Paperwhites and Hyacinths

 My paperwhites on the porch have sent up a spike. Guess it's time to force some. I'll also start some hyacinths. Starting ziva paperwhites, yellow gypsy queen hyacinth and a light blue one. This season paperwhites came from Homedepot. Usually I get them from Primex Nursery but with covid, I avoided going there. Almost the last bulb order arrived today from Color Blends and was sitting on my front steps in pouring rain. Thankful for the heavy cardboard box they were in. I removed the mesh bags and will let them sit on the porch for ventilation until planted. My other bulbs came from Eden Brothers, and Dutch Grown. I have another order arriving with amaryllis, fressia, and ranunculus. Our first frost in Philly is supposed to be tomorrow night so maybe the annuals will be mush by the weekend and I'll pull and sometime in November plant tulips in their spot. The bees will miss the annual salvia that's still in bloom. They've been enjoying it up to the last minute

Planted 5 Blue Eyes, 6 Yellow Gypsy Queens, and 1 Gypsy Queen which is salmon colored. The yellow and salmon are the white bulbs. Took me a while to figure out why the bulbs were white. 

Put in the cellar with the box closed but open enough for ventilation.

Covered pebbles with water but not touching bulbs. On the shelf to take photo but moved to another location for roots to grow and eventually foliage and blooms hopefully. Last winter my forced paper whites did not bloom. Don't know why. Hopefully these do.

From  Eden Brothers in fairy tail colors. Can't wait to see these. To go in containers for the sunporch.

Beautiful foliage. Scindapsis pictus and Chinese evergreens.

First Fire

Plant shame. No, didn't know some begonias may go dormant during the fall until spring. I know the tuberous ones do but didn't think Rex Begonias did. Cleaned them both up and removed all the foliage and stems. The tuber or I guess what can be called the stalk is still there and looks like the future leaves are already there under all the debri. I'll know when spring comes.

 

My Tiny Bouquet

Made a promise to myself to pick some of the ornamental flowers I grow. Even though I only have a small flower bed. Zinnias, annual salvia, and can't remember the name of the small pink one right now (veronica). Yesterday after work I cleaned up the flower bed and planned to pull the salvia, but the bees are still all over it. Maybe it'll die down by the first frost and it'll be pulled so I can start planting my bulbs. One order arrived. Waiting for 3 more orders.

That's enough of the tiny bouquet.

Catnip time on the porch with Callie. Clipped from my plant. She rolled in it for a long time. I think it's perennial so it'll return in the spring. It's still growing nicely in my container.

 

Fall Bulbs

First Bulb Arrival. From Dutch Grown a local who sales bulbs from their farm in Holland. The bulbs are large and healthy. Why did I buy so many hyacinths? Won't be forcing them all indoors. They'll go in pots on the sunporch for spring. Time to start planting. I promise myself to start before November. Now to wait on the other bulb orders.

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The Mantis

I thought insects were busy storing up food for winter, laying eggs, and locating a place to hibernate for the winter. Glad this praying mantis is on the other side of the glass. I know, they're good insects that eat bad bugs. I'm still afraid of them but wouldn't kill.

Sunday

And next week October arrives. I love this time of year. As you can see I'm on my computer and watching a You Tube  video with Summer Rayne Oakes doing a home tour. The title is, What's it Like to Live in a Greenhouse?

               

Side view of the mantel. Then to the door to sit on the porch for a few minutes. It's balmy today. The air is thick and air conditioning would help but I've stopped using it until next spring or summer. Which ever season dictates turning it on. Birds are singing. Outdoor cats being mischievous. Climbing the tree outside my door and using the window unit air conditioner as a place to land when coming down from the tree. He obviously unfortunately catches some birds or else he wouldn't go up there many times every day. But one day he was deterred by a squirrel. Standing it's ground and daring it to climb up. My cat sits at the door and enjoys the antics.

She's arrived. I put a glass barrier between her and getting out the door although I believe she's too fat to get through. Although another cat visits and jumped over the glass and came inside not once but two times. The last  time marking it's spot by urinating on my chair cushion where my cat usually sits looking from her seat. We couldn't believe it but it happened. Had to put the cushions in the washer. I've had two cats and this has never happened. How dare it. Although I learned if there is no barrier in the door they will walk up onto the porch. I try to be careful because I don't want my cat catching fleas or getting any diseases from them because she's an indoor cat.

Wood arrived yesterday and it looks pretty and fresh this year. Will need to continue curing before I burn some. Looking forward to the first fire of the season although we've had plenty of 40 degree nights and cool days to burn what's left from last years delivery. It may be a while as we seem to be experiencing Indian Summer.

Sedum Autumn Joy in her pink.

Hydrangea purchase weeks ago from Bloom Box. Haven't decide if I'll let it stay in the pot since I repotted it, or plant in a small space in the front flower bed. Another shrub and some periwinkle which has taken over need to be removed first. I hate periwinkle and didn't plant it. Believe this is one of the lime light hydrangeas.

Helenium also waiting to be planted outdoors or may overwinter on the porch and plant outside in spring where I have a spot.

Chicago fig and lilac still hanging in there and should do well till spring.

Shasta Daisy Becky still in the pot. Daisies take over my flower bed but I was a sucker again.

 

Almost Autumn

 

Rudbeckia Cherokee Sunset. The color is beautiful.

Rudbeckia Denver Daisy

Ornamental cabbage is supposed to be mixed with white. Supposedly Ornamental Cabbage Colorup White. We shall see if any color develops.

It's spot outside.

Not my normal color choice for Autumn pansies but I like them.

Don't know if the sunflower heads were ripe before I pulled them. They looked so bad. These seeds are white. I'm open one soon to see if seeds developed inside. This sunflower was a different type so they might not be black oil sunflower seeds.

Pulled the coleus yesterday, cut and put in water in anticipation of our second 40 degree night. My sister took them and the begonias pulled home last night for house plants. They may make it for replanting next spring.

Took the Chinese evergreen and begonia indoors yesterday. The Chinese evergreen didn't look good after it's second night of cold. Pothos, bird of paradise, and 2 maidenhair ferns will be taken in soon. It's early for this type of weather but beautiful.

Some pumpkins for the mantel. I have some firewood from last fall. Maybe I'll start a fire today. That would feel good because the house is cold.

I had a birthday since our last visit. Yes I was a fall baby and I love this season.

Rooting this piece of scindapsus. Looked like it was trying to die and maybe I can save it.

New arrival. Lipstick Begonia. From what the tag say's she may be needy. It came to the wrong house. I'll read up on how to care for it. Placed it in a terrarium for humidity.

My favorite is the cat card from my daughter.

That's me. Moving card with exercising leg. And I ice cream one of my favorites.

A cat's life. Must be nice.