It's SPRING!!!!! Yippee!

it inspired me to bring this little one home and try to get that big some day. How long you think it will take me? Ha ha ha

This message was edited Mar 20, 2008 8:43 PM

Hi Eleanor! We had robins for a few weeks, but I bet they wish they hadn't come. LOL

Now this was a neat plant..the flowers looked like mushrooms!

The firecracker blooms remind me of candy corns.

Mallory liked this plant so much I had to take her picture with it! She's crazy!

Me too Victor, it's a neat little plant!

Sorry Michaela, I didn't mean to hi-jack your thread. I just wanted to spread some of the spring cheer I indulged myself with today.
Happy Spring Everyone!!!!!

Pixie - the red one - is that a heliconia?

This message was edited Mar 20, 2008 7:00 PM

Victor, I keep the Mackenzie's pruned to about 6' x 6' so I can still see out the window. The One down below is growing up a trellis toward the deck. That one was 18" tall 3 yrs. ago and now has reached 9ft.. They only die back a few inches on the tips every winter as they are very "cane hardy". Most of the Austins die back to 6"/8" of the ground but come back quick to between 3 ft. to 5ft. depending on which one. This winter they have had a steady 18"/24" minimum snow cover ( a great mulch ) so I would expect a lot less dieback. A good rock solid rose for this zone. Here is the one in front of the window just before bloom. kdcon

Mackenzie does not have a lot of scent. kdcon

Seandor, check w/ the Parks/recreation people for the pathways. You would want 3/4" crushed stone not crushed gravel. They can tell you who would sell it by the truckload in your area. May even get that from them along with the compost and mulch. kdcon

MrsJ I believe it is a heliconia, thank you as I can never remember what they are called. I think they are very unique and pretty.

Pixie . . . I am not at all concerned about "hijacked" threads. That is how conversations evolve :-)

When you first posted about the Sunset Greenhouse, I thought . . . gee, how lucky Pixie is to have her own greenhouse, wish I had all those lovely plants!

Pixie, how hardy are daylilies? I have a bunch I grew from your seeds, but I am starting to run out of room down stairs, and they are too tall, really for under the lights (even the tall shelf). If I harden them off, could I put them in the mini-greenhouses now?

Really, these mini greenhouses are just inexpensive shelving with a plastic tent, so they can't protect against severe cold. Currently daytime temperatures are about 43 degrees and night temperatures are about 27. I am not sure what conditions would be like inside the mini-greenhouses, but perhaps it might raise daytime temperatures by about 15 degrees and night temperatures by 3 to 5 degrees. Does that sound realistic?

Today I MUST mark papers . . . but I have soooo many little plants that need potting up.

Michaela, I wouldn't put them outside yet, even in a mini-greenhouse.
When mine are to tall for lights I stick them on the window sills until I can plant them, I have 6 lining one window now. By the end of April you could try the greenhouse.

Well here is a sign that the weather may even start to match the calendar. The hummmers are on the move, and look how much distance they have covered already. http://www.hummingbirds.net/map.html

Oh boy!! They are on their way!!!!!!! I can't wait to see them again! I already have a morning glory growing in my bathroom to welcome them with. I started it about a month ago....

Thanks, Pixie - If only DH would agree to load up the window sills . . . alas, the one table available is covered with baby brugs, corkscrew vines, and canna lilies!

Happy Spring, all. I wish I had done something to celebrate other than looking out at the snow and ice. well, I guess I did. I sowed peppers, 2 varieties of lavender, moss rose, and replanted some hardy hibiscus that I've been having trouble getting to germinate.

kd, that MacKenzie is gorgeous. I need to put it on my list. If it's hardy for you it will be a breeze for me :0)

Pix, thanks for sharing your spring 'trip'. I don't know how you managed to choose what to take home. I would have picked the firecracker, too.

Michaela, that's great about the mulch. I would at least ask them about the crushed stone. They may be willing to provide that as well. If not, maybe they can get it for you at a good price.

I asked the park people, but was told that they couldn't do anything about gravel (not their area) - but on a hopeful note, he did say he might be able to help me with grants - and extra plants. :-)

Did you try the highway department?

Wow, ngam! I've been following the hummers but didn't check since Tuesday. Can't believe they moved that much in two days. Are these sitings by 'regular' people?

Yes local people can report a sighting I believe. Check the site just above the top map, there is a link to tell you how to report a sighting.

ngam, never thought of the highway dept. I was going to try the Dept. of Public Works, first. :-)

What I am waiting for is an official letter from Parks confirming their support, then I will approach other city dept.

Boy, I hope I am lucky on this one!

Now that I have a deck, I can grow morning glories, honeysuckles, or trumpet vines, up the posts and actually give the hummers some place to feed!

BTW, if I were to hit a green house right about now, oh boy is all I can say...beautiful pics!

Love the roses also!

I checked last year's map, ngam, and they were only halfway up SC on the 20th! That's quite a difference.