reBlogged to shows on Aug 19, 2007, 7:17AM

Posted by inadvertentgardener Reblogged by Old Roses to shows on 2007-08-20, 19:02:19

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Romie hooked the little trailer up to the back of the mower and we headed back to Cunningham's Ditch, which runs behind our house. It's called a ditch officially, but it's really a creek that feeds into Blue Creek just a little further east.


I walked beside him as he drove the mower and once we got between the creek and the cornfield, there was about 20 feet of wildflowers and weeds all the way back to the next field. We knew there was still quite a pile of rocks back there that Doug the Farmer had removed from his field, and we were in search of more for the edge of our new little pond. . . .

reBlogged to beneficials

Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials on 2007-08-20, 19:01:57

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Probably the most common plants used in planters in the Chicago area has to be these ornamental sweet potato vines. You can find the chartreuse colored vine and this darker form growing in all parts of the city in the planters the city maintains. They spill over planters or are used as ground covers to great effect. My favorite is the two common ones you see is "blackie" even though it has a politically incorrect common name I love the dark foliage. I have one planted with my "black" calla lily and oxalis. . . .

reBlogged to vines

Posted by MrBrownThumb Reblogged by Old Roses to vines on 2007-08-20, 19:00:59

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We've been experiencing a bit of rain in Chicago these past few days and one benefit from it is the seedlings that have emerged or have been given a boost by extra water. I was taking advantage of the fact that the soil is saturated with water and pulling weeds is relatively easy when I spotted a couple of seedlings. One of the seedlings I spotted amongst the weeds is this columbine seedling. . . .

reBlogged to columbine

Posted by MrBrownThumb Reblogged by Old Roses to columbine on 2007-08-20, 19:00:37

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I was out in the garden today picking a few blooms from my Nasturtiums to decorate a salad with when I noticed how many seeds were being produced by my plants this year. When I first grew them I was worried I wouldn't be able to recognize the Nasturtium seeds and that I would somehow lose them all to garden critters. Once these annual set seeds it is pretty easy to spot them if you move the foliage aside and inspect your plants. For the most part the seeds are produced in pairs like in the image above but on a few occasions I've observed them growing in groups of three or four. . . .

reBlogged to nasturtiums seeds

Posted by MrBrownThumb Reblogged by Old Roses to nasturtiums, seeds on 2007-08-20, 18:58:21

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Well, there are still a few things blooming in the garden. The last of the daylilies are putting on a healthy show.

Daring Deception

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by Karen Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-08-20, 18:58:00

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Before I do anything else, I want to give a shout out to Hanna at This Garden is Illegal for this post on copyright. Although it's specific to the United States, there are many useful resources in the article. Thanks, Hanna!

[This was meant to be a longer post, but I guess I never got around to finishing it. But there's a good reason for that. The most perfect gardening weather came along and I was spending all my time in the garden.]

reBlogged to blogs

Posted by Karen Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-08-20, 18:57:35

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That’s what I’ve always heard.

Just a few days ago I was wishing for rain and overnight it came and dumped a little over 3 inches. I won’t be needing the hoses for the next few days. Cooled things off a little too. The high today should only be in the mid-nineties.

I don’t know if we will get any of the after-effects of Dean.  You  never can tell what they are going to do.

I bought some cypress mulch on Friday to cover some of the beds where I planted stuff earlier in the year.   I really should have done that earlier. I have become rather lackadaisical in my planting methods.   In my old garden I used to dig out and replace the soil in the flower beds, but here I’ve just been planting in the native soil.

reBlogged to weather on Dec 31, 1969, 6:59PM

Posted by Bill Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-08-20, 18:57:29

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I don't grow veggies. I've made attempts to grow various kinds of produce over the years. Resulting in spectacular failures. Did I ever mention the golfball sized watermelon? So I stick to flowers. More success. Better pictures. . . .

reBlogged to corn

Posted by OldRoses Reblogged by Old Roses to corn on 2007-08-20, 18:57:20

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Still working on cleaning up the garden space. There was some recent relief from the extreme heat and humidity, when the remnants of Hurricane Erin recently brought some rain and cloudiness to the area, after many days of 100 degree weather. Hurricane Dean may also bring some relief from the hot weather here, but I fear it may also bring much agony and destruction to those areas that are directly hit by it. Hopefully, the hurricane will not be as strong as predicted, and spare heavily populated areas.

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Rose Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-08-20, 18:56:12

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Do you know what the difference is between your garden and the garden of someone who is rich?

There are obvious differences because of what money can buy. Money can buy land measured in acres, exotic plants from around the world, full-time landscape crews, one of a kind garden art, good design by the best landscape architects, and water features that dazzle.

But the real difference between your garden and the garden of someone who is rich is the rich people name their gardens. . . .

reBlogged to gardens

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2007-08-20, 18:56:02

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I've posted a short five question survey on my sidebar. If you have 30 seconds to spare, please click on the link and take the survey. I will share the results with everyone in a week or so.

