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Cottage Gardens

I'm enjoying my garden

13 years ago

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I even enjoy the satisfaction of realizing when something I tried didn't work.

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Comments (12)

plantmaven
13 years ago
Everything looks great!

I have not been here for awhile as I got a virus that shut down my old laptop.

I now have a new HP with a webcam....not that I will ever use the webcam.

It is sooooo hot here. I don't even want to go outside, let alone work out side.
I would have to get up at 4:00 a.m. and use a flash light.

k
aftermidnight Zone7b B.C. Canada
13 years ago
Tom, a feast for the eyes, you've done wonders with your place inside and out. And to think most of your garden is from winter sowing. Great job, well done.

Annette
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Thank you J.D. and Carrie! Carrie, leaf roller caterpillars certainly are a problem with modern cannas. The leaf rollers I have become skipper butterflies (in some parts of the country the cats on cannas become moths) so I don't like to kill them, but I don't like them messing up the looks of the cannas either. The species cannas are resistant to them, but the flowers are small. However the hummingbirds really like them :-) I didn't have many leaf rollers on any of the cannas this year. There just haven't been that many butterfies of any kind due to the drought so it wasn't a good year to test out varieties, but I think the variety pictured above is a resistant type and if so it will make a good foliage plant. I love the dark red stems and veins. As for the modern big flowered varieties as soon as I see young caterpillars I move them to a 'catch plant' that is out of sight so the cats can live to make butterflies. They are plain little brown guys, but I like to see them 'skipping' around. You could also mist the foliage regularly with B.T.which as you probably know is a bacteria that is specific to caterpillars and not a poison. If it weren't for the caterpillar problem I'd have more cannas than I do. There are so many wonderful varieties that have beautiful exotic looking flowers.
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Comments (17)
Allison, I have tried to have as much picked out as possible but not being an expert I have not caught things. Seeing things three dimensionally is a big factor. Another big factor to be honest is trust. As Macy said, sometimes you can be with a company or doing business with a sub that really does not have your interests at heart. I have read so many times where homeowners are talked out of doing something they want by a sub or contractor and then kick themselves afterward. They are talked out of it not because it wasn't doable but because it was the more difficult way or the sub or contractor doesn't really know how to do it or is unsure, or just doesn't want to do something new and you have to have the type of personality to say "This is what I want" BUT maybe the contractor or sub really does know what he's talking about and your wrong! It comes down to experience and we newbies don't have it and if we aren't LUCKY enough to find someone who understands our vision we can be in real trouble. I mean I never gave two thoughts to mediums or heavies with my shake roof. A shake was a shake. Now here comes a decision that could really affect the look I want and I don't have a clue or enough trust in anyone else enough to accept their advice. Does my roofer REALLY care how important the look of my sweeps on my roof are to me or is he just trying to use up some extra material he has or make a few extra bucks. I spent 5,000 for an architect previous to the one I have now that would never return my calls! He acted like he was doing ME a favor. I ended up not using his plans because at that point we thought we might remodel and not build new. Macy, I do believe what your saying, that an architect could save you thousands but I've also heard the other side of the coin right here on this site where architects seem to be clueless as to prices. Great with design but after spending a fortune on drawings people can't even use them because they are over their budget. It's like everything in life. Sometimes you fall into it and sometimes you don't.
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I've found that "Volunteering" is a bit like having a "Hobby". Best to find these before you retire, after which you can devote more time to them -- if you wish. I think it's difficult to find *meaningful* work as a volunteer. One thing DH has enjoyed is called Grand Times. About sixty Seniors volunteer in township high schools. Teachers request help with all kinds of things, and the leader of Grand Times matches volunteers to meet the needs. DH is usually 'at school' for a few hours twice a week on some assignment. He's worked with the same kids in a remedial English class for two years. It's sometimes one-on-one; sometimes he's working with a 'team' of kids on an assignment. He feels useful, and the kids seem hungry for help. He also helps judge presentations for the marketing classes and helps with senior essays -- nice mix of lower and higher achieving students. More schools could avail themselves of the Senior talent lying fallow in their communities. "Volunteering" needn't be primarily serving the entertainment or time-structuring needs of retirees with 'make work' assignments to keep them busy. What have some of you found to do in retirement that uses your experience and talents?
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Comments (2)
You have earnt your little bit of peace and quiet. I didn't get any until for close to 26 years, as the youngest were 8 years younger. That's apart from a couple of years when I was a single Mum, and the kids went off to their Dad's for the weekends. That took a bit of getting used to! You will have times when you miss your little on's constant patter, but you will also appreciate the new little school girl and enjoy watching her world widen for her. Your garden should be looking good by Spring! I work from home, and the guys at work have tried to talk me into setting up an office in there (it's our company) but I prefer my own company, and that of the dogs and cats and plants. I pop in and out of garden web any old time, because I have constant internet access for work, and only myself to answer to if I waste time now and have to catch up later. Right now I'm procrastinating about some tax stuff i have to put together for our accountant. Procrastinating is what I do best - there should be a degree course in it!
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FlowerLady6
13 years ago
I can see why Tom, they are gorgeous. You've done a fantastic job in such a short period of time. I always enjoy reading your blog posts over in blogland.

FlowerLady
neverenoughflowers
13 years ago
Everything looks beautiful in spite of the outrageous heat and lack of rain you have had. I have to agree with you from one of your other post that if it can't hold up it has to go.
I always enjoy your posts.

Carol
mcr1968
13 years ago
Tom: Everything is beautiful! Just wanted to let you know that you are the reason that I'm giving winter sowing a try this year. Wish me luck!
goldenpond
13 years ago
really pretty!
tanya
gldno1
13 years ago
Tom, your garden must give you a great deal of satisfaction knowing you did it all with mostly seeds and cuttings.

You should enjoy it, it looks beautiful.

glenda
Lilyfinch z9a Murrieta Ca
13 years ago
Good to see you again! Your garden is always so inspiring. Its you i have to thank for my wintersowing success. Thanks!
hosenemesis
13 years ago
What didn't work? It all looks wonderful. I love the hot colors.
Renee
token28001
Original Author
13 years ago
What didn't work?

Rudbeckia hirta. It turns ugly real fast in the heat. Goldstrum is a better plant.
Veggies. Very disappointing year for everything including tomatoes and squash. A handful of beans was all I got.
Four O'clocks. They're tall and lanky with hardly any leaves.
Hybrid Tea Roses. Too hot and humid. Black spot and it didn't matter if I sprayed or not.
Many of my wintersown seedlings eventually succumbed to the heat. Even watering didn't help. The heat was just too intense for too long this year.
The meadow. I mowed it down a few weeks ago. Scattering seeds worked for some plants, not for others. Cosmos didn't even germinate well.

My favorites. R. fulgida, upright sedums, agastache, a few hibiscus, grasses, Joe Pye Weed. I'm going to be redoing some beds this fall, removing others, and sowing seeds this winter from the plants that survived the summer.
hosenemesis
13 years ago
Ah yes. So sorry about the heat. We got cool this summer, so plants that I generally pull out by June were still in great shape in August. Very unusual. But it's coming today: they predict 108 in Simi today and through the week in the the triple digits. Boo.
Renee
pippi21
13 years ago
Tom,
What is that plant that looks like yellow daisies in the pictures? Is it a coreopsis or variety of daisy? Perennial?
How tall does it get? It looks like lemon sherbert. I like it.

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