Coneflowers...damn!...now I want ice cream....

More gorgeous gifts from Aunt Todd's Virginia garden....I am so jealous of her acres of land and tons of flower beds!

Another more common name for coneflowers is Echinacea. You hear about it all the time during cold and flu season because it commonly used to decrease the symptoms and duration of the cold or flu. This bit of information sharing does not give you license to go around the neighborhood and eat their flowers to prevent illness...so back off, petal chomper!

The particular yellow variety shown above is called "Harvest Moon". I have seen coneflowers more commonly in purple varieties with orange centers like these:

photo courtesy of BlueRidgeSeeds.com

You can save the seeds from the coneflower to plant for next year. Here is a link with actual pictures of the seeds and corresponding discussion. Make sure you scroll all the way over to the right to get all 4 pictures!
Coneflower Seeds

I might attempt to save the seeds and plant them next year (I can HEAR you laughing! Just because I have minimal luck with seeds....bite me...). I'm sure Aunt Todd has tons of coneflower seeds laying around but if not the neighbors down the street have them in abundance...time for a little midnight dead-heading, flower-napping. (Disclaimer: Nature is My Bitch does in no way endorse the kidnapping or eating of flowers. Savages!)

**Note: Actually after reading a little more I found out you don't have to do this at all. You can just let the flowers die back naturally and they will bloom again next year! Apparently it's called "volunteer seeding"...I personally don't give a toss what it's called...I call it "a couple more free hours on Facebook". Lazy gardening at it's best! Thanks Nature! You're a pal...sometimes.....

Coneflower/Echinacea 411

Light Exposure: Full Sun to Partial Shade
Type: Perennial
Zones 4-9
Bloom Color: Golden Orange, purple, range of pinks, violet, white or cream
Bloom Time: July-August
Best Uses: Attracting birds, bees and butterflies
Special Notes: Deer resistent, drought tolerant

VN Day (Victory over Nature Day)

Here's the tally so far...

Nature: 25*
Me: 30**

Well add ONE more to mine...making it a big, old, whopping 31!!!!!

YEAH, NATURE!! IN YOUR FACE!!!

Remember that blank patch of dirt I had in the early summer where I planted seeds (Morning glory, nasturtium and spanish flag). You don't?? Let me give you a visual.



Well look at it NOW!
Nasturtium

Morning Glory

Alright, so I will give it to Nature that she appears to have absorbed the Spanish flag seeds. However I consider it a worthy sacrifice to her for allowing the other plants to grow. Plus I would like to thank her for all the rain we've been having which saves me time and gives me ample opportunity to watch Real Housewives Marathons on Bravo (Oh, you know you watch it too.) Now if we could talk about the weeds.....

*Estimated but probably a lot higher
** Again estimated, probably a lot lower but let Nature get her own blog and keep track. Bleh! *sticks tongue out*

Flowers to make you smile

How gorgeous are these flowers? They are gladiolus from Aunt Todd's garden! She lives in Virginia and hers always bloom early.

The kicker with these is that she got the bulb's (for gladiolus they are called corms) from a dollar store! I never thought to look for bulbs there. Talk about a bargain!

We will review and discuss more about gladiolus when MINE bloom. *Pout*

Geraniums are not just for old people!

For some odd reason I have had a dim view of geraniums ever since...well forever.

I hear "geraniums" and I think "old people garden". Why? I really don't know. I know older people and none of them grow geraniums.

I never considered them at all till this year for my containers but boy, am I glad I did.

Even though I typically only plant perennials in the ground, I am a big fan of putting annuals in pots on my steps and patio. It's nice because I can change my color schemes year after year if the mood strikes me. So this year, for some reason I picked up a pink geranium plant.

The best thing about geraniums is that they are an almost maintenance free flower with pretty foliage and summer long blooms. They can do with a little dryness every once in awhile which is great because sometimes I don't get around to watering every day. You should water them regularly but they should not be waterlogged and constantly wet. To get the flowers to continue blooming throughout the summer make sure you deadhead the fading blooms. Deadhead does not mean take them to see Jerry Garcia...it means to either snap or cut off the wilted flowers so new ones can bloom.

