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What's Happening in your Garden Today June 2011
Prickly pears from Arizona are blooming for me now. Pic tomorrow. The spines are near lethal though !!
I have my work cut out for me when I get home from work today. The grass in the backyard is in need of cutting, weeds have invaded, I still have plants from the swap to plant, and I picked up some annuals while in Richmond for hanging baskets. Thank goodness it has cooled off a bit.
Yes I am so grateful for the break! Some of my swaps are best off in pots due to this heat and now drying breeze.
My sister has a cactus like yours but her blooms are bright yellow.
Wellll.....
Today the Guys came and removed the 2 middle windows in my Patio Roof.....
I have been up since before 5AM. They came b/f 7AM.....Three Guys...
They worked their tails off--up and down the ladder and cutting out all the rotten
wood that the years of leaking caused. Put in all fresh 1" Plywood and reinforced
the supports under it....Nice Guys! Good workers! Recommended by one of the
Pro Desk people at my HD. I will have them again--any time!
The problem was that the four, 4x4 windows were designed to be put in by my EX
many, many "moons" ago, so the sun would hit all the right spots as it crossed the sky
and still provide good light for my Houseplants behind my LR triple window.
Of course--that worked for so many years, until the 2 maples I have grew to 45'!
The 4 windows all touched at the corners--like tiles on a floor--creating a damming effect
of all the water running down the roof. It sat there--and over the years--rotted out the
wood and my patio roof leaked in 4 places....TOOOO many years!!!!!
All activities and work had to be oriented so that no one would sit under the "drips"....:o)
NO MORE leaks!!! Yeah!!!! Will show you pictures later today!
Gita
This is the one I got from Chantell.
Yay Gita!
Yay! is right!!!!
Do you know how many years I have been putting up with all the leaks????
There WILL be much less light coming into the window in the winter--
when I have all my plants jammed in the LR and DR. But--maybe I just need
to cut back on how many plants I have????
Any of you see THIS happening????? Nah....
Anyway--while they all worked, I was doing a lot of weeding and getting rid of
all the dying off daffodil foliage. Got a lot done!
That Oxalis weed drives me crazy! It is insanely--all over....Pulled most of it up--
and will apply some Preen to the beds before I plant my annuals...
This is SOOOO overdue!!!! Still off the next 2 days--will see how much I can get done....
Here is a picture of the underside of my patio Roof.
The newer lumber is where the 2 windows were that got removed...Now in my basement.
The light you see on either side are the remaining 2 windows.
They are huge (4'x4') and VERY heavy--as they are glass and have a serious metal
framework all around them. Might even be steel???
Two of the guys lugged them down to my basement. I did not want to throw them out!
They cost like $400 each! Don't know why I want to keep them--might sell them?
They also fixed my gushing over gutter that leaks all over my grass leaving a rut.
He said it was a temporary fix--but will last a couple of years.....
Here is another view of the now replaced spots the windows were in.
The new 5/8th" plywood replaced the totally rotten, soaked up one that was there...
They really did a good job.
Now I can have some people over (maybe for some crabs?) without telling tham--
"You can't sit there--and not there either--because the roof leaks!
Hetre you can see how they had to, partially, replace the heavy, rotten plywood by a
section of it being cut away and a new section added in. Also--cross-beams (2x4's) to support it.
You can see one of the remaining skylights. There is another one on the other side.
I am happy! They worked all day--everything included cost me $925. I think that was a "special"
price--given my circumstances--and the man who referred these guys to me being a Pro Desk
associate who deals with them.
I am happy!!!!
OK! I DO have some June flowers to show you also....
Here is the little Estonian Clematis I bought last year from John Scheepers.
It is called "Piilu"--which is Estonian for "Little Duckling"...
I have it in a large pot against one of the patio support beams....
The blooms are small--no more than 3" across. It grew nicely! I am encouraged
that this will be a keeper. I was surprised how many different Clematis there was
if you searched for "Estonian Clematis"....They are also hardy to a lower zone.
Here is a close-up of some of the blooms.....
Bought, and planted, a new Mandevilla. It is already climbing up the trellis.....
I just love this one!
I bought one of the red ones too--in an 8" pot--at HD--for $9.97.
That got planted in a pot on the other side of the Patio Beam support.
I have posted these 2 back-to-back pots before.....I'll see how I like the red Mandevilla....
Not sure!
Guess what this is?????? Hmmm...Snow in summer?
It is a macro shot of the "blooms" of the Nandina--aka "Heavenly Bamboo"...
Pretty. NO?
And---the good old, reliable Dianthus.....
This one came through the winter...and is blooming away....
i NEED more of these!!!!!!
Thanks for the new thread coleup!
Loving this patch of Jethro Tull Coreopsis
Glorious patch Jen! lol wouldn't it be fun to be a plant namer?!! The plant at the start of this thread is "Passionate Rainbow" gaura. I fell in love with it . Hopefully it will survive with less than full sun as only the middle of my street has that.
Gita how wonderful that you've finally conquered those leaks...to have that behind you and done and done well is not just a deal, but priceless! Glad you're dealing with the bulb foliage, too. My daffs just dissappear under my hostas, but this Spring I have huge masses of "naked lady" or magic lily foliage bodes well for a great bloom display later.
Catbird, what are you putting in you hanging baskets? Did that Tovara I swapped you last year survive? I'm glad I don't have any grass to mow but it continually amazes me how well so many weeds grow in shade!
What a beautiful, sunny, cool, day it is today!!!! Even a nice breeze going!
Gonna try to do as much planting and hardening as I possibly can.
