Language Translator

Sunday, June 9, 2013

Sunday Raindrops!

~Canna and Vinca * photo by Suzanne * June 9, 2013


Hi everyone!  Hope this Sunday finds you all well, and ready for the hot summer that is creeping our way!  We had a pretty good rain storm in the wee hours of the morning in Fort Worth with lots of low, rolling thunder, and puffs of lightning here and there. It didn't hurt my feelings any, because I knew I didn't have to get up for work this morning, so, I chuckled to myself, and, snuggled deeper under the covers...of course, I went back to sleep!  That's why I didn't get outside early enough to beat the sun's drying the beads of rain from my gardens.  I did catch some raindrops on my canna though, and, managed to get my shoes wet in the grass!

We've been working pretty hard at MyTexasGardens this spring.  The weather has been a blessing up to this point, so we were able to rejuvenate most of the floral gardens with some nice plantings.  And, I have planted seeds of 'Zinnia', 'Shasta Daisies', and 'Sweet Peas'...just some old favorites.  The 'zinnias' and 'daisies' have popped little sprouts in their little rows now, thank you rain!  It is so hard to decide on flowers to plant, because there are so many gorgeous jewels out there!  And, you can get ahead of yourself, too much at one time!  Been there, lol!

Here we are under the Mulberry tree...at last, the mulberries are about all gone, just a few remain at the very tops of the tree.  The squirrels and various birds have had their spring feast, and, they are allotting me my space now to nourish this garden as I see fit.  We've got Saint Francis guarding the plantings...he is centrally located, and, is able to watch the entire property of gardens.  For that I am grateful.

As you can see, we have planted 'vinca major' plants all around the tree...that was done right around Easter at the end of March.  Then, with Rusty's help, we placed brightly colored 'impatiens' throughout, and, in front of the 'vinca' for pops of color.  And, it just so happened that I had some 'caladium' bulbs-we went behind the vinca and shared the bulbs all around the tree.  Yay!!!  They are coming up now...we did get them out early in the last week of April, meeting the May 1st deadline with time to spare, although I wish I'd had more of them.  Can you see the 'asparagus fern' beneath the little, worn out ladder?  Well, that's been there since I planted it in 1996, and, it just keeps on giving, it's beautiful!  Last week Rusty and I planted some 'Christmas' fern on the other side, since I couldn't find any small pots of asparagus fern, can't wait to see if it will flourish as the other plants and flowers have.  In the fall I will try to dig some of the asparagus fern up and share it around the tree.  It has been hardy, and hearty!!!


~photos by Suzanne * June 9, 2013

~a sneak peek at my 'private' garden * photo by Suzanne * June 9, 2013
This garden is in a shaded area on the north side of the yard.  It receives sun during the mid-morning hours.  In the lower lefthand area, I have some violets....ooooh!  They really love the shade.  Violets are so hardy...and, they can multiply quickly.  They serve as great border plants, not reaching over 7-10 inches in height.  Then, of course, you can see the 'all invasive' vinca major.  At the back of the garden, grows mondo grass, aka liriope.  Originally, I just stashed it there, but it has become an inspiration, and, keeps me motivated to tuck a bit of color here and there, 'privately'!

My private garden is still a work in progress.  Remember last year, I think in August, when Ms. Suzanne from KardKornerKrib wrote about the 'Sky Bauble'?  Well, she did show some armillary globes in various garden settings, and, mentioned that I should try to feature one such globe in one of my gardens.  I found one on Amazon that was reasonably priced, and ordered it!  Here it is sitting on an old concrete column, that was a cast-a-away from my sweet mother-in-law.  The column was abandoned for a time, and, then offered to me!  I've had it for quite a few years myself...now, it has found its place, and will serve as a memorial to my mother-in-law, Dorothy, who passed away in December of 2009!  And, I will post more photos of the private garden as it continues to evolve.

Just a few notes
1.  Vinca is very invasive.  It puts out long runners that attach to the soil, and root quickly.  We have kept the vinca plants under the Mulberry tree trimmed so as not to choke out the Impatiens.  
2.  Impatiens are also shade-loving plants.  Their bright colors pop against the variegated leaves of the vinca.
3.  Caladiums are a great way to anchor any flower garden, whether at the back or as bordering plants.  In the fall, you can dig up your Caladium bulbs, and store in newspaper and paper bags, with some peat moss or a little potting soil, and, keep indoors throughout the winter.

I have found that the three above-mentioned plants compliment each other, and, yes, they do get along...providing you keep the 'vinca' under control!

And, now, my gracious readers, I must bid you adieu.  I hope you've enjoyed your visit, and, were able to get some of your gardening questions answered (especially regarding vinca!).  I must admit, I am not really ready for the 100° this summer, and, we're expecting temps in the 90's this week in Fort Worth!  The city wants us to water the lawns only twice a week.  But, we'll do what we can to keep the gardens alive, won't we?



