Division - Gardening on the Cheap

This past summer I purchased four humongous ferns for $4.50 each, at the grocerie store of all places. I needed something to make the pots of sand that anchor my canopy look good. And at that price I just couldn't pass it up.

As you know I have been working like crazy on propagating and seed collecting to expand my plant population at our home. The four ferns turned into 12 for next spring. I went to Low's again and they had the coconut lined planters for a few dollars each. I paid between $2.00 and $3.00 and got the ones you see here. The ferns are in my basement now...we have a threat of frost, so in they came.

So why am I going so nuts with all this free and awesome buys...well, we don't know if we are going to inherit or be able to buy the house from the estate at this point. And I am a person who has to garden. So If I cant put it in a pot to take with me, it has to be something I am willing to leave behind.

Another little cheap plant hint for southern gardeners...keep an eye out for Jonquils (daffodils) to go cheap. You can still plant them even after the first frost. As well as many other fall bulbs.

Happy Gardening

Hosta Find

LOOKY What I found while checking out at Low's.

Wide Brim Hostas still in very good shape for this time of year
But that's not the best of it....

I don't know if you can make that out but the sticker says $.87! So what did I do...

I bought all that they had...4 hosta plants with tax $3.72...less than a cup of coffee.

YEAH! BABY! I just love a great buy. I know this is a shameless bragging blog...but since I am gardening on the cheap I just had to tell everyone all about it.

These will get added to my pots that I have perennials in, my brunnera didn't make it last year and these will fill in quite nicely.

Propigation

Over the Past few weeks the Kids and I have been taking cuttings and collecting seeds.

Trinity got me started on the cuttings, she likes to make flower arrangements and place them around the house. She is actually really good at it, putting together things I would have never done.

Bat Wing Begonia

As her creations fade I'd go around and collect them, I noticed after awhile that one arrangement didn't fade, on further investigation it had rooted. My little girl is a smart little flower fairy.

Coleus

That was all it took, I was out cutting everything in sight and putting it in water. I thought I would share with everyone my findings on what took root.

Wax Begonia

I have not tried to root the Bat Wing Begonia yet, but I'm betting it will since the Wax Begonia did.

Impatient

Also I am not sure since they are annuals how they will survive. Once rooted I am planning on potting them and putting them back in the window. I will let you know how it go's, if I succeed I have saved a bunch of money and I will have more annuals than I could have bought.

Burpee vx. Annies

I decided to do a little experiment, I had two packs of Bachelor Button - Blue Boy seed. Both were purchased this year and both were the same type of seed.

Burpee $1.15
Annies $2.00

I did have to pay shipping on Annies darn I'm not sure what that would add to the price. And I did have to pay gas to go to Home Depot to buy the Burpee ugh.

I planted one flat of each supplier and I wanted to share my results.

The Tray on the left is Burpee and the one on the Right is Annies each tray holds 36 seedlings. Only 7 of the Burpee's came up. And 21 of the Annies. I still have more seeds left in the packets as well.

A few more of the Annies came up after this photo was taken but no more from the Burpee.

What made me decide to do this experiment? Well, I found that certain seed in the spring did well and certain seeds didn't. I already had an idea about it, but I wanted to try this to make sure.

Once the true leafs pop out and the plants get better roots I will compare them again then slip them in the ground. Lucky me, living in the south I can grow these in the fall. I am going to add them to the humming bird garden. Just to cool off all the red a bit.

The Vegtable Pach

The Basil has gone crazy! So I will Be making Pesto and freezing it Tomorrow. Any other Basil recipe ideas?

My Morning glory is full and lush but she is holding out on the flowers...I gave her a good dose of bone mean for her triteness. The beets didn't get much bigger than a radish, so disappointing, i had to go buy some to make pickled beets. I will be making a trip to the farmers market to pick up the fixins for some peach salsa. I can a little of it...it doesn't last but a few months...but mercy is it good. I put up some peaches so I can make it when it doe's.

Alex's cucumber vines are showing off big time, and so is he. They still are stingy on producing enough to make Bread and Butter pickles...I'm going to have pick those up at the market as well, I have been hankerin for some for years now. The are worth every second of slicing, chilling and canning. I promise to share my Moms recipe. I am not a recipe snob, food just taste better when you can share it and what the heck are you going to do with when your gone?

OK I have come across two flowers this one above is in my yard. The flower is about 1/2 inch across and a soft lavender color. I'm not sure if its a weed or something that has seeded itself. Its not periwinkle (vinca vine) the flower is too big but the leaves resemble it in shape but not texture.

Here is the other I saw on a walk. It is a vine and has a saucer shape flower with a little handle sticking up. It is a light lavender color as well. I sure would appreciate it if anyone new what these are.

Happy Gardening

Fairy Gardens And Such

We have slowly been working on our Fairy Garden by the Sea...something is digging up the moss. we have some other things to add...like a little squrrels Tombstone...if it doesn't stop digging...

Little House by the sea...

message in a bottle

I am still trying to train the creeping jenny to look like its pouring out the spout...see our little ducks?

Here is a top view

I asked the kids to help me water...so I could take my photos...well, at least they got the hose out. I can't really blame them we have been seeing temps well over 105. And look at thouse bright smiling faces.

