Today started off sunny but is looking a bit overcast now. Not much to do with my plants now. However it is a good time for birdwatching which is part of the reason I love gardening(attracting birds and butterflies). As I was preparing my lunch today I stood and looked out the kitchen window while waiting for lunch to cook. Was a nice view. Two huge bluejays were in the yard. A squirrel was running about preparing for winter. A red headed woodpecker landed on the deck while I was watching the bluejays and squirrel. It was so pretty. I do enjoy watching nature.

Today was a pretty day. It was sunny pretty much all day and not too hot nor too cold. I moved the Catmint from the bed that I'm doing away with. Also dug up some honeysuckle vine and moved it around by the garage. Will see how that turns out.

Where flowers bloom so does hope.
- Lady Bird Johnson

I have almost finished moving the plants from the bed along the 2nd drive. Today I dug up the "Red Hot Poker" plant and divided it. I replanted the main plant at the south corner of the front flower bed. Amazingly, the plant had 4 other "clumps", each of which I potted into its own container until I can find homes for them. I also moved the Bee Balm and the Purple vine(can't recall what it is called). All that's left to move are the canna bulbs(move in closer to the utility pole) and the catmint. I had almost forgotten about it.

Today I began work on moving the plants from the side bed into the flowerbeds along the front of the house. My first move was to try to make room for the plants. I began by cutting back a hedge at the corner of the house which won't die no matter how much I beg it. Then I raked thru some of the bed...will have to weed it by hand though tomorrow. Next I thinned out he Black-Eyed Susan. In the process...I divided out the plant and wound up with about 25 plants I had to find containers for. I know....making more work for myself...but I just couldn't throw them away. Next I dug up the Elephant Ear and put the largest portion in the flower bed along the main drive. A smaller portion broke in two and will make two more plants. I was stunned when I dug up the peonies. Had not expected them to be as large as they were. When I planted them, they were about the size of an index finger. Both of the bases of the plants I dug up were about a foot in diameter. Amazing!! They have only been there for one season. I divided off some of them so I would not have to dig such a huge hole and planted them in the flowerbed which runs by the sidewalk. I was able to locate the Pink Glad. Bulbs also and move them. Tomorrow I will be moving the Red Hot Poker. I have no idea what their root system is like but I need to divide it as well. Will probably put it at the south corner of the flower bed near where the hedge bush keeps rearing its head. I hope that tomorrow will be as pretty as today was. It was just so beautiful.

Well, I feel like I have accomplished alot today as far as the getting the yard and flowerbeds ready for winter weather. I pulled(or cut to ground level) all of the canna's that were in the flowerbeds. Wore gloves but still managed to have sore hands. I'm sure the briars were to blame. I'm exhausted but I feel better having taken care of that. Right now...my plans are to do away with the flower bed that runs along the 2nd drive. I think this will work out well for several reasons.

1. I will be able to move all the plants in them to the beds along the front and side of the house. They are perennials and this will keep Jeremy from having to spend money on flowers next yr.

2. It will make mowing easier come spring.

3. Less space that needs watered and less work maintaining.

4. Because it's my idea :-)

Monday & Tuesday of this week are supposed to be nice days so hopefully if all goes well I can get out and work on moving the plants then.

"There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling." ~Mirabel Osler

Haven't worked out in the flowerbeds much.I was away for two weeks the end of Sept so cleaned up the front beds when i got back. Still a bunch to do but it has rained for the past week and is too wet to fool with. I could use some sunshine not only to dry the ground out but to put me in a better mood. Cloudy days do nothing to motivate me.

Got a Banana Tree over the weekend. Lowes(Cullman Store) had them on
clearance for $5. The plant had died back and had all sorts of shoots
which I managed to divide into about 5 plants. It is a Banana Sangria
and has wine spots on its leaves. Reminds me of a prayer plant
somewhat.

Also got two other house plants (Mini trees) for about $3 each on clearance there as well. One of them is a ficus.

The
Black-eyed Susan is in full bloom and I need to get a pic of it for the
garden page I have at Geocities. The Sunflower that came up out by the
bird feeder is full and the birds are eatting the seeds from it.

Urban Rain Barrell

I like the Urban Compost Tumbler UCT7

Compost Bins - Composting info, garden composter and greenhouses

Visited the Birmingham Botanical Gardens Saturday. It was a really beautiful...and also really hot. I will try to get the pics online and linked that I took there as soon as possible. Sunday while doing the errands I found several more plants for the flowerbeds and decided to take out some of the houseleek which had grown huge....and move it so that I could plant some Bee Balm, Purple Coneflowers, Vinca and Coleus.
Also found a plant which I'm not sure what the name is...but it is one that I saw and liked at the Botanical Gardens.

My Red Hot Poker is blooming. It started blooming last week. Their bud stems have got to be the fastest growing plant I have ever seen. I checked the garden and didn't see any blooms or buds or stalk that looked like it might hold a bloom. The next morning.....there was a stalk with a green bud opening on it....odd indeed.
There seems to now be about 6-8 shoots that are going to bloom. Who knows how many will have grown by the time I view it in the morning. :-)

The larger Peony opened its bud today. It's bloom is white with a hint of pink. Planted 3 Tomato plants.
Brittany wanted an "Early Girl" Tomato plant so we got that and two other varieties....will see how that goes.

