A Graduated Flower Bed

Free seed packet template 

at the bottom of the post

Someone, please help me identify my plant !
I just received a message on my Pinterest pin from Erin Bronson.( if your looking for some really great boards to follow, she has great boards)

It's a LIMON TALINUM

I took an existing oval rock flower bed, sectioned it in half. The north end I started on one side raised it 3ft with layers of flat rocks. As the rocks came back around to the other side the rocks sloped to 12 inches.
 Early next Spring I'll try to get a picture before my variegated water grass gets so tall.

I took 10 " PVC pipe, cut one the 3 ft. and the other 2 ft. Placed the sections of pipe in the flower bed where I wanted to place my planters AKA flower pots, then filled in the flower bed with dirt around the pipe. I did dig the pipe in as to get it level. I then filled the pipe about half full of rocks...good way to get rid of the rocks that seem to grow in the yard. 

In this post, I'm only talking about the raised section of the flower bed.

In the tallest pot I don't have a clue what this plant is, and would really be thrilled if any of you do know what it is and tell me. I bought it last Summer and it's not like me to buy a plant w/out a tag, I did. This is 4 plants I started from seed....very easy to grow, loves the sun and grows very fast. The spikes are filled with teeny tiny pink-red flowers that turn to seed pods. The seeds are very small. I would compare the size to those of carrot seeds, very small. I didn't save a lot of seeds, but they all came up, I planted them everywhere. In the second lower pot I planted white and pink PURSELANE around Foxglove, which was beautiful but long gone after it quit blooming.

Wyoming Canna

  are planted in the bed at the tallest end. They came up from last year.

here's a free seed packet  template
SAVE YOUR SEEDS

Click HERE to see more seed packet templates

Plant Journal 2013 Purple Hyacinth

PURPLE HYACINTH 2013

Not a good season this year. We had cool temps and lots of rain till after mid-July and they love the hot temps. It was so cool, dark and rainy we lost the tomato plants. The last two weeks of July the temps went back to normal and while it was too late for the tomatoes, the Purple Hyacinth decided to start it's beautiful showing of dark purple leaves and pretty bloom that quickly turn into those pretty purple bean pods

2013 Plant Journal Pink Night Lilly

Pink Night Lilly

Such a pretty flower. Only blooms at night.  'Beauty of the night'. . So easy to grow and adds a lot of color to any flower bed. My seeds were given to me 7 years ago by a dear friend. Every year since they have adorned my yard. I have lots of seeds. If you would like some of these beauties there's a button at the bottom of this post, to purchase them. I'm charging $ 3.50 for 20 seeds, but the charge covers the shipping and handling as the seeds are not tiny. If all my seeds don't find their way to another garden I'll put them back up next Spring. 

I plant mine for next Spring now. The ones in my journal page below were planted late Summer early Fall last year. I'll get the pictures of my mother plant up soon.

Mirabilis jalapa

I store my seeds in a 3x5 file box so I made my own seed packet....and for you....there's a free seed packet template...print, use and enjoy !

Here's a little gift for you.

A free printable seed packet envelope.

CLICK the image to save as, download, print & make

Your Tropical Plants Will Benefit if They are set on a Wet Gravel Bed.

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I hate that I haven't gotten this post written sooner........as we're at the Summer's end and the cool days of Fall will soon be bringing us cooler days, but when I bring the houseplants in for the winter I'm going to keep them through the winter with this method

.I've had this fern, this has been it's third season. The stinker has been a real pill to grow and keep and has never grown more that it did this season. I did something different this year. I placed aquarium gravel in a birdbath, set the fern in the birdbath and kept water in it all season.The fern grew more and put off more new frons than it has in the three years I've had it.

Just a few weeks ago I purchased an Angel's Trumpet plant. The video I found on YouTube  how to care for the Angel's Trumpet said because it was tropical, the best way to keep tropical plants was to set them in a shallow saucer with watered  gravel.

I bought one of the clear trays, filled it with aquarium gravel.

The plant has improved since doing this. Before there were all kinds of leaves turning yellow and dropping off, that has virtually stopped.

Along with the gravel tray I had some  coconut soil I added to the top of the soil.

Coconut Soil 

2013 Plant Journal Monkey Grass

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This would be a good time to tell you all
about MIRACLE GRO singles
 The single packets are so convenient and if you've ever had a container get all sticky and moist, you will love these little packets.
DON'T FORGET TO ADD  2 TBS EPSOM SALTS per gallon.
It really boosted my plants this season

2013 Plant Journal ANGEL'S TRUMPET

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There's a new plant on the patio....ANGEL TRUMPET

I drive by a nursery everyday on my way to anywhere and for several days I had been watching this beautiful huge plant with this white drooping . Every time going by I would look to make sure it was still there. This bloomwent on for more than two weeks. I suspected it hadn't sold because it either wasn't for sale or priced too high .Last weekend my Husband got tired of me saying " look at that plant" and pulled in. It was for sale and well within my budget...........but dang....I need another plant like I need 4 more rooms in my house to clean !!!!

       The nursery attendant was very discouraging.........she didn't know who she was trying to discourage. Loaded in the Explorer and headed home. ....

       After it was unloaded and hauled to the patio I went inside got out the trusty iPad and typed in ANGEL'S  TRUMPET. Everything she had told me was wrong. Over the years I've learned those people watering the flowers at the nurseries just spit information out ,that is not always correct.   Look the information up yourself.

