Friday, July 24, 2009

Flaunt Those Flowers


Today is 'Fertilizer Friday' , so Flaunt Your Flowers !



Everyone go over to the hostess Tootsie's blog,
'Tootsie Time' and look at all those that are flaunting their
flowers today.

Tootsie's yard and flower beds are a riot of color now in the
summer beds. She has some of the greatest garden decor
and ways to flaunt her flowers. Her yard is beautiful.

This has been the most frustrating day to get this posting up.
This is my third attempt at it since two others have
disappeared right before my eyes as I added a picture
to the posting. I even trying saving the last one as I went to
make sure it did not fly off into the unknown but that also failed.
Oh dear, stuff happens I guess.

We have gotten some much needed rain here in the Hocking
Hill's the last two days. My water barrel and cistern were
getting low.

I live upon a very high hill and old homes such as
mine were built with cisterns to catch rain water.
Back in the day when money was so scarce and hand
digging 450 feet was impossible they used cisterns
for all of their needs.
Over the years of learning to ration water I do not
take water for granted still today.
After we could afford to get a water well drilled I still
kept the cistern, pumps and waterlines in tack to use
to water the garden, flowers, the fountain, the bird baths,
around the potting bench, etc and an occasional washing
of the car.
Now the last few years I have had a rain barrel hooked
up to the cistern with a large plastic pipe attached to the
barrel's over flow spout which runs the rain water straight
into the cistern.
Other than a good soaking rain the garden plants
and flowers love the rain water from the cistern.
If we get a rain every week or two there is always
plenty of water for my plants and flowers.
Last summer we had a drought through July and
August and I had to use the cold water from the deep
well and the flowers did not like that cold water on a hot,
dry summer day.

Now to flaunt some flowers that are blooming around
the yard.




The Alyssum 'Royal Carpet' that were grown from seed is
starting to spread out and bloom all over the containers
and beds where they were planted.





I added some to the pot around the Poinsettia
I had at Christmas time. It is growing so big in
the sun and big pot.
It is grown as an annual here at holiday time
but I wanted to try to keep it and get it to bloom
bright red for me again this winter. It is worth a
shot and nothing lost in the trying.





Also coming in bloom from seed is this Helitrope 'Marine'.
It's dark blue tiny blooms are so pretty and it smells good too.

It has been slow growing for it though.





For those of you who occasionally read my postings, the weird
petunia ' Orchid Mist' is still blooming with three different
colors of blooms on the one plant. I was wondering if the blooms
would change all back to pale lavender after it had grown for a while
but it is still blooming with the three different colors of double blooms.






The Rose of Sharon are starting to bloom now.




Much to my dislike the pesky little Japanese beetles have found
the blooms. Nasty little critters.




The Knockout Roses never let you down for a adding
color to the garden.




The Rainbow Knockout Rose is a pretty peachy pink
with a yellow center.





I love this pink single bloom one.




The Morning Glory bushes are still blooming and spreading
out to overflowing their containers.





This is my first year for trying to grow 'Stock' and I
love the fragrance of them. The few that survived my
seeding attempts are purple. I have a couple more of the
slow growers and I am hoping they're a different color.






The Gaillardia blanket flower is living up to the name
and spreading down over the bank beside of the garage.





The Echinacea are still in full bloom.
This large coneflower smells so terrific and all of
the little friends love it.









Shasta Daisy ' Becky' is also in full bloom with its bright
white skirt full of petals.








I have all sorts and sizes of containers full of Impatiens
that are now bounding and over flowing their containers.
They are a must have around here to bright up all of the shade.





I have them hanging on fences.



In containers.





And even hanging in baskets on trees.




Imperial Ivy geranium is so pretty now.
And this is the only hydrangea bush that is blooming so
far this summer. I do not know what is up with the others
but I hope they are just running late. A couple of years ago
when we had a severe winter they did not bloom the next
summer.Ihope that is not the case this summer. I am so
crazy about their blooms.





Happy Gardening and Flaunt Your Flowers!

13 comments:

Colleen Wms said...

As always, your gardens look beautiful. I love the white with yellow morning glory. It reminded me of the plumeria I am anxiously awaiting to bloom.

Dirt Princess said...

Beautiful as always! I would love to see more of this cistern! How interesting!

Tootsie said...

Just wonderful...but then it always is!! I love the mutant petunia! As for blogger...there are issues some days...yesterday it kept signing me out! thanks for linking in...I always enjoy your photos!

Cathy S. said...

Beautiful Blooms Lona, If you want your poinsettia to rebloom their is a process to it, it's a lot of work so good luck!

-Cathy

Anonymous said...

You go right ahead and flaunt your flowers, that's what I do pretty much every day on my blog! I do love the rainbow Knockout roses, do they have a scent? The stock plant I started from seed still hasn't bloomed, but the plant itself is really getting big. I don't even know what they look like! I just wanted to smell them. Mandevilla Crimson Parasol is the one I have, and I LOVE it. Now I need to try Laura phlox, as I love highly scented flowers.

Mary | Deep South Dish said...

Just beautiful! You have an eye for the camera too. Great shots!!

Unknown said...

Hi Lona, it's always such a pleasure to come and see your flowers. Everything's so pretty...the baskets, the arrangements, the containers too. I've never seen the Imperial Ivy geranium. Beautiful!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

You have such pretty pictures of your flowers! I love the smell of heliotrope, I always plant a couple in containers just so I can smell them. The Rainbow Knockout is really pretty, I love the single flowers.
Really interesting to learn about the cistern you use for watering.

Darla said...

Beautiful...I just planted two poinsettias in the ground that I managed to keep alive from Christmas. I do remember the weird petunia post, I think it's cool looking.

Lona said...

Colleen: I will be watching for your plumeria to bloom. We want pictures ;-)

Priness: It is just a hole in the ground where you pour cement walls and bottom or as mine is a cement floor and blocks laid up with a sealant painted on the inside.The water from your down spouts on the house is all directed so the water goes to a catch basin or tile with gravel and charcoal to act as a filter. A lot of rain can be collected from a house roof.Pipes run from the filter or catch basin into the cistern to collect the water. But today they make big plastic ones that you do not have to mess with just dig a hole and put them into it. No maintenance :-)

Tootsie: I think blogger has its days.Maybe it is when they are updating or something.

Cathy: Well girl I don't see a future for my poinsetti then. ;-( Poor thing is doomed to be green forever or compost.

Mary: Hello there and thanks for dropping by!

Kanak: I love the Imperial geranium. Well almost all geraniums ;-) I kept it over winter last year and will try to again this winter.

Catherine: I am loving them too, and will probably have to add them in again next year.

Darla: I do not blame you for planting yours in the ground. I am amazed at how big they get in your location.

Lona said...

Robin: Hope hubby is doing alright. No, they do not have much of a scent. Oh, you just have to get a Laura phlox. Heavenly scent.

Tatyana@MySecretGarden said...

Hi Lona! I am amazed by your poinsettia! Even without blooms, it looks good with its dark green leaves. Morning glory did good for me when we lived in Missouri, but I don't have any luck with it here, in the NW. I love your pure white flower! Looks so innocent! Everything looks good! Thanks for commenting on my fish! It was my only fish, but what a fish! You are allowed to catch only 1 King salmon per day and 2 per season. Now, I am back to gardening and blogging. See you around!

Anonymous said...

Hi Lona~~ I'm sure happy with my Knock Out roses. 'Rainbow' looks like a winner too.

Finally a hanging basket that is really a hanging BASKET. Beautiful!