Thanks Jon. So hows things going down there. Its been very hot and humidy up here and I succombed to running the air which I never do. I have not been taking the humididity to well.
THE GPS 10 - The Glorified Potting Shed
Things are good down here Blossom. It's hot and humid, but that's a "given" in South Florida. The difference this summer is that it is not cooling down much at night. Normally it cools down to mid 70's at night, but this summer it's rarely getting below 80 at night. Also been drier than normal so have been watering much more than usual during the summer. Spent 10 hours from Fri-Mon evening weeding "everything". Probably sweated off about 10 pounds in the process. Took this front yard photo Tuesday after the weeding was done. It's all rudbeckias, echinacea and dahlias in this section right now.
Oh that is lovely! I love ruds. I got some seed for some really pretty ones.. hoping I can get them started... Im not sure when to sow them....maybe now since that would be their natural time?
Last couple days I spent cleaning house.. eeks... note to self.. try to do that misser-a-bull job more often.. yeah like that will happen. Anyway I parked the bulldozer out back and finished the masters bedroom. God, how I wish I could just twitch my nose or fold my arms and boink my head to do that job. sheesh! My backs killing me from moving the funiture.
I got a new hen and chick in.. derned thing is brown already.....
Well, the hens old, chicks new...LOL!
LOL. Until I looked at the photo I wasn't sure if the hen & chick was an animal or the plant. Cleaning house yuck. Hope you had the air conditioning on when doing that stuff. That's almost as exciting as pulling weeds!!!
I'm pretty dumb (LOL) when it comes to the proper time to sew seeds up North. I have no clue so don't want to give the wrong information. Just looked up Rudbeckia sewing instructions on Thompson & Morgan and it mentions sewing them in Feb/March. I think that's what you guys and gals call "winter sewing". I've heard quite a few mention they seem to get the best results from winter sewing in Northern climates. I get the best results from Jan/Feb sewing. I think they respond to longer daylight hours so planting in Jan/Feb, when the days are beginning to lengthen again.
My favorite Rudbeckia this year has been "Cappuccino". Nice big sized 4-5" blooms on well branching plants. Took this photo of one "Cappuccino" plant on Sunday (August 1st). Picked a bunch of different Rudbeckias and brought them inside today.
Ooooooo! That is lovely and looks much like the seed I got... im guessing this is a perennial or biennual so if I tossed them seed in now it would actually be on time with nature here. Then the youngings can go dormant for the winter and maybe I get blooms next spring? I dont know....
Yeah, had the A/c running and infact just turned it off and was gonna throw the windows open. It finally cooled off enough. I really despised chilled air. Its hard on my bones, but the humidity was getting the best of me. Felt like poo and the back is still out from lifting things bigger than me. Got two more peices to move that I cant do myself so this weekend the Hubba and I are gonna have to hit it. I got a rib that keeps popping out of a line and pinching me in the disc and eeks.. bout ready to call the doc and order a new body for the old brain.
LOL! well the chickens surpized me with some youngins this week. theres 2 and one hen is still brooding so might have a couple more. Guess the new rooster is da Man! LOL!
I'm pretty sure Rudbeckia "Cappuccino" is one of the newest Rudbeckias and just came out on the market in 2009. It blooms the first year from seed here, so I'm sure it would bloom next year for you. Another one I'm quite liking this year is "Indian Summer". It's just a typical yellow Rudbeckia but the blooms are extra large. Most of them are 4-6 inches, but a couple of them I measured at 8 inches across. That's BIG.
Your bones obviously like some humidity in the air. The air conditioning takes humidity out of the air as you know. Your bones must bother you during the typically dry winter days also? Take it easy on yourself and get some help with the furniture moving.
I guess your rooster gets feisty during the heat!!! LOL
Here are some "Cherry Brandy" Rudbeckia blooms. Different looking, that's for sure.
oh thats a purdy!
Nah, the bones do not like cold moist air. I prefer the dry. Dont care for the weather changes... but take what comes... if it was nto for the aches and pains I would not know I was alive HA!
need that thar cement pond of yern for therapy! Non friction exersize is the best.. itherwise its all wear and tear..
I guess I'm used to the humidity after living down here for 20 years now. Just patiently waiting for that first cold front to come sweeping through here in mid to late October. It happens every year at that time. That's when the humidity and temperatures back off a bit and it begins the 6-7 months of perfect weather.
Cement pond? LOL Jaws would be pissed if the pool was filled in.
The only issue with Rudbeckia "Cherry Brandy" is that there are inconsistencies from plant to plant. Some plants produce the nice dark red blooms and some plants produce blooms like this. These blooms are just WieRd, but I still like them.
Like this.
LOL! lets not talk about cement.. we would not want to peeve the gator!
Um, you got somethng whomping you on the east coast there boy, you might want to prepare ye for some rain!
Well, as far as the ruds go, they can go play on my prairie anytime and make a mess of themselves. I think Im gonna have to pay my DL guru a visit again.. I noticed she was cleaning the ruds out and had the spent flowers on a pile.. dang that would have been a great haul for me. I would have taken her pile and spread the spent plants hither and yon and let them do their thingee! Anything "daisy" flowered is welcome out thar!
Storm we had a couple days ago.. the old nag in the foreground is 30 years young...heading for cover! Smart girl.. that storm packed some lightning, but dint last too long. That old girl has seen some days! One of a kind old mare.
Oh gimme them rudbeckia rejects!! Wayward home for "wierd wild" fluers here.
Nuther project under construction.. these are my zukes... been cutting up the old plastic feed sacks and using them for weed barriers... um, still working here, pardon the mess!
Yep, that's a nice picture and I like the dark clouds. Love to watch the thunderstorms build down here in the summer. I like the thunder and the lightning.
Well we've already had Tropical Storm Bonnie pass through here two weeks ago. It was nothing other than some rain and some breezes that knocked over a few potted plants. Maybe you're referring to Tropical Storm Colin in the Atlantic right now. He's a wimp and he's not heading in this direction. Not going to get any rain or wind from that one. Too far away. Haven't had a bad one here since 2005. Trees came down, screening around the pool ripped apart, all the fencing came down, some roof tiles blew off and no power for 8 days. The winds were about 100 mph substained during that Hurricane. Here's a video link showing what it was like for several hours during that Hurricane.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bthycAK2jak
Well thats good... wimpy is leaving...!
Well, heres one of my vincas.. I think its called the greater vinca.. if you enlarge it it shouls almost show actual size on your screen!
Looks like a vinca monster. Getting pretty tall isn't it?
Here's a photo of my Vinca "Pacifica Really Red" seedlings, this morning, filling in under a palm tree. This tropical type annual vinca is a popular choice for summer color down here. When the impatiens die back in May, this is commonly grown as a replacement for color.
LOL! Well if that vinca of mine is getting tall that hanging basket its in must be upsidedown then Jon, no, that monstor is a vine.. Oh how I hope I can get more!
Wow, now thats a sharp looking garden you have there!
Got a little gomphrena popping up in the cutting bed.....heres the magenta one...hope there are more!
Nice. Been debating purchasing some Gomphrena and seen it locally. Need some more red and purple color outside. Been thinking I currently have too much orange, yellow, pink and white.
I like gomphrena...
Um, a word from the sponsor here....lets go to the GPS 11 and carry on there!
http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1121253/