Hurry, I can only accept the first 100 responses! And, of course it is anonymous.

reBlogged to blogs

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-08-20, 18:55:39

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Not that I expect ever to be doing that. But this is one of the few genuine elements of our oh-so-tacky county fair. Lots of cute baby farm animals, fried food, rickety rides, and not-so-cute adult humans. . . .

reBlogged to shows

Posted by EAL Reblogged by Old Roses to shows on 2007-08-20, 18:55:32

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Here is my first melon ever. Actually, I should say the first melon that I’ve ever grown that I have had the pleasure of enjoying. Some creatures have destroyed the first two. It’s probably the squirrels. They take a bite or two and leave the rest to rot on the ground. Very annoying.

It’s a Minnesota Midget. And it fits its name. This one is about the size of a baseball. There are a couple more on the vine that are about the same size. Overall, the plant doesn’t take up too much space, but production is low. And when animals steal 50% of your yield, well…

reBlogged to melons on Aug 19, 2007, 10:41AM

Posted by gremlin Reblogged by Old Roses to melons on 2007-08-20, 18:55:04

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NYBG Water Garden

I went down to the New York Botanical Garden today. I saw some unusual flowers and learned a couple of new plants. It was a quick tour with my main goal of hitting the Rose Garden. These are a couple of shots of the Water Garden that is outside the Conservatory. It was in bloom with a good collection of Lotus and Water Lilies. Lighting wasn’t optimal and it felt like it was going to rain at any minute. . . .

reBlogged to botanical_garden

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to botanical_garden on 2007-08-20, 18:54:43

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That's exactly what this young man is doing. A victim of Hurricane Katrina, Jack McShane wanted to help bring back his hometown. Unfortunately, everyone said he was just too young to get involved. Well Jack decided he wasn't and now he not only participates in the clean up of a local park but has started mow-rons.org to support his mowing group. USA Today recently featured Jack - it is an inspiring story for all ages.

reBlogged to children gardening

Posted by Nancy Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardening, children on 2007-08-20, 18:52:40

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reBlogged to weather

Posted by Nickie Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-08-20, 18:49:42

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reBlogged to insects

Posted by Tamara Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-20, 18:49:24

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This is a picture of what my husband does to perfectly good tomatoes. He slices them, coats them in a mixture of flour, parsley, and seasoned salt, and then he fries them. It looks like a mess to me, but he loves them. As soon as the tomato plants start producing, he cooks up skillet after skillet of these. So tonight, he cooked his tomatoes, and I picked fresh peppers, zucchini, and onions from the garden, and sauted them in butter. Yumm!!! Nothing better than picking vegetables straight from the garden to eat. . . .

reBlogged to vegetables recipes

Posted by vonlafin Reblogged by Old Roses to recipes, vegetables on 2007-08-20, 18:49:07

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I have been reading my favorite blogs, today. It has been raining for two days, something I am now grateful for....
My blog friends haven't all been blessed with a warm, wet summer like I have. The lawn is absolutely Lush. . .

reBlogged to blogs

Posted by Sissy Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-08-20, 18:48:43

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After nearly three years of good solid growth - and complaints from the gas-bottle delivery guy - it was time to reassess the front yard. In particular, this garden bed needed some TLC and a little renovating.

The Lavatera had completely taken over this bed and obscured every other plant from view. Each year I had pruned it back hard but it didn't seem to slow it down. . . .

reBlogged to design on Aug 19, 2007, 7:14PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2007-08-20, 18:47:55

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Nate is one of those friends who drifts in and out... sometimes we see a lot of him, sometimes we can't get a text message back from him at all and are left to wonder where he is and what he's doing. Today he came over to hang out and catch up, which is always a good time. . . .

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by Blackswamp_Girl Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-08-20, 18:47:31

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Within the next 12 hours we will be truly into storm conditions, and I guess I'm as ready as I can be. Well, not really - there are a couple more things to do around the house like seal the windows that might leak when the rain gets very heavy but that can be done in the morning.

My plants from seed have been "secured" - or at least moved out of harm's way.

These are the biggest ones:

reBlogged to weather

Posted by Jade Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-08-20, 18:47:09

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Jealousy can turn your head around, and around. Just ask the mermaid.

Originally posted by Julie

reBlogged to flowers on Aug 18, 2007, 9:29PM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-08-20, 18:46:46

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Based on books, magazines and websites for garden maintenance, I spent this morning cutting back the foliage on my daylilies, cleaning up all the dead leaves, and then giving them a good shot of liquid fertilizer.  But why?? I can't remember the reason.  So, I looked up some stuff on the web (didn't feel like dragging out all those books again) and here are some tidbits. . . .

reBlogged to lilies on Aug 19, 2007, 1:08PM

Posted by Lesli Peterson Reblogged by Old Roses to lilies on 2007-08-20, 18:43:28

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We've been impatiently waiting for our tomatoes to ripen. Since we don't have a lot of space to dedicate to vegetable gardening, we have to be very selective about what we grow. This year we decided to specialize; we planted only tomatoes. And this week we were finally able to enjoy our first harvest. The beauty of a fresh-from-the-vine tomato is that it requires so little fuss. Perfect for us as our newborn requires much fuss. . . .

