Tuesday, November 30, 2010

My Kind of White

Mention the word “White” this time of the year
and everyone, including myself, think of snow.
But my kind of white runs in the color of flowers
for the garden.
After reading Jan’s posting on her white Foxglove
that were blooming now in the Fall and seeing how
beautiful they were I got to thinking about all of the white
flowers I have included in my garden or in containers.
I was surprised at just how many white flowers I do
have or use in the spring, summer and fall.

Achillea_Snowdrift I have added quiet a few white perennials in the
beds such as white Achillea called “Snow Drift”.
I am trying to keep snow out of this posting but
it is sneaking in. LOL!

 Alba2_April29 
I especially like how white flowers always look
so delicate. The white blooms of my Dicentra
“Alba” Bleeding Hearts to me are just perfect.

 Astilbe_White_June2

I also like how white flowers in a flower bed
make other colors just pop. This white late
Spring blooming Astilbe planted with “Blue Hill”
Salvia is a favorite combination of mine although
in this picture the salvia is blurred.


BeckyDaisy_Pink

White “Becky” Shasta Daisies look so pretty
with a background of double pink impatiens.

Campanula_ChettleCharm  And Campanula “Chettle Charm”would not show its
beautiful blue edges without the white to make it shine
forth. The blooms on Chettle Charm start out white
and the blue appears and deepens on the edges as the
blooms age. If you are a gardener who loves tall Bellflowers
I got this one from Bluestone Perennials.

Bellflowers_MiddleBed

  Pure white Peach Leafed Bellflowers makes the green of
nearby plants come alive. Would the pink
Foxglove show up as well without the white to
enhance its colors?

ElderBerry_Bloom

Along the woods native grown white Elderberry
blooms make the woods come alive and the bees
and butterflies swarm to it.

Hydrangea2_ForeverPinkDwf_June12 Since Hydrangea’s are one of my favorite blooms
this Dwarf “Forever Pink” hydrangea starts out
white, turns to pink, and then gets green and bronze
in the Fall. I get a lot of color from this hydrangea
throughout a blooming season but I love the white
stage in my shade garden the best.
The white really stands out in a shady bed.

W_PrimroseLow growing white Primroses are so pretty  in the
front of a bed or around the rocks of my pond.
They bloom in the spring and rest in the hot,
dry spells of summer to only return to bloom in
the Fall when the rains come. There is a couple
of blooms on it now that I discovered while putting
up some Christmas decorations. It really stands
out now that the rest of the garden is asleep.

PhloxDavid_Wet

I have many tall phlox plants in my garden beds.
I love it for its long blooming season and the
fragrance of phlox in the garden is divine.
This white”David” tall phlox has it all.

Rose_Iceberg_June3 

White rose blooms are so delicate looking.
Although this “Iceberg” rose was new to the
rose garden this summer it won my heart.
Not just because of the delicate looking blooms
but because it has bloomed its heart out
and I love roses that are in constant bloom.
I have small gardening spaces and I really hate
using precious space on plants that do not give
me a lot of blooms for a long period.

Echinacea_LuckyStar2

I also have several Echinacea’s in my garden of
different colors for the bees and butterflies so when
  I saw this “Lucky Star” variety I knew I had just the spot for it in the garden with Red Fox Salvia and Rosita Agastache
growing around and under it.
I liked the White Swan coneflowers but Lucky Star
won out because of the straighter petals that stand out.
Monarda_White2
Why not some white Monarda for the bees and
butterflies?
You may have trouble finding this white Bee balm.
I got this in a mixed order and have not been able
to find just the white since. If any of you gardeners
know of a supplier please let me know.

  Anemone_JPye2

In the Fall this “Chocolate” Eupatorium planted
with Fall blooming Anemones were a standout
in my garden. It blooms for a long period right
along with the anemones for Fall color.

 Clematis_SweetAutumn_1 
What about some white vines in the garden?
Another Fall bloomer this ”Autumn Joy” clematis
was full of feathery, tiny blossoms. I saw that it
was a favorite in many Fall gardens on blogs.

Pansy_Whites2

This Fall I added some white Pansies to my window
boxes. They look quite lovely now with the pine and
artificial Poinsettia flowers placed in with them under
the windows for Christmas decorating.
{I need to get a picture…}

Cosmos2_White 
Maybe add some white annuals to your garden
or mixed into containers.
Darla sent me these seeds for white Cosmos and
although I had some Picotee Cosmos that were
pretty the white cosmos were my favorite ones.
Doesn’t this one have a funky looking bloom.
I don’t think it could make up its mind to have
a single or double bloom. LOL!
Pentas_BSparkles_White
Another annual from seeds this summer
were a combination of “Sparkles” Pentas.
It had Red, Pink and white but again the white
ones in the window boxes with geraniums, verbena
and petunias were my favorite of the mix.

 Small_Wonders

White wave petunias cascaded over a couple of my
hanging containers this summer with geraniums and nicotiana plants.

