Tag Archives: gardening

The roses have bloomed

15 Wednesday May 2013

Posted by in flowers, gardening, Inspirational, Scripture

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‘For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. ‘Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. ‘You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart.  Jeremiah 29:11-13

The bright pink roses are Zepherine, the pale pink is Sceptre'd Isle and the barely pink is Blush Noisette. The purple flowers are Columbine. The scent has completely filled my dining room.

The bright pink roses are Zephirine Drouhin, the pale pink is Sceptre’d Isle and the barely pink is Blush Noisette. The purple flowers are Columbine. The scent from this little bouquet has completely filled my dining room.

My rose bushes were seriously neglected for over five years. For all this neglect, they still burst into bloom. I am honored and humbled that roses grace my table. The Lord’s plans are good.

Violet Skirt Petunias

18 Wednesday Jul 2012

Posted by in flowers, gardening

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This year I tried a new Cascadia Petunia on the deck – Violet Skirt petunias from newgardenplants.com.

Cascadia Petunia – Violet Skirt

This pot contains Violet Skirt grown from a cutting. As I removed one of the plants from the packaging in the spring, one of the stems broke off. I stripped the leaves from the lower section of stem and stuck it in a pot of dirt. It struggled for a couple months but never died. I’m thrilled that it is thriving now! If I was more diligent to deadhead it, there would be more blooms. It still looks lovely despite the neglect.

For good instructions on rooting petunias from cuttings, check this site.

Cascadias are my favorite petunias. They do well in hot weather but need water daily when the temp is in the upper 90’s. They quit flowering when it’s over 100 degrees but come back quickly when the temperatures drops.

I usually get Cascadias from Spring Hill Nurseries. Spring Hill no longer sells the Choice White Cascadias alone. In years past, I planted Choice White with pink and coral geraniums in the planters. The waterfall of white is splendid over a balcony. This year, I wanted a change and the purple is gorgeous.

Figs!

17 Thursday May 2012

Posted by in gardening, nature

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The first year there were no figs. Last year there was barely one spoonful of tiny figs. But this year, after a mild winter and plenty of cool, spring rain, there are figs!

We do not know what kind of fig tree this is. The figs are plump and healthy. And within the reach of any hungry deer… which I am praying does not happen!


We don’t know what species this fig tree is either but it’s much taller than the other one. We will need a ladder to pick the figs when they are ripe.



“A man had a fig tree which had been planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and did not find any. “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?’
“And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer; and if it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.’”
From Luke 13:6-9


The first year there were no figs. Last year one tree had no figs and the other had one taste. This year is promising.
We just had to wait.

The first English rose bouquet of the season

28 Saturday Apr 2012

Posted by in flowers, gardening

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Miss Alice was planted three years ago and has never borne so many roses as this spring. Since the deck is semi-shaded almost all day, it always surprises me that there are blooms at all. The roses stretch so very high to get enough sun.

Miss Alice, a lovely pale pink English rose from David Austin Roses, grows in a barrel on the deck.


I cut half the Miss Alice roses and a couple white Fair Bianca roses from the other planter to make the first bouquet of the season. This is the one time of the year that I move all clutter aside to make a place of honor for THE Bouquet. No craft, no painting, no created thing from my hand could ever match this scented masterpiece from the Creator of the Universe.

The first English rose bouquet of the season - Miss Alice and Fair Bianca.

First roses of 2012

21 Saturday Apr 2012

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In February 2006, we planted 15 rose bushes from David Austin Roses. I used to keep a blog about the gardening adventure. Alas, a couple years ago someone mistakenly covered the rose bushes with pine straw instead of mulch when I was out of town and the acid that winter killed over half. I was devastated and quit keeping the blog. But some of the roses made it through and are now doing wonderfully!

The first roses - Miss Alice and Golden Celebration planted in barrels, not yet bloomed New Dawn climbing up around the kitchen window.

The pale pink colored Miss Alice is in a large barrel, as is Golden Celebration. The beautiful New Dawn, covered with buds, has yet to bloom. The New Dawn rose is planted down in the ground at the base of the stairs. It grew all the way up the deck stairs and across my kitchen window and is reaching for the back door, over 40 feet long in all. When the roses bloom, I will be able to open the kitchen window and smell roses while doing the dishes. :) Is that cool or what.

Golden Celebration Roses and New Dawn buds outside my kitchen window on the second floor.

If you’re interested, you can read some of my old gardening blog at The Rose Adventure. I no longer keep it up and some day it might disappear. For now, I’m rather fond of the memory of those years.