Questions...

Perhaps the hardest part about transitioning my garden to zone 4 is the question of what is hardy. With the most recent update of zone boundaries last year (or was it the year before) my garden was very much on the border of zone 4/5 but now falls all the way in zone 5. I am moving to northern part of zone 4. I'm spending hours online trying to figure out what is marginally hardy up there, and coming up with some confusing answers.
Some of the plants I am most worried about include Rose of Sharon- both Blue Satin:
and Lavender Chiffon.

Some of my hardy gernaiums are rated only to zone 5.

And I'm uncertain about some of my perennial hibisucus as well.

Most hollyhocks seem like they'll be okay up there- but once in awhile I come upon a rating that scares me. I am still going to take my 'Creme de Cassis' seeds with me!

I'm not looking forward to feeling like a newbie again. And also having to wait longer for spring.

Sigh.

I've been winter sowing, and starting my dahlias to keep busy.

Happy gardening!

Container planning starts now.

I have a lot of containers. I've never counted, but I'm sure the number is around 50- maybe more... I don't know. Doesn't matter how many I guess. I have tropicals from my grandma's and mother's gardens, and various treasures I've collected on my trips to California. I have plumeria's from Hawaii, and cacti from So Cal. Some plants' names I don't even know- and they make me so happy! My containers dress up the front and back porch, and broaden the scope of my gardening skills and aesthetic.
This time of year I always pull up the pictures from last years container gardens and examine what worked and failed, and what needs to be re-potted or moved about. Last year was pretty great for the containers. So I mostly remind myself of the sleeping bulbs and plan what is going into the vacant spaces annuals filled last year.
Here are a few of my favorites:
Black Colocasia with two tone caladium, chartreuse sweet potato vine, new guinea impatiens, and a teller white hydrangea, that is pink.

Love this bronze grass with purple wandering jew, and yellow zinnia. Plumeria is out of the bloom on the right.

Begonia with 'molten lava' oxalis.

A wild combination of persian shield, coleus, dusty miller, polka dot plant, and white caladium.

More elephant ears with caladium, zinnia, and more sweet potato vines.

So where are they all now? In my basement garden, of course:

These are not grow lights, just shop lights. Works for me. Some things go dormant, some just slow growth. I don't fertilize until right about now... and they all make it through. It's wonderful.

This flowering maple is even, flowering.

Today, I'm potting up my dahlia tubers, which are waking up in the basement already. I found container soil on sale for $1.79 a bag. I am also adding 'firebird' canna to the container that has salvia 'black and blue' growing in it. I already planted stock and lobelia seeds this week. I find both of these annuals easy to grow from seed in the basement- I love lobelia 'cambridge blue,' but buying dozens of plants is not in my spring budget- so filling my containers with the seeds now means I get my fix of bright blue lobelia when summer arrives.

I'll also be adding some fresh soil, and double checking the root sizes on some of the larger plants. This is definitely satisfying the gardening fix!

Happy soon-to-be-spring!

Wishin' and Worryin'

The more I think about moving my garden to Minnesota, the easier it seems it will be. I can't stop worrying, it is my nature, but thinking about the upside has helped considerably. For example, my garden here was in need of re-spacing. Some things were getting too crowded, and other things really needed to be divided. This year is the perfect time to dig some things up and shift.

We sold our house in two days, and I've let the buyer know I'll be leaving her plant labels so she knows how to care for everything. She's thankful.

I think I've mentioned before, I'm taking most of my clematis, some of my hardiest roses, and my more rare or expensive perennials. Wherever these is a bare spot I'm tucking in a division of a plant that needs dividing. I also planning on a taking a small division of each of my more common perennials and all of my herbs. I should be arriving in Minnesota with an instant garden. I plan on having my husband rent a sod-cutter and the day I arrive I'll draw in the garden edges and begin ammending the soil. To get my plants up there I am taking the divisions as early as I can, and potting them up and resting them in what is now my vegetable bed. At a later time I will be pulling out bulbs (like some more rare tulips and iris bulbs), and just tossing them in bags and taking them up that way. Our closing day is just before memorial day weekend, so we'll get my pots out just in time for the new owner to plant her veggies (which she is excited to try). We plan on renting a u-haul, or buying a small trailer.

