October 16 , 2008
From the producer: 3 April 2025
By golly , I told you I ’d do it ! I did n’t photograph all the butterfly hordes in my garden this preceding week , but here are a few .
Queen on Gregg ’s mist-flower
Gulf fritillary on Mexican sunflower ( Mexican helianthus )
Monarch on Gregg ’s ageratum , lettuce hoop in backcloth . That ’s why I have n’t dig out the plant that spread out to the lettuce bed . I ’ll move them after butterfly time of year .
Nearby , on the back fence , here ’s one of the bees contend for a blot on goldenrod .
The goldenrods bear witness up without any help from me . They do lean to “ travel , ” as in pesky , and seem ratty most of the time . Still , I always keep a few for this season of crop . And , they could manage less if we ’re in flood , drought , freezing , or other emotional weather crisis . I understand that there is a gnome version out there , but I get these for costless .
A few feet away , the flaming acanthus and lantana were getting hit , too , though everyone had gone to bed when I took this one .
All over the garden , in sun and semi - specter , the asters exploded , the good performance in year . estimate they liked last winter ’s compost . Here they are in the front windowpane bed .
Around the tree in back , the Salvia regla and plumbago run short neck to neck for attention .
In that seam , the shrimp plants resist to give up their month - long deed for attention .
On job , I stupefy the bread garden and Harvey ’s garden planted with seminal fluid of Chinese parsley , arugula , raddichio , and various simoleons . I ’ll keep seed every two weeks and give them their yummy fertiliser ( seaweed / Pisces the Fishes photographic emulsion / molasses ) now and then . In our kale bed , I put in a few lettuce transplants to get thing off to a bright start , and some young Italian parsley , since last year ’s bolted when it hit 101 .
In Harvey ’s bed , I also sow Bright Lights Swiss chard . I put a Petroselinum crispum plant under the yaupon Buddy Holly for a niggling wraith while things are so hot there . The tithonias are also shade thing a bit , too . By the time it cool off off , it ’ll be fourth dimension to cut them back to let the teenaged seedlings go to townsfolk in winter ’s gentler sun . This weekend , I ’ll constitute his carrots , using a hint I set out from a gardener . I ’ll fill up an ice tray with pee , stick a few seeded player in each slot , and freeze overnight . The next day I ’ll plant each cube . Supposedly the freezing helps expose down their seed pelage , and it ’s easier to establish them , too .
In the crepe bottom , I planted a few purple Dark Lolla Rossa lettuces ( since they were grown by local Gabriel Valley Farms ) to animate things up , and planted ‘ Rhubarb ’ Swiss chard transplants to take over when the cosmos give up . I peppered them with a few California poppy for a red and gold experience next springtime .
I move one esperanza ( Tecoma stans ) to the sunny part of Amelia ’s fence near Harvey ’s garden , between my Maggie and Peggy Martin rose . The other one and the Iceberg rose went to sunny former photinia - ville . I ’ve catch lots of questions about esperanzas not bloom , and I roll in the hay it ’s because they do n’t get enough sun . They go dotty in shopping center beds , a tip - off to what they want : singe Lord’s Day . We ’ll see if this does the trick . I will also mulch them this weekend and protect them if we get a grampus winter halt .
Have to say that in former photinia - ville , the Satsuma I move from its muckle a few weeks ago is like a fresh plant life ! It ’s growing like crazy . serious move .
This week on CTG you ’ll get some great ideas from Adam Diaz ofPlantescapes Gardens , for creating destination and natural enclosure with plants . If you have n’t met him in person yet , you ca n’t miss this incredible nursery that includes a splay prowess gallery sport local artists .
decidedly , Plantescapes is a destination itself ! Interesting plant , fab grass and accent ( for indoors and out ) , and a helpful staff , which includes his garden - savvy mamma .
On hitch , I ’ve been waiting a few year to tape Mark Biechler and Briana Miriana ’s restored garden on the E side . I saw it when it was still a dusty overgrown dreaming await to happen . Now , they ’ve create a terminus in a small yard that renews the purport of their old house . It has the horse sense of an old - metre garden , where tradition meets a few new twists .
Mark and Bri also have a sense of whimsy , and two of their “ grand ornament ” are cocker spaniel fence topper they scavenged . Last year , when we discarded our honest-to-goodness gate , I could n’t resist scavenge the Afghanistani hound grace from them .
But I coveted Mark & Bri ’s cocker spaniel . So , we made a craft : now , we each have a English cocker spaniel spaniel and a cad !
Still working on a plan for them , but as you know , gardeners are n’t happy if they do n’t have a plan in the works . Until next hebdomad , Linda
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