Petunias, My Love/Hate Relationship

For the longest time, I loathed petunias. They were too trashy for lack of a better word. They're always in the nurseries looking flashy and cheap. They were too sexy for my taste.

Now they're growing on me in a big way. They're so bright and colorful and easy to care for. They're incredibly affordable, and they wilt when they need water. Their water hunger is a bit irritating, but I like that they wilt - it makes it easy to tell when they need water unlike ferns and other water-hungry-but-won't-let-you-know plants.

Today at the nursery, I found some amazing petunias.

Just look at this Old Fashioned petunia:
One stem has a lilac fringe and a white throat:

And here's one wanting to stay low to ground and blossom like mad:
Then there are the colors...

From scarlet:

to pale pink:

The single petal isn't enough? How about some doubles!



And who can miss the veining on some of these beauties?
And then there's the softness that's so soothing...So am I going mad or are petunias something I've been sniffing at for no good reason?

Create an Easter-Themed Tree

Easter is less than 2 weeks away, so it's time to start plotting and planning and potting. To get a great Easter effect in your front yard, hang some Easter-themed pots!

You're going to need:

• Plant hangers/hooked rods
• Pots
• Rocks
• Soil
• Flowers with big showy blooms
• Electric drill, depending on your pot

I have opted for small metal buckets with Peter Rabbit motifs painted on them that I picked up at Target, and I'm also using petunias because of the large bright blooms. I purchased my plant hangers, but you could easily use twine or a bent clothes hanger, particularly the ones with removable cardboard centers so you can bend them into opposing holes at the lip of your pot. If you don't want to buy new pots, you can spray paint some tin cans or wrap a plastic pot in colorful electrical tape.

Here was my process:

1. Drill a hole in the bucket for drainage.
2. Add rocks to the bottom to add weight.
3. Pot up the plant.
4. Hang your new creation in a tree.
5. Repeat until you're satisfied.

Cost for one:

• Petunias: $1.29
• Small Bucket: $1
• Metal Hanger: $2.98

Total: $5.27

Normally, I would think that was a lot, but I was going to buy the metal hangers anyway. The buckets can be stacked and stored for the future or repurposed, and I just couldn't resist the petunias - more on that to come. However, if you DIY the pot and the plant hanger, the only cost could potentially be the plants.

The cute thing about this project is that the plants are somewhat hidden just like in an Easter egg hunt, but they're still obvious enough that you can't miss them. Also, it's something kids could do if you're there to handle the drill and putting the hook on a limb.

HELP NEEDED: TIPS AND TRICKS FOR DUSTY MILLER

My boyfriend and I got 6 Dusty Miller plants from the Gardening Club of Austin to compete in the June (?) plant show this year, and I wanna win... REAL BAD! Does anyone have any good tips and tricks to getting to best looking Dusty Miller plant in the entire whole wide world of plant shows?

Special Acquisition, but what is it?

I bought this amazing plant at the Zilker Botanical Garden Festival, and I think it deserves a post of its own:

I was told that it was a Dutchman's Pipe, but looking through images of "dutchman's pipe" reveals that it is NOT Dutchman's Pipe. It looks like a pothos or philodendron kind of climber. It sends out saxophone shaped shoots with a cluster of leaves at the end of each stem. There are roots along the stems and for each new plant being sent out. Mine doesn't have one, but they send out stalks of small white blossoms from the top.

Here are some close-ups:

Stems:This was the largest one, and I got it for only $15 which seems like a steal. I've never seen this plant before. Anyone know what it is?

Edit: Many thanks to Cathy, the super sleuth! It is a Callisia fragrans (the Basket Plant).

New Acquisitions from the Zilker Botanical Garden Festival

This past weekend was the Zilker Botanical Garden Festival, and there was some crazy stuff there. My boyfriend and I volunteered to help the Garden Club of Austin booth, and this year they were selling ferns. Normally, I'm not a fern person, but they've been growing on me. Hanging around them for a few hours made me want a few - with time comes fondness or whatever the saying is.

