Wordless Wednesday: Violas

Violas

Fabric of Petals

Mt. Fuji Morning Glory Lt. Blue

I am always amazed by the blooms of the Mt Fuji Morning Glory. This has been the bloom with the truest color and probably the biggest so far. Previous blooms were more purple, but this time it really was blue. The flower was so big the little vine just tipped over from the weight on the end.



When I picked up the flopped over vine with the bloom on it there were about 8 ants crawling all in the bloom. I managed to get a few bad shots of some of them. I really liked how the petals looked like fabric. It was just stunning to me. I wish I could have gotten better pictures but I was just not having a good time with the lighting. These are the times I wish I had a great macro lens.



I have started to build an invisible trellis for this vine. I had thought of putting having it twine up the railing. This was my original plan until I got some winter squash seeds and planted those. Those winter squash will need the railing, I'm sure. So now I have to figure out where to situate the winter squash. I want to put the winter squash were the morning glories are right now. But I have no where else to put the morning glories. I could have them climb up one corner but I have no room to put that pot in that corner. It's the corner by were the storage door opens. If I put the pot there the door will not open all the way and I won't be able to move it once the vines get going up the trellis. So I might just put the winter squash to the left of the morning glories so they cross in a section then go their separate ways. The morning glories will go towards the wall and the winter squash will go on the railing creeping it's way towards the corkscrew vine. I'm a vine addict and just bought way to many vining things for my own good.

For those that do not know what an invisible trellis is I am more than glad to inform you. It's just a trellis using fishing line. That is what makes it invisible. Normally you would run the fishing line vertically but since I have no ladder Mine will be horizontal and I hope that works out just as well. I'll probably add fishing line vertically but I'll have to attach it to the horizontal fishing line instead of attaching it to an eye screw. I got 2 eye screws in right now. I stopped putting them in today because I noticed the morning glories have spider mites .I don't want to put the screws in and the fishing line if the morning glories won't make it there.

GBBD: Flowers Galore

Dimorphotheca aurantiaca 'African Moon' and Pansy

I know I've said it before but this month I have the most blooms out of all the months I have participated so far. There are tons and a few in bud. If all the daylilies were blooming I would have so much more.

Thank you to Carol from May Dreams Gardens for putting together Garden Bloggers Bloom Day. Make sure to check out her page and all the wonderful garden bloggers that participated this month.



Dimorphotheca aurantiaca 'African Moon' about to open


Dianthus Pinocchio


Godetia half blew off from last night


The ever blooming Knotweed


Phlox 'Phlox of Sheep'


White Columbine



White Petunias





Mt Fuji Morning Glory. This just opened up today. It's a mutant it's so large. I have seen the blooms before and this is like a two in one. This is also the first bloom that hasn't torn when it has opened.


The only bijou mix sweet pea to bloom so far


Candytuft



Laura Bush Petunias


Madagascar Periwinkle


Celosia


Pink Snapdragons


Red Petunias


Barbara Karst Bougainvillea


Armeria formosa


The ever blooming Cocktail Vodka Begonia


Gaillardia Razzle Dazzle Bud



Daylily Buds. Sadly the buds for what I think might be Abstract Art broke off from the winds the last two nights.


Hibiscus Rose Bud


Grape Hyacinths. These are very late and don't bloom all that well once they open.

Grape Hyacinths and more...

Grape Hyacinths

Recently I complained that my Grape Hyacinths (muscari armeniacum) had no signs of flowers yet just foliage. Well yesterday while inspecting seedlings up close and personal I saw the signs! Quite a few of my Grape Hyacinths have the flower scape peaking up out of the center of their foliage. I purchased these in November or December maybe even Jaunuar I really don't remember. I got them on sale at lowes. Purchase them to force inside but had so many that I planted tons in any free space in my pots that I had. So I have tons of grape hyacinths to enjoy. The photo above are grape hyacinths I planted for forcing inside but put outside to receive more light. I never realized my apartment didn't receive that much light until these started yellow at the ends.

Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth)
fragrant
4-8 inches tall
deep cobalt blooms
flowers in mid spring
attracts bees
Great for indoor forcing, borders, cut flowers, rockgardens, beds, borders, and under shrubs and trees.

There are different varieties of Muscari armeniacum. There are the muscari armeniacum which is cobalt blue also the one normally called Grape Hyacinth. Album is white, Blue Spike has double florets and is flax blue, Cantab is sky blue with a slightly larger bloom, and Fantasy Creations double flowers with blue blooms that gain green with maturity. These are all fragrant.

There are over 30 different species of Muscari.


Today I have an interview/meeting to more then likely get started doing merchandising for a large wholesale nursery. Well the merchandising is at home depots I believe and lowes and those other stores. This is only for the spring. After the spring in May I'll start an internship and that I'm more than positive is a sure thing.

After my meeting when my husband gets home we'll be going to the Home and Garden show at the Alamodome. I'll be bringing my camera in hopes of great things to photograph.

Hyacinth Woodstock

Hyacinth Woodstock

My hyacinth woodstock looks like it should be blooming soon. I orginally bought these to force indoors. The container I had didn't fit all the bulbs so half went outside. I planted 3 inside and 3 outside. The other one outside is in another container and is not as large as these. The ones inside are outside right now getting some sun.


Photo from www.dutchgardens.com


Woodstock Hyacinth is a fragrant hyacinth with burgundy purple blooms. Some vary from a deeper wine purple red to a light reddish purple. They grow 8-12" high and can be grown in sun to partial shade. This hyacinth would be great for forcing indoors with the wonderful fragrance. I can't wait to smell it when mine bloom. The Woodstock Hyacinth is also good for containers and borders. They are deer and rabbit resistant. Their blooms last 3-4 weeks in mid spring.

Garden Blogger Bloom Day

Buds on my Snapdragon

Today is my first garden blogger bloom day. I've never been able to participate because I never have any blooms. Carol at Maydreamsgardens is the wonderful person that created Bloom Day. Go visit her blog and see other bloggers who blogged today about their blooms.


My snapdragon getting ready to bloom.


Another bud on my Snapdragon

First I'll start with my Snapdragon. I have been awaiting these flowers since i purchased the plant in December i think. This snapdragon was bought as a small plant with one bud. It has grown and grown taller since then and produced another bud. Now I await for the blooming.


Purple/white Candytuft

This Candytuft I accidentally left after doing my cleaning out the candytufts from the planter. Now it is blooming! I love candytufts but have many seeds to try. They grow fast and with no trouble at all for me. It's not a problem if I want some back again I'll just plant more seeds. I do have some candytufts growing that were from the seeds of the last ones that bloomed. Nothing blooming yet though for those.


Knotweed Blooms


Pink Knotweed Flower

This was a plant that I got from an older women who allowed me to take cuttings from her over grown unkept yard. She didn't know what it was neither did I. My many searches resulted in nothing. Eventually the curiosity started to kill me so I asked on GardenWeb if anyone knew. Of course they did and responded with Knotweed. I really like this vine weed groundcover whatever it is. It has interesting leaves, grows and spreads nicely in and out of it's container, and has cute round blooms in white and pink.


Cocktail Vodka Begonia blooming


Cocktail Vodka Begonias in container blooming nicely

My last bloom are my Cocktail Vodka Begonias. I planted these in a larger pot last week I believe. They were in individual peat pots before and it was a pain to keep them watered right. I gave in and spent my money on some much needed bigger pots. They look great clumped together! I love these so much and see them everywhere around here. Their foliage is a nice change from the normal green on my balcony.