Daisy Crazy

Okay, I suppose its time for a gardening update. Here's D-Roo in front of the daisy explosion I came home to after my hiatus in Denver. Daisys, though beautiful, were everywhere. I staked a few, pulled out a bunch, and cut some for vases. Leah loved cutting the arrangements and was a great helper.
I am very sad to report on my petunia seedlings I was so pumped about. Yes, its true, I left the tiny seedlings in the sun while I was at church, and when I came home they were all completely fried!! oh boy I wanted to cry. So, now that its been at least a month or more I can finally talk about it:-) After such a disaster I can't hardly bring myself to waste the effort starting more seeds, I think I'll be waiting until next year. The only thing I might do is sow zinnia seeds directly in the ground in the front flower bed, after I clean up the bottom tier of the daisys as their blooms fade.

A few other lessons I've learned so far this gardening season, is to not believe everything I read in gardening catalogs. I ordered some hydrangeas, which were said to "thrive in shade to full sun", well after planting 2 in full sun, 1 in part sun, and 1 in full shade, only 2 are "thriving". The 2 nikko blue hydrangeas planted in full sun are weak and the brown leaves look quite sickly. I think I might try to save them and move them to a container on my front courtyard, where I have the other blue one. At least my Forever Pink Hydrangea is flowering.

Other successes involve my strawberry plants, which have produced a delightful harvest, I think Leah has eaten almost every one. Not to mention last year I planted 8 bareroot strawberry plants, they all died except one. Walking by that one living plant a few days ago I was pleasantly surprised to find 5 ruby red strawberries! the kids and I quickly carried them in to wash and eat them.

The area I'm really proud of is the potted plants in my courtyard. I planted impatiens, begonias and some others, and I think they look pretty nice. The large green leafed one in Lil L's photo is my other blue hydrangea, though I have yet to see buds on that yet. All around I think this gardening venture has been well worth all the effort and the work still to come.