Preparing for the Winter

Not as pretty as I'd like this fall but that's okay. I didn't see ornamental kale until at Primex this weekend. Everything was beautiful there. Bulbs in the store and the largest amaryllis I've seen, paper whites, and a sea of bulbs and other things to get me in trouble. Not to mention plants in the greenhouse. I only went there for preserved sheet moss and Organic Mechanic potting soil. The variety of pansies at Home Depot was poor and they arrived after I did my planter so I really squeezed those 2 in and hope they survive. Would have loved orange ones from Primex but I didn't buy any.

I  removed the geraniums I grew and replaced with pansies. They wait on the porch to be trimmed and replanted for the house. Hopefully they'll give me some blooms this winter indoors.

Added some pansies to the mums planted last week. We've had lots of rain to help them stay fresh for a little while.

The blues as usual. I did get a dark red also.

Waiting for the montauk daisies to bloom. Next season I'll prune them and give them some support so they continue to grow upright the way the started. Not giving them support, allowed them to reach forward.

The lambs ear looked picky all summer but has grow a nice patch that may survive another season.

That's for my daughter. She loved the lavender at Longwood Garden and bought packs of seeds not knowing that 1 pack was enough. We'll try to start some from seed this fall. Last time this year I planted a different type that wasn't hardy. Hopefully this type will make it.

No pansies in the planters this fall. I'll let the vinca stay till it dies and they'll be all for the containers till spring when I remove the arborvitaes and replace it with ornamental grass. I'll find a place for them in the yard.

Amaryllis and paper whites did it at Primex. Couldn't resist some other bulbs. I also bought my favorites from Home Depot. Many are for forcing inside. I've never tried hyacinths. Lets see how it turns out.

Two types of paper whites. 

These called my name.

My favorites for the past 3 years.

For forcing indoors.

Love delft blues. For the yard again.

Love the texture of their soil.

Ivy leaf geranium going inside this week under the plant light along with another geranium that didn't bloom on the porch at all this summer. Will spray them and may change the soil before I bring them inside.

Amaryllis pink and white blooming one.

Going to put some of the bulbs in container this week and hopefully by December they'll be some blooms starting when I  take them inside. My unheated porch will be used to store them.

Amaryllis looks like a Spanish onion.

Hope this begonia does well this winter.. Primex is not the most reasonable nursery and I was surprised this this plant was under five dollars. I'll but it on a tray with pebbles and water since they like humidity hopefully this will help it survive in a dry house this winter. I've bought a few new houseplants for the winter and hope they flourish. You know you have to garden inside during the winter! But everyone doesn't like houseplants. I'm glad that I'm among those that do.

Couldn't help it. I guess it was for a fairy garden. They even had small gourds. Tradescantia is doing so much better. I learned that it likes moist soil. When I started watering it more, it thrived. This was my mother's plant so I'm pleased that I haven't killed it.

I love irises but their lifespan is so short. They opened over night and will probably will be gone by Monday.

Planted

Mums were for the window boxes but put in the yard instead. I'll worry about them in the spring.

Dichondra is an annual but I just bought it and hope to over winter it inside till spring.

Fruit trees to be taken inside. The banana which was doing beautiful hasn't liked the cooler nights and start yellowing. Hope it does better under plant lights.

Brought my pepper plant on the porch and plan to also put it under the plant lights.

The fern has done terrible. I'm going to cut it and save a small part and see what I can do with it inside. People actually grow the inside without problems. That hasn't been my experience.

Fern will also go back inside. It looks picky but did grow this summer.

Maybe the bromalid will grow some pups this winter.

A fresh bouquet.

Banana before temperatures turned cooler. Maybe I'll be able to nurse it back to health. Fall is here and it's hard to believe that it's time to get houseplants ready to take inside for the long winter.