Showing posts with label Hollyhocks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Hollyhocks. Show all posts

Tuesday, April 23, 2024

Midwest Gardening: What's Blooming this Week

Every time I see the word or hear it, Blooming----I think of Audrey Hepburn in "My Fair Lady" all dressed up in white and black, at the Ascot races and hollering (ladies don't holler)...." Move your Bloomin' ....", well, you can finish that one.

That's pretty much how we in Chicagoland feel about Spring! Come on....MOVE IT!

oldnewgreenredo

Anyways before the next hail/windstorms ruins what IS blooming here, I will just Post these and please enjoy

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Sage---we are just beginning to clean out some planting beds, leaving plenty for the bees and beneficial bugs to hide in for the next few frosts. (tonight)

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Thick DayLilies and a NEW fence...on the north end of the property, we have great neighbors and 'jaw over the fence' regularly.

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Clematis...hope it makes it 

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Our 356 ft deep Well, surrounded in Daffys and Day Lilies. 


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East side Yellow Tulips, Peonies coming on the left. I think they grow 6 inches a day.

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Here and there and in unplanned places are Hollyhocks

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Not sure what this is...didn't write it down last year when I moved everything


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I do believe our last year's late Japanese Eggplant seeded...which would be great they are really hard to find plants of these (the long skinny-nummy ones)

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Hostas that have survived the bunnies chewing on them.

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More bunny damage back here, but Iris are a hardy lot--
I planted these last fall from a yard sale find...crossing my fingers,

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There is always that plant that manages to survive in a crack, I'm thinking this is Lemon Balm, which can be very invasive. I recommend them only in pots.

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A variegated perennial green that is in this planter ---I have long forgotten the name ...but it's COMING again for may the 10-12th year?


The pond had a few Daffys and the Iris are growing each day. 

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Succulents and creeping sedums are coming around the edges... I have to find where their fishing poles blew too, it's not the Windy City for nothing.

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Look at all the pollen pods on the evergreen....no wonder I'm living on Wali-tin

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These Narcissus are so pretty, they will be on the list to split this year.

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Of course there is always Spear Mint, Crabgrass and Dandelions, UGH!

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The periwinkle ground cover is very happy this Spring


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Tulips and Creeping Sedum.

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So pretty! UNDOCTORED PHOTOS!

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This winter was so dreary and light on snow, I shoved some artificial plants from my stashes along the walkway in the containers.

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I actually like that the spaces are filled with something during our barren times.

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These are plants from my shop I closed in 2006
 and this is better than sitting useless in buckets...

But, in another two-three weeks, they will be filled with plants from the greenhouse and the garden centers....

And we just have to have another look at the 
REDS!

oldnewgreenredo

I didn't edit any of these photos---we had sunshine for a few moments and just grabbed the chance! 

HAPPY SPRING-FINALLY!

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Monday, July 13, 2020

Midwest Gardening: Storms, Wind, and Trees, Oh MY!

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Hi, All. 

After two weeks of dry hot weather and two days after the last post, we had a nasty storm roar through here with lots of wind and 4-5" of rain.

Everyone is safe and sound except for our Hawthorn(Buckthorn) Tree which lost a thick old limb.

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It missed our car, the garage roof and pretty much fell in one piece. 

We were lucky the lawn debris truck came along while we were chopping it up and the driver helped us drag the cut pieces to the hopper. We have one more bin to be picked up next week. He said there was a lot of damage in our development, so I guess we were just lucky!



oldnewgreenredo

The upper branches supported the trunk, and even the fence was only dinged a bit. Now this area will get more sun...which is a plus. You have to look at the bright side of things.

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But my Hollyhocks. YIKES. The poles held but the foam ties I had around them were ripped off and the flowers were basically flattened. I tied them up again with rope and only lost the tops of three. They seem to be okay now. I then spent 3 more hours tying up and supporting all our vegetables and flowers.  We lost a few branches on tomatoes, and three big pots were blown over??? but that's about it for serious damage.

oldnewgreenredo
Our yellow squash plants were rearranged and they are out across the patio now, and producing 3-4 small squash a day now. The four plants in here are very vigorous. 

Please ignore the foggy spots on the photos---not ghosts or spirits, but raindrops, LOL. Honest---scared myself when I looked at them, then I remember we had a 'sun-der" storm while I was taking photos. 

HUGS, hope all is well for you and yours! 


