June bloomers - Dahlia Fireworks

My #8 from wintersow: Dahlia Fireworks

June bloomers - Lilies

Lily is about to give a show:


Another type of Lily

June bloomers

Haven't blog for a while. Busy at work :-( Finally I am able to take a break and took some pictures for the bloomers these days. Missed taking pictures on those peonies in full blooms thought.

A corner:

LOVE LOVE my Honeysuckle. I can smell its fragrant in anywhere in my garden. I need to find to see if there is another type that blooms later in the year???.
Finally found Cleome in a nearby Nursery last week. The homegrown one still hasn't sprounted yet:
Nasturtium from wintersow:

Heucheras and ??
Honeysuckle in full bloom:



Cherry harvest the first year. Not a lot, but hey, so glad that the kids can go pick-your-own in the yard:
Peach is coming too:

A foggy garden

Rains all day long today. Felt so lucky I was able to a short walk after dinner time: it's still foggy, but, boy, the garden smells so great and fresh! I think this is the first I've ever taken my garden pictures in a foggy day.

Peony bud:

Lupine

Lighting is so perfect at that time of the day, can't help myself and took more pictures on Lupine.

A new retaining wall

Ordered the stones on last Saturday. I knew they are going to delivery them in the afternoon today, and we plan to work on it on the weekend. When I got home from work and rush to backward to see the stones, to my surprise, the wall is setup already. Sweet Quentin spent the afternoon ( with help from Kim ) and work on it. It looks so nice in that shady bed. Now I need to get more top soil to level it up.

Before:


After:

妹妹 has been trying to help daddy to move the stones, but got refused. :-) So she waited patiently till Daddy was all set with last stone, and immediately started her own task: the new stone wall decoration. One by one, she moved some sprouted seed containers from other side of the yard, gathered some garden ornaments, and made the bare stone wall looked alive! Columbine:

See the spider?

Full bloom Lupine. I had to remove 2 lupines as they were kind of in mildrew. Lupine is so easy to grow from seed and I have enogh of them in the yard already :-) (this color thought)
???

Memorial Day

Had to work on the first 2 days of this momorial holiday. :-)

Anyway, today finally I have some time work on my yard. Planted out Petunia, Ornamental kale. Edge and mulch the 3rd flower bed.

Dahlia is coming up

on Mother's day, noticed that Dahlia joined us and celebrate this special day with us



ps. planted them on 4/26

Tomorrowl is mother's day

Tomorrow is mother's day. Don't think I'll do any digging, planting in the yard tomorrow. Rather, I will just walk around, and enjoys the hard works we've done in the yard tomorrow!

Planting out

Looks like the weather is getting hotter. Should pass frost freeze by now?? I'm taking a shot today and went ahead planted the following out after dinner, while Kim and Jyaleen put down compost on the 3rd flower bed.

10. 25 seeds: Coreopsis pubescense, Sunshine Superman

10. 50 seeds: Coreopsis, Early Sunrise

10. 25 seeds: Coreopsis, Sunfire

10. 100 seeds: Coreopsis, tinctoria

15. 50 seeds: Cosmos, Cosmic Orange ( sowed 3/15, germinated 4/5 ) --- 12-22 inches

15. 25 seeds: Cosmos, Double Click ( sowed 3/15, germinated 4/5 )

7. 25 seeds: Lupine, Tutti Frutti ( <== 小叶子已经出来啦　3/22 )

Coreopsis:

Bleeding heart still blooming beautifully:

Lupine: about to bloom!

2nd bed mulching

Woke up very late in the moring: 11:30am! ( Thanks JJ! ). Then we head to Donkin's Donuts and had a nice brunch. When we got home, Quentin stayed inside and helped the kids practice piano, and I headed to backyard to work on the 2nd bed - planned to add compost + mulch on it today.
When I finished adding the compost, Quentin came out and helped me finished adding mulch on the bed. The bed looks so nice and clean now.

ps. I need to plant out the Lupine very soon cause their roots are running out of space in that container already

Planting guide

Preparing for planting out! Sorting all germinated seeds by high and type:

