August Blooms

I'm going to go dig up and relocate our 2 daturas now...maybe they will still bloom and grow bigger if they get more sun. I'll let you know how it works. Gita, the seed pods are really interesting. They look like 'brains' or something!

We are having a few really picture perfect days here, as far as the weather goes. Sunny, nice, low humidity; a real delight for early August :)

We have 2 raised beds that my mother made us...didn't ask her to make another...I'm not in the least bit handy with woodworking and my DH didn't seem like he wanted to do it, so we purchased another one. We have no idea how it is going to work out. Today, we are going to put it together.

This is a bud of 'naughty marietta' marigold ~ started from seeds ~ now blooming in a border

wind,

I hope the relocating works! Remember--Daturas don't like their roots messed with--and they have long, fat roots that can go a couple feet out.

Good lick, though! Gita

Gita, Thank you for the seeds. They came in the mail today.
Caladiums sitting in pots next to my front entrance. There is my fern leaf bleeding heart squeezed in between the pots and the wall still blooming away.
BTW 5yr old JR took this picture.

Chris LOVE that Phlox!!! Does it have a nice scent?

Chantell, It does have a nice scent, not over powering that it knocks you over going past.

Chantell, didn't you get some of my Robert Poore at the swap? I had oodles of it and even brought a couple of extras. If you didn't, I'll be glad to bring you some next time. I'm sure I can scratch up another piece.

Mine is very strongly scented, Chris, and smells heavenly.

CALCIUM - 25 has been around for twenty five years. Backyard and patio flower folks should take a few minutes and really read into this product and what it can do for many plants.

The following two pictures were taken at the same time and in as much as possible from the same viewing angle in the same patch late afternoon this past week.

The bed is about twenty six feet along the back side of our patio. Using exactly the same spring prep and fertilization for this thirty inch wide bed the seedlings and plant liners were planted. When the majority of the plants had three or four new leaves Calcium - 25 was applied one time to the portion of the bed in the second picture. It was not applied to the first picture. Your eyes and observation may make the evaluation.

This is picture # 1 untreated showing about six feet of the bed.

This is picture #2 the treated six feet.

I have no relationship to or with this company. You can call up their web site using the words Calcium - 25. Twenty dollars worth would be enough for most to work with for three or four years.

This message was edited Aug 10, 2008 7:31 PM

Pretty impressive Doc, You really know your stuff when it comes to composting and soil enrichment.
My tropical corner.

Holly, I need some "tropical" it has been rainy and is 60º, feels like fall, sigh!

Wow, that is some nasty weather you have. Ours has been pretty good but we have been having these thunderstorms that roll through, really quick and then gone. Today we had a pretty bad one with a lot of hail, and then 1 hour later we were all outside having a Barbeque and a quick dip in the pool.
I'm not quite sure what I will do this Fall with all the Topical I have acquired this summer. LOL
Although my son Josh, has bought a house and it's huge. It's in 1876 stone house with 5 bedrooms. That means that all his stuff will finally be gone from my house and boy he sure has a lot of stuff. So I will have some more space for my plants. The rule here was that they could leave their stuff here until they bought a house then it all goes and it doesn't come back. LOL
Boungainvilla, Raspberry Ice
.

And the bloom

Gotta look that up Doc....mail order only or do the big box stores carry it?

Diane - would love to have some of yours if you have some to share next time around!!!

Bey, All..

I just posted yjr next segment of pictures from my Latvia trip.....
Just FYI......

I have had to move to part #2 of the "Greetings from Latvia" Post as some people were having difficulties loading in the Post #1.

Please go there to follow up........Gita

doc- again we're enlightened thru your explorations and sharing--Thanks. A noticeable difference.
Holly- do tell a brief history of Raspberry Ice. Did you buy this spring as a basket, etc?

No, I've had it for years. I ordered two of them years ago, one for me and my friend. Can't remember which catalogue but it was one of the pricier ones and it was just a little stick with a couple of leaves. LOL
My friend didn't have much luck with hers but mine has done very well. It's pretty big for a Northern houseplant and blooms all the time for me. Here is a picture from last winter. The leaves were a little sparse when I took this picture but it was flowering like crazy.
One of these days I need to take cuttings and see if I can get them to root.

