Tag Archives: outdoor plants

Salvia and Weigela

  By Rachel | April 23, 2012 - 6:22 pm | Plants
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Two more additions to our spring garden- oh joy!!

Dark Horse Weigela (Weigela florida ‘Dark Horse’)

weigela

Weigela flowers in the spring and draws hummingbirds and butterflies.

It is a full sun shrub that is flexible about soil as long as it drains well, so if you have clay, you may need to amend a little.
Prune annually in winter to promote new growth- gets two to three feet high and wide. Make sure to water the first season as it gets established.

Salvia Black and Blue (Salvia guaranitica ‘Black & Blue’)

Salvia 'Black and Blue'

This perennial grows to 2-3 feet in height (may be an annual if it gets very cold in winter- check for your area). I have read mixed reviews- some say it dies and doesn’t do well- some say it become invasive- but the reason I planted it is because hummingbirds love it. I am hoping to draw lots of hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and birds to my garden (though the plants drawing bees are placed AWAY from the house)
Amend the soil and water till it gets established, make sure you plant it in full sun, will tolerate partial shade but definitely prefers a sunny location from what I have read. Will tell you how my plant does- it will be getting about 8 hours of sun a day.
Continual blooms summer to fall. Prune spent blooms to promote more flowering.

A Day in the Garden

  By Rachel | March 28, 2012 - 11:33 am | Plants
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Yesterday I planted several perennials and annuals in containers on my front and back porch.  Here are pictures and a short description of each plant and care instructions.

Pink Pop Hyssop (Agastache astromontana ‘Pink Pop’):

Flowers from mid-summer through early fall that attract butterflies.  This perennial can grow 2-3 ft tall and wide.  Very drought and heat tolerant once established.  Insect and disease resistant- plant in full sun in well-drained soil.

Agastache foeniculum Honey, hisopo anisado, Blue Giant Hyssop, menta regaliz

 

Japanese Painted Fern (Athyrium niponicum ‘Metallicum’:

Grows to 12 in. tall and 18-24 inches wide.  Partial sun to shade, great for a shady porch or under trees.  Prefers moist, well drained soil.

Japanese painted fern

 

Dwarf Peruvian Lily (Alstroemeria sp ‘Pink or Red’):

Blooms spring to fall, need to remove spent flowers to encourage new growth and more blooms.  Makes great cut flowers.  Full-partial sun in well drained soil-severe heat may slow growth.  Grows 12″ tall and wide.  Twist and pull out spent stems- do not pinch or cut- this encourages the rhizome will be stimulated to produce new shoots.

00085cr7.jpeg

 

Pink Million Bells (Calibrachoa):

They love the heat- be sure to place them in full sun- even 4-5 hours of afternoon sun during the hottest part of summer. Great for containers and hanging baskets since they have a vining habit.  Keep soil moist, watering 2-3 times a week.  Attract hummingbirds. Continual flowering from spring to fall.  When watering, try to keep water off the leaves.

Pink Million Bells

 

Dragon Wing Begonia (Begonia sempervirens):

Full sun to shade- grows 12 to 15 inches tall and 18-24″ wide.  May grow taller in deep shade.  Water regularly keeping water off leaves and flowers.

Ashley and Dragon Wing Begonia

 

Pineapple Lily (Eucomis Comosa ‘Tugela Jade’):

Topped in August with 18″ flower spikes that are chartreuse in bud and open into white flowers.  They will come back year after year and spread if left alone.  They are slow to emerge in spring and usually appear after other flowers are already showing new growth.  This perennial likes full sun with some shade at the hottest part of the day.  The flowers are followed by green berries- grows 18″ tall and 1 1/2 ft wide in clumps.  Needs moist, well drained soil.

Eucomis pole-evansii #2

 

Orange Avens (Geum coccineum ‘Cooky’):

Plant in full- partial sun, attracts butterflies.  Low-maintenance perennial growing 18″ tall and 16″ wide.  Clumps will need to be divided every 3-4 years to keep plants healthy, prune back hard after blooming to encourage health of foliage.  Needs well drained soil.

 

Geum (avens)

 

Frosty Begonia:

This was an impulse buy- at $1.50 I couldn’t resist the lovely leaves.  I am not sure that this plant is a frosty begonia- I am headed back to the plant place again on Friday- so I will ask for more info while I am there.  For now, I have this plant in part. sun on the front porch.

 

My First Azalea

  By Rachel | February 28, 2012 - 1:07 am | Plants
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Azalea flower

Image via Wikipedia

This is the newest addition to my outdoor garden.  Planted in partial shade on the north side of our house, it gets morning sun for about 2 to 3 hours every day- maybe 3.5 in the height of summer- I will have to see as the sun moves.

Azalea ( Glenn Dale ) ‘Fashion’
Reaching up to 6 x 6 feet in 10 years or 8 feet with great age.

This Evergreen Azalea has deep green foliage that turns reddish in winter.

One of the faster growing Azaleas; this is a popular moderate sized azalea that produces ( orange-red ) salmon colored flowers over an extended period from mid autumn through the spring provided there is not a hard freeze.

Like all Azaleas, Fashion Azalea does best in an acidic soil.
Feed with an acid fertilizer after bloom. Keep roots cool with a thick layer of mulch. Make sure to amend the soil when you plant azaleas.
The extra work when you plant makes it well worth it and your azalea will thrive- dig a hole at least twice the size of the gallon container you are planting and twice as deep.  Replace clay soil with any outdoor plant soil- just make sure you amend that soil with peat moss.
Then, use a mulch that has a slightly acidic content like pine bark or pine tree needles.

 

Make sure to water during the first year if they get really dry- except in extreme drought, they should do well in years afterward, as long as they don’t get too much sun.

Here are some companion plant suggestions:  dogwood, ferns, hosta, holly, pines, serviceberry, silverbell, spring bulbs.
(neighbor suggestions taken from: CareFree Plants: A Guide to Growing the 200 Hardiest, Low-Maintenance, Long Living Beauties by: Reader’s Digest)
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Flower Shopping!!

  By Rachel | February 25, 2012 - 9:10 pm | Plants
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English: A red and yellow Daylily. Daylilies f...

Oh Joy!!  First thing on a Saturday morning, armed with my list, I anxiously await the opening of the local Grower’s Outlet.  It can be hard to find the things that I am looking for, but the prices are fantastic.

I am practically glowing with excitement.  I love digging in the dirt, and today has been a full day of digging up weeds, making holes for new plants, mixing up a soil combo perfect for each plant, and then thoroughly watering.

The planner in me definitely comes out when I start thinking about flowers.  I think about how much sun each spot gets, how big the plants are going to get, how much maintenance they require, how much water, when to prune and how much.

Once I decide what I want and where it is going to go- finally, the purchase is made.  I have been slowly adding things- divisions that people give me, plants that I buy- we have a limited budget so I usually buy very small plants- but I love to watch them grow.

It takes patience, and investment of time and nurture- but to step outside and watch hummingbirds, butterflies, and birds enjoying all the beautiful flowers and berries- it makes it all worth it.

Here is a list of the things I planted today with pictures:

Spider Lily- Red Surprise (Lycoris radiata)

 

Lycoris radiata English: spiderlily, The flowe...

Image via Wikipedia

Spider Lily- Yellow (Lycoris aurea)

Yellow Spider Lily - 'Suddenly the earth smiles'

Daylily- Red  (Hemerocallis- Little Business)  -pictured at top of post

Itea- Henry’s Garnet Sweetspire (Itea Virginica)

English: Itea virginica 'Henry Garnet', photo ...

Spirea- White Double Reeves- Spirea pictured is a little different from mine.  But you get the idea.

Spiraea a. 'Anthony Waterer' Japanese White Spirea

Spiraea a. 'Anthony Waterer' Japanese White Spirea (Photo credit: KingsbraeGarden)

I hope this inspires you to get out there and plant some flowers- there is so much to learn and enjoy- learning about God’s creation and seeing firsthand how things grow, watching buds appear, noting the different seasons- and the different insects and animals that appear when you start nurturing some trees, shrubs, and perennials in your own yard.

All of the shrubs and perennials above are very easy to care for- Spirea and Itea like full sun and are drought tolerant, day lilies are the champions of the garden- so low maintenance and gorgeous- very good beginner plant and they come in every color of the rainbow.

Spider Lilies are a little more picky- but I just think they are gorgeous!!  :)

Please feel free to ask my questions about any of the plants above, and I will post some pics of my plants as soon as they start to flower.

 

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Spring Has Sprung!

  By Rachel | February 22, 2012 - 9:37 pm | Plants
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Here are some pics of some of my flowers and some of the green leaves that are peeking through.  I love spring, I am excited to see all the new growth on flowers I planted last year, and to add new shrubs around the outside of the house.  Here are the late February highlights.

Camellia Japonica ‘Elizabeth Ann’

Autumn Joy Sedum

Camellia Japonica ‘Elizabeth Ann’

Butterfly Whorl (perennial)

 

And finally, a Mum planted out front of the house in the fall, showing some new growth this spring- love their rounded growth habit and beautiful fall color.

These sprouts are out of control!!

  By Rachel | February 17, 2012 - 3:26 pm | Random
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Ok, I don’t know what to do.  Seriously.  I have never had sprouts lay on their side less than a week after I have planted the seeds.

Do you replant them deeper in the soil?  Could that kill them?  Do I have to stake each one?  Because honestly- that’s not going to happen.

Has anyone else had this happen to them?  I would love some help or advice.

I looked up some things on the internet, and it looks like the seeds probably got a little too much sun, and a little too much water.

Disappointing- but there are more seeds, so I am going to try again, and work on keeping alive the sprouts that look strong and healthy.

Anyone with more gardening experience want to weigh in on this subject?  Would love to hear some more feedback.

 

Beginning at the Beginning

  By Rachel | February 15, 2012 - 4:15 pm | Random
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Gymnaster savatieri (Scientific name), Place:O...

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Sometimes it is hard to be new to something.  It can feel overwhelming- all the things I don’t know, all the things I need to learn.  All the mistakes that I make.

