Kaseys Korner

you never know

what you'll find when you visit a big box store, do you?  Yesterday (another sign of spring) I turned on my sprinklers.  It sounds easy enough doesn't it?  But, as I'm sure you well know, there are always a few adjustments to make, heads to replace, etc., that first time you run thru the cycles.  This year, the sprinkler heads surrounding the pond area were all either broken or missing.  No doubt victims of the evergreen excavation and hole digging.  Off to Home Depot I went in search of replacement parts.  Of course I enter and exit thru the greenhouse every time I go to one of those places during the growing season ~ doesn't everybody?!!  It can be thrilling or ho hum.  Yesterday it was the former.  Before I show you my new found beauties, I'll just preface the photos by saying I really like primulas.  But not the brightly colored primulas you find in the grocery store and every place inbetween but the more unusual ones.  Like p. veris, p. vialli, and p. denticulata.  Unfortunately for me, I have trouble starting them from seed and they aren't readily available for purchase.  Until yesterday:

 

Clustered on an end cap, sitting pretty as you please, was Primula polyantha 'Gold Laced!'  I almost squealed.  I ran back to the entrance, grabbed a cart and loaded three healthy plants into it.  omg.  My heart rate still gets elevated thinking about it/looking at them.  I've never seen anything other than the ordinary variety of primulas in any of those stores. 

 

I can't look at them enough.  I just think they're exquisite.  I'll have to mulch them good this fall because after I got home, I learned they are hardy in zones 6-8.  That's one zone above me but we'll see.  For now, I'm just going to enjoy the unexpected windfall.

While digging

and planting my two bushes yesterday, I made a few other discoveries which have me pretty excited.  The most exciting by far is this:

 

Before you think I'm crazy (because these little specks of green don't seem worthy of all the fuss), let me just tell you that this is Echium Amoenum emerging and spreading!   It was new to my garden last spring and I wasn't sure how it would overwinter.  You may remember when I featured it??  If not, here's a reminder of what it looked like in bloom:

 

Now you understand the excitement, right??  Just look at those gorgeous rosey/purple tinged spikes.  Sheer loveliness and it's going to bloom again right here!  Hooray!  These perennials can thrive without much water, which is perfect for our area, and hummingbirds love them.  Two great attributes, right?  Next I noticed the Allium bud is one step closer to opening:

 

These are new to my garden this spring as well.  I'm very excited for them to bloom.  Of course there are more and more tulips opening.  Another salmon hued beauty:

  

and a gorgeous red fringed variety (names escape me for both, sorry):

 

Finding the echium and watching the bulbs develop is really getting me geared up & energized about this gardening season (about time since it's almost May, right?).  It's been hard to find that place this spring since the temperatures keep fluctuating back to cold & snow more than normal.  It finally feels like things are moving in the right direction.  Average high temperatures for this time of year are normally mid 60's.  If we can get there and stay, I will find my garden groove!

spades in hand

I am heading out in the backyard today to plant a rose and a magnolia.  After three days of overcast skies and cold temperatures the sun is back and it's supposed to warm up into the 60's.  The magnolia referenced is 'Jane,' purchased last March, and originally intended to be a container tree.  The idea was conceived after reading an article about small trees that worked well in containers.  I thought it might solve some privacy "issues" I have with my back patio area but at this date, I have canned that idea so in the ground it goes.  It did survive the winter in its original container but has no buds yet.  The photo below was taken last spring after purchase:

 

I hope it gets many more of these buds this spring despite the neglect it received from yours truly.  The rose is an early Mother's Day present (a replacement for the hybrid tea that perished this winter) and I'm very excited.  It's my very first David Austin rose:

 

I got to pick this one out so that makes it even more endearing.  I hope it is a vigorous grower, there are already numerous buds on it so it shouldn't be long before I see it bloom.  Here is said rose bush, on the patio, waiting placement and being guarded by my loyal gardening sidekick:

 

I will feel as if I've really accomplished something if I get both planted today.  It's been that kind of spring!

pond plants

As you can imagine, I've been having a lot of fun this spring looking at and purchasing plants for my new pond.  I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing or if I'm making good choices since I'm a novice to water gardening.  I'm making decisions solely based on what I like/what looks interesting ~ I'm really hoping counting on you all (with experience) to give me guidance!  Please feel free to tell me if I've purchased something that will take over every surface of my little pond ~ I promise, I will be eternally grateful!  What I have noticed is many of the plants I already like/own work well in water too.  (like cardinal flower, cannas, bletilla, etc.)  Here's what I've brought home with me so far and please excuse the poor photos, I took them indoors (which never works as well for me) since it is snowing today. 

