The Cannas that Jolana sent me, 3 lantanas and 2 salvia greggiis.
I'll be moving the salvia's, they were labeled 'flame' which should've been red but 1 bloomed and it's hot pink. Grrr.

i've been on a Lorapetlum kick. I planted a purple delight, burgandy, and two a dwarfs. With training, I'm hoping the purple delight and burgandy will go to be tall specimen plants. does anyone have some muture ones, how big are they and how long did it take?

Danomano,

I had the same idea! I planted two purple delight in an area that I would like to have a Japanese Maple. However, the JM wouldn't do good in this area. So, my idea is to try to train the Lorepetalum's into a tree shape.

Hope it works!
Necia

Oh, lordy, I just finished planting our fall vegetable garden--spinach, corn salad, lettuce, bunching onions, broccoli, garlic and carrots. This was after tossing 12 bags of mulch on a new flower bed! I love fall, but if it lasts much longer, I may not last! We found white skullcap and Mexican Mint Marigold at Lowe's for 1/2 price, so I have those to put in the new bed tomorrow. I have parsley seed in the freezer to plant tomorrow, along with the dill and arugula. I sure would appreciate someone telling me I am not crazy!

I have lettuce growing in my veggie garden. The bulbs I ordered from the master gardeners just arrived, so I'll be out planting those in the next couple of days. I had a bunch of plants from our plant swap a couple weeks ago that I got in the ground that weekend - daylilies, purple heart, etc. I also bought some half price dianthus and sweet alyssum at Lowe's a couple weeks ago and planted those to fill in around my roses. I'm getting ready to expand the bed out front to balance out my yard more. I am also getting a desert willow that will go in the new area in front too near where we took out our sweet gum last spring. The area is marked and ready to have a little lasagne gardening applied for the winter. Then we'll get the stone edging done over Thanksgiving week. I already know what I want to plant in the new bed, but until it is ready, that will need to wait.

Well Barb, what a timely topic :). I just decided to come in to take a break from planting and see what was up on the Texas forum. I've been putting out pansies and snapdragons, a few mums and also a couple of irises I've had in pots (only about 14 more of those to go! LOL). I also planted something that was given to me as Brazilian Rock Rose, but this has much different leaves than the BRRs that I've seen. It's about 6 1/2 feet tall right now and kind of has a willow-like appearance. It's also very woody like a willow of that size would be. Oh well, it'll be a nice surprise in the spring.

Also put out some red spider lillies from a pot and a bunch of them that I got as bulbs a month or so ago. There's a few more summer annuals out there that I'll cut to the ground and plant other things in those spots. I'm very quickly approaching "Plunk out of Desperation" mode :). Sooo many pots that I don't want to have to overwinter inside the garage.

I was touring the greenhouses at the Botanic Garden last week and when in the Begonia house, the docent told us to take all of the cuttings we wanted (I think she'd taken leave of her senses!). Anyway, I was good and only took leaves. I cut those up and put them in a propagation chamber (a dozen out of 10 different varieties). Needed that like a stick in the eye, LOL.....but what can you do when you're offered something like that? This is my first try at leaf cuttings so wish me luck.

I figure I've got a good solid week or two of work before I can settle down and feel comfortable that the garden is ready for winter. The next project will be to start doodling to figure out how I want the beds laid out for the front of the house.

Hope you are all getting a chance to enjoy this fabulous weather :).

Kristi

I've sprinkled out more seed and put in some native bunch grasses. PJ

I planted my behind on the mower, hopefully for the last time this season, LOL
I haven't planted anything in a long time, just trying to maintain what I have, lol

I planted 5 new rose bushes last week. I am new at this, but I planted 2 bushes last spring and they have been a joy all summer. I learned that in addition to spring, fall is a good time to plant them, and Walmart had some beauties on sale for only $5.00 each. One of them is called "Broadway" and it is a real show stopper. I also bought 2 miniature roses and another kolancho. I am having so much fun with my new-found passion!

I am mowing, also, this week, Barb. I will be planting quite a few things this Saturday ... crape myrtles, Russian sage, fig trees and relocating a couple of rose bushes.

Carrie, I planted a small Russian Sage this spring and it took over my whole little flower bed. Should have looked it up before I put it there. Can I cut it back and move it now or should I wait til spring? I just planted a crinum lilly, mistic spires salvia, and coneflower I got at the MG sale.

Not enough. I still have plants waiting to go in the ground. Guess what my plans are for today:-)

About daylilies...I have to recommend Butterscotch Ruffles. I got one at the Neil Sperry show back in the spring and it literally has been blooming for 2 months! Last week I planted some spider/bog lilies.

Pam

I'm thinking about planting some dianthas for winter color, instead of pansy's. I've always thought of them as summer color, but i've heard they also flower in winter.

