Polly's Garden Notes

Friday, November 17, 2006

Tomato season has ended

Tomato season ended a few weeks ago - quite late for this area. Very late frosts and a protected spot for the plants kept them going much longer than normal. I picked all the green tomatoes and brought them in. So I'm still enjoying the ripening grape tomatoes as a snack and in yummy guacamole. The Juliet grape tomato plants were very productive. Tons of tomatoes.

As usual, I kept thinking I'd get around to trying some green tomato salsa recipes, but I keep putting it off and guess what? The green tomatoes are ripening. Oh well, they're still tasty. Not sure they were really any better than store bought grape tomatoes - heresy to say that I know! But it was fun to grow them and have tons to pick whenever I wanted.

Cuttings of impatiens and geraniums

I took tons of cuttings from the beautiful apple blossom double impatiens that were hanging on the porch all summer. The ones in a jug of water have rooted nicely and are actually blossoming too. Another batch in a pot of soil and perlite have also taken root, though no real signs of growth yet.

The geraniums - not so sure about them. They don't look like they're dead, but they're not really growing yet. Hopefully I can still salvage the plant from the porch. We haven't had long hard freezes yet, so I think it's still alive. They're ones that I've overwintered for several winters now.

Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs

Thank goodness for a warm day last week. There were over 100 crocuses, 50 bluebells and a few packages of tulips waiting to be planted. They'd all been sprayed with a good dose of Ropel a few week ago. Racing against the sunset, I planted everything in about an hour. Nothing was planted carefully! The crocuses were scattered around the back lawn where the new grass is coming up. Some leftover daffodils that I found in the basement went in there too.

The tulips are are in two or 3 clumps in the back garden. All ready to become part of the deer buffet in the spring. The bluebells are back there too, mixed in amongst the shade plants. Think the bluebells will ever look like an English woodland? (Amazing photography on this web site: Trek Earth)

The lawn...

... is in a sad state after all the construction vehicles tore it up this summer. The ruts through our neighbor's yard are substantial. They were terrific about letting us use their lawn for access, we couldn't have done the construction without their cooperation. We'll be fixing their lawn in the spring.

In the meantime, I raked up some of the construction debris and scattered a bag of grass seed on our back lawn. It came up in a checkerboard pattern! It took root nicely in the little ridges of soil that I created as I raked in a nice orderly fashion. Oh well, there will probably be more construction there next summer. Time to put in a deck and some patio landscaping.

Moving Plants

I moved lots of plants in September and October. There were tons of hostas and astilbes to be rescued from the apartment garden. They're now tucked in with the daylilies and daffodils at the back of the house garden.

Two small blueberry bushes (twigs really) went in next to the new shed. They were freebies from an order of Meyer Lemon trees from Wayside Gardens. The rhubarb plants also moved to the shed area. Hoping to have a raised bed veggie garden there next year.

Some hollyhock seedlings went in on the sunny side of the shed. Our neighbors should have a pretty view of those next summer and we should be able to see them out the dining room window.

Friday, August 04, 2006

Plants that I saw in England

Euphorbia - good shrub - saw lots of it in Barnesdale Gardens and all over in other gardens. Check it out.

Ruskington Garden Centre - Lavandula Christiana - very tall
Ruskington Garden Centre - Echinacea Vintage Wine - very purpley pink
Ruskington Garden Centre - Cosmos atrosanguineum

Friday, July 07, 2006

Daylilies & daffodils

The daylilies were blooming in the window boxes and temporary pots. They had to be planted. And planted they were. But first I dug holes for the 100 or so daffodils that survived the spring in the basement.

The daylilies are spread over the top of the daffodils. With room for some more plants here and there. The daylilies will need to be rearranged when I see what colors they are and how big they get. I have some more astilbe and iris I can move to that bed too. And maybe some hosta too. Yikes, I'm running out of room again.

Roses

The two roses by the front door are Angel Face and Iceberg - I think. Both have a wonderful scent. Iceberg seems much more disease and bug resistant. Angel Face is looking might sad at the moment. A bit of tlc is needed.

I wonder where

red daylily,
originally uploaded by pollyalida.

this daylily got moved to? I'm sure I moved it out of the path of construction, but where did I put it?

Aug 4: I think I found it in the back garden. It should be safe till next year.

Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Salvia "Purple Rain"

Look for plants or seeds next year. Salvia verticillata Purple Rain. pic in july 2006 horticulture.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Pine Bush Plants

Pine Bush Lupine Festival was held today. A bit gray and dreary, with spitting rain, but still they seemed to have good turnout. And all the lupine plants were gone by the time I got there at 1:30. I should have realized that. Next year, earlier.

I did buy some "Great Blue Lobelia" or Lobelia Siphilitica. North Creek Nurseries has some nice pictures and cultural info. Odd, it's not really a sunny, dry, sandy soil kind of plant. Oh well, it's pretty, attracts hummingbirds and butterflies. Hopefully it will grow in the back garden.

Monday, April 17, 2006

Too many daylilies!

The Crescendo Daylily collection I ordered from White Flower Farm arrived last week. There were supposed to be 24 bare root daylilies. More like 30+!! And then there are the 300 daffodil bulbs that were on sale at Park Seed over the winter. They're all awaiting planting. But when????

Friday, March 31, 2006

Hydrangeas

Wayside garden has some nice hydrangeas. They white would look great against the red brick. Also in the back, it would glow from the partial shade.

Also Limelight hydrangea from Proven Winners looks like a good option.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Daffodils

Daffodils in bloom in North Carolina. Park Seed had a great special on daffodil bulbs this winter - $25 for 300 bulbs - plus one of those big lightweight pots that look like stone. Of course, I couldn't plant the 3oo bulbs in upstate NY in the dead of winter (though it was warm enough in January for about a week!) So they're stored in a box full of styrofoam packing peanuts. They'll go out as soon as the ground thaws and the garden will be awash with them next spring.