So I purchased 2 Staghorn Ferns growing in hanging baskets:
There were some mounted on boards, and I felt dumb when I realized the connection between Staghorn and board mounted - you know, a stag's head mounted on the wall? Here's one mounted that was being sold:
I'm not sure where I would have put it. The hanging baskets seemed easier, and well, they were cheaper.

Here's another fern:

It's a Kimberley Queen Fern, and it's HUGE! These beauties were very lush, and you can just barely see the pot and the hook on the hanging basket. Craziness.

I was also given some Kangaroo Fern cuttings... well, not so much cuttings as bits that broke off from the plants being sold. They have fuzzy rhizomes and look very cool:
I was also given this oxalis that wasn't looking so hot. It'll rebound, and I really like oxalis.

There was one booth that had rustic birdhouses, bird feeders, and squirrel feeders. They were all very adorable and some were quite funny. Here's a Saloon bird feeder that I bought for my mom for mother's day:

At another booth, there was a guy selling metal sculpture and garden accessories. He goes to the City Wide Garage Sale, and I love his stuff and visiting his booth. Apparently he does weddings, and this is just a side thing that he does every once in a while. I bought 3 metal plant hangers that you can hang up in trees and put hanging baskets on. He said he uses these for weddings when hanging flowers up there. Easy to install and no damage to the tree.
The Begonia Society of Austin had a booth as well and had several interesting begonias that shimmered in the light, and these are the three that I picked out after about 30 minutes of consideration:

I believe I bought a these cacti from the Austin Cactus and Succulent Society, but I can't be sure.

Here's a little one that won't get much bigger, but I love the huge bright yellow flowers against the almost black skin of the cactus:And here's a fun barrel cactus that's hardy in this area:
It'll be very happy in the hell strip.

I have one more purchase that deserves a post of its own...

Budding Gopher Plant

Thank Goodness for Erroneous Post Button

Phew. I noticed Cathy's post a week or two ago about other people's posts showing up in her "My Posts". I hadn't experienced it, but then I started seeing random posts in "My Posts" too! I've also noticed some discrepancies in pick counts where it'll show a different number of picks in My Posts than in Current List or the actual listing. So huzzah for the Submit Erroneous Post button!

I also love graphs, so that's super fun.

Jarring Terrariums

For some reason, terrariums have become fascinating to me. Actually, I know the reason - they're easy! Gravel, dirt, plant, a bit of water - forget about it. At Big Lots, I found some wire bale jars that were a great size for succulents, and the opening is large enough for my hand to fit in - bonus! I'm propagating coppertone sedum, crassula variegata, and donkey tail. No pictures of the coppertone sedum - sorry!

Organizing the Gardening Cabinet

I keep a cabinet by my front door because 1) I hate going in and out of the garage and 2) I do a lot of gardening tasks on my front entry. It's great having it, but it's a cavern of clutter! Until today...

Before:

After:

I added a board for a shelf, some 3M hooks, and some pales I bought at Target. Surprisingly everything that was in there fit, AND! I was able to store some more things inside. Huzzah!

Compost Is a Mama's Hug

I bought a wandering jew from Lowe's, and it's no wonder it was on sale. I don't like to buy houseplants at full price - I can usually find them on sale and just a bit scuffed up. Well, this one was particularly bad. Why did I buy it? Because I knew this was a plant that wants to live! VERY BADLY! It's one of the easier houseplants to care for, and I though it'd maybe been under-watered and then the staff poured on a ton because the soil was soaked. I took it home and let it dry out for a bit.

The plant continued to do worse. It looked like a fungal disease was wreaking havoc on the poor thing, so I sprayed some organic fungicide on it.

