Sweet Peas and Bachelor Buttons

OK well the Bachelor Buttons and Sweet Peas I planted in the fall have bloomed.

The bachelor Buttons are doing very well, several blooms have opened with promises of many more to come. I got these seeds from Annie's Heirloom Seeds.

 On the other hand we have the Sweet Peas...wa wa.  The very few blooms I got had a very faint scent with an overtone of mildew, I just don't think they are a southern flower.

 I thought starting the seeds in the fall would make them more friendly and at home in Georgia but as you can see...I was wrong, as soon as the temperatures started to rise, and in defense of the Sweet Peas it the heat came in fast and Hot.  So out they will go to make some room for something else that can take some hot southern twang.

Gardening Bet

I know I am a little behind on my Post...the seeds came about three weeks ago.  We ordered all Heirloom seeds from Baker Creek and Annie's along with seeds we collected...they are in the yellow envelopes.

The beets got planted...In fact my garden bed will be nothing but Beets and cucumbers this season.  The kids and I each choose two things to plant...well in Trinitys case much more, she is growing a cut flower garden.
I planted several different varieties of beets; Cylindra, Bull's Blood (from last years pack), Golden and Chioggia.  Early April I will be planting Boston Picking Cucumbers and Alex will be planting Mexican Sour Gherkins.  In late April Alex will plant Melon Boule D'Or.  And Trinity will be putting in,  Love In A Mist, Zinnia Lilliput, Zinnia Polar Bear, Dwarf Coral Mix Cockscomb, Bright Light Cosmos  along with Morning Glory Carnevale Di Venezia for fun and several of the seeds we saved from last year.

Alex and I have a bet going as to who will have the best garden as you can see he thinks he is going to win.  The looser has to treat to lunch at our favorite diner along with gloating rights.  We are well know at the local diner so this will be very painful for one of us.

Propagation now in Pots

I thought I would give an update on my Propagation Post from November.

As you can see it has been going very well.  I have a big table set up in front of the sliding glass door in my basement and they really seem to like it there.
The Bat Wing Begonia's and the Wax Begonias were my most successful.  Between the two the Bat wings won by a small margin.  And this is very nice because as most of you know the new specialty begonias are very expensive.  The mother plant is doing well and seemed to have enjoy the trim.

As you can see she is putting out new leaves and enjoying the bright light in the school room...we gave her a heart to show how much we love her.  She was purchased from Kroger at the end of the year for $3.00 and worth every penny!

The Coleus and Inpatients rooted in the water, but each and everyone one died after the transplant to the bean cans I saved.  This year I may try rooting hormone on cuttings and then putting them in soil. 

I also rooted, in water Variegated Ivy it got transplanted to some hanging baskets that I had ferns in...I wanted it to trail down the side and look and pretty.  It is doing very well. Several types of succulents (that you can see in the photo) were just stuck in some soil I had about an 80% success rate with these.  I found that the trailing sedum type didn't do as well as the others. 

Also I must say in Georgia we will have several days, weeks even.  Where we have nice weather, during these times the kids were recruited to help me carry my transplants and all the ferns I divided outside.  I made sure they got the best organic soil, have been misted and watered on a regular basis...The plants not the kids.

Once they have been in the ground or at there outdoor destination I will post how my propagation experiment is progressing.  Hopefully this will help everyone who wants to increase plants without decreasing wallets.

Getting Rid Of Crack and Pathway Weeds

FORGIVENESS

Forgiveness is...

The scent a Violet leaves

On the heel that has

Crushed it.

Author Unknown

Toadstool Tips

(extra info)
If you really want to get rid of weeds growing in pathways. Then I have a simple solution for you.


Boiling Salt Water
Take your biggest pot fill it with water, bring it to a boil add a whole container of table salt. And pour it on. I have a brick area around my fire pit that I ladle it on twice a year.

What is Going On

Though it is winter I do have a few days to enjoy working out in the yard.  With plenty of sticks to pick up  and an unbelievable amount of acorns rake up I have more than enough to do.  But on a few nice days I turn the garden and compost.  The parsley is still nice and bushy and I have even seen a few Swallow Tail larva.  In the fall their caterpillar form was munching out...one of their favorite foods and I have plenty to share.  Especially since I will enjoy the winged beauties in the spring.

I planted Sweet Peas (flowering variety)

 and Bachelor Buttons in the early fall last year.

 They have gotten nice and full but alas no flora.  I have added Phosphorus and Potassium on three separate occasion.  Maybe In the Spring I will see some action...if not, they've got to go!

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.