Daff And Tulip Update

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Well, they're still confused.
Poor things.
Most of the daffs are thinking about it.



But the tulips are already way ahead.





Even the azaleas think it's time!



I hope this wackiness sorts itself out. And soon!

Happy (weirdo weather) Growing!
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What's Wrong With This Picture

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This is a very strange year so far.
My daffs are usually opening the very last of their buds when the tulips are still tightly closed and deciding whether it's time to open theirs.

Here is this years situation -
The daffodils are just barely beginning to open their buds:



And the tulips, who should be at least two to three weeks behind total bloom of the daffs, look like this:


I have never, ever had tulips this far along this early in the year. Certainly not trying to beat out the daff blooms! (See the hyacinth tucked in the tulip foliage? Not even thinking of sending up a bloom yet. Say what?)
Honestly, I don't blame the tulips for thinking it must be time. The weather has been complete wackiness for the last month, going from record 80's F temps back down to freezing every night for this coming week.
I think I'd be a tad confused myself.
I sure hope this wackiness doesn't continue through the summer. Three sucky growing years in a row would, well . . . suck!

Happy (bloomin' tulips!) Growing!
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Peek-A-Boo!

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Well, that didn't take long.
I brought the pots of caladium out to get started for this year on March 10, and one pot decided it was time to make an appearance already.



Still waiting on the other. Sometimes they take months to get going, so we'll see.

Unfortunately, the local herd of deer have also made themselves known.
~sigh~
Thanks for the warning?
(I know, pic stinks - they're those tiny dots on the horizon)



Happy (peek-a-boo) Growing! (that sounds a tad naughty...)
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Caladiums - Ready . . . Go!

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It's time to start those caladiums.
Yes, I save everything. Yes, it's a problem.
I still have pansies going from last fall, for Pete sake!

But, overwintered properly, caladiums can be saved for years.
These (a pot of pink leaved and one of white) got a grand soak in a nice warm water bath and were promptly placed in the warmest room in the house.



Nope, nothing to see . . . yet.
These puppies want heat before they'll even think of budging from their slumber. Lots and lots of heat.
And, even then, it will take them eons to decide it's time to actually DO something - like show a smidgen of a sign that they didn't give up the ghost through their long sleep.
Eventually, they will. It just takes lots of waiting. And patience. And waiting. I've had them take up to 2 months to show any returning growth.

Hey, I waited all winter for some small sign of spring (no, I haven't seen one yet), I can wait a bit more. Gardeners do a lot of waiting.

Happy (sleepy plant) Growing!

Well, Color Me Shocked!

My poinsettia are setting seed! Unbelievable! They have the cutest little seed pods. I wonder how long I have to wait for them to mature? Curiosity may have killed the cat, but it sometimes rewards the gardener! Guess my hand pollinating experiment worked. I just can't remember whether I crossed the salmon with the white or the red. Ut-oh! Knowing me - it was both. Heh.

And I have a lavender sprout! Yay! Only one, and you want to bet something happens to it? Poor lonely little thing. I'm knocking wood and crossing my fingers. Maybe third time was the charm.

Oh, and the peacock orchids that I thought wouldn't do all that great (because I forgot to plant them last year. Yeah, I know - I already slapped my patties) are starting to poke out of the soil. So, doing pretty good.

This & That

I haven't started winter sowing yet. I'm such a slacker! I just can't seem to get myself motivated to start. Maybe it's just that this year started out so depressing. Geesh, pretty soon it'll be time to put up the light stand and get bell peppers started. I've never been behind enough that I've had my peppers started before I've had my winter sowing containers half done!

The Martagon lily seed I started back in December are bulbing out nicely. Come March they'll be hitting the fridge for their 'cool' period until plant out time in June. The ones I did last year looked pretty healthy last fall, so hopefully my 'halvesies' problem turned out to be a good thing with these - successive years of bloom. :) We'll see.

I tried starting Lavender 'Lady' seed again. Third try. I'm a little peeved that I don't have any problems starting those supposedly hard germinators, yet, can't get easy-peasy lavender to germinate! What's up with that?

Walgreen's has their .10 cent sale going and I found some Hungarian Wax peppers to start for youngest son. I don't think they had as much of a selection of seed as they did last year. Of course, the first store we stopped at didn't have them and the manager was insistent that all the stores in that area get the exact same deliveries, so if they didn't have them in yet, the rest wouldn't. The hubs decided we needed to check anyway (cause who trusts most of what these employees say?) and sure enough - the other stores had seeds! Now, you would think that if there's a coupon online and in their papers that they'd have the advertised product, right? Heh. Anyway, they're getting the paper towel germ treatment so I can stick them in the big pots with the purple potato vine for the patio.

