You can bury a lot of troubles digging in the dirt.

Sunday, July 10, 2005

Two More Roses Planted


Rose 'Souvenir de Germain de st. Pierre' Ain't that some name?

I planted this rose and one called Second Street Tea this evening in a new garden area we'll call the Front Porch Garden (I'm so creative!). I grew up on Second Street, so how could I resist? And after reading this description of Souv. de Blah Blah in Vintage's catalog, I had to have it:

An absolutely delightful rose of the Duchess de Brabant style, particularly similar to that rose in its large, globular flowers of bright cherry pink, yellow at the petal bases, blooms opening rather helter-skelter, flamed with white, rather like old parrot tulips in appearance.

Doesn't that sound beautiful? It arrived full of these glorious blooms. I think I have a photo.

Here's another of its blooms:

I don't have a photo of Second Street Tea yet. It's still really small.

I have 3 or 4 more roses to plant in that area. I need to dig up some grass first really. That is so much work. Maybe in the morning I can get started on it. I've got to get those dwarf irises planted.

That's all for today.

Friday, July 8, 2005

So Behind


Waterlily 'Colorado'

I don't know where to begin updating. I've done lots of gardening. I have kept up with most of it in my written journal. I'll just have to try to catch up.

I've acquired more roses.

From Vintage:
Thomasville Old Gold
Souv. de Germain de St. Pierre
Second st. Tea
Sunshine
Paul Crampel
Leonie Lamesch

From Roses Unlimited:
Eugene de Beauharnais
Duchesse de Brabant
Polly Sunshine
Borderer

And another Christopher Marlowe from J&P.

I finally got Pat to rip out the Golden Thread and rest of juniper from the roadside bed. I replanted with the roses, Comtesse du Cayla and Leonie Lamesch; the daylilies, Strawberry Candy, Happy Returns and Lake Norman Sunset; TB yellow iris; IB purple reblooming iris; May Night salvia. It doesn't look like much yet but hopefully will fill out and look good.



I replanted part of my Secret Garden. The area with the angel statue had a horrible looking Abraham Darby rose that I dug up. I moved a post with birdhouse on top and planted Phyllis Bide to train up it. Also planted two other polyanthas there, Polly Sunshine and Borderer, the china Eugene de Beauharnais, and the gallica Cardinal de Richelieu. I will take photos soon. Oh, here is one of Borderer.
Borderer. Such a sweet, little rose.

Pat got biofilter built for pond. The water has cleared up a little. It's supposed to take 6 to 8 weeks. It's been 2. I can't wait for clear water.

I went daylily shopping at place called Stacked Rock Gardens. Pat was with me, so I didn't go overboard. I bought:
Lake Norman Sunset
Lake Norman Spider
Pink Monday
House of Orange
Little Zinger - bonus
Spanish Masquerade - bonus

Oh, I also got daylilies I bought from ebay:
Spanish Masquerade
Cloth of Glory
Velvet Rose
Eye Catcher - bonus

Today I got SDB irises I bought from ebay:
Jillaroo
Muse
Cops
Ingenuity
Yipee
Widow's Veil - bonus
Lore - bonus
Skyray - bonus
Sea Monster - bonus
Lots of bonuses!

Enough for now! I will update more tomorrow. I'm planning/planting new garden in front.

Thursday, June 16, 2005

Pretty Pictures



I went out about 7:00 this morning, determined to get something accomplished. I planted my new Perle d'Or (I killed my other one moving it. So sad. Actually, I COULD blame it on Pat, since he chopped the roots (!), but I won't. While I was working there (Flower Girl Hill), I saw a daylily hidden under huge red salvia, so I got that moved out. I also did some weeding. Oh, and I spray painted one side of a boring, wooden trellis. I'm painting it French Blue or Garden Blue, as I call it.

I bought my very first ebay rose. Buff Beauty, which has been on my wish list for about 4 years now. It came yesterday. Very nice! I have ordered soooo many more roses. That's it for this year though, I swear.





