The Fresh Scent of Geraniums

At the nursery I work at, we have a wide variety of Geraniums for sale this Spring.  The flower colors are spectacular, the leaves are intriguing, but the scent is like freshly mowed grass, a crisp breeze, rain on the horizon, and fresh earth all rolled into one.  Since I can't post a scent in a blog, here are a few of my favorite Geranium blooms this season.

Pink Mega Splash

White Mega Splash

Tricolor (I LOVE the foliage on this one!)

Americana Red

Graffiti Fire

Americana Cherry Rose

Americana Salmon

Graffiti Double Red

In Houston, Geraniums do best in a morning sun/ afternoon shade setting.  They will last through the summer as long as they get the relief from the hot sun in July and August.  Actually, I've had customers tell me they've had theirs for years until the freeze of 2010 killed them off.  They make great potted plants, hanging baskets, and add a splash of color throughout a shady bed area.  Give them a well drained soil to thrive in and they will be sure to give you joy!

These plants made my day!  How 'bout yours?

'Kristen's Pink' Abutilon

I've had my eye on this sweet Abutilon all winter as it grew in our greenhouses at work.  As February ended, this plant started blooming with soft pink, upside down, 3 inch flowers that are very appealing.  This Abutilon is evergreen in Houston and stays around 18-24 inches high, making it perfect for a low growing specimen plant, or low border in a dappled light setting.  'Kristen's Pink' also makes a great  "Thriller"  plant when used in a container.  Ever blooming throughout the year, this plant provides a great source for butterflies, birds, and bees to visit in the landscape.

I am just smitten with this plant.  I can't wait to include it in my new flower bed at my house!  This plant made my day!  How 'bout yours?

Spring has Sprung!

Pink MegaSplash Geranium

I've been rejoicing in the Spring sunshine we've had in Houston the past week or so.  I've managed to go outside and clean-up most of the mess that winter left.  I've trimmed everything back and fertilized my lawn, pots and bedding plants.  This past Saturday I actually got a little sunburn on my face while working at the nursery.  (I don't think I've ever been so happy about a sunburn in my life!)  I am elated that Spring is here!  This past winter has been one miserable time.  Normally, Houstonians get to garden year round, but the bitter chill kept me inside for three months.  After talking with many homeowners this past weekend, I think the consensus is that Spring is here to stay.  Trees are leafing out, the birds are here, and I even saw a Sulpher butterfly flying around on Saturday!

Shrimp Plant

I'm excited that my hobby and passion in life can get going again.  So many of my favorite things in life happen in my garden.  I love plants, but more importantly, I find that pulling weeds and trimming plants is VERY therapeutic.  My husband would agree that I've been more on edge since I haven't had my favorite way of releasing stress.  I love photographing flowers and butterflies.  I could only take so many pictures of Pansies before I got bored with them, and taking pictures of flowers in our greenhouses at work just isn't the same as taking them in a garden where they are growing in the sunshine.  I've missed blogging about my garden on a somewhat daily basis.  I am very anxious to start posting again, and I already have a few topics that I am gathering pictures for. So, I am thrilled that Spring has finally arrived!

'Ponderosa' Lemon Blossom

My Dad is coming over today or tomorrow to help me till up a vegetable garden in my back yard.  Normally we start one together at our farm, but the winter and early spring have been extremely wet.  We can't get the tractor through our plot without getting stuck.  We've decided to each start a patch at our homes instead.  I'm looking forward to tomatoes right off the vine, squash, okra, and cucumbers!  I have a 101 in 1001 goal to make my own pickles, so I'll also be growing Dill.  I also have plans of extending a flower bed in my front yard.  My husband and I moved in February to a house with lots of trees in the front yard.  This will be the first time I get to garden at my home with a shade and dappled light setting.  I am very excited about that!

Bossiaea heterophylla

So, happy Spring everyone!  I can't wait to hear what everyone else is up to in their gardens as the temps warm up across the country!

Currently in March

Current Book(s): I have started the Fablehaven series.  I'll admit it's a beautiful world the author has made up, but it's a bit too childish for my liking.  My husband roped me into reading it after he pre-read it for our boys to read. (We don't let them read anything until we approve it ourselves.)  I'll finish the series, if for nothing else but to have something to talk about with my kiddos....and the hubby.

After that series is done, I believe I've been roped into reading the Percy Jackson series.  I wish I could read the first book before we go see the movie tomorrow, but I don't see that working out for me.   My husband, good friend , and oldest son have all read (or are in the middle of reading) this series, and they all say it's really good!

Current Playlist: Country music is on the radio right now.

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Ummm, I can't think of one.  Maybe Farmville on Facebook would be a good fit.  I can't farm in real life, so I fulfill my needs on a video game?  Yeah, that's my story and I'm sticking to it! ;o)

Current Color:  Lavender.  It's my all time favorite color!

Current Drink:  Sweet tea.

Current Food: Home cooked meals.

Current Favorite Show: I haven't had time to sit down and watch TV this month.

Current Wishlist:  For the window on the suburban to get fixed.  The motor went out while the window was down, and now it won't stay up.

Current Needs: For night time temps to stay above freezing so I can plant my spring garden!

Current Triumphs: I'm 95% unpacked in my new house!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: See above about the window on the suburban.

Current Celebrity Crush: This one is a toughy because I haven't done much of anything but unpack this month.  Haven't had the time to crush on many celebrities. ;o)

Current Indulgence:  Chocolate Chip Cookies that I made on Friday night. ( I cheated and made the store bought dough, but they are still really good!)

