More Rain!

Gardening is curtailed due to ongoing rain. :-( It is to be clear tomorrow so you know where I will be. Yep, outside weeding. Not only does the rain help the plants, it also stimulates a LOT of weeds to grow too.

May 16 - Major planting takes place

May 16 seemed to be a good day to roll up my sleeves, put on my gardening boots and get my hands dirty by planting a LOT of seeds. It is amazing how many plants I can get out of a packet of seeds that usually sell for less than a dollar a pack! For the most part, I plant Burpee seeds. I do this because they are readily available at Walmart, the grocery store, etc.

Each year I tell myself I am going to start seeds inside in late February but I never do - except for my salvia seeds! The rest of the flower seeds I plant are quick to germinate after the chance of frost has passed us by so I just sew directly in the ground and skip the inside planting. Maybe I'm just lazy...why two steps when you can get it all done with one!

Remember my little, scrawny pansy plants I put in the ground March 21? Well they have all filled out! This is one of my favorites with its velvety purple petals amid the white ones.

Here are the rest of the pansies in the front bed. They are so lovely and they smell wonderful. When the windows are open, their delicate smell comes into the living room. Already some of them are starting to show signs of getting leggy.

I planted "Boy oh Boy" marigold seeds in between the front pansy plants and then two rows of bush nasturtiums "Nasturtium, Color Mix" by Burpee in the back two rows. Behind them in the clear area will go six "Coral Nymph" salvias. I grow these for the hummingbirds!

My hummingbird feeder is out and being visited throughout the day by both male and female hummingbirds. One female is displaying a nest ring on her chest so she has a nest somewhere with eggs.

By the time I pull out the pansy plants, the marigolds and nasturtiums should be growing real well. Once they are well established I will put Preen on the ground to help prevent weeds.

On this side of the garden path I have planted sunflower seeds near the back - against the house. These seeds were given to me by my daughter Ashley so I don't know what exactly will come up. In from of the sunflowers, I planted "Sensation Picotee"cosmos seeds. I still haven't decided what to plant in front of the cosmos - perhaps more zinnias. :-)

Around our air conditioner you will see popsicle sticks. They are marking where I planted a new zinnia for me - "Envy" by Burpee. They are a lovely lime green color. This color is also inter-planted with the "Giant Flowered Mix" which is also by Burpee.

The edging has been done on the opposite side of the garden path and approximately 100 "Giant Flowered Mix" zinnia seeds have been planted. These zinnias grow about 30-36 inches tall and are resistant to mold on the leaves. Near the front of the bed I have planted "Boy oh Boy" marigolds by Burpee as a border. Ashley gave me an unknown type of marigolds that are pure orange, I have inter-sown those with the others.

Zinnia Planting Tip! Years ago a friend told me if I wanted stellar zinnias to sprinkle Epsom salts around the soil at the time I plant them. She suggested also side dressing the plants with more Epsom salts when the buds first start to appear. It does seem to create stronger and more mold resistant issues than if the Epsom salts are not used. If you want to grow zinnias, give it a try.

For my birthday, my dear friend Lu Ann Selcher gave me a gift certificate to Stauffer's Nursery. I have wanted a miniature hydrangea bush for a long time. I found a Forever and Ever Red one there that I really liked at Stauffers. It blooms bright red and then fades to lavender before it pales to green. It already has a bloom starting. :-)