Here's the basics info on geraniums:
Basic Info
Light Exposure: Full Sun
Type: Annual, although you can "overwinter" them and plant again...I smell a project!
Bloom Time: Summer
Colors: White, Pink, Orange, Red, Purple
Best Uses : Cutting flowers, Interesting foliage, Low maintenence, container gardens
When to plant: Fall
Water: Minimal, soil should not be constantly wet

Happy Fourth of July!

Here are some pictures of plants that I will be discussing in the near future!



Hens and Chicks
I actually forget what these are called! Time to break out the information cards!

Geraniums

Lamb's Ear

Asiatic Lily

Hope you have a happy and safe holiday! Try not to eat too many hot dogs!

Lacecap Hydrangeas

As I mentioned previously I have two types of hydrangeas growing in my yard. I already talked about the Mophead Hydrangea so now it's time to focus on the Lacecap. Don't tell Mophead but Lacecap is my favorite! It's even got a prettier name! I mean seriously, let's play word association--Mophead=Dirty Water, Lacecap=Cute Babies. SEE!

Anyway, Lacecaps are in the same family as Mopheads so they require essentially the same growing habitat and care. My Lacecap is actually a transplant from the Hubs parent's shore house. Uncle Richie (have I mentioned him before? Son of Granny G of the Green Thumb, which he apparently inherited) tore it out and was going to throw it away! Sacrilege!! So I took it home and transplanted it into our yard. My husband was SOOOO HAPPY we had to drive home with a dirty, uproooted plant in the car.

What makes it even more special is that the leaves are variegated. I've been able to identify it as a 'Mariesii Variegata' (oooohhh, fancy Latin!!). Variegated Leaves means that in addition to the green that is on the leaves there is also a pattern or spots of white on them.

Variegated Leaves
Also very cool about this particular plant is the fact that I am getting 2 different flower colors this year--blue and a pinkish-purple, seen below. This has never happened before and I found out, when I was educating myself about hydrangeas over the past couple of days, that the pink-purple color may be the result of lime seeping into the ground near the plant from my concrete sidewalk and patio. This seems to be a good working theory as the pink-purple flowers are only really showing up in areas bordering concrete!

Blue

Purple
Here is the standard info on the 'Mariesii Variegata'
Zone: 5-9
Light Exposure: Sun to Partial Shade
Type: Perennial
Height/Spread: spreads to 4 feet by 4 feet over time
Bloom time: Different types bloom May to October
Colors: blue, pinks, white or off white
Best Uses: attracts bees (see previous posts about Xerces Foundation!)and butterflies, interesting foliage after flowers die, very unique flower, best suited for seashore locations (this would explain why it was planted originally at the shore house!)
When to plant: Spring or Fall
Water: Daily, ground should be moist

Mophead Hydrangeas

I have two different types of hydrangeas (Mopheads and Lacecaps) currently growing in my yard. They are both in bloom and the color is gorgeous!

The first ones to flower and bloom were the two I have in the front of my yard flanking the sidewalk. I never really care about what I am planting as long as it catches my eye. Here is a dramatic rendering of me at Home Depot/Lowes/Garden Center choosing plants:

ACT ONE

Enter stage left, me, slackjawed and overwhelmed my Nature's bounty before me, wandering aimlessly.

ME: "Thems is purty!", impulsively picks up flowers and runs to cash register.

ACT TWO

ME: Honey, I'm home! Look what I buyed at the flower store! Ain't they purty?

HUBBY: *SIGH* Where are we planting that?

ME: *sticks tongue out at him* Party pooper!

THE END

So I did a little research on the net via a couple of sites specifically hydrangeashydrangeas.com which has pictures (ALWAYS a plus in my book!) and I think I identified them as Mophead Nikko Blue Hydrangeas.

