tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44509265642212250842024-03-15T21:09:05.597-04:00Children of the Corm: A Charleston Garden BlogA Garden Blog in Charleston, South Carolina. All about gardening in zone 8b, the lowcountry.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-38614281873866609322012-09-25T10:13:00.000-04:002012-09-25T10:15:57.764-04:00Peeking in September behind the Garden GateWell hello there! All is well with the world here and I think its high time to give you an update and pick my blogging back up. It is late September and finally things are cooling off and it is lovely just being alive outside. <br />
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When I lived in the North East at this time of year, while crisp and lovely there too, it always had the specter of those gray biting winter days nipping at the edges. Here, it's a totally different view point. It sounds something like (in local speak) "Thank God winter is coming." While it doesn't beat March and April here from a gardening standpoint, late September through early December is Heaven on Earth here weather-wise. Nearly every day is a glorious day. <br />
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The garden has perked back to life a bit. Most of the flower colors are faded and Octobery looking, with exception to the roses, most of which will flush out several times between now and December. The little patio pot rose, Marie Pavie, is much more fragrant in the fall, easily discernible from 10 feet away. This is the second year in a row this has occurred to me, and I have no idea why that might be. And the greenery is all sighing in pleasure at the retreat of the summer sun. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knockout Roses </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Out of control potato vine</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fuzzy leaf "Wandering Jew" and Holly Ferns</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elephant Ears, Impatiens and Hydrangeas</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pot Garden w/Marie Pavie</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Backdoor with murderous Garden Hose who has tried to kill me on multiple occasions</td></tr>
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It is soon to be planting time. I have a new rose coming "Climbing Pinkie" to join my Bermuda Kathleen and Confederate Jasmine on the fence. The jasmine btw has been insane this summer. It was to the point where I had to trim it back twice a week. Anyhow, back to planting time: I have learned the hard way to try and get this planting done now, first because it give plants a really good headstart in Spring, but mainly because I can still see the plants that are there currently and won't accidentally dig up and kill any of them. I did that this year to one of my favorite coneflowers (Merlot) and I still haven't forgiven myself. <br />
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There is also a lot of work to do on the parking garden which is still in it's infant stages. Some work this fall might mean that next year I could even be able to take a picture of it without cringing.<br />
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Happy Fall!Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com245tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-80460438997597604492012-08-06T14:01:00.000-04:002012-08-06T23:15:47.804-04:00Random Acts of Selfish KindnessThe house next door to me, which shares my driveway, is vacant. It is leased, so I'm assuming the new tenants will be in any day now, but as of last weekend, VACANT. After several years of looking at what is a 3 foot by 12 ft strip of dirt, which has sat empty and forlorn, except for the random bits of detritus that rental tenants tend to leave behind, or park in the blank space (old cooler for instance), I am doing some flash mob gardening. Sure its only me, but one second awful dirt strip, next second, beginnings of a planting bed.<br />
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So yes, my good deed for the day is definitely done. I have improved my neighbors property, which surely will make the tenants appreciate it that much more. Not only that, but I paid for dirt and a few plants to go in there! <br />
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Why yes, I am that nice... okay, truthfully, this is all about me. I wanted it to stop looking like hell, and start looking like something I want to look at every day when I walk out of my garden gate. <br />
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So, now that we have my ethical and moral values squared, there is another good question. I obviously don't want to spend a lot of time on this bed, (I have my own to worry about), so what does one plant in this situation? I can tell you, something pretty, not water needy, not picky about frying in the sun. A weed, basically. And we here in SC have just the thing: Mexican Petunia (ruellia brittoniana). It is invasive, and in this instance we are talking PERFECT. Fill in, multiply, have at it. I actually have it growing up these tiny strips along the driveway between the houses now, and it works perfectly. And basic maintenance equals go out there once a year in January and chop them back. Period. Thats it.<br />
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Oh the things you can accomplish when nobody's looking! Now, lets let mother Time take over and within a year I'm thinking there will be a bounteous cascade of purple blooming tall grass in the wind.<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com34tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-71048129926286973862012-07-16T18:38:00.001-04:002012-07-16T18:38:56.062-04:00Moon Flowers at LargeDespite no rain, and then copious amounts coming in at 40mph, the moonvine (single) has flourished up some exterior piping I have growing beside the brick drive. It honestly has like 5 inches of space to grow in. This week saw about 6-8 of the large blooms knocked off before their time, but still each night there are a few ready to bust out. I actually have trouble remembering to look for them because they aren't in the garden proper! Anyhow, I will consider this seed propagation attempt an unadulterated success. I think I'm going to try growing another elsewhere in the every evening 'viewing area'. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com22tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-32970963703051376492012-07-08T19:58:00.000-04:002012-07-08T19:58:57.599-04:00Summer Hate*I Hate Summer*<br />
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Per the usual, this time of year I have nothing to say but those words above. I spend 10 whole minutes a day outside in the garden trying to rescue things from frying to death in our porous soil, and its a total sweatbath. The heat just sucks up everything in my brain.<br />
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I shall be back once I unfry and find myself creative again. :) Hope you all are well.<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-89372473835674894192012-05-26T07:00:00.000-04:002012-05-26T22:17:44.377-04:00All The News Thats Fit To PrintIn USA Today style, today's wrap up snippets of totally unrelated garden-y stuff:<br />
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1)I'd like to start out this post to let all of you know that I'm precisely 100. 2.4 or so years ago I started this blog and I have finally made it to my 100th post, c'est incroyable! Slow but steady wins the race they say.<br />
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2)The lilies are out and all is right with the world. I had a business trip earlier this week and this is what I came home to. Welcome indeed. The second shot I call "flower and eyes." I also came home to no scorched to death flowers which is pretty fantastic for late May here.<br />
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3)The gardenias and the oleander are outdoing themselves this year. Its amazing what not having a horrible drought does for the hoi polloi plantage.<br />
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4)Plumbago on my way to work. I get to walk to work each day, the act of which I find absolutely improves my life. <br />
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5)Mystery rose, I need help. I was on previously mentioned business trip in Northern Virginia this week and found this growing in the middle of town. What is this? <br />
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6)I love these vitex trees, to me they look like a lilac bred with a brillo pad.<br />
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7)And just a reminder of why I hate squirrels. I mean seriously? Wasn't the first 20 times enough to convince you that is ISN'T THERE!?<br />
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8)Our cemeteries are better than yours :) When I die I get to be surrounded by flowers planted beside me. AND I don't even have to be in the back yard to do it! And if I want a pyramid to rest in, I can do that too.<br />
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9) Look whose back... two years ago I dug you up and moved you to my Mom's house. Then you laid low and worked on a root system so you wouldn't flop and I wouldn't hate you so much. And it worked...you are much better this go around. Good job, appleblossom yarrow.<br />
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10)Gratuitous salvia picture.<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com21tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-89028495395511063222012-05-15T06:30:00.000-04:002012-05-15T06:30:00.945-04:00Still Life With Cat And OleanderMad cat lovin' graffiti artist strikes again in downtown Charleston!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-35980177268839065482012-05-08T21:01:00.000-04:002012-05-26T12:52:04.150-04:00The Fragrant Garden: My Top 10The longer I do this gardening thing, the more I realize that as far as my aspirations to my "perfect garden," the smell of my garden is right up there with what it looks like. I truly am trying to achieve a garden where you would recognize exactly where you were by scent alone if you were blindfolded, bound and gagged and brought to my house by kidnappers. Of course, I would call the police if I wasn't kidnapped myself (or unless I had lost my mind and was the perpetrator!), but you, thanks to the smell, would be able to tell them exactly where they were hiding us once you wriggled one hand free enough to dial 911 on your cell. <br />
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But seriously, I want it to be year 'round. I want my nose to sing with "verdant and alive" wafting through the air. <br />
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Now I have found that you need to time "layer" the scent makers, because many only bloom once a year. Here's what I've found so far to be the most magnificent in the megawatt smell per square inch of plant, as well as the bloom time in my garden (z9a). I'm talking wafting knock your socks off scent when you step out in the humid dusky air:<br />
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10) Oriental Lilies (May-June): These are common, we've all seen them, but I'm eagerly awaiting this guy pictured below to bloom none the less...will be any day now.<br />
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9) Pittosporum (March): A nice, almost non-descript large dense bush or small tree, it is often used for hedges. Once a year in March usually, all of the sudden it is literally covered head to toe in tiny fragrant blooms which may be my favorite scent of the lot here. They are called mock-orange, and though its sort of similar, it's really not. They have a to-die-for fragrance. Unfortunately, at least here, some years a heat wave will come in an make the blooms very short lived. Even at their best they don't last more the 2-3 weeks. But when they are out...<br />
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8) Wisteria (Late Feb-early March): I don't grow this myself, but it has practically eaten the south, so its everywhere. It's what we hide our broken down vehicles and dilapidated roadside houses with. It is the earliest seriously scented bloomer on the scene.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3i3xmQbPNvv5v_EQIruSNX6VDcZUTvDG89AKenmWFos1MmbrVxtk2q0SFu3azHCy9rNZKeJzpzJtCkk_xdXXqu2eHSYQrE0SltKVZy_Ij1gdxhJukZTSXjTk_D9CRzTJLCWC0un9T6fy/s1600/wisteria.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3i3xmQbPNvv5v_EQIruSNX6VDcZUTvDG89AKenmWFos1MmbrVxtk2q0SFu3azHCy9rNZKeJzpzJtCkk_xdXXqu2eHSYQrE0SltKVZy_Ij1gdxhJukZTSXjTk_D9CRzTJLCWC0un9T6fy/s320/wisteria.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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7) Honeysuckle (May-Sept): The scent of my childhood. The dirt road our house was on was literally lined with these tangled in the bushes and its just such a sweet wonderful smell. I know its invasive in some climates (like probably where I grew up come to think about it), but here it stays pretty much in check, at least compared to some of our other invasives.<br />
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6) Ligustrum (April): The bush we love to hate, it does have a redeeming quality and that it is a profuse bloomer with knock your socks off scent for nearly a month during the year. It blooms here at the same time as another super fragrant flower too, so the month of April in my garden is almost overwhelming day and night.<br />
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5) Gardenia (May): I take it back on the pittosporum, the gardenia scent is probably my absolute favorite. They don't waft quite as much though which takes it down a few notches, however still enough to smell it as you approach a bush without leaning down. <br />
