Just a little gardening news today, to take our minds off worldly concerns -- which is what a garden is for, right?
First, a picture of the pink persicaria flowers reflected in a glass tabletop in our living room. That's the Chinese lantern plant just behind it -- even though it's out of focus, you can see how bushy and vigorous it is!
As I was mowing the lawn last night, I noticed this little plant at the edge of one of our flower beds. I think it's a poppy. What it's doing there, I'm not sure -- it may have come over on its own from Mrs. Kravitz, because she has purple poppies in her yard. If that's what it is, I'm glad to have it!
I planted some poppy seeds in other parts of the garden, but they're a different variety and some of those have sprouted too. So hopefully we'll have a few different colors of poppies later in the season.
Our first rose has appeared, one of the nondescript pink ones. (As you can see, there are several more coming right behind it.)
And the biggest garden story of the day -- our passion flower vine is NOT DEAD! Remember how I severely cut it back last winter? It seemed utterly lifeless and we'd given up on it -- we even seriously considered dumping the pot and starting over -- but yesterday I found little green sprouts emerging. Whew! I am so relieved. I like that plant and I felt guilty for my radical pruning job. It may not bloom this year, but that's fine -- now it's only a matter of time.
Time heals everything! (Isn't that a song?)
Gardens are certainly not places to "take our minds off worldly concerns". They are places for caterpillars, slugs, snails and squirrels to eat. To them a garden is simply a buffet restaurant.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with YP, I only have a tiny garden but to sit on the bench is refreshing, just gazing around at the various plants and letting my mind wander.
ReplyDeleteI love the Persicaria, its funny but it reminded me of my Dad who always used to say, if you don't know the name of a plant call it pesicarius, lol
Briony
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Your rose is a lovely pink color. There's nothing like a garden for peace and relaxation.
ReplyDeleteWhen is school out for you, Steve?
"Persicaria."
ReplyDeleteOkay. That's one I never heard of but isn't it pretty?
Glad your passion flower is resurrecting. It's a miracle! No, actually, it's just really cool. I just looked out at the fence where my red passion flower grows and realized that obviously it's been sending out new tendrils and leaves for at least a month or two. I've not been very observant. I also wasn't worried.
passion flower is basically a weed. impossible to kill. and yes that's what gardens are for and why I've been spending so much time in mine this year. I like that persicaria. I'll have to put it on my plant list.
ReplyDeleteReally nice to see that passion flower still alive. Flowers are a beautiful balance to these times we are living in.
ReplyDeleteFunny how we worry about something that we think might have gone wrong due to our action. So you're off the hook as the plant survived.
ReplyDeleteWe filled a big container with first some gravel (that SWMBO scraped up from the side of the road), then 3 cubic feet of potting soil and soaked it down good a couple of days ago. Then the Master Gardener planted red and yellow tomato plants and a couple of Marigolds (allegedly to keep evil bugs away.) And she started basil, lemon thyme and Greek oregano in three smaller pots to go with our thriving Italian parsley and mint plants. If all of these do well, we will have quite a garden this year.
ReplyDeleteI went back and looked at your "cutting back" of the passion flower. I'm very surprised, and happy, that it survived. They put out such a beautiful flower. The Phoenix agaves are very striking. I'm even more bummed out that ours fell over.
ReplyDeleteI love those blooms in the first photo. You are right about gardens. That garden I enjoyed in Oregon made me wish I could just stay there. It was so beautiful and so peaceful. So unlike the news of the day.
ReplyDeleteThere is something magical about green leaves unfurling, whether from seed or from a dead-looking stalk! You have such a green thumb.
ReplyDeleteIf everyone would get busy growing a garden we wouldn't be having the bad news days . . . honestly, you just think it can't get more grotesque and the tweets start up again . . .
Have you ever tried growing food? Your photos of the greenery and flowering plants are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteHurray for the passion flower!
ReplyDeleteI'm in complete awe of all the wonderful gardens I see in blogs - including yours! I think gardening is a real art. Probably it is similar to painting. You add color and texture where you think it would look best and arrive at a finished work of art. I do my best but gardening just doesn't come naturally to me so the result isn't usually what I had hoped for. I'm better with canvas and a brush!
ReplyDeleteYP: Well, that's true too! LOL!
ReplyDeleteBriony: Ha! Your dad's advice is funny. Persicaria DO seem to be everywhere, and it's a vigorous grower, so he's kind of right!
Jennifer: June 17th is our last workday. But the kids are done before then. We have to stay and clean up after them!
Ms Moon: A miracle!
Ellen: Well, I thought that, and I remember you saying that before. But it's amazing how long it took to produce any greenery. I really thought it was dead.
Robin: They really are! When I get distressed about the "big picture" I just go into the garden and look at plants and bugs and everything that seems to be going right.
Red: Whew!
Catalyst: Cool! Have you posted pictures of this? We're going to want to see it! One word of advice about using gravel from the side of the road -- sometimes it contains road salt, which isn't good for plants. I don't know if your roads get salted in the winter, but if they do, it's something to keep in mind. (Since it's all already planted at this point I guess you just have to keep your fingers crossed!)
Allison: Not only are the flowers beautiful but the bees love them, too. So yes, I'm glad they'll return!
Sharon: Our neighbor Mrs Kravitz calls those flowers "lollipops."
Jenny-O: There is something to be said for investing our time in positive pursuits, as opposed to listening to all the grousing and arguing on TV and in the media. I mean, I read the paper every day, so I'm not ignoring it, but I can only take so much of those talking heads and their endless debates. I'd rather garden!
E: Well, we have our three potato plants this year, and we've planted tomatoes in the past. But generally speaking we're not big on food. I'd rather use our limited space for ornamentals.
Sabine: Woo hoo!
Sue: And I can't use a brush to save my life. I guess we all have our talents. :) The thing I like about gardens, in addition to the artistic aspect, is that they're NEVER finished. They are constantly changing and evolving.