[Cross-posted at
My Left Wing]
Good morning and may your blooms bloom as they are supposed to. Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging.
Here in Denver we can definitely feel the approach of fall. It's not that it's really cool -- highs sneaking into the upper 80's and low 90's. It's that the morning air has a bit of a nip; the shadows lay a little differently on the ground; a few trees are showing a some yellowing leaves.
One thing I've noticed with datura belle blanche, is that when nights are cooler early and late in the season the blooms have lavender edge which isn't there (or too pale to be noticeable) during the hottest days of July.
I'm letting several pods go to seed, so I'll have ample supplies for anyone who wants some.
I'll also collect seed off the nicotiana for sharing. This particular one is a beautiful vibrant pink:
Datura and nicotiana are my stand-bys for summer scent.
I'm still waiting on those last few dahlias, and the moonflowers, to bloom. The moonflowers on the back shed have put out a few blooms -- I managed to get one picture, but the blooms aren't enough to show well through the foliage.
I've lots of buds on the plant in the front yard, but still no damned blooms. Same with those last dahlias -- I'm anxiously waiting to see what they come out with, so I'll know if they'll be worth the effort of starting them extremely early next year (say, February!).
Another sign of the coming fall is the fading of the corn -- I'm still getting a few ears, but for the most part, the corn is gone. But hey, the tomatoes are going like gangbusters (reminder: must get tomatoes in the freezer).
So this time of year, as my current garden starts to wind down, my thoughts turn to spring bulbs, and bulb catalogs. A reminder of what my front yard looks like in the springtime:
My favorite source for spring bulbs is Van Engelen. The bulbs are large, healthy and beautiful and, because they are wholesalers, you get lots of bulbs for the buck. You also have to want to buy lots of bulbs -- the minimum amounts are large. But to get the effect of wave after wave of spring blossoms, you have to have a lot more bulbs than you think you need.
Since I don't have a lot of pretty new pictures of my own to show you, I'll show you what I bought instead.
I've ordered 100 bulbs each of 2 types of Dutch iris, Rosario, and Blue Magic
And 100 rock-garden iris Harmony, with 100 miniature trumpet Narcissus Topolino to mix in with them.
100 each of two crocus, Twilight, and the most unusual tommasinianus roseus.
I'm a total sucker for hyacinth, so ordered more. I'll be getting 25 Hyacinth Purple Voice, a shade I've never seen before, and I splurged on the 60-bulb Hyacinth forcing and exhibition collection.
I do forced hyacinth every year, and, if you're stuck for holiday gift ideas, a pot of bulbs, ready to bloom when placed in a warm, sunny spot, makes an excellent gift. Or you can purchase hyacinth forcing vases, which are specially shaped to support a hyacinth bulb with just its root exposed to water, and give them to your lucky recipient along with pre-chilled bulbs, ready to be forced. In a later edition of Garden Blogging, we can talk about how to force bulbs to make January and February more tolerable.
I've wanted to add more species tulips for several years, but forget to order them. This year I remembered. We have tulip humilis alba coerulea oculata, and tulip Lady Jane.
Rounding out the order were more lilies. Yes, yes, yes, I ordered 5 types of lilies, for a total of 25. I don't remember all the types I ordered -- I looked at so many. But I do know that rubrum lilies and casa blanca were on the list:
Speaking of forgetting, while putting together this edition of garden blogging, I remembered that I forgot to order more triandrus narcissi -- this one is my favorite:
And while looking at the lilies and trying to remember which were the ones I ordered, I found another one I should have ordered, Mona Lisa -- a miniature that stands only 2 feet tall.
So now I have to go back and order a couple more things, which will push me up over $300 in bulbs. Damn. I was really, really good this time at keeping my spending under control!
An update on the spectactular wallpaper found in the back stairwell.
I did manage to get several large, intact sheets off the upper hallway. However, it was glued with a dark glue, and is very dirty. I'm playing with techniques that will remove the dirt/glue, but not too much of the coloration. I think I've also figured out how to do a stencil (it will take 3 layers -- one for the green, one for the red/pink, and a final "outlining" in dark green. Now I'll have to study up on stencilling. I have an idea in my head of stencilling the wall (it's a small wall), and having the best surviving sheet of actual wallpaper framed and hung in line with the stencilling on the wall. What do you think?
And now, here's your gardening cat. Schmutzige Katze doesn't come down to ground level to help. She likes to observe the doings from her perch in our bedroom window.
So, what's happening in your gardens?