Surprise Blooms

Bunny Tails Grass

Another few things that happened while I was gone on my vacation to Portugal for 3 weeks were surprise blooms. Surprise blooms are blooms from plants that haven't bloomed and you never expected them to bloom because it's been FOREVER. Bunny Tails Grass and Stock I both grew from seeds...I forget when. Bunny Tails Grass was last year. Stock Tudor Tapestry was one of the first plants I planted so about the end of 2007.


Stock Tudor Tapestry

Now here they are fully starting to bloom. I'm beyond thrilled with the Bunny Tails Grass. This plant just pulls at my heart. Now the stock I have learned to hate. One because it took forever, it wilts real easily in the heat and is so not as drought tolerant as my other container plants. And the plant it's self just looks crappy. I'm sure they is 100% my fault because I have 4 plants in one 8inch pot and 2 plants in I think an 8inch pot also. It's crowded in there and all the leaves are gone from the bottom.

It's nice to have some blooms finally. Things were looking dead and dull here but they are finally perking back up.

Wordless Wednesday: Shibas Share

Kasha and Tova

When Sedum Attacks....

Dragons Blood Sedum

While I was gone on my trip to Portugal to see my parents, something grew on my balcony. I had waited months for my Dragons Blood Sedum to spread in the little corner of the weeping dwarf crape myrtle sacramento. It did grow but it took me a few days to even notice because...


Variegated Carpet Sedum

When I came back it was not the Dragons Blood Sedum that I initially noticed but the Variegated Sedum. When I had left this sedum had spread but it was about 6 pieces standing 3 inches tall. Now it's spread everywhere and looks gorgeous. These started out as 3 cuttings that I "stole" from my last employer after they did cuttings of pots before sending them to the stores. Those 3 turned into six which turned into this! 3 of them died because i put them indoors and they just didn't make it. 3 of them went to a lucky raffle winner at the school hort club. Now I have all these.


Containers with Ivy, Sedums and Jovibarba

Not only did I notice the Sedums but the IVY!!! I got this ivy as a little plantlet when I volunteered at the botanical gardens. We were ripping out some ivy that they no longer wanted under the palms. I took a tiny little one home with me. It hardly grew for a whole year. Yet when I come back this thing is taking over. It has now branched out behind the planter and infront of the planter. The initial leader is not about 4 feet long. I could not take an accurate photo but the leader in on the ground wrapped around some pots.

Isn't it crazy how you wait for so long to see your plants grow and think you are doing something wrong. When really they just want to grow out of your sight.

It's Seed Time!

Seeds sown 1-23-09

Finally I sowed some of my seeds. There are tons of seeds I bought for this year. What I planted is such a small portion of what I have. I'm regretting planting the different types that I did because I don't have the space to grow substantial amounts of all of them. Each type has 3 pots or less. Some pots will probably be too small in a short time. I'll see how it goes but it's fun to plant seeds anyways and I'll be happy if I get some nice basic plants to plant for my home when we start moving in April.




Really I have no idea if most of these seeds will do well here. I'm so used to container gardening and being able to manipulate the soil and light to my liking. The balcony provides some shade so none of my plants get the full blazing hot killing sun that SA offers. Live and learn, I just can't resist buying seeds that might make it.

There are 63 pots and 23 different plants:
Castor Oil Bean Zanzibarrensis Mix
Black-eyed Susan Vine 'Spanish Eyes'
Verbena Adonis Mango
Cosmos Daydream
Zinnia Red Spider
Profusion Apricot Zinnia
Nicotiana Domino Salmon Pink
Nicotiana Tinkerbell
Wizard Velvet Red Coleus
Palisandra Coleus
Bronze Fennel Smokey
Salvia viridis Blue Denim
Love Lies Bleeding
Cigar Plant Matchless
Osteospermum African Moon
Hyssop
Lavender English Dwarf Hidcote
Petunia Easy Wave Beachcombers Mix
Achillea Summer Pastels
Basil Dark Opal Purple
Coreopsis Sunray
Alternanthera Purple Knight
Nasturtium Scarlet Gleam