Perennial Power

Alstroemeria (common name:  Peruvian Lily)

While on one of my frequent visits to the garden center, I found this amazing perennial.  I have been buying Peruvian Lilies, in the form of bouquets, for several years now.  They are a very inexpensive way to have fresh cut flowers in your home and even better, the longevity of the blooms just can’t be beat.  A bouquet is around $5 and will last several weeks, which can’t be said for most cut flowers.  My only difficulty is in deciding what color to buy, as they come in so many unique color waves, such as white, golden yellow, orange, to apricot, pink, red, purple and lavender.

I was so excited to have my very own plant and one that will keep blooming continuously.  I don’t know if I’ll have the nerve to cut from my own plant, especially when they make such a beautiful statement, in my backyard.  Look for this blooming beauty at Lowe’s.  They had many color selections, to choose from.

Blue Butterfly Delphiniums

Here’s another perennial that caught my eye and made its way home, with me.  Seldom can you find a true blue flower, especially one with so many blooms.  The blue is so deep that from a distance, it looks as if you’re seeing it with 3D glasses on.  Perennials appeal to me for the obvious reason, they come back!  They fulfill my one and done philosophy, which is buy once, enjoy forever.  I did have these plants, in the ground, but found that they didn’t want to stand up, on their own.  Imagine how beautiful a few sprigs of these blue flowers would be in a bouquet.  I’ll have to try that and report back.

Pink Dianthus

Here’s my pink dianthus, which is growing at an astounding rate.  I don’t think I can do the math on how big it’s grown, in one season.  This plant came from one of the 6-packs you buy at the garden center.  My Mom bought a few for her garden and when I mentioned that I liked them, she gifted me with an entire 6 pack.  Three light pink and 3 fushia pink.

Did you know you’re never supposed to say, “thank you,” when you receive a plant, from someone?  It’s considered bad luck and will surely cause the plant to die.  Sure it’s superstitious and silly even but I catch myself each time a thank you is trying to sleep between my lips.  It goes against my Southern upbringing, to not shout out several thank yous, for such a gift, but I refrain.  After all, the plant doesn’t deserve to die, just because you insist on being polite.

Peony Passion

The white Peonies above are a testament to the longevity of these beauties.  The blooms in the photo were cut from a plant that my Great Grandmother had in her garden, making this plant over 100 years old.  My Mom was given cuttings from my Grandmother’s plant, where she lovingly grew it for years in Tennessee.

It’s been 4 years but I recall vividly the day my aunts drove to town, to help my Mother carefully dig up these peonies, along with many other plants that they had so lovingly shared with each other.  It was a dreadfully cold and wet day, which had me thinking that surely they would leave well enough alone.  They didn’t and proceeded to work in the cold rain until the plants were safely in new pots, ready for their trip west.  The peonies were placed in my garden, along with a beautiful bleeding heart plant, from my Aunt Charlotte’s garden.  A gift from one sister, to another and it was then that I understood the true love for gardening.  It isn’t enough to love it, you must share it.

These pink peonies are from a plant that I bought locally, just 3 years ago.  The story for this peony plant is just beginning, but I hope that someday, it will have a place in one of my children’s gardens and will have produced not just beautiful, fragrant blooms but a rich story, to go along with it.

The blooms start out as tiny little balls, no bigger than a quarter but looks can be deceiving because in less than 24 hours, they can blossom to the size of a dinner salad plate!

They are a very ancient flower and have a long history.  The peony is named after Paeon, a student of Asclepius, which was the Greek God of medicine and healing. It is said that Asclepius became jealous of his pupil, so Zeus stepped in and saved Paeon from the wrath of Asclepius by turning him into the peony flower.

Peonies tend to attract ants to the flower buds, so it’s a good idea to look each bloom over, gently blowing off the ants.  I forgot to do this with my first cuttings and found myself having lunch with a fleeing army of ants, across my breakfast table.  For every ant you see, there are three that you don’t, so beware.

My Mother, along with her sisters all swear that the ants help with the blooming of the peonies.  I’ve now read plenty to the contrary but since I’ve learned most of my gardening, at the hands of these special women, I’m going to defer to their expertise and leave the ants alone, until its time to bring the blooms in, for my enjoyment.

Flora & Fauna Fun

Louie, the Lizard is doing quite well in his new home atop my new wicker coffee table.

I added a few new sempervivums to his tail.  I can’t wait for the plants to start filling in.He looks so great with the new furniture.

Here’s my new hooty friend.

The succulents have been outside for about a week now and all are doing very well.

Strawberry Pot Succulents

I just love strawberry pots but don’t really want to grow strawberries.  Last year I filled this pot with impatiens and although they looked amazing, they soon covered the entire pot, leaving little evidence that it was a strawberry pot.  Since becoming a fan of succulents, I’ve seen many strawberry pots used for succulents so I decided to do the same.

The top of the pot is filled with stonecrop.  This is an excellent ground cover, as well.  Sempervivums, aka hen and chicks are filling the smaller holes, along with a little bit of sedum burrito, in the top, right hole.

Lowe’s had smaller strawberry pots, filled with succulents for around $15.  It’s a great way to get started with succulents.

Tiny Terra Cotta Pots

In working with succulents, I’ve found that 1)they don’t need large pots to grow in and actually prefer smaller ones and 2)that taking cuttings and starting new succulents is a lot of fun.  You need to take cuttings from your plants, to keep the forms you desire and since succulent cuttings are so easy to propagate, you always have new plants, which can be used in so many unique ways.