Geranium_W_Sept2And you just knew I would have to have
a white pelargonium or two. LOL!
This poor one looks a little dirty on its white petals.
 MorningGlory_FreeBeauty

An annual vine is this white Morning Glory that
the birds planted for me. Does the pink brighten the
white bloom or does the white brighten the pink?
Right down to its white stamen have you ever seen
such a delicate looking bloom as this white Morning
Glory?

Alyssum_White_Fall
This white Alyssum was beautiful cascading out
of a basket of  Raspberry Swirl Geraniums.
I just pulled it out this week and took the basket
of geraniums to the basement.

Daffodil_White

Do not forget to  plant some white bulbs for Spring.
These white Daffodils look a little spent in this image
but they were pretty last Spring.

Woodsbed_Llies3

What is it about white Lilies that remind you
of purity and a fresh summer ahead.

Dahlia_Figaro_Aug19

  I ended up with two varieties of white Dahlia’s that
were grown from seeds and added to containers.
A double blooming dahlia and a single petal one.

Dahlia_V_1

And though red is the prominent color for Christmas
blooms. Why not add a white Amaryllis for the holidays.
The amaryllis below looks like it is sprinkled with sparkling
dust last winter. Amaryllis blooms were so welcome
last winter when I was hungry for blooming flowers.

Amaryllis_White6

If nothing else plant some white in the garden
for a white glow in the garden at night.
Make a bed dedicated to white just for a Moonlight garden.
These white Impatiens glow in the evening from wicker
baskets hanging on a tree in the back yard where I love
sitting in the early evening with a book. Seems I always
stay there watching the garden until it is so dark I cannot
see any longer. It is so peaceful I hate to leave.

Night_Impatiens

Do you include white in your garden plans?
What are some of your favorites?

Happy Gardening,
Lona

Monday, November 29, 2010

My Rosebud Pelargoniums

 
Anyone who has followed my blog for even a
short time learns that I love Pelargoniums.
They may be considered an old fashioned flower
but there are so many varieties anymore to choose
from that there is a geranium color or variety
that will appeal to any gardener.

Rosebug_Appleblossom2_Geranium

These two Rosebud varieties were brought into the house
to over winter for next year.
I took these two pictures right before they were given
a trimming for the winter.
I am trying to root some new starts from them in water, which does not work so well for me for some reason.
The stems usually just rot at my house in the water.
Since I am seeing no roots from the water method
I am now trying to start some in potting mix.
I am hoping to get some starts one way or another.

Geranium_RedRosebud

Since these have become my favorites of the geraniums
I went searching for some more of them online.
I ran across a website called Hobbs Farm and Greenhouse.
Well I may be an old gardener but not so old when it comes
to gardening so I was in shock at the varieties, variegations, scents, ivies, tricolor, bicolor, fancy leaves and colors of geraniums that Hobbs Farm had.
Now I am thinking seriously that I should not have done
a search about pelargoniums at all. I saw too many that I would like to have. This  is not good. LOL!

Geranium_Glowing2

Yesterday while the sun was shining so bright
I decided to get the Fall decorations out of the
yard and get up some Christmas decorations
while the weather was cooperating.
With a busy, wet week ahead it may be my
last chance to have gotten it done.
Not to mention that gun season for deer hunting
opened today so it may not be too safe to be
outdoor when you live near the forest. LOL!
Maybe I should rethink that hike my daughter
and I decided to take today also. LOL!
I do not have hunters orange to wear so maybe
bright red is the thing to wear on a hike today.

G_Appleblossom2

This is going to be a busy week coming up with the
Christmas at Waynesville’ event coming up
Friday through Sunday December 3 – 5.
I am excited to go see all of the Christmas
decorations, antiques and crafts that will be
in the Waynesville shops.

Geranium_RaspberrySwirl_July17

Also this week I will be going to the Franklin Park
Conservatory in Columbus to see their Christmas displays.
So I see a couple of wonderful days filled with beautiful
Christmas displays and flowers for this week.

G_Rosebud_White

Everyone Have a Wonderful week and ….

Happy Gardening,
Lona

Friday, November 26, 2010

Indoor Blooms For Friday

 

I hope everyone in the states are enjoying their
Thanksgiving and for those who do not celebrate Thanksgiving or are well past Canada Day are having a wonderful weekend too.  Everyone is caught up
on family and friends and stuffed like so many turkeys
and the guilt is just now sinking in, “Get Over It Already!”
This weekend is also filled with football and Ohio State is
playing against rival Michigan State Saturday so I have to throw out a …
GO BUCKS!!!!!

logo 

We are running the gambit in weather extremes
the last few days with all of them including the wet
varieties; rain, sleet, and snow flurries.
So it is going to be blooms that are happening indoors now.

