Month: March 2010

Stump-less

It took a gargantuan effort to uproot 5 stumps and move several hundred pounds of border rock around, but the job was done. With a little more effort and if the weather permits, the front beds will be prepped to receive new residents by next weekend. And it seems we have plenty of landscaping stone to re-purpose in the courtyard beds.

I’ve been pondering investing in seed starter kits (possibly a Park Seed Bio Dome) and a heat mat to start some dianthus seeds that I’ve had my eye on. Super Parfait Red Peppermint, Dianthus Valentine and Diana Blueberry from Burpee Seeds, and the Ideal series developed by PanAmerican seed (also sold by Harris Seeds). I also think I’d save some money growing my own coleus from seed (Carefree or Wizard Mix) and get the colors/cultivars I want, without spending too much at the nursery. Of course, it all depends on the seed-starting equipment.

Another plant I’d like to add to the garden, though I’m not sure how hardy it is to survive the Texas heat. The variegated gardenia may be more suitable to an indoor environment, but with all the shade in our current landscape, it might possibly thrive with some attention.

My gardening wishlist doesn’t get any shorter. I’m still shy several types of salvia, an Ever Red lorapetalum (in addition to the white-flowered kind that I’d like for the front beds) and a pieris japonica caught my eye. Japanese pieris Flaming Silver or the Variegated kinds favor part shade, and I suspect they could do well in our courtyard beds.

Caladiums denied

Due to extreme weather, Brent and Becky’s Florida supplier of caladiums has determined not to ship any of the Blushing Bride plants that I order. Dismayed as I am to hear this, it just means going back to the online catalog to decide on new plants to grow. I’ve settled on a Snowdrift Astilbe and 3 bulbs of the Picasso calla lily. I only hope this won’t further delay my receipt of these plants. With the warm weather we’ve been having lately, it takes a lot of willpower not to skip work and putter around in the garden all day.

On the other hand, I’m excited to report that my Japanese maple has begun leafing out.

Yay Lilies

I couldn’t resist. I plan to try my hand at shade planting Asiatic lilies. I shopped online at Brent and Becky’s and picked up 5 each of the following: Navona, Lollypop and Red Alert. I also picked up a 5 pack of the strap-leaf caladium Blushing Bride, which will be added to the front fence bed. I may even reserve one or two bulbs for potting. I could have gone overboard and bought more caladiums, a white strap-leafed variety to be preferred, but I’m not sure where else to put them in the landscape. A new internet source, Classic Caladiums, might persuade me to pick up some White Ruffles.

Hosta and Kalmia

Daunted by the Musser Farm disappointment, back to Forestfarm I went. As much as I desired that lovely Kalmia latifolia Olympic Fire, I instead opted for the Minuet Mountain Laurel, which I hope will thrive in the full shade garden next to the front door. Here’s to hoping they supply us with a large healthy specimen. I also couldn’t resist picking up a Hosta Eternal Flame (at an irresistible tube price of $7.95), which so reminded me of the Fire & Ice that I purchased from Sooner Plant Farm about 2-3 years ago. I plan on locating it in the front fence bed, once it’s been weeded, amended and framed.

Spring gardening part 1

With the weekend temperatures at a cool 70 degrees, the fiance and I tackled two flower beds, framing them with stone and bricks. We also dug out the weeds and put in compost plus top soil to make the beds receptive to future plantings. Finally, we decided to go with black mulch to better set apart the colorful violas that I finally got around to planting in the front beds. (I had bought another flat of blue violas from Strong’s Nursery that went on sale.) The orange, blues, and whites popped against the dark background. And not to mention, the mulch will be help stifle the weed infestation that overgrew the bare beds. My only regret is that the violas didn’t get more ground time during the last month.

In addition to the new violas, I also planted a bag of lily of the valley, purchased from Home Depot. While the packaging advertised 16 plants, I discovered 2 sprouting bundles in the bag (similar to daylily rhizomes), which I quickly put into the front flower bed. It is supposedly a shade-loving plant, and further research indicated that this plant may actually grow like a weed under optimum conditions.

Speaking of weeds, I went ahead and invested in a spreader, plus a bag of weed killer. Unfortunately the yards are overgrown with weeds, not having enough turf to prevent it. But with the sudden onset of rain this weekend, I haven’t had time to apply it.

I’ve convinced the fiance to try a kalmia latifolia in the corner bed by the door, instead of the originally planned azalea. I had already made an online purchase for the Olympic Fire variety, but soon learned that Musser Forests in Pennsylvania was prohibited in shipping to Texas. Interesting. I’m going to have to find a local source somewhere…

Last thing to report…my japanese maple Asahi Zuru is showing signs of life. Green buds have begun to emerge from their red shells. This is exciting news, given that last year, the maple hadn’t leafed out this early. It seems that sitting by the patio door getting some morning sun has encouraged it to sprout early. I’m contemplating replanting in a bigger pot to help it spread its roots some more.