Author Topic: Spring has sprung!  (Read 16405 times)

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Offline Dianna

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Spring has sprung!
« on: Mar 10, 2007, 02:41:44 AM »
I have daffodils blooming in my bulb garden bed...



and crocus...

"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

littlebrat

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #1 on: Mar 10, 2007, 01:43:01 PM »
Those are sooo pretty. I am a new gardener this year will be my first time. I hope I take to it well because I am determined to make it work lol

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #2 on: Mar 11, 2007, 03:05:52 AM »
  April m'dear, trust me on this... if I can make it work, anybody can!

When I lived in NW Montana the growing season was too short to "bother" with flowers... it was all I could do to get veggies in & up & harvested & canned within 90 days, so that was all I had time for, anyway!

When we moved to Oregon 3 years ago, I was laid up with bad knees the first summer & didn't even know what was growing in the gardens outside the house we bought, that first summer. After I had my knees replaced, I woke up one morning the following spring to find that the entire town had exploded in color... & I discovered flowers!

I took an immediate interest in gardening, did my homework, & with the help of a lot of gardening friends, things started growing for me! There's still a whole lot that I don't know, but I'm having the time of my life learning & doing!

Here's what I found in my yard today....

   
Wood Hyacinth & Daffodils,

   
More Hyacinth & Daffodils (& Tulips that are just waking up),

   
A Primrose & 2 stray Wood Hyacinth (Don't know how they got there)

   
...and 3 kinds of Daffodils!

Some of these Daffs (maybe all)? ??? might actually be Narcissus... I'm not sure that I know the difference yet!
I'm a gardener now!!
(Most of these spring flowers weren't here when we first got here. I've managed to transform a very low maintenance yard into a high maintenance Wonderland!)

« Last Edit: Apr 19, 2007, 11:10:27 AM by Patty S »

littlebrat

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #3 on: Mar 11, 2007, 03:21:44 AM »
Those are sooo beautiful!.... On a different note, how and where are the different smileys coming from? i cant find them :( i found theglowand the shadowmarquee tooo but no other smileys... Help please!!!

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #4 on: Mar 11, 2007, 03:22:14 AM »
April, I got involved with gardening trying to keep a peace lily I received after my mother's death. I was determined not to lose it and it is still going strong...

When I moved here to SC from NC in 2001, my aunt (Bonnie) piqued my interest in gardening. I have learned a lot from her and have been at it by trial and error for while.

In 2004, I googled gardening and landed at a gardening forum. The information and people there were amazing! They took me under their wings and my plants thanked them for it...

Patty, I haven't seen wood hyacinths until now. Those things are absolutely gorgeous!
« Last Edit: May 18, 2007, 12:06:42 PM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #5 on: Mar 11, 2007, 03:22:35 AM »

Last year I stumbled upon an annual flower that I fell in love with...

     
     Lisianthus

I know very little about the plant, but had read somewhere that in some areas it CAN come up again the following year. So, since we're (said to be) in a "microclimate" here, I mulched these plants real well when winter came & kept my fingers crossed.

Today I found NEW PLANTS poking up at the base of last year's stems!
     
I can't even begin to tell you how thrilled I am that I won't have to spend money on these again this year!

I'm told that Lisianthus seeds are microscopic ... & I believe it, cuz all I found inside the seed pods from last fall was powder! (But I'm going to plant that powder & see if anything happens!
Will let you know.


Quote
...how and where are the different smileys coming from? i cant find them
April, most of the graphics I'm using are ones that I've picked up here & there around the Web & put them in my photobucket. Will be glad to share them with you...
...will catch you on the IM.


« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 09:10:50 AM by Patty S »

littlebrat

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #6 on: Mar 11, 2007, 03:41:04 AM »
I'm there dude lol waiting on you!

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #7 on: Mar 11, 2007, 04:41:16 PM »
Patty, I love Lisianthus, too! Have you any of the pink or white ones? I am planning on buying each of the different colors when they come into the stores around here.

Powdered seeds, huh? I don't see why they wouldn't work. Some of the seeds that I have been starting are wee tiny litte things. I am going to have fun thinning them out, methinks...

Another name for the Lisiantus is Prairie Genetian. I learned that while working in the floral/produce department of a grocery store when I first moved to SC...

"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #8 on: Mar 12, 2007, 03:30:16 AM »
Prairie Genetian, eh? Thanx for mentioning that, Dianna... I might have more luck finding information on them now!