 C_Cactus2
The poor Christmas Cactus is blooming and I am
wondering how since it was so neglected this summer.
It was left to drown and parch off and on all summer.
Blown over a few times and attacked by Meow and still
it is blooming.
New potting soil is what it will get  after it has finished blooming. I wonder if  die  from the shock if I give it some tender care? LOL!


C_Cactus 
This Christmas Cactus always blooms for Thanksgiving
so maybe I should just call it a ‘cactus’ period and leave off
the Christmas part since mine seems to be the earlier blooming variety.

 Violets

This African Violet is also starting to bloom again.

Violets2

Some sad news to report ,or gardening failures, is
that both of the Streptocrapus plants, Roulette Red and
Inkblot died this summer. I have the worst luck keeping
indoors plants growing but it was my own fault where they are concerned.   We put on a water softener and
I think the salt got to them before I thought about the
consequences it would have on the plants.
The violets were salvaged by changing out the soil and
are starting to recover again.
Now if I can keep from doing them anymore damage.

RouletteRedInkBlot

The Amaryllis bulbs are out of the dark basement
and into the light and are starting to grow. I am hoping
they will bloom again for me. They were a blessing
last winter when I was hungry to see colorful blooms.

 Amaryllis_Picotee (2)
The Yellow Gerbera that was brought indoors
is still growing and blooming.

 Gerbera_Oct29

The yellow miniature roses have had a set back since
they were brought indoors. It lost almost all of its leaves
but is now starting to recover.

MRoses

I see additions to the indoor plants again this winter
as my cabin fever and want for color increases.
What are you growing indoors this winter?

Happy Gardening!
Lona

Monday, November 22, 2010

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!

 

I wish to take this time to wish you all a Blessed
Thanksgiving throughout this week.
Some will be traveling and I wish safety for you
as you travel.
Since we are such a small family we do not
have tables laid for feasting but we gather together
and go out for Dinner.
But I am thankful for our small family, our health,
love, good friends and all of the Blessings God had
bestowed upon us.
Blessed to be born in a nation with brave Men and
Women and Freedom.

Thanksgiving_PostCard2

 

Giving Thanks

For the hay and the corn and the wheat that is reaped,
For the labor well done, and the barns that are heaped,
For the sun and the dew and the sweet honeycomb,
For the rose and the song and the harvest brought home --
Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
For the trade and the skill and the wealth in our land,
For the cunning and strength of the workingman's hand,
For the good that our artists and poets have taught,
For the friendship that hope and affection have brought --

 Happy Thanksgiving !
Lona

Friday, November 19, 2010

A Very Frosty Fertilizer Friday

 

This is what I saw this morning on my walk around in
the yard looking for anything that was blooming.
I wanted to just turn around and go back into the
house and cuddle under my throw. LOL!

Frosty_Morn

But what the heck this may will be my last chance to see
anything in bloom outdoors for the year so with a
defrosted camera in hand I went ventured on out.
The fog was coming up from the hollow and the field across
from the house where my daughter lives looked like
it was covered with snow instead of frost.

Frosty_Crimson The first flower I wanted check on  was the lone
bloom that had just opened the first of the week
on the Crimson Bouquet rose bush.
Poor lovely was all glistening and will probably be
mush by tonight …..

Frosty_Green

and her remaining leaves with icy crystals
on them would fall away now.

Frosty_Gaillardia 
The frosty seed heads on the Mesa Yellow
Gaillardia looked like tiny dirty snowballs.

 Frosty_Cerithe_Major2

The Cerithe Major that had grown so slow this
summer will never get its blooms now. Sorry Robin
but they grew as fast as our Stock plants last year. LOL!

Frosty_Rose_Mum

And all of the remaining chrysanthemums blooms
were sparkly with frost.

Frosty_Rose_Mum2

 Frosty_Pink

Frosty_Pink2

 

Frosty_Yellow2

Frosty_Yellow

 

Frosty_Sienna

Frsoty_Gold

 

Frosty_Fragaria_Strawberry

The Fragaria Ornamental Strawberry leaves
were edged and speckled with frost.

Frosty_Geranium

And even this little Horizon Geranium that had been
left to its own demise did not escape the frost . Even the  touch of sunlight shadowing across
its leaves did not give any hope that it may survive.

Frosty_Maroon

The only remaining green leaves in the woods behind
the house had a sparkling sheen on them.

Frosty_Oaks

I am quite certain that those old Oak leaves
will not be fazed at all and will still be around
all winter to glide into the flower beds at every
change in the direction of the wind.

Frosty_Oaks2

 

Frozen_In_Time2

These leaves that were frozen in the bird baths…

Frozen_In_Time3

were just a reminder that it is time to put the
heaters in them to keep them from freezing up
so the birds will have water these cold days ahead.

BlueJay_Upclose

Today is Fertilizer Friday so it is a frosty “Flaunting”.
Join us with our hostess Tootsie over at
Tootsie Time” and Flaunt Your Flowers!

Fertilizer_Friday

 Everyone have a wonderful weekend
and Happy Gardening!
Lona