Thank you for any and all comments.
Finally I am able to reply to comments by using Chrome. So all you Mac users who have upgraded to Catalina---this might help the glitches on Safari  and Blogger!

Thursday, July 2, 2020

Happy Hollyhocks!

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HAPPY HOLLYHOCKS!


oldnewgreenredo

Years ago, I bought two hollyhock plants, they were different colors and had multiple stems. After the blooms came, I crunched the seed pods about the area, and I did this for every year after. Eventually I was down to two plants that were only in white/peachy, with pale pink centers.

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I've featured these in my Midwest Gardening posts each year.

Today, two plants had multiple branches and did especially well this year, but still the white and peachy. Perhaps they were jealous 
of the new kids on the block,

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I caught them on camera after a hot day, full and fluffy. We have critters chewing on them a bit, like they are chewing on everything.

oldnewgreenredo

Last year I planted some new seeds and raised them in the greenhouse when it was spring. My DIL, Richelle, helped me transplant the small plants (12 or so), along the fence. Like all biennials, there were no blooms the first year.
Some didn't make it through our thaw and freeze spring. 

Look at this one now...so full of stems and pods and gorgeous crimson flowers.

oldnewgreenredo

We have had so much rain and heat for Chicagoland in June, they are gigantic. I'm 5'7" and here, I raised my hand as high as I could and they are another two feet past that.


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Some of the stems are gorgeous BARBIE PINK, lol. All ruffly and hot pink.

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I didn't know what colors they would be, so I did multi-color flowers along the fence. It's a fiesta of color. They are swallowing my huge Day Lily plant.



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With this heat, they won't last very long, so...enjoy!!!!

HAPPY HOLLYHOCKS! 

Thank you for any and all comments.
Finally I am able to reply to comments by using Chrome. So all you Mac users who have upgraded to Catalina---this might help the glitches on Safari  and Blogger!



Saturday, June 13, 2020

Midwest Gardening: What's Blooming/Growing

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We spent a hard week trimming, clearing debris and all dead/dying/overgrown stuff out. 

Time to enjoy some blooming.  

Everything seems to be just growing so fast right now. Here's some quick photos with only one story, lol. 


oldnewgreenredo

Only thing blooming around the pond right now is this rosebush---which had been dead/dormant for over 10 years. Last year I coaxed three flowers out of it. And, this year I cleared all the other plants around, trimmed and fertilized. And, Whaaa-Laaaa---roses and lots more buds, too. It was originally a climber and gets long tendrils, which I have been cutting back also? I am far from a rose grower...but I'm proud of this! 

(Honestly I knew the root would be huge -30 years or so- and really didn't want to dig it out...LOL)
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It has luscious crimson roses! 

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One of two pots around the pond, I planted with this purple thing...hoping it climbs out soon.

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Geranium blooming here. The squirrels have been digging in all three pots along the garage...it will be a miracle if some of the plants make it after being planted multiple times. 


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I bought red geraniums early---an 8 pack, but one was this color...it's pretty, but???


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The squirrels have been rearranging the Gnome village in the backyard. Everyday!

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I always thought Gnomes would live under a shady tree. The Grand helped me place all these...! 


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I'm cutting lettuce today, and the peas are starting to blossom.


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Also more lettuce and onions, picking for the week! 
Tips on keeping garden lettuce on this post:


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All the tomatoes, cucumbers, and beans are starting to bloom! And a few short sunflowers.

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Pots are starting to explode, the Caladiums and Elephant ears....are really winding up! 

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The back pond is running, and the trellis rose is starting to bloom. Hubby is working on a base for a new fence behind here.


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Last thing I planted last week---sweet peas for the east fence.


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The Hollyhocks are thick with leaves and forming the bud stems at about 4 feet high. I wonder how tall they will be this year?  The birdhouse is moveable, I never know when plants may cover something!


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These are the Hollyhocks I planted last year---they should bloom this year, HH's are biennial--so they seed and then bloom after the second year.

oldnewgreenredo

Last Iris....waiting to open.......sigh. such a short season!  My Sedum plants are very happy, also.

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I've actually sat  here a bit... the crazy hot temps have cooled off, and watching the birds with my feet up and a cool drink is...

One of Life's simple pleasures! 

WHAT DO YOU HAVE BLOOMING?

Thank you for any and all comments.
Finally I am able to reply to comments by using Chrome. So all you Mac users who have upgraded to Catalina---this might help the glitches on Safari  and Blogger!

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