Feburary 2013

Once again it is February,  another year has past.  My Gerber Daises are beginning to bloom  However I have had one or two blooming all winter.  The cold does not seem to bother some of them. I pulled the pine straw off the ones I thought I had lost, I think they will all live.  Last February I had a  Rose  blooming this year I do not.  Last year it was not as cold as it has been this year.  I had my work for February done, not this year.  We have cut back our roses, I went behind him last year but decided not to this year.  It has really been too cold for me to get out much.  The cold causes my face to start to hurt again.  I am down to 2 douses of  pills a day.  When warm weather comes I will have a lot to do.

 
My  Pansies  have really done great this winter.  I have ten pots of them.  I really like the ones that hang down.  This pot sits on the timbers that divide the two eight foot  Gerber Daisey beds, on one side I have yellow and pink on the other side is yellow and red. There are  two sitting on these timbers.

This is the other pot that sits on the timbers.  I have a Dusty Miller in the middle of this one.

                                                                        Showing color.  This is in the bed behind the bench.  All the flowers in this bad are to be purple.  I bought some flowers last year that were suppose to be evergreen.  They were not and did not even live through the winter.  No more ordering from on line nurseries, unless I know the plant.  So I will have to hope I can find some purple flowers to plant here, at nurseries.  I may try a sage.  In the center of this bed I have Stokes Asters.  I planted them last spring and they bloomed.  I did not expect them to.
   
                                                                       

                                                                      
 This Camellia  is called Debutant starts blooming in November and blooms all winter.  Carrel  has one also.  I have gotten him planting all kinds of flowers.  The only thing wrong with this beautiful Camellia is the buds turn brownish around the edges from the cold.  

The Governor

                                                         
This bush has really grown.  Last year it bloomed in December, however they just started opening  last week.  I will plant some more this fall but they will be blooming when I buy them, if I can find them.  I want something blooming all the time in my yard.  I am almost there.

                                                                 
 No I did not put a picture on twice, I have two of these.  They are really loaded with buds.  They will be blooming for a while.

This is my favorite one of all .  Of course this bloom is ready to be cut off.  I do not know the name of this one.  All of these picture were taken today.  I think it only fair for me to go back a few days and show you how pretty this Camella
really is.  It is so little not more than three feet tall however it has buds from top to bottom.

                                                                      
This was taken about a week ago.

Colossal

This makes you think of spring.  I do not know of any flower that cheers us more than the Daffodil.  I must have about two hundred bulbs, at least, maybe more.  I bought twenty five more this year.  They will not bloom until the middle of March.  The King Alford is the best yellow one you can buy, this is my opinion.  The only place I could find them was Parks Seed on line.  My Mother planted the King Alford, they were the only ones she would plant.  I like all different colors. 
        

  This is another welcomed flower in the spring.  and the fragrance is wonderful.  I planted about fifty more last fall, red,and purple.  They are up and showing color, but not fully bloomed out yet.

   

All about Calico

Calico is our cat.  She heard me unlock the back door to go out to take some pictures of the sky.  Looks like we may get rain again.  Arkansas has not had enough rain in the last several years.  We will get very little in the summer, so I do not complain.   Calico wants in but she will not stay.  She wants to eat Missy's food.  Calico's  food is in the storage room in the carport, she is getting so fat.  When I bought this house so many  tried to give me a cat or a dog.  Ken my preacher son-in-law wanted to, I told him to give me Calico, no he wanted to keep her.  Every time I went to their house she would follow me around and let me pet her some.  So he brought me another one.  I fed her, tried to touch her but could not.  When I went out she left.  I put her food out under a window so I could see if she came to eat.  Always fed her in the back yard.  I would have to go look for her all over the neighborhood.  Once she climbed a tree in Carrel yard( we were not married at that time.)  Went next door to Tommy's house, ask his sister if my cat had been around.  She said no.  She had called me a few nights before and told me my cat was hungry and wanted in the house.  I told her I fed her every night, that is when she seemed to come home to eat.  I fed her the same thing that Ken fed her.  Then the food was not being eaten at night so I knew she was not coming home any more.  Ken ask me how the cat was doing,  I told him I did not know I gave the dogs in the neighborhood the cat food everyday and still filled her bowl with fresh food every night.  Ken and Debbie brought me Calico and we were best friends, but she did not want in the house.   I did not know she was going to have babies.  I started going to Louisiana to sit with a sister-in-law every other week.  I bought her a water holder and one for food so it would last her a week. Carrel would come over and make sure she had what she needed.  When it came time for babies I put her a box with a bed in it.  When I was home she would sleep in it.  Of course I was gone when the babies came.  When I came home she always met me, but I did notice that she came from one of the neighbor houses.  But this time she did not meet me.  I called and walked over to Carrel's to see if he had seen her.  Then I saw her come from across the street.  The young mother who lived across from Carrel came out and said she had her babies under her carport.  They had stayed up with  her.  I thanked her and took mother and babies home.  I only saved one kitten.  I do not know what happen to the others. One day a dog was barking under my carport and had the last baby backed up in the corner at the door.  I ran them off and brought the baby in the house.  I took it to my grand daughter's and gave it to her.  She was yellow striped with gold eyes.  She has been very happy.  Calico had another litter and something got all of them.  Carrel bought me a pet door and put it in after that.   I decided she had gone through enough so had her fixed.  She would not use a litter box and after cleaning up I let her be happy outside.  By the way the lady next door to Carrel, Tommy's sister told me she lied to me she had the cat in her house.  I did not know what to say.  I would like to see her, so she let me in.  The cat is happy, all is well that ends well.  She says she still will not use a little box. Carrel says she lets them out at night.  Since Callie move here I have not had any mice, not even in the storage room.  I keep my bird seed in that room and you would think the mice would have a  grand time.  No, Calico let them know this was her house.  However Calico has killed doves and three humming birds and four baby squirrels and a snake.  I have not seen anything at my back door since the humming birds.  I yelled at her so hard and loud until she does not bring them to me any more.  I hope you have enjoyed reading about our Calico.  I thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom and hope you will grow one of your own. Happy gardening to you from carrel and I, Juanita