Isn't this beautiful.....it's in serious need of a larger container.
I'll keep it in the garage over winter where there is lots of Eastern sun. That's where the Rubber Tree lives in the Winter.

If you think you would like to own an Angel's Trumpet here is an excellent video on caring for it. Check back Spring 2014 and see how she made it through the Winter.






If this video did not show up on your mobile device here's the link

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6l_EEEscZE

        I need to note...this plant is poisonous and you should watch your pets around it, keep the dead blooms and leaves picked up off the ground. I wear rubber gloves anytime I'm gardening, you should too 

    

The Wyoming Canna

If you love Cannas this one will sure add vibrant color to your garden

I purchased these bulbs at Walmart's garden dept. in 2011.

Last Summer I planted the bulbs in large planters on the East side of the house.

They didn't survive the Winter in the planters but two of the bulbs I planted

in a flowerbed came up this year.

Oh the color is so vibrant, when the afternoon sun is 

shinning on it, it looks like an orange flame of fire

in the yard....just beautiful

I wanted to share this journal entry with you  because the color is so vibrant.

If you grew Cannas this summer and you took pictures I would love it if you

shared with me and let me post them here with mine. I want to give you the credit too, if you don't mind.

Hit my Facebook button and send me your pictures and information via FB message.

Flowering Mother of Thyme

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When I purchased this this Spring it was in pretty sad shape. I love ground covers and was willing to see if I could bring it around.

I wanted a ground cover to plant in this shallow Hypertufa planter I made last Fall.

What I got for my trouble and faith has paid off.....it is beautiful ! It drapes over the planter with this cascade of tiny purple flowers against a dark green foliage.

This Fall, I will plant it in the ground, as I mentioned, the planter is shallow.

If you've never grown Flowering Mother of Thyme and you want pretty and dainty in your garden, plant some.

This sets in the afternoon hot sun.

The little elephant was a yard-sale find.

It was intended to be a small side table....

Click on the lower right corner of the image to

go to the post about making this planter

Variegated Hydrangea

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This is my Variegated Hydrangea, I planted it 3 years ago.Purchased it from Lowe's as a 10" annual. Last year was the first time I saw blooms.

The blooms are this beautiful cluster of very small flowers and on the outside of the cluster, there will be a few regular-size hydrangea blooms.

The second year, half the plant was V

variegated and half was not. If any of you have one and it is the same way, I would love to hear from you. I suspect it might e two plants or was propagated.

This photo shows the two faces of the plant. Notice the blooms on the non-variegated are more of a pink color. When the pink bloom, I'll update the post.

My Oak Leaf Hydrangeas , on the South side of the house bloomed 3 weeks ago.( Whoever lived here and planted them, was not very plant-wise) This plant is on the North side of the house, which is where Hydrangeas should e planted.

I've already cut all the blooms off the Oak Leaf and have several blooms drying.

I've put a link at the end of this post to show you how I dry mine.

This picture shows the two different color of blooms on the same plant

Drying Hydrangea

click on the lower right corner of
the image




Here's a pretty floral  arrangement
using your Hydrangea blooms

click on the lower right corner
of the image

Keep a Journal of Plants

Plant Tag

I bought simple cheap journals at the dollar store. All the plant tags that come in the plants I purchase are glued to the pages of the journal. On the bigger tags I use the whole page next to it for information on that plant. I write where I purchased the plant, what year and the plants progress or problems. I also add all the information from the back of the plant tag , such as, how much sun the plant needs etc...
 It's been really helpful in knowing when to fertilize in the Spring. 

I like this type of journal for my perennials, it's secured with an elastic band. I can store the tags until I have time to put them in the journal.

Pages from my Plant Journal;

Gladiolas 

This is why I started keeping a journal. As you can see when the  Gladiolas bloomed they  do  not look like  the ones on  the label of the pkg.

Flowering Mother of Thyme

 I keep a separate journal for seeds and annuals.. 

Keeping these journals is a lot less trouble than you think and it's sure been helpful learning where to buy and where not to buy. I was surprised at the brands of plants and where they were purchased  did depend on their success or failure. 
This was especially helpful with seeds and very small plants.

Plastic Fencing for Veining Plants

I didn't know this product existed until I stumbled on to it in the garden department.

I'm glad I did I was trying ti figure how to get my Purple Hyacinth to climb up my light pole. I stapled  it on the side of the house where I had planted the Purple Hyacinth   as a ground cover also

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION

The YARDGARD 40 in. x 25 ft. Garden Fence is a multi-purpose fence made from plastic. The flexible plastic material can be formed into just about any shape you need for your enclosure. The material is lightweight and easy to install. The green color blends with most landscapes. The fence can be used for protecting gardens and newly-planted areas, surrounding compost piles or creating play and pet areas.

• Plastic material bends easily to form the enclosure you want
• Green fence blends with most outdoor backgrounds
• Lightweight material for an easy-to-transport and an easy-to-dissemble fence
• Helps screen and protect gardens, newly-planted areas, play areas and pet pens
• Approximate mesh size of 1-1/4 in. x 1 in. for an ample view through the fence
• MFG Model # : 889250A
• MFG Part # : 889250A

Growing Purple Hycanth Seeds

Soak overnight in a solution of Miracle Gro

Plant in a potting soil especially for starting seeds.

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