  

I've always liked Zebra Rush, Scirpus zebrinus, but never had a reason to buy it before.  I'm hoping it does well and can be overwintered (I'm counting on the latter with all the plants I bought as pond plants are rather expensive I'm discovering).  Next is the Water Calla, Zanthedeschia aethiopica, which I bought just because I like Callas of any kind:

 

The tag on the water calla does mention they can be overwintered easily indoors.  That made me feel better about parting with money for it.  A dwarf Umbrella Sedge, Cyperus haspan viviparus, found its way into my cart as well.  I've had this plant before when I tried to create a water garden in a pot:

 

I found the tufted heads fascinating then (especially with water drops collected on them) so I know I will enjoy it again.  The last photo I have to share is of Pink Pickerelweed, Pontederia cord. 'Pink Pons,' ~ you might be able to guess why I ended up with this one??  Did you say because it's pink???  If so, you know me well!

If it produces spikes of pink flowers like the tag shows, I'll be head over heels in love.  Doesn't take much, does it?!  Not photographed but already deposited at the bottom of the pond are two water lilies.  How am I doing?  Don't hold back!  The sign at the greenhouse where I purchased most of these plants said a 3' X 6' pond needed approx 19 plants (different kinds ~ floaters, etc.) to be healthy.  My pond is a touch smaller than that but I was surprised at the number if it's true.

we're "expecting"

Remember the spring wreath I hung on my front door:

 

It only took the house finch parents two days to prepare the "nursery" (aka the mini basket) and about another three to plan all the offspring:

 

Four little finches are now being incubated.  Not to worry about the one egg that doesn't look like the others ~ I did that for you.  I thought a cowbird had gotten to the nest but when I gently turned the egg with a forcep, it looks identical to the rest.  I'm not above meddling with Mother Nature ~ I would have removed a parasitic egg.  With the finch on eggs at my front door and a robin building a nest in the backyard, I know it's really spring! 

life begins tag

If you're a gardener, you'll probably fall instantly in love with the sticker in the center of this tag:

That's exactly what I did.  I loved it so much, I was inspired to create the entire tag around it.  It's one of my all-time favorite pieces of work (if it's permissible to like your own creations) and I think it's because (once again) I combined two passions.  Here's a close-up of the center:

 

Maybe it's the touches of pink that also have something to do with its appeal??!!!  We have one more 70 degree day before temperatures are expected to drop down into the 50's.  I'm off to enjoy it while I can. 

decidedly spring

For some reason, it surprised me.  That when I went looking for it, there it was.  Does that happen to anyone else?  It had to be right there for at least a little while but I'd missed it.  Suddenly spring is everywhere.  On the few Viburnum Lentago (Nannyberry) blossoms that weren't frosted:

 

in the front flower bed where the first tulip of the season has opened.  The subtle salmon coloring in striking opposition to the bright yellow daffodils that surround it:

 

It only took a moment of the sun disappearing behind the clouds for it to slightly but oh so prettily, fold its petals up:

 

I don't remember its name but I do remember planting it last fall.  It's one of only a handful of tulips I added to the garden.  I added many more alliums, like this bloom head I discovered almost ready to open:

 

I haven't had alliums in this garden (I'm not sure why??) so I welcome them back.  You may remember there was a big bulb mix up at the time of purchase, so I will have to compare tags to blooms to tell which is which.  Finally, another variety of daffodils has opened.  I keep thinking we've seen them all then the garden will offer up another one that I forgot I planted. 

If I'd been thinking straight, I should have planted it next to the salmon tulip ~ wouldn't that have been a great combination??  I guess it's never too late, right?  I'm so glad (a month after it officially arrived) that spring is making its way into my garden.

Happiness is...

finding out your foxglove seedlings have overwintered:

 

The first time that's ever happened for me in my zone 5 garden!  You might remember I went to a lot of trouble last fall to mulch them in hopes I could get them to survive.  I put up this little fence:

and stuffed it full of aspen leaves.  To keep the leaves in place, I secured netting over the top of them using landscape stakes.  I decided yesterday that it was finally safe to remove the netting and the leaf mulch and that's when I discovered the foxglove seedlings.  Unfortunately the healthy looking foxglove 'Mertonensis' pictured above was not one of the ones that made it.  There must be something else I'm doing wrong since foxgloves (including 'Mertonensis') are supposed to be hardy to zone 4?  Anyone have any suggestions??  The smaller 'Purpurea' seedlings are the ones that pulled thru. Oh well.  Although I'd love to have 'Mertonensis' in my garden I am very happy to have self sown foxgloves (of any kind) for the first time ever!  Happy Earth Day! 

