Daffodils February 21, 2016

 Above, this is Seventeen Sisters.  It is a paperwhite.  The individual flowers stand out from each other rahter than forming a cluster.

 Above, I dug up this little daffodil from Nixon Lake Road.

 Above, this is the wild daffodil, the ones that can be found growing on the side of the road.  See how this little petals are dog-eared?

 Above, this is Ice Follies.  The outer petals are white,

 Above, this is Trevithian.

Above, this is my daffodil border just beginning to bloom.

Apple Blossoms February 21, 2016

Weekend at the Farm February 19 - 21, 2016

Met Bert at Stewart Title and signed all the refinancing documents for the farm, then gathered up all the dogs and cat and went to Burton for the weekend.

• Watered my new hydrangea and night blooming jasmine. Watered my sweet olive (I decided my new mission is to try to bring my sweet olive back from the brink of death).  Watered my white sweet shrub. Watered some of the pots around the pool.
• Set the sprinklers to run Friday night so I could see what I needed to baby on Saturday.
• Saturday morning got ready for the arrival of a group that is using our place for a team building event.
• Used the blower to clear the paths in the Greenhouse Garden, Star, and Shade.
• Sunday. Up early.
• Watered the young trees in the Orchard.
• Sprayed fungicide on all my roses in the Rose Garden, the Orchard, the front bed, and the Star Garden.  I won't be back for a couple weeks so I'm glad I got that done.
• Pulled lots of weeds.
• Watered the Sweetshrub next to the Greenhouse.
• Watered a few places in the Rose Garden.
• The next several weeks will be an explosion of blooms. The daffodil bed will be in full bloom.  The Pearlbush is just beginning to bloom. The plum trees are about to bloom.  I ordered 12 yards of mushroom compost to be delivered next Friday.  So when I arrive here two Fridays from now I will begin mulching every plant with good healthy compost. And I will prepare the Vegetable Garden for spring planting. 

Day at the Farm February 17, 2016

These are pictures of leaf buds on a Red Buckeye.  I just love the way this tree breaks dormancy.  So pretty and unusual-looking.
Took a day off and the dogs and I went up to the farm for the day.

• The first thing I did was go down to the Orchard and water all my young trees.  I spent about two hours down there watering and pulling weeds.  I also cut back the Scarlet Wave cannas while I was down there.
• I'm so excited about the Orchard.  It looks healthy and productive.  
• Spent some time in the Rose Garden doing some watering.  It is so dry right now.  There has been no rain for a long time.  I also lightly trimmed several rose shrubs.  This year I'm not going to heavy-prune my roses. The antique roses don't seem to respond to that. I have always read that, but  I really thought last year that I almost lost a few because of heavy pruning.
• I pulled up all the dead debris in the Shade Garden:  Snakeroot and gingers.  I carried two huge wheelbarrows full of dead vegetation to the burn pile.  It looks really good in there now.
• Watered in a few places in the Star Garden.  
• Cleaned up in the Boardwalk Gardens, pulling up gingers and weeding. 
• I was reluctant to leave, the day was so beautiful, but alas I had to go.

Paperwhites February 14, 2016

Weekend at the Farm February 13 - 14, 2016

This one of my double daffodils.  They are just beginning to open.

Spent Saturday with Blake and Sammy.  Bert drove home to Houston to get me Saturday evening.  The Mini Cooper was not running right and I couldn't drive it to Burton.

• Took a walk around the place with Bert, our dogs, Hank the neighbors' dog and Grey Kitty.
• I planted a Lider #9 Satsuma in the Orchard.  It's supposed to be very cold hardy, but if we get a hard freeze I will have to protect it since it is so newly planted.
• Watered my young fruit trees.
• The 3 in 1 apple tree is about to bloom, and the Crabapple is leafing out.
• I planted a mophead hydrangea in the Greenhouse Garden.  Madame Emilie Mouilliere is the name of it.  It blooms white and darkens to pale pink blush as the flowers age.
• I also planted a Night Blooming Jasmine in the Greenhouse Garden.  The fragrant flowers open up at night and scent the air.  I am planning to plant a flat of Nicotiana in that same area in the spring time.  They also scent the air at night.  I will plant white ones, and this will be my moonlight garden.  If we get a hard freeze in February or March I will have to protect it.
• Also planted a small Pennyroyal in the Medicine Garden, hard to believe that I don't have any more.  At one time it was everywhere, and like all mints they grow like crazy.  But mine disappeared! 
• I also planted a Zuta Levana Hyssop plant in the Medicine Garden.
• Raked for a long while in the Greenhouse Garden.  Piled up a bunch of leaves around one of my Mexican Buckeye trees and put the hose on it for about 30 minutes.
• I spent about 3 hours watering in the Rose Garden.  It was pretty dry in there.
• I finally figured out that there was a rock in one of my hoses in the Star Garden, and that is why the sprinkler was so weak.  Bert cut off the end of the hose, pulled out the rock and clamped a new end on it.  Back up and running!  What would I do without Bert?
• Raked in the Star Garden around my Almond Verbena that is taking its time shedding.
• Weeded in the Orchard for a while.
• Watered the potted plants around the pool.
• Hand watered a few small shrubs.
• Headed home about 4.

