Several nights of freezing temperatures in late January put a dent in the blossoms at Horsetail Haven, but here are a few pictures to enjoy. The red nasturtiums were hit by winter but the majestic sage and shrimp plant still have flowers.
Perennial
border update
What
a change in two years. The 'Blue Lady' rosemary have become attractive
eighteen inch spheres, the ornamental grass needs dividing, the August
Renoir and Phalaenopsis roses bloom and bloom, and the Salvia gregii
can be trusted to form a raspberry mass of color after each rain storm.
This year there are many larkspur seedlings, a few poppies and a few bluebonnets.
Love in a Mist was recently sown. The snow drops and daffodils are
beginning to poke green heads through the mulch. A purple martin
house was moved to the perennial border this year to allow a better flight
path for the martins, there are now three martin houses on our street and
we hope that our population of these amazing birds continues to grow and
grow. Two disappointments in the perennial border have been the Paul
Neyron rose, which has not bloomed as expected, and the yarrow. Surprisingly,
it has not spread as quickly as it had in other parts of the yard.
Photos.
It's
time to
...Take
Pelargonium Cuttings - Ann Marie is "testing" two techniques this year,
immediately placing in cuttings in potting mix versus allowing the cuttings
to dry for 24 hours before inserting them in the potting mix. Most
growers recommend the immediate technique, but Ann Marie seems to have
more success letting them dry. For the test she is taking 8-12 cuttings
from one plant and trying half of them each way. She plans on working
with a number of different varieties throughout February and March and
will report the results in April. More information about Pelargoniums
can be found on the Sweetly Scented Geranium
pages.
...Prune
Roses - Valentines Day means get out the pruning shears for Austin, Texas
rose growers. The Austin
Rose Society will be having a free demonstration on February 13, 2000
at 1 pm at the Zilker Botanical Garden. It is a great opportunity
to learn from the experts. One caution, don't prune your climbing
roses now...they are pruned after they bloom.
...Plant
seeds - The kitchen is crowded with flats of seeds Ann Marie has planted.
Sown in January were Daturas, Peppers, Impatiens balsamina, Nicotiana
and Valerian. Soon they will be joined by Tomatoes. Lettuce
and spinach are still being sown outdoors.
...Prune
back perennials - such as salvia and germander in late February.
Remember, the more you prune, the bushier the plant. The risk is
that pruning will stimulate new growth that could be damaged by a freeze,
so watch the weather and plan your pruning accordingly.
...Plant
- roses and fruit trees. Locally owned nurseries will know which
varieties will perform best for you, for example, a peach that does well
in the hill country may not get enough chilling hours in central Austin.
Don't forget your gardening angel on Valentine's Day...perfect gifts for a dirt digging sweetheart include rosemary (for remembrance!) topiaries, antique rose bushes and, for those chocoholics, how about a chocolate mint plant surrounded by Hershey's Kisses.
