reBlogged to fruit

Posted by Blackswamp_Girl Reblogged by Old Roses to fruit on 2007-09-18, 18:47:08

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Q: We're planting a flower garden for the first time, and I have a quick question for you. I want to buy bulbs that I see in Lowes, but I think that those are mostly early Spring flowers... can I then plant seedlings around them in the spring to keep the garden going after the tulips, etc. are gone?

A: YES!! Absolutely! In fact - one of the best thing about layering spring bulbs is that summer perennials will then grow up and fill in the "bare" spot provideing you with constant color. . . .

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Angela Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2007-09-18, 18:46:40

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Fall is here, but that doesn't mean an end to having fun with gardening! A good way to keep kids (or just yourself) interested in gardening is to have some fun indoor plant projects throughout the year.

One project that people of all ages enjoy is growing a "Carrot Top Plant.". . .

reBlogged to carrots

Posted by Hilary Reblogged by Old Roses to carrots on 2007-09-18, 18:46:16

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reBlogged to tools

Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to tools on 2007-09-18, 18:45:49

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It's a pretty well-known fact that I'm not a morning person. Oh, I can get up early if I have to but I really dislike having to get up before my body feels like it. It's not that I'm lazy; I just keep different hours than most of the full-time employed population. While they're in a deep sleep at 2:00 a.m., I might be doing dishes or laundry or any one of a number of household chores. Such is the life of a night owl.

But I was in the company of my mom this weekend. My mom, who is both a night owl and an early bird and never lets the grass grow under her feet. God bless her. She woke me up this morning by turning the bedside light on and said something to the effect of, "CHOP! CHOP! Time's a wastin'!" I rolled over and ignored her for five more minutes. . . .

reBlogged to botanical_garden

Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to botanical_garden on 2007-09-18, 18:45:17

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Traveling to Columbus is normally about a two-hour trip to the northwest side, but it doesn't seem to take that long when you're riding in the car with my mom. It's debatable as to who can out-talk whom, but I think my mom has a slight edge over me. In any case, it makes the trip go very fast and we were there in no time.

Earlier in the week, I had e-mailed Tracy DiSabato, inquiring about visiting her gardens, Hiddenhaven, located near Columbus. Again, this was on the same tour the Master Gardeners were taking that Mom didn't get signed up for. We both wanted to see her gardens and meet Tracy in the worst way. She had replied to my e-mail yesterday to invite us to come along with the Master Gardeners when they were to visit on Friday afternoon. Woo hoo. . . .

reBlogged to botanical_garden

Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to botanical_garden on 2007-09-18, 18:44:50

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reBlogged to environment

Posted by Susan Reblogged by Old Roses to environment on 2007-09-18, 18:43:28

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reBlogged to gardeners

Posted by Amy Reblogged by Old Roses to gardeners on 2007-09-18, 18:43:10

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Photo courtesy of Message!Products.com   Writing checks is second nature to us today, but is there some way writing a check can help the Earth?  Sure, you could write a check to your favorite...

reBlogged to environment on Sep 17, 2007, 2:50AM

Posted by Green Talk Reblogged by Old Roses to environment on 2007-09-18, 18:40:29

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In two weeks, we'll celebrate the first anniversary of our retirement cottage in central Virginia. That is, it's supposed to be our retirement cottage, but the spouse is dragging his feet on the retirement thing. We'll continue to stay there on weekends for the foreseeable future, but neither garden (NoVA or CeVA) gets my full-time attention. Nevertheless, I'm pleased with how the vegetable garden (dare I call it a potager?) turned out this year. So, trying to kill 3 birds with one stone, this is an early anniversary "neighborhood" photo tour of how the garden looked a week before Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. I posted these pictures on Picasa last week, but didn't get around to writing anything here. . . .

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by Entangled Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-18, 18:40:11

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Picture a beautiful fall day outside -- a perfect day for performing landscaping chores. The tepid sun warms everything up sufficiently but isn't strong enough to sap your strength. So...

reBlogged to pests on Sep 17, 2007, 2:29AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-09-18, 18:39:20

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Patience payed off and i finnaly caught this Skipper on a Nicandra. . .

reBlogged to beneficials on Sep 17, 2007, 11:48AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to beneficials on 2007-09-18, 18:39:03

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Here in Seattle, where i live, some winters we have snow for day or two. I like taking pictures on these day. So here is one for you. I like watching. . .

reBlogged to shrubs on Sep 17, 2007, 11:42AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to shrubs on 2007-09-18, 18:38:44