Watered all of the plants in the front gardens with a mixture of Miracle-Gro. We had a light steady ran for an hour or so after that so hopefully the plants got a good soaking and were fed. I still need to fertilize the trees(lilac, crepe myrtles & Rose of Sharons) I'm thinking tree spikes. Those have worked well the past few years.

Cosmos that I planted from seed are coming up. They are orange and look like the ones at PlantsDatabase.

I bought two packages of Cosmos seeds about 4 yrs back. One pack of violet-purple and one of orange. Both did well flowering however all the the orange ones did a much better job of going to seed. I still have "volunteers" of them that
come up in the flowerbed by the 2nd drive. though I only had them there the first yr. Have been able to grow enough of
them and get enough seed that I haven't had to actually go out and buy more seed.

My Flowers--Spring 2004

Canna
The bronze leafed cannas seem to be doing well this year. Last year they were bitten by a frost
and then the Japanese Beetles went wild on their butts. I did move all of the ones that were
around the deck. I have them along the west side of the house and around the utility pole that
is in the flowerbed. Year before last I seperated the Green foliage Canna's from the bronze ones. There were very few of the green leafed variety in with the bronze leafed ones which seemed to
be taking over. Last yr the Green foliage Cannas did well in their own space. They bloomed for
the first time a beautiful yellow flower with specks of an reddish-orange. This year I expect they
will do even better as they were about the first things peaking their heads up in my garden.

Roses
My four rose bushes all have buds on them and the melon colored roses are about ready to open.
Of the four rose bushes 2 have melon colored blooms, one has a pale dusty lilac bloom and another
has a deep pink bloom.

I divided some of the sweet williams and they seem to be doing well. This is the first yr they
bloomed. I set them out rather late last yr. The other dianthus varieties are doing well. Have
tried to root the ones that have the look of a carnation. I do need to divide out the other ones
resemble peppermint candy when in bloom.

Herbs
The catmint is doing really well. All of my herbs are doing well with the exception of the Sage which I killed. It was taking over so I thought I'd try to divide it......its now a nice shade of brown.
Oregano does well here...I have a plant in the herb garden(around the back deck) and two for
greenery in the front flowerbed. The chives are also thriving as are the Rosemary and Lemon Thyme.
My Lemon Balm seems to be doing much better since I moved it out to the side flower bed near the
hosepipe hookup. Apple Mint is doing really well but I don't remember it ever having a bad year. I
love to clean some of it out of the flowerbed just before we mow the lawn and throw it in the yard
to be mowed over......gives the place a nice smell which is much better than the usual wild onion
and grass smell.

Rose of Sharon Trees
The Rose of Sharons are really putting out this year. I need to put some fertilizer on each of them.
They are planted just inside of the property line on both sides from the front of the house on back
to the end of the lot.

Crepe Myrtles
The Crepe Myrtles are doing well this year...but it is still early. Last year they did not do so well as
they were a favorite of the Japanese Beetle. We treated the yard again this year and hope that
our lawn will not be so infested with the pesky beetles. There were so many that you could actually
here them chomping on the leaves of the small poplar trees in the back yard.

Houseleek
The Houseleek is doing wonderful. I really need to divide it out again. When we moved here in '96
there were just a few twigs of it....but now..I use it as the greenery and have it in almost every
bed. I have looked for pictures of it in bloom but the only ones I have found have the deep pink
bloom. The variety I have here has a pale pink bloom.

Hydrangea
The White Hydrangea bushes that are on either side of the drive suffered a set back from the rain
we had during the winter which washed most of the mulch and dirt out of their beds. I hope to
put some limestone rock in that bed soon. Also have one of the blue hydrangea by the deck. It
hasn't bloomed yet and I'm hoping this will be the year.


Hibiscus
The Hibiscus are up a bit. They seem to grow really quickly. They were also a fav. of the Japanese
Beetles last year. Their white blooms are huge during a good season--almost the size of dinner
plates.

Peonies
This year should be the year when I find out what color the peonies are. I ordered a "grab bag" of 3
from Jung Seed this past year. They were planted too late in the season last year to amount to
anything. There are 4 buds on the larger one. I'm guessing it will be a white or a pale pink but its
too early to say for sure.

Lilacs
The Canadian Gem Lilac tree is doing well. I don't expect it to bloom this year as I just planted it
last year. I figure this year will be the year it gets its roots established. Same thing for the lilac
bush which I planted by the front steps. Would be a real allergy haven if the lilacs and the gardenias
bloomed at the same time...and then throw in the Honeysuckle which usually cover the brush
at the end of the back lot. Bring on the Clariton.

Sweet Peas
This should also be the first year that the Sweet Peas bloom. Am really looking forward to seeing
how well they do. They really need a trellis. Might have to look into that.