Greetings from Maryland ! Just signed up after being a lurker of the forums and website for a few years. Not new to gardening, as you can tell from my album, but still a LOT to learn.
I'm sure this forum is like most and everyone loves pics so I'll post one so you don't have to check out my album to see one. :)
Ooo, very pretty! Welcome!
Thank you x 2 !
Good morning Cam and welcome. Very lovely photo, thank you for sharing it... you guessed right, we do love to admire others' gardens. :)
Thank you! And apparently you are a neighbor. :)
Good morning. :) Yes, I'm also in Maryland, although I'm quite a bit South of you. Ya might say I'm more like a fly-by neighbor. ;)
Morning! Ha... Yes, but relatively speaking, a hop, skip, and a jump. :)
Howdy, and Happy Mother's Day. =)
Yes, in that respect we sure are. How are your gardening adventures coming along so far this Spring?
Thanks, but a Happy Father's Day next month would be more appropriate for me. :)
Well, just planted a Crape Myrtle "Natchez" in a spot where I just had a rather unattractive 12 foot Juniper Bush removed. Also planted a Thunder Cloud Plum last month and just last week a Flowering Crabapple "Prairifire". Getting ready to completely re-do one of the beds in front of the house and have a bunch of stuff to plant that I got at a club plant swap yesterday. So... busy... which means I'm happy !
Any interesting gardening projects going on for you this Spring ?
Eeek! I beg your pardon Sir. Let me just yank my foot outta my mouth and tuck it back into my slipper where it belongs. < =/
Oh boy, I love Crape Myrtles, and some of the white ones (not sure off the top of my flat head if Natchez is one of 'em) have such a wonderful scent. Thunder Clouds are a beautiful tree as well; we just got a bunch of 'em in at work last week. Whatcha got in mind for the other beds y'all are getting ready to work on? I've recently been falling in love with weeping Redbuds, such a gorgeous little tree! They make for a really nice specimen tree for small(ish) beds, and there are some knockout beautiful varieties. The Ruby Falls Eastern one is my absolute favourite!
The biggies around my yarden are waiting for the right time to prune back the Otto Luykens... either that, or dig out the bed to make it deeper. heehee They are getting a tad unruly and making it hard for DH to reach certain spots of the lawn to mow. Maybe getting rid of some of that lawn would be the better bet, eh? =)
Other than that, just general maintenance here... and installing a little "rescue" that I brought home from work the other day. I potted up some herb combo pots for the deck last week, finally put out the Setcretia and Coleus and other assorted pretties/bulbs for the shady area out back; looking forward to getting more cuttings from the Coleus. First year for a Sun Coleus, excited about that.
I work at a nursery/garden center/Landscape company, so I'm doing all this sort of thing 11 hours a day, 5 days a week. It's sometimes difficult to have the oomph to do much when I get home. ;)
Here's a shot of one of my back benches in bright shade, last summer. I'm hoping the Caladiums do the same thing this year!
Ha... no worries, how were you to know ? Am I to be wishing you a Happy Mother's Day or shall I be waiting until June also ? :)
Wow, those caladium are gorgeous. We just had a group buy in our club and I have 11 tubers to put in the ground today, 8 of the White Queens and 4 of the Scarlett O'Haras. Looking forward to seeing how they look together!
Otto Luykens like to be pruned back when the blooms begin to fade, no ?
Yes, the Natchez is a white blooming Crape Myrtle. Gets rather large too. But I put it in a spot it will have room to grow.
I had a weeping Eastern Redbud at my last house. Yes, beautiful little specimen tree !
Thank you Sir, yes, a very happy Mama here. =) My little peanut is about to turn 27... wow, where does the time go!?
I've only pruned my Otto Luykens once here at home, but at work we shear to shape them each early Spring, like the end of March or so. I was planning to wait until the blooms fade before I prune mine here at home, I always thought that was the time to do it. (I sure as heck ain't gonna wait until NEXT early Spring!)
One day I'll get DH to realize that we are really going to NEED a Ruby Falls Redbud here... as soon as I figure out where it NEEDS to go. ;) heehee What variety was yours at the last house?
What a beautiful combo of Caladiums you've got! I'm sure we are all going to want to see photos of them when they grow up.
I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to meet you at the Plant Swap yesterday; I had to work. Seeing as where I work, it's against the law to *not* work the day before Mother's Day. =)
Awesome, enjoy your day ! And yes, too bad you couldn't make it yesterday but I'll meet you at another club event soon, I bet. :)
I don't recall the variety of my weeping redbud. It only got about 8 feet tall but the branches cascaded all the way down to the ground. Not sure who loved it more, my, my neighbors, the birds, or my cats who went crazy when the birds came to sit and croon on top of it.... it was only about 3 feet from a window and the top of the tree was even with the window sill. :)
Yes, when those Caladium are fully up, I will be sure to post photos. I'm pleasantly surprised with that bed I plan to place them in. There are a handful of azeleas in there... previous owners loved azeleas. It's on the north side of the home, very little sun exposure. But those azaleas are full of buds and they're starting to open up. YAY !!!
I'm definitely gonna have to check out some of your other threads to *hopefully* see pics of those azaleas. (hint). :) That sounds like an excellent spot for Caladiums, a little micro-climate shading when necessary and beautiful companions. What colour are they?
That redbud sounds perfect and perfectly placed, now I'm jealous! < =D Were its leaves wine-coloured, or green, or maybe light green/yellow/orange? The "Ruby Falls" has wine coloured leaves, and "Rising Sun" has all sorts of colours at the same time, from green to orange/peach and everything in between, all at the same time. Then there's Covey, Lavender Twist. Then there's the American weeping Redbuds. So many to choose from! =)
Speedie, I'm going to wait a few more days to catch those Azaleas at their peaks. I promise to post a pic in this thread so you don't have to go looking. :) The azaleas are pink (that one is already in full bloom) and white.
The redbud leaves were like a burgandy/green mix when they first appeared then turned to a dark green.
That sure sounds like a Ruby Falls redbud to me. YAY YOU! =) Can't wait to see the pics, and thank you for your kindness, not making me have to go hunting. :)
Speedie, I'll post those on the MAF too but since you asked for it in this thread, here's a pic of those azaleas that surprised me by blooming so much, given they are on the North side of the house and get MAYBE three hours of sun per day.
If your soil is just right (and apparently yours is), that is a most excellent spot for them. And WOW they are sure saying "Thank You", huh? =) Very very beautiful, thank you for showing them off! :)
Thanks, Speedie.. they do seem happy there on the North Side. :)