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4) Brugmansia (June-Sept): This potentially deadly small tree is one of those that tries to attract pollinators at night, so it nearly bowls you over should you step outside after dark. Its a cloying heady smell, very pleasant to me, but I have caught myself thinking that its the kind of scent that reminds you of an evil temptress.<br />
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3) Moon Vine (June-Sept): A true night bloomer, and a relative of the morning glory, I have smelled them in others gardens but this will be its first year in mine. <br />
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2) Confederate Jasmine (Late March-April): Until I planted #1, this was by far and away the most megawatt smelling dude in my garden. I often hear people say that jasmine smells like gardenia and I honestly can't see how or why they would think that? Jasmine to me has a peppery heavy sweetness, whereas gardenia is lighter and fruiter...well just not in the same nasal ballpark. Anyhow, this variety is a ever-green vining plant which looks great in or out of bloom. Non-invasive, which is a plus though they can grow extremely large, as mine has in 2.5 years.<br />
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1) Night Blooming Jasmine (May-Aug): This thing is ridiculous. You need to plant it at least 30 feet from your house to be able to not get drunk on the scent. It blooms on and off through the summer, and you can smell it down the block. I'm not kidding. Its nothing much to look at, a loose medium sized sprawly bush, but thats not the point. <br />
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There are so many others that can come tripping off my tongue that don't readily grow here so I didn't include them: Lilacs, Lavender, Hyacinths to name but a few. Another one of my favorite of all garden smells comes from leaves, not flowers: the English Boxwood. It just smells so, boxwoody to me. I love it and it reminds me, every time I smell it, of the boxwood maze behind the old library in the small town where I grew up.<br />
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Also, there are all kinds of jasmine out there that can fight amongst themselves for the most fragrant plant ever. I am considering getting the pink kind (Winter Jasmine), because it blooms in early March, before the others, but it is on the invasive list, and so far every time I've planted something invasive in this climate, it has, um, invaded. <br />
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You notice I didn't include the roses! While many do have a lovely fragrance, they are not massive wafters on the whole. Not a single rose I have compares with any of the above as far as megatwattage of scent making capacity, though I do obviously prefer those roses that smell.<br />
<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-49114701121731063482012-05-01T17:08:00.000-04:002012-05-01T18:57:18.214-04:00The Maddening GardeniaI know a lot of gardeners have trouble growing gardenias. People try all kinds of advice to get those things to hold their blooms, grow, or even flower. Or even just: not die! <br />
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Now, I never tried to grow a gardenia before I moved here so I'm not positive, but I truly truly believe the trouble is that despite what those evil lying plant tags say, they (gardenias) actually have a very limited growing climate. If I had to guess I'd say they like: humid as you can make it, zones 8a-10a, warm nights, part shade, crappy sandy soil that drains faster than a pasta strainer. Thats what they like. And even the part shade isn't that important, but the other things are. <br />
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Now why do I believe this? Namely:<br />
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Yes, thats right, this is growing in the 'hell strip' outside of my next door neighbors house, beside the cement. There's another one in a similar hell strip situation around the corner, in half day sun living it up too. Nobody waters these. Nobody fertilizes, trims, or cares for them in any way. I suspect the garbage collectors regularly smack em up with the bins. And they look just as good as the two I actually throw some water on every so often in my garden. Around the block a lady has them in patio pots in full sun and those suckers bloom themselves silly. <br />
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So here is my advice... if these plants grow literally like weeds in places they like (they compete with the oleanders and crape myrtles for the hell strip spaces) and you are struggling like crazy: it is not meant to be. These plants, I suspect, have a narrower band of adaptability in reality that plant sellers would have you believe. For me, because of these same climatic conditions I can not grow most spring bulbs, I can't grow lilacs (or I can they just won't flower...sound familiar?), I probably can't grow half of the things that are in commercial garden existence. So sure, try them out, but trust me, if they aren't working: its not you, its them. They honestly don't care how nice you are to them, they are extremely picky about things you can't control.<br />
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I am coming to some of these same conclusions myself over what is just not meant to be.. it isn't worth wasting my time with in my Charleston climate. Because no matter what zone you are in, there is SOOOO much that will grow! <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-25201374096726018262012-04-22T13:15:00.000-04:002012-04-23T22:21:36.624-04:00Brookgreen Garden Tour<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This weekend I went to another of the garden estates around the area. Like its English forebearers great estates were established here in the 17th-19th centuries, and also similarly, they are now the sites of some of the wonderful gardens in this area. From the <a href="http://www.brookgreen.org/">website</a>:</span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nCFb6Mc9um2F_Yp0vhzdka-5IHuCMqNRWRCSjZTHStz6S1gHyL4hnN20yyQrXlxjK46JWZ13HwLQAbLPfbCH4APxHY9X3k1vpfVD8CZoMAGK-NhW3fdzFtXTR0Ib3IPh6TbK6ElxhFWD/s1600/RiceField.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4nCFb6Mc9um2F_Yp0vhzdka-5IHuCMqNRWRCSjZTHStz6S1gHyL4hnN20yyQrXlxjK46JWZ13HwLQAbLPfbCH4APxHY9X3k1vpfVD8CZoMAGK-NhW3fdzFtXTR0Ib3IPh6TbK6ElxhFWD/s400/RiceField.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a rice plantation, one of the largest crops grown in antebellum times.</td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: #444444;"><span style="background-color: white;">"During the Seventeenth Century</span><span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> English settlers first came to the Carolina territory from Barbados and other Caribbean islands. A plantation economy was well established on the islands, and the planters were looking to expand their holdings. From the beginning, they brought enslaved Africans to work the new lands. The planters at The Oaks, Brookgreen, </span><span style="background-color: white;">Springfield and Laurel Hill plantations (the four former plantations that make up the present-day Brookgreen Gardens) established family dynasties and were leaders of the rice planting elite during the antebellum years. However</span><span style="background-color: white;">,</span><span style="background-color: white;"> the success of these great rice plantations rested on the backs of the enslaved Africans. As early as the mid-eighteenth century, a majority of the population in the Lowcountry of South Carolina were enslaved Africans and during the late antebellum period they accounted for almost 90 percent of the population in the region. They provided physical labor, skill and technology required for rice cultivation and production and infused the environment with their customs, traditions, crafts, and language known today as Gullah-Geechee culture."</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #444444;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Obviously this was a time of great wealth and fortune for a few, at the cost of freedom and hardship of the many. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Today, its a sculpture garden</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was very taken with this statue and pool</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ballerina Roses and Daisies</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWin9Y6cGQx1BVyEI1tbM_sztQHhZRCacpLW1vaRyvM380SiiB1PExxEzFLCPBCDjy_f69xbsRi7N7j9DFeOlDSL6roo_AIPkJe4If7ujLgCC769i1w7Xi9A95N-Igvxo_QeTeCPC8B73L/s1600/Bigpig.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWin9Y6cGQx1BVyEI1tbM_sztQHhZRCacpLW1vaRyvM380SiiB1PExxEzFLCPBCDjy_f69xbsRi7N7j9DFeOlDSL6roo_AIPkJe4If7ujLgCC769i1w7Xi9A95N-Igvxo_QeTeCPC8B73L/s400/Bigpig.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not all of the sculptures were classical!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq9neJPBuIIb2o244ouPkSTAqFbz4wLEiEv7JwtlznKmcb3sOvKPAPps8swwh22muZK_5hP26qYj1M5GDZaYtHQ-qVG0Cm_h7g7CFlxM8OOVZotgIdiaAYfmGdCKxVdKAEmCM7A4PA-hT/s1600/ChildBorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDq9neJPBuIIb2o244ouPkSTAqFbz4wLEiEv7JwtlznKmcb3sOvKPAPps8swwh22muZK_5hP26qYj1M5GDZaYtHQ-qVG0Cm_h7g7CFlxM8OOVZotgIdiaAYfmGdCKxVdKAEmCM7A4PA-hT/s400/ChildBorder.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What are considered weeds here have their own place!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhcgVdoH_Cl0hLbb8OEEnSxat39HvBQldPJNzs9R5PmUFUaPH5cgluOvcPxKFpt5awovWurxFMqN9kaV1b9296vWKRuUL6P0KNx3D1_wl3-Tz3m32gfeE8v6ABsRwMOUyQ6tQu7M6PaTW/s1600/ChildsGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDhcgVdoH_Cl0hLbb8OEEnSxat39HvBQldPJNzs9R5PmUFUaPH5cgluOvcPxKFpt5awovWurxFMqN9kaV1b9296vWKRuUL6P0KNx3D1_wl3-Tz3m32gfeE8v6ABsRwMOUyQ6tQu7M6PaTW/s400/ChildsGarden.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Quite a bit of woodlands too</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb0y5odwsSrqdZdbC08nHhj3NltedgbutpLbAVhYVg4CLelZgYq39njCL5Ma9XmVTDpe9qvLMMEhBQyOW2R-VenUOQNUy8XqFGw3Y5NplO7yA79Mv0Ifu9oQNix9-fIpWFYW4CJGgIwnZ/s1600/Childsgarden2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb0y5odwsSrqdZdbC08nHhj3NltedgbutpLbAVhYVg4CLelZgYq39njCL5Ma9XmVTDpe9qvLMMEhBQyOW2R-VenUOQNUy8XqFGw3Y5NplO7yA79Mv0Ifu9oQNix9-fIpWFYW4CJGgIwnZ/s400/Childsgarden2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In the Child's Garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSfuBs61CPpUDIYcX9wqS1SMnqW81-Xk8oMcvei5JjGGLPqWO_RKwCgMPj5f4I-pbTEqQON6uYu5oCo6BvpZXOrP0drSiumVkSkO4u8CwoAzsqS2NN_C321iciqVhiYpJSdEW_WoFsPg0/s1600/MoreSnapdragons.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSfuBs61CPpUDIYcX9wqS1SMnqW81-Xk8oMcvei5JjGGLPqWO_RKwCgMPj5f4I-pbTEqQON6uYu5oCo6BvpZXOrP0drSiumVkSkO4u8CwoAzsqS2NN_C321iciqVhiYpJSdEW_WoFsPg0/s400/MoreSnapdragons.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Slightly cooler than Charleston, the tall snapdragons are still alive!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzCzLd7KgVheYlYnNTT6_II-wIHwqYmSoPNibz5Jsw6cxvNQ0oYZl0RylRd2llpcJ7PPNIFNpUdvi1yPwg3ZPWY8v3nV9pGLMOE5Ehm_INtbKSnIS4nrSLNxsFqonldR0vmBvpZjKcDfp/s1600/Path.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDzCzLd7KgVheYlYnNTT6_II-wIHwqYmSoPNibz5Jsw6cxvNQ0oYZl0RylRd2llpcJ7PPNIFNpUdvi1yPwg3ZPWY8v3nV9pGLMOE5Ehm_INtbKSnIS4nrSLNxsFqonldR0vmBvpZjKcDfp/s400/Path.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A scenic view on the walk</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp-qOBDU3hC3WlENgcAKR2W-2Ng71egzU4UToONS-ZlmjdE6aqgJntlVRExvTaLYFr5bITEdvEvoLnaKZYSy6h2trFIMw48yiE1ilJR2JzyDXaVpBv1QV0T5U02pnyeNA5trEUIkrz6Kh/s1600/Reflecting+Pool.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxp-qOBDU3hC3WlENgcAKR2W-2Ng71egzU4UToONS-ZlmjdE6aqgJntlVRExvTaLYFr5bITEdvEvoLnaKZYSy6h2trFIMw48yiE1ilJR2JzyDXaVpBv1QV0T5U02pnyeNA5trEUIkrz6Kh/s400/Reflecting+Pool.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love this pool</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqATDClXIlwyE3kP2pq0x2PeR1yz_6qV7OKNDntXFZfN2h1IDbzUP598bvtp61tjc3tmI_HWhxXRcURw2hha0wkt3oPYFgzt6atBF_ZQrex5FyyD7rYQxL8nV67LaHoUWyYsWJQLll9JBT/s1600/ReflectingPoolStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqATDClXIlwyE3kP2pq0x2PeR1yz_6qV7OKNDntXFZfN2h1IDbzUP598bvtp61tjc3tmI_HWhxXRcURw2hha0wkt3oPYFgzt6atBF_ZQrex5FyyD7rYQxL8nV67LaHoUWyYsWJQLll9JBT/s400/ReflectingPoolStatue.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">....a lot</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3G3WeQtCpYflEGhkttKzraGGd2jYrAqx7Y8Pse9OT9pdsEH4earj4PkkzLr-fmKdKU6C1d4wLRigTy22qqVWc0cyfRrj3b3Orxa5HLyxVEeUF6gos9ies-UR9Tx8xTuwRj_tZDvRIFXX/s1600/WhiteBorder.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii3G3WeQtCpYflEGhkttKzraGGd2jYrAqx7Y8Pse9OT9pdsEH4earj4PkkzLr-fmKdKU6C1d4wLRigTy22qqVWc0cyfRrj3b3Orxa5HLyxVEeUF6gos9ies-UR9Tx8xTuwRj_tZDvRIFXX/s400/WhiteBorder.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The White Border (with Griffon)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjI8CXu4CUhmamUGwE7Ef4PckHWIEzkQczMNS-nBPhdEkCYMEsu425FV8gRvEhsj3AGCMr2QB3IXbRk33RHimdLkIUiNHdQuwpEVlBfb7bWcvA_ORYek7Qzv6qNc9MnCgyciaUsciK4Q-/s1600/CopperStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxjI8CXu4CUhmamUGwE7Ef4PckHWIEzkQczMNS-nBPhdEkCYMEsu425FV8gRvEhsj3AGCMr2QB3IXbRk33RHimdLkIUiNHdQuwpEVlBfb7bWcvA_ORYek7Qzv6qNc9MnCgyciaUsciK4Q-/s400/CopperStatue.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the few copper statues</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rlHbjfnJ_fEmqmXC_vN2IEfSyq23oEGGByH54fCiOrDu6Ktp1nvXB3PqWBqr2fqprljy4HJ3_DMZpzvspEN6tEpHsytyWxA8BiWzSGilG05U9vltgF9Ii0u6Sqz3I0KmjDQ4mO6jW_tP/s1600/Diana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0rlHbjfnJ_fEmqmXC_vN2IEfSyq23oEGGByH54fCiOrDu6Ktp1nvXB3PqWBqr2fqprljy4HJ3_DMZpzvspEN6tEpHsytyWxA8BiWzSGilG05U9vltgF9Ii0u6Sqz3I0KmjDQ4mO6jW_tP/s400/Diana.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Foxgloves are at their height of glory</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq9f0j4_Dlc3mfWkSD1MSbmQ6_UrDOGJWR9A7XxhhCuGz7lErgmI9qXF9rlCch40VShiadhypyVGZKbL6V4GflA_bgqzWnUnOiSy9pkcRrVX1yvq3zc6EBjJ8GfcC57hchgmw2R-nhOp9/s1600/FoxgloveEntrance.