The great thing about hydrangeas is that you can typically change the color of them by messing with the pH levels of the soil around them. How do you do this? I have no idea, so let's find out. Hydrangeashydrangeas.com has such a concise explanation on how to change the colors that you would be best off going right to the source! Here is the link:

How to Change The Color of Your Hydrangeas

(Note: You can purchase both dolomitic lime and Aluminum sulfate at your local garden store!)

Interesting facts I learned from hydrangeashydrangeas.com:

1.It is easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink.

2.It's also easier to change the colors of a hydrangea that is in a container as opposed to in the ground.

3. Planting hydrangeas near a concrete foundation or sidewalk will often affect the color since the pH of the soil can be changed by the lime coming out of them, making it difficult to obtain blue. This completely explains why some of the flowers on my Lacecap Hydrangea are turning a purply pink near the sidewalk and the patio! I just thought I was a magical gardener!

Here is some basic information on the Nikko Blue hydrangeas:

Nikko Blue Hydrangeas

Zone: 6 to 9 (although I am in Zone 5 and I have never had a problem!)

Plant Type: Deciduous shrub

Height: 4 to 6 feet

Spread: 4 to 6 feet

Bloom Time: July - August (mine started in early June)

Bloom Color: Blue in acid soil; Pink in alkaline soil.

Sun: Sun to Part shade

Water: Daily, very thirsty suckers!

Prune: July, after blooms have faded

I am so BUZZED

BEES.
Pros
Make honey
Like flowers
Cons
Stingy litte suckers
Loud and buzzy
Make some us (me) scream and run in fear for our lives like little girls despite enormous size difference.

Whatever your feelings about bees there has been a noticable decline in bee populations in North America and other parts of the world due mainly to something called Colony Collapse Disorder. CCD has been blamed for bees disappearing in huge numbers for unknown reasons. Numerous studies have been done researching pesticides, viruses and bacteria, electromagnetics and starvation but have not been conclusive as to the causes of CCD. While those of us who are afraid of them welcome this because we are no longer frequently seen running and screaming around our yard like a crazy person, this is a serious issue.

What do bees do besides make one of my favorite food of all time, honey? The pollinate flowers and crops.

What happens if they don't pollinate? Major agricultural issues will arise such as food shortages.

So what can we do as gardeners? There is a foundation called The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation that is working on research and suggesting ways to help. Here is the link for their main website:

Plants for Native Bees in North America
If you are from California from the main site go under "Publications" then "Plant Lists" to see more specific plants from your region.

Some of the plants included in the list are commonly found ones from either Home Depot or Lowes such as: Asters, Black Eyed Susan, Lupine, Rhododendron, Sage and Sunflowers. Basil, Rosemary, English Lavendar, Hyssop and Marjoram are also considered to be bee friendly.

Get planting to save our little black and yellow, buzzy frenemies!

Photo courtesy of Leif Richardson of The Xerces Society.

Moving on up...to the next yard!! (sing The Jefferson's theme in your head)

I was assessing my little yard today and the flowers that I have planted and have come to the conclusion that for some reason I may have been stricken with a dab of color-blindness this year. I have WAAAAAYYY too many different colors going on flower-wise, as you can see...it looks like a psychedelic circus and not the good kind (Is there a good kind? you ask. Yes! I answer.) Plus the one torch lily I have is HUGE and needs some room to breathe.

The photos don't actually look that bad...trust me...it's too much


The Monster Torch Lily


So what do I do?

My lovely neighbor, who is an overworked and underpaid police officer in this fabulous city is allowing me to take over her yard and plant some of my stuff! YAY! As an added bonus I am moving the flowers that have a tendency to be the ones the mysteriously "disappear" (read: picked by jerks) on a routine basis near the sidewalk.

The Blank Canvas


Here is what I am planning on transplanting into her yard and some basic info on each of the plants.

