July Growths

Bhut Jolokia peppers growing.

Yellow jacket got into one of my pitcher plants and tried to escape by chewing a hole through the side, but that's where he died still!

Dahalia 'Seattle'

Dahalia 'Seattle' isn't as big as the package said the flower would be... :( Nor is it as yellow as it was shown. There is a lot of pink scattered all over. Maybe they packaged the wrong one in the bag?

Stargazer lilies

Close up of a Stargazer lily. I took off the pollen because they stain everything including me when I am gardening around it! I look forward to its fragrance every year!

Garlic Harvest

So my Music and mystery garlic patch was ready to harvest...they all had about 3-4 leaves that were brown. This year's harvest was kind of a disappointment. The bulbs were mostly small and some were even smaller than in previous years! German Red is yet to be ready so I haven't harvested those yet. I will have to add some good compost after all the garlic is harvested so that it is ready to be planted this fall.

Stargazer Lilies

The first of my stargazer lilies opened a few days ago, but in today's heat a whole bunch of them have bloomed! Love the scent of them!

Three Blooms for Paph. Pinocchio 'Dresden' x Paph hel '#5'

Tillandsia xerographica in Spike!

Hartwood Acres Garden Tour 2010

It was SO pretty!

Tiny Tim Tomato

Harvested my first eight tomatoes from my Tiny Tim tomato plant today. The skin is kind of thick and it isn't quite as flavorful as my regular sized heirlooms, but this plant grows like a WEED! It has TONS of tiny tomatoes all over it already!

Phipps Blog

http://porchsidegardening.wordpress.com/

BUGS! BUGS! EVERYWHERE!

Ack! It's definitely the first day of summer! I came home today to find a baby grasshopper. This time, I know what it is because I saw some last year! I also came home to my collard greens all eaten! Darn fat green worms! I don't know what they are, but I did squish them. There are a ton more eggs under those leaves. Neem and fish emulsion were sprayed on all! Lemon tree got some more too since it had scale. Hopefully this application will take care of what has hatched since. I still see ants on them so I am sure there are more to be found!

Yeah Baby!

Check out what's ripening up or growing!



Mysterious mud balls....hornets?

From Temporary Pics

Bonsai Society

I recently joined the local bonsai society and went to my first meeting tonight. I have to say...ouch! It is NOT cheap, no way, no how! If you thought orchids were expensive this really puts it into perspective! It makes orchids look like chump change! I guess if you do the classical bonsai it might be cheaper, but they were demonstrating Saikei (landscapes) and it is a bit rich for my taste!

Garden Tours

On Thursday our Master Gardener meeting was at a fellow MG's house. Boy was it pretty!




Today I went on a Pittsburgh Botanic Garden tour. It was nice to see everyone's gardens and styles of gardens! My favorite was the big stream/waterfall with the pond at the bottom! It was SO relaxing to be there! I could've stayed all day! I was asked to volunteer, to which I said yes an was happily surprised that I was assigned to Randyland! It has been on the Today show and I had always wanted to see it, but instead of seeing it on the outside I was able to see it from the inside and out too! I even got a bit of a history lesson from the owner, Randy, himself!

All the tiny buds on my Bhut Jolokia!

Look at all the tomatoes on my Micro Tom!

My find at the Bonsai show. Thought this had an interesting shape to work with.

My Bouganvilla bonsai I bought at the bonsai show. It had two flowers on it, but I knocked it off when I took it out of its bag! :(

Paph seedlings on top, Bulbophyllum seedlings on the bottom.

Tiny Tom!

Blooms on my Black Sambuca

Mystery sprouts popping up all over the garden! This one is right over where I buried my leopard gecko, Pinky. Later on I figured out they were Safflower sprouts! My little chipmunk must've planted them there!

'Sugar Ann' sugar snap peas are growing! Have eaten some off the vine already. There will probably be none left for cooking!

My garlic/lily patch.

Honeysuckle about to bloom.

Honeysuckle is full of buds! They are mostly in bloom already!

So much as been going on since my last entry...

