Cottage Garden Seed Swap & Chat #13

Blurry picture of just some of the campanula - I think these are clustered bellflowers.

I have two flats of campanula "blue clips"! Are campanula usually so slow to grow?

The four larger plants in the background are Bluebeard Caryopteris incana "Blue Myth"

The six in the front are Jupiter's Beard Centranthus ruber (these seeds are from granpapa, via illoquin)

various balloon flowers (my shell pink seeds didn't work . . . darn . . . buts lots of blue and white and dwarf blue). Also some Texas star hibiscus

four fairy snapdragons - still don't know where to place them.

Helichrysum "Silver Mist" - managed to get four plants (what a pain!)

yellow hibiscus

A rather bad picture of a volunteer datura! Honestly, I planted seeds Feb. 8 - and did they grow???? NO! But volunteers? Man, I had about 10 volunteers . . . go figure.

The little brug in the middle is one of 12 I grew this year. I gave away 9 and kept 3, so now I have 7 brugs. probably too many. oh well.

This is not a very good shot of the lavender cascade petunias with cana lilies I grew from seed. The petunias looked amazing in June - but are past their prime now. That will teach me not to wait until July to take pictures!

One of my small flower containers with pinto salmon geraniums from Pamsue and "fantasy mix" petunias. (sorry, only part way through sorting all the seeds last year did I figure out I should record who I received the seeds from . . . I will do better in the future!)

These containers are on the balcony edge of DH's office. Originally, I had placed them on the front steps, one container on each step. It looked like a waterfall of petunias, but DH was concerned that the letter carrier would trip. - Really, he just wanted them for himself.

Here are some Torenia fournieri in my side garden

hahahahahaha . . . . what looks like grass is actually little baby gladiola corms that I saved from last year. I have about 150 planted all over the place! I figure if did them up and plant them again next year, by 2010 I will actually have 100+ flowering glads (though where I will put them is beyond me . . . and what do I do with all the new baby corms I get . . . . ?????)

This is Huskers Red Penstemon (not sure who sent the seeds). Anyway, I have three very healthy plants which I recently planted in my front yard.

Here is a picture of a group of neighbours last year building a garden on the end of the terrace (OMG!!!!!!!! The "dirt" was rock hard!)

Here is what it looks like now

Here is the fountain garden last year

Here it is now (sorry, it's not a very good picture). This is the south garden

Here is a picture of Kondike Cosmos and blue batchelor buttons from the South Garden

Here are some Agastache Honey Bee Blue (from critter, I believe) Anyway, I planted these to replace about 15 or more batchelor buttons that were flopping all over the place.

This summer will be a gradual process of removing annuals and replacing will perennials.

Cracker Jack marigolds in the south garden

Yarrow "Summer Berries" in the South Garden

orange profusion zinnia with calendula in the background (still south garden)

The north garden of the terrace was rather tricky - it is very shady. I dug up two of my overgrown Johnson's Blue geranium and made about 12 new plants which I planted here. I had cut off all of the leaves so it looked like I just planted sticks! Anyway, this shows the regrowth

We dug up all the hosta that had been planted around the fountain - and then we had to find home for them. Here we planted some at the base of some trees. Others were used in a different part of the terrace to hide tree stumps, or in other smaller gardens, DH and I created.

Here is a picture of the north garden - not much to look at, but it is all planted with baby perennials - either folliage, or will bloom either white or blue. There are some white snapdragons, but next year I think I will use white wax begonias.

Hopefully, things will fill in and look like something in 2009.

Next year, our neighbourhood is responsible for the annual block party and I want the terrace gardens to look terrific!

Here are red salvia and midnight dreams petunias from the west garden. Things I have learned - I love the salvia - but it's in the wrong garden. I would put it in the south garden next year.

The west garden should be more hot pinks, magentas - and the bright red just clashes toooo much.

Seandor, you flowers are soooo pretty. : ) I still have a bunch of seedling to plant out, also. Seems like everytime, lately, that I have time to work, it starts raining.....and then there's the weeds I have to go after. I need to clone me. lol : )

Here is a Purple Amaranth (Amaranthus cruentus) I know I got these seeds in trade, but again I foolishly forgot to record from whom. I can hardly wait to see it in bloom. This is one annual I will definitely want to grow again! I think this plant works well in the west garden

I sure understand the longing for a clone! Here is another picture of the West garden showing Black Prince snaps. I would grow these again as well.

The hot pink dianthus are called "Brilliancy" but I suspect they are the same as Zing Rose (which I also have, still waiting to be planted out


This message was edited Jul 17, 2008 4:49 PM

Here is a shot of nicotania "lime" from the East garden. This is a great plant for flower arrangements - but I certainly don't need so many! I would grow maybe three - not the ten I ended up with (some are on the terrace, like these, four are in my garden)

Here are some poppies from the East garden

I love my Black Princes. My camera never gets the color right for some reason, on those. Your cameras color did really good. : )

I don't know about your area,...but I had 1 Purple Amaranth last year, and now I have quite a few coming up in different places. They really like it here. lol

Here is a long shot of the east garden. It is supposed to be soft pastel shades - but I had some surprises - somehow nicotania seeds were mixed with the petunias, also, many of the mini snaps were much more vibrant than the soft lavender I was expecting.

I am slowly replacing the annuals with perennials. I don't think I would bother with petunias on the terrace. There is a lot of deadheading to do and the bugs seem to relish their blossoms.

Where is the "nicotania "lime" picture, did I miss it?

OK, I think I see them now in the garden shot. : )

Well, after having datura self-sow, who knows what can happen?

Here is where many of the extra annuals ended up. Our neighbourhood has been campaigning to have our streets turned into cul-de-sacs. These huge pots were put in place as a temporary measure. I bought potting soil that featured moisture pellets and fertilizer, then I planted red savlia, blue petunias, white small dahlias, and morning glories. (I thought a patriotic theme might help our cause). Anyway, not all the petunias ended up being blue - some were yellow (I wondered where those were) and others were white.

Nicotania lime

A closer look at one of the pots