Asiatic Lily (the orange ones)

Light Exposure: Full to Partial Sun
Type: Perennial, Multiply over time
Bloom Time: June
Colors: white, red, orange, pink, yellow
Best Uses: Cut Flowers, Interesting foliage
Water: 1 inch per week.
Water at the root and not at the top of the flower to reduce rot.
When to plant: Spring

Torch Lilies (aka Red Hot Poker or Kniphofia)

Light Exposure: Full Sun
Type: Perennial, spreads to 3 feet over time
Bloom time: Different types bloom May to October
Colors: Red, orange, yellow, cream
Best Uses: attracts hummingbirds & bees, interesting foliage after flowers die, very unique flower, can be divided
When to plant: Spring or Fall




Tools Needed for Project:
Gardening gloves
Spade (Shovel with pointed end)
Edging tool
Tarp
Heavy duty garden refuse bags (get them at Home Depot or Lowes)

This Ain't the Summer of Love!

Asiatic Lilies


Hydrangeas

I have been sick for the past week and haven't had much time to devote to the garden. A big shout-out thank you to Mother Nature for providing us with regular rain because God knows I haven't been doing it!

The summer flowers are starting to bloom! Yay!! Hopefully no one walking by picks them (which they are wont to do)....funny I don't remember planting a public garden or posting a sign that says "Free Flowers--Pick at Will!"

Grow your own. Jerks.

We have Seedlings!! (and lots of bird poo)

Some of the seeds I planted are starting to emerge! How do I know they aren't weeds? I don't, but I can dream--so BACK OFF! Whew! Too much caffeine this morning.

I am assuming that is what they are because they don't look like the normal weeds I am used to cursing at and removing with vigor and vengence.

I must say I have not had to put that much work into them and they are growing (my kind of plant(s)!) It also helps that we have been having regular rain and I have not had to water as much, which I love because sometimes (read: most of the time) I like to be lazy.

Here are some pics of the progress. I'd like to thank the birds for taking a big fat crap all over them and ruining the picture. Could I have taken the time to wash them off prior to shooting them? Yes. Did I? No. Why? Lazy. Plus it's going to rain later. Trying to be green, people. Al Gore would be proud.

Peonies

I love peonies!

I know I'm probably going to start a lot of posts that same way!

"I love (insert flower/plant here)!"

I bought a pink peony last year in honor of my husband's grandmother, Granny G. She loved roses and pink....pink I can deal with, roses not so much.

I thought I had killed it last year because I didn't pay as much attention to it after I planted it. That's not even true, I paid NO ATTENTION to it AT ALL! In my defense, I was in the last trimester of my pregnancy and was more content to sit on my couch in the air conditioning with my swollen feet up. So when it browned and shriveled, I was upset about it but I just figured I would buy a new one! However I didn't dig it up just because I hadn't decided if I wanted to plant a new one or plant something else. Imagine my surprise when I started seeing little green shoots popping up in the spring! So the lesson is...don't pull it up until you are absolutely sure it's dead!!!

Basic Info
Light Exposure: Full Sun
(zones 8 and 9 would benefit from partial shade)
Type: Perennial
Bloom Time: Spring/early summer (Typically May 1 to May 30th)
Colors: White, Range of Pink, red, lilac,
Best Uses : Cutting flowers, Interesting foliage
When to plant: Fall

Peonies should be fed a half a cup of low nitrogen fertilizer in early spring and again halfway through the growing season.

Make sure you regularly water your Peony during the dry summer months.

Peonies are VERY top heavy. They need to be staked. You can find peony rings at most garden centers designed specifically for this and they are typically less than $5.00.

Remove the flowers as soon as they fade to prevent seed development, which will use up needed food reserves, and effect next years bloom.

In the fall, after the foliage browns and dies, cut the stems back to three inches. Trimming and disposing of the cuttings helps to prevent disease in peonies. You should also place mulch around the plant to help protect it during the winter.

During the early spring you will start to see green shoots coming from the base of the plant.