I think even when you buy bigger plants in bigger pots, most perennials (even shrubs) follow the saying, "the first year they sleep, the second year they creep, the third year they leap!"
Mid Atlantc Plant Shopping #4 End of season 2013
That has definitely been the case for most plants under my tough-love.
I recently came across a new term for what happens to some plants in my care
"underattended"
LOL, Happy... that quote does need a parenthetical added...
"... the third year (if they're still alive), they leap!"
Exactly my point!
Now--I wan t you all to feela bit sorry for me------
I was in at 8AM and then found out I was scheduled to water ALL the shrubs
and stuff that has come in and is out in front of the building..I had NOT worn my
boots or did not have a warm jacket--just a heavy sweat shirt jacket.
I was out there for almost 3 hours.....froze my tush off--and got all wet....
Now--when i got up--the temps were in the 20's with a wind chill to match.
It never changed--and i was out there--hose in hand, crawling between
rows and tables and getting all wet. My tennis shoes were soaked as were my pants.
I had gloves over vinyl gloves to keep my hands dry. It was so miserably cold!!!
So many of the evergreens were all blown over. had to stand them all up
before i could water....UGH!!!!!!!! NOT FUN!!!!!!
I had a yellow nylon storm jacket (just keeps the wind off) with a hood.
Went to my locker and got it and it helped somewhat.
WHO wants to be outside, in the shade yet, watering plants in 20* weather?????
Anyway---
I saw some really pretty things that are in.
There were these Azaleas in huge pots--dark, dark shiny maroon/green leaves--
with some color showing in the buds??? HUH?? Don't remember the name...
There were Camellias in big pots dark green. shiny leaves--$25.
I tell you--these new people have great products.
Tomorrow I am in at 8AM as well--I am NOT going to water anything else! Dit it!
Well--maybe some of the Norfolk Island Pines. I did not get to all of them--but
we did manage to unsleave them all and i watered 2 flatbed carts full of them.
They are still in the greenhouse...
As much as i am complaining--I love being busy ans walking around, helping customers,
climbing ladders when I do "pack down", etc. I feel a lot nore productive than when I was
sitting on my arse in the Phone Center...
I am visualizing, in some future months, that maybe my bod will shed a few lbs.
doing all this. Hope lives eternal..............:o)
I will take my camera with me tomorrow--and show you these Azaleas and camellias.
Gita
Gita: I can't believe that Home Depot had you doing that. That was really grueling!
Hey! I work in garden now--and I have to do what I am scheduledto do.
Watering is important--just the weather wasinhumanly cold. I was the early person in-
so I had to do it...i just was nor expecting it...I would have dressed differently.
Regular watering is why at some HD's have well cared for plants--
and others do not. Come see us sometimes!
You DO know that someone has to haul the hose for hours to get this done......
G.
I wish you could have done the watering later in the day... here at least the wind died down, and it wasn't so bad. Still not a day for getting wet, though. Hope you had a hot bubble bath when you got home, maybe some of the soup that I know is in your freezer!
Gita you are amazing!!! Maybe you should pack extra clothes in your car just in case you get wet again.
Thank you for being you.
well, the Yuletide was in full bloom when I brought it home, and it still has a lot of buds on it. However, the buds did not open after I planted it. So, I'm wondering if it will need more sun.
Paul--Thanks---you are too sweet....
First chance I get, i am going shopping for a pair of hiking boots somewhere--
waterproof and wide enough for 2 pairs of socks.
I have 3 pairs at home from yonder years--but they no longer fit well.
My feet have gotten wider and a size bigger over the years.
A shame--as one of them are Timberland leather boots....
Till then--my big tennis shoes will have to do.
OK! Not enough time to chat here.....G.
My new, favorite CC. They are ALL blooming!!!
Gita,
You should check with your manager about shoes or boot discounts. I worked on a golf course in high school and every employee had a $100 credit to use at a local store for shoes. Worth a shot.
Just as plastic garbage bags make a good rain coat in a pinch, plastic shopping bags slipped over socks keep feet dry, just like plastic gloves under outer gloves. The shoes and gloves get wet but the feet and hands stay dry and warmer.
I used to do puddle and standing water removal and relocation at several big box stores where I figured customers would not want to shop because of them. I used a large push broom to move the water to where it could drain. Of course, kids always loved the puddles!
Catmint: When you plant a shrub (or perennial) that has buds on it, often the buds won't open -- they'll just fall off -- because of transplant shock. But the plant should be fine the following year....
Bloomus interuptus!
thanks, Happy and Coleup! Hopefully all will be well for next season.
I've got a pair of size 7 Vasque hiking boots looking for a home... just unearthed them, and my feet are no longer right for them, but they look like they're in good shape... leather is broken in and has been sno-sealed, vibram soles look like new despite having a few hundred miles on them! Anyone?
Paul--surely you jest!!!
HD paying for any personal apparel???--unheard of!! They don't pay for anything!
Overall--they are pretty cheap!. Misers! That's why they make all those millions...
However--I may be able to deduct the price of my boots on my taxes--as apparel
needed (NOT required) to do my job.
Coleup--GREAT idea re the plastic bags on feet and vinyl gloves on hands---
Did the gloves already--but never thought of the foot thing...my socks were wet!
Jill--thanks for the offer on the hiking boots--but I wear a size #10.
If you have no one else to pass these boots on to--I will take them and give them
to someone at the HD that cannot afford such things. I give away all kinds of things.
Someone always, gratefully, accepts.
Gita
Here are the pictures I took today at the HD.
1--The Azalea and the tag--close up. See the dark foliage?
2--The tag on the Camellias
3--4--5--Some shots of all the pretties outside the gate.
These were among the many I had to water yesterday.