My 'Sugar Ann' sugar snap peas are blooming and growing peas! They are quite tasty! I need to grow MORE! Surprisingly, the seeds under the honeysuckle aren't growing as well as the peas in the pots!

My honeysuckle has buds galore and the peonies are about done. :(

I put my Epiphyllums out for the first time (some in full sun!) and I am getting some mega growth on some of them! I am hoping they BLOOM!

Planted all my peppers except for Bhut Jolokia because I plan on overwintering it indoors. It has buds already at 4" tall! I gave my future Uncle B-in-law some seeds and my future Dad-in-law a plant I had started later. Both their plants are the same size if not taller than mine, but it takes about 180 days to reach maturity and mine has buds already, albeit small buds! They are buds nonetheless! I will be drowning in hot peppers this fall!

My Dahalia 'Seattle' has grown back! I was wondering if it would cuz by spring it was looking a bit shriveled up. I planted it in the ground this year because the peas are in the big pot it grew in last year. I might have to dig it up and transplant it because if it gets really big it's going to block my tomatoes, which is growing right next to it.

I still gotta find room for my one leftover ostrich fern, oregano, columbine and asparagus. I think I'll plant my thornless blackberry (Really! There is not one thorn on it!) in my neighbor's yard. It's a rental and there are already raspberries there. The owner said we were welcomed to eat from them as well as the fruit trees. He was the one who sold us our house too.

Peony 'Sorbet'

It finally bloomed its first bloom! :D

Great Deals!

Oh man oh man oh man! I love deals! Because I broke my toilet seat last night...I know, never heard of it! I went to buy a new toilet seat! Got one on sale and then headed over to the gardening department at Lowes to get more safflower seeds. My birds are voracious! I watched a little finch flinging all my safflower seeds everywhere! I guess they have learned that if they keep digging the good food will come out since I was layering the no mess seeds w/ the safflower to deter my squirrels!

So lucky me, the safflower was on sale for $1-ish off. Then I saw the Scott's no mess blend was on sale too! 5.5 lbs for $2.39 vs. the other brand I usually get, which is 5 lbs for about $5-ish! So I swiped the whole shelf clean of all eight bags :D

I had also been eyeing the Strawberries & Cream Hydrangea when they first came in, but didn't get one because they were not hardy here in zone 6a. I found one half dead on the sale shelf for $3! But because it looked so bad I got it for $1 instead! I also got a, get this....a THORNLESS blackberry! Also for $3 and perfectly healthy!

I am a happy camper even though I should not have bought more stuff LOL

Birds, Finds, Growth and Disappointments

My bird feeder seems pretty popular. After the rain stopped today it was buzzing with activity! It's probably because I never let it run out. Soon as it gets low, I fill it! I love watching the Mourning Doves peck around. They remind me of mini wild chickens or something! My lily leaves are less deformed from insects eating them this year. I think the birds had to do with that!

While I was out there tonight, I also noticed that someone had weed whacked two of my garlics! They are completely beheaded! Not one single leaf left! I don't know if they will be ok. They are supposed to start bulbing soon...they might not make it :(

My sugar snap peas are getting quite tall, but no signs of buds yet! The Arugula and Mustard Greens are growing quite well, albeit small still.

Yesterday at Lowes, I found 2 qt. size basil and oreganos for $1 each! All looking quite healthy too! I picked up four basil and two oregano! I also picked up a new peony. I couldn't help it...they were so pretty in bloom! At least this way I'll know it is blooming sized already! I think I have the white one I picked up last year on sale planted in too deep of shade. It should've bloomed this year I think, but then again, it was a pretty small plant last year. I will give it one more year before I try and move it.

Now that those trees are gone in the backyard. I was thinking of planting some sunflowers there as well as my two new peonies. I think I will add my veggies there too. It's a nice location for those items as it gets a lot more sun than the rest of my yard does. Hopefully the tree stumps won't be in the way for the peonies. I hope they rot quickly, but then again, the one in the front yard is STILL there....! :\

Itoh Peony

About two years ago I had eyed these peonies. They are a cross between
a herbaceous peony and a tree peony. Since tree peonies grow in full
sun and these were recommend to grow the same way, I was hesitant to
pay $60 for one! The vendor said he was testing them out in shade.
Upon checking up with him this year and describing my conditions to
him, he confirmed that it would grow and bloom! So I picked up a
'Kopper Kettle'! I am technically out of room, but for this plant...I
gotta make space! I would love a peony garden....