LOW:
1. 70 seeds: various Petunia Wave Collections ( sowed 3/8, germinated: 4/5 )
10. 50 seeds: Coreopsis Tinctoria, Mahogany Mid?? ( one of these germinated on 4/3/08) ---- aAt 10 inches tall, it's just the right size for containers or the front of the border!
10. 25 seeds: Coreopsis pubescense, Sunshine Superman
10. 50 seeds: Coreopsis, Early Sunrise
10. 25 seeds: Coreopsis, Sunfire
10. 100 seeds: Coreopsis, tinctoria
27. portulaca , aka Moss Rose , 死不了, (home collected seed in 2007) ( sowed 4/5, germinated 4/15 )
40. 100 seeds Bellis Tasso, Strawberries & Cream, English Daisy ( sowed 4/14 , germinated 5/3) , atop neat 5-inch plants.
58. Candytuft Apple Blossom ( sowed 4/27 , germinated 5/5 ) , 12 inches, A
64. Zinnia, thumbelina ( sowed 5/1, germinated 5/12 ), with kids, 6", border, A
48. 50 seeds Celosia, China Town ( sowed 4/24 ), r14 to 16 inches high and 8 inches wide, sun-lover, A
33. 100 seeds Celosia, Fresh Look, Orange (sowed 4/5, germinated 4/15)


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MEDIUM:

15. 50 seeds: Cosmos, Cosmic Orange ( sowed 3/15, germinated 4/5 ) --- 12-22 inches
15. 25 seeds: Cosmos, Double Click ( sowed 3/15, germinated 4/5 )
16. 10 seeds: Coleus, Chocolate Mint ( sowed 3/29/08, germinated 4/27 )
24. 40 seeds Coleus, Carefree mix (sowed 4/5, germinated 4/24 )
20. 100 seeds Trachymene Coerulea (Disdiscus) ( sowed 4/5/08, germinated 5/3 ) , sun and partial shade, 20-inch plants
56. 50 seeds Comsmos, Happy Ring ( sowed 4/27, germinated 5/3 )
52. 50 seeds Achillea Millefolum, Summer Berries, Yarrow ( sowed 4/27 , germinated 5/5 ) , 2 feet high and 1½ feet wide, P
60. Mirabilis Jalapa ( sowed 4/27, germinated 5/12 ), Four o'Clock, bushy plants 3 feet high and wide, plant near Roses
65. Bachelor Button ( sowed 5/12, germinated 20 ) , about 24 inches high and wide, A


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TALL:

7. 25 seeds: Lupine, Tutti Frutti ( <== 小叶子已经出来啦　3/22 )
8. 15 seeds: Dahlia, Fireworks ( germinated 4/24 )
14. 50 seeds: Aster, Opus ( sowed 3/8, germinated 4/13 ) --- 30 inches tall
19. 100 seeds Aster, Seastart Mix ( sowed 4/5/08 , germinated 4/13/08)
18. 25 seeds: Ornamental kale, Sunset ( sowed 3/29/08, germinated 4/3/08 ) --- Sunset reaches 2 feet tall and about 8 inches wide
49. 50 seeds Amaranthus, Autumn Touch ( sowed 4/24 , germinated 5/1 ) - giant 2-foot plumes
17. 50 seeds: Agastache Rupestins ( sowed 3/29/08, germinated 5/8 ) , 2 1/2 to 3 feet tall, P
31. 100 seeds Buddleia Davidii, Butterfly Bush (sowed 4/5, germinated 5/8 ) , Left unpruned, they will reach 14-feet tall, cut them back to about 10 inches each spring before the new growth begins A
67. Sunflower Velvet Qn ( sowed 5/12, germinated 20 )
68. Sunflower ( sowed 5/12, germinated 20 )
21. 25 seeds Digitalis, Camelot Lavendar Hybrid (Foxglove) (sowed 4/5, germinated 5/3 ) , reaches 42 to 48 inches tall and about 24 to 30 inches wide. Situate it in partial shade and rich, moist soil. P
30. 100 seeds Snapdragon hybrid, rocket Red (sowed 4/5), 2 1/2- to 3-foot plants , in full sun to light shade, A

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TRAILING

11. 25 seeds: Carnation, Clove Drops ( germinated 4/3/08 ) -- trailing plant
43. 100 seeds Lobelia erinus, Cascade Mix - small seeds( sowed 4/14, germinated 4/26 )
22. 10 Bacopa Snowtopia, Pelleted seed (sowed 4/5, germinated 5/3 ) , sun or shade
66. Trailing Soapwort(Saponaria Ocymoides) ( 3 bags, sowed 5/12 , germinated 20 ) , rock garden and border edging, 8" high

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MISC

9. 15 seeds: Runner Bean, Hestia ( sowed 3/8, germinated 4/13 - only a few beans worked ) - Plant 3 seeds per 10- to 12-inch pot for a very full look.

