No? I don't so much care when I can walk out in the back and see these gorgeous wildflowers blooming. I mean, who can help but smile when you see that? Gorgeous, just like Yorkshire Pancakes. Gorgeous.
24 October 2007
The Jade ICU
I've had some problems with the Jade plants. Thanks to some great advice from his sister, Sarah, I think I've got them on the road to recovery, but it's too soon to say for sure.
They started out like this:
But I overwatered them and Jade One (second photo above) ended up suffering for my mistake. I had to take one of the shoots out, cut off the rotten bit, and then make a mojito!
Now, about 10 days later, my Jade ICU looks like this:
Left to right, we have the proper jade plant, just there for moral support, the two shoots left of Jade One that didn't succumb to root rot and lose all their leaves and the mojito, which has finally sprouted a tiny root! I think it's going to get it's own pot and be called Mojito, because everything here at the Black Thumb has a name...
They started out like this:
But I overwatered them and Jade One (second photo above) ended up suffering for my mistake. I had to take one of the shoots out, cut off the rotten bit, and then make a mojito!
Now, about 10 days later, my Jade ICU looks like this:
Left to right, we have the proper jade plant, just there for moral support, the two shoots left of Jade One that didn't succumb to root rot and lose all their leaves and the mojito, which has finally sprouted a tiny root! I think it's going to get it's own pot and be called Mojito, because everything here at the Black Thumb has a name...
23 October 2007
I'm a sucker
I was in Publix last week and saw the most pitiful looking plants...
Okay, not really, they just looked lonely, like they wanted me to take them home. So please allow me to introduce the new kids at the Black Thumb: Begone-ya and Caracas.
Begone-ya is just what you think, a begonia. Complete with moss on the soil.
Caracas is a coxcomb or celosia with brilliant purple plumage and a touch of mold on its soil.
Both came in that tacky paper that supermarkets wrap up plants in to make them look as palatable as gifts as proper cut flowers. I had to save them. In fact, I almost brought home another Draco but it was HUGE and a bit out of my budget.
Nothing much more to report. The wildflowers continue to delight and they seem to really like the rain we've gotten the last few days.
As you can see in the second photo I have a bit of dead-heading to do on those plants.
Okay, not really, they just looked lonely, like they wanted me to take them home. So please allow me to introduce the new kids at the Black Thumb: Begone-ya and Caracas.
Begone-ya is just what you think, a begonia. Complete with moss on the soil.
Caracas is a coxcomb or celosia with brilliant purple plumage and a touch of mold on its soil.
Both came in that tacky paper that supermarkets wrap up plants in to make them look as palatable as gifts as proper cut flowers. I had to save them. In fact, I almost brought home another Draco but it was HUGE and a bit out of my budget.
Nothing much more to report. The wildflowers continue to delight and they seem to really like the rain we've gotten the last few days.
As you can see in the second photo I have a bit of dead-heading to do on those plants.
15 October 2007
Dianthus Blooms
I'm gonna totally hate it when these flowers stop blooming.
Be sure to click on that so you can see the larger image. The tiny white dots on the petals are amazing.
This next one makes me think of either a square dance skirt or like someone has painted the tips of the petals with a tiny paint brush.
Be sure to click on that so you can see the larger image. The tiny white dots on the petals are amazing.
This next one makes me think of either a square dance skirt or like someone has painted the tips of the petals with a tiny paint brush.
The jury is split
Half of my new "garden" seems to be doing well, and half is worrying me...and that's just the "Outdoors."
I got home from the renn fest this weekend to find that the flower garden boxes have exploded with both green leaves and flowers!
There seem to be new growths in both the snapdragons and peonies, and the petunias are slowly crawling out of the box all together. I may need to look into re-potting them soon.
I'm really loving my little tiny Peonies. They almost look like tiny faces to me.
I am concerned about the other end of my garden, though. The orange gerbera daisy has lost its flowers now and the leaves look quite sickly. I've held off watering and they wilt, water and they look not so great.
