"One of the most delightful things about a garden is the anticipation it brings."

Friday, September 10, 2010

Fertilizer Friday - September 10th.

I haven't had a chance to join Tootise for Fertilizer Friday in weeks.  So, even though it's later in the day I still wanted to join in.  I thought once school started I would have lots of free time, instead it's busier than ever.  This past week has been busy getting ready for the Littlest Gardener's birthday.  She will be turning 4 on September 12th.  It's amazing how fast time really does fly.  She has big plans for a Little Mermaid party and so we've been busy getting decorations, baking cupcakes and planning out her party.  And part of getting ready was finally getting plants in the ground that have been sitting in the front yard for weeks.  And so as I'm planting things I notice that I better get some weeds pulled.  While weeding I notice a bit of pruning I need to do.  So the pruning starts, and then I think while I'm walking around with the pruners I should cut some seedheads from the Veronica that I want to save seed from.  I then had to avert my eyes from anything else that might cause me to get sidetracked again.

These Asters caught me by surprise.  I had planted them last fall and forgot all about them until I noticed them blooming.

Agastache 'Apricot Sunrise' was one of the plants that had been sitting on the front grass for weeks.  I planted it near some Monarda and Echinacea.  This variety smells so good.

I think this will be 'Gertrude Jekyll's' last bloom this year.  I hope next year will be a better year for it.  Many roses really had a rough summer with blackspot.

The Abelias are covered in flowers and the hummingbirds are all over it.

Campanula 'Pantaloons' is on another round of blooms.

This was probably my biggest surprise of the year.  I thought that this Salvia 'Black and Blue' had died over winter, then it started sending up a few leaves.  Then nothing more until the last couple of weeks when it really took off growing.

Rose 'Julia Child' did so well this summer.  Not bothered by disease and bloomed a lot even in part shade.

One of my new Hydrangeas.  I've heard so many good things about 'Limelight' that I made a spot for it in my backyard.

Fuchsia magellanica 'Aurea' is so pretty in a shady area.  I've noticed that hardy Fuchsias are having a great year.  They are all huge and covered in flowers.

Blue Lobelia (Lobelia siphiltica) just started to bloom.

Zucchini 'Jackpot' has been producing pretty well.  These are a bush type and take up far less room.

The big talk amongst many gardeners around here is, "Will the tomatoes ever ripen?"  It seems to be a big topic of conversation since most people have not had one ripe tomato other than grape or cherry tomatoes, which are also very slow.  This is the first year that we haven't been eating them for at least several weeks by now.  Many years we have so many they start rotting on the vine.

And the birthday girl herself, the Littlest Gardener posing in the backyard.  She has already helped to choose Daffodil and Tulip bulbs to plant this fall.

To see what is blooming in other gardeners gardens now visit Tootsie Time.
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37 comments:

  1. A Happy Birthday (albeit early) to the Littlest Gardener!

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  2. Oh! My asters will probably be blooming soon. Yours are SO pretty!

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  3. Your daughter is so sweet. I planted asters about a week ago. I can't wait for them to bloom. I'm still going to try hydrangeas again. I've lost every one I've planted.
    Brenda

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  4. Hi Catherine, your tomatoes look so fresh. Mine are dried out looking and I think are done. I grew salvia black and blue and it flowered so late I didn't grow it again this year (annual here). You have still got lots blooming.

    Eileen

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  5. LOVE your adorable "Littlest Gardener" who is beautiful. When is her b-day-mine is soon too.

    Adored all the plant portraits, which make me pine for my California gardens. Your Agastache is marvelous, as are many others.

    Side-tracked is my middle name. When you love a garden and you see that it needs something, well, you get side-tracked. That is a good trait dear gardener.

    Happy birthday to "Littlest" who is the sweetest flower I saw in your garden.

    Sharon Lovejoy Writes from Sunflower House and a Little Green Island

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  6. Nice blooms. Those Asters really got my attention...can't beat that color !

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  7. G'eve Catherine ~
    We always have called your Apricot Sunrise ... Mt. Bresia, since I was a child. Oh, how I love this plant. G'ma Maggie had it planted beside her porch steps & I dug them all up after she died & brought them with us when we moved my Mother out here.

    Beautiful florals you shared today.

    Have a wonderful PS weekend.
    TTFN ~Marydon

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  8. Pretty blooms, lovely veg. Happy weekend, Ev

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  9. Very nice blooms. Happy birthday to the little gardener and happy weekend to you.
    Blessings,
    milka

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  10. The gardens look great, Catherine. We share some plants as perennials, (Limelight Hydrangea, blue lobelia), while others like the agastache and the black and blue salvia are always annuals here, alas. Though I'm going to try overwintering them in the basement this year.

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  11. Happy Birthday to your little sweetie! :-) Is your campanula aggressive? It's so pretty...

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  12. What a lovely trip through your late-summer garden. Our tomatoes are still as green as can be. We've had the odd cherry tomato but nothing of any substance yet ripe.

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  13. Awww, the littlest gardener is so pretty. I hope she has a wonderful birthday. I'm sure you're doing everything in your power to make that happen. :-)

    My black & blue salvia just started putting on a show too. Maybe this year they all decided to hold out on us?!! ha.
    I sure hope your tomatoes ripen soon ~ when is your frost date? Looks like you'll have plenty whenever that happens.
    You still have a lot of blooms to share and I know what you mean about one chore leading to another. I have to just stop too sometimes. It can be so consuming!
    ps what happens to all that "free" time we're supposed to have when the kids go back to school. I think the same thing then I don't notice that I get that much more done??!!

