Every year, usually sometime in August, I realize that drip irrigation is the way to go. It saves water, money, time and the heartache of watching your plants die...
reBlogged
to watering
on Jan 6, 2008, 8:01PM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to watering on 2008-01-07, 18:19:09
I had a dream last night that my garden was in full bloom. My Knockout rose bushes were twice the size they are now, and there were absolutely no weeds to battle. Plus, my backyard, which right now is little more than mud due to a cesspool intallation last summer, had a beautiful curvy border along the back fence. . . .
We'll be having a little bit of weather today. Yesterday was unseasonably warm and today will be warmer - nearly thirty degrees warmer than normal. The expected high is to be 65°, which would break the record of 59°, set in 1989. Just one week ago, we were under a winter storm warning, and we're expected to be back to normal temperatures by the end of this week. . . .
reBlogged
to weather
Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-01-07, 18:18:34
The January thaw came a little early this year, and I wasn't ready. Not that I couldn't find my gloves and wheelbarrow, but I wasn't ready emotionally. I haven't been cooped up in the boring house nearly long enough yet, haven't gotten so stir crazy that I felt a driving need to get up to my knees in compost. In fact, the compost pile hasn't even frozen yet, and I've been out there turning it just about every week. . ..
There are a few live oaks around here but not so many as there are south of I20. I think this might be close to the edge of their range. Cedar trees are thick on the rocky hillsides where the land is too useless to bother with.
But mostly around here we have deciduous [...]
reBlogged
to trees
on Jan 7, 2008, 2:25AM
Posted by Bill Reblogged by Old Roses to trees on 2008-01-07, 18:17:15
The fall that I was 18 I moved from north Texas to a college campus in Houston. September in Houston was unbelievably unpleasant. Every day there was rainfall in the early afternoon followed by temperatures in the upper nineties. Walking to class was like walking in a steam bath.
But around the first week of October [...]
reBlogged
to winter
on Jan 6, 2008, 4:01PM
Posted by Bill Reblogged by Old Roses to winter on 2008-01-07, 18:17:05
The Gospel of Matthew records that the kings who came to Bethlehem to honor the birth the Jesus brought myrrh. What made the resin of an East African shrub a good baby gift?
On the way into town Friday afternoon, Matt and I took some photos. All over our valley roads are impassable, the river is breaching the bank, whole trees are being wiped away down the river in a flash, people are rushing to save their animals from flooded grazing lands, and sandbags are everywhere as people try to save homes and vineyards. And this is just Day Two of several long, stormy days forecast. . . .
reBlogged
to weather
on Jan 6, 2008, 4:39AM
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-01-07, 18:13:06
Even Stella isn't quite sure what to think of all the "white stuff" we had on January 1st. Selbst Stella war sich nicht sicher, was sie vom Schnee halten sollte, den wir pünktlich zum 1. Januar bei uns hatten.
Aren't you feeling the same way? Now that the holiday season is past us, I cannot wait for the cold weather to go away, to get my fingernails dirty, get the new seeds I ordered, wait for February to come to start some seeds indoors .... I am suffering from serious gardening withdrawal and catch myself going through my pictures of the past seasons. Patience is definitely not one of my virtues. . . .
The Pink Pearl Hyacinth yesterday. I love how compact the flowers are, and there angular curves. The Blue ones are not anywhere near developing the flowers yet. They have the green leaves but no buds showing. The Snappy one is about to go to work for a long day. Back around 9pm tonight.Its raining outside and very windy . The garden is wet and windswept...
reBlogged
to hyacinth
Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to hyacinth on 2008-01-07, 18:11:36
Listening today to a bit of Bluegrass on the radio made my 'end-of-vacation-blues' completely disappear. That, and the fact that the temperature climbed to the 50 degree mark, allowing me to be outdoors, play in the mud, both of which did wonders to revive my spirits. . . .
Three days ago it was Zero in Chicago. Today a lovely Southern wind brought us temperatures that broke the 1907 record of 54 degrees. It was a toasty 61 degrees . YES ! Sunday, January 6, 2008, sixty one wonderful degrees.
Of course this will probably be as fleeting as a snowball in hell but I just couldn't stay inside and not enjoy the balmy Chicago weather. It's nice to see green grass again.