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlq9f0j4_Dlc3mfWkSD1MSbmQ6_UrDOGJWR9A7XxhhCuGz7lErgmI9qXF9rlCch40VShiadhypyVGZKbL6V4GflA_bgqzWnUnOiSy9pkcRrVX1yvq3zc6EBjJ8GfcC57hchgmw2R-nhOp9/s640/FoxgloveEntrance.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">more Foxgloves</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_uQs6telboxtk0M5WDsdr8zciicnquu6J4b-TnhWO3wHIGwQbCyNHY4PdinvksqEuy0_lhk8_SeW2UXG7_Glx1RlMHrQQdSM1m0egT6VfLjCho54otb7K_058pfiORPLU69ki9JErcKI/s1600/IMG_0162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG_uQs6telboxtk0M5WDsdr8zciicnquu6J4b-TnhWO3wHIGwQbCyNHY4PdinvksqEuy0_lhk8_SeW2UXG7_Glx1RlMHrQQdSM1m0egT6VfLjCho54otb7K_058pfiORPLU69ki9JErcKI/s400/IMG_0162.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More snapdragons, with a larkspur or two</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PsKsEewDsafbenwLDZWp7MpHnQggsLAQHFe26rOSpfV6B4jT5EAlwipuxSJAU5UfHeFf_SFgM7qH4IK8FBzsts9fw-yMaSNJiPjH8DCDpJS0EqUHZ5Hp4D2Kayi2K2-KyOMkfXPT69QS/s1600/Monsieur+Tiller.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8PsKsEewDsafbenwLDZWp7MpHnQggsLAQHFe26rOSpfV6B4jT5EAlwipuxSJAU5UfHeFf_SFgM7qH4IK8FBzsts9fw-yMaSNJiPjH8DCDpJS0EqUHZ5Hp4D2Kayi2K2-KyOMkfXPT69QS/s400/Monsieur+Tiller.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I think this is a Monsieur Tiller</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHpsH_Rgs_EMGW0occHe5ZoA41_hY33jwUMaToql8FHjkfFY4QmHjeSgOkDmfJubZzbirkreVIJgln_QQB5eqgg_IvYUs-see4XwE7Z8_OyUtUctZ7stmJBYDBK4JCAUWJSMaA5rgvra4/s1600/Muses2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkHpsH_Rgs_EMGW0occHe5ZoA41_hY33jwUMaToql8FHjkfFY4QmHjeSgOkDmfJubZzbirkreVIJgln_QQB5eqgg_IvYUs-see4XwE7Z8_OyUtUctZ7stmJBYDBK4JCAUWJSMaA5rgvra4/s400/Muses2.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Muses in Fountain form</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZapOPMaPa3uQnRPYHq7XL0EbRy32M8i7YVLGlZg4uh6BYa-aIAQ6yXHF5eNWrEx4HhsieB1rbQxnFeb4SkHdUxZmzFMg2gRrvK3buGSs5lr0BqWSVNxkkJ1R8rm4WnchcUOs7IiN_CrU/s1600/Muses3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtZapOPMaPa3uQnRPYHq7XL0EbRy32M8i7YVLGlZg4uh6BYa-aIAQ6yXHF5eNWrEx4HhsieB1rbQxnFeb4SkHdUxZmzFMg2gRrvK3buGSs5lr0BqWSVNxkkJ1R8rm4WnchcUOs7IiN_CrU/s400/Muses3.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another shot, it was beautiful</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAOk6oqQt9mb2GcAICMktKtWgesGJiFrAFtqh3giEuExXlxpKrRWicbJr-qi6Oq0yyuxc3b1JYayi74Hq8t422O3ubl1LUZ64LGtW2a3EqhjS8pV9omVuk6Fg5_HXFkWHp9iMBU_cQ7zp/s1600/MusesStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtAOk6oqQt9mb2GcAICMktKtWgesGJiFrAFtqh3giEuExXlxpKrRWicbJr-qi6Oq0yyuxc3b1JYayi74Hq8t422O3ubl1LUZ64LGtW2a3EqhjS8pV9omVuk6Fg5_HXFkWHp9iMBU_cQ7zp/s640/MusesStatue.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was particularly taken by this sculpture holding a sculpture</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSzMachTLvxfY_4SWwLyKduvlvfY_8KY5x1aJ6cmsJvt7fE20JkI9klwuz5LsFS8RFYiHKXHqJ4A0nCdqfrgnS2Xs2A43ACZB_jsmDO8a5BgrYbR7jD27x8dguD03zNfkcHNDVbabRqrb/s1600/RoseCropStatue.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSzMachTLvxfY_4SWwLyKduvlvfY_8KY5x1aJ6cmsJvt7fE20JkI9klwuz5LsFS8RFYiHKXHqJ4A0nCdqfrgnS2Xs2A43ACZB_jsmDO8a5BgrYbR7jD27x8dguD03zNfkcHNDVbabRqrb/s400/RoseCropStatue.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Knockouts!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM-2V0zOCuqdz9pXHWqy37lRb4vNBFF1ROL-Uek46GuLE24TNiM8n_mraIzDmY6k9i1grLDkWkfngPSUGKnZTcolQeh6hYENhyBRsqB51EvQUSAoMU1_g9J8npRicqwegT6ifJY0gjvdu/s1600/SnapdragonCrazy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIM-2V0zOCuqdz9pXHWqy37lRb4vNBFF1ROL-Uek46GuLE24TNiM8n_mraIzDmY6k9i1grLDkWkfngPSUGKnZTcolQeh6hYENhyBRsqB51EvQUSAoMU1_g9J8npRicqwegT6ifJY0gjvdu/s400/SnapdragonCrazy.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Snapdragons, foxglove</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKQlgJK0m_54IVXUupRVQsjq66Yj__pfGf2ZL-Z0OZ2waPK0wfBW-wlaWY1R7HqkreRJCWRJd3Eqhtl25swsHmDl6h0uZpQXT1XYU_jv2S5_xrh_UJk6oDJS1xeVkb-FeK7P4zt6TWLab/s1600/Brookegreen+Roses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiKQlgJK0m_54IVXUupRVQsjq66Yj__pfGf2ZL-Z0OZ2waPK0wfBW-wlaWY1R7HqkreRJCWRJd3Eqhtl25swsHmDl6h0uZpQXT1XYU_jv2S5_xrh_UJk6oDJS1xeVkb-FeK7P4zt6TWLab/s640/Brookegreen+Roses.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Its a formal garden but many portions have that slightly wild abandoned look that I love</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I visited on a stormy day, in the 'in-between' season... after the spring magnificence but before the summer abundance... but still it was beautiful and informative. You need about 2 hours to explore the formal gardens, and an additional 2 to walk the nature walks, plantation/rice fields area, see the butterflies and the zoo.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com26tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-34247178415693583772012-04-18T07:00:00.000-04:002012-04-18T07:00:09.567-04:00The Bumper Crop in PicturesI missed GBBD, per usual, but its a bumper year for the Showy Evening Primrose (is there ever a year when it isn't a bumper year for those?) and the Star Jasmine. <br />
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So lets start with the Jasmine. Last summer I decided to let the jasmine climb the tree on the corner of the fence. This is what happens when you do this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwey1nOL8hUSldN3gxOAbp0VvJ4SRw2DA4tFkU-aAovCHJ43bYS3lS6voTvqmnqc5rXowzDI2wfcPnifICG35s_lHM7_yGWsEw_1ZN63V4PIyQ_xNCZNZd50HGYBRsvAJGq1hzaUmKRHi/s1600/ConfederateJasmineTree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJwey1nOL8hUSldN3gxOAbp0VvJ4SRw2DA4tFkU-aAovCHJ43bYS3lS6voTvqmnqc5rXowzDI2wfcPnifICG35s_lHM7_yGWsEw_1ZN63V4PIyQ_xNCZNZd50HGYBRsvAJGq1hzaUmKRHi/s640/ConfederateJasmineTree.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQWUDU3rPo_L1SUN0YsvdBESs-cBc8kW_QwT7v8V1jvoSeKwJbBVm1HGqyEoHq3B3xHcN1LVeZCEANo7if8rGRaKb5AFSMFhjVfk5H6oAgSKOw5MDtVFADxfwNZXJyXDHB419iNdkDymN/s1600/JasmineFenceCorner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpQWUDU3rPo_L1SUN0YsvdBESs-cBc8kW_QwT7v8V1jvoSeKwJbBVm1HGqyEoHq3B3xHcN1LVeZCEANo7if8rGRaKb5AFSMFhjVfk5H6oAgSKOw5MDtVFADxfwNZXJyXDHB419iNdkDymN/s640/JasmineFenceCorner.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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This is one star jasmine plant. It is probably 30+ feet wide by 15 feet high. And remember how happy we all were last year that this same plant survived a fungus that made it drop all of its leaves? And remember me saying that it was looking rather pitiful, even though you all thought it looked fine? Well, it has recovered. Actually it still has the fungal disease but is slowly beating it. Only about 25% of the leaves fell off this year. And just to jog your memory, here's a picture of the same vine in May of last year, before massive climbing of tree.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMApJrtrOhxoIZngo_2EeHd_00WoLCPFFY4nWar05nQMoun92vn3SUvmnazMvnFMv7-la6kgKx8ByY27f6tzjiTFojDMH9WF6Yhx-5yzSoIp6Fth7MNgYFM4pafWhX-gFzMTiGZrEGrH3z/s1600/JessHydrangeas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMApJrtrOhxoIZngo_2EeHd_00WoLCPFFY4nWar05nQMoun92vn3SUvmnazMvnFMv7-la6kgKx8ByY27f6tzjiTFojDMH9WF6Yhx-5yzSoIp6Fth7MNgYFM4pafWhX-gFzMTiGZrEGrH3z/s400/JessHydrangeas.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And that same corner today:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtCas_jFcbMc4OvwnUiTzKU2N4YgQIka8PEpFkZpFngI8n3W9VLI-tFGdfm8HUutovzMJeVlSvQpMUKmrz0Qyt8sTcE7t1yKDN9l4zIx6Rm7P6T59CxWyFv-0Ho2ZcPz2mDFZ1z76pNpg/s1600/JasmineWall+and+Tree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="375" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixtCas_jFcbMc4OvwnUiTzKU2N4YgQIka8PEpFkZpFngI8n3W9VLI-tFGdfm8HUutovzMJeVlSvQpMUKmrz0Qyt8sTcE7t1yKDN9l4zIx6Rm7P6T59CxWyFv-0Ho2ZcPz2mDFZ1z76pNpg/s400/JasmineWall+and+Tree.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
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Back to good health. And behind the statue has filled in nicely too!</div>
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I know, its absurd the size of this thing in one year, and you can probably imagine the intensity of the scent around my house currently. Okay, moving on to a true invasive, Oenothera speciosa, Showy Evening Primrose or Mexican Primrose. I pull out about 90% of this each year. I'm seriously considering putting in edging around it like you do bamboo. Its sort of like that really pretty girl with the black heart in high school. Its horrible and attractive all at the same time. It will wrap its roots around other plants roots. So they don't get any water at all. Like it is evil. Don't be fooled by these pictures. You really really don't want this plant. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx5fRNMNyHj-8vJZZe5PicDnqulRDKfZfWvFyi0frr296lvRY3Bfwq2yZsMptQKRDt9s3ogxrrsn6TYTUbk5JsQM71VNGxTQtu_6jF_YOWrpw1IH6V3d7j_WK4fqSPuflMMcvMBlOEBBy/s1600/ShowyEveningPrimroseFoxglove.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBx5fRNMNyHj-8vJZZe5PicDnqulRDKfZfWvFyi0frr296lvRY3Bfwq2yZsMptQKRDt9s3ogxrrsn6TYTUbk5JsQM71VNGxTQtu_6jF_YOWrpw1IH6V3d7j_WK4fqSPuflMMcvMBlOEBBy/s400/ShowyEveningPrimroseFoxglove.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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In this next picture it is joined by a few of the plants I don't have cultivar names for. That purple salvia is super cool...the stems are actually the exact same purple as the flower. And those slightly peachy flowers are those of the "lowes nameless" miniature rose I bought last year. The roses in the background for the most part are late bloomers and are about 2 weeks from full flush, and the foxgloves are out, and still standing this year, thanks to lack of wind and hail storms this spring. The gaura is also a week or so from full flush, and of course, the hydrangeas who I loved dearly, kill me this time of year because they are so late to leaf compared to everything else. Oh except for the echinacea, hands down the slowest thing out of the ground each year. I swear its dead every year, but it never is.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXYohcAaUSRSYSG-S_JHOA_jOYngeL7IgWX4T2IUQu_1d28fCkWo3xh-Eqgz-11-bYbJO2AnQiXbSyr15uiMs646pri1p4JJ1V9KJxznxBkpaIm1hB0c7uRCAz18fpaxsHPO3X7Cbz6Vq/s1600/SalviaPurplestem.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPXYohcAaUSRSYSG-S_JHOA_jOYngeL7IgWX4T2IUQu_1d28fCkWo3xh-Eqgz-11-bYbJO2AnQiXbSyr15uiMs646pri1p4JJ1V9KJxznxBkpaIm1hB0c7uRCAz18fpaxsHPO3X7Cbz6Vq/s640/SalviaPurplestem.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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But back to the point here: what I do love about it (the Oenothera), is that it sprawls so prettily... so few plants do this with any grace.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz-xI4SvyS8uoV8xZ0ORXtp9pYEcDQnSZNaTCRFstMl3uDB-rzfBfeK2BI4eks9CcuDCZiZeozfFZjMSk6KWCydHIZYGrcOD8pBSV4Jlo0aIaRxPCJFPVl_0uLkXh3UNXBK3ND1KD70tS/s1600/LongOnethera.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifz-xI4SvyS8uoV8xZ0ORXtp9pYEcDQnSZNaTCRFstMl3uDB-rzfBfeK2BI4eks9CcuDCZiZeozfFZjMSk6KWCydHIZYGrcOD8pBSV4Jlo0aIaRxPCJFPVl_0uLkXh3UNXBK3ND1KD70tS/s640/LongOnethera.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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A few other shots from around the garden to round out the lot. First the 'classic' (haw haw) red knockout rose with my cat, deet can and sluggo looking on:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD7cBvyhDcOIquBcHHGEVu8tdMfHZQyjl2EoetlmSjaoH_O0uQeOvp_qQlULCXOC1Y9pu7q2gEAOBT77bpgjz96gwFXMUxfwDGg65vymWT6pHBsyZBowIbfDmgrpru2eNjQ-UCeH6So9V/s1600/KnockoutRosebush.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlD7cBvyhDcOIquBcHHGEVu8tdMfHZQyjl2EoetlmSjaoH_O0uQeOvp_qQlULCXOC1Y9pu7q2gEAOBT77bpgjz96gwFXMUxfwDGg65vymWT6pHBsyZBowIbfDmgrpru2eNjQ-UCeH6So9V/s640/KnockoutRosebush.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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And the remains of the first flush of the MAC rose. This rose definitely suffered from both thrips and iron deficiency earlier in the year so isn't the prettiest its been, but still I'm not complaining.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYoRo9qbep-p54aQatO42RzMO-EtgeT8aK3xmV5iN24_zEiyIGZVBYGuu3Mz3daIBHxAM46RiEnXzkvMwyW_faY1QLwGbDxP72B4QBLGjWNkUbbDL3YPokenhyphenhypheniNJAev1ih5XgADNOs8-/s1600/TrioofMACroses.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKYoRo9qbep-p54aQatO42RzMO-EtgeT8aK3xmV5iN24_zEiyIGZVBYGuu3Mz3daIBHxAM46RiEnXzkvMwyW_faY1QLwGbDxP72B4QBLGjWNkUbbDL3YPokenhyphenhypheniNJAev1ih5XgADNOs8-/s640/TrioofMACroses.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com18tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-31271892128570575212012-04-05T21:52:00.000-04:002012-04-05T22:21:54.351-04:00Garden Missteps: "When Good Yards Go Bad" in my own backyard!You'd think I'd have run the gamut of mistakes after these past few years, but I have outdone myself with a first time mistake that I'm surprised I lasted as long as I did without committing.<br />
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It has to do with color combinations. Generally, I stick to the pink, light pink, light purple, blue, and white areas. I have one potted Bush Daisy that throws in a shot of yellow but otherwise there has been no variance from this scheme. Ever.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddxmkYQ25nDJfDKcA7eGmSs430vKgKqEk-jqHx3mpq1mz86TiH4T7iJa1ptbnTqiWuN-Ve_Rt2nqLzRFL-y2QoazMR67mD2OJP03iLPtaCcTd9j_LZdfOsfesUCN_TfD0gRiVLICe_HA6/s1600/gaura+angelonia+backdrop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddxmkYQ25nDJfDKcA7eGmSs430vKgKqEk-jqHx3mpq1mz86TiH4T7iJa1ptbnTqiWuN-Ve_Rt2nqLzRFL-y2QoazMR67mD2OJP03iLPtaCcTd9j_LZdfOsfesUCN_TfD0gRiVLICe_HA6/s400/gaura+angelonia+backdrop.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Angelonia in the background doing what its supposed to be doing, last year.</td></tr>