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  14. Hi Catherine, Happy birthday to Littlest Gardener!

    Your photos are exceptionally beautiful. I'm glad Black and Blue made a comeback!

    Happy weekend!

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  15. Your garden flowers are beautiful, but the loveliest is the Littlest Gardener! I hope her birthday celebration was perfect. gail ps B&B always surprises me with its hardiness.

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  16. Happy birthday to the birthday girl and tons more. Your garden is beautiful. Our tomatoes did absolutely nothing this year. They ripened but were tasteless in general, likely due to lack of rain. Good luck with yours!

    Jane

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  17. Hi Catherine, I'm excited to see how your Limelight grows, it looks beautiful! Best wishes to the littlest gardener on a wonderful mermaid themed birthday!

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  18. Oh, Happy Happy Birthday to the Littlest Gardener. Such a pretty little girl. She must be so excited about the birthday party.

    Just looks at all of your tomatoes.I have really liked the pictures of the Limelight hydrangeas that I have seen. My Gertrude has one more bud for this summer also. So sad to see the roses finishing up.
    I was busy yesterday in the garden too. It doesn't take much to find more to do there does it? LOL! Moving stuff again of course. Planted a new variegated blue lace capped hydrangea.Some irises and more tall phlox. More bulbs coming. Ugh!
    Have a wonderful weekend!

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  19. Your Littlest Gardener is so cute! Hope she had a wonderful birthday.

    Salvia 'Black & Blue' is very late to emerge here and often the offspring shoots are several feet away from the mother plant (that will sometimes not return). Glad yours bloomed for you. The hummingbirds love those!

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  20. Happy birthday to the Little Gardener! I bet she will be a great help with planting those bulbs.

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  21. Great photos! I missed the Limelight Hydrangea labelled for this post so now I have to go back! Stop by and say hi when you have a moment.

    http://shirley-agardenerslife.blogspot.com/

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  22. Your zucchini is beautiful! Now I want chocolate chip zucchini cake! :)

    xo Catherine

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  23. Sometimes it seems that tomatoes will never ripen and then you turn your back and wooooooooooosh they are off. Happy Birthday to the Little Gardener ~ hope that her special day has been filled with fun and flowers!

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  24. myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.comSeptember 13, 2010 at 1:27 AM

    Happy Birthday to the Little Gardener, how lovely to share your joy in gardening in this way, I remember helping my father and I'm sure that is why I'm so passionate about it now. You may have answered my question about a plant I recently bought see recent blog http://myhesperidesgarden.wordpress.com/2010/09/07/plant-fair-in-lucca-murabilia/
    Could you look at my photo and see if you agree that it is probably an Agastache. Thank you, Christina

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  25. I love finding blooming surprises in the garden, and your Asters are lovely! I hope you get some ripe tomatoes soon. Ours were unfathomably slow this year, with even our cherry tomatoes coming in ridiculously late. It seems that those that ripened, all ripened at once, regardless as to whether they were early, mid or late season. I really hope next summer is more...well...summery! Happy (belated) birthday to Littlest Gardener!

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  26. Sweet picture of your Little Gardener! I enjoyed ALL your pictures in this post, but was especially encouraged to see your asters blooming. I just planted two this week (have wanted them for a LONG time). I'm hoping they'll come back next year!

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  27. you know...as I view each participants gardens...I just keep wishing it wasn't with a computer screen, but on foot! I bet in real life your garden is just sensational!!!!
    great photos today...happy birthday to the little lady and have a great week friend...thanks for linking in!

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  28. Hope your Littlest gardener got a ripe tomato for her birthday!!

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  29. Thanks for stopping by my blog and for your comments. Don't you just love Limelight Hydrangea. Yes, I went back to see it another time. Has it begun turning colour yet?

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  30. Nice! I agree about those Agastache...practically all of them smell so good...sweet and spicy at the same time! Black & Blue Salvia is a tricky one for me too...it is so very late to break dormancy and so easily to overlook until it starts blooming...then, look out...what a show!

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  31. Your daughter is adorable! Hope she has a great birthday! Your garden is looking good still. Those asters are a brilliant pop of color. I'm sorry about your tomatoes and hope you do get some before frost. There's nothing like a good homegrown tomato.
    Blessings, Beth

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  32. Beautiful little gardener...she looks so good among all the flowers.

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  33. beautiful images....in late summer the asters are very spectacular, I like them! And the salvias, too...kisses to the little gardener for her birthday!

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  34. Catherine, It is so nice to hear from you ~ I have missed your posts. I hope the girls are having a good school year. John is undergoing testing again so I'm taking some time off. I'll still be checking in with you. I hope you will have a good weekend. Thanks for your visit.

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  35. Good to see you today Catherine and i'm thrilled you have a limlight! Big hugs today.

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  36. What an adorable daughter you have and she's so photogenic! I love your blog..it has some great photos..what is the name of that aster that is so beautiful? Do you have to do anything to keep it neat and tidy? Does it sprawl or become invasive? Love that color! Had a formal gown like that one time. Wore it to a 100th. anniversary for National Geographic Society.

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  37. Thanks for this useful article.

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