Mrs. Blossom's Garden

Seeds, Miraculous Seeds!

Here in the northeast, it's definitely time to be perusing those yummy seed catalogs, getting your orders in and even starting some into growth.

Seeds have gotten quite expensive so it's good to compare catalogs (or on-line sites).  Pinetree Garden Seeds in Maine www.superseeds.com specializes in smaller packets at a corresponding lower price.  I'm finding Burpee and Johnny's have gotten tres cher - I mean, $4+ for a packet of flower seeds?  Not for this gardener!

If you're interested in heirloom flower seeds, Select Seeds  www. selectseeds.com is worth checking out.  Stokes Seeds  www.stokeseeds.com is a Canadian company which gives excellent starting instructions with every seeds packet.  I've used them for a long time with excellent results.

Territorial Seed Co. www.territorial-seed.com out in Oregon had some unusual offerings this year.  A morning glory called Split Second - yummy! And I've never seen 
 it before! Pic didn't scan well, so check out their website.

Seed catalogs are a wealth of information and worth ordering a few for reference.

In addition to the above and if you're concerned about paper use, check out the websites for

www.burpee.com;  www.johnnyseeds.com; www.t&mseeds.com; www.seedsofchange.com

Next post I'll chat about equipment needs for successful seed starting.

Now, go take a look at those catalogs!

 

Lecture Offerings 2012

The following are my lecture offerings for 2012.  Please call or email if your group would like me to speak.

And now I am off to peruse seed catalogs!

 

 

Lecture Offerings 2012

Just a reminder of programs I 

am offering this year.  Please

call or email me with any questions.

And now I'm off to read seed catalogs!!

Autumn Solstice

Ah, cooler nights, clearer days, some rain, some sun, the garden year winds down (and so does the gardener!). There is still much in bloom - Autumn Joy, 2nd flush of Nepeta (catmint), glorious dahlias, zinnias, butterfly bush, coreopis, monkshood, morning glories on the clematis oblesik.  Yep, all still colorful and beautiful. The fall garden relies on later blooming perennials and any number of annuals.  I expect my garden to be lovely right though October.  And yours, too.

 

 

Happy Birthday Mrs. Blossom

Yep, this beautiful day marked the beginning of my 71st year!  A lovely day that began with breakfast with my dear friends Lynn & Rick.  Delicious borscht, bagels, fresh, fresh, garden veggies and fruit. I always feel so virtuous when I eat with them!! Looks wonderous and tastes yummy!   After this delightful beginning to the day which also included multiple window view hummingbird visits and petting of Max the cat, I was good to go -- back home to get ready with Jen for Yard Sale tomorrow.

Dump run, swap open (thanks to me and several other complaining activist citizens), scooped a few items, hung yard sale signs and off to lunch at 5 Main St. in Cohasset - home of awesome food and AWESOME chocolate cupcakes by Maggie - YUM and they gifted us as it was my birthday!

Off to Twist in Cohasset - a fav gift shoppe to find a few wonderous things for some Virgo birthday friends.

Transport client into downtown Boston!

Back for celebatory dinner at Not Your Average Joe's - heavy on the spirits...

All in all a lovely day for this happenin' wannabee!!

Oh, and the garden is still lovely, dahlias really coming in - nights getting cool - bought a few Pomergranite Yarrow yesterday for fill-ins.  Yummy, yummy color.  September is a lovely month in the garden!!

 

Dahlias - Definitely Dahlias!

Rhode Island Dahlia Show today!


 
Small sign - big treat!  There is nothing quite like a very large room totally filled with dahlias in all their splendor, so many blooms, so much color!
 Check out this beauty, aptly named Alloway Candy

I spent several hours just browsing, snapping pics and making note of my favs (only 45 of 'em).

Whereas I do lecture on dahlias, this turned out to be a heaven sent event!  I'm lecturing down the Cape on Tuesday and Hurricane Irene did a lot of limb damage here and managed to drop the one whole tree right on my Dahlia Garden!!  

I usually bring armloads of flowers to admire, demonstrate with and to give away.  Luckily, at the end of the show today, they gave away all the flowers - oh, my, the bounty!!  I came right home, cut them back and plopped them into hot water - I'm hoping I can get enough in good shape to add to my own for Tuesday.

