My prize possessions are as follows:
Giant Hibiscus - Shown in the picture to the right. I grew this from seeds given to me by
my Grandma Mefford at the same time I conceived Nick. So it is now 9 years old and
can get to well over 8 feet tall. The beast in this picture needed massive pruning, but I
did that in the fall and then Chris transplanted it to the corner of the front bed so that
it could have more room to grow and be pruned regularly. In this pic is where it was
moved from - in front of the living room window so that I could sit in my rocker and
admire it regularly. I also planted some on the side of the house and I somehow
managed to create a few different varieties as it merged with some carnations I had
planted. The blooms are all different as you can see.
Climbing Rose - I thought it was a goner the year before last, however it came back
full force these past couple years and has about a thousand pink blooms - and NO
thorns! The fragrance is so intoxicating! I even bring some petals in to dry and use as
potpourri. It has gotten much taller than I anticipated though. For Christmas in 2005
Chris bought me an arbor and we put it up early this summer. I can't wait to get it
trained to grow all the way over it. If all works out as planned then eventually I will
put in a paved pathway leading to the back deck.
Lilies - The Stargazers as seen in the photo to the left were
quite lovely every year. I also had another lily I found to be
rather peculiar. It is shown in the picture to the right. The
stalk was an inch or more across and flat. There were also
at least twenty blooms on the top. This is located directly
next to the steps at my front entrance and makes me smile
every time I see it, pure beauty.
`
Hedge Roses - I am working on these as they were attacked by Japanese Beetles and Black Spot in 2004. What a double whammy. I thought they were history. The pink ones were down to brown canes! Fortunately with a lot of TLC they have come back to life. I have them located around my deck, which enables me to do regular deadheading and care. They have bloomed nicely considering all that they have been trhough, but I still couldn't get them to fill out. So I called Springhill Nursery where I bought them and they told me to cut them back to a few inches in the SPRING! It worked though as I did that this spring and they seem to be growing nicely now.
Lilac - Last year I was in the process of nursing a
lilac that Chris insisted on mowing down regularly. I
had started it from a sprout taken from my mom and
dad and in order to keep Chris away I wisened up
and surrounded it by rocks. Last year it showed some
new growth, but this year it has finally taken off. It
is now about 2 feet tall. It even had a few blooms this
past Spring.
Missouri Pink Primrose - Quite an invasive plant in that it won't stop spreading and
growing, but very beautiful when in bloom and when not, the auburn foliage is
pleasant also. This is the best it looked until the Hibiscus took over and now I have a
row of them growing down the side of the house.
The rest of my garden may not be as showy as the above mentioned perennial favorites, but I have taken some snapshots nonetheless. Their blooms give me joy though tiny they may be and so here they are... |
