Spending spree #8

I agree, Spring! I put in about 26 plants this morning, but I have saved room for some new acquisitions yet to be found. I did bring down three tubs of plants from the farm, including three agastache from Allison at our RU. Those are not yet in, but probably will be tomorrow morning. :)

Hi Debi! What are you up to today? Have you finished your Fall cleanup? I haven't checked the train competition lately. Where do you stand now?

Hi Louise
Meeting Lindsay for dress shopping in a little bit. Still have clean up to do.
I Think I'm up to 190 votes, 2nd place for the time being.
I think my photo is a good ad photo though.

I couldn't agree more! And I'm thinking you had fun shopping today! What is their date? Lovely to look forward to, huh?

Jan 21st. She looked beautiful!

planted all the peony i ordered and moved three others to make the peony bed an even 20 plants - with 4 intercoastals coming in the spring.

A winter wedding - perfect for ice sculptures! *tongue in cheek*

Hurray, 20 peonies! Pictures in spring, please.

I put that many into my new peony garden too, but it will look like a crazy quilt. There were so many unexpected boulders and ledge areas that the planting spots are very uneven. The only unifying theme will be that they are white or blush. The year before when planting the highest row, there were absolutely none of these problems. It will take a few years to fix with other plant ideas. C. Colson Burrell's book on perennials has some suggestions for combinations, but this is becoming a rock garden.

One dress she tried on sparkled like snow. But it wasn't the one.

New england is filled with rocks, not uncommon.

Sigh. I'm still a midwesterner deep down. My kids called themselves New Englanders today, so I told them the down Maine joke: "Just because your cat has kittens in the oven, doesn't make them biscuits."

I like that!

That's a good one!!!!

Funny, Rosemary! I like that too.

Debi - that is a special memory you and your almost DIL will always share. I am looking forward to seeing their wedding photo! We had a winter wedding, and it was really nice. It's nice that you have such a nice relationship with Lindsay!

Bill and Rosemary - i am also looking forward to seeing both of your peony gardens in the spring. I can picture Bill's somewhat from having seen his property, and now I can envision yours as well, Rosemary. That's why I am looking forward to seeing how accurate my visions are.

I have some shopping to do for more plants to fill the gaps here....Yay!

Midwest can adjust to NE very nicely, but keep the r.

I had a winter wedding also.....but the temps were around 60 the day we married.....

Nice! :)

Winter weddings tend to be less expensive too. We had surprise snow at the end of my wedding reception--humungous flakes that I will always remember with pleasure. We had made the theme everything white, including the brides maids dresses.

So, iris, the real diction debate I have with my kids is always how to pronounce a soft "a"

That also. Of course there are several midwestern accents. Wisconsin one is correct, of course. ☺

This message was edited Oct 24, 2011 5:48 AM

I'm a NYer. Everyone else talks funny. ^_^

Hello all, I am still playing in the dirt and reading all your posts, but not on line much until the snow flies and I have finished up fall chores. Lots still in bloom here. It has been a truly lovely fall weather.

Following Wha's and RosemaryK lead and planting my new batch of eleven Hollingsworth peony's today. Not planting them in one bed, but I will be spreading them out to add to the way too many already on the property, but then I too put in an order for some Intersectional Peonies for the spring. It is hard to resist them especially as the deer seem too, so far.

I can't believe Donnybrook is already hard at in in sunny Fla. Quite the jungle. I am sure you will have it in apple pie order quickly.

We put up cages around all this springs planting of Japanese Maples and other shrubs yesterday, and we still need to build more today, but I have to go get more materials. It looks rather horrible will all these ugly cages dotting the beds, but I don't want to loose these gems to the rabbits and deer this winter. Also I dug and moved some Iris, which is way too late a chore to be doing , but I decided I hated where they were planted, so just did it. May regret it. I found an Iris which has 4 fat buds on it for a late fall surprise unless we get a serious frost soon, but I didn't move that one. We actually have more plants than normal still blooming away including something that has me puzzled. A lovely white spike that looks like a bulb, maybe a white scilla. I am going to take a shot of it today and post it.

Big job this week was putting all the plants back into the greenhouse for the winter. Back is still sore. Next week we will finish getting things ready for the big bulb planting. I went nuts as usually and the boxes of them are piling up in the guest room. But the ground needs to be colder before planting them, but mind you, I am perfectly happy to wait. Patti

Nice to hear from you Patti

Hi Patti!