Advise?

thanks, Dano

OMG Jolana, your so funny :)
Kristi you've come out of hiding LOL
Danomano....Yes, they do flower in winter and I love hate them you need to dead head them to keep flowers going and it's just a bit much for me. You can also cut them back with scissors but it will take longer for them to flower again.

I have been working for about an hour a day in the yard this week trying to get all I can in the ground ....puff...puff..whew ..... decided to put my mini roses in the ground and got it done today but what I need is to make a list of what I need to get done by this weekend HA right

Not out of hiding Barb....Just up for air ;). I sent you an email, did you get it?

Kristi

I put my sweet pea seedlings in the ground today. I had been waiting for my morning glories to fade away, but the wind took care of that for me when it blew down their trellis. They get so big and full, they turn into a kite and the wind just takes the whole thing.

Have pansies, dianthus and stocks for 4 big pots that currently have coleus in them. And I've cut back about 6 roses that are going to be moved, something I should have done a month ago and I'm just now getting to it.

Have to love this gorgeous weather - there's nowhere I'd rather be that outside with my hands in the dirt !

Carol

I've been trying to put in all the stuff from the plant trades and the sale at Lowes! At this rate I'll be planting when I'm 90.
I did put in butterfly gingers, chalice vines, porter weed, bromeliads, a palm tree, hidden gingers, bulbs, cuttings, brugs, bleeding heart vine, thunbergia grandiflora, rubber vine, globba-dancing girl, a philodendrum, variegated crinum, walking iris, daylily, some new vine from the garden shop here, amaryllis, ferns and some other stuff I can't remember. Put in cabbage, salvia, pavonia, lettuce, onions, greens and some pentas at the community garden.
Dug up all the amorphs-they are going dormant for the winter. Put a heater in the pond for the fishies.
Tally HO!

I planted a bunch of chrysanthemums at the shop and a big container full here at the house. All the buds bloomed and I cut them off but they look so ugly now with empty stalks sticking up. Should I cut them back more? The flowers dont lst but a couple of days then turn brown. Not liking these much so far.

I was at the Carswell base today and I seen two beautiful salvia greggis one had seeds and they jumped into my jeans pocket :) hehehe

Well glad to see I am not the only one playing in the dirt ..heheeehe I have been moving Lantana this week. I had some that just tripled in size after all our rain. So I got them all moved to their new area today...I have a wide open acre to landscape and I have all kinds of ideas going in my head...I am think Rock walkway...mulch, rock, make it a butterfly garden...AND to just think this all started with moving Lantana...HA! Yanked out some of the mums that have done there fill in duty... Do Mums bloom more than once???? I have some I have deadheaded and I swear they look like they are budding up again???
Bought two flats of pansies today. Those are for the mailbox. Finally got DH to removed the forms from where we installed that back in the summer. Bought some beautiful concrete edging and will fill in the middle with pansies.
Bought a few snapdragons also. I am trying to do a little at a time. Mums still looking good in front of house but I will need three more flats of pansies to do that once the mums kill over. Plus, I am off to Lowes again to pick up two and half more flats tomorrow... Bummer is I have company coming Saturday and I gotta clean this house and do some baking... BUT ALL I WANT TO DO IS PLAY IN THE DIRT! Happy planting everyone....If someone can answer the mum question...it will be appreciated! ;0) Ohhhh yeah how late can you plant pansies out here...I am in Weatherford...

I feel I'm as busy as those silly squirrels who are harvesting and planting my pecans!!

I'm trying to get ready for winter...However, in San Antonio, you never know what to expect!!!

We've had some unusally dry weather...and I'm anxious to get tender plants in the ground before the first frost. And I'm wondering when it's going to be.

I'm also trying to get some winter landscaping going:

Yesterday, I finally got around to planting my plumbagos. Also a Suspension Viburnum.

I'm still trying to get all of my bearded irises in. Got several more at the swap.

Planted yellow flag iris and in the process of planting African Iris where my cannas are. I cut back my cannas already so I could "visualize" my winter landscape better.

Planted my white asiatic crinum that I got at the swap. Neeeded to get that one in ASAP. (Can't wait to see it grow next year!!)
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I also cut my back my lantana camara. (Trailing lantana is usually evergreen/semi-evergreen in SA) However, lantana camara turns black when it freezes. I've got tons of that and I've put new plants in it's place. They are:
Society Garlic
Freesias
Dainthus
Ranunculus(I think Ranunculus is one of the best lantana under plants)
Anemoes
I've also got some ornamental kale. The variety I got is really pretty called: Chidor Kale
Winecups
Laura Bush Petunias

I just bought some East Friesland Sage, because according to Texas Gardener Magazine, it apparently blooms in the winter. Even if it doesn't bloom, the foliage is evergreen, so it will make a decent groundcover.