Looking at me through the window.  Calico has torn the window screen up.  At night she jumps up there and has scared me.
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Clean up Time

Sad isn't it.  It is that time of the year when nothing looks alive.  I was pulling up plants that were suppose to be evergreen, well they were not.   I leave leaves in my flower beds until winter is almost over.  While I was pulling up those died plants I found two bulbs. I just laid out of the box and left.

Growing on top of the ground.

 The weather was pretty nice warmer than most of the days we have had, so I decided I would take the leaves off of the bed where I planted some of my bulbs and I found this one growing on top of the ground.  I kept  moving leaves and found another one just laying on top of the ground.  Carrel and I planted it.  This on was already rooted and growing.  It amazes me how dumb I can be.  We planted about seventy five bulbs last fall.





This month should be clean up month in the south.  You northern friends may have too much snow still.  Cut rose bushes and build new flower beds, so they will be ready in spring for planting.  Rose growers cut back you roses to no more than one foot.  Carrel won't do this so the ones that grow extra tall I go behind him and cut off some more.  Just as soon as your leaves on you roses start to bud out you should start spraying  for black spot.  I am really looking forward to spring time and my roses.  Next month you fertilize.  Start exercising so you won,t be so sore during planting time. I hope this has been a helpful blog page.  I thank you for watching my garden grow and  bloom, hope you will grow one of your own.   Happy gardening to you from Carrel and I, Juanita.






  



















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What's Blooming

Red and White Camilla

 This is the question asked around my house, not what's cooking.  I an not known for my cooking  This is the first Camilla to bloom in the fall.  Each bloom is different some have just a touch of white. This bush is in almost full sun.  Some of my Camilla are not blooming now that did bloom in December of 2011, although they have lots of buds.  I will buy my Camillas in the fall while they are blooming.  Soon all of my springs bushes will be blooming soon.  November through February is when I need blooms.  I hope to make four more flower beds and then, no more.  Carrel does not believe this but there is really no more room. 

                                                             

Debutante

   Debutante is the second Camilla to bloom, this one is always loaded.

Pansies

  I planted all my pots full of pansies last fall. I have been very happy with the results   I will not plant them in flowerbeds  any more. 

This pot has really been pretty all winter.  I am going to have Evon my hair dresser to paint me some more of these pot holders.  However in another color. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              

I love rain drops on flowers.  We have had a lot of rain this winter.  Even had some ice.

 I thought I bought dark pink, guess not

    This one was to heavy with water, I do have some stakes.  I will stake this one tomorrow. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

  This daffodil is the first to be blooming. The name of this one is Juanita after me, just kidding.  I bought it for the orange cup.  I planted  King Alford daffodils last fall. They will bloom in March, I think   

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

 These are planted in front of my orange bed that is why I choose the orange cup.           

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

   I could not believe this yellow daisy was blooming.

                                                                                                                                                                                                    

     This last one is Yellow bells.  that is not the official name but my Mother call it that all my growing up years.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this new blog page.  We thank you for watching our garden grow and bloom, and hope you will grow one of your own.  Happy gardening from Carrel and I, Juanita.

                                    

December 2012

These are the last of my roses for 2012.  The weather was turning bad and I was afraid these roses would freeze so I had Carrel pick them.  I really enjoyed them.

As you can see this was still blooming Christmas day.  as you remember it opened up on October 312.  This Iris had three bloom stems.  And this is the last bloom.  do not know how long it lasted.  Hope you have enjoyed this blog page and thank you for watching my garden grow and bloom and hope you will grow one of you own.  Happy gardening to you from Carrel and I.  Juanita