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These are lillies that grow year after year (perennials) and fill my garden with fragrance. I love them for the above as well as for the low. . .

reBlogged to lilies on Sep 17, 2007, 11:39AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to lilies on 2007-09-18, 18:38:17

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I've been picking 4 qts of raspberries every couple days. Instead of holding on to a bowl I drilled a hole on each side of this container and. . .

reBlogged to berries on Sep 17, 2007, 11:36AM

Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to berries on 2007-09-18, 18:37:56

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reBlogged to books

Posted by Jane Berger Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-09-18, 18:37:38

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Today I found myself collecting seeds from my Nasturtiums all the while patting myself on the back for making the decision to grow this wonderful annual in my garden. As I was admiring the flowers I started thinking of the benefits of growing this plant and thought of a few but I'll share my top 5 reasons why I grow Nasturtiums in my garden. . . .

reBlogged to nasturtiums

Posted by MrBrownThumb Reblogged by Old Roses to nasturtiums on 2007-09-18, 18:37:30

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Just so you know, not all my time is spent smelling the flowers (in this case, asters), taking pictures to share for Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day or reading the latest book selection for the Garden Bloggers' Book Club. Sometimes real work has to be done here. Real work, like rebuilding the retaining wall for the foundation planting bed that was once full of English ivy, Deutzia struggling to survive with the ivy and some Hypericum shrubs that succumbed to bagworms. . . .

reBlogged to landscape

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to landscape on 2007-09-18, 18:37:03

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This mess is now gone. It contained a mixture of Ribbon Grass (probably Phalaris arundinacea), False Dragon's Head (Physostegia virginiana), and Four O'Clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) . I pulled it all out yesterday, still blooming. I don't have an after picture yet, but I will once I've planted something nice there. You all know what bare dirt looks like.

The False Dragon's Head and the Ribbon Grass were passalong plants given to me by a well-meaning co-worker when I first moved to my new house and had a blank slate of a garden. Literally, the only plants on my property at that time were the lawn grasses beginning to germinate in the newly sown lawn. . . .

reBlogged to plants

Posted by Carol Reblogged by Old Roses to plants on 2007-09-18, 18:36:35

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We moved here the end of October, 2005. While hiking through the woods we occasionally found buckeyes laying on the ground, but not very many. Last year we went out and hunted for them, and found a few more, but still not very many. This year, I went out looking 2 months earlier (I was smarter and watched the trees for ripening nuts!) and found lots more! I still missed a bunch, probably could have gone out a week or so earlier, the squirrels have still gotten a good amount of them.
I found a few trees still loaded quite heavy with them. One of the trees was small enough for me to grab and shake the crap out of it until the nuts rained down around me. . . .

reBlogged to fruit

Posted by Angie Reblogged by Old Roses to fruit on 2007-09-18, 18:35:53

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Thanks to m'venerable Guardian Unlimited colleague Jon Dennis for this photo of a shed at Spa Hill allotments in London. Jon is on the waiting list for a plot on this site, which he tells me is "fantastic", with a library, a shop, a cafe ... and you can get gardening lessons. This particular shed comes with a message - but what can it mean? I have no idea what HCP stands for. It has a certain Wendy house-like quality - due to the windows, I suspect. The fawn-coloured bath alongside adds a certain seventies charm to the scene, while...

reBlogged to sheds on Sep 17, 2007, 4:58PM

Posted by Jane Perrone Reblogged by Old Roses to sheds on 2007-09-18, 18:34:56

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A sighting of a fieldfare* while on holiday a few weeks back brought back happy memories of my days as a member of the YOC or Young Ornithologists' Club, the youth wing of the RSPB (now, sadly, rebranded as the far more prosaic Wildlife Explorers). I've always had a keen eye for spotting birds, and my interest was rekindled by reading the excellent book How to be a Bad Birdwatcher by Simon Barnes. But I'd like to lay my hands on a really good field guide, because while the RSPB's site is really excellent for helping you to identify birds...

reBlogged to books on Sep 17, 2007, 4:44PM

Posted by Jane Perrone Reblogged by Old Roses to books on 2007-09-18, 18:34:18

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reBlogged to flowers

Posted by Amy Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-18, 18:33:44

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Mom reads my blog (hi Mom), though she comments so rarely I sometimes forget she is here. But my words about that open inner space I had once thought of as a desert struck a cord with her and she sent me a series of pictures she had taken of a prairie. These two spoke to me. Maybe it's their simplicity, grass and clouds. Or those clouds (I love clouds), or the reflection of sky and waving grains in each other. But I decided to adopt these images and share them here. These are my prairie, vast and wide. Full of movement and stillness. Of life and of solitude. Of racing storms and bursts of sunshine. Of flexible grasses and the smell of earth...

reBlogged to landscape

Posted by Tandaina Reblogged by Old Roses to landscape on 2007-09-18, 18:33:38

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Bloom Day for September.....2 days late, but here I am anyway! First is one of my new best friends, echinacea! I cannot believe how long it took me to buy these plants, because the bugs love em', I love em', and as for bloom longevity-it's off the chart! I mean, if daylily flowers are so named for the length of time the flower lasts, then echinacea should be named "month flower" at least!