I've also got some Fall Aster to plant. The Texas kind that is drought tolerant that makes a nice groundcover, that chokes out weeds. I love Aster Obligonflorus?.... I did a lot of planting this spring because of the cool weather. Many plants didn't make it because of the rain, and the later dry condition. This Aster is a real trooper, drought and flood don't phase it and it's not bothered by any bugs.

All of that within the astericks was just to replace my lantana and other stuff that might thin out this winter.
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I also got my hands on some Dianella (which is a drought tolerant full sun version of giant lirope.) I love this plant!!! It goes in the front of my yard. It was on sale at Calloways
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In other parts of my yard:
Daffodils: Carlton. (I picked those because according to the Florida Daffodil Society, they perennialize as far south as Central Florida)

Things that I need to plant:
Daylilies (Before they dissappear in their pots)
Agapanthus (Same reason as above)

I've also got lots of bulbs to plant:
Crinadonna, which is a cross between Amaryllis Belladonna and Crinum. (Ordered from Brent and Becky's)
100 Byzantine Gladiolus
Purple Oxalis
Chinese Sacred Lily
Paper Whites

Yikes!!! I've got my work cut for me

Well, just got back from Maui, so got a few things to plant still... :)
But, I did plant the spider lilies you gave me Barb! The Salvia and ginger are going in the ground this week! Tell Mike it perked right back up - I'll send you a picture of it! I have some crinum and daylilies to plant and a bag of freesia bulbs too...

While I was away the BF planted pansies and cabbages! I couldn't believe it. Looks great.

I love that the weather is cool and the ground is warm... beautiful weather!!

Last planting for the year, I think:
Pansies
4 Limber pine seedlings (we'll see if they can make it here)
Those Enchantment linaria are coming up (from those seeds), and my Indian Paint brush have germinated - come on spring.
When is the Neil Sperry garden show?
;-)
J.D.

I hope our group meets there again next February, JD !!! Maybe we can persuade others to join us......

I've planted 1 flat each of pansies, petunias, verbena, and dianthus, Two flats of snapdragons, 2 'Texas Pink' phlox, 2 'Veranda' skullcap, a Mex. lobelia, 'Dancing Lady' ginger, Peacok ginger, Philippine violet, Green-eyed rudbeckia, Sweet almond bush, Hawaiian snow bush, pothos, 2 Red Bleeding heart vines, a coral vine, a 'Candy Corn' vine, tuber vervain, 6 Ground orchids, 10 Pink spider lilies, 12 Yellow spider lilies, and 82 Red spider lilies. Trade plants that I've repotted because I don't have a place to plant are: 2 Heliconias, a Red leafed Hibiscus, a Yellow honeysuckle lonicera sempervirens, 'Tropicana' cana, 3 different crinums, 3 pots of iris, 2 Rubber vines, a Red Mex. flame vine, 2 kinds of lipstick plant, 2 caryopteris 'Dark Knight', found rose 'Old Gay Hill',and a Purple leafed Sweet potato vine.
I'm going to another Plant Swap next Saturday, so may have more to plant then. I've got to build more beds this winter!
Jim

Jim, I am exhausted from just "reading" your post!!! You have been a busy boy ------

You are right, Carrie. I just went out and made my first 'round', and found some I forgot to list. A Firetail chenille, an Orchid vine, Purple porter weed, 3 kinds of cactus, White Butterfly ginger, and a Bromeliad. I went to the Alvin Gardening Club's Annual Flower Sale yesterday and bought the Peacock ginger, the Philippine violet, and a Buttercup bush. I ran in to couple that I hadn't seen in years, who are just getting into gardening. I talked them into following me home, and loaded their trunk with plants till they begged 'No More'! That's always fun, isn't it?
Jim

It is fun, Jim. I had a couple come by yesterday who have just moved here from Minnesota, and they took a pick-up load home with them. Even a few things that I won't have to fine a winter home for this year ---woohoo!!!!!

Jim - WOW!

Yesterday, Lowes had their large plants, marked way way down, so I will be planting Vitex, datura, canna, and and esperanza this weekend, I also got some for Jim, in Aransas, I was told that they are going to mark down almost all their plants next week, they need to make room for Christmas Trees. Barbra,

I'm just cleaning the flowerbeds, getting ready for winter. And waiting for after thanksgiving to plant all of my Tulips/Daffs.

I've been planting my fall/winter vegetables, like spinach, beets, lettuce, kale, fava beans.

I'm moving, so I just re-arranged some houseplants for coming in this winter (actually this week:). Most of my stuff is still in pots from the May move, so all I've been doing is adding to the pots, pruning, and watering (and not much of that:). No fall veg garden for me this year-well, maybe some salad in my big tub of tomatoes. Need to pot up the bulbs that have been laying out all season-oops. Oh well, this cooler weather sure makes me want to be outside. I was sharing my 'dirt therapy' with my unc who has been ill, he is going through withdraw. Since then he's has felt well enough to take his scooter and piddle some (we are piddlers not gardeners:), Thank God for scooters! CJ