verbena – Page 6 – variegatagal

A quick look at the May front yard

Now we have another Victoria Blue salvia blooming on the far end of the front flower bed. So that makes for two flowering salvia farinacea that have returned from last year. There are yet 2 more young Victoria Blues that have been slow to come up. I don’t mind their slow return, which saves me from purchasing more, but the man wants that extra pop right now.

Talk about slow…the gardenia has new leaf sets, despite that it has lost about 75% of its foliage. It survived the bitter winter frost, which is amazing in itself. I don’t want to prune it back because there is evidence of new life on it. It’s going to be a very slow recovery.

One of the Confetti lantana is putting on a set of buds. Its sibling about a foot away has been more interested in trailing rather than flowering. I also had some criticism for the man for planting the vinca seedlings so close to each other. They grew into monsters last year, and I don’t expect it to be any different this year.

The man trimmed back our centerpiece loropetalum in this front bed, just to give it some shape for the rest of the year. I am interested in seeing it grow higher, but I won’t begrudge it a little width to shade the tiny impatiens seedlings at its feet. The man also hacked down the Hot Lips salvia…that thing has grown into a monster in the front bed and is in constant need of pruning. We did finally get another Hot lips planted next to the Autumn Twist azalea and expect the same vigorous growth this year.

Notice the verbena colors? Maybe I don’t need Mosaic after all. The Dallas Star daylilies are heavily laden with scapes!

Finally, my newest heuchera seems a little lonely in its corner of the shade bed, but I hope it will be happy there. It has a caladium bulb for a neighbor…although I can’t say that I don’t want to plant another hosta next to it.

May herbs and flowers

More photos of the herb and flower garden. Felicias, verbena, and potted yarrows! And take a gander at the variegated oregano in its new home next to the lemon thyme. My Coconut thyme still looks terribly scraggly.

I’m thinking about branching out into vegetable gardening after we spotted a reasonably priced cedar garden kit at Home Depot this weekend. I would love to pick up some bok choy, gai lan and giant green onions, along with traditional vegetables, like asparagus, lettuces, garlic, onions and broccoli. So starts my oriental veggie wishlist.

Some veggie and herb seed resources on the net:

May Saturday flower run

I was so stoked to visit my first Arboretum plant sale only to be disappointed when I got there. Many tables sat bare, and I perused a predictable selection of plants, from impatiens to pentas. I left with a couple of sweet potato vines, Illusion Emerald Lace and Illusion Midnight Lace. These were unusual in that the foliage was very fine and elongated unlike the palmate leaves of a typical sweet potato vine. I haven’t yet decided where to plant them but it’s most likely they will end up in a pot.

From there I headed out to Walton’s Garden Center and picked up 2 Dixie Chip ajugas. They’re the only place I’ve found in Dallas to carry them, and I was glad they still had them in stock on this repeat visit.

Then down on Gaston I stopped by Ruibal’s. I had spotted this garden center on the way home from a previous Arboretum visit. Turns out Ruibal’s is a small-scale Christina’s Flowers. They specialize in bedding and planter color; their flats of bright coleus, impatiens, snapdragons and pentas drew me in from the main street in the first place. They also had a small space on the side dedicated to some surefire perennials such as salvia and daylilies, and a surprising number of japanese maples in the rear. I picked up a couple of Regatta Midnight Blue Lobelias and 2 Confetti Lantanas ($1 each) during my visit.

I proceeded to Covington’s, while hitting a Lowes on the way. Still no luck finding my Tropical Breeze Purple White Verbena, but by sheer luck, I found Lanai Purple Star verbena at Covington’s. The lone specimen I found in their retail space rewarded me with a golf cart ride to their back lot where their greenhouses a big surprise: several flats of Purple Star. Giddy with excitement, I ended up purchasing a flat of 20 ($45 total).

I was mighty pleased with my haul, but now I have to add Lanai Purple Mosaic to my verbena wishlist.

February’s starts

From icy weather to warm 70 degree temperatures, this year’s February is a study in extremes. Average temperatures this time of year tend to be around 30-40 degrees, but it’s been feeling like shorts weather all week long.

While the damage that the snow and ice can’t be ignored, there are signs that the garden is rebounding. I may have lost my felicia and verbena to the frost (top growth is looking very brown and ugly), but the lilies and one daylily have begun to sprout out of the ground. The Hot Lips salvia that I sheared back to 1/3rd its original mass looks like it might be hiding new leaves at the crown, but it’s too early to tell yet. The violas are starting to rebloom and the dianthus all need a good haircut.

My plant order from Accents for the Home and Garden arrived today, and the specimens I received appear to be in good shape. I’ve placed them under the growlights until I can be assured that the temperatures remain in the upper 60s from now through March.

I wish I had extra income to afford some of the outrageous prices that caladiums are demanding right now. I’ve got my eye on the strap leafs since they may be more within the budget–though not by much.

The seedlings are looking mighty healthy at this time.

Seed starting 2011 part 2

My Stokes Seed order arrived this week. My first sowing from the new arrivals includes the Alyssum Wonderland White and Wonderland Mulberry Mix. I’ve also started a couple of garlic chives and the hybrid impatiens (Xtreme Hot Mix) seed I ordered from last year. Like the impatiens, the alyssum seeds are tiny, and I’ve resorted to spreading them into plastic trays. I will need to ensure I mist them regularly.

The first rosemary cutting isn’t looking too good after being in the dirt for a week or two now. I imagine it needs better watering than what it’s been receiving so far. I’ve put another rosemary cutting next to it and hope for the best. I’ve also taken a cutting of the Tropical Breeze verbena and put it into water. I’m unsure if it will take, but it will be interesting to find out if it can be easily propagated. The lone specimen I have sitting in the planter has stopped flowering and has instead begun to expand, setting out trailers and new foliage.

The dianthus cutting that’s taken root has put out a bud, which I found while sowing. I don’t have the heart to pinch it back, even though I should. I should take some white dianthus cuttings to propagate.

Nearly everything sown from the beginning of the month has sprouted. One or two ornamental peppers have yet to break out of the ground and all of the pansies have failed to germinate so far. I’m about out of room to sow any more seed in plastic dinner trays and will have to consider using up the rest of the Burpee tray to grow anything new. Now I’m wishing I had more grow lights and counter space for indoor gardening.

Meanwhile, I’ve found some good reading and tips on winter sowing at WinterSown.org.