Nick's radishes. I think it's so amazing to grow something from seed.

New Lights



Here is one in the set of garden lights Pat gave me for anniversary. They're in my Secret Garden. I just love them.

I got a little more done this evening. Planted rose Veilchenblau at end of driveway, in front of fence section. I had to dig out big white irises there. Now I have to find somewhere to plant them. They didn't get enough sun there anyway. I also potted up two roses from little bands, Celine de Forestier and Comtesse du Cayla. Hope to get them planted soon though. My goal is to have no roses left over the winter in pots. Of course, I have bunches more coming.

I got two today I ordered from The Uncommon Rose: Marianne and Precious Dream. They are bands also. I need to get busy!

After all my hard work, I had a margarita by the pond. I'm quite relaxed now.



The "garden wall" edging I bought at Farmhouse Gardeners. It's around my Bird Garden. I just love it. Need more though! They're supposed to be ordering more. I hope so.

Wednesday, June 15, 2005

Daylilies



I love lots of other flowers besides roses. Another is daylilies. My grandmother was a daylily gardener. She did hybridizing even. It was her love. I have some of her daylilies. Also my friend Tim used to grow hundreds to sell. I have some of his too. And some that I've bought myself. I love having plants from people I love. It makes them so special. I wish I had all my daylilies identified. I may work on that.

I gardened for about an hour this morning. Daniel helped me dig up the Austin rose Heritage. I'm tired of its blackspot. I'm going to replace with Duchesse de Brabant. I also gave my Fairy tree a big haircut. It hasn't been looking much like a standard lately, more like Cousin It. Then I moved the daylily Barbara Mitchell fromm the too shady end of driveway to the other side of pond area in front of tea roses I recently planted. I stayed out about an hour. Already hot and humid here. That's all I can do until maybe tonight.

Yesterday I went crazy again with the rose ordering. More on that later.




Saturday, June 11, 2005

Busy

David Austin's 'Tamora'

I've been working in my Secret Garden/Bird Garden the past couple days. I couldn't decide whether or not to get rid of Tamora with all her blackspot but decided to clean her up, spray her, feed her, and give her another chance. Such beautiful blooms!

Today I groomed (my word for deadheading and light pruning) Teasing Georgia and Lilian Austin in Bird Garden and fed T.G., Mlle. Franziska Kruger and Molineux before I ran out of food. Need more RoseTone! I also planted a pink penstemon there and clematis H.F. Young to climb with T.G.

I dug up Abraham Darby. He was such a mess. I did save some cuttings to try to root. Pat moved 4x4 post (with bird house on top) to that spot, and I planted Phyllis Bide there. I'll have to take a photo. I also want to plant a clematis there. Maybe Princess Alexandra (Wayside). I left Basye's Purple beside that area, but I think its time is limited. I'm thinking of planting something big and pink there. Maybe a once bloomer. That area is in some shade. There are a ton of irises there that I need to divide. I think they're the reblooming purple ones, but some are planted too deep and not blooming. I will probably take most of them out and maybe plant some other colors there. I also want to plant some daylilies there. May go to local daylily sale next weekend for new varieties.

Oh, I also had Pat trim up the Birch tree in Bird Garden to give the roses there more sun (Teasing Georgia, Mlle. Franziska Kruger, Molineux, Lilian Austin, Lovely Fairy).

One of my anniversary presents was a set of garden lights! They're so beautiful. Pat surprised me with them and already set them up in Secret Garden. Can't wait to see them tonight!

Irises

Iris in my front garden.

I went a bit iris crazy. (All photos from ebay.)

Aachen Elf

Bangles

Bloodstone

Clearfire

Erleen Richeson

Foxy Lady

Good and True

Grapesicle

Little Showoff

Princess Caroline de Monaco (will look so pretty with Pat Austin rose)

Invitation

Starlit River