And, while we were out and about, we just had to stop at Lowe's. The hubs spotted $40 pots of Dracaena Massangeana/Dracaena Marginata/Schefflera arboricola for 5 bucks. Yes, one absolutely had to come home with us. The poor things were not happy. With a little care they'll be fine, and I'll have no more floor space. :) I think I'll repot them all in containers of their own come spring.

I finally got the guts to dig out my peacock orchid bulbs. ~sigh~ Poor things were already sprouting in their mesh bag, but didn't look too good. No way would they have made it any longer out of soil, so they got potted up and I'll see what happens.

The rhododendron and azaleas sprouts are still looking pretty darn good! I'll get them transplanted to separate cells when I get the light stand up to get the peppers started. I haven't counted, but I bet there are at least 50 still going good. Hopefully I can get at least a few to make it through until planting out in spring 09. I'm crossing my fingers that I'll eventually get some blooms so I can get a pic with the daughters cell and send it off to Sharon at The Willow Garden and let her know something came of her generosity!

I also found some Moon and Stars watermelon seed. How sad is it to be just about jumping up and down in the store because you found a freaking package of seed?! People must think I'm nuts.

I really, really want to try Dahlia seed this year. I'm going to have to haunt Walmart for them because I figure there's no way the Dollar store will have them, or that Lowe's will have them at a price I can afford. I'd order them, but with the shipping cost, no way. Man, I hate skimming the seed and plant catalogs and drooling over things I'll never have. It's like some kind of self-punishment/torture!

And, finally, I think hell has frozen over - my sister-in-law brought home some poinsettias that someone threw away and is doing very, very well at keeping them alive and healthy! Will wonders never cease?!

Pffffft! Non-Gardeners Just Don't Understand!

Christmas was cool.
All the children showed up for Christmas Eve din-din. OK, so it was under the threat of penalty of death, but that's besides the point. After Church service with the grandparents, I stuffed their faces and plied them with wine, then watched as they all sprawled across the couch groaning with swollen bellies. It doesn't matter that they couldn't move for 3 hours cause I was happy, and when the Mom is happy, all is well, you know!

But, come Christmas morning there was much head-shaking and eye-rolling in my direction.
What?! So I got some bulbs to force as a gift. So? So - All unwrapping (at least mine) must cease and dirt be immediately strewn across the kitchen counters. Yes, now.
Right. Freaking. Now.
I do not care what is in the next box with the perfect red paper and glorious white bow. These bulbs must meet soil and water post-haste!

Oh, and this afternoon, since it's above freezing and not snowing, you can all help me finish shoveling compost onto the new flowerbed. Yes, on Christmas day.
:)

Poor Peacocks

I forgot to plant my peacock orchids this spring.

Grrr! What was I thinking?

Or, rather, not thinking? Sigh.

All that business about getting them to grow last fall and ... well, frig.

I wonder if those neglected little bulbs will be ok until next spring? Yeah, when I can maybe remember to actually plant them!

Pushing it

Yay! Garden Voices seems to be fixed.

Carol, over at May Dreams Gardens, is starting her Amaryllis early this year. I have to admit, I've never really had success with them. Ok, the one I got as a gift one year croaked on me and I haven't tried again since because they're suppose to be easy, right?

But, back in late September, I found some Peacock Orchids on clearance at Kmart for 50 cents. I couldn't help myself. 15 bulbs for 50 cents? I've never been able to afford these, so thought I'd best jump at that kind of deal!

So, home with me they came, under the delusion that they'd sit happily sleeping until spring. Then I peeked into the edge of the package. Poor things were already sending out shoots that were a good six or seven inches long and curling around the bulb with nowhere to go. And here I am thinking, "My God! They must be screaming in there with having had no light and no water for, what, almost 12 months or more?" If you figure they'd been packaged last fall for spring planting, well, that'd be about right.

After a quick weighing of choices, I figured there was no way they would make it to spring without just drying up into withered little balls. So here I was rushing through the house scouting out a doable pot, rustling up some suitable soil and mumbling about, "Those poor babies!" My kids roll their eyes at each other and twirl a finger close to their ears while D just sighs.

Well, as of now I think I'm really in trouble. It seemed they were so happy to be nestled back into some dirt that they've grown to 3 feet already! Some had a bit of a problem unwrapping themselves enough to find 'up' so a few leaves are a little curly, but they are otherwise happy campers. Now I'm stuck with what to do with them all the way through winter and into spring until plant out time. I wonder if they'll live that long or figure out I'm a complete idiot. I guess we'll see...