"One of these days I need to take cuttings and see if I can get them to root.'

Yes, you do.

LOL

Sally, you'll get my first success.

*drooling* - Holly does that have a fragrance?

Chantell, I think I might still have a pot of Robert Poore out back from the big one I divided. If not, I can get you a piece of one of the ones I didn't divide.

I love bougainvillea. When we were in Santa Barbara years ago, I loved just walking around drooling over the bougainvillea growing all over people's houses the way English ivy would grow here.

That variegated is gorgeous, Holly.

Ahhh Diane - thank you so much!!!!

Google will find Calcium - 25 for you. As always read and study carefully. The big box stores do not have it.

Holly, I envy your Caladiums just didn't have any luck over wintering mine, and I followed your instructions. : ( I might try again sometime.

Hart, I think you are the one that sent me the Agastache seeds the first year I couldn't see what the big deal was with this plant, but this year it is showing me it beauty. Thank you !

Love-lies-bleeding. Have to do more soil work in this new garden bed, the plants are not growing to their full size.

I have this mum blooming already! Is this an early sign of fall? Oh My!

Castor Bean.

Chantell, No I don't think it smells at all.
Lady, Beautiful plants love the color on the Castor Bean. Bet that is an impressive plant. Check out the Caladium co-op this Feb. It's just the best place to get Caladiums and the prices are so good you won't even care if they don't overwinter.
Delphinium Pagan Purple, This is my only Del and I will really need to get more It's just so beautiful.

Flowers group at my lamppost bed. I love the way this variegated sedum looks with the annuals behind it. Can't wait to see it bloom.

Morning glories on the back deck

Holly thank for the tip on the co-op. Could you remind me in Feb if you think about it. "My mind is a terrible thing to waste" LOL

Sigh! my delphinium didn't bloom this year. They are a hard plant to grow and bloom for most folks, but when we do succeed we do the happy dance! That is a beauty!

OT, just to add a picture, here is the sand sculpture in progress at the Irish Fest in Dublin, Ohio that I attended August 1 and 2nd, what a great time!

Crepe Myrtle "Royal Burgundy" check out my hummer. This little grouping is just next to my Gazebo and I can sit and watch the hummers coming and going all day long.

I'll make sure you know about it. They are really the nicest bulbs at such good prices. The Irish Festival sounds like fun, I am amazed at some of the pictures I've seen of those sand sculptures.
View of the whole bed.

I had really mixed results with my caladiums and EEs this year. My best ones were overwintered undisturbed in their peat-moss soil from the big store where I got them in the fall., then planted in bright shade, large pot, some golden creeping jenny. My EE are not competeing well with some plectranthus in their mized pot. Now afraid to try and rip it all apart, that would probably set the EEs back and make a big mess too. But maybe I should.....

Chris - LOVE that pic!!! So glad to hear your comments on delphiniums....I tried 2x last year with those and none survived..very sad!!!
Sally - some of the EE's are hardy to our area....just mulch em' real well come fall. I've put both my Black Magic (I think that's the one) and my Illustris IN the ground this year...too many pots to be hauling back and forth...and have to make room for the plumies that have put on SO much growth...won't even discuss the Brugs....ugh

chantell- seeing is believing- maybe you have a snapshot of your black EE. I do have a good warm bed I could try it in. I am really tempted to slice one out of the combo pot and pot it by itself to see if it will catch up any.
LOL don't you hate it when plants grow so much??
I had a new flower today- first hardy passion flower from cutting from SUsan51 at hart's swap.
I'm going to be moving some iris if we get a little rain to loosen up the soil. Pretty dry here.

Sally, I asked my DIL how her Black EE's were doing and she isn't having much luck either. She said they were doing very well in the pot but getting too big so she planted them in the yard and it was all down hill from there. Hers are so bad that she is digging them back up and putting them back into a pot figures it won't hurt them any at this point.

Do Elephant Ears flower, even inconspicuously? I never had them, never noticed.
This looks better in person, rusty pole not withstanding.

Celosia spicata, the only white one in the bunch

Heliopsis helianthoides var. scabra . 'Not Chocolate Daisy' could be the new cultivar name

Japanese Anemones