Friday, April 11, 2008

Karen's Weekend Assignment #211: What Color Is Your Thumb?

"My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plants point of view."

-H. Fred Ale

Weekend Assignment #211: How are your gardening skills? Do you plant flowers and trees and even shrubberies, or do you settle for weeds or concrete? Do houseplants die or do they grow and prosper?

Extra Credit: Is there someone you know who is better at gardening stuff than you are?

-Karen Funk Blocher, of the blog, Outpost Mavarin

Welcome To My Garden...


"Norwich Sweetheart"

Since I recently showed a wide angle shot of my garden, I thought it would be nice to show you the flowers using the portrait and macro settings. I am scaling things down from last year. I was very ambitious with my flowers a year ago, but I am feeling my limitations this year, so, I am concentrating primarily on my mini-roses, with a few pots of Nemesia and Stock thrown in for color and scent.


"Green Ice"

Both the Stock and Nemesia did so well last year, that I didn't have the heart to just pull them out of the containers, and I am actually quite happy to have something a little nice to put next to my roses. The scent of the stock is almost intoxicating... imagine a flower that has a strong scent of cinnamon and clove. It makes me crave Pumpkin Pie sometimes. LOL. All of the mini roses I have chosen for the garden, have a spicy scent, but it is much more subdued compared to the Stock. The Nemesia doesn't have much of a scent, but it's unusual color combination of orange and purple, looks really great next to the roses and stock.


Nemesia


Purple Stock

I am a happy gardener right now. And with the ladybug's help, the roses that had been infested with Ahpids, are beginning to perk up. I will be giving the roses their first dose of rose food at the beginning of June, and then again at the beginning of September, which should give me one more big burst of color in early December. I love roses in December. :) It's a lot of fun to make my own centerpieces for the autumn holidays, and maybe even have some fresh roses for Christmas morning.


"Sweet Diana"

Extra Credit: I don't actually think it's either, helpful or healthy, compare myself to others, especially when it comes to hobbies like gardening. I have all the information I need at my fingertips with the Internet, so I just do my research and then proceed accordingly. If I have a little bit of luck on my side, well, that never hurts either. I don't compare myself to others... I am just me.

"It is good to be alone in a garden at dawn or dark so that all its shy prescences may haunt you and possess yo in a reverie of suspended thought."

-James Douglas

-OndineMonet
"With A Little Luck From A Ladybug"
Berkeley, California
April 8, 2008
Afternoon

5 comments:

Mike said...

You certainly know your way around a garden. Those pictures are very nice. I am quite the opposite. When I get around to my post, it will not include pictures. That would be too depressing. :)

MyMaracas said...

What a lovely selection of roses. They remind me of my grandmother's rose garden, filled with fond memories.

Anonymous said...

Your garden is beautiful - just like you! Hugs!

Karen Funk Blocher said...

Excellent! Thanks for inspiring us to do it right!

Unhinged said...

My thumb was never green. I was too scared of the insects in the garden to weed properly.

Really sucked. It's embarrassing to be afraid of something the size of my thumb nail.

(oh, i kill me)