Green Thumb Sunday

Zinnia

Mexican Milkweed

Zinnia

Mexican Fire Bush

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Received More Seeds

Yesterday I went through my seeds. I received seeds from from Vanillalotus and Wicket Gardener. Received these a few weeks back, but just haven't the time to inventory and post on them. Sorry guys.

New Sprout

Wicked Gardener

Echinacea purpurea 'Purple Coneflower'

Echinacea purpurea 'Purple Coneflower'

Hedychium coronarium 'White Buerfly Ginger'

Picked up Hedychium coronarium 'White Butterfly Ginger' earlier this week. I finally got it into a pot. I know its a little small but it should hold them until I can figure out where the best place to put them.

Picked up Hedychium coronarium 'White Butterfly Ginger'

Since these guys had to be planted so close to the surface, they are top heavy. I couldn't get them to stand on their own. I took four bamboo stakes and wrapped them with a sturdy twine. Eventually I will be able to remove them. Once I find the perfect spot I will stake the pot to the ground and mount the pot so it won't tip over in a bad storm.

Zinnias

Zinnias - These guys are coming up all over my yard like weeds. I have a bunch I need to transplant so I can cut my yard this weekend.

daylily Collection

Daylilies -unknown types. Please post if you know what type these are.

purple Butterfly Bush

Purple Butterfly Bush 'Buddleia Nanho Purple'

Transplanted My Confederate Rose

Last fall my grandmother gave me some of her Confederate Rose 'Hibiscus Mutabilis' cuttings. I have been propagating these pretty plant for about 5 years. I usually root them and give them out to friends and family. This is the first time I have lived in a place that is big enough and had enough sunlight grow these guys. These plants were almost everywhere in the south, but now I almost never see them. I would love to see these plants make a come back.

Cutting taken last fall. As you can see there is just a little growth on the stock. Usually at this time its full of roots. I guess, the cutting is to long.

Fully rooting cutting with green growth. Planted June 17, 2008

If anyone knows where I can find seeds/cuttings, I am looking to start a collection of the Confederate Rose. Please let me know. I will trade cuttings of this pink bush, next fall/winter when I get more from the original.

It was to hot this past weekend

originally suppose to be posted Sunday May, 16 2008. Internet went down during the posting process.

This weekend was not very productive. Friday night I got sick with what I thought was strep throat. I got up at 8AM to start my yard work and felt like crap. I was weak and very sore. By 2 PM I was up and moving around. My sore throat was gone but I was still very tired.

I went out to get the wife's oil changed and went to Lowe's to check on their clearance items. I found a 3 gallon Purple Butterfly Bush and another saliva to add to my collection, 3 Quanalt ever bearing Strawberry plants. I also purchased and built another plant stand out of 2 X 6s and Cinder Blocks. This will house more small pots and cuttings that have taken root and are ready for some sun.

On Sunday, I started relapsing so I could only stay outside for about an hour before the heat hit me. Its now so hot outside, I can only work in the mornings until about 10 AM and then go back out about 6 and work till dark.

Tomorrow I am going to take it easy and hope I don't come down with something that will put me out of work for a few days.

New herb garden and seedling garden

Strawberry patch. Project not completed. Eventually the bamboo will wrap around the iron post and the pin mandevilla will eventually wrap around the posts .

Took advantage of the cool weather

Today it rained on and off all day. Surprisingly the weather was cool and very comfortable. I took advantage of the weather and did as much work as I could in the few hours I had before dark and the mosquitoes eat me alive.

Today I ripped up my last year's batch broccoli that never produced and used the pot and half of the mix for my sweet potatoe slips. I then moved a shelf from my propagation center outsidto where it gets mostly sun and is in the shade in the late afternoon. This is going to be my herb garden / small pot garden.

Herb Garden and Seedling Shelf

Vegetable Garden: Tomatoes, Peppers, Sweet Potatoes, Winter Squash , Cucumber, and Zucchini.

Last weekend was busy but fun

Friday after work I planted out my Peach and Cherry trees. They have been sitting in their nursery bag for way to long. I can already see new growth on them!

Saturday morning I got up early and watered my plants and finished potting up most of my seedlings. All I have left is some sage and other shade plants that need to be planted when I have more time.

Saturday Afternoon my wife and I went to the Texas Discovery Garden Texas native butterfly plant sale. We picked up Mexican and Texas Milkweed, Cigar plant, Candlestick plant, frogfruit plant, 2 flats of Lantana and a bunch of organic products to try in our garden.

After we finished up our trip to Fair Park, we stopped by Rohde's Nursery and Nature Store. We bought a bunch of different types of herbs, some everbearing strawberries that were clearance out, and a Mexican Firebush.

My little car is almost full. If we had more time we would gotten more.

After I got my car unloaded and cleaned up I headed out to meet one my friends. We ended up going to a Texas Rangers Baseball game. We were off the first base line second level. We had great seats that were in the shade. It was about 95 degrees and every seat in our section was filled. It got very hot.

June 7 2008, Texas Rangers Stadium. As you can tell I had a great view of the game.

After the game was over, we met up with some more friends for a few beers at Pete's Dueling Piano Bar in Addision TX. That was fun, but it was crowed and hot in there as well.

Today Was A Lazy Day

This weekend I had so much stuff to do but I did not get much done. Today I got up early after a ruff night of almost no sleep and hurting joints. (No I am not getting old, just not in good shape.) I got up early and pruned back some more of the black spot on my roses. I then Sprayed my Roses with NEEM. I am not sure this will help with the black spot but, it will help with the aphids that were all over one of the Knock Outs. As the day got hotter I went back in and took a nap. When I got up, I went to store to take care of some personal business. I stopped by Lowe's to see if I could find an organic fungicide that actually says it will help control black spot.

I went to the organic gardening sections to see what they had. I found a several products and finally went with Safer Brand 3-in-1 garden spray. Its label says it helps control black spot. Tomorrow morning I will get up early and test this product. I will let everyone know how the test works out.

After I got back, it was just to hot to get anything done outside. Since the wife was having a girl's day out with one her close friends, I chose to have amovie day for me. Its been months since I set down to some violent action movies! I watched The Marine (not so good), 3:10 to Yuma, (Not bad, a lot of good actors, Christian Bale and Russel Crowe rocked in this movie), and The last Legion ( not bad, will have to watch again, lots of violence, and sword play!)

After the movies I was in a man mood. I went out and worked on my truck for a while. I got it running a few months ago and thought I would get the last bit of engine work on it done and make sure things looked / sounded right and take it out for some wheeling out in a field near the house. I normally do not do those type of things, but that field has been calling my name for 4 months!

The truck needs a lot work, but its suppose to look bad, its an old farm truck my brother and I rescued from rusting out and ending up in a land fill or junk yard some where.

Here are some pictures after my fun in the mud. Its not much, I just wanted to test the 4 wheel drive out and check out the fishing hole near by.

1982 Chevy K5 Fullsize Blazer 4X4