Hi all–If you are interested.. the news feeds are up on the damage in our town. Our power keeps going in and out and we are still under tornado watches. There are several videos in this link for our local news station. But there is one for the Parker family that will really touch your heart. My prayers go out to them.

Look at the video that says—Homes, Uninhabitable in Clemmons. This was less than 1/4 from my house.

When the tornado went over our house the winds were clocked at 110 and just 1/4 mile away they were 140. We are blessed.

http://www.wxii12.com/news/16207908/detail.html

This is the busiest week for garden centers in my neck of the woods. I’ve been working like crazy and tomorrow will hopefully be the biggest selling day of the year. It’s one of the only Saturdays I work all year. After this week, I’m down to 3 days a week and then probably finished with this merchandising job by the end of May. Then I can really concentrate on my gardens which are about to go into full swing.

 I do have a huge project started that I can’t wait to share with you but a little thing called a tornado stopped me from finishing it last night. I had the flood lights shining in my backyard at 10pm last night and was putting the final touches on my project–when bam! The lightening started.

My husband had been helping with the project the minute he got home from work and had gone in a few moments earlier to take a shower. I went in and looked at radar and thought I saw a break in the action so I could get my shower in. Next thing I know my husband is rushing me out the door and down to our cellar storage area with my hair still wrapped in a towel—-yes…I did manage to get half dressed and we’re hearing stuff hit the side of the house now. The tornado passed over our house at 110 mph winds and touched down 1/4 mile from here. It damaged 40 homes in its path and killed one person. We just got our power back on this afternoon.

I don’t have any damage to my home. I’m so thankful. It passed close to my son’s house too and they are fine also. Some families got to their basements just in that last seconds before their homes collapsed right over them. On the news tonight, one lady called her husband to tell him they were trapped in their basement. He was in another state and she could only reach him on her cell phone. Our towers were out around here so there was no local service for some reason. Her husband had to call the local fire department and some way they got the message relayed to the right paths. I can’t imagine how hopeless that dad felt knowing his family was trapped in their home.

By Monday, I should have pictures up of my new little project I’m working on. It involves an Evergreen Clematis, a new all summer blooming clematis,  several herbs, some window boxes, about 20 old windows, 3 trellises, a gate, some pavers, lots of leaf mulch, and plenty of creativity. And no!, it’s not a greenhouse! That is coming later.

 

Afternoon Fiesta

Sun

I thought you all might like to see some window boxes from www.provenwinners.com that I’m using as inspiration pieces for some of my customers. I will include the recipes too. You will have to find a Proven Winners nursery near you that carries this brand. I prefer the PW brand Petunias over the Wave because they don’t die out in the middle like Waves do.

Marguerite Daisy Molimba Helio White, Nemesia Cranberry Sunsatia, Supertunia White,Vebena Babylon Blue, Verbena Babylon Red

Blue Eyes A Shinin’

Morning Sun Afternoon Shade

Iberis White Lace, Forget-me-not Baby Blue, Dwarf Ribbon Grass Dwarf Garters, Primula Chic in Blue, Plumonaria Gaelic Magic

Penny for Your Thoughts

Sun

Angelonia Angel Face White, Logelia Laguna Blue Sky, Supertunia Lemon Plume, Supertunia Mini Rose Veined, Verbena Babylon Deep Pink

September Morn

Sun

Superbells Red, Creeping Wirevine, Salvia Tricolor Sage

Spumoni Ice Cream

Sun

Ipomea Sweet Potato Vine, Supertunia White, Satureja Pink Sensation, Superbena Coral Red

The Bold and The Beautiful

Shade

Coleus Velvet Lime, Torenia Catalina Pink

Going on down to Blue

There is a blue to fit you.

I think these pictures talk in hushes of blue. They are quiet and peaceful.

Well–often times….there’s just nothing better.

These photos are my personal photos. I do not mind if you share them with friends but do not use them for personal gain. Thank you.

Carol over at May Dreams Gardens http://www.maydreamsgardens.blogspot.com/ challenged us to a Garden Bloggers Hoe down. Here are my entries. I only have one hoe and use it mostly for weeding. She’s a hard worker and more recently has a lot of seed planting and soil spreading to do. As you can see, she has her work cut out for her. Thanks Carol, this was a lot of fun.