-
Cindi
Rabies Challenge Fund :: www.rabieschallengefund.org

Mushroom Sandwiches at May Market

Fondant Strawberries at May Market

May Market Finds

$15 for a 2007 limited edition Swarovski ornament and 25¢ for the little tub!

May Market 2010

Went to May Market today. I thought I was early enough, but people were already shopping by the time I got there! I bought a Cherokee Purple tomato (since they didn't have my favorite, Black Krim), Micro Tom tomato, Thai Red Hot Pepper, Red Habanero, Doll's Eyes, Twinleaf, and a dwarf Ginkgo! I also ate the famous mushroom sandwich and also had the mushroom bisque. Managed to burn my hand pretty well on the bisque! Don't ask...! I also had to have the famous strawberries too!

In the afternoon I manned the Pot-A-Plant booth, which was total disaster. The tent we were in was away from all the vendors and no one came by. There were no signs to show the customers what was going on in our booth and we weren't part of the festivities. Oh well....! Tomorrow I go back for the same thing, but it's supposed to be cold, windy & rainy! :o

First Slide:

Left: Doll's Eyes - Actaea pachypoda, Woodland plant with small white blooms in May with white berries with black "eyes" in late summer. Grows 1-3' tall in part to full shade.

Right: Twinleaf - Jeffersonia diphylla, Woodland plant with white flowers growing singly on each stalk. Leaves are divided into two leaflets growing 1-2' tall in shade and average soil.

$0.50 Poppy

This is one of two poppies I bought for $0.50 each. This one bloomed today!

Cyp. Aki Changes Color

Beechwood Farms Nature Reserve Sale Finds

Wild Strawberry

Mayapple

Bloodroot

Foam Flower

Rue Anemone

Pale Violet

Downy Yellow Violet

Canada Violet

Greek Valerian

I did also get two ostrish ferns, but did not take pics of them. I planted all but the one fern. Not sure where I want to place that yet. Hopefully they are all happy where they are and that the native fauna appreciates it!

Cyp. Aki is Open!

Dividing Pings and Cyp. Aki

Pinguicula moctezumae needed dividing again...I got 12 plants total!

Cyp. Aki is opening up! You can see the pouch in this pic taken today!

Paph. Pinocchio 'Dresden' x Paph. hel #5

Something must be right! A Paph that I knew was budding up turns out to have THREE buds! WOOHOO!!!!

Deals & First Timers

Cyp. Aki today....bud is opening up!

My 50¢ & $1 deals I got from Lowes! I got two Columbines, two Poppies, and three Wallflowers! Had no idea Wallflowers were fragrant! No idea what kind of Poppies they are or what color, but you can't beat the price! I was thinking of putting the columbines and wall flowers into my planters!

This whole time I forgot and thought I had planted a Trillium....turns out it's a Jack in the Pulpit! First time bloom for me! There seems to be a lot of those this year!

SPRING!

So it's about 3 weeks till our last frost date....and the garden centers are stocking up! I couldn't help but buy some stuff!

Found two Caladiums that I thought would look nice in my planters up front since mine are still dormant! Also got two black Heucheras that were pretty and cheap to go into those planters. Still need something tall to go into them... My sweet peas are germinating in there so these will not be planted till later.

I also picked up a new Rosemary and since it was buy one get one free, I decided to try an asparagus! I have not a clue as to how to grow those!

At the gardening symposium marketplace I got a Masdevallia, Fuschia 'Autumnale', Milkweed, Tomato 'Tiny Tim', and another plant I'm not sure what it is called off the top of my head.

I saw that my Bhut Jolokia needed repotting as well as my black cherry tomato so I went ahead and did that. I also put them outside while it was cloudy and about to rain so that the adjustment isn't too harsh going from growing under lights in the basement to full blown outdoors. I may have to rescue them tonight and slowly acclimate them again or re-arrange them so they get a bit of shade from some of the other plants till they get used to being outside.