Pretty compact to get to each pot. You have to, sort of, guess...
Ho--Ho---Ho! Which is the prettiest of them all????
ah yes Girard's Fushia. I gave away starters of it at Jan's swap in the Spring. Beautiful looking plants, how much are the azaleas selling for? I'm surprised to see them out, generally azaleas need to be blooming for people to buy them. Or so they say.
Paul--
I looked-but I forgot. Will check Sunday. There were several of them.
Look at picture #5 above. All the way to the left you see the dark foliage.
Those are the Azaleas.
The Camellias were $24.98. There are only 6 of them.
They are on an end-cap. the branches look kind of helter skelter...
Here!
thanks gita it isn't important, I was just curious. It is just surprising to me that they brought them in. I'm going to take a wild guess here and assume they probably got them half price and are trying to make a quick turn around.
Paul, the little Girard's Fuschia you gave me looks great -- half again as big and ready to go into a nursery gallon pot, I think!
Gita, I keep meaning to check the HD here and see if they've switched suppliers in the garden department. I did know your feet weren't smaller than mine, but your post reminded me I'd just found those boots, so figured I'd post about them. They can go to the local thrift store. :-)
Paul---
The new people that have taken over (from Bell) that are now providing us
with shrubs and trees have really impressed most of us. Really good quality
plants and not outrageous prices.
I will check again on Sunday (next day I work) and see how they all look.
You may want to check your local HD to see for yourself. They may have these too.
ALL their pots are red....and--everything, right now, has red Christmas bows on them.
I am hoping that--these new providers will have better policies re clearancing plants.
Like Lowes does. Would be nice.
We will see.....We will see.....G.
Gita-
Thanks. I'm not in the market, just curious.
Let us hope they have more of a liberal clearance policy.
Gita- Thanks. I'm not in the market, just curious.
Let us hope they have more of a liberal clearance policy.
Jill- That's great, at least one survived!! Now the big test, winter.
Gita for sure check about tax deduction on the boots
New HD shrub supplier or plant originator for all those red pots is Hopewell Nursery based in Southern New Jersey. They are a huge wholesale operation. There are some web references to 'auctions' of overstock items, but I think this red bow bedecked Christmas display was preordered (planned) for display impact at HD. The Girards fushia sure has gorgeous deep dark fall/winter coloration as dark as many of the hollies more traditionally profered at this time of year and possibly a better choice for some dark evergreen color (The bonus being spring blooms instead of the other way around as Paul points out) Who ever sure got the growing conditions right for max uniform dark leaf color on those Girards.
Azaleas, not just for flowers anymore!
My other thoughts on HD red pot bow plant displays is that they are more for decorative colorful garden, porch, deck, entryway displays than for landscaping, although they all can eventually be planted out.. This may be a trend to watch ie, switch out plants with each change of season rather than the work of building a garden/landscape with 4 season interest and maintaining it, just like annuals! Wonder how many of these red potted beauties we will see disposed of unplanted out ?
One of the camillia varieties offered earlier this fall at my HD was 'Winter Snowman' They are gone. The red flowered japonicas here are trellis trained.
I think most people regard most plants as disposable
8 ^O
Sally--
You may be right--as all these evergreens offered from now till Christmas
are more for ornamental purposes. To be placed, as is in pots, along walks
and on decks and steps and by front doors. Gifts too...
How many of us would be digging holes and planting things in freezing weather???
Still--the offerings are pretty and nice--so some people will buy these and plant them.
You do not see this big a collection of EVERGREENS any other time of year.
You hardly ever see so many Alberta Spruces any other time of year as now.
From mini ones meant for table-tops--to 6' giants meant to sit (or grow) by the
front steps of some fancy-schmancy house .
They ALL will be sold in no time at all! Mini Christmas trees--that's why!
Judy--
Did you look into whether Hopewell Nursery grows their own shrubs, etc. right
there in NJ? That would be nice!
How about houseplants and tropicals? Will Bell still be responsible for these?
I can find out---of course.
From what I know--the "New Guys" will only be providing trees and shrubs.
The red bows on everything is a regular thing this time of year.
Kind of--it leads the mind to Christmas shopping"---in a subtle way...
'Tis the Season!!! G.
My boss at Library meeting yesterday said how she wished we could get two crepe myrtles. THe boy scouts cleaned up an area and mulched it, but they didn't take her many hints about how she would love if they could get the crepes in there. Of course, everything is gone now. I so hoped I could waltz into the Farmers co op in Glen Burnie and find a couple cheap CM- maybe even a donation … poo.
I'll probably get back out to Meadow Farms this week to pick up more pine fines & leaf gro... want me to see if they have any half price crepe myrtles, Sally? I won't get anything unless I like it also, that way if it doesn't work for you it can go into my back yard. They can be planted in Feb. after our seed swap, if I don't see you before then.
That would be lovely Jill.
You know I am cheap about plants, and if I get these for the library I may have to eat them…but we are desperately seeking curb appeal, and some co workers might be inspired to chip in. I think we'd want them to mature to the medium to large, given a range.
I'll keep an eye out. If you had a choice -- white, red, standard pink blooms...?
my personal choice is anything BUT that standard Crepe pink, LOL. Building is brick, but these will not be right next to the building so it doesn't much matter. Even mismatched is fine.
I'll keep an eye out. I might swing by Dutch Plant Farm next week also, see if they've further reduced any prices... who knows, could get lucky and have crepe myrtles in the red tag corral. :-)
My favorite Crepe Myrtle is the red....Hate the white.
White blooms always start looking dirty as it fades.
:o)
I like the deep dark purples. They usually make me look twice.
I like all the colors. But it is very hard to find a color that goes well with brick, so that will be a challenge.