Breaking dormancy

Once a month, since October, I've been trekking down to the basement to sprinkle my tropicals with water and check them over.  Happily, I think they've all survived the imposed dormancy with the possible exception being the Cape Huneysuckle ~ I'm not quite ready to throw in the towel on it yet tho.  New growth is sprouting from almost everything and even some "extras" I hadn't planned on.  Like phygelius 'Croftway Yellow' that I bought on clearance in September:

 

I had planted it in my 'Moonlight Parfait' Mandevilla container and being to lazy to separate annuals from vines/tropicals I wanted to keep, the container went into the basement with all contents intact.   The phygelius is now sprouting new leaves and is a happy survivor I hadn't counted on.  Another container that went into the basement as a unit was my tropical theme one:

  

I primarily wanted to overwinter the 'Tropicanna' Canna & 'The Path' hibiscus (which did make it) but I also managed to keep the lantana and 'Red Dragon' Maurandya alive.  Yay.  I'm going to have lots to work with this spring, aren't I?  Even the Tibouchina is sprouting new growth:

 

The 'Pink Dream' Abutilon is coming out as well as the Agapanthus.  It's time to start moving all these containers upstairs and begin carefully acclimating them to the outdoors.  Often I move them into the garage first.  I can leave my door up during the day which gives them plenty of light but yet, if we have an unexpected cold snap, they are protected without the extra work of me moving them back indoors.  Every spring I'm always glad I took the time to save these tender plants in the fall.  It's definitely a little work but look how far ahead it puts you come gardening season (plus the added bonus of saving me all that extra $$ that I can now spend on new plants!!!).  Now you know my real motivation!! 

finally, a pond

After years and years of wishing and wanting a pond in my garden, 2009 is the year that wish has been fulfilled.  It's been a really exciting time ~ purchasing supplies, getting the digging done and finally filling it with water.  I really didn't know if I wanted a pre-formed pond or the "build it yourself kind" with a liner, etc.  I'm not even sure it mattered as long as I had one.  That decision was made in a snap when I happened upon a clearance sale at Lowes in January ~ one 125 gallon pre-formed "clover" shaped pond came home with me for the grand price of $22.00!!!    How can you beat a deal like that?  I figured even if (for some bizarre reason) water gardening didn't agree with me afterall, I wouldn't be out that much.  I knew exactly where it was going to go.  The low growing evergreens in my front garden bed would be removed to make way for more plants & the pond:

 

They were planted here when I purchased my home and I've never liked them anyway. It always seemed like a waste of valuable gardening space.   Out they came then the digging began.  I can't believe I never took a picture of that process but somehow I didn't.  Too caught up in the process, I guess!  The next time my camera came out was when the pond went in the hole:

 

Already it looks like it's been there for a long time!  We sit on our front flagstone patio most of the time in the summer so it's the perfect spot to really enjoy a water feature.  I couldn't install the pond without also including a way for the birds to enjoy it as well.  With that thought in mind, I added a birdbath (that sits above the water line) and will be continuously full thanks to the goldfish spitter:

The most expensive (and optional) part of the project was adding an electric outlet near the terraced garden wall to plug in the pump, (heater in winter) etc.  Although the "hard" work is done there are still decisions to be made.  Like what, if anything, to put around the rim ~ it almost seems like too much flagstone if I surround it with that?  So right now it sits while I ponder and check out my options.  Yesterday another thrill, I bought my first pond plant ~ a Tulbaghia violacea:

 

I removed the pot from the nursery pond to buy it then just brought it home and inserted it back in the water at my house.  I noticed my car had a strong garlic fragrance to it after the addition of the Tulbaghia so I did a little research.  Apparently Tulbaghias are in the garlic family ~ that explains that~ but the research perplexed me about whether it's intended to be a water plant or not??  Everything I read said this plant does well in drought conditions ~ the exact opposite situation its experiencing now.  Anyone know about them?  I really like the grassy foliage and the spikes of violet flowers:

 

You knew I wouldn't post without a macro, didn't you?!!  The flowers are so graceful and pretty ~ it's what I noticed first about the plant.  Long blooming (thru the summer) so that is nice and the foliage is edible.  If I'm looking for a little garlic flavor in my salad I can go out and snip a few leaves!  here's another close-up of a bloom stalk unfurling:

 

Oh, I forgot to mention ~ if you scroll back up to the first Tulbaghia photo (that includes the foliage) you'll notice a spot of orange in the birdbath ~ a robin was taking a bath while I was taking the photos.  It makes me happy to see the pond is already contributing positively to the wildlife in my yard.  Also, I'm absolutely open to advice if anyone has any ~ this is all so new, I'm sure there will be much fun and many questions along the way.

PS  We ended up with 4 1/2" of rain!  Pretty amazing for us but I'm so glad to see the sun again today.