A Cold Cloudy Saturday

 

Why won't that one act right? Guess I'll have to cut off. I was reading an article, and the writer listed what plants never to buy. Hydrangea was on the list. Especially the mop heads ones seen around Mother's Day. Some I'll have to treat some as annuals and throw them away because I can't get them to come back. I do this every season. I have had success with Anabelle hydrangea. I love hydrangea.

Let's see how long this lives once the real heat arrives. Not the 1-day heat of 89 degrees expected on Monday. I mean July on when it's continuously hot and humid until around September.

It would be nice if this ivy leaf pelargonium can survive summer on the porch and the winter indoors.

Perennials were $9.99 a gallon today at the produce market. I bought that one, an achillea, and one achillea for my daughter's balcony. Some herbs to see if they'll live there and, a hanging petunia basket, a China doll plant, rex begonia, and a peperomia plant. Going to try some perennials this year on my daughter's balcony. She kills everything. It starts out beautiful and then...

Basil and dill some for an herb container for my daughter and one for me.

We'll try lavender this year. My daughter loves the smell. Me, not so much. You know lavender is needy and loves sandy soil, heat, and little water.

My hydrangea from last spring was doing well and had budded out. Then suddenly one day all the green died. It survived winter on the porch for me to kill it. I think it can be thrown out. Probably not coming back.

The dahlias are doing good so far on the porch. The blooms are so beautiful.

Achillea

Bought these for my flower bed but I think my daughter will like the color. There may be a problem with her dead heading them to keep them in bloom.

Strawberries for her. Mines are in the yard not yet planted with nice sized berries. Until the critters find them.

Love the pink blooms.

Nice to see the bare root fig getting leaves.

Lettuce and dill for me.

Clematis for the yard.

Native honey suckle looks good this year and I have some buds.

Allium

The aster is up and growing nicely.

Hope the lambs ear multiplies and gets large this year. Can't remember its name but another variety other than the fuzzy type.

Heuchera

Foxglove multiplied and I hope to have more than 1 flower stalk. Planted 1 container of my stock seedlings outdoors today. Didn't even harden them off. They are cool season plants but can't wait to see what they do over night. I did horrible with my seedlings this winter. Shouldn't have started any. I have a mass tray of coleus waiting to be separated. It should be ready to go out by now but not when you have a million seeds in 1 tray. There's always the fall. Killed most of the foxgloves I started too except one container. What am I thinking. They aren't cheap for one plant. Three tomatoes trying to hold on.

When I see this picture, I think about the brick pointing that needs to be done. Said I'd get it done before the plants budded out but not. It shall be done before winter. Always something to do with a house but the other option I've tried. Increasing rents every year didn't work for me.

Working on this container today. What happened to my pansies below. Not watering by me once again. They should have lasted much longer with all our cool weather.

Beheaded the narcissus today so they can focus on storing energy for next spring.

The anemone surprised me. Didn't think they were going to bloom. I ordered blue ones for fall but will add more of the whites. I love any daisy type flower. The purity of whites are my favorites.

Very pleased with how this little bed did this spring with the bulbs added. The wind beat down the tulips but they're still beautiful. It will be even better next spring. Now to see if the seeds I scattered will germinate and I can get some beautiful flowers for summer. We shall see.

Out Front

 

Deadheading some of the tulips today, planting calibrachoa and dusty miller into my planter on the stoop, and direct sowing some seeds. I also have poppies, zinnias, and others.

My tulips are blooming.

Put down soil and scattered packs of seeds. Then topped again with more soil and gave the little area a watering.

Planted alyssum near the rock edges but have to get a few more packs of seeds. That should look nice if it works.

A windy day for the tulips. I ordered more of this variety for the window box. Didn't think they were perennial, but they are. I pulled the others after they bloomed the first year not knowing better.

Had to put back the little fencing. Dog pooped in the flower bed. I smelled it when I came home on Friday but couldn't locate it until today. Hopefully it will deter whoever is walking their dog from going to the bathroom here.

Can't wait to see what seeds survive. Rain is expected later in the week. Nothing like rainwater. What happened to my plan to remove all the ivy and add more brick edging? The landscaper didn't return my
 e-mail. Maybe too small of a job. Well planting in the ivy worked for the bulbs. Let's see if it works for the seed.