Darwin’s Echinacea Sombrero Salsa Red

 

Another new Echinacea from the Sombrero Series by Darwin to be introduced for 2012 is “Salsa Red”.
I found this one growing in the trial garden bed at Franklin Park Conservatory this Fall with another of the the Sombrero series “Sandy Yellow”.

Echincaea x purpurera Salsa Red

The single blooming hot coral color of  the “Salsa Red” blooms were attention getters. I love Echinacea in my garden, as many of you have come to know from reading my blog, because they grow well in my clay soil and stand up to drought conditions in late summer. Also because the pollinators love Echinacea. So naturally I am always on the lookout for new additions to add to the garden.

The new Sombrero series  claims are that they are well branched and more compact like the Pow Wow series of Echinacea’s. With  growing heights of 18” to 24” and a hardiness  zone from 5a to 9b.
Light requirements are full sun and with deadheading promoting a longer flowering period.

  Echinaccea x purpurea Sandy Yellow

It will be interesting to see how many offer this new series of Echinacea’s in the new plant catalogs this coming winter.

With two beautiful days over the weekend I was able to get a few more clean up jobs in the flower beds. Mainly the oak leaves that had blown into them.
Also the outdoor Christmas decorations were put up while the weather was cooperating.
Saturday night and all day Sunday through to this morning were rainy hours with four inches of rain here in the hills. With such a wet spring, summer and into fall we do not need all of this rain. It is suppose to rain into Wednesday. Enough already! At this time of the year I suppose we should be thankful that it is not all snow.

Deer hunting gun season started this morning and I have heard a few shots in the woods despite all of the rain. I know many may not agree with my opinion but I hope the hunters thin them out a lot this week. There are so many here in the hills and they really destroy the gardens, farm yields, orchards and cars. In 2005 they estimated the deer population at 700,000 in Ohio. The population is kept in check with hunting which helps everyone including the deer who suffer because of lack of feeding areas due to over population.
While I was cleaning up some limbs Saturday I saw where a buck had been rubbing on the Mimosa tree in the Woodland bed area of the yard and had skinned the bark from it by rubbing its antlers. So I know there is one buck around here for the hunters.

Everyone have a wonderful and I hope a more restful week.
Happy Gardening,
Lona

Technorati Tags: Echincaea Sombrero Salsa Red,Echincaea Sombrero Sandy Yellow,Deer,Franklin Park Conservatory,Darwin Plants,Coleus,Violas

Rhythm and Blues & Black Velvet

 

I hope everyone has enjoyed their Thanksgiving day and are surviving the Black Friday sales going on now and throughout the weekend. Buy Small Saturday and Cyber Monday yet to go. LOL!
 

  Rhythm and Blues Petunia

Some people I know really get into these sales and can save money according to what they are looking for and I understand. As an old retail working person I can tell you that I never looked forward to these sales and the lines of customers. Well be truthful it was always my fault  if the store ran out of an advertised product. The cussing outs I have gotten and had to take it with a smile.  LOL!

  Rhythm & Blues Petunia’s

These Rhythm & Blues and Serena Blues are from the test gardens at Franklin Park Conservatory in Columbus.

 Spreading Angelonia Serena Blue

  I loved this Serena Blue spreading angelonia and would like to try some of them next Spring.

 
Fancy Dress
I have noticed a resurgence in the two toned petunias over the last two years and some with new color combinations and wild colors mixed together like this Fancy Dress or the Picasso petunia.
I could not find anything to go with the wild Fancy Dress petunia so it was in a container by itself. LOL!

Can Can Petunia

Some gardeners do not like petunias at all and think they are not good enough in the garden but with so many types being offered now from the Old Fashioned…..
 
Dolcissima Roma Petunia

…… to Waves, Avalanches, Doubles and Calibrachoa or Million Bells. And you can find them in an array of different color choices now to fit into any container combination.
(Well most of them)

The new Black Phantom Velvet series of petunia’s can be the exception where  in the color wheel where black is suppose to go with everything, in the container planting world black does not go with every plant color. They do look like Black Velvet though.