Thank You:
Yahoo
Google
Amazon

~Stop by and say hello if you get the chance.  I'm always glad to see you.
  Take care, and be safe!

~Pawpaw and Scootie * March 31, 2013

9 comments:

  1. Hello, dear Suzanne, Pawpaw and Scootie! These are brilliant photos of your various garden spots. They are bursting with color and it's good to know that certain varieties can live together in harmony providing you keep the invasive ones under control. I am most excited about your private garden, filled with something old, something new, something borrowed and something... green. Private areas of a property are so much fun because you can feel free to express yourself. I like what you've done here. The globe and concrete column work well in the scheme. The heat is on in Central Florida but we've been getting regular doses of heavy rain for several weeks. Our rainfall total for the year is actually above normal which is very unusual. Thank you for a very interesting and informative post, dear friend Suzanne, and have a great week!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi Shady, sorry I've arrived so late, it is hot and steamy today. Gosh, I bet it feels as though you're in a steam bath, I've been hearing that you're getting some rain and balminess out your way too, yuk!

      Well, the private garden is coming right along. It is small, but that's the fun of it all! The bricks are old, too-I dug them up when I got this place. They were buried everywhere. I probably will have set off some sort of landslide if truth be known from digging them all up.

      Thank you for your compliments, the globe is a nice touch. And Karo and Scootie are forever into something when it comes to tools-that boy just can't learn enough, and that's a good thing! I'm glad you enjoyed the post, and, am grateful that you stopped by. I'm sure you're up to something musical this evening. Take care Shady-see you soon!♫

      Delete
  2. Hi my friend. Glad to see that you;re keeping little Scootie busy there!! What an interesting gardening post today, with lovely photos of your garden. It is so pretty! It must be very hard to keep things going with the high temperatures that you get over there in Texas. I see you're trying to confuse us again with mention of Ms Suzanne from KardKornerKrib! I don't expect her garden is half as special as yours!!! Take care until I see you here again.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there Grand Lady of a certain age! Yes, we've got that Scootie learning 'our' tricks of the trade! He wants to know everything about Grandpa's toys! It's so funny to watch them!

      I've learned to try to stay with the plants that can tolerate this weather. And, there is a lot of shade in my back yard, so, some of the shade lovers do well. But now, we're going to fight mosquitoes, so we have to watch the watering and not let it stand long in the pots!

      You crack me up...Ms Suzanne from KardKornerKrib just tolerates my rantings and plantings!

      Thanks so much for coming by Thisisme! It's so great to see and hear from you. Still love your Retro Van-you're giving me ideas! Hugs!♥

      Delete
  3. Suzanne! This made my morning! I love how beautiful your flower beds are--just so peaceful and refreshing! Your blog has such great and interesting info---love it!

    And your pictures are so good! Love the one of Shaun and Karo!

    Short week for you this week---I know you are excited!

    Thank you for sending this to me.:-)

    Happy Monday.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Suzanne,
    Sorry I didn't get back to you last nite, the garden write up was good, really enjoyed it.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Woah! I’m really loving the template/theme
    of this website. It’s simple, yet effective. A lot of times it’s challenging
    to get that “perfect balance”
    between superb usability and visual appearance.
    I must say you have done a great job with this.
    In addition, the blog loads very quick for me on Safari.

    Outstanding Blog!

    Feel free to visit my blog :: gardening tips (buckswagon.com)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Hi Suzanne, your love of gardening really shows through in your writings. Even though you go out to work (as well as at home), you still have time to tend your garden.
    It's only now that I'm retired that I enjoy my gardening... it takes a lot of energy.
    I enjoy what you do around the base of your trees, and it is an inspiration to me.
    You've been having fun down your sidebar too ... ha ha, I just love that pair of pink planters - ah, alas, I fear a pair of mine may only hold a tiny plant each !!
    As you move into the warmer weather, we are facing the wintery blasts. In fact we've had a lot of rain these past couple of days and more is forecast. Still a lot of Autumn left in the garden colours though, so that's something.
    Lovely to catch up with you again, cheerio and good wishes to you.
    Susan :D) xx

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Susan! I'm so glad you stopped by, ooh, yes, it's getting hot over here now...95° today. You had a pretty good row of heat this time around, I'll bet you're welcoming some cool weather.

    So, you like the pink planters! Haha, I just couldn't pass it up. I'm with you, I could only put something small in the planter. It took some doing to come up with an appropriated caption, so I decided 'Be all you can be' would be good for anyone!

    Thank you so much for your compliments on my gardening, it is getting harder now that I am older, but, I just keep trying-my son does help me with the hard stuff, gives Karo and me a break! We had a great spring, so we worked a little harder this year getting stuff done. Just hope we can keep it all alive. It is so good to hear from you Susan. Can't wait to see your next post! Take care, hugs!♥

    ReplyDelete

What is your favorite flower today? Stop by and say hello!