The lavender seems unaffected, as does the red daisy, but the rosemary is doing this weird wilty thing on the tips.
I watered it this morning, then checked and the info concerning watering says "Arid." Whoops! I guess I will just let the Rosemary Twins have some time to dry out and see if that helps. I'm also going to move them into the sun today.
So the jury is split...too much water? Not enough? The flowers are thriving and my bushes and daisies are not. We'll see.
I got home from the renn fest this weekend to find that the flower garden boxes have exploded with both green leaves and flowers!
There seem to be new growths in both the snapdragons and peonies, and the petunias are slowly crawling out of the box all together. I may need to look into re-potting them soon.
I'm really loving my little tiny Peonies. They almost look like tiny faces to me.
I am concerned about the other end of my garden, though. The orange gerbera daisy has lost its flowers now and the leaves look quite sickly. I've held off watering and they wilt, water and they look not so great.
The lavender seems unaffected, as does the red daisy, but the rosemary is doing this weird wilty thing on the tips.
I watered it this morning, then checked and the info concerning watering says "Arid." Whoops! I guess I will just let the Rosemary Twins have some time to dry out and see if that helps. I'm also going to move them into the sun today.
So the jury is split...too much water? Not enough? The flowers are thriving and my bushes and daisies are not. We'll see.
12 October 2007
Black Thumb Reformation: Fact or Fiction?
Welcome to my new blog. I came up with the idea for this as I was looking at pictures I'm taking of my new garden. I've never considered myself a gardener...quite the opposite really, hence the name of the blog! But with my boyfriend's help, I'm learning...slowly...about plants and soil and watering and all that stuff. So, I thought I'd start this blog as a way to become more disciplined with my plants and maybe not kill them this time. We'll see. This will also be a handy reference for when I ring him to ask why plant A's leaves are dropping off and he says, "How long has it looked this way?" Well, I just pull up my handy-dandy photo-blog of my plants and see.
I'm not shooting for daily photos of each plant, but I find myself taking photos at least weekly and sometimes daily. We'll see if this former black thumb can grow at least a bit green around the edges. We'll see.
I'm not shooting for daily photos of each plant, but I find myself taking photos at least weekly and sometimes daily. We'll see if this former black thumb can grow at least a bit green around the edges. We'll see.
The Plants...living with Black Thumb
First, the "Indoors"...yeah, they all have names...so?
Jade One and Jade Two:
Draco, the Dragon Tree (after some nibbling from my cat, sadly...):
Banana, the Umbrella Plant:
Whatsit, the Purple Passion Plant/Vine:
Beelzebub, what we THINK is Devil's Ivy (Belle for short):
The "Outdoors"...no names, they don't live in the house with me and there are just too many!
The Rosemary Twins:
Window Box One and Two: Petunias, Snapdragons, Peonies and Dianthus (not sure the species)
Gerbera Daisies, Orange and Red:
The Lavender Garden:
Jade One and Jade Two:
Draco, the Dragon Tree (after some nibbling from my cat, sadly...):
Banana, the Umbrella Plant:
Whatsit, the Purple Passion Plant/Vine:
Beelzebub, what we THINK is Devil's Ivy (Belle for short):
The "Outdoors"...no names, they don't live in the house with me and there are just too many!
The Rosemary Twins:
Window Box One and Two: Petunias, Snapdragons, Peonies and Dianthus (not sure the species)
Gerbera Daisies, Orange and Red:
The Lavender Garden:
Amazing what a little sun will do...
Whatsit before, seeming huddled like someone that's a bit too cold...
And Whatsit now, after an afternoon outdoors in the sun!
And Whatsit now, after an afternoon outdoors in the sun!
Lavender Growth
25 September 2007
12 October 2007
It would seem I don't have to worry about how it grows in this climate, hey? Notice that you can no longer clearly see the thingy stuck in the pot to remind me what kind of plant it is...
12 October 2007
It would seem I don't have to worry about how it grows in this climate, hey? Notice that you can no longer clearly see the thingy stuck in the pot to remind me what kind of plant it is...
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