Weekend at the Farm February 5 - 7, 2016

This is my Orchard during the winter dormant period.  I have Muscadine grapes growing on a trellis on the left side of the photo.  Blackberry vines grow in 5 beds, three towards the front of the photo and two in the back of the photo.  I have two apple trees, varieties that have been bred for the warm south:  Einshemer, Anna, Dorsett Golden (all grafted on the same tree), and a Fuji.  I planted a Pakistan Mulberry last winter and it has really gotten big.  Interesting variety, the berries are really big. they grow to about 3 inches long.  In the middle bed I am growing a Southern Crabapple and behind it is a Beauty Plum tree.  Along the back of the Orchard I am growing a Mexican Plum (which is a native plum tree) and a Santa Rosa Plum.  In the beds on the right side of the photo I am growing a Mayhaw and a Jujube.  Eventually I will plant my Joey Avocado in one of the empty beds, but it needs a little time in a pot.

Arrived on Thursday afternoon.  The weekend was cold and sunny.  Left Sunday morning to watch the Superbowl with the family.

• The paperwhites are beginning to bloom.  This is a favorite time for me - daffodil season.
• Watered my fruit trees with my new hose set up.  Love it!
• Watered a few areas in the Star Garden.
• Danced to Frank Sinatra while I vacuumed the house, cleaned the bathrooms and the kitchen sink.
• Bert went into Giddings and bought me two 50 pound bags of cottonseed meal.  I fertilized all my fruit trees, blackberries and grapes - application number one.  It might be too early, but it's done.  I still have one bag left.  
• Also fertilized my bluebells along the Boardwalk and my potted plants.
• Raked in the Star Garden for awhile.
• Took several walks around the property with the animals.
• It rained with thunder and lightening in the wee hours of Saturday night, but Saturday was nevertheless beautiful, sunny and cool.
• Took a walk around the place with Bert.
• Raked in the Star Garden and The Rose Garden for a while.
• Turned over all the beds in the Vegetable Garden again, to make really sure the grass gets good and rotten.  That was a big effort.
• Drove into town to do some grocery shopping.
• Walked around a long time looking at everything.  
• Made a potato salad for the Superbowl party at Mom and Dad's house.
• Sunday, took another walk and then headed home.

Charity Mahonia February 7, 2016

Mahonias are possibly the slowest growing plant in the world after the Camellia.  I have two of them growing in the Shade Garden.  I don't recommend them because of their slow growth.  Below, this is a picture of one in bloom.  They bloom in January which is very unusual, so they are a good choice for winter interest.

The attractive blue-grey berries are starting to form now.  And there you have it, Mahonia.

My Roses February 5, 2016

This is La Marne.  It bloomed cheerfully all through December and January.  The freeze last night finally took the blooms that were covering the hearty little shrub.

China Roses

Archduke Charls
Cramoisier Superiore
Ducher
La Vesuve
Louis Philippe
Mutabilis

Noisettes

Champney's Pink Cluster
Blush Noisette

Bourbon

Zepherine Drouhin

Tea

Baronne Henriette de Snoy
Duchess de Brabant
Madame Joseph Schwartz
Maman Cochet
Marie de Oleans
Marie van Houtte
Mlle Franziska Kreuger
Monsier Tillier
Mrs. BR Cant
Mrs. Dudley Cross
Rosette Delizy
Madame Antoine Mari
Lady Hillingon
G Nabonnand

Floribunda

Gruss an Aachen
Iceberg
Valentine

Hybrid Musk

Ballerina

Hybrid Tea

Chrysler Imperial
Dame de Coeur 

Climbers

White Lady Banks
Fortunes Double
Veilchenblau
Cl American Beauty
Climbing Pinkie

Polyantha

La Marne
Perl d Or 

Miscellaneous and Found 

Belinda's Dream
Cadenza
Basey's Blueberry
Bailey Red
Carefree Beauty
Caldwell Pink
Georgetown Tea
Maggie
Bermuda's Kathleen
Soncy

 

 

The First Paperwhites of 2016

The earliest bloomer I have in my garden is this unidentified variety that my husband dug up for me on Nixon Lake Road.  Paperwhites all have a very intensely sweet smell.  A lot of people don't like the smell at all.

Evergreen Woodland Violets

 I bought these little darlings at the Roundtop Herb Festival last year.  I wanted to give them a try.  I already grow a variety that is also evergreen, but the leaves are much smaller, it grows lower to the ground, and the flowers are white and purple.  This variety is very pretty, and I will buy more in Marchat the next sale if is being offered.  The flowers are edible which is the quality that puts it the herb classification.