All these seeds came from Botanical.com and you can access them from my side bar under great websites. Thanks for stopping by. Thanks Carol. I have a birthday bash to go tonight out of town but I’ll be back later tonight to see how you all used your hoes !!

 

Laguna Heavenly Lilac Lobelia by Proven Winners 2009

Will be ready for purchase in Spring, 2009. I field test for Proven Winners.

www.provenwinners.com

Full Sun to Part Shade

8-10 inches tall with a mounding habit

annual except in zones 9-11

Deer resistant, great in containers and landscaping

 

I love lobelia. I always plant Lobelia Sky Blue by Proven Winners shown below. I know I’ll like this new one too. It seems more compact and the stems seem stronger. I have it planted in a container and two in the ground. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Here are a few pictures of the Lobelia Sky Blue by Proven Winners that you can buy this year. It is a heavy feeder. I use a slow release fertilizer and feed once a week with a half solution of liquid fertilizer. I flush the container once a month with water and start over again. If you don’t flush containers with water, the salts from the fertilizer build up. That’s the white stuff on the outside of your pots. I just let the water run till it runs out the bottom of the pots. The only containers I don’t do this with are those that rot easily like begonias. I keep their soil on the dry side.

Here are some Lobelia Sky Blue container ideas for you to enjoy. They came from the PW site.

 

 

The stacked planter by my garage entrance in front.

I’ve had a few request to post the instructions on how to make this stacked pot idea. So here ya go. I ran out in my jammie bottoms and bedroom shoes just for you and got some photos to give you an idea of what to do.

Before I post my photos, I found a website that shows an exact copy of the kind of rod my pots have. I have this type of rod because my pots were sitting on my front porch at the old house. If you are going to sit these pots on concrete–they you will need this type at this website cause they will need a welded bottom to support the weight at the top. If you do not plan on putting them on concrete—then you can just use a rebar rod and pound it in the ground as far down as you plan on going up. It needs to go way down to support all that weight on top.  I have not ordered from this company or know anything about them. It was just a website that had good pics and showed a product like I have. The one I have was given to me and I lost the name.  Here is the website with good pics–again–I know nothing about this company.

http://weechum.com/tower.html

Now here are my awful photos. I worked 8 hours today so forgive my haggard look. Running makeup and no lipstick, I would probably look better standing up too–but hey….gardeners will do anything for other gardeners right??

By my back steps.

Just add the pots by threading them through any of the holes in the bottom. If you want it to tilt, then tilt your pot to the side as you bring it up. Once you play with this whole thing it will come to you unless you don’t understand rocket science then you might be in trouble. Warning, the more you tilt, the harder it is to water the darn thing as the summer heat turns up. Water will just run right off the pot. Don’t over fill those top pots either. I have done so many things with this idea. It is a fun thing to work with. I appreciate my friend for giving it to me. She puts pumpkins in hers during fall so I starting doing that too.

 

 This is where I impale the bunny on the rod. You can add a pot on top if you would like or a bow–or an elephant if you can get one to sit still long enough.

lowes.com    just an idea of what you can do with the rods after summer. Get some of the fake pumpkins and stack them on the rods. I keep using them all year long. I used big Easter Eggs on them last Easter. I have a new computer or I would show you pics.

 

Please remember everyone that I don’t get any money from Proven Winners for promoting their product. I only promote them because I believe in the product. I only showcase the plants I have tested or am testing. Limelight is my favorite hydrangea. It starts out a creamy white then starts to turn a greenish color and ends with a deep pinkish almost burgundy look. All three colors at the same time are observed at times. It’s an extremely long bloomer starting mid-summer and running through to frost in my zone 7 garden. It tripled in size in my garden. I use leaf mulch and Espoma Plant tone as my fertilizer. It is not ph sensitive. The following information was taken from their site. The pictures were also taken from their site. I have permission to use their photos.

www.provenwinners.com

An exciting hardy Hydrangea from Holland, ‘Limelight’ has unique bright chartreuse blooms in mid-summer that hold bright and refreshing color right into autumn when the blooms change color to a rich deep pink. The autumn display of chartreuse and pink blooms on the same plant is breathtaking! The color makes a great addition to the garden and it blends wonderfully with all other colors. Use ‘Limelight’, either fresh or dried, in bouquets to make a unique floral design. This is an easy to grow plant with reliable flowering and flower color regardless of soil pH. The flower heads are of good size, ranging from 6 to 12 inches and are held upright on the shrub. The blooms are well distributed making a very nice plant and display.