The show is put on by the Rhode Island Dahlia Society once a year in Wickford right on the Harbor.  Wickford is a most artsy and charming town so the 1 1/2 hr drive well worth it.  If you are interested in dahlias, you might want to check out RIDS website: Rhode Island Dahlia Society.

And now for a few more pics of these beauties:

Mingus  Wesley 

My Fritz 

A lovely way to spend a Sunday afternoon!

 

 

 

 

September Soggy Saga 9/6/11

 

I'm actually happy it's raining - we need it even after the dumping from Hurricane Irene.  This has been a challenging gardening year - what with a bad shoulder and unexpectedly long staying house guest.  I've been in my house 27 years and have been tinkering with the gardens for that entire time.

This year is a thinking, planning, revising, moving and simplifying year.  I plan to move quite a few shrubs and small trees that have outgrown their alloted space and unify the scale of my front garden.

My furthest from the house garden have now become so shaded that I can no longer use them for growing cut flowers - I was using a portion for dahlias but Irene managed to crash a huge tree right into the dahlia bed!! You know what they say - of all the trees, in all the yard, this one had to fall on the dahlias (please excuse, H.Bogart)

 

More roses, more Siberian Iris, some different color phlox, fewer German iris (their foliage simply doesn't stay nice); also debating the fate of my peonies - they take up a lot of space for about 10 days worth of blooms that inevitably get bashed down in the early June rains - and, yes, there are ALWAYS early June rains!!  I may move them to a bed where they can shine for their brief moment and then be hidden by other foliage which doesn't yellow so much.

I have 3 Julia Child florabunda roses in another bed which have really earned their keep - blooming over 4 months - fragrant and beautiful.  I think I must find a place in the front garden for a few of them!!

 

Lecturing season starts next week and first up one of my fav programs, DAHLIAS - DEFINITELY DAHLIAS and I get to go to the Cape to give it.  What fun!!

A New Year - 2011

Almost time to start seeds down cellar.  Had ordered a new plant light set up but hadn't completely thought it out so ended up sending it back - very expensive lesson!  Have all seeds in house - have only ordered dahlias in addition.  Saving $$ for Farmer's Daughter etc. when the time comes.  Shoulder is hurting and I have no idea what I'll be able to do this year in the garden.  We'll see.  Lots of snow cover this winter although it's all melted now.  Can see some bulb sprouts but it's definitely too early to uncover beds.  Major tree damage this winter - especially big maple.  It's going to really change the sun shade pattern in the upper yard.  Have to wait and see if it will have to come down.   Planning on going to Flower Show this Wed.

END OF SEASON

Nov. 7, Sunday.  Have not been good recording gardens' progress this year.  Frost finally came on Tues. Nov. 2 and then the blackening began.  Luckily for me, Barbara N. called this am and asked if I were ready to dig the dahlias.  You know, there is nothing like a friend to make the work SOOOO much easier.  We dug all of mine, with labels, bagged 'em for hosing off in a day or two and then dividing and then went over to Barbara's to do the same.  Not an even exchange as she had many fewer but fun nonetheless.  Pretty much have all the bulbs in thanks to the auger!!  Many Precious narcissius, tulips in varying shades of apricot in the front bed, white windflowers scattered about, 50 English bluebells and not a few Allium.  Should be lovely come April.  I would certainly HOPE so!!  This is pretty much the last few fleurs this year.  Although, today I did see the Sheffield Pink mums out front and a few fleurs and buds on Julia Child roses.  Lovely, Lovely last minute gifts from Mother Nature.  How could we ask for much more??

PLANT SALE SUNDAY

Opened right at 9. Jen & Ebby here to help.  Several folk had come by yesterday or earlier today and most came back.  Saw lots of old friends, garden club people, class members, peeps who buy flowers, etc. etc. That felt really good - like I'm not operating in a vacuum. Made $920 - gave Ebby $10 and Jen $65 worth of plants. I'd say I sold 90% of what I had and as soon as the cart has a new roof, I will put the left-overs out there.  I think between lectures and the plant sale I've made about $4K this year.  Not bad, keeps the plants coming!!