Ditto!!!!! I've been thinking about you and hoping all was well. Enjoy those beauties still blooming.

Hi Patti I hope that you get all your chores done.

Hey Patti!!!!!


It's amazing how you just know "the" dress as soon as you put it on....can't wait to see the pics!

Glad to see your post, Patti.....I worry when I don't 'see' someone after a while....you must have a reblooming iris.....Immortality has been blooming in front of our library for a month.....convinced me to try it.....

Thanks all. Got the cage material, but was too tired to continue working any more today after a major day of cutting things back and edging and weeding. Always tomorrow. Our reblooming Iris may be, Tall Bearded Iris Devonshire Cream as it is the one that I know is in that bed that is a reported rebloomer.

Robindog, thinking of you yesterday when one of my dear dogs dug up a huge hole in a not so great a spot. grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. Still love her. I do have Iris Immortality, but it has never rebloomed for me and I think I moved it last year when we had to move all those plants to rebuild the stairs and retaining walls, so not sure where it is now. So maybe it is that one. I will know soon as it is about to open. Yippee!

I took a shot of that strange blooming bulb, but it is too blurry to share. I am pretty sure it is a scilla, but why are they blooming now?

I took some shots of the kids still in bloom so here is one of the collages of some of today's blooms. Patti

Some more. patti

Some more, including the almost reblooming Iris and a spirea (Spiraea japonica Shirobana ) that has totally rebloomed for a third time this year. Winner. Patti

Hi Patti! Nice to have you back, i've missed those collages!! So nice you have all those blooms and are willing to share their beauty with us. I so needed that today...THANK YOU!!!

Hi Patti! I join everyone else in being happy to "see" you! You are very kind about the prospects of my jungle re-creation. It is going slower than usual, but I did pick up a nice pink mandevilla vine today at Lowes for $4.00. I will have to eliminate it in the spring - or follow through with my plan to hire a summer "tender" of the jungle next spring. I just couldn't pass up that price! Your collages are so pretty, and I wouldn't worry about the look of the cages...it'll be worth it in the spring and summer!

DonnieBrook, I just brought in a mandevilla to winter over in the GH, and it cost me zippo. Someone gave it to us as they have no place for it and I don't plan on giving it back! Actually they don't want it back as it got too big and I didn't suggest that they could prune it, I am bad. Good idea about getting a summer tender as it must be hard to virtually start over each fall. I know it will be lovely. Here is our winter jungle. I still have a few things to cram in including a rather large Oleander tree that we keep for friends each winter. I guess it is the least thing I can do as they housed our son for months in NYC before he got his own place. And it blooms all winter so very pretty, just big. Night all. Patti

Good to see you Patti!
That is SOME jungle!!!

Loved all the collages....my Morden Sunrise has just stopped blooming....in bloom since May! Sorry about the large hole....I miss Robs so much I would gladly let him dig to China.......

hi patti - i also liked the collages! what about the jm's in cages?

Awww, Marilyn. Sad for you. :(

Patti - your jungle is MUCH prettier than ours WAS.....gone! Lots of blank slate areas. On Thursday we are going to a favorite native nursery. Look out!

Louise, A blank slate and a fat pocket book at a favorite nursery will do wonders for you garden and your soul. Have a wonderful time.

Wha, more cages went up today, but too tired to take pictures, but will tomorrow. Looks like the Ozarks and I should know being from Oklahoma. Got more beds cleaned and planted the last of the peonies today as well as finishing up putting the last of the pots into the GH and cleaning up the porch. We moved some shrubs and a couple of roses today too and of course more weeding and raking.

Pixie, I am happy to bring you a smile as you have sent so many my way.

I hope to get in another good day of work done tomorrow and then off to Boston to work on my pottery for a few days before doing the last big push to get the beds ready for bulb planting. The big thrill today was suddenly smelling honey suckle in the air and then finding a nice clump in bloom. Odd. Patti

Wonderful to have things blooming so late....

Just bought onion and leek sets to come next May - am I an optimist or what? Also joined Seed Savers Exchange because of the free 6 months of Organic Gardening that comes with it. I figure with the winter ahead - I will need something to read.

My first Christmas gift to me just arrived at the store...Woo hoo!!! I am now own my very first mp3 player