New blogger site

I don't know yet how to get these blogs combined. Blogger has transferred me to the 'new' set up. The url for that is

http://stilldewontheroses.blogspot.com/index.html

Thanks,
Linda

Spring Color

These first few images were found in a surprising place - Walmart's Garden Shop. This type of flower lasts here during the cold weather and in spots where they only receive morning sun. The sun in winter is even strong enough to shorten their life.
T

They are so beautiful and such a whiff of spring. We have friends who are still insulated by snow, longing for those first spring blooms.







We have had a few pots of tulips, some paper white narcissus.. which were beautifully fragrant and are awaiting blooms on a hyacinth and some crocus. They weren't prechilled so had to 'sleep' in the refrigerator for several weeks. Its about time to bring them out and enjoy their bright spot of color and spring smells.




I don't know what these purple leaved plants are. They stand about 4' tall and are such a bright spot in the shade.

There are so many orchids in the trees in people's yards and in all the parks.. all in the shade.. I don't know the names, but we're planning to find a few more orchids to put into our trees. Hans bought me a phaelenopsis orchid over 12 years ago for an anniversary - its still blooming and has had 'many babies'. This year it had nearly 100 blooms.. We've been waiting for the blooms to be done to separate and repot the mother plant. On nearly each blooming stem it forms a new plant and those newly formed plants have flower stalks with their own set of blossoms.. Altogether a wonderful investment.

The amaryllis are in bloom right now - again one bulb from another long ago anniversary outdoes itself each year. Its been in the same pot for nearly 10 years and last year I put it into a larger pot on advice of an internet amaryllis society. The bulb is huge and one stalk alone had 6 massive flowers already. The second stalk is about to open its beautiful flowers. I planted some last year and they bloomed, but far fewer have buds this year. The Amarylis society says that they tend to dig themselves into the ground and don't bloom as well because they become too deep in the soil. I think we'll be digging and potting all those bulbs during this summer.

Today feels like a winter day - only 43 last night and less than seventy in the shade during the day. Another cold night tonight and another fresh springlike day tomorrow.

I hope all that I know have a beautiful Easter tomorrow - its such a time of renewal and new beginnings...

Respite

Sunday, April 01, 2007

Respite

April 1, 2007 April Fool's Day...

'Misti' this first picture is for you. Its from the 'vegetable garden room' at Hollis Gardens. This is the kale we grew in Maine.. Curly Kale. No matter how beautiful, no one in my family grew to love its taste. In the background was red chard.. along a bit further was a strip with reds, oranges and yellow stemmed chard.


A whippoorwill was singing first thing this morning. Its been a long time since we've heard them. Down here their song is only two notes.. Poor Will.. and so that's what they are called. Up north, its three notes.. Whip poor will.. The song was always comforting when, as children, we had to go to bed. We were told to listen and we'd find our friend there with us as we went to sleep.

The weather has been absolutely beautiful lately - nice breeze, cool air and sometimes too warm sun. Hollis Gardens is always a refreshing oasis... Today was no exception. There was one family there with 4 little girls, all dressed in swishy, swingy long pink dresses. They looked like junior bridesmaids posing for a proud, but a bit frustrated Dad. There was no label, but I believe the 4' plant with lavender flowers was a verbena bonariensis. Amazing flower! These little girls looked like a patch of brightly colored flowers themselves.

There were 7 or 8 huge staghorn ferns hanging on one of the old live oak trees. These trees live for a few hundred years and grow very slowly,, their branches almost gracefully reaching out.

I'm still feeling very frustrated with my Mavica camera. I've loved it for quite a few years, but am now quite disappointed in the quality of pictures since its less than l mega pixel. There are so many beautiful images to be captured, just waiting for me to make a decision and order a new camera. Sometimes the events of life so fill the days that things like choosing a new camera take the back burner. Perhaps it takes a few days like today with weather just begging to be enjoyed with camera in hand that will push me to order a new one. I took nearly 60 pictures today - just enjoying the variety of flowers offered.

Hollis Gardens always has unusual varieties of plants among the common, easy to grow plants. This one was particularly unusual. Its called Gomphocarpus Physocarpus.. Its common name was "hairy balls"... It was quite a large open and airy shrub covered with pale green translucent 'balls' approximately3" across, along with clusters of white and lavender flowers.



Last year there was a peach tree filled with hundreds of lucious looking peaches. This year the peach tree looks a bit haggard, but I recognized another fruit tree nearly ready for picking - the loquot. I'd never tasted them before eating at a nearly Chinese Restaurant. Absolutely delicious and nearly maintenance free.




One section of this garden is for butterfly plants. There was one huge patch of a very frangrant dark red flower head made up of many tiny florets. Upon smelling I would say it was a form of the old fashion Sweet William found up north. Amazing fragrance! Along the winding path was a section of the common nasturtium. I'd say there was nothing common about them.. One patch was a particularly brilliant carmine with the flowers held well above the leaves. There was also an anise hyssop.. about 3-4 feet tall and delicious licorice smelling foliage. One of those 'gotta haves'. This pink flower is a passiflora.. passies, I guess they call them on the Garden Web.

When I came to 'my' blogger, they had switched me to the 'new' version. I'm not sure what to expect, but did find that they only had a posting from last summer in 'archives'. I guess I'll be investigating to see how to use it. Kerri, thanks for the offer of help - I may well need it after seeing what a struggle it gave 'Alice'.

I hope each one in the colder areas are daydreaming about their summer gardens and those in the warmer areas are watching those tomatoes form and plants bursting into bloom.