Sunday, September 30, 2007

Winding Down

It's our busy time at work and it seems as though I have been there more than at home the last few weeks. It really hit me yesterday when Ron was all excited that I made a ham for dinner...."a real meal." A ham dinner isn't all that hard but no one tell him that, I got great pointage! LOL

It made me think, I haven't taken time to "stop and smell the roses" lately. Well my roses are pretty much done and my garden is definitely winding down. I have even cut a few things back already because they were looking scraggly. I have all kinds of things to move and plant. I intended to play in the dirt a bit yesterday but I didn't make it outside. Today I took a little walk to survey things and decide where I might plant some of my new treasures. I was surprised to find so many blooms. The delphinium I purchased this spring is in it's third bloom! What a deal! Well only one of the three decided to bloom a third time but I'm not complaining! Do you see that little pink guy in the background?


Here's a close up of it. I can't decide if it's a flower or a weed. The greenery on it reminds me of a weed but I rather like it. I am always getting pass-a-longs where I don't know the name and things are always getting moved so I could have put it there.....Anyone know what it is? I just may keep it, weed or not but if it is a weed, I want to know to keep my eye on it!



This is the first year I tried Marine Bells. I had actually never seen them before and bought them just because they were blue. Liz loves blue and always asks why none of my flowers are blue. I added the blue delphiniums and the blue marine bells to the new garden by the green house. The Marine Bells get two thumbs up from me. They are in full sun and it's been a dry summer. They mounded nicely and are still going strong! I have a list of things to research this winter and one is to find out if there are any other annuals in this family that might perform as well. One of the speakers at the symposium last weekend mentioned them too. I was so excited to know about and have one of the plants they talked about! My trumpet flowers are there in the background. They just keep blooming as well.


Hollyhocks are one of my favorites. There were some here when we bought the place but they were all white or pale pink and I wanted a bit of color. I tried scattering seeds but with no luck. Apple convinced me to try seeds inside this year and I actually got them to grow! Baby steps.... I have a lot of color now, the seed packet said "perennial" so I will be curious to see if they really come back next year. I always thought they were all biennials. Today was the first time I noticed the center of the flower has a star pattern (you may have to click on the picture to see it.) Isn't the detail in blooms amazing?

Here is one of the white ones that came with the place, I like how the shape of the flower is a bit different. I wonder how many years they have been coming back? I think it's pretty cool to think someone that lived here 50 years ago or more may have planted them. Maybe some of my blooms will give pleasure to someone long after I'm gone (to a bigger house that is....lol)



Here is my mystery bloom (OK my second one) that I am hoping someone can identify for me. A friend gave me bulbs and said she had know idea what they were but they were pretty. They have been blooming a few weeks and are still going. They are about three and half feet tall and drop down. Very pretty. I had no idea what to expect other than white. It's fun to have surprises in the garden!


This may be my last nice rose bloom as my garden winds down for the winter. I hope you all find time to smell the roses this week.

6 comments:

  1. Hello Country Girl,

    Delphiniums don't do much here, and I like them, so your third wave of bloom is making me jealous.

    Your mystery plant looks like annual flowering tobacco to me - also called Nicotiana. It was a very popular summer bedding plant in Illinois, and is grown here in Texas, too. Sometimes they reseed but they're not a weed!

    I've never heard of Marine Bells before, but guess they're some kind of browallia, and they are a lovely color.

    I hope the frost holds off and you keep blooming!

    Annie at the Transplantable Rose

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  2. I'm envious of your third bloom on the Delphinium too! I have one little Nicotiana in that same color. It's the same flower as the taller purple ones I have blooming down in the triangular Lily Garden. Yes, sometimes they reseed if we're lucky! I'm going to have to try those Marine Bells. They're new to me too. Love that blue!
    The details of blooms are certainly amazing! Have you noticed that the center of a zinnia is made up of tiny stars? I just discovered that recently.
    The other mystery plant looks like some kind of lily to me..but I don't know what it is.
    My roses are producing some lovely late blooms too.
    Glad you found time to smell the roses...and share your garden :)
    Your lily is planted down in the fence garden :) Thank you! I can't wait to see it bloom.

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  3. Yes, that's nicotiana. I had a bunch of volunteers in between the flagstones. I had to pull them out eventually. self-seeding is not good for me.

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  4. Hi Country Girl,

    I am glad you now know your mystery plants and that I could help out with the id on the Abyssinian lilies. Aren't they gorgeous? I have pulled all of mine now and store them for planting next spring ... that can't come soon enough.

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  5. Hi Country girl,

    Yup, those are peacock orchids - Abyssinian gladiolus, Gladiolus callianthus, etc, etc. lol. Beautiful things, aren't they? I actually forgot to plant mine this spring!
    :(
    Be sure and dig them up before they freeze and enjoy those blooms while they last. I'm so envious, but that's my own fault for having such a forgetful mind!

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  6. Hi Countrygirl, things are looking great in your garden. I guess you could call nicotiana a weed if you don't like self-seeding! I love to have them in my garden and I just pull up what's growing in the wrong place. I've never had a pink one but I see EAL has pictures of some that do very well for her. Pretty rose!

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