| Blog series by Damocles consisting of 6 parts so far |
Part 1: First Starters and Bloomers
I snapped a few shots of the bulb-bed to show the beginnings and first flowers of the season… A close-up of the hyacinths, which kick out such a powerful scent, you can actually catch a whiff from a few doors down the street: A close-up of the dwarf daffodils that are a special prize of my wife. These little guys are about 7 inches tall: Also in the other bed, our first season of giant alliums. These guys are already 12-14 inches tall:
Part 2: Git yer Red-Hots Here!
This is the third season for these great plants in our bulb bed. Due to the height of the foliage (2’+), I planted the bare root in the back of the bed, as a nice anchor. This is a slow-starter for establishment, no blooming on the first year at all. The second year we got maybe two spikes. This year we’ve got what I’d call a satisfactory output… Red Hot Pokers – Kniphofia uvaria Also known as a “torch lily” in some parts. If you’ve g...
Part 3: Black Magic Hollyhocks
Three seasons ago, I planted a half dozen bare root hollyhocks, which grew like gangbusters, and bloomed beautiful red, pink and fruit punch colored flowers. The year after, the resultant plants were crippled by bugs and what looked like a rust, and barely bloomed at all. Started last season, I have had decent growth (I’m trying to avoid using chemical pesticides), but the blooms are far different than before. Now they’re black! Check it out:
Part 4: Mystery vegetation
Hmmm, what have I got here? Random weed, or germination of some “international traveling dirt”?? Eklectic…I’m looking your general direction for some verification… :-) NOTE: No fair making fun of my Maxwell House planter shown next to the mystery specimen…those are just some snapdragons from my mom’s garden that I haven’t yet had time to plant. Or, maybe the coffee can planter is just too kitchy to resist!
Part 5: I want candy(lily)!
I finally found my camera and am able to post a few pics of my candylilies. These are yet another gift from my Mom’s gardens, and she calls ‘em raspberry lilies. This first pic shows the outstanding iris-blade style foliage. The second pic shows the bloom clusters a bit closer. Also note the nice reddish phlox and what’s left of the red-hot poker spikes (some seed clusters of questionable viability for any gamblers out there): The next several pics are close...
Part 6: Balloon Tree (?)
So, I’ve got this freakishly tall balloon flower plant…It blooms relatively late, and I actually had to stake it to keep it upright. But here you go, a four foot tall balloon flower:
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Blog Series
- 2008 Growing Season - 6 parts
- Gardener Apprenticeship Program - 1 part
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