Holy Cow..Gretchen - what a sight that will be when those come in to bloom. The scent must be incredible. I feel your pain in doing all that planting...can't wait to see the blooms!
Diane Krny
I've been a little busy, lately
Jackie, you and Sherry can both work circles around me, even with Sherry having a broken ankle. I'm just hangin' in there, waiting on some nice weather and the green light for planting outside. The grass is growing faster than me and the mower can keep up with right now. Weed eating hasn't begun, but it better this week or I'll never be able to find anything behind the grass. Too cold and windy today to do anything. I have to go close up the greenhouse now. Looks like I might even watch some TV tonight. Have a good one!
Wow Gretchen! I'm looking forward to seeing your photographs when everything blooms.
Gretchen your babies you sent have been in the ground for 2 weeks now and loving it.
Donna -- I'm glad they're doing well for you! I hope they bless you with some pretty blooms!
Delecie -- thank you! I can't wait to see pix of your gorgeous blooms too!
Brugie -- a special thank you to you, since you're a big part of my garden this year! I have been mowiing since March 1st, but my grass is starting to look like mid-august, rather than mid-April. I can't remember the last time we had rain and we need it so desperately. I'm glad you're back on-line -- I've missed you!
Diane -- I really can't wait to see pix of your garden in bloom! Those images you've posted are fabulous!
Sherry -- Thank you! I'll send you a little of my weather if you'll do the same for me!
Ada -- You have more "push power" than all the rest of us combined!!!!
Jackie -- What can I say. I don't think I could ever live in a cold clime again. But have faith, Spring is just around the corner :)
Its cold here today. Was only 42 when I arose and found my husband reading the paper with his winter coat on, and all the windows still open. We promptly closed them and turned on the heat. Unheard of for this time of year here... He went to the drag races (ugh) and I took advantage of the cooler weather by planting the remainder of my babies. Unfortunately, the deer have done a number on everything. Even stripped soome of the leaves off my brugs! Ate the new growth off the all lantana, ate every amaryllis (they were all in beautiful bloom), and ate every lily and day lily to the ground. I sprayed everything with a healthy dose of Liquid Fence today in the hopes that it will deter future damage. What we go through for our beautiful blooms!
I hope you all have a wonderful, blessed Sunday!
Gretchen
PS -- on top of all the gardening in my own yard, and my volunteer work at my Church, I was busily preparing for our annual Comal County Master Gardener Herb Affair, held at the Antique Rose Emporium yesterday. Here I am making and displaying Tussie Mussies which we gave to the visitors:
Wow, Gretchen. Those deers made a meal out of your plants. We have deers but they don't eat my plants. Maybe because my dogs keep them out of the yard but the choc. Lab that my neighbors had to have (that lives at my house LOL) digs everything I put in the ground back up. I planted ten Clematis' and she's dug them all up and one I haven't found anywhere. I planted a Kousa Dogwood several weeks ago and she had a two foot hole dug under it and also the two Banana trees.
Oh Ada -- that's almost worse! At least the deer don't pull most of my stuff out of the ground, and it usually comes back! Our golden loves to dig in my beds, and I bought some dog/cat repellent that I sprinkled in his favorite places. So far, its working! I think its made by Grant's. you might want to try it...
LOL Chocolate doesn't have a favorite spot. I don't know if I can afford to buy that much repellent. You wouldn't believe my yard in the mornings. She drags everything she can find in my yard or on the back porch. I honestly don't see how my neighbors have any shoes to wear. She brings their shoes (only one of a kind) socks, t-shirts, hats, garbage, stuffed animals, toys and tools here. I just haven't got her taught to bring their money yet. LOL My yard looks like a garbage dump in the mornings and all the stuffings from the stuffed animals are everywhere. I've asked them to keep the buildings closed so Chocolate can't carry all of it over here but they could care less. They don't have to pick it up. I can't be mean to Chocolate because she thinks (knows) this is home because this is the only place she gets fed or any attention. DH says to put a collar on her and train her for the electronic fence in our yard. At least she can't go back to theirs and bring all their junk here. LOL
That sounds like a plan!