Phantom Petunia’s

I did fall in love with the with the Black and Pink Pinstripe petunia last Spring and did a container with them…

 
Pinstripe Petunia

….adding in some  pink argyranthmum  with them that worked out rather well.
To sum things up I  am one of those gardeners that love petunia’s cascading out of containers, window boxes or hanging baskets. I start some from seed under lights every year starting the last of February for my summer containers. I have good luck starting them indoors so maybe that is another reason I like them where as I have trouble starting some  seeds indoors.
Or maybe it is for sentimental reasons because Grandma grew petunias. My biggest problem it seems is in deciding every winter which ones I am going to grow. Decisions, decisions. LOL!

I have already receives three new seed  and an Edmunds Rose catalog already.  Earlier this year?
We will have some long winter months to make up our seed orders and plan or dream about  next years garden.
I would love to get into one of those Proven Winners plant testing trials. LOL! How about you?
Have you received any new planting catalogs already?

Everyone Have a Wonderful Weekend & Happy Gardening!
Lona

 

Technorati Tags: Proven Winners Plants,Petunias,Spreading Angelonia,Black Phantom Petunia,Pinstripe Petunia,Fancy Dress Petunia,Argyranthmum

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Wishing everyone a Blessed Thanksgiving to you and yours. Everyone be safe if you are traveling and enjoy your families or just that day off to relax.

Since we are a small family these days we do not have tables laid for feasting but go out for Dinner now.
I am thankful for our small family, our health, love, friends and the many blessings God has bestowed upon us throughout the years.

I am thankful to be born in a country with brave men and women and the freedoms that they fight for not only for our country but for others as well. For the freedoms we have that others throughout the world are fighting for even now. The freedom to live without the tyranny and with freedom of religion.
While in this country that freedom lets people strike and set down to get across points that even I cannot figure out what in the world they are asking for. LOL!

I am thankful for the everyday blessings that happen sometimes even unnoticed as I go about my day. Sometimes the everyday blessings are those that are most important.
 
I am also thankful for all the friendships that have came to me from you my fellow bloggers whom I would not have known otherwise. Blessings to you all.

For flowers that bloom about our feet;
For tender grass, so fresh, so sweet;
For song of bird, and hum of bee;
For all things fair we hear or see,
Father in heaven, we thank Thee!
~Ralph Waldo Emerson ~

Happy Thanksgiving!
Lona

And since I cannot be too serious without adding something
to laugh about, I agree with Maxine.

 

Technorati Tags: Thanksgiving,Holidays,Chrysanthemums

Roses in November

  It has been so wonderful this year to still have roses trying to give a bloom here and there in the rose garden.

‘Crimson Bouquet’ has three blooms still clinging on the branches on a cloudy cold day. This is my favorite rose and I was thrilled to get a cutting from it to root for me this summer after several attempts over the years. I just do not have much luck with getting root cuttings to start unless it is hydrangeas.

The ‘Burgundy Iceberg’ has even some new buds yet to open even if they are looking so worn and torn now.

The ‘Iceberg’ roses are still blooming but a very saggy.
The blooms always get a red tinge to them when the nights get colder and with less daylight hours.

The rose that has impressed me the most all season is this
‘Bill Warriner” rose.

This rose has cranked out blooms upon blooms right along.
I have really fell in love with this one and would recommend it to you roses gardeners.

Even on a cloudy, windy and rainy day this rose holds its color and blooms upright.

Elsewhere in the garden this little achillea is still trying to grow and bloom after all the others have been long spent for the season.

Oertels Rose achillea

The Foxgloves have had a growing spurt getting ready for next springs blooms. Those green leaves really stand out in the flower bed now that everything else is brown or dying.

