. Orange violas are slow to sprout. Blue violas are a little thicker and the mixed seeds which will probably revert to 'Johnny-jump-ups' are thick, thick.

 

Christmas cacti are forming buds, like tiny baby teeth.

These are cuttings in my grapevine ball experimental sphere.

They were the first to have noticeable buds.

 

I like to set containers on pebble trays to increase  humidity. These sit on dollar store baking pans. I'm going to try the little  trays made to resemble silverplate that are in the bridal section. 

 

 

Constant scrutiny is necessary for healthy plants.

Notice the dead leaf?

The dying leaf was harboring a little worm. Caterpillars are

desirable when they hatch out butterflies. Not so when it's a

destructive moth. Large greenhouses spray; I patrol and pick off.

 

I chased a Sphinx moth out of the greenhouse the other night, hovering over my Pentas

cuttings. There are plenty of Pentas outside for her to lay eggs.

Seedscatterers must be vigilant to catch seeds at just the right time. I found this Pride of Barbados

pod just as it was cracking open to reveal the seeds. Otherwise they twist open, the seeds fall to the

ground and in this climate never grow a plant. Seeds are not not picky about the containers for gathering: ice cream tub, paper cup, tin can, flower pot, paper bag, cardboard box.

 

Next month I'll be scattering seeds, mostly spring annuals like Larkspur and Poppies that lie on the ground through cold months and sprout in late winter. Farther north, spring annuals are scattered in September or early spring. Tropical seeds like Esperanza and Pride of Barbados  I will sow in a warm environment for transplant after frost is over. Tithonia, Datura and other summer bloomers usually reseed, but I gather seeds for scattering in new spots in early spring.

 

There are daylilies to divide and replant and many other tasks waiting. I spent much of this week creatively staring where the new paths go in the Upper Garden. The luxury of wide grass paths requires much time spent in edging and digging out where I let grass crawl into beds during the worst of  summer heat. 

 

When I was planning areas that will revert to grass, I pointed out to He-Who-Mows a large flowering Pomegranate that will be sacrificed. "Just dig around it and we'll lift it and I'll dig a new hole with machinery and reset it," he said. Sigh. No more rooted pieces and seedlings were brought to his attention. I can't keep up.  

 

Meanwhile, I'm reading Deborah Silver, Tara Dillard, Sandra Jonas, Martha Tate and Tim Martin, daily seeing where I could use a garden staff to execute all the lovely ideas I gather from them. Most of them are just a winter heat zone north of me. I skip over when they go on about peonies and such.

 

Okay, so Deborah is not in the South. She advocates Boxwood. I'm glad she likes them in a natural state as well as clipped. I have some that are seven feet tall, a virtual wall of Boxwood, near others that surround a huge mass of Wisteria that I hack at all summer.

 

When my Ship comes in, I'm going to call Tara to bring a crew.

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