Wow, Gretchen, you have been busy. Looks like all your hard work is really paying off with some lovely gardens.
I hope you post Pics when all of those are in bloom..I bet its just breathtakingly beautiful at your place during that time!!...Hmm..Antique Rose Emporium..One of my Fav places...Texas girl here too!!...Jeanne
A little busy! LOL..... Your a fruit cake :) and I do mean that in the best way possible. Your gardens are lovely and I know all of your hard work will pay off and then the pain will be a fading memory. Keep us all posted with lots of pictures.
to funny Ada
I'm with Kristi, let us see pics when they are in bloom Gretchen...I know they'll look better and better as years go by...
Do you replant these or did I miss that. *senior moment* I mean do you take them up each year or did you heavily mulch them from last year?
Julie
Thank you all so much!
Julie -- I dug up a couple of special ones that I didn't want to lose, but I have found that it wasn't necessary. We only had three freezes (one was a hard freeze) and EVERY single brug came back. Even the versicolors! Which meant I had to dig up all the ones that I didn't want from last year, and let me tell you, they had immense root systems...because I needed the room for these seedlings. This fall, I'll take a few cuttings of the special ones, and leave the rest to GOD and Mother Nature.
Kristi -- you are too kind! You have one of the prettiest gardens that I've ever seen. I've said it before and will again, if it hasn't been in a magazine, it should be!
Jeanne -- do you live near SA or Houston? If you're near the SA ARE, you should check out the Herb Affair next year. Lots of fun! And, yes there will be more pictures as things start to bloom.
PF -- thank you! Its my therapy!
Funny thing...my last brugling to bloom last season will be the first this season (barring some disaster). This is the one whose working name is Swiss Meringue:
don't remember seeing a pic of it last year Gretchen. Hope she is as nice as your others.
WOW Gretchen, your yard is going to be brug heaven this year. I am so envious. And your amaryllis is just gorgeous. DId the deer eat that one??? GROAN! I grow lots of amaryllis too, one of my favorite bulbs.
I can't wait for your pictures to come in and it looks like one will be here soon. That last brug is so healthy looking.
Kell -- I'm so happy to see you back! You have been in my prayers!!! That's not the amaryllis they ate, I had three from Christmas' past: An 'Apple Blossom'; 'Minerva' and 'Red Lion'. And, last night they desecrated all my begonias and Christmas cacti that I had under a tree (behind a fence) All gone!
Donna -- here is one of the pictures of 'Swiss Meringue', Its a Suaveolen hybrid that is a creamy white with a peach edge. She's very different looking, and I really like her. The deer knocked off an entire branch of her last night and are wreaking havoc in my garden! I don't know what to do at this point, I've never had such a time with them....
If you don't have close neighbors, Gretchen, try putting some music on the radio, or a talk station and let them try to figure that one out. LOL! I do this for keeping the coons out of the corn patch. I put the radio inside a 5 gallon bucket that is tipped so rain can't get into it. Works great.
Shirley, I'm going to have to try that this year. Squirrels are what eat mine. I'd have never believed it was squirrels until my neighbors seen it. I thought it was coons. They carry the corn under my neighbors pine trees and shuck it and eat it. My neighbors yard is full of shucks and cobs. LOL They always take it to the same area. My neighbor quit planting corn because she lost 75 percent to whatever animal was eating it.
It is going to be so beautiful Gretchen.
Thank you Gretchen. And thank you for the lovely card. So many Davers sent me lovely cards, it really helped.
You forgot to post the picture of your 'Swiss Meringue'. What is 'Swiss Meringue' anyway, LOL. I would love to see it.
Do you have a zoo nearby? Here people who live in the hills go to the zoo and pick up big cat pooh and dump it around the perimeters of their yards. The deer stay clear.
I would love to see Swiss Meringue also. It sound so pretty.
