Gardening and Gardens

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. It's been a rainy past few days here in western Long Island, but at least I got to photograph a few of my plants while the sun was still shining. The Black-eyed Susan's have finally bloomed. I just love their cheery yellow with the dark center. The purple Salvia has really done well in these boxes and their darkness is a nice contrast to the lemon-yellow Zinnias. Every time I look at these impatiens, I am still in awe that these were from cuttings I made. Look how full and lush they are! The Morning Glory vines have really taken off and trying to grab hold of anything they can climb on. I love the shade it provides from inside the house and the way it looks from the outside. I planted a mix of seeds, so the flower colors range from a deep purple to pink to a deep blue. So pretty. The ferns in the shady area of my backya...

It's Garden Bloggers Bloom Day! Here's what's growing and blooming in my garden this month. All my containers are starting to bloom and fill in. The house faces east and therefore, the front gets the most sun in the morning and midday. Here is a look at what the front porch area looks like: A close up on the flower boxes and containers: The main box is planted with impatiens and geraniums (both from cuttings), morning glories, white bacopa, purple saliva, black eyed susan, yellow zinnia and sweet william. Below the box are two pots containing flat leaf parsley and columbine seedlings. To the right of the box are perennial daisies just starting to bloom and beneath that is the geranium plant I overwintered and took cuttings from this spring. It has just started to bloom and produce new growth. The left box is filled with pansies (still holding on!), impatiens and geraniums, pink pentas, purple saliva, lobelia, morning glory vines, lychnis and white salvia. ...

With March temperatures in the upper 40s and low 50s around here, I know spring isn't far away. So, let the seed starting begin! I'm using a 72-cell tray that sits on top of a water soaked mat with a drip tray beneath to keep the cells moist. I've planted: Sweet Pea, String Bean, Morning Glory, Moonflower, Wildflower mix, Columbine, Basil, Parsley and an annual Black-Eyed Susan mix My kids are loving watching the sprouts grow taller every day. As the sprouts grew, I moved some of the vines into bigger pots: On the left are the Morning Glory plants. On the right near the window are the Moonflower and String Bean plants. In the foreground on the right I am growing geraniums and impatiens by stem cuttings. Everything is growing pretty well so far, but I still have a while to go before I can plant them outside. Hopefully by then I'll have many strong and healthy plants to enjoy!

This stunning blue Morning Glory brings a smile to my face. I have other pink and purple Morning Glories growing as well, but there is something so beautiful in the true blueness of this one.

All summer long I have been waiting for the Moonflower to bloom. They were planted among the Morning Glories which have done really well this summer. But one night this week, I finally noticed a beautiful white bloom smiling down at me: This is Giant White Moonflower ( Ipomoea alba ). I love the femininity of this flower. The soft ruffles of the petals and the overall shape of the flower.  By the time the sun comes up in the morning, the Moonflower is finished. And while it's a shame I don't get to see it more, I know that it really isn't here for my enjoyment alone. It's really for the moth pollinators like the Pink-spotted Hawkmoth or the Luna Moth who are attracted to it's scent and the bright white flower during the night hours. Nevertheless, I was still happy to see it when made an appearance on my porch this week!  

The Morning Glory vines in my flower boxes have been growing so well, but after they reached the porch banister, they had no where else to go. Since they were still actively growing and actively looking for some place to twine around, I decided to attach some strings to the porch's ceiling to give them a place to extend. And you know what? They LOVE it. Have a look: I probably should have done this from the beginning. But since this was my first time growing them in this spot, I honestly didn't know what to expect. Now I know for next year!

Here are some updated photos of my flower boxes. These photos were taken mid-June - one month after planting. Everything is in full bloom except the vines and the Digitalis has already bloomed.  And here are the updated containers in the backyard containing Coleus, Caladium and Impatiens: