Annie's Booty
Jun. 6th, 2010 03:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
botiasI finished the newsletter and sent the draft off for proofing, so now to indulge myself. Here's pics from the Annie's Annuals site of the plants I scored:
I've wanted a succulent garden for some time. I love cactus and succulents, their surreal colors and organic, often Freudian, shapes. Annie's has a huge selection, and desire met opportunity. I will pull the gravel away from the brick in spots and mound up some dirt mixed with gravel for them to grow in. The previous owner left a modest pile of brightly colored river rocks I've been without a use for. 'Mini rock gardens' is my goal:
I actually bought this for the foliage. It doesn't show here, but the leaves are all tipped with red and gold.
End rock garden.
I got a few other things too:
These I see in local front yards. They're hard to miss, frankly. Some varieties send up a 15 foot flower stalk in their second year.
Clarkia. A local native. Pretty!
I love sea hollies but have not had one thrive since I moved, and I don't see them in local gardens, a bad sign generally. Perhaps they like more heat? Still, I can't help trying.
I like plants that bees and butterflies like, and asters rank high on that list. Annie's doesn't generally stock blooming plants, but one of these happened to have a blossom, and I fell in love with the rich magenta and gold dust combo. Yum.
Lysimachia atropurpurea. This one is occupying my mind the most for some reason. It looks more interesting in person. Curious and, well, curious.
This is a dianthus. The plants leaves form the familiar blue-green mat, but the flowers are borne on long, long narrow stalks. I'm afraid I got it just for the novelty of it.
Linaria triornithophora 'Three Birds Flying' It's hard to resist a flower that looks just like a hovering bird. At least, it is for me.
Deceased:
RIP Thistle Sage: this native plant turned out to be much beloved by non-native slugs and snails. All that's left is the flower stalk. I'm hoping that it will be as tough as the 'thistle' in it's name and come back.
RIP Native Milkweed. I put these in my fridge for four weeks and fussed over them only to have them mowed by mollusca as soon as I put them outside. Even putting survivors up on the porch did not save them. Lesson learned.
Squash. A pacific northwest garden guru recommends planting at the start of a streak of warm sunny weather. He recommends using ESP to determine this. Alternately, he recommends planting every week or so until a batch takes off and thrives. I think I will be replanting. This weather reminds of the local joke: 'If summer falls on a weekend, let's have a picnic.'
Thriving:
My pea plants are all about 7 feet tall. It's crazy. I'm still trying to figure out when to harvest the sugar snap peas which one eats along with the edible, succulent and crunchy pod. So far my conclusion is: later.
I've wanted a succulent garden for some time. I love cactus and succulents, their surreal colors and organic, often Freudian, shapes. Annie's has a huge selection, and desire met opportunity. I will pull the gravel away from the brick in spots and mound up some dirt mixed with gravel for them to grow in. The previous owner left a modest pile of brightly colored river rocks I've been without a use for. 'Mini rock gardens' is my goal:
I actually bought this for the foliage. It doesn't show here, but the leaves are all tipped with red and gold.
End rock garden.
I got a few other things too:
These I see in local front yards. They're hard to miss, frankly. Some varieties send up a 15 foot flower stalk in their second year.
Clarkia. A local native. Pretty!
I love sea hollies but have not had one thrive since I moved, and I don't see them in local gardens, a bad sign generally. Perhaps they like more heat? Still, I can't help trying.
I like plants that bees and butterflies like, and asters rank high on that list. Annie's doesn't generally stock blooming plants, but one of these happened to have a blossom, and I fell in love with the rich magenta and gold dust combo. Yum.
Lysimachia atropurpurea. This one is occupying my mind the most for some reason. It looks more interesting in person. Curious and, well, curious.
This is a dianthus. The plants leaves form the familiar blue-green mat, but the flowers are borne on long, long narrow stalks. I'm afraid I got it just for the novelty of it.
Linaria triornithophora 'Three Birds Flying' It's hard to resist a flower that looks just like a hovering bird. At least, it is for me.
Deceased:
RIP Thistle Sage: this native plant turned out to be much beloved by non-native slugs and snails. All that's left is the flower stalk. I'm hoping that it will be as tough as the 'thistle' in it's name and come back.
RIP Native Milkweed. I put these in my fridge for four weeks and fussed over them only to have them mowed by mollusca as soon as I put them outside. Even putting survivors up on the porch did not save them. Lesson learned.
Squash. A pacific northwest garden guru recommends planting at the start of a streak of warm sunny weather. He recommends using ESP to determine this. Alternately, he recommends planting every week or so until a batch takes off and thrives. I think I will be replanting. This weather reminds of the local joke: 'If summer falls on a weekend, let's have a picnic.'
Thriving:
My pea plants are all about 7 feet tall. It's crazy. I'm still trying to figure out when to harvest the sugar snap peas which one eats along with the edible, succulent and crunchy pod. So far my conclusion is: later.
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no subject
Date: 2010-06-06 10:56 pm (UTC)And I'm jealous of the peas. My poor tomatoes and cucumbers are just barely surviving what's turning out to be record setting cold and rain. Boo! On the other hand my impatiens look great :D
no subject
Date: 2010-06-06 11:05 pm (UTC)Pooh! This weather is not my idea of summer weather. My tomatoes are still on my window sill, waiting for the season to get a clue. My squash seeds have refused to sprout on general principles. But the grass is growing great and needs lots of mowing. Yay? But the sunflowers are coming up, and I haven't had to worry about watering them.
no subject
Date: 2010-06-06 11:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 05:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:24 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-06-07 08:56 pm (UTC)