What's Blooming Now - Strawberry Seduction Yarrow 04/22/2011

The common yarrow plant is considered by some to be a weed. Common yarrow is white. There are so many colors now, and I particularly like this one. I love the lacy greenery and the exotic flowers. Strangely, I can't remember if yarrow is evergreen - I can't remember! I believe it is, or, as I recall it dies back to a rosette of green during the winter. It reseeds very well, so let some of the flowers dry out and reseed. This the second season for this yarrow. It came back very well, and with all the flowers on it I expect even more next year. Yarrow will bloom during the hot months of summer.

What's Blooming Now - Daisy Delite Canna 04/22/2011

Daisy Delites grow to about 3 feet tall.

This is a woodland plant. It grows in shade. The flowers, although small, are bright yellow and red. They die back in the winter and pop right out in the early spring, way before the gingers that grow along side them. The thing I find most attractive about this canna, though, is the seed pod. It is so pretty. It starts out bumpy and green, very sensual looking. Then it dries and turns hard and brown and four black seeds drop to the ground. New cannas will sprout from the seeds.

What's Blooming Now - Larkspur 04/22/2011

I have Larkspur growing in the Star Garden, the Long Border, and the Orchard. Larkspur grow easily from seed in colors of pink, white, purple, and blue. The seeds are the size of coarsely ground pepper. I throw mine on the ground. I don't even prepare the beds sometimes. I sow the seeds in November, and they grow all winter and bloom in the spring. Beautiful flowers.

A Day at the Farm 4/22/2011

Spent the day and night at the farm and then drove to the lake to spend the rest of the weekend with the family. Tripped over the dog and banged the side of my face into the corner of an open drawer. Lots of blood and swelling and a big black eye. I guess I'll have an inch-long scar above my eye. Nice.

• There has been no rain for many months. The drought all across Texas is very severe. There is very little green undergrowth in the woods around the house and the sand blows hard all the time.


• Planted 3 Red Turk's Cap along the Boardwalk that I bought at Buchanan's Nursery.


• Planted 1 Morningstar Sweespire in the Shade Garden and 2 along the Boardwalk.


• Buried some citrus peel in the Vegetable Garden for the nematodes. It's looking good in there! Very healthy. The pattipan squash plants are beautiful. The cucumbers have begun sprouting tendrils in preparation for their climb up the arbor. The corn is about 3 feet high. Lots of green tomatoes. The sunflowers are about a foot tall. There are darling little eggplants growing. I picked asparagus and had them for dinner.


• Watered.


• Fertilized here and there: about half the Rose Garden, the Variegated Potato Vine, the Tardiva Hydrangea, the Frostproof Gardenias, the Easy Ned Daylilies, the George Taber azaleas.


• Deadheaded roses for several hours.


• Swept and mopped the kitchen, dining room and living room.


• Hurt myself that evening and did nothing after that - I felt a bit traumatized! Left early in the morning for Conroe.

What's Blooming Now - Gorgeous Corn Poppies 04/22/2010

What's Blooming Now - Cornflowers 04/22/2010

Blue was the original color of Cornflowers. They are also commonly called Bachelor's Buttons. Now they come in shades of pink, white, and red.

What a beautiful pale pink! So delicate.

The color blue is a relatively rare flower color in nature. There a much fewer blue flowers than any other color. Bees are known to be particularly attracted to blue flowers.

In my gardens it is very hard to find a flower without an insect in it. That's the sign of a healthy garden. I rarely, rarely spray. It is dangerous to the health of my bee hive, and insecticides are not particular - they kill everything, good and bad insects. It is better to practice good gardening habits such as good air circulation, regular mulching, regular watering, a steady fertilization schedule, lots of study. Learn about the plants you buy, and understand what they need in order to remain healthy.

This is a great photograph. Cornflowers are beautiful subjects.

These Cornflowers are growing in my orchard. Next year I will plant black berries in this spot. The blackberry plants were so expensive that I couldn't buy as many as I originally hoped.

This is a hedge row of Cornflowers not yet in full bloom.

Here is another row of Cornflowers growing under my grape vines. Lots of buds, not yet in full bloom. I will encourage these to reseed and come back next year because I cannot plant anything substantial under the grapes.