While the Pansies seem to be just setting in the window boxes and not doing much growing at all.

Everything else in the garden has went to sleep for the winter  while I make plans and already dream of blooms to come next spring.

Give 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 .

 Everyone Have a Wonderful Weekend &
Happy Gardening,
Lona

Technorati Tags: Roses,Pasies,Achillea Pineapple Mango,Foxgloves

All the Butterflies are Gone Now

 

With cold weather settling in and the lack of flowers around whether native or in my garden the butterflies have gone for another year.

The only thing winging around here now besides the birds are those invasive Asian Ladybugs which I complain about every Fall.
When the farmers get the corn and soybeans picked and the  cold weather strikes they start coming into the homes to spend the winter. Ugh! Nasty stinking things not like the true Ladybugs. If they have not arrived at your state yet thank your lucky stars but they will be there soon because they are migrating on.

When I complain about them in the Fall there are those who say they would love to have them. If only they really knew what they were asking for. I repeat they are not your dark shelled little Ladybugs. In fact they are overtaking and destroying our natural Ladybugs. I will not bore those who already have them or those of you who have heard me rant every year so you can read about them in my older posting here.
When they finally arrive at your home then let me know how much you love them. Alright-y then, rant over with and back to the butterflies.

On a visit to Franklin Park in October the butterflies were enjoying the Buddleia bushes that they have growing on the grounds.

 
The Monarchs  were sharing them with the bees on that bright sunny day.I forgot about taking pictures of the flowers growing and started chasing butterflies trying to find one that would set still for me long enough for a shot.

There were so many Monarch butterflies at Franklin Park. Even with planting Butterfly weed and other pollinator friendly flowers I very seldom have Monarchs at my garden.

  
Common Buckeye were loving this scented Goldenrod.

I find myself planting more flowers in the garden and native plants in the Woodland bed just for the pollinators.

With our Honeybees disappearing every year I want to make sure there are many plants around that they like.

Do you plant for the Butterflies and other pollinators in your garden?

Happy Gardening,
Lona

Technorati Tags: Buddleia,Butterfly,Bumble Bee's,Salvia

Fall Planting All Done - I Promise

 

No seriously I am done planting for this Fall. I have said that a couple of times already I know but this time I am really finished.
Just when you think you are done planting for the season outdoors you run across those great Fall sales and before you know it you are getting the spade back out.

Elenore Daylily
The prices for these last flowers were so great from the online US Seed Store that I could not pass them up especially when it comes to daylilies.

 
Clothed in Glory
So two new Elenore and a Clothed in Glory daylily were added to the garden.

And a new aconitum bi-colored Monkshood was planted.
Now I am finished, done!
Besides the weather will be getting too bad to get new plants a good start before winter. LOL!


I think all of the yard chores are done now also. I took my  Macrophylla Maries Variegated Hydrangea to the basement this morning to spend the winter. It is good to zone 6 so I do not want be in zone denial here in my 5b zone and risk having it killed.
it is still small and is kept potted for easy moving.
(I did pull up the alyssum before I took it to the basement)

The cactus had a rough summer after being dumped so many times by the cats but it is blooming now.
The amaryllis plants were brought up from the basement this morning, watered and then I set them under lights. Last year I had not left them outdoors in the summer to get the sunlight so they did not bloom for me last winter. This time I left them out all summer and then took them to the dark basement at the end of summer so I am really hoping that will make them bloom this time around. If not, out they go.
Since I have tried this method with poinsettia's and it has not worked I am not holding my breath until I see if it is going to work for the amaryllis bulbs.

Finally I have some seeds I would like to give away to someone who can use them. The Seed Store gave me some seeds with an order which I will not use so if you would like them just email me with your address.
I have Beets, Baby Bottle Gourds, and Arugula.

Happy Gardening,
Lona

 

Technorati Tags: Amaryllis,Seeds,Lilies,Monkshood,Hydrangea