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by lisa Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-18, 18:33:22

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Today’s (also tomorrow’s etc.) literature is found on the website Gardening in South Africa.

It’s not because Soekershof Walkabout is mentioned in it but it provides the reader with some insight in the evolution of the succulents. Just interesting background.

The website is, in spare time, made by Darlene Roelofsen who is employed in a nursery. She is absolutely devoted to her plants!

reBlogged to blogs on Sep 17, 2007, 3:23PM

Posted by soekershof Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs on 2007-09-18, 18:32:48

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The thing about nature is that there is a dependability to it - seasons, cycles, rhythm. The cycle that's starting now is the one where I admit that my garden was not what I hoped it would be this year, and it's right on time.

The best thing about this time of year is the appearance of the Autumn Joy sedum flower heads. These are so hardy and so plentiful that I divide them using a hacksaw. I throw some away every year because I just don't know enough people to give them to. There are several reasons that I'll always have these in my garden. . .

reBlogged to sedum on Sep 17, 2007, 8:15AM

Posted by Cripes, Suzette! Reblogged by Old Roses to sedum on 2007-09-18, 18:32:37

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Today we're going for a walk, a long walk, so I hope you're wearing sensible shoes or boots. Mine are both sensible and fashionable of course. ;-) Walking is all the rage now in garden bloggers world or so it seems. Chuck B. has been at it, and Kim, and Pam too. But we're not going to walk in my neighbourhood though, nope, we're going for a walk in beautiful Denmark. Denmark is a great country for walking; with its gentle rolling hills and wonderful countryside. . .

reBlogged to gardens

Posted by Yolanda Elizabet Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2007-09-18, 18:31:14

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The subtropical, tender Taiwanese native Tricyrtis lasiocarpa, and it's hybrid offspring Tapei Silk (the latter of which I showed a few days ago), have that lovely amethyst blue color in the flowers that is so gorgeous in the clear fall light. Lasiocarpa is rated at zone 7 by most, and the winter hardiness of Tapei silk for me is still up in the air, but here's a proven survivor that has a touch of blue: this is the well-known Tricyrtis Togen (also spelled Tojen). I believe it gets its slight bluish tint from Tricyrtis formosana, not lasiocarpa; now formosana is only slightly hardier than lasiocarpa, and formosana hybrids overall are about 50-50 in surviving our Iowa winters, but Togen is totally rock hardy. It has large, lovely unspotted flowers that are orchid shading to white in the centers, with a yellow throat. The foliage is also striking in that the leaves are very large for a tricyrtis, and they are less prone to be damaged from hot summer weather (its heat tolerance probably comes from formosana). I could easily be convinced that Togen is one of the best, if not the very best, garden toadies.

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by IBOY Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-18, 18:30:41

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I found some .99 clearance deals at Lowe's.

I actually won at bingo, so splurged a little, but still felt guilty. Of course, I had to reverse that by buying pants on sale for my youngest daughter. She needed them and they were only 6.99 AND buy one get one free. Hah, I love sales!. . .

reBlogged to plants

Posted by Tina Reblogged by Old Roses to plants on 2007-09-18, 18:30:06

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I forgot to plant my peacock orchids this spring.

Grrr! What was I thinking?

Or, rather, not thinking? Sigh.

All that business about getting them to grow last fall and ... well, frig.

I wonder if those neglected little bulbs will be ok until next spring? Yeah, when I can maybe remember to actually plant them!

reBlogged to bulbs

Posted by Tina Reblogged by Old Roses to bulbs on 2007-09-18, 18:29:22

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We finished the patio this past weekend. Yay! I'm doing the happy dance.

We ended up resorting to getting the red shale by bucketfuls. Ugh!

But yes, it's finally finished. It took all summer, but done. And all for free. How much better does it get than that?. . .

reBlogged to design

Posted by Tina Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2007-09-18, 18:29:15

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We've left a piece of land to do as it pleases. It's on a very steep slope (ok, cliff) that is simply impossible to mow, nevermind that it drops to a boot-sucking bog at the bottom.

