To Chase Away The Winter Blues...3

scicciarella, that is a beauty! Don't mind me - I'm on an annual kick this year. : ) I thought you might want to know a little bit more about your pool turning your hair green.That could still happen with a salt system, the salt system turns the salt into a form of chlorine (Sodium Hyopchlorite ). It is the same ingredient that is in household bleach. is the name, but what actually turns people hair green is an improper chemical balance. As long as you keep your pool balanced at the right levels, you hair won't turn green. : )

Love that Stokes aster, Victor. Luscious color!

Early bloomer, those foxgloves look spectacular! I want my gardens to look like that. I have ordered lots of foxglove seeds this year. I have a patch of foxgloves that came up on their own from seed last year and will bloom this year. I put the seedlings all in one area, and put others in my English cottage style garden at the front of the house. I can't wait to see them bloom!

I want some red delphs! Very pretty. I'm getting a variety of delph seeds this year.

Karen

so karen you are now and the red delph band wagon lol if anyone gets a plant they have to promise to share the seeds lol

I'll share seeds with you, Mona, if I get that delph plant. However, if it is a patented variety then it may be that it won't come true to seed. Daylilies are like that. Hybrids don't come true, you have to buy divisions or tissue culture plants. I stick with divisions. If I know a seller is doing tissue culture, then I won't buy from that seller unless I know that the plants they are selling have been growing in their gardens at least 3 years so they are guaranteed not to revert.

Karen

carolianum delphinium
common name
princess caroline
fire red in color lol
a real perennial zone 4 to 8
link
http://www.northwesthort.com/catplant.asp?pid=817

I left a message they sell in bulk large bulk lol
maybe I can get some seeds of plugs or something lol

this will do for now lol


This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 10:34 PM

But Mona, didn't you say the ones you saw were 6' high? That one only gets 3'. Not that it's not tall, and it sure is striking.

Karen

Here is clematis Rooguchi with oakleaf hydrangea Pee Wee.

Oh, very pretty, Victor!

Karen

Thanks, Karen!

It is very prettiful Victor. yes we on the red delph quest are a special bred. Wise words cousin nutsfor. Also delphs are famous for cross polination so any new babies will probably be a somethingsomething colour for sure.

I never had that problem since I am in the habbit of putting my perennial seeds at the bottom of the mother plant and it just grows more babies and it rare that they are not a mirrow image of the parent but I do not mix colors of the same genre in the same bed I plant a large amount of each so maybe that is why they end up the same colors lol

I am beefull. Usually 3 colonys nesting in my garden each year. "If it can be cross pollinated they will come" is my motto. Right now I have only my cool blue/purple PGs. I had whites and they were cross pollinated to blues/purples so I yanked them. I depend on babies from babies. I grow most of my herbaceous perenials from seed so I depend on true babies.

I do not have that many bees mostly bumble bees slow and lazy they just kind of wonder around I have to pollinate most of my vegies send me some of those bees dont be mean share will you hahhahahahha

I have a pink lupine that I swear was red when it started out. I think what happened is the red one dropped seeds, died, and a pink on grew in it's place.

Karen

Bumblers are my total favs scicciarella ^_^ They sleep in my dahlias. I don't have a nest YET but they are plentiful in the garden so I know they nest nearby. Once we finish all the the hardscaping I'm going to set up a nest environment and cross my figures and toes and hope they move in. CCG (Colonly Colapse Disorder for those who aren't into bees) is a horrible and sweeping through NA. In some areas the bees have totally dispeared. Always good news to hear that someone has bees. My bees are: bumblers, honey bees, yellow jackets, hornets, wasps and leaf cutters. I'm trying to identify all the hornets and wasps but other than the white faced black hornets I haven't nailed them down. I want miner bees too but I don't know now to attract them.

Do you mean mason bees?

My lupins self sow like crazy and obviously cross polinate I've been working on a true red lupin for years from seed from my friends red one. The best I've gotten is a hot pink/red checkerboard (which I luv so ok) all from seed. I don't mind. I like trying.

Dahluanut You might look into this type of bee http://enature.com/fieldguides/detail.asp?source=&parkid=&searchText=&allSpecies=&shapeID=1008&lshapeID=0&curAbbr=&lastView=default&lastGroup=4&lastRegion=2217&lastFilter=4&lastShapeName=&trackType=&curRegionID=2217&size=&habitat=&fruit=&color=&sortBy=family&curFamilyID=®ionSelect=Eastern+Canada®ionZIP=&curGroupID=4&lgfromWhere=&curPageNum=7
http://www.masonbeehomes.com/

Yupper same thing wren. Masonry/miner beeds. They have red bums here and nest in the ground. Little holes side by side by side. They are the most human friendly bees; not stingful.

The web site for the orchard mason bees is a Canadian site. There is a lot of these site where you can order the bees. They usually ship them out in Feb so they maybe all sold out for this year. I have a couple of the nest boxes and have seen these bees among my flowers, I also have honey bees.

Dnut: I feel badly telling you that the Delph you are lusting for was sold last summer at the local Home Depot & Lowe's. I will ask if either store might be carrying it again - Neither place had very many; when I went back to buy, there were none. Very striking & tall.

Mason bees are the first bees on the scene in late winter for us. They perform the early pollination tasks & are quite interesting to observe. I have a couple Mason Bee Condos (such a nice landlord I am!) for them, but they lay eggs anywhere there is a small opening, so I have plenty every year.

I have been told that the Bee population is dwindling out my way. However, I have so many of the natives, and Honeybees as well. I thought it might be different for those who have a wide variety of bloomers over an extended season. I have things blooming from February through mid-November, & so far, no Bee shortage that is discernable. Perhaps this is more noticeable in an urban setting?

This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 7:19 PM

I am in a urban setting, thought we do have some wood lands around, last winter I had to feed the bees. I saw a bee out looking for flower on a dark over cast, cold day and know there was a problem. Put out a plate with honey on it and the bee feed.Two days later I was feeding about 50+ bees. LOL
At least I still have the honey bees.

What's really scary is bees are disappearing from orchards and farms first and still hanging in in urban environments from what I've read. Here is the work of my leaf cutter bees. Smart bees they only take a third of the leaf so they don't kill the host plant. They luv John Cabot roses over all others in my area. Too funny, variety persnickety bees.

edit: oops I've beejacked the thread. Sorry (oops)

This message was edited Jan 13, 2009 8:30 PM

Love the roses. Wish they where easier to grow down here.

I was concerned the past 2 years, but the Honeybees eventually made it to my property!
It was such a cool summer that many things bloomed later than normal - the native Bees never got fazed.
There are so many places for Bees to nest here, and I think there may be someone closeby that has hives.
The bald-faced hornets I can do without - they are aggressive little dudes. Most of the wasps are ok, too. The Hornets need to be reckoned with though. They chase me & the dogs out of the vegetable garden starting July.
Funny, but irritating. I always remind them who's the Boss!

I have to weatherproof the cedar fence this summer which has a wasp colony. It will be interesting. Usually me and the bees cohabit quite well but this could be a little too threatening for them when I slather over their front door. Anyone know a good bee whisperer?

I had one chase me on the front lawn.... neighbors must get confirmation i am nuts

Do it at night!!!!!!

What with the singing, dances of joy and gardening in my red statin pjs and screamin orange sweater I not sure whether I'm a hit with the neighbours or on neighbourhood watch. DH is a swatter so gets chased alot. Me and the bees have a good giggle about it