I took about 10 lemon thyme cuttings earlier this week. Made some more cuttings today of rosemary (x2), yellow salvia (x1), and tricolor sage. I got too impatient and yanked out one of the sages from the jiffy pot. It had a nice root on it, less than half an inch long. I should learn to just let it do its thing and give it about a month.
Did I mention the lime basil seedlings I found? They’re taking up residence next to the Thai and Pesto Perpetuo basils in the planter.
I headed out to NHG today to pick up at least one coral bells and perhaps find my verbena. What I came home with were 1 Amber Waves heuchera, 1 Lemon verbena, 1 ginger mint, 2 jumbo White Dynasty caladium bulbs and 1 jumbo White Delight caladium bulb. Of the above, only the lemon verbena remains unplanted. The heuchera and the 2 White Dynasty caladiums found an immediate home in the shade bed. The White Delight went into a planter bowl along with the two Regatta lobelia and all of the Wave petunia seedlings. I split the ginger mint into half and planted it straight into the herb garden, along with the hot banana pepper and the habanero. I also decided to drop all 6 of the garlic chives pots into the herb garden as well, to see if they will fare better. During my efforts, I stumbled onto two lime basil seedlings, which I’ve repotted.
Meanwhile, the man got busy with the tree ring and front flower beds. He added 4 of the vinca seedlings, and 4 of the Lanai Purple Star verbena as border plants. He also dropped another Hot Lips salvia into the vacant space next to the Autumn Twist azalea. Hopefully this salvia will fare better in this spot. Taking 12 of the marigold seedlings, he started them in the outer ring. I resolved to start paring down the lemon thyme plant to take more cuttings and hopefully create more plants. I’m convinced that this herb will make a remarkable border plant. It will take no more than a year to create a solid circle of variegated lemon thyme, if I do this right.
I still have basil planters to create, but I’m waiting on the cuttings to take hold. It seems I may have some success with the Pesto Basil since I took a cutting right off the top. I’m also waiting on the tricolor sage to take hold as well. I kept some cuttings under glass on the Burpee mat. I have great hopes that they will endure.
Now I am just waiting for some basil and salvia seedlings to mature so that I can get them out into the garden.
Uncommonly cool May temps (66 degrees!) has persuaded us to putter in the garden all day yesterday. After paying a visit to nurseries and big box home improvement stores, we brought home several bags of topsoil, compost, landscape mix and garden soil. I also managed to find the first of the season’s Cape Town Blue felicia at Home Depot. It seems this Carrollton location always keeps a good stock of “Proven Winners” plants. This year, I plan on aggressively taking cuttings from the felicia for experimental rooting.
With the tree ring weed matted, we proceeded to put down 4 bags of topsoil and 2 bags of landscaping mix. I then proceeded to plant out about 4-6 of the coral bicolor salvia coccinea and 4 of the Lady in Red salvia coccinea. Incidentally we saw flats upon flats of these Ladies in Red at Strong’s Nursery yesterday, and I couldn’t help but notice how much yellower the foliage is.
I had a brilliant notion to border the tree line with variegated lemon thyme cuttings. I am thinking that will keep the invading grass and weeds at bay as well as maintain a perennial border in the ring. I hope to take several cuttings and give it a try. I was also thinking of purchasing a weed preventer granule like Preen to keep the weeds suppressed until the plant ring is established, but I’ve read using it produces mixed results at best.
With the extra garden soil and with the help of the man, I’ve filled out the remaining holes in the cinder block border of the herb garden. The variegated oregano now has a home, and it’s just a matter of time before planting out the rest. I do have some concerns about the lone Chinese eggplant we obtained last week; it can grow up to 4 feet high, and I’m not sure that our herb garden can support such a large plant.
I also gave the shade bed hostas another heavy dusting of insect repellent granules as well as full spray coverage with the Bayer Advanced system. Much of the Wide Brims have been decimated by pests. Luckily the Prairie Sky hosta is so big and thick that the pest damage is much less evident on it. The Gold Standard hosta also rises higher above the ground and tends to sit out in more sun than the neighbors, so the damage is controlled there.
The first and only Dahlberg daisy that I’ve successfully cultivated indoors is now outside with its 4 other companions. Apparently there wasn’t much of a root stock and it became a disintegrated mess before planting. But I hope to see it do well in its new home.
Finally my man decided to overseed the ugly brown patches in the front yard with a package of Scott’s waterwise bermuda grass formula. He went a little crazy because he managed to empty the package before he could cover up all of the bare spots. I also pointed out to him the unlikelihood that some of the shady areas he overseeded would see any growth. He’s optimistic however, since he did all of the work.
Note to self: don’t cover tender young seedlings in microwaveable plastics under the hot May sun. So it was that I lost 3 batches of plants: Seabreeze salvia, Lime and Genovese basil, and all of my Stardust ice plants. Back to square one.
Sunday’s flower run included a 50% off all plants sale at the Lowes in Carrollton of Trinity Mills and Old Denton. The man decided to invest in 2 2.5 quart Stella d’Oro daylilies to add to the front flower bed. We also picked up a hot banana pepper (more than a foot tall), a habanero, a variegated oregano and a Chinese eggplant (Ping Tung cultivar). All of the herbs and vegetables by the way were Bonnie plant branded; they retailed for $3.70 but at 50% off they were a good deal. We also ran by Calloway’s in Lewisville to pick up our Spider Lily bulbs at 3 for $3. The bulbs were disappointingly tiny (what’s with all the tiny bulbs coming out of Calloway’s lately), and the man and I are still debating where to plant them. Somewhere where they’ll get summer shade but fall sun, says the checkstand lady.
I divided and moved the picoteed dianthus in the purple bed, planted the Confetti lantanas (x2) and dahlberg daisies (x4) in the front flower bed, and all the impatiens in the shade bed. A leftover from the purple bed, Super Parfait Raspberry dianthus, has been transplanted to the shade bed near the gate.
A pleasant surprise that I uncovered while weeding out the front flower bed: dozens of vinca and at least 3 impatiens seedlings. The impatiens seedlings, amusingly enough, are tucked under a layered branch of the Emerald Snow loropetalum. Like the numerous calla bulblets I uncovered and transplanted this week, the garden presents continue to appear as the weather continues to warm up. For example, one of the mums is displaying bulbs…of course, I wouldn’t have noticed if I hadn’t lifted the sprawling Oertel’s Rose yarrow–which, incidentally, threatens to fill the entire bed!
Next lilies to bloom: Red Alert asiatic lilies! Interesting to note that they all appear to be opening at the same time!
The first lily of the year just made its appearance. My sweet cheeks spotted this Lollipop lily making a grand entrance in the lily bed–luckily he had his new camera phone to capture the moment.
Other blooms seen in profusion include the Oertel’s rose yarrow and the late blooming dianthus. The pansies are still growing strong, and the Hot Lips salvia is just now beginning to put out blooms, after a slow start.
The variegated society garlic have dropped their flowers, though the catnip is daring to bloom immediately, after having been relocated between the rosemary and lavender. There are yet plenty of peppers to put into the ground, but with this last taste of cool weather (May 1st lows of 48 degrees), I am hoping that warmer weather will permit the basils and peppers to flourish.
I also moved most of the Flame Callas to the salvia bed, in hopes that they will take to their new home soon. I know there is still a calla positioned under one of the oxalis plants in the lily bed, but I’m unsure what color it is or where to put it (except in a pot). Hopefully this next weekend I will have time to replant it.