DOUBLEFILE VIBURNUM
I'm ready, ready, ready for SPRING! I've been sick since the holidays and need some sunshine and flowers, butterflies, the smell of mulch and dirt under my fingernails. I want to work hard until my body aches with pleasure, and then stand back and water in new plants. I can't wait to clean out and clean up, rake and hoe. The best part is daily monitoring green shoots emerging, flowers unfolding. I'm even looking forward to the insects - preying mantis, spiders and all manner of beasties. Bring it on.
Despite the drought, most plants seem to have fat buds awaiting Spring's e-mail telling them to open up. The Doublefile Viburnum should be glorious this year. It's well over 8 ft. tall and loaded with the typical lateral budding. This winter I pruned out the weird watershoots and odd branching that had started to occur, and the result is a nicely shaped shrub with lots of open air for breathing.
VIRGINIA SWEETSPIRES
The sweetspires are doing fantastic. These are native plants and the drought hasn't bothered them one bit. In fact, I think they've thrived on the heat as I'm having to beat them into submission so that they won't take over the sidewalk.
BRYER'S GOLD POSSUMHAW HOLLY
My possumhaws are struggling. My golden berried possumhaw didn't berry at all this year, The Ilex Decidua berried weakly, but also bloomed at the same time. Not a good sign. Natives, they've been performing well but obviously they're struggling. Keep your fingers crossed.
ROSEMARY
Have you ever planted something in the wrong spot entirely? My rosemary is taking over the front walk. It's huge. I've pruned it so much it looks horrid. It's trunk is like a tree trunk. What to do? It's beautiful and I use it for cooking - my neighbors get clippings for their recipes. But it's HUGE! Proof positive that even Master Gardeners make mistakes.
SIBERIAN IRIS
You can't go wrong with a Siberian Iris. These are so beautiful. The lesson THESE guys have taught me is to thin them out yearly. My friend, Carroll, helped me last year and we were only able to hack out (literally) a small section. They are thick and entwined and it will take a stick of dynamite to separate them. So, you know what? They're on their own.
I've many plants that haven't been immortalized digitally but since joining Blotanicals I thought perhaps I should actually do a "gardening" topic instead of worrying about missing birds. The woodpecker is still on guard, still no signs of eagles, and the songbirds are elsewhere so I'm moving on. Time to concentrate on my yard and make plans for SPRING!
9 comments:
I'm commenting on my own blog!!! I need help - this spacing stuff is driving me batty. Looks great in Edit, but when I post it looks like crap. What am I doing wrong?
I love all the great photos of your plants especially that GOLD POSSUMHAW HOLLY that I've never seen before (lots you have we can't grow of course). Spring! Spring! We're still in the midst of a deep freeze in the minus 40's the past few days and nights! :)
About your spacing problem. I'm not techy wizard, that is for sure, but I think I can help with this. Do you want an extra space between your photos and the text? Or different spacing between the title of your plant and hte text?
When you are doing your edits, or creating your post, do you use the "Edit html" tab or do you do it in the "Compose" tab? You will have much better control on spacing if you do it in the "edit html" tab. ... did I understand your problem correctly? ;~)
Diane Alberta Postcards, was Sand to Glass
Diane's Flickr photos
Hi Diane! Thanks for being my Tech Support today. First, a note about the gold possumhaw - the nursery owner was so fond of it that I had to convince him that I knew how to take care of it before he'd sell it to me! The golds are not that common here, but possumhaw hollies are indigenous here and the goldens do well in our zone.
Now, the spacing. I use the Edit html tab, I think. Must pay more attention next time I post. You are understanding correctly, but I'm such a newbie I'm sure I'm hitting the wrong button or in the wrong area, or something. I'll take your advice when I try again - thank you!
I'm consumed with envy over the Possumhaw (never saw it, won't grow here, obviously) but the rosemary problem really got my interest. Prune it hard, dry the herb, use it on potatoes, pork, chicken, stuffing, roasted veggies, give it to your friends...(it's my favourite herb next to basil, can you tell? I have to bring mine indoors for the winter, and it gets pretty pruned during that time. No flowers unless I leave it alone...and I never can!
Jodie - I've whacked the heck out of the rosemary. My friends won't answer their doors anymore, I've given so much of it away! (I jest) We actually have topsoil, and I didn't know what a difference that made until I started gardening. The rosemary that is fairly slow-growing in our red clay has become a Triffid in topsoil. I just hope I haven't made the rosemary too ugly - it's on our front walk. I prefer to leave its feathery fronds alone except for my culinary uses, which are many. Next break in weather I'll have to take a photo of its new ugly state to post, with apologies to all rosemary lovers....of which I'm one.
Wish you could have a possumhaw! xo!
Most gardeners (and non-gardeners too) long for spring. Here the first signs are showing about which I'm very happy.
Love your picks of so many gorgeous plants. I also like that Gold Possumhaw holly a lot, it's very, very pretty.
My rosemary is growing away like mad too but so far I've managed to keep it under control. :-)
Hello !
Your site is another wonderful one I haven't been to before .. the pictures are great and I am another rosemary NUT ! I can't over winter mine in the garden so I begin each Spring with new plants. I dry them .. bottle them and yes .. friends have loads of it and they do seem to enjoy it.
I have found Tuscan rosemary the best of a few different ones we are offered here .. have you ever hear of BBQ rosemary ? LOL .. the names they come up with.
Ornamental herbs like Purple and Golden Sage, Golden Oregano .. mainstays in my garden .. they are goreous fillers in the heat of summer.
In any case .. love the pictures and name of your blog !
Joy : )
I got really interested with that rosemary case. I would love to see it - I never saw it so big.
Thank you for visiting my blog and the note that you left.
Just discovered your blog from Blotanical and see that you're in my home state of Alabama. I was born in Jasper but grew up in Winfield.
Your Spring dreams will no doubt be real very soon. I seem to recall that we started planting early vegetables in late February and early march.
I've escaped that frozen wonderland , Chicago, which is under a foot of snow right now, for the sunny clim of Tampa. It is 70 and 80 here.
I'm going to visit Alabama on the way home and it should be warm, I hope, by then.
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