What's happening in your neck of the woods? Spring 2012

Gorgeous!

My only 1 blooming now Rebecca

My "Piilu" ("Little Duckling") is covered in buds!!!
This is a darling, Estonian Clematis. Small blooms. hardy to the North Pole--(or close to) teee...heee....

Got it from "Brushwood" 3 years ago. It is growing in a pot at my patio's support post.

Will post pictures......

A clematis or two, and iris. I've posted the clematis before a few weeks ago,I just could'nt resist pic'in . nice flowers everyone.

First bloom from Gardenia Jasminoides Aimee greeted me when I opened the greenhouse today.

WOW--JB!

My Aimee is still staus quo. Just like I got it. Some of the new leaves at the bottom may be a bit bigger...

Should I set the pot out in full sun now? It has been getting some AM sun.
The bud is the same as it was. I think there may be a new one forming.
Hard to tell......
However--My beautiful red Rose ("Proud Land") has burst forth in bloom, as has my Knock Out Rose.
My pink "Sweet Surrender" is also starting to bloom as well. My Fave!

May as well enjoy this time--as there will be nothing exciting for the rest of the summer.
Once the Black Spot "does its thing"---the Roses all go into oblivion.

Tried to send you all a few pictues (taken with my new camera) but i would not send and
defaulted to the "Forums" list. ?????

I guess the new camera must take pics. in a higher # of pixels.
Now I have to find out how to fix that. Maybe watching the tutorial CD's that came with the camera
might help.
I also do not know yet how to "delete" all the pictures on the Memory card.
I always like to start fresh--with "No Images To Display". All the previous ones have been up-loaded
to MY Documents/My Pictures.

Need to learn before I try to use......Gita

If you put it in full sun be sure to water it everyday. Do not let it get dry or all the buds will fall off. Good luck. JB

Gorgeous plants everyone!!! Jen, you have certainly out done yourself. Either you grow some exceptionally lovely plants or are a great photographer. Anyway......enjoyed them all.

Holly, my four Clematis are in areas that I don't access very often and I often miss their blooms for while before realizing they are blooming. I noticed that two of mine are blooming when I was on front deck the other evening, and need to go out and snap a few photos. I can't recall their names, but one of them in particular always puts on a grand show each year.

I suppose since I have already posted a few pics that I took a few days ago, I will share them here also, in case some of you haven't seen them yet. I did a walk around of the back forty (hahaha) last evening and ended up some work for myself later today. I have two pots of Sedum Sarmentosan to get potted later today. I started picking pieces that had grown out of the beds and were in the walk way and ended up with that many stray pieces. Enough for several good sized pots, for sure. I also pulled up some stray Yellow Archangel and plan to pot some of it today also.

Each time I walk around to look at the gardens, I see so much work to do. I am getting a lot better about stopping to enjoy the beauty versus only seeing the untidiness of things though, and that is an improvement for me. Our Iris have done especially well this spring and I am now looking forward to the blooms of the hundreds of Day Lilies on our hill.

Well, let me post a few pics for you folks.

Happy Mothers Day to all.

Ruby

Yes, Happy Mothers Day all!

Just talked to my daughter in Vermont. Guess what her 6yo son gave her as a present? A fairy garden kit! Comes with watering can, birdbath, trellis etc. They can't decide whether to plant it in sun or shade. How cool is that!

As a kid I remember being up early and out picking wildflowers for my Mom. She taught me most of the names of plants and trees and flowers I still love today. And I can't remember her ever scolding me for getting muddy or playing in the dirt! Thanks Mom. Judy

Judy - I didn't realize until a few years ago the gardening influence that both of my parents were to me. I took things for granted and was never really interested in gardening until just a few years back. I have always loved and had lots of house plants, but as far as outside gardening, I didn't really get in to it to any degree until about six or seven years ago when I joined Dave's.

When first able to begin purchasing plants, I found myself going for the things I remember my mother growing. I have now developed my own tastes, but still have a few that were her favorites too. Daddy was the veggie gardener. Even years after he was unable to do the work himself, he would supervise his help from his pickup truck. It was nothing to pull up near their carport and see bushels of potatoes, tomatoes, green pepper, squash and other goodies. He also had a knack in the kitchen too and made good use of the things he grew. Yummy......my mouth is watering thinking about some of the salads he would concoct.

Anyway Judy.....thanks for allowing me a trip down memory lane this morning. Looking forward to meeting you on Saturday......yippie!!!!

Ruby

FJ, love the iris pics. Have a question about the white iris flowers. Are they fragrant? The previous owner of my house planted some white irises in the garden. They are flopping all over the place because they are in too much shade. However, the flowers are very fragrant. Are all white iris flowers fragrant? Or do I happen to have the fragrant variety?

