Yesterday was a very busy day for me with a meeting in the morning, and a bunch of errands to do including picking up my torenias from the garden center, checking out the humane society thrift store, and hitting Pier One’s sale. Of course, while I was there, I had to get a few more plants, but I stopped short of buying enough for all the pots on the veranda in one trip. For those of you who are local, these lovelies came from Raymonds Garden Center on Kanuga, a fantastic garden center with wonderful helpful people. They even went to the greenhouse to bring out the torenias for me, and then made a second trip for the lobelias I wanted. They hadn’t even put those out yet because our last freeze date was yesterday. The weather looks good from here on, and I think I am safe doing the pots now. So, the trunk was full when I got home.
Unloading the trunk, I set the plants in the pots I thought I might use for each one. They may or may not end up where they are now. Should I put the pink geranium with the yellow or the blue? The little white pot in the middle there is a thrift store find, really cute with blue and yellow painted flowers on it. It would look great with the blue lobelia.
Aren’t these yellow colors nice? The striped one is a Super Belle, next to a white geranium. The yellow on the left is a lantana. The little white flowers in the middle are begonias.
These are members of the verbena family, and I usually associate them with a blue or purple color. These are the first yellow ones I have found, and it is such a pretty clear yellow.
I love the intense pink on this geranium, and the lobelias always have such a bright blue color.
Needless to say, I have a lot of work to do in the garden. Arriving home later in the day than I wanted, I had to get busy weeding the front flower bed before they took over completely. This had to be done before I can plant the veggies I got last weekend. There are two tomatoes, a yellow squash and zucchini so far.
So, after an hour or so of prepping the front bed, I was done for the day. Planting will have to wait until the weekend. But at least the bed is ready, and weed free. I really want to get at least three larger perennial plants for this bed this year. I am thinking an evening primrose, and maybe something else tall with pretty flowers. I wonder if a Carolina Jessamine vine would grow here, weaving in and out of the slats on the railing might be really interesting. Maybe a clematis. Or both! A lovely variegated purple clematis would look wonderful with the yellow jessamine.
The rosemary came back, and it should get a lot bigger this year. I think the sage gave up. I am going to put some flowers in the clay pots in the bed, again to add a bit of height and more interest to the flower bed.
On the other side of the sidewalk, the ajugas are still tempting to the bumble bees.
The tulips are still blooming too. Amazing that they lasted so long. A few got bitten by the frost, but most are still here.
Next to the tulips, Iris bed #1 is looking good with lots of leaves, but no buds yet here. I am happy that they all look strong and healthy after being divided last summer. The small green plant on the lower left is a lily. It bloomed last year later in the spring, and I hope it will again.
The freeze last weekend really had me concerned about the buds on the mystery bulbs. So, I put the tomato cages in the box and put plastic over the top for the two nights it dipped into the 20s.
Yesterday they seemed to be doing OK, and Marsha may be right after all. The buds are starting to look like iris.
Iris bed #2 is looking good, no buds yet though. Again, nice healthy looking plants, all from dividing the tubers from Iris bed #1.
Behind the iris bed, on the lower level, the hydrangea is showing signs of freeze damage. This likely means that for the third year in a row I won’t have any flowers.
Out front, the hostas are coming up well, and the azaleas are just coming into bloom. The white one on the right has freeze damage. I’ll take you on an azalea walk next week when they really come into bloom.
So, back to the veranda, yellow torenias will go in the same rectangular pot as last year, sitting on two clay pots for a bit of height to allow them to cascade down as they grow. It is more interesting too, to have different levels for the pots. I have the white geranium in the plant stand along with one of the lobelias. I’ll have to see if I like that after a day or so.
Out in the forest, one of the dogwoods is coming into bloom.
Inside, one more surprise. The amaryllis finished its blooming about a week ago, and the leaves turned yellow. When I went to cut the spent leaves off, I found this – two more leaves are just coming up!
What does that mean? Is it just putting up leaves to soak up the sun and build up stored food to make more flowers next year? Will it bloom again this year? We will just have to wait and see. I set my seedlings out to harden off in their bakery boxes, and will plant those soon too.
How is your garden? What is blooming around you now?