Guess I won't be saying " That'll be a warm day in January " anymore.
reBlogged
to weather
Posted by Carolyn gail Reblogged by Old Roses to weather on 2008-01-07, 18:09:45
This lovely rose grows to the size of about two feet and spreads approximately three to four feet. It blooms profusely several times each season with clusters of bead-like buds that open into globular pink flowers. It’s foliage is a nice deep shade of green and the plant is fairly resistant to most diseases. . .
reBlogged
to roses
on Jan 6, 2008, 10:19PM
Posted by Tricia Reblogged by Old Roses to roses on 2008-01-07, 18:09:24
One of the many joys of having friends and family who also garden is the oft chance of scoring some plant material to try your hand at propagating. And for most of us gardeners the plant specimen doesn't necessarily have to be one we want in our garden, it's merely the enjoyment of successfully reproducing something. . . .
reBlogged
to propagation
on Jan 6, 2008, 10:47PM
Posted by Stuart Reblogged by Old Roses to propagation on 2008-01-07, 18:08:25
Last night night my Mom came over and was asking about her Hawaii plant. My parents have a plumeria that keeps dying back before it can bloom. I've read that it blooms on old growth. So, about two months ago I took a cutting so we can plant one in a pot and keep it over the winter. Mom: Here it is!
Here is the exciting part: it appears to have a root. I followed the directions I found on http://www.azplumeria.org/growingroots.htm . It says to plant in a clear cup with no drainage holes. Water at planting time, then pretty much leave it alone. The clear cup allows you to check the root development without disturbing the plant. It is looking good so far!
Well, the good news is that the bird of paradise made it. It was pretty severely hacked, but the plant as a whole made it through. In the pool garden, the bananas died, but they will grow back. The hibiscus died too, as usual. Hibiscus will grow back, but not enough to bloom before the next frost, so I treat it as an annual. There are hardy hibiscus plants available, so I might try those this year. . . .
The tomatoes are doing well and we already picked some grape and cherry tomatoes. The fat boy tomatoes are growing nicely but they are weeks away from ready. . . .
A sweeping corner lot is nice. A sweeping corner lot that sides to a major boulevard and bus stop can be a major nuisance if you don't have a fence to keep the uninvited bus riders out! I was commissioned by my clients to make the "people go away." The ...
reBlogged
to design
Posted by Reblogged by Old Roses to design on 2008-01-07, 18:04:04
I have always been interested in meteorology but the closest I'll ever come to an honorary degree is an annual visit to the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium in St Johnsbury. They have a great weather program called Eye on the Sky and give some very good lectures on weather. It's a museum to visit if you're in the area. A learned weather person would describe this morning as "overcast'" but I describe it as "the sky is heavy". The sun is absent and the gray cloud cover looks fuzzy and thick and the feeling outside is that some weather change is in process. The temperature has not budged from 29.7 when I got up at 5:30 and lacking a barometer I don't know how quickly the change is closing in. Eye On the Sky suggests things will warm up later and limited precipitation will fall. . . .
reBlogged
to flowers
Posted by George Africa Reblogged by Old Roses to flowers on 2008-01-07, 18:03:44
A Hellebore Niger is nearly in flower finally on this mild Sunday. I spent a few hours just watching the garden and the birds flying in and out of the bird table, whilst drinking Kenco coffee which almost has a chocolate taste to it. The Sky was blue and the Sun actually came out for a while. My neighbours two doors up took a hedge cutter last night, and decimated the hedge along the alley. I thought the birds would be stressed but they hopped through the bare branches! What a relaxing way to spend a quiet Sunday before the stresses of work on monday and tuesday. I like the Quote "Poor Indeed is the garden in which birds find no home" (Abram L Urban).
reBlogged
to birds hellebore
Posted by snappy Reblogged by Old Roses to birds, hellebore on 2008-01-07, 18:02:08
The first Amaryllis bloom of the season opened for me right before Christmas. It was the 'Lemon Lime' bulb I'd bought in November. Shortly after potting it up, it put out two flower stalks. Yesterday I cut the first one off because it was done blooming, just as the second one is preparing to open.'Lemon Lime' is considered a dwarf amaryllis, typically growing to a height of 16-20 inches. Bloom size measures approximately 4-5 inches across. . . .
reBlogged
to amaryllis
Posted by Kylee Reblogged by Old Roses to amaryllis on 2008-01-07, 18:00:44
via The Gardener Side of Crafty Gardener on 1969-12-31, 19:00:00
Here is the exciting part: it appears to have a root. I followed the directions I found on 
Well, the good news is that the bird of paradise made it. It was pretty severely hacked, but the plant as a whole made it through. In the pool garden, the bananas died, but they will grow back. The 
