Miscellaneous Stuff From The Sticks

Not sure if I've mentioned the difficulty in growing nasturtiums around here. It looks like the secret is doing the exact opposite of what I've heard on internet message boards. The opposite would be partial shade instead of full sun, great soil rather than average to poor...and moist.

Here are some Milkmaid type that are supposed to climb. Leaves are about 2 1/2 inches in diameter, bettering any I've had by 50%. Seeds were started April 5. I'll have to get around to fixing that bird feeder again as it was whacked by another large nighttime visitor.

Cat up a tree? Nope. Working on getting more sun to the moonflowers that are planted just below. Some overhanging branches needed pruning while watching the sun at the same time. It looks like  I'll have to go another ten feet to get an extra hour or so of full sun. The trees will be wrapped with loose laid chicken wire for a moonie playground.

Hmmm. This is strange... Another idea in the working stage.

It needs some modifications. It also got extremely repetitious and boring making close to 200 kerf cuts on the plywood, with two passes as the same time.

I never did mention anything about the creek pump. The whole irrigation idea also needs some improvements in that in can only run two sprinklers and a garden hose nozzle at the same time. The idea was presented to me by a guy at Ace. Problem is it has oodles of potential to pump a large amount of water through a two inch line. However, it goes from a two inch hose (blue) to a 3/4 inch diameter garden hose (red) that runs off several Y-connectors along the driveway.

By running all two inch pipe from creek and along the drive, it can probably run ten sprinklers at once. That's next years project as it satisfies me for now.

Creek view...

Driveway...

Petunias On A Hill Part 3

Part 1
Part 2

Coming along nicely with some ideas added to the plan, particularly the second leg of the trailing Petunia extravaganza. I thought a break in the mass might look different. Two small raised areas were constructed from 2 x 12" pressure treated lumber. The problem is what to put in there. I have petunias above and below the areas with some ornamental grass from seed here and there. A mass showing of white Angelonia? I need a place to stick some more. Let's not forget those Verbena I bought in six packs yesterday...all 36 of them.

Here's a different angle similar to the original.. before changes were made.

The first leg of the Petunia party near the house. The flowering ones were planted about nine days ago and survived a frost. Yes, they are thirsty lil critters..for now.

Going further up the driveway and past the second leg on the right are 5-6 Petunias each section (left of fence) along with two white Angelonias near every fence post. I also sprinkled some pink and white Cosmos near the posts as well. I know I'll be driving over Petunias all summer long. It should be a massive show considering I have access to water up and down the driveway now...AND as long as I DON'T GET HUNGRY CRITTERS!

Oh, and the centerpiece rock area. I've heard Vinca vines do well in full sun so I scavenged a few clumps of them from the other side of the house. Still not sure what else to do, although I did stick six or seven sun Coleus in there with some Saliva. I'm beginning to see a large surplus of  Coleus. I only wish I could have had a smaller quantity choice. Maybe they'll grow on the creek banks? Creeping Jenny does.

Spring Blooms

The second week of April around here usually brings Tulips, but not this year. Instead we have Petunias! Really. These are leftovers from last year that did not die off, just kinda shrunk. If I'm not mistaken these on and near the driveway don't ordinarily look like this until late June or so.

In and around the petunias are snapdragons and a reseeded Pansy from the fall of 2010 planting. This is an area that reseeds Petunias heavily, hoping more come to life but I don't think I'll need any more this year with my plug order arriving next week.

More Petunias along the driveway...

No blooms here but this will be the location of my plug greenhouse. Five ounce plastic cups (three seen) from Walmart will serve as a starter container. This will be covered with a frame and plastic sheathing until they're ready to take on the warmer weather come early to mid May. Great warm and sunny location for them to grow. I figure I can fit almost 1,000 in this area. 25 per square foot with 36 square foot available...not that I'll need all the area.

Remember that tiny Petunia plant I've been testing on the hill? Two weeks and plenty of growth. Looks like the hill project will work.

A few new Azaleas I picked up three weeks ago in with some new Hostas from last summer.

That's about it for the blooms. Oh, one more. Blue Star creeper. This area should be completely filled out by mid summer.

A progress pic on the Petunias On A Hill. Found a great source of newly discovered rocks in the woods near the house. All I have to do is just roll 'em down the hill. Expect more as time goes on. I'm about to yank that small Mountain Laurel in the middle. They're down right ugly 50 weeks out of the year anyway.

It's An Official Surrender

...at least for this season. Can't grow much here with less than four inches of rain since May 26. About the only things that do hang in are the mountain laurel, creeping phlox (dormant) and that other thing (background) that blooms in September or so.

Others that can't make much of a life up here are day lilies (but they fade anyway this time of year), Salvia Sage, some type of Black Eyed Susan, Coneflowers, and a few Rose of Sharon. (top to bottom below) The latter obtained last year at a Daves Garden get together.

Life is hard along the fence line up the driveway as well. Asters from last year struggling (8 of ten survivors but much smaller), but I have lugged water up here a half dozen times since May 26. Marigolds never did too well, same with Cosmos. Silly spider Zinnias are alive. Don't bother trying these things. Flowers are ridiculously small and they just sprawl on the ground. Good soil after I worked it, but too darn dry.

Alpine Gardening?

That's what they call it at Daves Garden. It looks like all sorts of stuff can grow up the hill on the north side of the drive given the chance. I was lassoed again at Lowes! Dangit. I thought I had that problem licked with all these seedlings popping up around here.

Here's a project started a few days ago after I saw plenty of Creeping Phlox around town the past few years. Not crazy about the purples or yellows, I found Amazing Grace. Whitish with itty bitty red centers. It's a shrub that blooms very early and lasts for ?? A month? Evergreen to boot. Only time will tell. Grows to about 18 inches high but apparently spreads well. So I'm hoping in a few years it will cascade down the hill. Pretty decent soil up there. I was surprised, but a real bugger to water. Water pressure doesn't work up the driveway from the hose, so it's climbing the hill and dumping water on it...apparently until it becomes established. One week. Two?

Hopefully this blog will still be on the web 5-10 years from now, so it's nice to know what was done and what date, so as to see the progress. I keep some information elsewhere, but I'm terrible at finding it. Just like paperwork; I make an attempt to keep it together for a few months then bang...I forget about it, or where I put it. At least I know where the blog is.

Rolando scheduled to visit Sunday afternoon for some more cow dung.

Incidentally the current weather is a mirror image of 2008 (my first year). Couldn't ask for better. Mid to high 70's day, low 50's night....few clouds. Oh, a tulip sneak peak...

And the Bradford pear tree is out in town...