But this time around, in all the newness- I am trying to enjoy the process.  Learn from my mistakes and enjoy the journey- not anxiously pressing forward toward mastery- but seeing the beauty in the process.

I have made so many mistakes as a gardening novice.  Planting things in full sun that should be in partial shade.  Planting things out in the yard that really should be planted next to the house to protect it from the weather.

So many mistakes, little and big- and there are many more to come.  I have planted bulbs the wrong way- have watered things too much and killed them.  And some things have died and it remains a mystery- those are the most challenging- because sometimes I feel like I haven’t learned anything because I don’t know why the plant died.

Nothing can make me stop gardening though- and I think that’s when you know you really love something- and are committed to it.  You work through the ups and downs and still find joy in the most mundane tasks- pulling weeds, watching the little sprouts appear, mulching, fertilizing, planning where to plant new things, doing research on what plants fit best in what locations.

It all brings joy.  I know there are many mistakes to be made in the years ahead- but I also believe that the joy of all the plants inside and outside my house will far outweigh the trials that I may face.

There is something to be said for hard work- it reaps rewards.  Sometimes we forget that.

Here’s to beginnings- and sticking it out to reap the benefits of faithful work.

 

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Gardening Websites

  By Rachel | February 11, 2012 - 9:04 pm | Random
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English: Amber Flush rose - Bagatelle Rose Gar...

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I am going to use this post to start a list of gardening websites that I like.  I get so frustrated sometimes b/c I am looking for care information about a plant.  Sometimes I don’t even know what the plant is b/c someone gives it to me and they may not know specifically what its name was.

So far, these are some of my favorites for finding info. about a variety of plants- indoor and outdoor.

easytogrowbulbs.com :  Ok, they are trying to get you to buy bulbs from them while you are there, but the pics are gorgeous and they have great information about bulbs- I like the layout too, very easy to search and quickly find what you need.

naturehills.com : Great site with a wide variety of plants- perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, bulbs- they have it all.  They do NOT provide good info. on caring for plants however, and they are trying to get you to buy their product- so I could not go to them for more than just to surf plants- they have great pics and well organized site.

plantcare.com :  Just discovered this site.  I love the menu where you can choose plant encyclopedia- then you select specific things you are looking for in a plant like how much sun, flowering or no flowers, fragrant or no, and then level of expertise.  Then, you hit search and you can hover over plant pictures and it makes it bigger- Ok, I LOVE this- I choose plants often by aesthetics- so I love being able to see a close up of the plant without having to click on each one.

 

I will add more to this list as I discover more sites that I like- please comment and leave some info. if you have a favorite site you like to use to find plants/plant care info.

 

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Plants, Plants Everywhere!!

  By Rachel | February 10, 2012 - 8:15 pm | Random
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Hyacinth bulbs

Oh, I love spring!  I get so excited when I think about all the new flowers soon to be blooming inside and out.

Our home is full of plants, I seem to get a new one either given to me or bought when I see a 2 or 3 dollar deal on an interesting looking plant at a store- well, about every few weeks.

I am slowly climbing to 20 plants- I think I am about 2 shy of that mark.

I love watching things grow, and now that things are beginning to bloom outside, I feel this surge of energy and excitement- the same anticipation I get each spring- watching the trees and flowers bloom once again- how they emerge from hiding and fill the barren winter landscape with color.

Today we went and bought tulips, hyacinth, and two different kinds of Lily.  Lily of the Nile and Flax Lily.  I will spend some more time posting more info. about these plants as I learn about them.

I hope that you will take some time to “smell the roses.”  Enjoy the sunshine, and the beauty of God’s creation all around us.

Tulips

 

Green Lily in back is Lily of the Nile- Verigated Lily in front is Flax Lily

 

Tulip Lineup- 10 in all.

 

Camellia

  By Rachel | February 5, 2012 - 5:12 am | Plants
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My Camellias are blooming.  What a glorious sight for late January/early February.  I planted these shrubs in partial sun next to our house this past summer and I have thoroughly enjoyed the color they have brought to our rather shabby and gloomy winter exterior.

I have two Camellia japonica ‘Elizabeth Ann’ (pictured above) that are presently in bloom and one Camellia sasanqua ‘Mine-No Yuki’ that bloomed over Christmas and early January- it has white blooms.

The Camellia japonica will not get very tall, probably about 3 ft.  but the sasanqua is supposed to get up to 6 feet tall and wide.  I hope it does.  What a lovely site that will be.

Camellias require a little bit of work.  They like some acidity in the soil, so we amended with peat moss, checked for good drainage (also important) and heavily mulched the plants.  We were also diligent to keep them watered during the hot summer months (we had a very dry summer).  Some pruning is also required after they have bloomed- I have a book called The Pruner’s Bible by Steve Bradley that I have been using to help me with some basic pruning tips. Once established, this shrub does very well with little attention. This pic below is not my shrub, but the flowers look similar to my Camellia sasanqua when it was blooming.

Camellia japonica English: Flower and leaves o...
Image via Wikipedia
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