Good morning, and it's almost over. Welcome to Saturday Morning Garden Blogging.
The third Presidential debate did not usher in another night of wild, windy weather here in Denver — the storm held off until Wednesday.
As is usual with these early-season storms the weather forecasts were all over the spectrum, and all over-playing just how much snow we would get. Per the forecasters, we could expect a couple-three inches of snow Wednesday night through Thursday morning; get a breather; then have another wave of snow bringing 5" or more inches late Thursday into Friday morning.
The first batch of snow — and cold — arrived as forecast. The second batch… not so much. Yesterday morning there was a bare dusting of snow coating our cars.
But it was cold — the high on Thursday hovered at freezing, followed by a real, hard freeze with the overnight low of 25°, and the high yesterday only getting to 35°.
Indian summer isn't quite over — we're forecast to have highs in the mid to upper 60s early next week — but next week may be the end of it.
On Tuesday, before the storm came in (a storm which is now making its way east to join in with the Frankenstorm), we had one last day of gorgeous weather, with the high getting into the upper 70s. I took advantage of the day pry some huge datura roots from the soil, move a couple of oriental poppies, dug out plumbago that had survived last year's assault (damned but that stuff is stubborn), and shoved some daffodil bulbs into the ground. I didn't get all the spring bulbs planted, but I should be able to get the rest of them in next week.
With the change in the weather I'm now more concentrated on indoor gardening — and being pleasantly surprised, to wit, that the light from the northern windows at my little office was strong enough to allow this Ecuadorian Pink brug to come into bloom. I was also surprised that it was an Ecuadorian Pink because it had set buds at such a small size — I had assumed it was an Inca Sun. I had read that brug cuttings taken from above a Y branch could bloom at a small size and in the first year, and I guess this proves it.
The office windows also is a great spot for begonias; I have a big pot of begonias there that has been throwing huge blossoms for the last month.
At home, with the temperatures going down and holding below freezing, I can start putting hyacinth bulbs the bulb vases to start the next stage of forcing.
Finally, I moved my metal halide plant light up from the basement and had the Mister mount it over the large east window in the kitchen. The boost of light is doing marvelous things for the gardenia, jasmines and a small Inca Sun brug — I'm hoping that I can keep things blooming all winter. And, perhaps, may get some consistent blooming from the orchids.
That's what's happening here. What's going on in your gardens?