And right now it's in its glory. . . .

reBlogged to wildflowers

Posted by Tina Reblogged by Old Roses to wildflowers on 2007-09-18, 18:27:07

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I've been avoiding my garden. Ever since we got back from vacation I barely even walk in there. I just kind of cast sideways glances at it as I walk by, afraid to see the waste amidst the weeds. It was a little weedy when I left but when I got back....well, it was a jungle. A jungle littered with overripe, half eaten tomatoes. And some really huge grasshoppers. . . .

reBlogged to gardens

Posted by meresy_g Reblogged by Old Roses to Gardens on 2007-09-18, 18:26:14

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A nice plump bee obligingly lights on the Dahlia and this is the best my camera can do.



Okay, my lack of skills might be a contributing factor but owning a better camera would be nice.

reBlogged to flowers

Posted by J.P. Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2007-09-18, 18:25:50

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Saturday afternoon, the BF and I drove down to Chanhassen for a stroll around the Arboretum and a peek at the U of M AppleHouse. (According to MapQuest, it was only a 20 minute jaunt from our house in St. Louis Park… but we missed an exit and ended up at Valley Fair… Ooops.). . .

reBlogged to trees on Sep 17, 2007, 12:15PM

Posted by Jaime Chismar Reblogged by Old Roses to trees on 2007-09-18, 18:22:57

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The Birds & Blooms magazine has asked me to insert my blog on their page. I'm delighted to be doing that, beginning today.
I must say that Nature has decided to deal me a tough hand for my first Posting. . . .

reBlogged to blogs weather

Posted by North Country Maturing Gardener Reblogged by Old Roses to blogs, weather on 2007-09-18, 18:22:23

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Round Leaf Beech
Fagus sylvatica 'Rotundifolia'
(FAG-us) (sil-VAT-ee-kuh)
Fagaceae (fag-AY-see-ay)

I saw this tree earlier this year at the New York Botanical Garden. I probably would have kept on walking right by it if hadn’t been for the way the light was playing through the leaves. That is when I noticed the leaves were round and upon closer examination the tree was a bit more compact (but still huge) and had a nice ascending branch structure. I have always thought of Beech Trees as kind of a grandfather of trees. They get so big and have such a large spread that I figured they must be long lived. The life span is about 200 years, which is a long time but not as long as I had thought. Some specimens can live up to 300 years. They don’t start to flower until they are around 50 years of age (some earlier, some later). . . .

reBlogged to trees

Posted by Digital Flower Pictures Reblogged by Old Roses to trees on 2007-09-18, 18:21:14

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As Richard was working in the backyard today he couldn't resist the temptation to get the ladder and take another peek into the nestbox. He didn't expect to see ANOTHER egg - but yes, now there are four.

That immediately sent him to the computer to see what he could find here

Apparently Crimson Rosellas breed mostly between September and January. The nest is a tree hollow, located high in a tree, and lined with wood shavings and dust. The female alone incubates the four to eight, normally five, white eggs, but both sexes care for the young. The chicks hatch after about 20 days and, although they leave the nest after about 35 days, they remain dependent on their parents for a further 35 days.

reBlogged to birds

Posted by Alice Reblogged by Old Roses to birds on 2007-09-18, 18:20:35

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reBlogged to birds

Posted by Robin's Nesting Place Reblogged by Old Roses to birds on 2007-09-18, 06:30:31

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My pal, Kathy Purdy of the acclaimed website/blog, Cold Climate Gardening, brought to my attention this website: US Drought Monitor.

reBlogged to weather tools on Sep 17, 2007, 4:20AM

Posted by Mary Ann Reblogged by Old Roses to tools, weather on 2007-09-18, 06:29:50

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What are "spitbugs" -- the kind that leave little clumps of white, bubbly "spit" on my plants? (answer).

From The Old Farmer's Almanac.

reBlogged to pests on Sep 16, 2007, 11:00PM

Posted by The Old Farmer's Almanac Reblogged by Old Roses to pests on 2007-09-18, 06:29:28

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Beth Lawrence of Grow See This and her landscape firm Common Ground, are offering to do a landscape job at cost price for one individual or group. As Beth relates Maybe it’s someone you know...

reBlogged to landscape on Sep 16, 2007, 12:46PM

Posted by Kathy Purdy Reblogged by Old Roses to landscape on 2007-09-18, 06:29:20