Natures Way/Lance-Leaved Coreopsis

Day 11

My garden is still continuing to grow, new sprouts seem to spring up everyday, and the others are growing quite quickly to be nice and tall, though I have noticed already that some of my plants are being eaten at, but that is just natures way, I refuse to use any sort of pesticides and I am not going to kill anything simply becasue it is looking after its own suvivial and obying its nature. That is just a part of life, and well I do not want a nice neat oderly "perfect" garden, I want a garden that is more close to nature, that is chaos and wild, and I want an insect frinedly garden.

Now for today's flower, here is one I certiantly have never heard of before.

7:27 AM - 7/1/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Perennial Lupine

Day 10

Perennial  Lupine

A hardy perennial, native to Maine and Southern Ontario extending westward throughout the central and mid-western regions of the United States south to Florida. Flowers are arranged on upright spikes varied in color from deep blue to purple shades. Requires a dry, well-drained sandy or gravelly soil in full sun. Cannot tolerate heavy soils. A very adaptable and versatile species.

A perennial herb with distinctively divided leaves and attractive flowers that may reach 2 feet in height.  Perennial lupine and many other Lupinus species are usually very poisonous to livestock.  This plant is usually found in the woods or along the edges of woods.

Leaves are divided into 7 to 11 leaflets that arise from a central point (palmately divided).   Individual leaflets may reach 2 inches in length and 12 mm wide.

7:57 AM - 6/29/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Scarlet Flax

Day 9

Scarlet Flax

A hardy annual, native to northern Africa and southern Europe, it has naturalized throughout the United States. Once established this variety can tolerate immense heat and extremely dry conditions. The glossy, deep scarlet flowers bloom in profusion and are best admired if planted in density. Prefers full sun in well-drained soils. Best if sown in early spring, seedlings are not winter hardy. Guaranteed to draw some attention.

Brilliant velvety red with petals usually outlined in black

Annual. Lives just one year. Grows quickly, blooms heavily, dies with first frost. Can regrow following spring if seed falls on bare ground.

7:02 AM - 6/28/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Baby's Breath

Day 8

Well more and more new growth is continuing to pop up all over within my little garden of which I am quite happy about. Here is a flower, I definently have not heard about before.

Baby's Breath

 Baby's Breath is a well-known flower used as a filler in florists' bouquets. The airy, mound-forming panicles of flowers are available in white, pink, or purple-blushed. This is a wonderful flowering perennial for the summer garden and for use in the flower vase.  Baby's Breath is a herbaceous perennial of the Caryophyllaceae family.

Baby's breath does well in borders, rock gardens, or planted among the roses. It has an exceptionally long bloom time, lasting from early summer to early autumn in most areas. It does best planted in groups, and will go from seed to flower in 8 to 12 weeks. Provide protection from strong winds and add compost  or manure to the soil for stronger flowers. Pull up the plants as soon as the flowers fade. Baby's breath dries well, and is an excellent background in arrangements

7:52 AM - 6/27/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

California Poppy

Day 7

Well naturally being from California, I know all about Californian Poppy, being it is the state flower, but I thought I could post a little bit about them.

California Poppy

California Indians cherished the poppy as both a source of food and for oil extracted from the plant. Its botanical name, Eschsholtzia californica, was given by Adelbert Von Chamisso, a naturalist and member of the Prussian Academy of Sciences, who dropped anchor in San Francisco in 1816 in a bay surrounded by hills of the golden flowers. Also sometimes known as the flame flower, la amapola, and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California. It became the state flower in 1903. Every year April 6 is California Poppy Day, and Governor Wilson proclaimed May 13-18, 1996, Poppy Week.

An upright, compact annual or tender perennial native to California and the southwestern United States. Extremely drought tolerant, ideal for arid environments. The brilliant orange, cup-shaped flowers, are 2-4 inches in diameter, borne individually on long stalks. Prefers full sun in light to sandy soils. Remarkably uniform and neat in appearnce. A popular variety to press. Not hardy below 20F.

An excellent color accent to any wildflower planting. The state flower of California. Blooms close each night at sunset or on dull days. The finely divided foliage is bluish-green in color making identification easy prior to flowering.

7:34 AM - 6/26/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Continued Growth/Purple Coneflower

Day 6

Well I am quite excited, I went out to water my garden again this morning, and now there are several new sprouts that appeared, and the two that I first so have grown signigantly bigger, so things appear to be off to a good start, it is amazing how fast they all grow.

Purple Coneflower

Purple Coneflower and its three cousins, Black Sampson (E. angustifolia), Pale Purple Coneflower (E. pallida) and E. atrorubens (no common name), are members of the sunflower family or Compositae.  The Compositae have two kinds of flowers combined in one flower head - strap-like ray flowers around the outside of the head and disk flowers in the center of the head.  The ray flowers make up what would be thought of as the petals.

A robust, drought tolerant perennial, native to the midwestern and southeastern United States. flowers are arranged individually on sturdy, elongated stems with soft lavender or purple petals surrounding an iridescent red-orange, coned center. Prefers full sun to partial shade in fertile, well-drained soils. Absolutely stunning!!!

Use in beds, mixed borders, or in the native wildflower patch. The long lasting flowers, borne on long, stiff stems, are perfect in cut flower arrangements and well suited for drying.

