| I had some film left in my camera so I decided to try taking pictures of some of the flowers we have blooming at this time of year. These pictures were taken in February 2000. |
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These are volunteer violas! I planted some violas about 3 years ago, and ever since then, they have reseeded themselves!
I think the volunteer flowers are even prettier than the ones I originally bought that started the whole thing! |
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A number of people have asked me how do I get everything to grow so well. I have very few failures, and most of my plants tolerate our hot Summers and the occasional freezes we get in the South. To all those who want to know my secret, here it is:
If it ever dies - don't plant it again!
That's it! When you first start planting flowers or shrubs, consult lots of books and talk to your nurseryman. But in the end, you have to do some of your own experimenting. Plant just a few of the plants you're interested in, and if they die, find something else! If they do well, get more of them!
In time, you will have a yard full of beautiful plants that do well in your climate and thrive with the amount of care you normally give them! |
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These purple plants are a variety of Oxalis that is normally found in pots (Oxalis regnellii 'Triangularis'). My grandmother gave me a pot of them which I placed outside. Before I knew it, some of the Oxalis bulbs escaped the pot. I tried for 2 years to dig up the plants, but they kept coming back.
Finally, I decided to let them have their way. Now I have a beautiful area in my garden where they can show off their deep purple leaves and beautiful bright flowers! |
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| Call me lazy, but I do not believe in running outside to cover my plants every time the temperature drops below freezing. If I never replace the plants that die in the freeze, and fill my garden with plants that happily survived the freeze, I won't ever have to cover any of my plants! |
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These Kalanchoe also escaped the pot they were growing in! My Mother-in-Law gave me a pot of these Kalanchoes. They were not doing well inside my house so I took them outside. I buried the clay pot in the ground so the potting soil wouldn't dry out too quickly in our hot Summers.
Before long, the Kalanchoe had grown over the pot and grew roots directly into the soil. It turns out the area is a "micro climate" that remains fairly warm even during freezes and so the Kalanchoe has thrived there! |
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