Lots to think about... specifically I can't stop thinking about my clematis: many of them are blooming by memorial day. I think I will end up having to cut them back just before we load them up, and then letting them establish roots all year- expecting very little blooms this year. Same with roses-- I will have to cut some of the climbers back really low just before we leave, probably interupting the main flush of blooms I get around memorial day. Bummer, but there is always next year, right. Sigh. Stress!

Let's enjoy some of my favorite shots from last memorial day:
'The President' Clematis

Wild Blue Lupine among red-leaved lysimachia, yellow-leaved privet, and common chives.

My front border garden, featuring 'East Friesland' salvia, lamb's ear, privet, burning bush, and candy colored petunias.

A unknown clematis, possibly 'HF Young,' is skirted by creeping jenny, or lysimachia 'aurea.'

Another unknown clematis, possibly 'Mrs. James Mason,' hangs over roses and golden oregano.

Oh, and I saw the tops of tulips leaves poking up outside this week, and my first robin!

Spring is coming!

Winter is almost over, I promise.

Feeling the end-of-winter-I-simply-can't-wait-much-longer-for-spring blues? Here are some beauties from last May in my garden. They fill me with anticipation, and remind me there is life beyond the snow (that I also love so much).

Happy almost spring!

Seed time!

I have officially begin collecting seeds for the 2011 gardening season. So far: some zinnia 'candy cane red and gold,' some red white and blue sweet peas, and some marigold 'snowdrift.' Hard to buy seeds not knowning what my garden will look like, but I simply can't resist. I've also been loving a few magazines right now, including Flea Market Gardens, and Early Spring 2001 Country Gardens. Makes me ready to get some chickens.

In the meantime, kill those winter blues with these photos from my garden in August 2010. I am going to miss this garden so much!
Dahlia 'L. Helf'

'distant drums' rose

'playboy' rose

blue sage

asters

agastache

Hens and chicks, variety unknown at the time- as the tag is frozen in the ground.

'moonbeam' coreopsis

'vera jameson' sedum

Happy gardening!

Garden on my mind!

We recently found out we are being moved to Minnesota. My husband is in the Army, so when they say go, we go. I will transitioning from a zone 5 garden to a zone 4 garden. I've done ample research, and I have a pretty good idea of what I can grow there, and what I can't. I plan on taking huge parts of the garden while leaving a decent landscape in tact for the new owners of our home. We have not listed the house yet, but we will be doing so soon. For now, I stare the snow, and hard frozen ground making lists of the plants I'm taking (probably about 300 of them!), and the ones I'm leaving behind.
I've always known we would have to move, but this was very first real garden, and it's 6 years of maturity, plus the blood sweat and tears I've poured into it will be missed. Nevertheless, I am very excited to start fresh with a lot more knowledge and skills. Pray we find a house with a decent sized yard and lots of sun for my roses.

Here are some shots from Autumn in my garden.

These brussel sprouts were so yummy.


And a few roses:

Disneyland rose, one of my favs:

Happy garden dreaming!

Autumn Garden Goodness

I once read you can determine a good gardener by how their great garden looks later in the season, because any one can run to the nursery in spring and fill their yard with flowers. I think, I may have finally succeeded. The whole garden is loaded with colors! Combined with all these cloudy days we've had, it been a camera's heaven.
David Austin rose "Christopher Marlowe" put on a stunning show, covered in blooms for over a week.

Dahlia's are all gearing up for another round of blooms, including this "Tahiti Sunrise," which towers over me at about 6 feet high.

Nasturium, alyssum, kale, and more flow over front sidewalk.

This unidentified beauty was a gift from a southern California gardener. I had the name pinned down somewhere, and now I can't find it. Nevertheless, I'm testing it's hardiness this winter, and love it's fall performance.

Dahlia "Kelvin Floodlight" was a great $1.60 find a small town nursery. I was suprised to get this big of a bloom from such a small bulb, and know good things are to come as this clump matures.

Hope you are all having a fabulous autumn!

Happy gardening!