Taken orally, extracts from purple coneflower roots and leaves are reported to stimulate the immune system and increase resistance to infections. Native Americans used echinacea for many medicinal purposes. In Europe today, more than 200 pharmaceutical products are made from the extracts. Butterflies sip nectar from purple coneflowers all summer long.

8:01 AM - 6/25/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

First Life/Siberian Wallflower

Day 5

Well I am excited, I went out to my garden to water it, and I just saw the very first sign of life. Two little green things just starting to poke out a bit, so hopefully some of the others will start to come in soon as well. I will keep an eye out.

Siberian Wallflower

Siberian Wallflower is one of the most vibrant of orange/yellow flowers It is a short (18 inch) and very fragrant species that is striking in a wildflower meadow. The phlox-shaped flowers bloom in spring. In cold climates it may grow as a biennial, and should be planted in full sun. In moderate and warm climates it is a perennial that will enjoy a little shade. This beautiful addition to your wildflower meadow will attract bees

Biennial. Has two-year life cycle. Grows only leaves first season from seed. Then in second season, blooms, seeds and dies with first frost.

The name tells you this is a wildflower from cold climates, and it is naturally a biennial. However, in warmer places, it grows as a perennial, returning year after year. The plants are very easy to grow; simply scatter the seed in spring or fall on loosened soil, and compress into the dirt; do not cover.

7:22 AM - 6/24/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Candytuft

Day 4

Here is one I have never heard of before

Candytuft

Many species of candytuft originally came from Iberia, the ancient name of Spain, hence the genus of Iberis. They bloom in the spring.

Candytuft is a many-branched, small, evergreen shrub with smooth, oblong leaves about 11/2 inch long. In the spring, it bears flat-topped clusters of white flowers, sometimes flushed with pink. Height can reach 10 inches, spreading to about 20 inches. Ease of care: Easy.

Candytufts need a good, well-drained garden soil in a sunny spot. They are usually evergreen, but in most areas of Zone 4, winter results in severe damage to the leaves. Mulching is necessary if snow is lacking. Dead branches need to be cut off for growth to begin again. Pruning back after spring flowering is recommended.

Candytufts are great for a rock garden where they can tumble about and over rocks. They are also excellent as edging in a border and are well-suited to growing in pots.

8:19 AM - 6/23/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Chinese Forget-Me-Not

Day 3

As many of the flowers included in my package of seed are ones of which I have never heard of before, I thought it would fun to take some time to learn a little about each type of flower, and I figured I would just start at the top and work my way down. So the flower of today is Chinise Forget-Me-Not. Though I have heard of Foget-Me-Nots before, and in fact they are one of my faveorite flowers, and I have been wanting a Forget-Me-Not plant for a while, and was quite exicited about them. They are also the state flower of Alaska. Though I have not heard of of the Chinese varity of Forget-Me-Not before.

Chinese Forget-Me-Not

Chinese forget-me-not, also called hound's tongue, is of special value for the clear, sky-blue color of the flowers. They bloom all summer, and are especially good in cool climates. The Chinese in its common name comes from its origin in Asia, although it also resembles the true forget-me-not (Myosotis). "Hound's tongue" refers to its leaves, which have a furry surface and are shaped like a dog's tongue

Chinese forget-me-not is a biennial most often grown as an annual. The plants grow to 2 feet tall with flowers appearing as sprays above the plant. The foliage is gray-green. There are also pink and white forms that are not widely available.

Grow in full sun or partial shade in a rich, well-drained soil, high in organic matter. Except in regions with cool summers, they are more successful in full sun if the soil is kept evenly moist, but not soggy. Feed lightly or mix a slow-release fertilizer into the soil before planting. They may be planted outdoors in spring as soon as the soil is workable. Space 8 to 12 inches apart.

Grow them as a source of sky-blue color in beds or borders. They're also striking in beds all by themselves or mixed with other flowers to tone down hot colors or to complement a range of pastels

11:52 AM - 6/22/2007 - comments {0} - post comment

Flower list

Day 2

Well there is not too much new to report as nothing is happening yet, and well it will be a while now of just waiting before any sign of life starts to appear. I gave my garden a good soak this morning, and I just thought I would post a list of the flowers that were included in the seeds I planted.

Chinese Forget-Me-Not

Candytuft

Siberian Wallflower

Purplse Coneflower

Californian Poppy

Baby's Breath

Sacrlet Flax

Pereminal Lupine

Lance-Leaved Coreopsis

Dwarf Cornflower

Premennial Gaillardia

Tree Mallow

Blue Flax

Sweet William Pink

Shasta Daisy

Spurred Snapdragon

Corn Poppy

Mexican Hat

Black-Eyed Susan

7:10 AM - 6/21/2007 - comments {2} - post comment

Garden Journal

Day 1

Well I have recently started up my own little garden of which I am quite happy about. I have always been interested in plants and keeping and growing plants, and for a while I have used to try to grow my own herbs but they always died on me, and well just recently I had come upon this package of assorted wildflower seeds, and there is this old planter in the backyard that has not been used so I decided to start up my own garden.

Just today I cleaned out the planter of all the old dirt and dead leaves, and put in fresh new soil and then planted my seeds and watered them. So hopefully they will gorw. I am quite happy about that, so I decided to start a journal for my garden to recrod its process and I might add other plant related informaiton I have here now as well.

3:21 PM - 6/20/2007 - comments {1} - post comment

For though All are not able to write books, all conceive themselves able to judge them. ~The Monk

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