Growing Tips
Prefers good, loamy soil. Most adaptable of all hydrangeas to different soil types. Most urban tolerant and very difficult to kill. Best if pruned in late fall or early spring. Blooms on new wood. Make sure to prune off spent flowers when they turn brown. Prefers medium moisture, not as water dependent as Hydrangea macrophylla. Will tolerate drought. Deciduous shrub. Fertilize in early spring by applying a slow release fertilizer specialized for trees and shrubs. Follow the label for the recommended rate of application.

Exposure
Plant in sun or partial shade

Height
72-96″

Spacing
72-80″

Hardy Temp
-40°F (-40°C)

Uses
Good in groupings and masses, in perennial and shrub borders, as a speciment, screen, or hedge. Good in containers, mixed containers, and as a cut flower.

Features
Will bloom with certainty each year beginning in mid summer and continuing into fall. Chartreuse flowers become pink to burgundy with cool temperatures in fall.

Awards Won
2007 - Fresh Cut Flower of the Year
  -Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers
2007 - Knock Your Socks Off
  -University of Georgia
2006 - Gold Medal Plant
  -Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
2005 - Way Hot 100
  -Garden Design

Consumer Comments:
This Hydrangea is a show stopper: right now, first four months in the ground, full, full sun, lots of fresh air, it is blooming like mad: big, fat beautiful creamy, to bright white elongated blooms. They are sturdy blooms, and take a good wind. They don’t collapse. It has doubled in size since April, and I’m looking forward to all the color changes it will go through. The shape of the plant is graceful and strong. It’s a garden high-light. The Limelight I planted last year is equally fantastic, and it’s in part shade. Last year the blooms got so big and the color changes were so amazing to see, you couldn’t believe all that beauty on one plant. Because of that one plant, I went out and got three more.

A great looking plant! PLENTY of flowers and it tripled in size the first year we put it in the garden. We went out and bought three more.
Barry, MI

I wanted to take a post and show you what’s been done so far with the outside of the  house. The front porch container pots are done, now they just need to grow! My family bought me a swing for my 50th b-day which is in about a week;). And we finally found the clock my oldest son wanted to get me last Christmas. This week I found it at the garden shop I featured earlier this week. They only had two so I called him and said he just bought my last year’s Christmas present. I’ll show you pics below. The time is on one side and the temp on the other.

Here is a picture show of the front porch and the little side porch off the garage entry. I still have to put down pine straw but at least the foundation plants are in and the beds amended. All the Proven Winners plants are tucked nicely in their new homes too. Now I can start hanging pictures inside and hang some towel racks. Our garage is full stuff from storage that needs to be put away. I think it’s finally time to move from outside to inside. Oh yea, the back beds aren’t done yet but I’ll work on that here and there.

Let’s Dance Starlight Hydrangea macrophylla will be available in the spring of 2009.  

Proven Winners Plants

The first Lace Cap to bloom on new wood and old wood. It grows in Zones 5-9. It grows from 36″-60″ and can be used in landscaping or containers. It has beautiful glossy leaves. You can plant it in full sun or part shade. The color is affected by the soil PH. Stop pruning in August to allow blooms to develop on old wood. Planting it in a high moisture area is best but the area must also be well drained. Soil that has been amended with leaf compost does best for this plant. Fertilize this plant in the early spring with a shrub type product.

Legal Details: Let’s Dance™ Starlight ‘Lynn’ US PPAF; Can. PBRAF

I’m excited about this Hydrangea. I planted it by my front porch and will document the progress over the summer. I’m curious to see if it blooms pink or blue. I just added a lot of leaf mulch which tends to be acidic causing blue blooms. I  have clay soil which is alkaline producing blue blooms. It may produce both the first year as it adjust. The second year will tell the real story of my soil. Here is a picture of what it looked like as it arrived from the propagators. www.provenwinners.com

For those who don’t know, I’ve been chosen as a test grower for some of  the new 2009 series of plants for the company Proven Winners brand of plants. You can follow their link on my side bar.