I’ve come to realize that I have been underwatering my flower beds. Really thought I was giving them a lot of water too. My Liatris turned brown and died last year and i couldn’t figure out if they were over or underwatered. They did the same this year. I finally caught on that most of the leaves on my shasta daisies at the bottom were brown and dying even though they are flowering. A layer of dead leaf for every time they were underwatered. So, I’ve quadrupled the amount of water going into the flower beds. My reward has been, double the number of flower buds on my dahlias and one lone liatris survivor that came up last and is healthy green and blooming. Along with double the flowers on the black-eyed susan vine. So, I’m watering them twice as much and twice as often. Sheesh! I’m gonna have to pick up a new client just to cover my water bill.
On the complete opposite of that, after killing off 3 of my succulents in the spring, I completely stopped watering them. It’s been at least a month. I moved my one newest succulent container garden out of full sun into the shade in the back. I have what is called bright shade back there. So no water for a month and putting them in the shade has made 2 of them in that collection start flowering. lol I’m not touching them until I see leaves starting to shrivel dammit. I will figure them out. Also, started watering the 2 ferns back there daily and they are much happier. The shade plants seem to love to be wet. The white caladium back there keeps coming up and it’s starting to look nice with the new white impatiens I just added the other day. I may be figuring out the shade now as well. If nothing else, it will end up a hanging succulent garden with a few ferns here and there.
Tore out the sweet peas today. I’m always so sad to see them go. If you guys hadn’t figured it out yet, they are my absolute favorite flowers to grow out there. I don’t envy you guys that have to deal with deer, rabbits, moles etc… Worst I get is a possum digging in my pansies (don’t know why) and a few squirrels that take 2 bites out of my avocados and throw them on the ground. Since I tore out the macadamia nut tree, for the most part I have solved the squirrel issue and most of my bulbs stayed intact and in the ground this season without them living in my yard.
I guess bachelor buttons get planted here in Sept. I have some seeds, just wondering where to put them. I have time, but trying to decide if maybe they will be the first things to be planted in the old wheelbarrow my man scored for me. Dad has already drilled holes in it for me. I have yet to start planting in it yet. Mostly because spring is usually best if I want a kick ass display from seed. I don’t have a lot of experience with what seeds I can plant in fall. I usually just put seeds out whenever I feel like it, but many just come up then stall and go dormant until spring anyway. Of course I’ve had a few things actually flower in winter. The bachelor buttons would look great where the sweet peas were, but my guess is I will start getting flowers right when it’s time to replant the sweet peas and I can’t miss out on those, although I have seriously considered making a huge bamboo teepee like structure in the middle of the backyard just so I can grow like a jillion of them next year. lol Anyway, just felt the need to ramble about my garden today. Thanks for reading! Found a watering wand sprayer in the garage that still had the tag on it. No idea when I bought it. Man, it’s awesome! I wish I had been using it all along! Gives me better reach and less water on my plant leaves. I’m gonna buy another one for the 2nd hose I have back there cuz it’s pure greatness.
It’s all over CA but, yeah, cool plant that attracts good bugs. I think it’s got medicinal properties too…