Saturday, July 9, 2011

Let's Try Again : )

My new purple petunia. This is the third plant I've tried in my new blue planter. The first, a bright orange marigold, withered and died. The second, a New Guinea impatiens also "failed to thrive." I'm hoping the third time is the charm. This part of the porch gets the brightest, and hottest, sun of the day, from about 11am to 2 pm, and it's in the shadows the rest of the time. It's a difficult place to keep annuals going, but I like planted containers near my front door.  I like this color combination, I hope it works!

A few of my gladiolas are blossoming now. They are absolutely not the Green with Envy variety as they were identified on the package. The bulbs must have been mismarked. I'm still quite thrilled by them. They're a very buttery yellow, almost like the canned creamed corn I require when I'm sick and can't keep food down, lol.

12 comments:

  1. Absolutely gorgeous petunias, they look sensational in the blue pot.
    Purple petunias are my favorite - who knew ?
    Mine have thrived by soaking the pot once every morning with about 2 quarts of water ( I use an empty juice container ). Don't let their roots completely dry out or the plant's a goner, especially in July heat.
    The glads are beautiful too.
    Where are they in you yard ?

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  2. the glads are in the front yard. A few are around the tree garden, and the others are in a small garden next to the tree garden. they look nice with the orange day lilies. I have some day lilies that aren't out yet that would look great with the glads, but the glads will probably be done by the time those late day lilies come out. The lilies are sort of a fleshy pink and bright yellow—prettier than they sound, lol. The glads would complement the yellow in the lilies.

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  3. I realy like the purple petunias in the blue planter. That sun/shade combo is really a tough one. I planted 48 impatiens in clumps in the shade and they are spreading but they aren't blooming. I'm so disappointed! Better luck this time with your petunias, Casey. :)

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  4. WE'RE ON A ROLL CASEY. KEEP THEM COMING. THE GLAD IS A VERY PRETTY YELLOW. ONE OF MY MANY FAVORITE FLOWER. NEXT YEAR I HOPE WE CAN GET SOME WORK DONE IN OUR BACK YARD. IT NEEDS ALOT OF WORK. EVERYTHING TAKES TIME AND MONEY.WE NEED TO REDO THE PORCH IN BACK FIRST. I WANT TO ENCLOSE IT SO OUR JOEY CAN SIT OUT THERE AND BARK AT THE SQUIRRELS AND BIRDS. RIGHT NOW THE DIRT SPLATTERS THROUGH THE SCREENING ONTO THE FLOOR OF THE PORCH WHEN IT RAINS.WE CAN'T KEEP IT CLEAN. ALSO, WHEN MOWING THE DIRT FLIES IN ON EVERYTHING. [ME NO LIKEY].I THINK PUTTING SOME GUTTERS AND WINDOWS AND A LITTLE CEMENT WORK DOWN,IT WILL HELP ALOT.THEN A COUPLE OF SPOTS FOR A FEW FLOWERS WILL SPRUCE UP THE YARD. YOUR FLOWERS GIVE ME A FEW IDEAS. WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I'LL JUST HAVE TO HAVE ANOTHER BUSH AND FLOWER PARTY AGAIN.I'LL JUST PUT THE KIDS TO WORK AGAIN.

    I KNOW WITH PETUNIAS THE MORE YOU PICK THE FLOWERS OFF THE MORE FLOWERS YOU GET. LOVE THE PURPLE AND GREEN TOGETHER. KATIE MUST HAVE BOUGHT ALL MALE PLANTS. MALE PLANTS DON'T BLOOM.

    GRANNY

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  5. Katie: I have 6 impatiens in the shade garden. They usually do really well, but are struggling for flowers this year, too!

    and Granny, you're right about petunias. You have to pinch the flowers off as soon as they're droopy. If the plants set seeds, they'll stop flowering so the goal is to not let them seed until fall. I walk around once everyday and deadhead all of my plants. Well, i don't deadhead all the day lilies. I'd be out there all day! Day lilies drop their flowers by the 3rd or 4th day, so they self deadhead. I make sure to cut the dead stalks off though. I can't stand an unkempt garden! There's a nice house around here with a gorgeous huge clump of Irises in the front of it. They bloom beautifully every year, but then the dead flowers and stalks remain until the next year when the flowers come up out of a big clump of dead leaves. I hate the way it looks!

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  6. For Casey and the gang:

    Revolutionary Petunia
    by Alice walker

    The Nature of This Flower Is to Bloom.
    Rebellious. Living.
    Against the Elemental Crush.
    A Song of Color
    Blooming
    For Deserving Eyes.
    Blooming Gloriously
    For its Self.

    Enjoy: the poem, the day and the flowers. Peace :)

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  7. These flower shoots look remarkable, keep a copy when the snow settles in. My buddy also has an interesting array of flowers in his yard with some aged drift wood. One of the pieces will be transferred into a snake to ward off any predators.

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  8. CASEY, JUST HAVE TO ASK. DOES THE PERSON THAT OWNS YOUR HOUSE ENJOY THE YARD AS MUCH AS YOU AND YOUR BB'S DO?

    GRANNY

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  9. He doesn't see it on a daily basis, but he always enjoys it when he comes over. Last year, he had his crew build/fence-in the vegetable garden for us because he knew we wanted one.

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  10. Well, we had a hellacious all-day rainstorm, then two really really hot days and all the impatiens bloomed like crazy! Now I can't decide if we're over-watering them or under-watering them! LOL In any event, they really look pretty now. We also changed from watering with a stream of water to misting them. All this for our sad little 11-clump garden. I don't care -- they're still exciting when they look good. My coleus pots in front are going great guns! :)

    GRANNY, WE HAVE A SCREENED IN SUN ROOM AND WE ADORE IT! THE CATS ARE CRAZY ABOUT IT, TOO. GOOD LUCK GETTING YOURS UP AND GOING. IT ALL TAKES TIME, DOESN'T IT? :)

    Katie

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  11. We had a pretty strong rainstorm last night, but it REALLY took the humidity away. It's like night and day today. I couldn't move yesterday without sweating, and today it's as dry as can be. Won't have to water the garden today either, always a nice thing.

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