Deirdre's Garden Diary: 2007 April May

:: April-May 2007 ::
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:: 05.30.07 ::

Living Large

Rain. That's right. Did anyone notice it rained again today?
Hmmm, did ya'? Hmmmm?

On the one hand my feelings are, hurray, I don't have to water! The temperatures are still desirable and it really hasn't been unbearably humid either. Personally I love it when it is raining. On the other hand, the raised bed of drought tolerant plants that I just bought and planted a few weeks ago (Henry Duelburg Salvia, Mexican Mint Marigold and twist leaf Yuccas are sending out SOS signals. The weeds love the rain and have been sprouting vigorously when my back is turned. I have been pulling them out here and there, trying to keep them under control in the vegetable beds.

...and speaking of the vegetable beds. I have tomatoes, or rather, I HAD tomatoes until the birds decided to slowly peck a hole in them one by one and knock them off the vines. I think I started out with about 6 and now I am down to one hiding at the bottom. I need to buy a row cover to protect it. The plant is still blooming though so maybe I will get some more...but again. I don't think they are happy about all the rain.

Some of the other plants also took a beating one day last week when we had a down pouring of hail. It broke some stems and blooms off my eggplants chard leaves to shreds. The giant pumpkin is holding in there though and has taken off across the yard. the vine is at least eight feet long now with lots of blooms but still no baby pumpkins.

The rose-of-sharon bushes (above) are also putting out a ton of flowers (which are also getting knocked off the bushes by the rain as fast as they can bloom). Other things flowering...a single little red rose on the miniature rose bush I planted in late February and the yellow day lilies are putting on a good show this year, there are more of them than before and the blooms seem to be larger. The lantana is going strong as usual, and I saw a few pink four o' clocks blooming as I was pulling out of the driveway yesterday.

I also scored a beautiful hot pink geranium for free at the Botanical Garden's herb fair when I was volunteering some hours for the Master Gardener program. I was really good and did not purchase any plants while I was there...no really, I didn't buy anything! I know, shocking but true.

I was looking around as the vendors were closing up shop and one of the ladies working a booth announced out loud as I was walking by that they needed to get rid of three big potted geraniums they had, and anyone who wanted them could take them. I looked at her with a blank stare not really sure I had heard her correctly. HUH? Are you serious? All the people within hearing distance stood staring in disbelief too shocked to respond. Luckily I came out of the dazed time warp before anyone else and said, “Uhm...I'll take one”. I got it just in time to get out of the way as the others realized what was happening and began lunging forward to snatch up the other two free plants.

Hee Hee...A FREE PLANT! Woohoo!!!

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:: 05.07.07 ::

COOL ...

Hey garden peeps, go hang out on the UC Davis Conservatory webcam and
watch the Titan, Amorphophallus titanum "Corpse Flower", aka "Ted", as it gets ready to bloom!

The webcam is proving to be very entertaining as people stop by to look at the plant, smell it, and ask questions. The antics of the cute and smart and funny botanists as they engage the public is also fun and educational.

Hopefully "Ted" will start to bloom soon!

You can link to the live webcam using Realplayer or Windows Media.

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:: 04.25.07 ::

Let It Rain

Where has this month gone? Seriously, it just slipped in hardly noticed and now it's almost over! We have been getting rain regularly this month...that slow drenching rain that really soaks the ground. In fact it is coming down now as I type. What a relief, we need it so badly. The plants are really loving it. I can't even keep up with photographing everything that has bloomed.

Well, ok. If you insist. I did manage to get a few shots...

The Crinums...
Why no, no I don't have enough photographs of these. Why do you ask?

A new flower for teh garden, little Scabiosa "Pincushions" (above) and of course, my precious...

The vegetable garden has also been very productive this month! I have been munching on green onions and cutting spinach and lettuce regularly for my lunch.

There was so much broccoli that I cut it all and took it to Brian's house. He used his mad gourmet cooking skills to whip up a little dinner party of broccoli cream soup and spinach & broccoli quiche (we gobbled it up before I could get a photo).

Along with some goodies from his garden (peas, lettuce and onions), we stuffed ourselves in delight.

So the garden is providing a lot of bounty...but I am still waiting for what is left of the disappearing *honey bees to pollinate the blooms on my tomato plants. *(ok, I know, I know, the wind and other bugs can also pollinate tomatoes...but I wanted to mention the disappearing bees!).

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