It still got worse. Not knowing what else to do and believing fully that compost will cure anything, I splatted a handful of compost right on top of the plant. Amazingly, it's doing better! I'm seeing new growth and more vigor in the existing leaves and stems. So, it's true - compost will cure a lot of problems. I suspect the compost helped in this case because of the beneficial fungus and bacteria, and I think giving more soil contact with the barely-alive-but-still-alive leaves and stems helped immensely.

Here's a picture of the plant now:When I see more results, I will update for better or worse. Here's to hoping for the best!

Sticks on Fire

Yup.
Actually, I'm very excited about this plant. I'd had it on my wish list and finally purchased one. I might nestle it with my slipper plant that's planted in the front garden. I just noticed that both plants are members of the Euphorbiaceae family, and both are hardy to Zone 9A (20F). I wonder if I should risk it and plant the sticks on fire... There are a couple microclimates on my property that stay warmer than others. Thoughts?

Mawwiage - That bootifoow awwangement

I'm getting married in July, and it seems that it's crunch time for decision making. I'm having a hard time picking definitive things that people will see. Oh sure, I had no problem hiring people and picking a place, but why is it so hard to pick an invitation? Why do I have to struggle with making a decision on the style of food to serve at the reception? Normally, I'm the decision maker. I don't waffle. I choose. However, with this whole thing, I'm scared of decisions not melding into each other and creating a uniform feel and experience. With my garden, I can put whatever the hell plant I want in and that'll be the theme for that plot. I don't feel confined. I feel liberated because I got the plant I wanted and can work with it. So what happens if I make 1 decision and then confine myself to that feel or experience or theme?

Tonight I've decided on a "Save the Date" card from MyGatbsy.com. It's the 7x5 Window Jacket Invitation that I'll customize. The colors are going to be pale pink and bold green for the whole shindig, and I think that's appropriate for July and the fact that it's a festive occasion. Pink and green are versatile colors and just plain fabulous.

I think part of the problem I'm having with decisions is that I'm not super keen on the idea of getting married. I'm not afraid of commitment and have considered myself indefinitely committed to my boyfriend of 5 1/2 years. We've gone through lay-off's, grad school (oof), disasters, sick parents, et al. We've been separated for months at a time, and while we're not the most romantic of couples, we're connected to each other and complement one another very well. We have compatable goals, compatable interests, and compatable personalities. I'm firey and ornery and passionate, and he's calm and quirky and empathetic. Of course we both have those same qualities. I'm not totally lacking in empathy, and he's not totally lacking in passion. Basically, we're good for one another and bring out the best in each other. Still, I don't agree with marriage and feel it should be a personal, not governmental, decision.

So why am I doing it? Probably for reasons that I'm not proud of and for practical reasons. I'd like to have children soon, and I don't want the hassle of being unmarried and don't want my children to deal with that. I also would like to have the experience of being married which is something you can't do unless you've done it. I'm also curious about what it means and how it can change and evolve. What does a feminist wedding look like? Is it even possible? I have no idea. I'm worried people won't get what I'm doing. There won't be any handing off the bride - my father doesn't own me and I'm not his to give. I won't be wearing all white because that's a stupid tradition - color is much more fabulous (yes, white is all colors in physics, but it's not what a gardener thinks of color). There won't be any bride's maids or groom's men. There won't be any garter or bouquet throws - you choose your own destiny.

Also, I like parties, and this is a good excuse.

Zilker Botanical Garden Festival

For gardeners in Central Texas, I hope your calenders are marked for the Zilker Botanical Garden Festival this weekend (March 28-29)! I'm particularly excited about how many vendors will be there, and I'm definitely going to the "Taniguchi Japanese Garden 1969-2009" talk by Terry Ward. Of course I'm going to purchase a raffle ticket. I've had some good luck with garden raffles. I might also be working a booth for a bit, but I'm trying to keep Saturday morning free so I can scour.

The Plumeria Is Leafing Out

I blame Paul James for the fact that I now have a fondness for plumerias. It might become an obsession, but I have very little experience with the tree. I'll let the fondness simmer a little bit before diving into full-on obsession.