I just have to get all this done--so I can relax my mind with all the "shoulds" and "woulds"....
Already took my pain pill to help me survive....
Remember that "Mystery Plant" that I was posting about? The "Mole Plant"?
When I dug it up, there was a tag as to who it came from....It was Hart.....
Probably at her Plant Swap. Now---How long ago was that??????
Also from Hart--her Clustered Bluebells are blooming right now...
I know they could be bigger and fuller--BUT--they live in my "Yuk Bed"----
and seem to be doing OK.
A bit out of focus--but....
Cole, that Tovara not only survived but reseeded itself all over the place. I dug up some of it and took it to the swap and dug up more and gave it to my sister. Still have plenty more if you need some, lol.
My cleomes reseeded all over the place too, have to thin them out and relocate some.
I rescued some wave petunias and million bells from Lowes 'stressed' plant rack to put in hanging baskets, also a large planter of verbena.
Gita just called to let me know she's still having computer issues and not to worry about her yet! She's at work today nad might have help there, some conflict between firewall and Norton, maybe.
Thanks Sally,
I picked up 10 Nandina Bushes at work yesterday for $1 apiece. I will be adding them out front. I am going to set them back a it behind the fence between the roses. Two between each rose bush but not as close to the fence. Going to dig up a strip and mulch the whole area. No more mowing under the fence any more.
Lucky you!
Yes Jan one of the perks of working at the Garden Center. I see all the discounted plants before everyone gets to pick thru them. LOL Too bad I didn't wait a bit longer a few days ago I bought two of them at the regular price for my son. Ric says I am not to spend more on plants than I make working. LOL
Jamie and Ric are outside cutting bricks for the arbor floor. There was a small strip that needed cut bricks to fill it in. With that done the Arbor is finished.
All is well now!
Frank (paint dept.) came over and tried and tried to get to anything but could not.
Of course, him being a somewhat Computer geek--he found other avenues of
access and finally deleter the Firewall.
Slowly, it o occurred to him, that what really was at fault was my mouse...as it did not
respond to clicking left or right as it should have.--so no response from this "rodent" .
Just went to Best Buy and got a new mouse. plugged it in and all is well....WHEW!!!!
Will catch up later.....have to get a bite to eat and hit the sack early. Up at 4AM
tomorrow--as I am due in at 6AM to water....UGH!
Gita
Lol, Holly. I think I'd have a hard time trying to rein in my NEEDS if I worked there.
Glad it was only your mouse, Gitigal.
Holly---
Be careful with the Nandina (Heavenly Bamboo)!!! It IS a bamboo and it can be
invasive to a great degree....
I have one-but I planted it near my shed where nothing else will grow...(Maple roots!).
It is doing OK! BECAUSE it is a Bamboo! No needs! dry is OK! Wet is OK!
Horrible soil is OK! Sun--shade--whatever--is OK.
B-U-T------In time, the roots will grow over 2' deep and it will send up new plants from the depths
as it spreads out from suckers...
To dig one up will be a major endeavor. More like excavating the area to get rid of it all!
You said you might plant it between some Roses. DON'T!!! They will, eventually,
choke out the Roses--much like my huge Maple has choked out all my beds in the back yard.
Roses need lots of comfortable space for their roots....NO competitors!
My neighbor from Pakistan, next door, the lady of the house--dug and dug and dug....
She was so determined to eradicate the Nandina she inherited with the house.
It was NOT an easy job! I saw the trenches she dug by hand to dig up the roots...UGH!
Just my 2 cents, Holly!
Plant your Nandinas somewhere you will not plant any other ornamental plants...
They are pretty! The blooms are pretty as are the red berries in the fall/winter....
BUT!
Put them where NOTHING else wants to grow. Like on a roadside...They will be happy......
Gita
Here is another "You should have done it" thing....
Some Foxglove's bloom-spikes grow SO tall and stately---
and then--the winds come----and they all break in half. Top-heavy as they are....
PLEASE stake them way in advance--or you will lose them to the elements...
Here is what they looked like when fully blooming...Beautiful! Stately!!
Like this!
Here is what this same plant looked like a few days ago--after
some heavy winds and rain....
Here is the most impressive trio of blooms.....in my neighbor's bed....
Here it is a few days ago, after the winds .
I tried to straighten it up with a tomato cage--but it was not too successful.
PLEASE!!!! These need staking as soon as the spokes start to grow!
Think ahead!!!! Gita
Enjoyed a driving garden tour yesterday, tour was cut short by 2 houses and the nursery that usually only sells wholesale by my misbehaving son...oh well
Enjoy!
https://picasaweb.google.com/jerseyjenflower/AllentownGardenTour?authkey=Gv1sRgCOK1taOs2f-uMg#
Great pictures, Jen. Good ideas for people who want new projects (no new projects for us anymore). Did I read that it happened in Allentown? Is that Allentown, PA?
Gita, that's what my delphinium and verbascum look like after some high winds the other day!
Oh Jen thanks for the garden tour. Was it a Masters Garden Tour? Around here our Master Gardeners do tours to support their program. I love going on them, you get such great ideas and since they are yards much like our you can see what can be done with your own gardens.
Not PA, NJ. The town next to me.
It was run by the Allentown Garden Club they have it every 2 years. It was neat, besides the owners being on hand there was a garden club member at every house to answer any questions.
Rose
Hydrangea
Yarrow
Happy Returns
noID lily
Jen, all very pretty, again!
Arizona prickly pear
This message was edited Jun 10, 2011 2:09 PM
