Showing posts with label gazania. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gazania. Show all posts

Wednesday, July 15, 2015

Garden happenings

The wormwood has spread out nicely, although it's got some yellow parts underneath. Hmmm. The thing next to it with purple flowers, brachyscome, is also doing great. Two winners.

Most of the flowers did not spread out as much as I'd hoped, so the lesson is to plant more of them, spaced closer together, next year. Still, the begonias are doing great, and the geraniums are doing well. The stock has petered out. I'm not sure whether it was being eaten, or it just didn't thrive. I'll avoid that next year.


In the back, I think these were going to be purple coneflowers - four of them. I think it is deer that have basically kept them munched low to the ground, and then I spotted this beetle on them too.

This bud was cruelly chewed off the very night after I took this picture. It was literally nipped in the bud.

The hydrangea is a little anemic, but still it's nice to see some blooms. I panicked a little when the bleeding heart turned yellow but then read that that's normal and you just cut it down.

This is the front where all the ground cover was pulled out. If I ever get my act together, it's going to be a rock garden. I plan to put the rocks and soil down this year and wait to plant until next year. Meanwhile I'm waiting for Frank's Tree Service to pull down the dead tree.

The view up the walk:

The lantana has done very nicely. Must get more for next year. The lavender bloomed and now the blooms just look dead. I thought they would keep blooming? I am not pleased.

The moss roses/portulaca have been a great success and I just wish I had more.

Not pictured, some bug has completely razed the mint that was growing wildly in a pot. My basil also came under attack (from a caterpillar, I believe) but is now looking reasonably good again - I think the caterpillar became moths or butterflies or something.

Last note: I have decided I don't like the gazanias, though they are doing well. Too spiky and garish colors.

Sunday, May 3, 2015

Spring Planting - Front Yard

Bought flowers today at Metropolitan Plant and Flower Exchange, in West Orange, close by. The staff was very friendly, and the place has a decent - though not huge - selection.
Our tulips remain alive and kicking in the back. Bottom left is phlox, then the vertical row to the right of it is stock, and next row is begonia, then a pink geranium.

Phlox (one of my two perennial selections)

Stock ("midget mix" - there are pink and white in addition to purple

Snapdragon, but alas! They don't appear to snap. Has that quality been bred out of all of them?

Begonia

Gazania. I'm not sure yet whether I like this plant.

Lantana

Wormwood, my second of two perennials. I was attracted by its smell. The varietal is called "Powis Castle," a place we loved in Wales.

Brachyscome. I don't know anything about it, but it is pretty.

This is one of the plants that was already there, but I noticed a tag on it - now we know what it is!

Note the azalea starting to bloom in the foreground, and in the background - white lilacs! Two of them! Already there, not new. UPDATE: they are not lilacs; they are some variety of viburnum.

Gazania and portulaca next to our spontaneous primrose.