In The Search Of Sunshine Or Rainbows

What do gardeners do when it is looks like the
day is going to be a total loss and there is not even
a hint of some sunshine? The day started out foggy
and only got worse with a steady rain falling out
side. With not even being able to sneak out and
check the flowers beds for some more sign of life
I had to find my sunshine from the picture files
to brighten the day a little.
Looking through the picture files one thing became
apparent, my garden is lacking in the color sunshine yellow.
Then I remembered Rebecca @ " In The Garden"
had posted a Rainbow Invitation so thinking this
would be a fun project I went on a search for
Roy G. Biv





Now red was easy to find with the help of
my 'Crimson Bouquet' roses. They are what
are pictured in the header collage.





And if that is not red enough I can always count
on the huge blooms of the 'Lord Baltimore' hibiscus.
I have the red amaryllis also but I know everyone
must be tired of seeing them.




This is my orange find. Alright it is not really
orange but I am not fond of the color orange as many
of my blogger friends know. So this 'Pardon Me' Lily
will have to do.





Oh, I almost forgot about the orange mums
that were grown from seed. Well that do for orange?




Now to the absent color of yellow in my garden.
'Moombeam Coreopsis is one that never fails to
please. The one wished change I would have for
this flower is that it had sturdier stems but on
the other hand it will grow in any type of soil.
It has dainty cream yellow blooms.




On the other hand 'Stella de Oro' lilies are very yellow.



The 'Japanese Painted Fern' will is green but leaning
toward the silver and burgundy area so may not count.




But the woodland ferns that were moved into my
front shade bed is a lovely green.




'Sentimental Blue' campanula is a true blue.
Correction it is Blue Chips not Sentimental Blue!





But not as brilliant color of blue as the 'Bluebird' Delphinium.





' Laura' is shorter than the other phlox but its
indigo color is lovely and its fragrance devine.






This indigo delphinium needs a name.





This Purple Clustered Bellflower will be the violet
color in the garden.






And 'Blue Hill' salvia is more violet than its blue
name.

Sadly the only picture I have of an actual rainbow was
this one I caught as it was almost faded away last
summer.




Do You Have A Rainbow in Your Garden?

Add A Touch Of Red To Your Christmas

Hannah hang onto your hat and do not open
that umbrella the winds that have went through
Ohio for two days were fierce. My heavy pump that
was made into my water display and small pond
got blown over and the thing is so heavy I need
help these days in getting it set. I could not believe
my eyes when I saw it laying on the ground.
The flower tower on the front porch also went down
slinging dirt across the porch in its wake.
Now it is tied to the porch railing until spring.
A lot of rain, a little dusting of snow and plenty
of cold wind followed.
Thank goodness the wind has stopped and though still
very cold at least the sun is shining.

I thought since I showed everyone the White
Christmas that I was Dreaming of that I would
add a touch of red to it to brighten up the day
and add to the Christmas spirit.



Another amaryllis 'Ragtime' is now showing off
her giant blooms and is just the touch of red
needed to get me into the Christmas spirit.






"Ragtime" looks wonderful with "White Christmas".







The red blooms of the Cactus are long spent now.




But 'Roulette Red' Streptocarpus is still blooming.

But I miss some of the reds that were blooming
only a short time ago around the garden.

The Pansies have gotten frozen now but I am hoping
they will be back next spring.




I miss the red Nicotiana that bloomed all summer
and into fall.



Imperial Ivy geranium is sleeping in the basement
but I miss the bright blooms along with the
Ivy geranium ' Gardner's Choice'.



Dahlia Edinburgh is also taking a winter vacation.





Long gone are the giant blooms of Lord Baltimore
hibiscus.




I miss Crimson Bouquet the most with its deep
red blooms and heady fragrance.




Verbena St. George though a beauty was not a favorite
because of the mildew that kept trying to take it over.

My lovely pelargonium geraniums are now resting
in the basement in pots or hanging upside down on
strings.



The Scentimental roses were beautiful this summer.

And I am hoping these red and white tulips will
bloom again next spring since most tulips are
annuals in the garden.



Surely Rhododendron Holden will be there to
bring in the spring blooms after this winter.



But this winter the only red outdoors that will be
seen will likely be these two.






Today is Fertilizer Friday and time to "Flaunt Those
Flowers". Join us with hostess Tootsie over at
Tootsie Time and display some of those flowers
that brighten our days.

Happy Gardening Everyone!

Kiss The Summer Flowers Goodbye

In summing up this growing season in one word
it would have to be abnormal.

Here in Ohio we only had about two weeks worth of
what we would call 'Summer' , where the temperatures
were in the upper eighties or near ninety.
Now for some of my gardening friends this would
have been a blessing to have some cool days with their
record heat and droughts.We had adequate rain fall
this summer where my rain barrel was always filled
with water and the overflow which runs into a cistern
to help water the garden did not go dry but for two weeks.
It sometimes goes dry the first of July when we are entering
into our hot, humid and dry season of July through August.
So with the cool days of only into the upper seventies for
months this was in fact a cool summer and abnormal.
And now we are into Winter temperatures before we even
enjoyed the Fall.
Ohio is a very agricultural state so the farmers are
struggling to get their soy beans from the fields with
wet cold weather and their corn crops are having a hard
time to get dried out so that it can be picked and brought
in from the muddy fields to the mills.
This summers cool weather delayed and blighted the
growing of vegetables and flower gardens also.
This is one of the toughest years I have saw for mildew
on everything with the wet days and cool nights.
Many of the flowers were slow or not preforming as
they generally would have and with some,as my hydrangeas
they never even got blooms.
I am not writing all of this to complain about the
weather but more as a record for myself to compare
with other growing seasons.
Also it makes me cringe to think that if we had all
of this cool and wet in July and the dog days of August
what are we in store for this Winter.
I have seen warmer Decembers than the weather that
has come upon us here in September and October.
The warm up spell we generally have in October into
the seventies that we call Indian Summer looks like a no
show for us this year.
A hard freeze of 27 degrees is coming to us tonight
so with that I will be kissing whatever flowers that are
left a sad goodbye.



The containers and beds of impatiens that were
gathered under the trees to keep them from frost burn
will be a mess of mush tomorrow.



The only remaining purple potato vine that the
deers did not manage to eat will be a withered mess
in the morning. So the bulbs or potatoes from it will
be dug up tomorrow to be brought in for vines for
next Spring.



The remaining Browillia that were left will bloom
no more this year.






So will the Marine Helitrope and the remaining
petunias.








Goodbye to the Rose Lobelia.



The flowering Nicotiana that was such a
flowering machine this summer will be
dead in the morning.



Lord Baltimore Dahlia was finally cut down and the
roots brought into the basement to hang until next Spring.



The last of the geraniums that could not be brought
in for lack of room will be sad looking flowers after
tonight.

The Flowering Stock which took forever this
summer to bloom now will go before it has had
a good season of bloom.





Goodbye Alyssum you were such a trooper this summer
but I will have you back next Spring.



The last of the Osteospermum after today.



I will miss the Roses this Winter more than any
of the flowers.





But as with all gardeners there is always next Spring,
new seeds to try this Winter, new Proven Winners
to look forward to next Spring, and new plants to
look forward to in 2010.

So we will spent the Winter going over our gardening
logs and notes to improve our beds next Spring.
What did not get planted or moved this Fall will be there
waiting for us in a new year.
It was an abnormal Summer but it was also full of
gardening firsts and flowering surprises.
Not the best growing year but still one filled with beauty.

Happy Gardening Everyone!