I understand that they do come in several colors, but I haven't seen any of the others yet. Right now I'm sticking with the purple ones, cuz I love, love, (LOVE) purple! Will keep my eye out for the others though. (Do the white ones stay white, or do they get "rust" marks on them after it rains?)

One of the things I especially like about Lisianthus is that they're great as cut flowers & will outlast most of the others in an arrangement!
(I brought home a blue ribbon from the county fair last year with this flower!)
   
« Last Edit: Feb 26, 2008, 01:08:05 AM by Patty S »

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #9 on: Mar 12, 2007, 07:46:43 AM »
(Do the white ones stay white, or do they get "rust" marks on them after it rains?)

Patty, all I have had so far are the purple, too. The white and pink colored ones that I have been in contact with were all at the floral department where I worked. It didn't rain inside except for the misting system on the vegetables.... ;D

Congratulations on the blue ribbon for a beautiful flower! Got pics?
« Last Edit: Mar 12, 2007, 07:48:52 AM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #10 on: Mar 14, 2007, 03:00:48 PM »
Still have bloomers...



and...

« Last Edit: Mar 14, 2007, 03:02:38 PM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Penny

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #11 on: Mar 15, 2007, 01:35:24 PM »
beautiful Dianna!!!!!!!

Offline Tonya

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #12 on: Mar 18, 2007, 12:55:40 PM »
I want something to bloom!! :'( I dug up my daffodils and potted them to move and not a one of them is blooming now. Hopefully something will pop up soon!

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #13 on: Mar 19, 2007, 07:03:24 PM »
I just love this view at this time of year! The edge of our neigbor's yard, at the end of the field below us....

   
    White & pink Flowering Plum trees.

   

I have no idea why they call them Plum trees.. they don't make Plums!

   
The name might have something to to with the fact that they do make Plum blossoms!
« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 09:16:55 AM by Patty S »

Offline sunsoaker

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #14 on: Mar 19, 2007, 07:43:47 PM »
They are beautiful. Looks like the plum tree a neighbor in oregon had... and it most certainly made plums! It's branches draped over the driveway and the plums would leave a mess all over their car when they dropped/rotted...  but they wouldn't tri it back for anything!
Dear Lord, On this day, please wrap your arm around my shoulder and keep your hand over my mouth.  Amen

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #15 on: Mar 20, 2007, 01:25:53 AM »
My folks used to have a plum tree (with plums on it) & the blossoms were identical to these! It was called a "Plum tree" & these are called "Flowering Plum trees"...(I guess that's supposed to define the difference.) ? My Son & DIL have 1 of these in their yard & it produces cherry sized fruit... which taste like plums, but the pit takes up most of it! I want to can plums but don't want to spend 99¢  per pound for them, so I bought & planted a little Plum tree 3 years ago. Iit hasn't done anything yet, but maybe it will this year... And I'm hoping it wasn't mis-marked!

This weekend, BG & I found pieces of spring in the yard that weren't there last week!

   
The earliest to bloom & the last to admit when winter's here... Calendula.

   
The lady bugs must have been having a convention around the first of the Periwinkle blossoms, on the slope above our Iris row. I planted these starts last summer, with the hope that they'd hold the soil on that end of the slope, cuz it started slipping during last spring's rain & tried to bury the Iris.  There are buds on all the other plants, so we should have an awesome looking hillside in another few days!
« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 10:05:22 AM by Patty S »

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #16 on: Mar 20, 2007, 07:48:09 AM »
That plum tree is absolutely beautiful!  :) Like you, I don't like spending dollars on the plums. I told Jim a couple of weeks ago that I want a plum tree. I think I would need two, though, for pollination purposes, wouldn't I? If you don't have two, that may be why they haven't produced! Just a thought...

Well, if calendula is the first to bloom and the last to give into winter, I guess I will be looking for some of those to put in the dirt around here. They are gorgeous!

The periwinkle is fantastic, too! Is it holding the slope for you? That may be what we are needing to keep our creek bank from going swimming!

Keep those bloomers coming! They are all so pretty...
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #17 on: Mar 20, 2007, 08:36:45 PM »
Quote
I think I would need two, though, for pollination purposes, wouldn't I? If you don't have two, that may be why they haven't produced!
You would have to bring that up, Dianna! I've heard that both male & female apple trees are required to produce fruit, but I never even stopped to think about plum trees! Guess I'd better do my homework!

Between my necessary errand running & the "scattered showers" (which seemed to pick MY yard to scatter in), I didn't get out in the gardens today, other than to prowl around with my camera.