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Most of my garden is perennials and shrubs so you would think it would be hard to mess up and already 'set in dirt' color scheme that was working just fine, but I did. You see, every year I plant one major flat of annuals: angelonia. It grows and blooms all year no matter how sunny and hot it gets, and I have to say, it is the ONLY one so far I have found that fits that bill. I buy an entire flat of it, and infill around the perennials that are slow to poke up. I love it because it looks lovely all push over as those same perennials fill in, or upright it has a nice shape of its own.<br />
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Anyhow, this year I went out to get my flat and WOAH! I saw this midnight reddish dark purple flat, and fell in love. It was in the purple family, though redder than most of the bluish purples that I have, and I thought, this is WAY better than the white and very pale pink angelonia I have been planting every year. So I snapped up the flat and headed home, quickly plopping the small squares all over my garden. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE4e0rGDpAiRnoU6OYo6iN_pvQXd207tUxjaCy_GPOsDmS9CmF76MgRSi8KvNiu-ftTEjsojGxK5Tmy-d1G2d4mdve7Fho6PusZ27z6qFd_lqLZPm9yK6GJ84hlnf_0WCDRHWyfPRLAxg/s1600/WhiteAngelonia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheE4e0rGDpAiRnoU6OYo6iN_pvQXd207tUxjaCy_GPOsDmS9CmF76MgRSi8KvNiu-ftTEjsojGxK5Tmy-d1G2d4mdve7Fho6PusZ27z6qFd_lqLZPm9yK6GJ84hlnf_0WCDRHWyfPRLAxg/s640/WhiteAngelonia.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nicely matched angelonia and pink veronica, yeah...last year</td></tr>
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And now, my garden is a painted trollop. I also purchased some pineapple sage earlier this year (which is already blooming thanks to summertime weather), and the extra bush daisy (europs) I buy for my Mom each spring, between the two it looks like my mac n cheese when to mardi gras. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLqRZeoii03zAK1DuCgUcE0weeNm1rmIj0zQyvRROmwZrF7eVP-rXjbSXb-uhGyw2AY0k_FtBi0doOdgdyEo9Zl1qtHaZ2mqUa91F64HCH1AUZr9_gVTqgUGZe_dk5yWqZLkcmyUVN_Tr/s1600/photo+garish.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLqRZeoii03zAK1DuCgUcE0weeNm1rmIj0zQyvRROmwZrF7eVP-rXjbSXb-uhGyw2AY0k_FtBi0doOdgdyEo9Zl1qtHaZ2mqUa91F64HCH1AUZr9_gVTqgUGZe_dk5yWqZLkcmyUVN_Tr/s640/photo+garish.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And imagine...this stuff will get 4x larger. </td></tr>
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So the purple has to go. Not sure what I'm going to do with it. Right now I've lined up a few in some dirt meant to be used for something not reddish purple. It doesn't match ANYTHING!!! What was I thinking? The pineapple sage is going too and those pots on the patio pavers...all to my Mom in one week. She's got 5 acres of gardens, she can hide this stuff somewhere. Whew. This garden is not me. Heaven forbid when those roses bloom. I'm not sure I even like the pink anymore! <br />
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And onto another mistake I just did a few minutes ago.... pruning a rose that mixes in nicely with the star jasmine, snip snip snip, and I realize, I just cut the jasmine. In the middle somewhere. I guess I'll have to wait until tomorrow to see which part of the vine is no longer attached to...um...anything. sigh. Nothing like a dead bunch of jasmine climbing in with the rest.<br />
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Okay, here's a few pictures in the garden of things that look good. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijC4AfQmoHw-vTwu20lGeh13RfFEQZjpcg2JZZQJrTamThvsCYCSY1TZvx14CMg85dCUewD09zOSKGaTZAStCPHoloh-SAEpFgnLquQkPaeujVTq_ESvIjqrntmC-XiUwiufPzJL5WeS2S/s1600/photo+(11).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijC4AfQmoHw-vTwu20lGeh13RfFEQZjpcg2JZZQJrTamThvsCYCSY1TZvx14CMg85dCUewD09zOSKGaTZAStCPHoloh-SAEpFgnLquQkPaeujVTq_ESvIjqrntmC-XiUwiufPzJL5WeS2S/s400/photo+(11).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iceberg blooming by the front drive</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWIc1rtwSS0loIHm_HyV9Vw9hruIqPJHC-GuoeiMx75CO6jO1BkSaQE5D4J10XeHtaG2ApdDfxAxdfn37u9I8Y6tGRAd0BHvVV1JuJ6o7UenhgxsN1tVTqSoM1CSl0uabeGCLv_VSLPVD/s1600/photo+(12).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWIc1rtwSS0loIHm_HyV9Vw9hruIqPJHC-GuoeiMx75CO6jO1BkSaQE5D4J10XeHtaG2ApdDfxAxdfn37u9I8Y6tGRAd0BHvVV1JuJ6o7UenhgxsN1tVTqSoM1CSl0uabeGCLv_VSLPVD/s400/photo+(12).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Madame Alfred Carriere Rose by the back door</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QeN2KGa4xuOL-QonLIJ39XeysblMwDkaQT2GX2pjW6jytJExrFCHh-7vbfZGtfXIm0ryBzzWPSgNTDjsYNGMQ6sd2PlsrcHXk-d3fUsodHZYKvgHIlKPva861izXttYeJ6CB8cgf8A6z/s1600/photo+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1QeN2KGa4xuOL-QonLIJ39XeysblMwDkaQT2GX2pjW6jytJExrFCHh-7vbfZGtfXIm0ryBzzWPSgNTDjsYNGMQ6sd2PlsrcHXk-d3fUsodHZYKvgHIlKPva861izXttYeJ6CB8cgf8A6z/s400/photo+(2).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MAC a little closer</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwmc4NeeQSZw1JjHI5M35kETtfNREl6yjI6P2bOnwFpd3hBjEOkdtFJeE-d0Vgl1C_rMYW3A0tYXVtAGYnSWHPbGXQ6yb8DWGteKwOtnJtxTyjcxWY3Ba96189mWlpFeKemlHfv06lfzV/s1600/photo+(3).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwmc4NeeQSZw1JjHI5M35kETtfNREl6yjI6P2bOnwFpd3hBjEOkdtFJeE-d0Vgl1C_rMYW3A0tYXVtAGYnSWHPbGXQ6yb8DWGteKwOtnJtxTyjcxWY3Ba96189mWlpFeKemlHfv06lfzV/s400/photo+(3).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Million bells in a pot, that one purpley bloom is taunting me</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpGzTi7z-ZEfQBhte-dTlHJ1XaVjZLHQ2jJOb3fPHqf6jbv4G6w8lXfbr5AiNmFao-_dB80yuLgCUxUrSjuYGh3KgfCHIOWk2qu6I7OBV3o6HOMBLCreIw7CDJeWb_HtT2FuEKlqYNjPT/s1600/photo+(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpGzTi7z-ZEfQBhte-dTlHJ1XaVjZLHQ2jJOb3fPHqf6jbv4G6w8lXfbr5AiNmFao-_dB80yuLgCUxUrSjuYGh3KgfCHIOWk2qu6I7OBV3o6HOMBLCreIw7CDJeWb_HtT2FuEKlqYNjPT/s400/photo+(5).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">By the ugly brown wall with new ugly 5" pipe</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQ7ci9XBhIFsLefalfeEshqmFMxYLlJsuqzEw1xs4GHLk0U1V2XrG94xmOY-gKUtgRS3JUODhduhA0U_uY8r72-ROX3wybKDmJ6YHlJOJGau313UesdLI-PmUD5iBLBobm1YKMvC2KkRH/s1600/photo+(9).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQ7ci9XBhIFsLefalfeEshqmFMxYLlJsuqzEw1xs4GHLk0U1V2XrG94xmOY-gKUtgRS3JUODhduhA0U_uY8r72-ROX3wybKDmJ6YHlJOJGau313UesdLI-PmUD5iBLBobm1YKMvC2KkRH/s400/photo+(9).JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Star Jasmine perfuming every breath, everywhere</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I9Sr95rYcTGrmkz6XQ1sjWQGU_g-8e4TFpeN6WRo8kUdpCLF61DFmAYpLSha-jDeA7LTVVonyYbF3VvwP5eeZHT09QSH7mIKCkn1PNYWhqiHTBndS_Ji3RtDO5qFrbZPIZeyhc9sJEss/s1600/photo+(14).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-I9Sr95rYcTGrmkz6XQ1sjWQGU_g-8e4TFpeN6WRo8kUdpCLF61DFmAYpLSha-jDeA7LTVVonyYbF3VvwP5eeZHT09QSH7mIKCkn1PNYWhqiHTBndS_Ji3RtDO5qFrbZPIZeyhc9sJEss/s400/photo+(14).jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oenethera, I hate this plant, but its pretty, and not garish. Just mega invasive evil.</td></tr>
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I have some work to do. Have you ever done this? "Improved" your way into something that was better left as is?Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-87855858331578441102012-03-27T06:30:00.009-04:002012-03-29T21:32:28.965-04:00Is Old the New New?The proverbial baby keeps getting tossed with the bath water. Its true. And nowhere has this been more debated than in the rose world. As the story goes, the commercialization of the cultivar "Peace" by Meilland after WWII, ushered in the age of the hybrid tea, which saw a great many roses perish in their midst. Now, all kidding aside, I think many of us now sigh a big whew, and thank those 1960s, 70s and 80s folks who stuck to their guns and kept around an old rose or two instead of hoisting them all in favor of the latest and greatest. <br />
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But come on everyone, lets get real. Rose growers have long been in the business of commerce, and there has always been "this years winner" be it wines, or flowers, or fashion trends. Some of those items honestly SHOULD be deigned fit only for the history books (kindles). White skintight jumpsuits for instance. Hoopskirts, knee breeches, knob and tube electric, telegrams. And yes, many many old roses. There are also those things that come into and go out of fashion throughout the years. And yes, gardening itself goes in an out of style, and flower type, height, smell, and form all seem to win or lose favor with each successive generation. Even before the advent of hybrid teas in the later 19th century, the annals of time have claimed many a flower variety.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx30W_iJlcJSftJI9Ya7E60bccQrN1z62_QaCjbhc-9Fy2UaSJF96qjCJpDlYKvPdYos3x0L6ZIDkxdbVe2a6LUqgRquHMp9nNoPITUEHj50g9U5IbzKNDnjY1beGCd0H-jSb-7IxKu5h/s1600/peace+the+conquerer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBx30W_iJlcJSftJI9Ya7E60bccQrN1z62_QaCjbhc-9Fy2UaSJF96qjCJpDlYKvPdYos3x0L6ZIDkxdbVe2a6LUqgRquHMp9nNoPITUEHj50g9U5IbzKNDnjY1beGCd0H-jSb-7IxKu5h/s400/peace+the+conquerer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosa "Peace" ~ The Conquerer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>So with this as the setup, we have an interesting trend going on now in the rose world, as well as the gardening world as a whole: organic, original, heirloom, old. Old is this generations next greatest thing. So much so that I read somewhere recently that hybrid tea roses, once the overwhelming ONLY selection of roses in commerce are having trouble selling and languishing on the shelves!!! This means that hybrid tea varieties, the good, the bad, and the ugly will perish in the whiplash. Hold on to your favorite varieties now, because soon they'll be hard to come by (life's full of blackspot and then you die).<br />
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And so it goes... in my lifetime I'm all but certain that new will move back into being the next new thing, and old garden roses, heirloom vegetables and whatnot will again have to step aside for some amazing new horticultural marvel as the whim of popular opinion moves along. As most of us probably have found out in our lives, not all progress is actually progress, but no progress isn't progress either. And sometimes you can't tell the difference for a good long while. Something to chew on, that.<br />
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So to each his own I say. The fact that there are remontant lilacs and hydrangeas and short versions of every old garden stalwart isn't a bad thing. It reflects what we the people really want. Not all of us (I sure as heck would rather the taller dianthus, coneflowers, and salvia's of yore), but the masses have spoken for this day, this moment, and have done for many many many generations. And hey, my hydrangeas stay in bloom 10 months of the year. I can live with that. And just to throw it out there, if I could grow lilacs at all down here, I wouldn't care if they came from Mars, and were only available at the "evil box store": I'd be growing them.<br />
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So how about this: Lets stop beating each other up about our choices... what do you say? Organic or not, heirloom or not, OGR or knockout, purebred or hybrid, remontant or species, the choice is yours, and surely any current generational zeal you conform to for anyone's reasons but your own will shortly be the next worst thing.<br />
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</div>For the record: in my garden in zone 9a super humid all year long Southern Coastal USA, I fertilize primarily organically with a midseason dollop of osmocote, spray for pests and disease only when absolutely necessary (but I absolutely do), think lawns are sort of pretty, and I grow 18 cultivars of roses:<br />
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3 types of knockouts<br />
2 david austin shrubs<br />
1 species rose<br />
5 OGRs (or almost) a noisette, a polyantha, a bourbon, a china and a hybrid musk<br />
4 modern bushes/climbers<br />
2 bermuda/mysteries<br />
1 miniature<br />
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They ALL grow quite well, and have no distain for each other. Imagine that! I make my own choices, and to those of you who think I do so in an uninformed fashion, I'll also state for the record, I think its nice that you have an opinion. We all do. And since nostalgia is such the rage these days I'll add this oldie but goodie: If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. Now I sure do wish that WOULD come back to stay.<br />
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</div>The defense rests.Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-56463037251465972672012-03-17T06:00:00.000-04:002012-03-17T20:19:48.800-04:00Box LimerickThere once was a house with a drive<br />
which was planted with boxwood each side<br />
It grew so very slow, how was that family to know<br />
Now no one can get through to inside!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqANfCWwPmDIza4Av6c85M1ug-NfUxbi6ujsB4GINaOW7wIpzdWNIuERzPN9o_O5NWEKlkhsyFmYIpysEAUdrotjrBaMjKE74U8ZDjItjwHd_n54GsTaBvHAqGP-Iy-dnHGjnUl83-zvdB/s1600/MGFrontwalk_edited-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqANfCWwPmDIza4Av6c85M1ug-NfUxbi6ujsB4GINaOW7wIpzdWNIuERzPN9o_O5NWEKlkhsyFmYIpysEAUdrotjrBaMjKE74U8ZDjItjwHd_n54GsTaBvHAqGP-Iy-dnHGjnUl83-zvdB/s640/MGFrontwalk_edited-1.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The front walk to my childhood home</td></tr>