Everyone--please take a look at this Thread I started in the "Pests and Diseases" Forum

Anyone have any ideas???? Thanks, Gita

http://davesgarden.com/community/forums/t/1257926/

No those white Irises aren't fragrant
I have 'Baby Blessed' that have a wonderful fragrance
You can check out some fragrant ones from Schreiner's
http://www.schreinersgardens.com/miva/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Store_Code=SIGO&Category_Code=FRAG

and 'Temting Fate' recently opened, also the sibs are really coming on now, Eye of the Tiger

Ah. So the white irises in my garden are special then :-). Anybody want fragrant white irises? :-)

What is the small blue iris in the 3rd picture? A friend of mine gave me some of those and she didn't know what type they were.

Donner, I would like a couple of your fragrant white irises please.

Gita and anyone else, the U of Maryland has a site I have used several times this spring to track down what is ailing or afflicting the trees, shrubs and plants in my yard.

http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/content/sitedirections_ipminfo.cfm#sitedirections

and a hot line where it is possible to talk with a live person!!

http://www.hgic.umd.edu/

I've just begun to see the first signs of a flatid leaf hopper invasion I battle each year. These along with the new to me Winter Moth caterpillar eat my Japanese maples and have done damage to leaves and twigs and killed whole branches.

http://plantdiagnostics.umd.edu/level3.cfm?causeID=576

Yesterday I turned my 8' x 8' euonymous bush into a tree when I removed all of the lower branches. The new emerging leaf growth on the lower branches where the deer (or deers) had munched them bare over winter were all covered with powdery mildew . Guess my entire yard could use a "Whole Yard Fan" to provide greater air circulation!

Yes, please, we would love some white iris, and even nicer that they are fragrant. I just saw a patch of them in one of the yards in an old part of town and took greenthumb by to show him how lovely they were last week. They were on our wish list for next year.

Got you covered, Pat.

Donner, I also would like a few fragrant white iris if your clump is that big as to spare some. Thanks Any thing you have in mind that any of us might bring to swap to fill in where you are removing them?

I'd love fragrant white irises as well, if you have any to spare. I love fragrant plants!

Judy, there are definitely enough white irises for you. I will bring some extra in case others might be interested.

The previous house owner planted 3 things in the garden - fragrant white irises (lovely), azaleas on the south side of the house (moved), and an invasive plant (not sure of its name) that I am still trying to get rid of after 4 years. LOL!

Ok, Happy. I will add your name on the list.

Jen I just love that last one. Is that Eye of the Tiger? Very pretty.

Yes 'Eye of the Tiger' Dutch Iris

Thanks, Donnerville!

donner!!- Hey I have loads of that blue iris of Jen's , it is an old Siberian type. Bringing a bunch...

Thanks, Sally. It is always good to know what we are growing :-).

The bearded iris are coming along as well as the peonies. They will be almost over by the time they should begin to bloom. Does that make sense????????

We drove past your place on Sunday

I was at the Jersey Fresh Olympic Events at the Horse Park and the Air show was so packed I could hardly get home when they left out. LOL. Were you at the Air Show?

Yes I was

A neighbor of mine taught my mom to make pickled garlic -- Delicious!!! I would like to try it. I need fresh ones that still have soft skins, not the type that we find in grocery stores. Does anybody know if there is a place in this area that sells fresh garlic?

Dear Donnerville - If you have an extra or two extra of the Fragrant White Iris, we would love to have some too. I had to laugh when seeing that everyone wants them also. Funny, that you are getting rid of them and everyone found them so enticing. No problem if you are running short. We can wait.

Also Donner, to note, my Stretocarpus is putting out another bloom......yippie!!!

Ruby

Rose Campion, Rose, Jack in the Pulpit, Foxglove

Ruby, I will bring some white irises for you.

Oh Flo, I love your pictures. I wish I had a place to grow Jack in the Pulpit. My Mother had those in her wild flower garden when I was very young along with her orchids. That was in PA and they did very well over the winter too.
Do you have yours in a shady damp location?

Yes in a shady area that stays consistantly moist

MAG/MAM had a fantastic plant swap party yesterday at Ric & Holly's... I didn't want the day to end, really dragged my feet getting ready to leave.. got home around 10, just in time to cuddle up Joyanna before bed, and she got to say hello to Aunt Terri & Ms. Cherryl, too!

I was back in MD last week. Went by the ex-house & was thrilled to see the new owners are keeping the yard up. So much was blooming. I dug a few things up & brought them back down to FL. Now to see how they do.
I sure don't miss all the traffic & congestion in the old neighborhood - especially with the A Mills Casino about to open.

Doing drive-bys of former houses can be a mixed bag. You always wonder and hope it will look the same, but time and change are inevitable. I have experienced both the good and the bad. Heehee

Critter, it was such a wonderful day at the plant swap. Sounds like I left too early. It was still daylight when I got home. Looking forward to the next one. Learned many things about what I will do differently.