I am almost done adjusting the two orchid flasks I got to lower humidity. They are doing well so far! Hopefully they will continue to do well.

The garlic has been growing like weeds. I have been foliar feeding them seaweed and fish. The garlic book I read said to do it every two weeks, but I have been doing it more. Hopefully I get a really good harvest this year!

Cyp. Aki is about to bloom! I am excited!!!

The arugula and mustard greens I started from seed has sprouted! I almost thought they were weeds too, but luckily did not pull them before I remembered what they were!

There is also a mystery plant out in my front yard that is ready to bloom. I will find out what it is soon!

Orchid Meeting

As I pulled into Costco today, right before going to the orchid meeting, I realized that the "weed" seedlings I pulled out of the front yard the other day were indeed NOT weeds! :( They were the radishes I had planted! Ugh! So now I have to plant new ones!

I had only planned on buying one orchid at the meeting that I had pre-ordered along with some Neofinetia pots. I got to meet the infamous Jason Fischer that so many Phragmapediums are named after! Well...my eye caught Neofinetia 'Red Emperor', the one I had originally wanted when this other speaker came to us, but forgot to bring! Unfortunately for a fellow member, who was looking for a non-white one, I had picked this one up! So...I bought it LOL

After Jason's talk, he expressed his regret on bringing so few plants and that he would give us a discount on what was left, which was about eight plants. By the time I got up there to see what was left, there were only three to choose from, two of which were $100 each! Uhh...no thanks! lol So since I did not buy any Phrags from Jason, for which he is known for, I bought Phrag. Barbara LeAnn. Just what I needed! LOL Oh well...I don't buy $100+ shoes so I will just have to wear my orchids!

On a sad note...Don Crawford passed away. :(

Peonies!

I was clipping spent Hyacinths tonight and took a look at my growing peonies to see if they needed their supports hiked up. As I inspected them I found....BUDS! Granted, I did get them two years ago...I did not expect them to bloom on such a small plant! I am excited to finally get to see two of the three of my peonies bloom! Must've done something right! The one that I do not see any buds on I bought on sale last summer at Lowes. It's supposed to be a white one. It's planted in a much shadier/drier spot so I am not sure how it will do. Hopefully well since I really like these plants! If it does well, I might get more for the backyard!

New Tries

Since it got warm and since I have been home I have been fertilizing my garlics and everything else with a kelp or fish emulsion foliar feed. I am hoping that following the books I read about growing garlic's advice that I will have a GREAT crop this year! I chopped up the stems that didn't rot over winter and added vermicompost, grass clippings and this soil builder stuff I bought to help the lawn's bare spots.

I also did a similar thing to my two pots out front. Every year they fill with leaves from the big tree out front. There were some dead nasturtium twigs in there also. They were nice, dry and crunchy so I just cut them off at the base and with my gloved hands, crushed them up into fine pieces. I then dropped some sweet pea seeds in each and just brushed the leaf mulch around to make sure they were hidden. Hopefully my new idea works! Forgot to water though....that might help!

Spring Happenings

This is how big the Bhut Jolokia seedling has gotten since I started it last September!


Here's a potato growing in my worm bin. I thought they were too shrunken to do anything and look what happened when I tried to compost it!

Long Awaited Bloom

Nine years ago, at my first meeting at the Orchid Society of Western Pennsylvania, I fell in love with Paph. lowii. I bought a "seedling" from the speaker for $20 and thought that was expensive! HA! Little did I know....! Well, nine years later it has finally spiked! It has been in bud for over a month! It has me sitting on the edge of my seat! Well this morning...I saw the first crack of the bud! It is starting to open up! I can't wait!!! I will be updating this slideshow as it opens!

Pinguicula laeuana

With flash...

Without flash...

One Week's Growth!

This is how the alliums looked after a week!

Paph. lowii Bud Progression

This was the bud when I thought it was ready to open, boy was I WRONG!

Still growing! Look at what is inside! Not much!

The bud got even BIGGER when I was away! Still not much inside, but it is growing at least!

Paph. esquirolei Bloom Development