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Happy St. Pats! I've started my front garden gutting and knot garden construction. Mean, lean and green. Boxwoods are involved. Stay tuned!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-65172638652886914562012-03-12T08:00:00.000-04:002012-03-18T22:02:17.850-04:00Top Ten Benefits of Gardening1)<u>Magic </u>- Gardening is more than hard work, maintenance and flowers lolling in the breeze. There are moments every so often when the sunlight is on your face, the soft sound of bees buzzing reaches your ears, and the smell of earth fills your nostrils. Suddenly you open up to another smaller, more wonderful world. Little moments of magic, I like to call them. There is something to be said for sitting out on a patio chair early on a May morning drinking your coffee and minding your own business when a hummingbird zips up and stares you right in the face for 30 seconds. <br />
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2)<u>Being Present In the Moment</u> - Gardening insists that you be present in the moment, due to the sheer ephemeralness of the pastime. What you notice this very moment well might not be there tomorrow or the next day. In a broader context though, I find the act of gardening similar to reading in that it focus's the attention down so much that it is hard to be actively gardening while also thinking about x, y, or z. I tend to be thinking about exactly what I'm doing... and in this day and age that's rare. <br />
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3)<u>Hope</u> - No matter what happens out there, I am always hopeful for each and every plant. That it will survive, get bigger, bloom nicer, quit taking over neighbor plants. I always look at each plant and see in my minds eye its most perfect self. And, as gardens tend get better with age, I always have hope no matter what the disaster was last season. I think the reason people like visiting others grand gardens is because it gives us hope of what ours might be someday. And what's really nice about all this hope: sometimes we do achieve!<br />
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4)<u>Passion</u> - Catch someone who gardens in the late February spring fever and you'll see passion along almost fanatical lines. I almost went to Chamblees.com and ordered two more roses at midnight a few days back, even though my 'rose picks' of the year had already been purchased with great thought and care several months before so they'd have the winter to get well established. Its a mania.<br />
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5)<u>Exercise</u> - Gardening uses muscles that most people do not use. It is a full body isometric sport. <br />
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6)<u>Stress Relief</u> - Part of being in the moment (#2) I think, but a very specific benefit on its own: Stress Relief. When in the garden, because of the physicality of the entire process and the utilization of most of your senses... it tends to disrupt the brain from the circular worry/dwelling/task oriented thinking which goes on contantly in the background without our consious noticing. It is almost hard NOT to stop and smell the roses in the metaphorical sense because your brain is busy listening to the birds and bees, watching the colors and forms, feeling the gritty dirt, and smelling all the smells that are around. <br />
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7)<u>Sense of Accomplishment</u> - Many of us use our jobs to get our daily fix of doing something to move forward in the world. Anyone who has ever lost a job knows exactly how much of this sense of accomplishment and achievement we derive from our jobs; they have obvious rewards. Granted there are tons of things we do every day that provide us with accomplishments, but family chores and house maintenenance don't provide that immediate sense of satisfaction. Take weeding though. An hour out weeding and you can see your efforts. An hour planting a row of azaleas...instant gratification... as well as future rewards as those plants mature and become better than even your first vision of them had been. Like a botanical pension plan, really.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkjKyt6eSUv_BDZAm5ZJ6AL7w8YKf6cgPp5yAhZHH0FZMqAnky33ha8C_vAbBzrmcXmsxfuYekuhaP8U5B1WUvwVmckaErdxwDtwe3OnF13dWSR939Sd0Bn14kfI6pQ-tRtLRTH0eeIFo/s1600/photo+%252849%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOkjKyt6eSUv_BDZAm5ZJ6AL7w8YKf6cgPp5yAhZHH0FZMqAnky33ha8C_vAbBzrmcXmsxfuYekuhaP8U5B1WUvwVmckaErdxwDtwe3OnF13dWSR939Sd0Bn14kfI6pQ-tRtLRTH0eeIFo/s400/photo+%252849%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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8)<u>Alone Time</u>. Gardening is something that is generally best done alone. Though its nice to share the garden, and I love doing so, I spend most of my time in it just being myself, all by myself, in my yuckiest clothes with no makeup on.<br />
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9)<u>Creativity/Individuality</u>... yes nearly everyone has a knockout rose or two, but I can tell you my garden doesn't look a thing like anyone elses around here. And thats not on purpose really, I just do what I think looks good. I make mistakes in my mind, and I dig them up and move them or donate them to others. The sum total collective is a huge expression of what I find pretty. Its why I like visiting other peoples gardens too. It expands my vision, but also shows me their unique creative side. <br />
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10)<u>Acceptance</u>. Sometimes you cannot win. Mother Nature is a really tough mama, and she doesn't really make exceptions. I have learned to accept that some things take time, for instance. I have learned to accept that I can't have any more sun, less sun, less 90+ degree days than she's going to give me.<br />
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{All Photos from my trip last week to Magnolia Plantation}Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com25tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-90176204797418666532012-03-02T15:33:00.000-05:002012-03-02T22:35:33.365-05:00When Good Yards Go Bad IIFor Part II of my series on Charleston yards gone awry, I thought I would share with you a newly planted front yard installation that cropped up this week, on my walking route to work, while I was away on a business trip. As we gardeners so often note during this time of year: a lot can happen to a "garden" in just one short week.<br />
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So without further ado: here you have it. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26IO6ffCqrdewtFPJcn-DDdTXMt6E_0cjOS2JZo2gnzO5PnQUyspVlDoxRadex3JHPsN69mHAkPKAH7WpRgpvsug6aqF4VH9MuR5rNNu82ZOgIaMCdwDl-n8o52dol8b60OMPXbhcrw52/s1600/photo+(41).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi26IO6ffCqrdewtFPJcn-DDdTXMt6E_0cjOS2JZo2gnzO5PnQUyspVlDoxRadex3JHPsN69mHAkPKAH7WpRgpvsug6aqF4VH9MuR5rNNu82ZOgIaMCdwDl-n8o52dol8b60OMPXbhcrw52/s640/photo+(41).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Kitchen" Garden</td></tr>
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As with many truly unfortunate ideas, they tend to look good on paper. Communism springs to mind. But in all fairness, and to set myself apart from the mainstream news media, let me present both sides. What this genus does have going for it:<br />
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- It comes in many colors, an almost endless array<br />
- Variable pricing on different cultivars, priced to fit nearly anyone's budget<br />
- Strong silvery foliage that will absolutely never need staking<br />
- Low water needs<br />
- Doesn't mind if you plant it upside down<br />
- Supreme disease resistance (although the very cheapest varieties may be prone to Rust)<br />
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But in my humble opinion, the negatives of this species far outweigh the positives:<br />
- It remains short, sparse and invariable<br />
- Painful if stepped on<br />
- Companion 'plantings' tend to be empty aluminum cans and cigarette butts, two of my least favorite weedy varieties<br />
- Attracts party-ators (aged 22 and under all night partyers) instead of pollinators<br />
- Tends to spread: not necessarily in the same form but its companion plantings and party-ators move quickly throughout the block, overtaking well established gardens in a very short time period.<br />
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Anyhow made for a good laugh on my way to work, and I couldn't resist putting it up here!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-67152227910087251872012-02-27T17:41:00.001-05:002012-02-27T17:43:11.478-05:00Growing Moon VinesOne of my additions to the garden this year will be the hot weather loving night bloomer: the moonvine. It is notoriously difficult to germinate, and while I might have good luck rooting woody plants, my seed sowing successes have been limited to those who are fine with a fling onto the ground method. <br />
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I have visions of it growing up my two story columns on the corner of my front porch. The area that it will be planted will be completely surrounded by driveway, sidewalk or house, so though a member of the locally invasive ipomoea (morning glory) family, I am not too worried. If its up in my attic next year I might change my story though. In its planned spot it will only get morning sun, then a brief one hour burst of evening sun, but given the intensity around here, I'm also feeling it will fair pretty well. <br />
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A week ago, when I went home for a brief visit to my childhood home, it snowed nearly a foot! Which was awesome for this southern girl to see, since it melted before I needed to be anywhere seriously, and I looked at the weather at home as a security blanket on the internet and it was 68 degrees. Anyhow, along the Blue Ridge parkway where I grew up Spring is nowhere near at hand, and coupled with a roaring woodstove, coffee and nothing much to do, my Mom and I flipped through seed catalogs and talked about the gardens. She then admitted that she had never been able to grow these things. Therefore, I am bound and determined to grow not one, BUT two so I can give her one all potted up when she visits in late spring. <br />
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So here we go. I think I am going to try several methodologies at the same time. First the soak method, and if that doesn't work, I'm going to use the nick method. <br />
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This involves a couple of seeds, some water, a paper towel, and a baggie. Combine and you get this:<br />
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I will check it every day for the next several and once (or if) I see the shell split I'm going to plant it in my handy dandy see through milk carton and peat moss and gallon baggie combo that I am partial too.<br />
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P.S. 3 days later:<br />
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2 of the 4 seeds have sprouted, so I'm going with this soak plus warm window method. Into the sphagnum they go!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-87300065819836997322012-02-24T18:04:00.005-05:002012-08-10T18:46:18.774-04:00Red Solo CupThat's right ya'll... It's time to PARTY! <br />
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After three years of reconfiguring and plotting and despairing, I finally talked someone into helping me move the large chunks of flagstone, and bring me a pickup trucks worth of dirt to begin operation "Hide My Neighbors Ugly Chickenwire Fence" and operation "Plant Something, ANYTHING, In the front portion of the Parking Garden."<br />
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Let me explain why exactly things have gotten to this point. The house next to me, with the 2 story garage...yes that one...2 feet from my property line wasn't always as big as it is today. In the mid 90s someone got the great idea to nearly double the house size and include monster garage. First it goes against every historic preservation rule the City has, and likely got done with a little under the table dealing, but SECOND it created an enormous draining issue onto my property, specifically in the parking garden. Those of you who have witnessed a coastal southern downpour know how violent and copiously wet these storms can be, and massive massive amounts of water come cascading both through the downspouts and directly off the roof during these squalls. This has left erosion issues like I've never seen in a backyard. All of the dirt is gone, and most of the tree roots are exposed 3 feet below grade in a 10ft by 5 ft area. At some point in the intervening years, probably to stop further damage, and maintain several trees in an upright position, someone got the wise idea of coating the area in huge fieldstone slabs. And, I have to say, it worked. But after even more intervening years, some additional erosion, and new owners on both sides, the area looks somewhat like an ancient crypt which has been broken into on multiple occasions and vampires and other creepy crawlies are running around back there. Really gross 4-8 legged creepies.<br />
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This entire winter my neighbors have been redoing their house (ripping out rotting wood etc), with some disastrous effects to that side of my garden, resulting in the most hideous and (probably also not city legal) long and thick PVC piping running along the house, of course on my side, so I have to look at it (grrrr). There is going to be a LOT of hiding of that wall going on this spring. But, back to the point: the drainage issue has been mitigated. Not completely solved, but solved enough to really dig into the parking garden, after I paid for enough dirt to actually dig in, of course! <br />