The Violas grow wild & are somewhat invasive, but I don't necessarily try to control them, as they add a little color at the base of our only tree (Ponderosa Pine), where nothing else wants to grow.
« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 10:08:40 AM by Patty S »

Offline Bonnie

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #18 on: Mar 20, 2007, 08:40:08 PM »
Those plums trees are beautiful. I planted some years back , but the deer ate the bark off them and they died.

I noticed today that a lot of things around here are blooming also. Seems like the dogwood trees flowered over night. The red and purple verbena are blooming, and the paulownia trees are starting to bloom also.

Bonnie



Lil" Roy Lizzard huntin' in the verbena.



This is not a very good picture of the red honeysuckle, but it sure is pretty up close.

« Last Edit: Apr 12, 2007, 03:12:13 PM by Bonnie »
This is me ->?

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #19 on: Mar 21, 2007, 03:08:05 AM »
            Wow, look at those gorgeous purple flowers!

Quote
This is not a very good photo of the red honey suckle, but it sure is pretty up close.
So, get closer & take a pic of the flowers! I didn't even know that Honeysuckle came in red! (I guess I need to get out more!)

They really look cool on that archway, Bonnie! I've got some seeds for several climbing vines, & I want to build one of those for them. Guess I'd better get busy if that's going to happen this year!

Thanx for putting some pics up... I started thinking that there were only a couple of us with color happening in our yards so far this year!
(I wanna see more!)
« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 10:16:17 AM by Patty S »

Offline Penny

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #20 on: Mar 21, 2007, 10:31:59 AM »
 ;D...what beautiful pictures everyone.........so pretty!!!

Offline Patty S

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #21 on: Mar 27, 2007, 04:10:24 AM »
This year, the ladies in the Garden Club I belong to decided to break up into small groups & work in each others yards once a month, for 2 hours. While I'd much rather work in my own yard, it's nice to be a part of a co-op group like that, cuz when 4 gardeners get together, a lot gets done in a short time! Another nice thing about it is that we usually all bring something home from the other person's yard.

Today was our work day, & I got some Helleborus starts...
   
   They're also called "Lenten Rose"... probably because they bloom early in the spring. I just love these, cuz even though the flowers don't last all that long, the foliage stays all season, making a pretty olive green ground cover.

...And a Euphorbia (Purpurea - Purple Wood Spurge)
     
  These plants are soooo cool! I looked them up & read (on anniesannuals.com) that it "starts out green in the Spring, with new growth looking like wine-colored blossoms. In late March throughout April, it bursts into a profusion of lime green flower heads. In Fall & Winter, the upper leaves & stems mature to a to-die-for deep purple-ruby. The following Spring, the leaves become green again. 30' tall & wide." (It also said that they self-seed!)

I planted it next to a "Burning bush", which I like, but it's in the wrong place in my yard, cuz it gets too big & blocks the view of our driveway, from the living room windows. If the Euphorbia likes it there, I plan to take the bush out this fall. My Garden Club friend said that originally, someone had given the plant to her & she tossed it over her garden fence after she thought it was dead, cuz she didn't get it planted right away... & it dug in, had babies, & now it's all over the place! I've decided that I want more (now), so I think I'll go back & dig some more up!
(And I understand that it's deer proof!)

I also got about a dozen Calendula plants, that we'll be putting into the planters at the church/school.

« Last Edit: Apr 17, 2007, 10:30:43 AM by Patty S »

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #22 on: Mar 27, 2007, 03:58:37 PM »
Thank you, Penny! Do you have anything trying to bloom now? Your snow has melted, hasn't it? Don't worry. Your bloomers will be showing before long! ;)

Tonya, you should be seeing some blooming going on, too! Your weather is quite a bit like ours...

April, what are you planting as a new gardener this year? Have you already started planting?
« Last Edit: May 08, 2007, 03:20:28 PM by Dianna »
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Dianna

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #23 on: Mar 29, 2007, 06:17:32 PM »
There are all kinds of beauties in my bulb bed blooming now!







Look at all those vibrant colors!

When Jim walked in the door, he asked me if I noticed the new flowers. Since I didn't feel like hobbling out to look, he took the pictures for me. I can see why he noticed now!
"Be careful what you water your dreams with. Water them with worry and fear and you will produce weeds that choke the life from your dream. Water them with optimism and solutions and you will cultivate success." - Lao Tzu

Offline Jim

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Re: Spring has sprung!
« Reply #24 on: Apr 01, 2007, 01:12:03 AM »
So, get closer & take a pic of the flowers! I didn't even know that Honeysuckle came in red!

I also took a pic of the red honeysuckle today.

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