12. 50 seeds: Nasturtium, Park's Fragrant ( sowed 3/8, germinated 4/13 ) -- vines
13. ??? ( sowed 3/8, germinated 4/24 )
39. 100 seeds herb Pennyroyal (sowed 4/12, germinated 4/24 ) -- Just 4 to 16 inches tall, it spreads rapidly for a great barrier to fleas, mice, and other pests! plan in container
42. 100 seeds Sagina subulata Pearlwort - small seeds ( sowed 4/14, germinated 4/24 ) -- Mossy foliage grows just 1 inch tall, for lovely color between flagstones or spilling over rocks.
59. Squash Mars ( sowed 4/27, germinated 5/12 )

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POTS:

50. 20 seeds Coleus Giant, Exhibition Palisandra ( sowed 4/24, germinated 5/12 )
32. 20 seeds Coleus, Giant Exhibition, Aureole (sowed 4/5, germinated 5/12 )
62. Fansy J. Joker ( sowed 4/27, germinated 5/12 )
26. 20 seeds Laurentia, Avant-garde Blue Hybrid ( sowed 4/5, germinated 5/17 ), sunny or partly shade, 18-24 inches

Why not everyone is a gardener

I read Bumblebee's Why not everyone is a gardener. Very interesting article. While I agree some of her views, I have some of my owns:

It's just one of the hobby people choose, such as writing blog, photography, reading etc. One might think that spending 30 mins to write/read a blog, or 1 or 2 hours post processing those images you took using RAW format, is wasting time; while your opponent might think spending your weekends in the yard is not worthy at all.

Sometimes I have to agree what Quentin is saying: if you like to do it, you do it.

Except sometimes when I do it, I would like to drag him to do it together also, expecially those planting works. :-)

Quentin DOESN'T like gardening. He prefers sitting on his couch and read his novel books. That's his hobby, and I respect that. He ususally stays inside the house in the first few hours - watch kids do homework, taking turn practice piano, sometimes make lunch. Then he would come out in the last mins and help me out in the yard. Well, except those heavy lifting works, he would help me from start to finish. He for sure has no intesting on those small tasks such as weeding, watering etc.

Why he doesn't like it? Because he doesn't like it. :-)

Mind you, gardening requires lots of work. I ususally spend weekends in the yard doing labor works in Spring time, at least April/May to tidy up the yard, put down compost, mulch, edging etc, while others might go out for sight seeing etc. For what? I figured'ed that I only need to do this 2 months out of 12 months a year. It's well worth it to get my garden ready for summer blooming. And I get such joys from working in the garden.

I like to do it, while some others don't. It's people's choice.

Rain, rain

Heavy rain since 5pm today, and it's still going strong as I'm writing this blog. It's good for all my Dahlia bulbs and others. Weather forecast says it'll rain tomorrow too. Let them have a good drink of water!

I went out to the back after dinner during the rain - just want to peak at those jars to see if anything newly sprounted since yesterday. :-)

What's blooming this week

After lunch, I then realized I should have taken some pictures this morning when the rain had just stopped. Oh well, better late then nothing. I bring my camera out and take a short walk in the yard while the kids are getting ready to go to grandma's house. And here are what's blooming in the yard this week:

Cherry:


Another cherry:


White bleeding heart: Dicentra(荷包牡丹).别名：铃儿草、铃心草、鱼儿牡丹、免儿牡丹


Red bleeding heart:


Alyssum:

A few more jars

Planted all jars that parent collected for me in the morning. Think next year I'm going to start ws sooner.


51. 20 seeds Coleus Giant, Exhibition Tartan ( sowed 4/27 )

52. 50 seeds Achillea Millefolum, Summer Berries, Yarrow ( sowed 4/27 )

53. 40 seeds Coleus, Black Dragon ( sowed 4/27 )

54. 25 seeds Digitalis, Cameiot Cream, Hybrid ( sowed 4/27 )

55. Cucumber, Pearl Hybrid ( sowed 4/27 )

56. 50 seeds Comsmos, Happy Ring ( sowed 4/27 )

57. Herb Thyme Orange ( sowed 4/27 )

58. Candytuft Apple Blossom ( sowed 4/27 )

59. Squash Mars ( sowed 4/27 )

60. Mirabilis Jalapa ( sowed 4/27 )

61. Campanula Cant Bells Mx ( sowed 4/27 )

62. Fansy J. Joker ( sowed 4/27 )

Dahlia corner is all set

When kids are at Chinese school, I finished up edging of the Dahlia flower bed, then started putting down mulch. When daddy and kids got home, they joined me and the bed was done by 5:30pm officially! Let's sit tight and wait for the new sprout coming up!



One thing I noticed today in the yard is lots of weeds! Need to have Daddy put down something to the ground!, and gruds too! yikes! I had to kill 3 of them during eding the bed. sorry....