Meet my new favorite marigold... Ugh, I just realized that there is a weedy ol' nutsedge right in the center of this photo I took of my new favorite marigold. I'd never make it as a garden photographer. Anyway, meet Tagetes tenuifolia, the signet marigold. This particular variety is 'Gem Blend' which means I should have ended up with both 'Lemon Gem' and 'Orange Gem', but only a few of the seedlings I direct sowed in the garden came up, and clearly, they are 'Orange Gem'. Or … [Read more...] about My New Favorite Marigold
annuals
Little Zinnias
What are those? Zinnias. Nuh-uh Yes, zinnias. They don't look like zinnias. You don't believe me? These are Zinnia angustifolia, my new favorite zinnia. Such cute, little zinnias that form a nice mound about six to eight inches tall. I grew them from seed because every time I asked at the greenhouse if they were going to have any for sale, they shook their heads no because no one else was asking for them. Just me! So I grew them from seed myself. They were tiny … [Read more...] about Little Zinnias
Zinnias For the Win
We've come to that time of the gardening season when we begin to select our winners and losers. Winners are likely to be purchased again for next year. Losers are best forgotten. I'm so pleased that I have very few losers in my garden this season. Is this because I have decades of gardening experience and a good eye for spotting winners? Or am I just lucky and happened to choose some good plants? Probably a little of both. I grew these Double Yellow Profusion zinnias pictured … [Read more...] about Zinnias For the Win
Sunflowers Still Standing Tall
I've truly enjoyed the sunflowers this year. I sowed seeds for 'Van Gogh's Fantasy' mix from Sunflower Steve Seed Co along my back fence. I marked where I sowed each seed with a popsicle stick so later I could go back and fill in any gaps where a seed didn't germinate. I also secretly hoped that the popsicle sticks would keep a rabbit from eating all the seedlings. The seeds weren't cheap! If the rabbits had eaten all the seedlings it would have been like owning a fancy restaurant, … [Read more...] about Sunflowers Still Standing Tall
I Had No Idea Birds Would…
I had no idea birds would nibble at the celosia until earlier in the day when I saw a rustling outside on the patio while I was inside. At first I thought it was hummingbirds sipping nectar from some salvias in another nearby container, but then I saw the rustling of the celosia. Moving closer to the window, I saw several birds perched on the flowers, pecking away near the bottom of the blooms. I assume that's where seeds were developing. Some of you might now rightly point out that … [Read more...] about I Had No Idea Birds Would…
Celosia, Again
As the saying goes, "I was this many years old' when I discovered how beautiful celosia can be. I know. I know. I know. I've already posted several times about this Celosia 'Flamma Orange'. But as it grows, it keeps getting better and better and hotter and oranger, and when will it end? Fall, I'm guessing. When it gets hit by frost. I never was much of a "celosia" gardener as they say. (Okay, nobody has ever said that, but thanks for letting me be the first.) The other day, I … [Read more...] about Celosia, Again