I dug up and moved Azalias out to the bird bath...so far they are doing really well...and the little birdies rest on them to wait there turn in the tub. So they get lots of apprication and love.

My Sedum and begonias are doing really well around the bird bath...remember this? When I was doing my Next Top Model leg pose?

I am still waiting on my free mulch for my path, Im not sure what I am going to do with the planting beds to the right. So far 90% of what I have planted in the ground was moved from somewhere else in the yard. There is some verigated perriwinkle vine I might use. I know BORING but it doe's look way better than what it was...and its free. (Can you see my kids in the backgroud still watering each other?)

Vegetable Patch and Gnome

Carrie, Carrie quite contrary (I really don't think I'm contrary) how does your garden grow....

With Marigolds...

And Pink Geraniums...

and pretty Impatient all in a row...

Well I am doing fairly well with my fight against the darn white flies...

You can see my fly bag hanging on my garden bed...And it seems to be doing its job. I hate to resort to such tact's but they left me no choice. Out of seven tomato plants two survived without so much as a sniff from those little beast.

Here are my two survivors they are making promises of the first tomato sandwiches of the year...bless them. I had to buy tomato plants from the nursery along with two peppers that had been attacked as well.

The cucumbers made it through fine...in fact we replace the beans we lost with more cucumbers...now the cucumbers are acting up and not producing flowers...I'm gonna have to investigate that. I am looking forward to a batch of Nana's bread and butter pickles. One is still producing though...I told it that it was my favorite and Nana would be so proud.

I have also thrown in some photos of the front beds for good measure..as well as my bear on a chair. Can you see my Christmas Cactus's they are doing so well. I look forward to there performance every winter. Such a bold show they put on.

Bears close up...he says his left side is his best

Remember the pot tower?

Well I added a little gnome, he helps keep the soil from spilling over the edge of the pot. He looks rather indignant about the whole thing.

OK last one, I promise. But just look at my succulents, no not that blade of grass that I need to pull...this stacked pot display has done me proud. I stuffed it full and they are just brimming over the sides. I wonder if I should bring it in during the winter in the south? Dose anyone know?

Thanks for stopping in and waking around the garden...stop back for a tomato sandwich and some ice tea.

How To Get Rid of White Flies

WHITE FLIES TAKE OVER

CARTERSVILLE GEORGIA

I am not going to take it anymore! They have taken over my tomatoes, peppers, beans and eggplant...NO MORE!
I have added another sprayer to my arsenal to fill will a concoction that will help in my efforts. (I also have one for my friend as well...loaded and ready)
For all those who are suffering from these terrible little buggers here is a plan of action.

1. Set the sprayer to jet and shoot the underside of your plants...this knocks them off.

2. Hang fly paper around your plants. The adults are attracted to them...if you can get rid of the adults you will only have the eggs left to deal with.

3. Mix the following spray and spray the underside of the leaves. You must spray the bugs directly or it wont have an effect.

I will be repeating this action several times over the next few weeks. Then I am thinking...though I am not to sure about this. Doing an oil spray to coat the plant to protect it...I don't know if this will work but I thought I might give it a shot.

Has anyone had any luck fighting these things? I sure would like to hear what you have to say.

White Fly Cocktail
1 Gallon Water
2 t Baking Soda
2 t Dish Soap
2 t White Vinegar

Spray plants 2-3 times a week in the cool part of the day.

Square Foot Gardening _Update

We have had some misshapes with a virus that took our tomato's and beans. The only thing to do was pull them.

The Cucumber are doing GREAT...so we decided to plant more of those and go into a pickle frenzy.

As the side pockets were emptied the kids and I filled them with flowers...we just love our little side pockets.

We are going to fill in where we pulled the spinach with more beets...yum.

The basil is doing great too...we have been yumming up pesto and preserving some as well. There is nothing like the sweet smell of basil.

What Do you Like about Summer

I must say that I am not a big Summer person, kind of odd since I live in the south. But I do look forward to Watermelon, the garden fills out, tomato sandwiches, berries, and plenty of produce for canning.

I know my girlfriend looks forward to, picnic's, entertaining on the deck, and swimming in her pool.

What do you look forward to in the Summer? I would love to know?

Bird Bath Fix Up

Some of you know I am living in my Grandmother-In-Law's home. Rumor has it, it might be ours...but this is just a rumor. So what is a gardener to do? Reduce/Reuse/Recycle, that's what.

We (when I say we, I mean Me, my Son and my Daughter) dug up Mondo grass (Lilly turf) and outlined a bed. The Birdbath was moved from the grass it was just floating out in an ocean of green adrift. And the Big concrete pavers were in the back yard not making much sense with their location either. The little pavers I moved from my house...oh yes I did...my kids made them...Mama's don't leave things like that behind.

Around the pavers I put in a creeping Sedum, I am not sure of the name but it will cover this area by fall and in the spring it will have little yellow flowers, that came with me from the old house too.

OK, I did spend a little money on some soil...cant you see the lovely red clay soil, I have so elegantly stretched my leg out onto. It needed my Next Top Model pose to show its unyielding hardness. And I bought two packs of wax begonia's to go around the base, just to make it pretty.

We had a great rain here for mothers day and we will be moving the giant Azalea bush and filling in the space behind me. I will share the update with you...maybe I will update my pose by then.