Oops -- sorry I forgot the image... Here she is, it'll be interesting to see what color she ends up being this year. I hope she stays like this, as I can't find another brug that looks like her.
Shirley -- I'm going to do that tonight! Thank you!!! I sure hope it helps. We need rain in the worst way.
Thank you Deb.
Kell -- Swiss Meringue is a crisp confection made from egg whites and sugar, baked in the oven for cookies and dessert shells. There is also a soft version that is used for the tops of pies.
Swiss Meringue
Oh she is Gorgeous Gretchen! I adore that name Swiss Meringue as much as the cookies! Let me know when you take cuttings :)
Julie
I love that shape too Gretchen. Very pretty!
So let us know if you peek out there tonite, Gretchen and if all the deer are dancing in the moonlight.
I wish I had a yard that big, and the warmer weather you have Gretchen!
Thanks you Julie and Kell. She's not my most favorite by far, but I am happy that she doesn't look like a bunch of others. Julie -- I'll be happy to share her this fall if the deer leave me any of her!
Tonight the radio is going to be in the middle of my garden -- I hope it doesn't keep me up since I have been sleeping with the windows open. Before that I'm going to hose everything down with Liquid Fence and see if the combination will do the trick. I sure hope so...
Karrie -- sweetie, thank you, but with your back, you wouldn't want it... My yard is pretty much non-stop work and attention. It has to be mowed and edged every week, and we haven't had any rain in 6 weeks, so I am having to provide supplemental water on the really hot days, as the soaker hoses just aren't enough in this weather. I could go on and on.....Be happy with what you have :)
Gretchen
I wonder if the deer will like classical, country or rock n roll. LOL I have great images now in my mind.
Hey Gretchen, I'm Game!!! lol shoot yeah! I have deer out here too, I guess I'll see this year when I set mine out whether or not they eat them or not. Boy will I be mad! Grrrrrrrrrrrr
Very pretty, Gretchen.
Deer eat Brugs???
Judy
Gretchen, we are having a dry(er) spring here and my pal told me that when it's dry that the deer are much more destructive, so he moves the black, plastic water container, with his fountain, to the back edge of his property, so the deer can get water. During a dry spring, he also puts 'food' out for them too. I don't have a clue what kind of food. Whatever, he says that it really helps. My property is fenced, so I don't have the problem, but those that do say that when there is a dry spring that the problem is awful. He also uses a sound system. I really hope you solve your problem - that is such a disappointment to see your hard work trampled and eaten, I really hope you find an answer!!!!!!
That is nice Gretchen can't believe I hadn't seen the pic before. Yes put a water bucket and some corn out for the Deer way away from your plants. You can get a 50 lb bag of feed corn(not cracked corn) for not much of anything(about 10 dollars here)
Thanks everyone! I doused them well with Liquid Fence and I played country music so loud last night I had to put ear-plugs in so I could sleep LOL! But, it kept them out of the yard. Today I also dusted them all with DE as now I have a cat problem too. Gonna be one of those years, I guess! Sherry and Donna, I would go very broke feeding them. We have between 20-40 in the pastures here every night! We do keep water in our horse tanks, so they always have fresh water, and even though its dry, they have plenty of green to eat. They should not be eating brugs. Oh well, its going to take some of them a little longer to bloom, since their tops have been munched off... :-(
I hope you all have an awesome, blessed evening!!!
Gretchen
Maybe you need some lights on motion sensors. I wonder if that would work? I also thought about Rabbit Scat. Maybe the deer wouldn't like the taste of it either.
Oh my dear, all your hard work. If all else fails, maybe a yarddog or two?
Good Luck,
Judy
Gretchen, your yard is going to be gorgeous when everything blooms. A great job-you must be tired.
Good news! the radio and the Liquid Fence worked!
Judy -- we have a 120 lb Golden, and all he does is watch them eat!!!
Barbara -- thank you -- I can't wait for the blooms!!!
I need to go fix myself some dinner. DH is off fishing :) Blessed evening to you all!