A time to garden

I can’t believe it has taken a global pandemic to get me back in the garden but that is the truth. Covid 19 has kept most of us at home and although it is a scary time, I have been able to distract myself with projects around the house.

I started self isolating back in the day when it was called self isolating. Now they call it social distancing.  In the beginning of social distancing it was too cold but the weather is warmer and I have more time to get out in the garden. Here’s a quick list of what I have done this month.  1) weeded side garden 2) dug out dead rose bush 3) cut back lavender 4) potted up a various pots with, fuschia, dichondra,alyssum, ornamental grasses,herbs, peppers, plumeria and a Meyer lemon tree 5) planted Liastris corms in garden 6) planted Alstromeria lily in front garden 7)kicked out the trash cans that were being stored/ hoarded and made a potting area. That’s it now it’s time to stop and have an epsom bath soak.

Night Light

New potting area

New Plantings

Wow it has been two years since I posted anything. My front garden has filled out nicely but the back garden is still not blog worthy.  I want to record the irises that I purchased last month at the South Coast garden show. This blog is a good vehicle for it. I purchased 5 rhizomes  to plant into the back garden for an iris border.  The names are Dawn of Change, Bursting Bubbles, Revere, Tour de France and Return address. This is what they will look like when they bloom. Hopefully soon.

 

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DAWN OF CHANGE.

 

BURSTING BUBBLES

REVERE

TOUR DE FRANCE

RETURN ADDRESS

A new favorite plant

I have to admit I was never a fan of the Poinsettia. I tend to garden in pastels and the Poinsettia is so bright and doesn’t even redeem itself with a good scent like my red rose Don Juan.  Recently my eldest son was shopping at Home Depot and he noticed that all the women were ” going crazy” and filling their baskets with them. He thought it must be something special so he brought home four of them to me. He had no idea of my low opinion of them. I mean how can anyone not like a flowering plant right?  I am going to transplant it in the garden so I can always remember his thoughtfulness. Lola appreciates how they compliment her red scarf.

A favorite saying

If the above sign is true then I hope my garden will be in stitches this spring. I have planted many flowering shrubs,annuals,perennials and bulbs this fall.
I have been quite the comedian and hopefully the garden will enjoy my material. Here are a few of the “giggles” that I planted.

Live Centerpieces

I love flowers but I rarely buy them. I prefer to purchase a live plant and grow it in a container or in the garden. This enables me to enjoy the flowers longer,providing I keep the plant alive.  Whenever I need a centerpiece for a party or get together I usually purchase a plant to decorate the table. Here are a few centerpieces that I have made in the past.

I filled the El Pato cans with succulents from Costco. They lent such a festive air to the tables.

This was a black and white party theme. The Lisianthus provided a nice pop of color. It was just a simple arrangement but it had a great impact.

These centerpieces were for a Bridal Tea Party. I covered the pots with scrapbook paper. House plants make wonderful centerpieces also. The Flowers in the lantern are from my garden,it was a good year.

Lavender Fountain Bed

First Fruits

I was so excited to find these little gems today. Looking forward to some good veggie dishes.

Succulent Centerpiece

My youngest son has graduated from High School and we are having a Fiesta.I potted up some cute centerpieces for the tables . I got the idea from Pinterest.Now I need recipes for 3 gallons of El Pato sauce.

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Gardens past & present

My side garden has changed over the years.
In the beginning it was a vegetable garden, I spent many hours with my oldest son working in the garden.

After a few years it was converted into a flower garden. I had many naked ladies planted in it along with some tropicals and roses.

Eventually I added an arbor and more roses. This was my favorite design. It was a lovely garden with many flowers and we had many visitors. The brown lab was a very large garden pest but we loved her.

Presently the garden is in a shambles. We have enlarged the planting area and it will be divided into two separate sections. The Rose Garden will stay and we will add a raised bed vegetable garden in the fall. The roses are still present and thanks to better care are thriving. I’m hoping that the irises are lying dormant underground.

In the meantime I am stopping to smell the roses.

Second Bloom

The roses are responding to the extra care. My rose bushes have bloomed twice so far. This hasn’t happened in many years. I am following the care regimen of Bea Grow. She was a master gardener in San Clemente. I only visited her garden once but I never forgot it. Her Recipe for fabulous roses is in the linked article.
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/roses-47842-southern-california.html

I am adding Electron to the garden. She has large fragrant bright blooms and a wonderful scent.