Thoughts on struggle and peaceful garden photos
To me the hardest thing is to watch a loved one go through trying times and to not be able to help them. My brother is dealing with some heavy stuff right now. He had a child with a girlfriend and they have just come to terms with the idea that they can’t be together as a couple. His daughter and now ex-girlfriend just left his house to be on their own. He is not on his daughters birth certificate because his pregnant girlfriend was a minor when she gave birth.
Ugh, it is a whole slew of drama that I don’t want to bore you with. Basically sitting by and watching him make his choices and watching him struggle is killing me. As outsiders to the situation we can see what his next step should be and we have given him advice but he sees things differently than we do, he is doing what he feels is best. He is scared and overwhelmed, all we can do is support him and hope it all works out.
This quote reminded me of him:
We want facts to fit the preconceptions. When they don’t it is easier to ignore the facts than to change the preconceptions. - Jessamyn West
He believes that he has no chance of gaining parental rights to his daughter despite the fact that he IS the stable parent. He believes that mothers have more rights than fathers regardless of the situation, we cannot seem to convince him otherwise.
Okay, enough of the family drama and stress talk. Lets spend some time in my garden!
Here is a wildflower growing in my yard that I like and managed to transplant into some pots. maiden53, this is the flower you were asking me about that I’ll have at the yard sale.
I have no idea what this flower is called but it is pretty and I like it! got any ideas what it is?
My lilies are in bloom! I believe these are tiger lilies, they don’t have a fragrance like my white stargazer lilies but they are so pretty!
Got any fun garden photos of plants growing in your neck of the woods?
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Everyone needs a little beauty once in a while!
Yep, that is right I have some beauty to share with you today. I went out into the garden to enjoy all my plants and their beautiful blooms. Here is a shot of my lavender blooms with the pine trees and the sky in the background.
I spotted a pretty pink peony out in the flower bed of the rental house today, I just got my own peonies in march but they aren’t blooming yet. I was pleasantly surprised to see this beauty in bloom all unexpectedly. I took several shots because I liked the shadow and lighting from various angles.
One of my favorite flowers is the gerbera daisy. I love to have these in vibrant bright colors. Lucky for me Albertson’s was selling small potted ones this weekend in the floral section so I snagged a pink one and an orange one.
These are not only beautiful but they are unique, do you see how they are mutated and have double blooms? Kind of like conjoined twins but in flower form.
See, uniqueness can be very beautiful! I hope you enjoyed my photos, if you plan to use them on the web please download them to your own server and link to and reference my blog/ me as the photographer. Thanks!
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Growing “Winston Churchill” Fuchsias
I spent some time with my “Winston Churchill” Fuchsia today and did some research on pruning for the coming spring. Fuchsias produce breathtaking flowers and are somewhat hardy plants. They do however need to be protected from winter frost/ snow so I brought our potted fuchsia inside when winter came. Luckily winter is winding down in Northern Arizona and my fuchsia will be ready to go back outside soon!
I noticed that it was getting a bit leggy today so I spent some time pinching it back and taking some cuttings. Apparently fuchsias are easy to propagate via stem cuttings so I thought I would give it a try!
The Winston Churchill Fuchsia can withstand temperatures as low as 35 degrees and prefers light shade, sun to shady conditions. It blooms in the summer and fall. The blooms are simply amazing, they are pink & purple and are so unique (click here to see google image search for winston churchill fuchsias” target=”_blank”>a Google image search showing these stunning blooms!! I can’t wait for mine to start blooming!
Growing Canna (red futurity)
We just bought several Canna ‘Red Futurity’ roots/rhizomes that we are planting in Nathan’s office. These are very tropical looking and require warmth so we figured they would be a perfect fit in that room. They came packaged with Caladium bulbs and a few elephant ear bulbs.
We plan to plant our Cannas in a large pot that will remain indoors in that room, we may also plant a Caladium bulb with the Canna rhizomes or we may plant some cloeus with the Cannas.
Cannas come in a variety of colors and sizes, some grow up to 7 feet tall. Their blooms and leaves are very tropical looking and they are absolutely beautiful. Specifically Canna ‘Red Futurity’ needs to be protected from frost. It can be grown grow outdoors in zones 8 and higher, in colder zones it must be moved inside or dug up and stored through the frosty winter months.
This Canna will grow to about 3- 3 1/2 feet tall and does best in full sun but will tolerate part shade. Soil must be well drained or you risk root/ rhizome rotting. Like most tropical bulbs if you want to plant these outdoors you must do so in the spring after the last frost, they will bloom in summer and will need to be dug up and stored in the fall before the first frost (unless you live in zone 8 or higher).
The Canna ‘Red Futurity’ is distinguished by it’s dark burgundy leaves and it’s stunning red flowers that just stand out against the dark burgundy background.
Sparaxis (harlequin flowers)
Sparaxis Bulb” alt=”Sparaxis Bulb” align=”left” height=”96″ width=”76″ />Sparaxis is also know as the harlequin flower. It has a “sword shaped” leaf and very pretty mixed colored flowers. These are said to do poorly when exposed to temperatures below 28 degrees F and they do require mulch or some protective bedding where they are planted.
Sparaxis should be kept relatively dry during it’s dormant period, watering should increase once growth surfaces. This bulb flowers in mid to late spring and does best in full sun-partial shade. I also found out that these can be used for xeriscaping because they are really drought-tolerant (don’t over water these). This plant will spread freely via the seedlings. This is also a good container plant and makes a very pretty cut flower.
People have said that this plant grows fast and gets very tall. If you plant these close together it will prevent them from bending and breaking or you can group these with a similar but strong stemmed plant, or provide stakes and tie the stems to them.
I can’t wait for mine to bloom!
Specific plant info:
Blooms from summer to spring, low water needs, drought tolerant, full afternoon sun, plant in the fall.