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So, I sort of forgot the befores...but here's stage 1 afters of the front parking garden bed. Sure, sure, I know its a stretch to call a bed of dirt a garden, but if you had seen the befores you'd be raising your red solo cup to me.. that is 2400 pounds of dirt. <br />
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And just look at the stack of slate pieces previously used to ameliorate the original problem. And of course, yesterday in anticipation I had to go on a massive plant buying spree. 3 azaleas, 1 camellia, 1 autumn fern, 1 star jasmine, 1 gardenia and a holly. Six pack of beer. Lots of the big stuff, the bones.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXtW7kvGNBu0UmNtvx48aBccQj8oKn3RVj0yYlltWtTpuJigM_7J3Uh_lkdDESqYsPE2AmbO4_cYJ-Z0EM5EyC6fP_EVgt2Pk_gUE32Xj6YWVm1hjJNvID7oelaLgusUnQHoH3yhLa6o2/s1600/drawing+garden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXtW7kvGNBu0UmNtvx48aBccQj8oKn3RVj0yYlltWtTpuJigM_7J3Uh_lkdDESqYsPE2AmbO4_cYJ-Z0EM5EyC6fP_EVgt2Pk_gUE32Xj6YWVm1hjJNvID7oelaLgusUnQHoH3yhLa6o2/s640/drawing+garden.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
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And here is a very not to scale drawing of my back yard, so people can get an idea of where I'm talking about when I'm talking about the gardens outside the white picket fence. The area that is technical my land alone is the white picket fence garden, left narrow drive bed, front garden, lirope hedge, left parking garden, front parking garden, main parking garden (all three the 'parking garden'). I co-own the back border. The side border, the 'little bed' and the right narrow drive bed are not owned by me but mine for the planting should I ever get around to it. So as you can see, for a city garden I really can make myself a paradise, and I have years of work to go still. I mean just look at that 'after'... years.<br />
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Azaleas Hino Crimson are already in..as is the jasmine vine to start covering the chickenwire. I am sooooo tempted to put some ivy on there....<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMM2oryYKkK0U5DQYiECQ7MntbCgJYLNjhJSLVcKq7EsbqjAR9Y9yEe8Ff2cexbfwokfpjFYtag6ZBuTJtnZp3trGPUnPDB44RHMinZI77yu_yB2i1FDIvpfLRhC4x7nPMbblsffGJOa3/s1600/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwMM2oryYKkK0U5DQYiECQ7MntbCgJYLNjhJSLVcKq7EsbqjAR9Y9yEe8Ff2cexbfwokfpjFYtag6ZBuTJtnZp3trGPUnPDB44RHMinZI77yu_yB2i1FDIvpfLRhC4x7nPMbblsffGJOa3/s400/photo+%252830%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-8259213450271452272012-02-15T07:00:00.000-05:002012-04-05T21:56:38.989-04:00State Of The Blog AddressBefore I really dig down into the garden this year, I thought it would be fun to do a little state of blog post. I think it's always fun to see the numbers and comings and goings behind things and blogs are no different. Statistics and trends can be fascinating I think, and I'm often surprised at what turns out popular and what does not. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYisG5VKwe92gAo7u8nyXcC6Rx72vQ1FSqdSkru1jt6bDw43lXQPqmi2N52ZaKyl_rQOp_eNVFRouOSmSj-fDO8z9ZQ3JjK4e2gGBkkeikfIWXdg7IqARqlCzL_wlbvAajz396-ptIOx72/s1600/counter1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="77" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYisG5VKwe92gAo7u8nyXcC6Rx72vQ1FSqdSkru1jt6bDw43lXQPqmi2N52ZaKyl_rQOp_eNVFRouOSmSj-fDO8z9ZQ3JjK4e2gGBkkeikfIWXdg7IqARqlCzL_wlbvAajz396-ptIOx72/s320/counter1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The majority of my site traffic comes from Google. No shock there. Because Charleston is a tourist town I get a decent amount of traffic from that word alone. Charleston, Charleston, Charleston. Just adding it a few more times for the Googlebot! It works too. Many times I've seen visitors come by looking for "Charleston Gardens" and stay long enough to check out half the pages on my site. These types of visits are very obvious to the blogger and make us feel so good!<br />
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So starting with the basics, Children of the Corm, on an average non-post day gets about 50 visits, if you don't count the mad bombing hits from Pakistan and the like. On a post day, and the day after, it can vary dramatically from 100-250 visits. Nothing stupendous, but not terrible either, considering my very first month of blogging Jan 2010, I had an entire 9 visits. Also I only post 2-3 times a month on average. I have noticed that if I post 4-6 times a month my traffic increases dramatically, about 3 fold. But realistically, I'm really not capable of keeping that up on an every month basis. The very best day on my blog statistically speaking was the day it was linked in Apartment Therapy, also not surprisingly. I was famous for a day! <br />
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Besides from not posting on a Friday, I have given up trying to figure out when 'best' to post a blog to maximize readership. Because it is a garden blog it can be extremely weather dependent. If the weather is clement in the USA, UK, Australia, and Canada its going to be crickets on the blog, particularly on a weekend. If the weather is crappy over most of those land masses, its going to be a high traffic Saturday and Sunday. I have also noticed that posting the day before a holiday or the holiday itself will ensure light visits, however, the day after a holiday seems to be a high traffic day. I guess all that turkey in the belly is keeping people on the couch 'surfing.' <br />
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I don't mind people downloading my photos, and as I have yet to have someone hijack my blog content, at this point I take it as a sort of compliment. That said it is very surprising what people really are interested in saving. Despite that this picture was posted in reference to its ugly side, this is the #1 currently downloaded picture, and #2 overall:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrsYjY7sCMxIbDqFLr0Mwztum6dptPKlNoxwj4FUpJU3QWvr6cRPxEvkXUAz4mGwMhorMmFDz1aKiyHNgZIYaNSkHti01242s_ayesD3SuoJVU7T7GwTC8FgbBERd3JjZD_R56DKnnUgP/s1600/yaupon+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwrsYjY7sCMxIbDqFLr0Mwztum6dptPKlNoxwj4FUpJU3QWvr6cRPxEvkXUAz4mGwMhorMmFDz1aKiyHNgZIYaNSkHti01242s_ayesD3SuoJVU7T7GwTC8FgbBERd3JjZD_R56DKnnUgP/s320/yaupon+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In 2012 alone, 21 people have decided they needed to keep<br />
a permanent copy!</td></tr>
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The current #2 (and #1 overall):<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcXYQGGQri3SMVrpHMOSbkf_YixJItrMVV4LYNVPt7PqG1xHuaHRgYwArTsqVSgE-EHQWkqLHqZQ-2uz1d_LUOG8Ws5egPCLCskqUYeUSlJkmsbNgjrODXaQ8jtZCkFjIONcYkszd4ygG/s1600/DSC_0168.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDcXYQGGQri3SMVrpHMOSbkf_YixJItrMVV4LYNVPt7PqG1xHuaHRgYwArTsqVSgE-EHQWkqLHqZQ-2uz1d_LUOG8Ws5egPCLCskqUYeUSlJkmsbNgjrODXaQ8jtZCkFjIONcYkszd4ygG/s320/DSC_0168.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Followed closely by another from the same post:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LR96iONTh3E7wCiwAioVO4JotQgXF7O6auGjtiiCqTuoOk2jHgJIveTtrhAJEtqNHQE3mY9UdLhP80TTE7nH_KOxkHixdG02gZyyel0zIClERWjlfGGZe-IVNYvLtkX6z5MQaB7HLT3Z/s1600/15forblog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4LR96iONTh3E7wCiwAioVO4JotQgXF7O6auGjtiiCqTuoOk2jHgJIveTtrhAJEtqNHQE3mY9UdLhP80TTE7nH_KOxkHixdG02gZyyel0zIClERWjlfGGZe-IVNYvLtkX6z5MQaB7HLT3Z/s320/15forblog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Next up are a pair of my cat, Siggy:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeBdj4-xfNYAjd1uDkewIosFn6A_q4QChtly-dRiZVhO8NiYU-ei1pmivVA1dQhMtt4RQN8wOZpCtrdXkqLEA8nwR06W65Q6OoR5HpwejxPgDbzYcKegdFpA5eDhAJt95M4NGCmFXrP83/s1600/Still-Life-With-Cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxeBdj4-xfNYAjd1uDkewIosFn6A_q4QChtly-dRiZVhO8NiYU-ei1pmivVA1dQhMtt4RQN8wOZpCtrdXkqLEA8nwR06W65Q6OoR5HpwejxPgDbzYcKegdFpA5eDhAJt95M4NGCmFXrP83/s320/Still-Life-With-Cat.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvOEaID-5PhhrdP16OK22bZpcbIMJcFJu_lscMOiXuIwNKIX3ygfbONIjmmSXWF9AzAIhkmCL9MpKAC9Muvf8BvQSNH8x1hMEY25UhSzsb3YIyTcTuqdUCblFL41rwcFCd_Wros3oQlxR/s1600/Timetogarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwvOEaID-5PhhrdP16OK22bZpcbIMJcFJu_lscMOiXuIwNKIX3ygfbONIjmmSXWF9AzAIhkmCL9MpKAC9Muvf8BvQSNH8x1hMEY25UhSzsb3YIyTcTuqdUCblFL41rwcFCd_Wros3oQlxR/s320/Timetogarden.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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So it basically takes til pictures #s 6 and 7 to get to something mildly garden related, also both from the same post:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydUHw9I0882HXnD1UApOYa_FX_wFKADZGJznCnA20LcJZWQC3YCdMuvFsky0ouPfxWWyA-tugKQmeycsJmdGNlMbsnCsAQc-TRUaDJk2KvYfYDfNmodYjxyD94_6_FyvyM38E50I-zai9/s1600/Sunny+Border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgydUHw9I0882HXnD1UApOYa_FX_wFKADZGJznCnA20LcJZWQC3YCdMuvFsky0ouPfxWWyA-tugKQmeycsJmdGNlMbsnCsAQc-TRUaDJk2KvYfYDfNmodYjxyD94_6_FyvyM38E50I-zai9/s320/Sunny+Border.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcSOTT2OngElY77tPpCjeJkKboQZWmw79ecYDn8zuJxQJBkigh4ESJW8T5vcfrGbPz34fUVJx0cVKcU25nvkNcmnXyj9KQ0ebNZsDNcO86rGFSGH_pPwq_ItuqpCnh0m9RhmLbXTKzFJ-/s1600/StatueJasmine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIcSOTT2OngElY77tPpCjeJkKboQZWmw79ecYDn8zuJxQJBkigh4ESJW8T5vcfrGbPz34fUVJx0cVKcU25nvkNcmnXyj9KQ0ebNZsDNcO86rGFSGH_pPwq_ItuqpCnh0m9RhmLbXTKzFJ-/s320/StatueJasmine.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
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And just a quick jump back to Geography, about 50% of my visitors come from the USA, 10% from the UK, 5% each from Australia, Canada, and Germany, and the other 25% from everywhere else in the world. Except for China. I have only had one lone visit from non-Hong Kong China. Apparently I must be blacklisted over there. In the USA state-wise, Texas leads the way with a whopping 11%, followed by North Carolina at 8%, South Carolina at 7%, Georgia at 4% and with New York at 3% rounding out the top 5. Come on home State! Texas is beating you!<br />
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My top 5 posts are:<br />
1)<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2010/03/you-might-be-weed-if.html">"You Might Be A Weed If..."</a><br />
2)<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2011/06/10-shade-tolerant-roses.html">"10 Shade Tolerant Roses"</a><br />
3)<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2010/08/brugmansia-mania.html">"Brugmania Mania" </a><br />
4)<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2011/04/how-to-age-brand-new-cement-statue.html">"How To Age A Brand New Cement Statue"</a><br />
5)<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2011/04/when-wildlife-wont-stay-put.html">"When Wildlife Won't Stay Put"</a><br />
<br />
My least popular post was my very first one :( which I thought pretty good. Check it out sometime if you want to make me feel better about it :)!<br />
<a href="http://childrenofthecorm.blogspot.com/2010/01/for-love-of-4-oclock.html">For The Love Of 4 O'clock</a><br />
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My top Google search terms are: "shade tolerant roses", "how to build a trellis", "white garden", "brugmansia" "Charleston gardens" and the persistent "ballerina rose" coming in at #1.<br />
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On the live and learn column, one thing I wish I hadn't done was put the word naked in a post along with lady in the same post, as well as children in the name of the blog. Some of these searches that I get are amusing, i.e. "Naked neighbor lady in my garden", but others are downright sicko. I don't want those people even looking at my blog! I'll just say that there are bad people out there. <br />
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I am very fortunate to average about 15 individual comments on each of my posts, and I am very very grateful for them. I have quite a few frequent commenters, Grace, Masha, Holley, Kyna, Deb, Marguerite, Casa M, Phillip, Clare, Catmint, Ursula, Donna, Gina, Daracia, Carolyn, Jim, Heidi, Christine, Jean, and I'm sure more, plus I've had some new commenters recently that I hope will continue to stop by! Thank you all very much. <br />
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Also, in the thanks giving, my top referrers are:<br />
<a href="http://theidiotgardener.blogspot.com/">"The Idiot Gardener"</a><br />
<a href="http://charlestondailyphoto.blogspot.com/">"Charleston Daily Photo"</a><br />
<a href="http://www.compostinmyshoe.blogspot.com/"><span id="goog_966945710"></span>"Compost In My Shoe"</a><span id="goog_966945711"></span><br />
<br />
...but I get so many referrals from so many of you, so again, thanks so much.<br />
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Well, that about sums it up! One housekeeping issue: I finally got around to creating myself a blog facebook page, so for those that prefer to follow on facebook, you now can. There's a link in the sidebar. <br />
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Cheers to another year of fun blogging, blog reading, and gardening adventures (with plenty of mishaps by you all because those make amusing post!) I have made it into the beginning of my 3rd year, so maybe I'll be a long-timer after all!<br />
<br />
JessJesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com31tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-35056136914983138032012-02-11T18:24:00.001-05:002012-02-12T21:01:50.164-05:00Camellia "Pink Perfection"For a Charlestonian I have a shocking disregard of the local popular plants. I hate canna's, I don't grow meyer lemon trees or tea olives (yet), I dug up all the lantana kicking and screaming, and I own only one straggly camellia, a sasanqua, that while beautiful as can be, has scale so bad that I cannot get rid of it...after trying for three years. I even broke down and used the evil stuff after the soakings in neem had no effect. No dice there either... scale can get to such proportions that it can never be eradicated. Sasanqua's are known for it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBixQiwSNyj0_G_pf4gJTZ1RwG8CbNxTIcZUyRFkcc2ndW5IgHegN1njFWPufNdtF5i_c9s8wS080GKSdrLdGuDMWDG9pIXK4Hz_SAS16ENdWPZbHbm9x0DjOKJlfW7A64pqM4J6Y3r0r2/s1600/Sasanqua+Camilla+Front+Porch.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBixQiwSNyj0_G_pf4gJTZ1RwG8CbNxTIcZUyRFkcc2ndW5IgHegN1njFWPufNdtF5i_c9s8wS080GKSdrLdGuDMWDG9pIXK4Hz_SAS16ENdWPZbHbm9x0DjOKJlfW7A64pqM4J6Y3r0r2/s400/Sasanqua+Camilla+Front+Porch.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sasanqua off of the front porch in December.... lots of bloom almost no leaves!<br />
Sorry for crappy quality...apparently I couldn't be bothered to open screened door.</td></tr>
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The camellia, unfortunately, is going to die from this, and I think this is the year I'm going to put it out of its misery. I already have 2 cuttings going so that I can keep the mystery cultivar though, because it is a very early bloomer (October) and blooms the same time the roses do in the fall, which is fantastic. I actually prefer sasanquas in form, truth be told.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayFDjPzcyAjQEEI2UwrGEe3Cv_HwL3UhH9ZwxmSCoBE-qWher6L1MJ1iB3sNjK5Wwpv4R29eaaxvgGRcSk6JDMECQHE2BCikWYtPicPVFstYvSO0hK3KI5p5WWuDIIpsXF-8rvQJe6eEw/s1600/photo+(25).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiayFDjPzcyAjQEEI2UwrGEe3Cv_HwL3UhH9ZwxmSCoBE-qWher6L1MJ1iB3sNjK5Wwpv4R29eaaxvgGRcSk6JDMECQHE2BCikWYtPicPVFstYvSO0hK3KI5p5WWuDIIpsXF-8rvQJe6eEw/s400/photo+(25).JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even my scale has scale on the few remaining leaves</td></tr>
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But, now that I'm working on the parking garden, which has a combination of half-day sun, and full light shade areas I have a space in which to add a few large bushes where they will have room to grow. I've already placed 10 or so daylilies up near the front where the sun will shine, as well as a Carefree Beauty rose bush. On the left side, by the white picket fence (you honestly can't get away from white picket fence-lines on my property) I've finally landed a few azaleas too. What the area really needs are some large shrubs to hide the other neighbors hideous blank wall and the cars, and that is indeed the topic of this post, should I every decide to get to the point here.<br />
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Now, you might be wondering how it is that my one house can be surrounded by so many other houses, and you'd be right to wonder! In Charleston, because it was built when we used to cook over open flames, the kitchens were often housed in their own building, as were carriages, and even the in-laws, if at all fiscally possible. This means most of the properties have dependencies, and most have long since been split into separate residences for us hoi palloi. So anyhow, this explains it. Both my house, and the one next to me, with the massive garage on the shady side of my garden, each are part of old urbans 'estates' that have dependencies. Between me and my neighbors original properties there are six total houses, on very deep lots. The lots here, tend to be very narrow and have no front yards (zero lot lines), but are about 3 times as deep as you'd expect. One of these days, I'll have to draw it out for you, particularly as I start gardening on some of the 'shared' spaces. (i.e. they are getting all my pink knockout roses that I want to replace with something else). This also explains why there is such an abundance of fencing. Good fences, as they say....<br />
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Now, to the point, finally: camellias. As a rose lover you'd think I'd be all over these things, and I am, just they are expensive and I am slow to dig big holes. But I have been planning on lots of camellias eventually, once I get around to some good shady spots. Plus, they really are 25 to the block in every single color imaginable so I honestly can look out my living room windows and see some without having to plant anything. Who was it that said something about incorporating the 'borrowed' views?<br />
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I brought my first camellia home today though, and its a beaut! The local nursery's around here are chock a block with varieties because the bushes are so popular, so it was actually difficult to choose just one, but recently coming to peace with myself over the "buy large plant and wait 6 months to plant because dread digging the hole which takes hours" syndrome, I have decided that I can only buy one at a time. If I plant it, I can go and get another. Seeing as I'm not one of these people who wants another of the same kind, this really has no downside.<br />
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This is camellia "Pink Perfection", a japonica with nearly perfect flower form. The buds are huge and heavy, the leaves larger than average, and the hole digging is going to be a doozy (its in a 7 gallon pot). This is a relatively easy to get cultivar, supposedly a prolific bloomer, but very susceptible to root rot, so I hear, so not a good choice for clay soils. My sand for soil on the other hand... will still need sphagnum to keep the thing from frying, I'm sure.<br />
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Here's what I hope mine looks like in years to come. <br />
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But for today, it still looks pretty good. Though, its hole is not dug yet!<br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-22701335915088742262012-02-06T07:43:00.001-05:002012-02-06T19:10:43.222-05:00Throwing In The Towel and Lifting The SpadeWorkday!<br />
As the sun wains on today, it is 76 degrees outside. Mild with a light breeze. A top 10 day of the year, weatherwise, and on a Sunday to boot.<br />
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This morning with my coffee, I was sitting outside and taking a look at the roses, which I hadn't pruned at all, and...they were all breaking dormancy! Those that went into dormancy, that is. Marie Pavie has been blooming throughout the winter, in total shade. So, I threw in the towel and pick up the trowel and decided that today was first real garden day of the year. I probably worked for 5 straight hours out there! <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The remains of the blooms from Marie Pavie</td></tr>
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I planted the bulbs that have been hanging in the refrigerator (southern solution to no frost), hard pruned the roses, raked up the leaf cover, put several bags of compost and mulch all around, and potted up the stolen rose cutting which is now on its way to bush-dom.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpAnaqICri8rRik3CyN3TMEq58kYAv7jgxeKjmOlvZIbqABABnj4jOHh2omVz8z3I-1iHaeC_cJNTSwPSk6VkezqvDZWXkopgz-YQj8DSMyciSRhdaMQlyMoe4BmKAS_N9DM5Rq5BN9lF/s1600/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlpAnaqICri8rRik3CyN3TMEq58kYAv7jgxeKjmOlvZIbqABABnj4jOHh2omVz8z3I-1iHaeC_cJNTSwPSk6VkezqvDZWXkopgz-YQj8DSMyciSRhdaMQlyMoe4BmKAS_N9DM5Rq5BN9lF/s400/photo+%252815%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosa "Church Heist"</td></tr>
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And finally, after sitting out there in their nursery pots all winter (I don't know how it is I don't kill more stuff doing this), I planted the Encore Azaleas out in the parking garden. That process is an hour in itself, because it involves digging through the gravel, then sawing out the roots of various trees both dead and alive to make some room. Then of course importing some decent soil mixed with sphagnum so that some water is retained. Then, planting time. I often wonder what it must be like gardening someplace that hasn't been an urban center for hundreds of years and doesn't have mature 70 foot trees all over the place? Are there places with fertile workable soil? Really? Anyhow, the parking garden is a big work in progress. Mostly still the work part, with a lot of the progress forthcoming. One thing that is looking pretty good is the 'hedge' of liriope outside the garden gate leading to the parking garden. It gives me hope that 2 years from now the parking garden will be looking as established, and not, well, like this second picture.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHI9KNXaF6pK6TUyBQmzEIRs3akKvvtOm2IyRjBjz2WvleXIzKa8ee4lsqbHnMuJ6vjgpYxd1W42lL2qO38rMqLMCgwE1ebIseEJpCzgy9zwbQ0FpRPNEix2Qr31-iJvkhM4PhOTCWsLy5/s1600/photo+(13).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHI9KNXaF6pK6TUyBQmzEIRs3akKvvtOm2IyRjBjz2WvleXIzKa8ee4lsqbHnMuJ6vjgpYxd1W42lL2qO38rMqLMCgwE1ebIseEJpCzgy9zwbQ0FpRPNEix2Qr31-iJvkhM4PhOTCWsLy5/s640/photo+(13).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Evergreen Giant" Liriope along the driveway... looking good even in winter</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Azaleas looking very small in their new home</td></tr>
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My garden, still mostly sleepy, has turned a big corner in the past week... the no going back corner. Our average 'last frost' date here on the peninsula is Feb 11, but things are way ahead, and if we get a freezing night this year I'm hoping its not til next December. I think the latest ever is March 8, and thats a full month from now, so fingers are crossed. It is hard to imagine though, as the entire winter has been in the 60s and 70s minus a handful of days. Snowflakes are up, muscari nearly there, and even the tropical brugmansia has unfurled a few leaves. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-4762728466349277152012-01-29T12:21:00.000-05:002012-02-27T17:43:58.605-05:00Early Pink Trees and DaffodilsWell, things are blooming a month early. I have spied with my little eye white Lady Banks starting to bloom and the saucer magnolias are out full bore at this point. We haven't had even what we would call a winter down here, and I can't help myself... I'm delighted. Nothing like a few extra months of 60s and 70s, no? <br />
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Here's a few pictures from around my neighborhood yesterday, come take a January walk with with me:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2dWXxcK0P4zBTbLPv-9ibIylILcC82lufpRgxG6H5ozG4ZPMJx62iH4pkB6DCvh6yquWLLgcgfEKpxVJ73OivE5EeT_Y93RpjQCXx-xQF8NiwzQLdoQwV1cyD_46Fod6eq0KVw318PQ7/s1600/photo+(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2dWXxcK0P4zBTbLPv-9ibIylILcC82lufpRgxG6H5ozG4ZPMJx62iH4pkB6DCvh6yquWLLgcgfEKpxVJ73OivE5EeT_Y93RpjQCXx-xQF8NiwzQLdoQwV1cyD_46Fod6eq0KVw318PQ7/s640/photo+(1).JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the sidewalk..those Lady Banks are about to break</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V6E8AzWbt9CbxS-a_sdnMs346h6qI7GIBhCgC53kKLEyALY7wCW9klVKpN7I0OFs1RmnrQ-rtKnTqVLFlOn1pxiK8-rOvQuhMbLAROVIhHs3GHqFmUwZcVAMQRO-nfj2JzUTIQvMd7s-/s1600/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-V6E8AzWbt9CbxS-a_sdnMs346h6qI7GIBhCgC53kKLEyALY7wCW9klVKpN7I0OFs1RmnrQ-rtKnTqVLFlOn1pxiK8-rOvQuhMbLAROVIhHs3GHqFmUwZcVAMQRO-nfj2JzUTIQvMd7s-/s640/photo+%25286%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saucer Magnolias are VERY early...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggca6uv_rWYEC34U7YV1MwSxF6NeQBIJ71Pb4-R1D_0H5gLr5ziaQBOv-cj7lbHebor2pdvNtHG2agMtUglWkXFpQKtGh1yZxK49Zlk3klHjxrrBugCjkWSPCkmdvLr48TOSCJ82QHatw7/s1600/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggca6uv_rWYEC34U7YV1MwSxF6NeQBIJ71Pb4-R1D_0H5gLr5ziaQBOv-cj7lbHebor2pdvNtHG2agMtUglWkXFpQKtGh1yZxK49Zlk3klHjxrrBugCjkWSPCkmdvLr48TOSCJ82QHatw7/s640/photo+%25283%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Of course the camellias are out too</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXBwIM0jiNtI1ifP70WKV9wQ52EflAyPOFQkvI3tk0D3VHu9Hn9r3VITPJFTgBujYfbnZIi7S8k6e1NbbNlHANwOoCRzckvKLSuaiKxbCBMz19WISbGB5S_PYBL_qn_4mYN880F6IjWhZ/s1600/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXBwIM0jiNtI1ifP70WKV9wQ52EflAyPOFQkvI3tk0D3VHu9Hn9r3VITPJFTgBujYfbnZIi7S8k6e1NbbNlHANwOoCRzckvKLSuaiKxbCBMz19WISbGB5S_PYBL_qn_4mYN880F6IjWhZ/s640/photo+%25285%2529.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daffodils about to break through crazy vines</td></tr>
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And here's a more wintery looking picture, taken on my walk to work a morning last week when it was actually foggy in Charleston. Thats a pretty rare occurrence here, anything resembling fog usually burns up by 5am in the summer, and its usually too breezy in the winter when the correct atmospheric conditions are at hand. It happens less than once a year, I'd say. This little lake down at the corner (an old mill pond back in the day) provided the perfect showcase. The night before I was sitting on my upstairs porch watching it roll in, thick as a blanket. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-76106051483849307712012-01-03T22:30:00.000-05:002012-01-04T02:20:10.706-05:00Love & Hate Relationship With The White GardenOne of my favorite colors to wear is white...despite the pale skin and fair hair. Maybe not the best suited but, to me, it either looks sharp and cool, or dainty and girly. I probably own 10 white sundresses. Or maybe 20. 2 white suits, and a few additional white jackets. <br />
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Now my house has absolutely no white walls. Not a one. Blue, green, even Tiffany blue and purple brown, but no white. I would never, how boring, I think. <br />
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So in the rest of my color world its all very clear... very black and white (wink!), but in my garden I cannot make up my mind. I both love and hate white flowers in the garden. <br />
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Love, for example, is cohesive, dreamy and like my favorite white sundress:<br />