The plumeria came to me as a gift from my boyfriend. He went out for such-n-such necessary item for such-n-such DIY project, and he returned SKIPPING into the backyard with a plumeria! I instantly gushed, "HOLY SH*T! YOU FOUND A PLUMERIA?!" because we're romantic like that. He was impressed I knew it was a plumeria right away - he thought it was some kind of cactus until he got close enough to it to read the tag... The kid knows the way to my heart.

Sidewalk Experiment 1: Draw a Garden

A couple days ago, I wrote "Draw a Garden" on the sidewalk in front of my house and left some chalk next to the message. This is what I have today:

Succulents Are Easy!

My sister says that she has a hard time propagating plants, but I am convinced she can propagate succulents. Many succulents are very easy to propagate and frequently propagate themselves! I have dozens of new succulent plants all over the yard just because a leaf broke off, and it started anew!

Here's a leaf that broke away from a graptoveria plant:


That leaf then starts to sprout new leaves within 1-2 weeks:


Next the roots form and the original leaf starts to shrivel as it becomes depleted:


The new plant continues to grow:


After a while, you end up with something like this:


Close-up:

This particular plant is years old, but you will have a definite plant within a few months that's charming AND resilient! It'll continue to propagate itself, and the young plants make for a great gift or filling in bare spots in the garden.

Yet Another Plant Rescue

I'm sure it's becoming abundantly obvious that I shop at Lowe's a lot. It's a bit deceptive. My boyfriend and I have a lot of DIY projects that require almost daily trips to a hardware store, and Lowe's is dead close. Every time we go in, I HAVE to look at the sale plants because it's ridiculous how many fabulous plants are out there. I can see why the plants wouldn't sell at full price because they aren't blooming or there's some damage, but with a little care and time, the plants generally rebound without much fuss. The other day I found a couple tropicals with gorgeous colors.

Calathea ("Dottie"?):
Philodendron "Moonlight":


Thankfully it's March, and the threat of seriously cold weather has passed. Even if I treat these tropicals (generally houseplants) as annuals, it was worth the $3.50 I paid for each one. These plants probably just needed a soil change, which is easy enough.

Random Side Note: I also prefer Lowe's because they mark down plants rather than ship them back to their whole saler or nurseries. Home Depot will return damaged/unsold plants which is a waste of energy (transportation). Consequently, you will never find plants on sale at Home Depot unless it's a promotional drop in price.

Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Buck with Bulbine

Bulbine is an African native that naturalizes in Texas. So far as I know it does not become invasive in Central Texas, probably because of our dry summers. I've heard many rave reviews of the plants from several different sources, and it really is pretty. It has onion-like leaves, and it sends out stalks of orange/yellow flowers. It's drought tolerant and loves the heat. The best part is that this thing is just flat-out tough and is easily propagated.

I bought this puppy for $16:

Just look at it bulging at the seams:
Pulling it out revealed a massive root system:
After some drastic pulling and cutting, I managed to pull out 30-40 plants. I wasn't gentle.

This plot has been screaming for a border plant to visually show there is a real path:

You can see purple heart, lamb's ear, and blackberry bushes. The purple heart and lamb's ear were planted last year, and the blackberry bushes are new additions, hence, their smallish size.

I mulched the whole thing on purpose. I want a natural, summer-camp kind of feel where it's a maintained, informal path but doesn't scream HEY-PEOPLE-ON-THE-STREET-COME-TO-MY-BACKYARD that a formal path might do. Because of the height of the house and the relatively large width of the path, bulbine would work perfectly because it gets to 18" tall, is very dense, and doesn't need a lot of watering/fuss. I don't want side plots that need a lot of tending.

After planting, here's what the plot now looks like:It'll soon fill in, and I plan on planting some ruby queen corn up against the house which should look very pretty against the pale background and with the plants already there. Plus I don't have loads of room for corn, so I'm making places for it to grow...

1 plant marked off my wish list.