Current #1 Blessing: My family is under one roof, and life is good.

Current Slang or Saying:  Hmmm, I got nothing this month on this one.  

Current Outfit: Floral print top, jeans, Ariat boots and my green North Face fleece jacket.

Current Excitement:  Have I mentioned the house yet???  And, my son Kurtis has a birthday tomorrow! AND, it's March 1st!!!!  That means it's Houston's average last frost date!  woohoo!!!  Spring gardening can start really soon, and I can start cutting everything back that froze this winter.

Current Mood: Exhausted yet happy.

Current Link: The weather channel for my local area.  I've been watching it like a hawk for signs of true Spring.  I want to plant SO bad!

Happy March!

I've Got Spring Fever

Petrea Vine in Greenhouse

Oh how I long for real Spring to arrive here in Houston!  The weather keeps teasing us with warm sunny days, and yet snow is in the forecast for tonight.  I keep walking the greenhouses here at work, my mind just spinning with combinations I want to plant in my flower beds.  Even though March 1st is considered Houston's average last frost date, I think we'll see colder temps into the middle of March.  I'm finding it hard to follow my own advice, and not mess with anything in the yard until then.  I'm anxious to see what has really survived this  winter, and what has bit the dust forever.  I can't wait to sink my hands into some soil, plant my seedlings I started this January, and await the arrival of the first butterflies dancing in the sunshine.  I officially have Spring fever!

Amazon Dianthus

I am head over heels in LOVE with this plant!  This is one of those plants that needs to be planted in the fall to get a spring bloom here in Houston.  The plant stays green all winter, and slowly works on its root system and puts off flower buds in early January.  In February and March they all start to open up into large heads of flowers that are show stopping gorgeous!  There are three colors offered this spring: Neon Purple, Neon Cherry, and Rose Magic.  Neon Purple and Cherry are often planted together as a mix called Amazon Neon Duo Dianthus (it may be a mouthful, but the combo is GORGEOUS together!)

Neon Purple

Neon Cherry

Rose Magic

The individual plants work great in a container planting, but my favorite displays are planted in mass where the color blankets a bed.  Amazon Dianthus are considered annuals for us in Houston, but with reseeding, they can act like perennials.  They reach 12-18 inches tall and work very well planted in the back of a bed with pansies in front of them for a border.  Plant these gems in a well drained, full sun area and they will not let you down!  As the season progresses, dead heading the spent flowers will encourage even more blooms to open.

These blooms are just starting to open up here at the nursery in our semi-controlled greenhouse environment.  I haven't seen them opening yet around town, but when they do you can be sure you'll see this plant again in my pictures.  These plants made my day!  How 'bout yours?

Currently In February

Current Book(s): Let's see, I finished all 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series in January...I'm hooked!  Great series and I highly recommend them!  Then I finished the Immortals series.  Great 1st book...second and third, not so much (at least not when targeted for a young adult audience.)  Now I've started reading the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton.  I picked this book up over a year ago and only got 2 or 3 chapters in before picking something else up (not because it was bad, but because something else came out that I really wanted to read first.)  Then I tried it on audio book this fall and got about 7 or 8 chapters in, and I've just never finished the thing which is so not like me...I always finish a book once I start it, even if it's bad.  I'm about half way through Kiss of Shadows now, and I'll continue the series from there for February's reading list.  Oh!  and the next Anita Blake series book, Flirt, comes out tomorrow!  (That will definitely interrupt the Merry series again!)  

Current Playlist: My hubby bought the Avatar soundtrack.  I love it as long as I'm in the mood for instrumental music.  

Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Reading...just can't seem to get my nose out of the pages!

Current Color:  Royal Purple

Current Drink:  Coke...completely failing at my goal of giving it up for breakfast!

Current Food: Napoli's Pizza: Stromboli is De-lish!

Current Favorite Show: I'm gonna go with a movie for this one and say Avatar.

Current Wishlist:  I'd really like a nook eReader!

Current Needs: Same as last month...For the weather to warm up so I can start Spring planting already!

Current Triumphs: I fixed the keyless entry to my suburban!  Yay!

Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Time...or lack thereof!

Current Celebrity Crush: Hmmm... My hubby and I have been watching True Blood, so I'll say Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.

Current Indulgence:  Little Debbies Valentine Cakes! mm,mm,mm!

Current #1 Blessing: Lots to be thankful for this month, but #1 is family!

Current Slang or Saying:  No slang this month, but saying goes something like this:  "Don't cut your plants back until March 1st, which is Houston's average last frost date."  "Yes, I know their ugly, but you'll do more harm than good by cutting them back now."  I must say this 50 times a day (or, at least it feels like it!)

Current Outfit: Winter gardener clothing: Brown fleece jacket, teal blue T-Shirt and jeans.

Current Excitement:  Two of my friends had their babies this weekend!

Grace Elaine arrived on Friday and she is just precious!  Congrats to Sarah, Andrew and Katie!

And Lexi Lee arrived last night!  Congrats to Bryan, Misti, Isaiah, and Samuel!

I can't wait to meet both of them in person!

Current Mood: Excited and Hopeful!

Current Link: sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com This couple was on TV earlier this week after a man's fiance started posting things that he said in his sleep.  Even though some of the quotes are foul mouthed, most of them are hilarious! 

Happy February!