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But the ugly side (reality) is what stops me from planting much white in my garden:</div>
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The issue is that having a moon garden would be something worthwhile for me. My garden is at its best in March, April, October and November, when the days are short and it is twilight most weekdays before I get a chance to enjoy. But those dead white flowers. ick. they kill me. Nothing dies in the garden quite so ugly. <br />
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{please excuse the above use of these photos, they have been stolen off the web as inspiration many moons ago and I have no idea who to attribute them too. If they are yours, please let me know!}Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-88082286503447695072011-12-29T11:22:00.000-05:002012-01-03T00:19:31.196-05:00How To Root Stuff Every TimeI suspect every gardener has their thing... something that seems to come easier than to most people. Just like real life, I guess. You can't be good at everything, but every so often you realize that you indeed do know how to do some stuff.<br />
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As most of you know, I have just entered my 3rd year as a real gardener. You know, with dirt and all, and I have made a lot of mistakes. There is only so much you can learn from books and advice... eventually you just have to plant a plant, see it die and realize that it just isn't the right plant for the space!<br />
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Now in this short amount of time I have noticed that indeed I have a knack for something. To the tune of 100% success at doing this with absolutely no failures. I suspect, like much of 'skill' it comes down to a little bit of skill and having the natural circumstances be ripe for the doing. <br />
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I can root things. Any things. I hear and read about so many people having trouble rooting things such as roses or camellias and I just can't imagine why because, like I said, no matter what I try and root, it roots. Always. I know there are lots of competing opinions on how to do this, but I'll just add in here how I do it and why I think I'm so successful at it.<br />
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What you will need:<br />
-cutting<br />
-small clear plastic container<br />
-roottone<br />
-sphagnum moss<br />
-gallon baggie<br />
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First I start with the clear (see-through) container in which to root... something small that will easily fit in a gallon baggy. I like to take the bottom of the either small milk containers or 16 ounce soda bottles... cut either about 3 inches deep and put a few drainage holes in the bottom. Nothing fancy and bigger is not better. Either for the cutting, or the container. Take it and run in through the dishwasher. The reason we want clear is because we want to see when the roots get established without the guesswork.<br />
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Second, after the plastic container has come out of the dishwasher, fill it to half an inch of the top with straight sphagnum moss. Not a mix, not with a little compost, not dirt. The reason for this is we are about to create a permanently extremely humid moist environment and we need a 100% sterile environment. For rooting purposes, the little plants do not need nutrients. I know that there is a lot of debate on the web about this, but let me repeat, I have 100% success this way, so I know this won't be the limiting factor. <br />
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Okay, water your container thoroughly, and leave it for a minute or two in the sink to drain a bit. Now, go find a pencil and stick a hole in the middle of the container about 3/4 of the way down. <br />
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Next, pick up your root cutting, which should be sitting in water at this point. Make a little diagonal cut at the bottom. The cutting doesn't need to be more than about 5-6 inches tall. Remove all the leaves but two. Dip the just cut tip into roottone and immediately stick in the pencil hole and snug up the opening if there is space. I have never not used roottone so I don't know how much help this gives, but hey, its cheap, and if it ain't broke....<br />
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Final step: Place the entire thing in a gallon zip lock baggie, and leaving as much airspace as possible, zip it up. Thats it. You will not unzip it until it is a rooted plant. Period. Not once. Don't do it. I'm serious. Leave it alone.<br />
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Pretty easy right? The other piece of the puzzle is where to put it. And it needs to be in a bright spot with absolutely no direct sun. Not even for 2 minutes, or you have created an oven. Mine all grow in my kitchen window which stays in moderate temperatures between 68-78 degrees throughout the year, and is opposite a wall that gets good sunlight, but almost all light coming through the window is reflected off of that building. It works great. If you grow orchids successfully, you'll realize that this is the same quality of light. The holy grail of "rooting stuff" light.<br />
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Most things root in between 2 and 5 weeks. Once I see roots in the container, I give it a few more days to grow a bit more, then I take it carefully out of the bag. Often, you'll also be clued in from the new growth on top. Water it and let it drain thoroughly, and then place it back, bagless, in the same spot for the next few days. Check the dirt moisture every day and make sure it stays moist. After these 2 or 3 days to acclimatize to the reduced humidity it is time to plant your new little plant in a bigger container. I usually move up to the standard small nursery pot (5 inches) and fill with regular dirt, around the sphagnum and 'rootball' of the new plant. I leave it in its place in the winter, or move it out into the outdoor shade during the rest of the year. After a few weeks out in the shade, and keeping it extremely well watered, I move it to part sun, and then a few weeks later to where I think I want to plant it. And voila. I usually keep mine in successive containers until about 6 months old, but I'm not really sure that it matters that much. I have a Zepherine Drouhin out there that I planted while still in twig status and it's done just fine.<br />
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I guess a final note is that the cutting should happen when it best suits your climate, and clearly the plant that the cutting was taken from can't be in a dormant stage. For some of you, thats most of the year, others, only small periods of time. I have taken cuttings from pieces ending in a flower, one that had just finished blooming, and right before blooming. I have had a mophead hydrangea root from the flowerhead and stem alone! I see no difference at all in the end result, so I suspect all those rules are made up to explain away why this or that cutting didn't take. <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-81965555310819939032011-12-23T20:43:00.000-05:002011-12-23T22:47:27.749-05:00Merry Christmas Everyone!I hope all of you have a wonderful Christmas, and eat lots of bad-for-you stuff. I hope for no cats in the trees, a warm fire in the hearth, and snow in places that can handle a white Christmas without causing city services to shut down for a week (like, not here please). <br />
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I wish for a perfect weather year for all of us for 2012, and wonderful perfect flowers, with well behaved bugs and a massive reduction in the squirrel population at my house through divine intervention. I hope for rain for Texas and less rain for NJ, and a new year with no hurricanes, tornadoes, nuclear power plant melt downs, floods, or earthquakes. I wish for peace. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfV4qlzARl3vvNyzqGdbGZNfQd9rdEzYTdqwka0056qBkO5qpW7xX2jIDLeJ7vhR1kNqEEyMnMq5cxj0QpywYeBfjQgEihDjvByQNOzG9S1roxLoQBFCfnEnu7g9tedkIlJLDlg5GzAHn/s1600/SiggyXmastree.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidfV4qlzARl3vvNyzqGdbGZNfQd9rdEzYTdqwka0056qBkO5qpW7xX2jIDLeJ7vhR1kNqEEyMnMq5cxj0QpywYeBfjQgEihDjvByQNOzG9S1roxLoQBFCfnEnu7g9tedkIlJLDlg5GzAHn/s400/SiggyXmastree.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No matter how many times I take this picture she looks like an evil dictator..<br />
But Merry Christmas anyway.</td></tr>
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So Merry Christmas to you! And may all your dreams come true. (unless your dreams involve squirrel proliferation). <br />
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<br />Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4450926564221225084.post-21171515547879712542011-12-01T07:14:00.000-05:002011-12-01T18:00:35.597-05:00Last CallIts the December garden saying goodbye til February, giving this gardener a little break from watering and weeding and clipping, and some time to daydream and plan and get the ol' garden fantasy juices flowing so I'm totally jumping the gun come Spring, and primed for another season.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqgpX2wpeG2jk5JmPu3xL8XJBI93_2Qz9j4rocKbcbVyUy02qFwDoiMbwB1y_hCk_TbfAUfTkUUq0bzgBlsdOdT6lNceeefytNukuOuM-abt8GtVTD349fGxhe3WuJGe2P1pUWBBfb2Mi/s1600/DecemberGarden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdqgpX2wpeG2jk5JmPu3xL8XJBI93_2Qz9j4rocKbcbVyUy02qFwDoiMbwB1y_hCk_TbfAUfTkUUq0bzgBlsdOdT6lNceeefytNukuOuM-abt8GtVTD349fGxhe3WuJGe2P1pUWBBfb2Mi/s400/DecemberGarden.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Most have died, save a few roses and the evergreens. We are 'supposed' to have a 40ish degree night here about a week from now, so all the begonias are heading indoors for another harrowing indoor season with the cat. The last of the roses, have set their very last buds till spring too.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIEtf8PkeWJ-THFAd2IDWUR1z_UsI_kKG958xdkHQjk9DyG9BhUsBSf9gGJnOKgJmmG4I-rVZrv9aXiSbhNYhpUhmt23rD2Sz-xjMTU2-N31KBa9uAib4KHmlb8iJNUGxaSgORnoBFWD_/s1600/Kathleen%2527s+Bermuda.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSIEtf8PkeWJ-THFAd2IDWUR1z_UsI_kKG958xdkHQjk9DyG9BhUsBSf9gGJnOKgJmmG4I-rVZrv9aXiSbhNYhpUhmt23rD2Sz-xjMTU2-N31KBa9uAib4KHmlb8iJNUGxaSgORnoBFWD_/s400/Kathleen%2527s+Bermuda.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bermuda's Kathleen, Last Gasps</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ0-4hwKXJVk-neBEkkFiHgMXWBzmkyny3JIYhzV-Vs6-qvubNpQBKQYelpiyt781IyJvhrws3v3nMYFhqqJ3sfBZcjIyuZUUUa-brrfIxcb5neC2Blce9k35fVo4KFxc6PbIOxuxsFjY/s1600/Knockouts.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUZ0-4hwKXJVk-neBEkkFiHgMXWBzmkyny3JIYhzV-Vs6-qvubNpQBKQYelpiyt781IyJvhrws3v3nMYFhqqJ3sfBZcjIyuZUUUa-brrfIxcb5neC2Blce9k35fVo4KFxc6PbIOxuxsFjY/s640/Knockouts.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who'd ya think? Unstoppable, in full shade</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAXFztoEg7KTXvu5aJ2Yqe0tOcWuXQb64T_K7tFcyBE5wtcbM2SVCGpCX9lO-tU57G81HdfFtvXLIxO6OLwCAQ2J6nJvuyxSUkRPq2MNdkVP6J-2NdUs3PUq7FP15IoUoIhrABtdUcOxX/s1600/MariePavie+and+Star+Jasmine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLAXFztoEg7KTXvu5aJ2Yqe0tOcWuXQb64T_K7tFcyBE5wtcbM2SVCGpCX9lO-tU57G81HdfFtvXLIxO6OLwCAQ2J6nJvuyxSUkRPq2MNdkVP6J-2NdUs3PUq7FP15IoUoIhrABtdUcOxX/s400/MariePavie+and+Star+Jasmine.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie Pavie with the Star Jasmine</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx36bV77MLesK8SEl-zgx2hbhfgqcxxx-d1XZNzynxIUoQUXqQD8ssE0E7pkHLY6dpfbjAr23C7DFOijA7nfk8E4h3RVxrtXM1niWDFt6tdOOOSZbShu9YaB1l1cdGk-a4Xjowe0jfiQnL/s1600/MariePavieBuds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx36bV77MLesK8SEl-zgx2hbhfgqcxxx-d1XZNzynxIUoQUXqQD8ssE0E7pkHLY6dpfbjAr23C7DFOijA7nfk8E4h3RVxrtXM1niWDFt6tdOOOSZbShu9YaB1l1cdGk-a4Xjowe0jfiQnL/s640/MariePavieBuds.jpg" width="427" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie Pavie, the most floriferous for late Fall, beating even Knockout</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD37RiB2mM969FnEGafOM0MB7Es2UOW8_-gstHvAhAYea9cD1B1b072Tr26A-arSur-u9hEDzMzx7wXFwCte0RgNx-8uW1nhGfUyBCHFnY1BwdJko8I8bFEeTPEoOSVcnzS6tNTrX0W0VF/s1600/Sharifa1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD37RiB2mM969FnEGafOM0MB7Es2UOW8_-gstHvAhAYea9cD1B1b072Tr26A-arSur-u9hEDzMzx7wXFwCte0RgNx-8uW1nhGfUyBCHFnY1BwdJko8I8bFEeTPEoOSVcnzS6tNTrX0W0VF/s640/Sharifa1.jpg" width="428" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharifa Asma, being huge as only fall can create here.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy0bnl7OD1_I-HUex62uep1QDrYR1grO_9WiFeSah3k5hy-dD-TSBbtPX_MTkxHCk3a0jO4XwOm5olE63oKZ1oYDmfvmfaURosRVGxMZDaccyHe_hhrwXeZ5XtGUVwdAHG-AoppRZ0aHC/s1600/Sharifa2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsy0bnl7OD1_I-HUex62uep1QDrYR1grO_9WiFeSah3k5hy-dD-TSBbtPX_MTkxHCk3a0jO4XwOm5olE63oKZ1oYDmfvmfaURosRVGxMZDaccyHe_hhrwXeZ5XtGUVwdAHG-AoppRZ0aHC/s400/Sharifa2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am gorgeous, and I smell good</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1UBJoLSri0jTzFgGcy6nbFY966xGU0yror9ZVAYxgbxBn_un6YvfyMZygJkP1d_l9MHEX_WuFURa_iRlO3LlkNzM7I54uLfbsmB8klRhYLtPVT9SMMpYDnsNNABrQvVomIb9j6XDPNmw/s1600/SharifaDayone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR1UBJoLSri0jTzFgGcy6nbFY966xGU0yror9ZVAYxgbxBn_un6YvfyMZygJkP1d_l9MHEX_WuFURa_iRlO3LlkNzM7I54uLfbsmB8klRhYLtPVT9SMMpYDnsNNABrQvVomIb9j6XDPNmw/s640/SharifaDayone.jpg" width="466" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharifa Asma, barely opened one. Baseball sized blooms in the perfect weather.</td></tr>
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<br /></div>Jesshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01524574998937986323noreply@blogger.com14