reBlogged to tomatoes recipes

Posted by seedling Reblogged by Old Roses to recipes, tomatoes on 2007-08-20, 18:42:59

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The roses seem intent on proving that the heat of August is no impediment to lots of blooms.  Lots of them continue to open new blossoms almost every day, filling the garden with color and fragrance.  In addition to those that I've mentioned before, both Graham Thomas and Gertrude Jekyll have started to [...]

reBlogged to roses on Aug 19, 2007, 11:20AM

Posted by ToyTrains1 Reblogged by Old Roses to roses on 2007-08-20, 18:42:34

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reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2007-08-20, 18:42:28

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reBlogged to design

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2007-08-20, 18:41:31

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reBlogged to lilies catalogs

Posted by Elizabeth Reblogged by Old Roses to catalogs, lilies on 2007-08-20, 18:41:07

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reBlogged to beneficials

Posted by Crafty Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials on 2007-08-20, 18:40:20

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I'm having trouble with earwigs in my garden. Should I spray them with something? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to pests on Aug 18, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-08-20, 18:40:13

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This was a very cooperative dragonfly, posing for pictures inside the house.

reBlogged to insects on Aug 19, 2007, 3:56PM

Posted by La Gringa Reblogged by Old Roses to insects on 2007-08-20, 18:40:04

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There was an article published in the local newspaper recently discussing the beauty and resilience of the cotton plant. It was suggested that folks could add it to their gardens and enjoy gorgeous flowers that ultimately become the actual cotton boll. I was intrigued by the idea, but somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering if cotton could be planted residentially. Well, kudos to the newspaper for printing a retraction and letting us know that it is illegal in the state of Florida to plant cotton because of the boll weevil. . . .

reBlogged to pests

Posted by Nancy Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-08-20, 18:39:39

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Sunday, August 19, 2007

Another Sunday and another week of summer has slipped away. Vermont summers are too short anyway but this one seems to be escaping because we have so many projects going on. A week from today Alex will be 15 years old. It seems like just yesterday that he and Gail came home from the hospital. It seems like centuries ago that we learned he was on the autism spectrum. Our gardening experiences and life experiences have changed a great deal in recent years and moving the gardens to Route 2 is another important part. . . .

reBlogged to lilies

Posted by George Africa Reblogged by Old Roses to lilies on 2007-08-20, 18:39:20

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Although less well known than poison ivy, it behooves inhabitants of North America's West Coast to familiarize themselves with poison oak. Follow the links in my article on poison ivy...

reBlogged to vines weeds pests on Aug 19, 2007, 3:52AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to pests, vines, weeds on 2007-08-20, 18:38:58

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reBlogged to seeds

Posted by Colleen Vanderlinden (nospam@example.com) Reblogged by Old Roses to seeds on 2007-08-20, 18:38:51

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It has been raining for almost 24 hours straight. I'm glad I got a few things done in the garden yesterday morning before it started. I took this picture of the red Pentas before the rain started. This was an impulse buy a while back and they really looked deadish for a while but have rebounded nicely. Seeing them up close like this really is a different perspective. They are the strikingly red. . . .

reBlogged to weather flowers

Posted by Gina Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers, weather on 2007-08-20, 18:38:42

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Neofinetia falcata, or the Samurai Orchid, is a tiny, fragrant, and highly collectable orchid from Japan, where it has many fans, and clubs organized around this culurally meaningful orchid. In Japan, we visited tiny exclusive nurseries dedicated to growing this plant, as well as a few other collectable Japanese Orchids like Dendrobium moniliforme. . . .

reBlogged to orchids

Posted by Matt Reblogged by Old Roses to orchids on 2007-08-20, 18:38:15

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reBlogged to tomatoes whimsy on Aug 18, 2007, 9:35PM

Posted by empressofdirt@gmail.com (M.J.Will) Reblogged by Old Roses to tomatoes, whimsy on 2007-08-20, 00:36:08

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Join My garden is made up of many different colored flowers, but when I look at the photos I’ve taken it seems that there are much more of some color than others. I thought I’d show you a few of my lovely purple flowers today.This flower is grown from a bulb. It’s formally called Liatris and more commonly known as Gay Feather.

In my front flower bed I grow a small woody plant called Pervoskia Little Spire. I believe it’s a form of Russian Sage. I think it was a little windy when I took this photo and the flower stalks in the center moved closer to the lense as I shot the photo so the center is slightly out of focus

reBlogged to flowers on Aug 19, 2007, 2:50AM

Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-08-20, 00:35:19

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reBlogged to weather

Posted by My Chutney Garden Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2007-08-20, 00:34:47

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I spent the morning ripping out virtually everything from my veg garden, excepting some peppers, crowder peas, one cherry tomato, an eggplant ('Little Fingers'), a patch of okra, and my sweet potatoes...

reBlogged to harvest

Posted by Central FLA Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to harvest on 2007-08-20, 00:34:38

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