Here’s just a few of my smaller succulent plants.  I have them displayed on a baker’s rack outside.

As the plants mature, they can be transplanted into larger pots.

Most of these cuttings are from my existing succulent plants.  I think these would make perfect little gifts, for when someone drops by and gets  the urge to start their own succulent addiction.  One remains empty, awaiting a cutting.
As you can see, I started with 12 small terra cotta pots for a total of $5 and a can of spray paint.  I used a neutral colored spray paint so that they would match, where ever I placed them.  I always wondered what those tiny pots were for, now I know.

Terra Cotta Pottery Transformed

My latest transformation has come in the form of old terra cotta pots, that have been laying behind our outdoor building, waiting to be reclaimed.  By the end of my planting season, I usually have a few pots left over that I just can’t seem to fill.  Probably because I already have so many that even I, get tired of planting them, which is saying a lot.  I was buying spray paint, for a few other projects and thought, why not try it on terra cotta?

I’m very happy with the results.  Talk about going green!  Reclaimed a pot, painted it green and added plants that need very little water.

Echeveria (back/left), Sedum Burrito (right), Sempervivum (front/left), Echeveria (front/middle)

Here’s what I did.  I cleaned the dirt off and then used spray paint primer.  This step is quick and easy and shouldn’t be skipped.  The primer dries almost instantly and seals it so that once painted, it looks like the pot has been glazed.  In the past, when I painted terra cotta, the paint soaked in, leaving a dull and unfinished look.

Rust-Oleum products are excellent and I really like the ultra cover 2x coverage.  It really does require only one coat.  To get the splatter effect I sprayed the pot a solid color, then used complimentary and contrasting colors, to get the effect I wanted.  If you lightly squeeze down on the nozzle, you will get a splatter instead of a solid spray.  It’s easy and fun.

A few tips on spray paint.

1.  Use a mask!  Ventilation is very important.  Due to wind issues I sprayed inside our garage on several occasions, but with the garage door up.  I still used a mask.  This stuff is toxic, so take this precaution.

2.  Use rubber gloves unless you don’t mind getting out the mineral spirits, for clean up.  I like to use medical rubber gloves because they fit tightly and can be tossed afterwards.

Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari

On Easter Sunday, we took a drive to the Wild Wilderness Drive Thru Safari, in Gentry, Arkansas.  Along for the ride was Mr. Q, our littlest Q, My Mom and myself and oh what a grand time we had.  Little Q is on her way to graduating from college with a degree in Photography and Art History and needed to shoot some photos for a major project, so we tagged along and made it a family affair.

We arrived around 11am and started our 4 to 5 mile safari drive.  In the past they allowed you to place peanuts on the hood of your car so the monkeys could jump up, eat them and entertain you.  Evidently, that is no longer permissible, neither is having your windows rolled down.  Where’s the fun in that?  None.  So I broke the rules and rolled down the windows.  My Mom did a little monkey hopping in her seat, when an ostrich wanted to take a closer look, inside the car.  

The picture is a little fuzzy but you’ll have to excuse me, I had my arm sticking up through the sun roof, with this sweet fella only inches from me.  One of his buddies came around to my side of the car, for a little one to one.

You’re thinking, “Didn’t she say she had her windows down?”  I did but everyone kept yelling for me to roll it up.  Kinda had to agree, because these guys spit and have enormous tongues.  I wasn’t in the mood for a spit shine camel facial.
Look, Bambi’s alive and well and  living in Arkansas.

How magical are Zebras?
So polite of her to come over for a personal meet and greet.

What is that you ask?  It’s a Zonkey!  No joke.  Seems they like to mix it up a bit with donkeys and zebras and this is what you get.  Wikipedia says:  ”Zonkey” is not the technically correct name for such a cross. The most commonly accepted terms are zebrinny, zebrula, and zedonk.  I’ll let you decide.

It might not look intimidating until its eye level with you and pecking on the glass.  The Ostriches were always trailing behind the car and the first to come around.

As we drove through, all the animals stopped and posed for us.  It was amazing.

“Does my head make my butt look big?”

He’s still staring at me.  It’s freaking me out a little.

Your nobody until you’ve been ignored by a cat.
Gophers = giggling.  These little fur balls were very friendly.  They surrounded the car like it was a car jacking.

Once you’ve made it through the park, you then get to walk through all the petting areas and feed the various animals.  The sheep, goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys and  baby goats, all love the corn.  You hold it in the palm of your hand, while they lick and nibble it off.  Not gonna lie, this wigged me out a bit, so I started tossing it to them, but that didn’t work like I intended.  This particular sheep is gonna find a pretty tasty corn treat, on his back, a little later in the day.  That or he’s gonna get a bite on the rump, from one of his barnyard buddies.

Three Billy Goats Gruff.  They have learned the art of the fence buffet.

Impressive beard but I’d say something to management about the whole tag in the ear deal.  Poor 781 can’t take a decent pic without that showing up.

This is Chloe but don’t be fooled, she isn’t drinking.  She’s knocking that water bottle off, for the 15th time, so that some human on the outside, can replace it for her.  This same monkey was let out of her cage where she proceeded to steal everything in sight, including a pair of pink pliers, from her handler.  She entertained me well as she ran atop her cage and attempted to learn how to use them.

A little diapered monkey.

As my luck would have it, my camera battery died right when I was getting to my favorites, the monkeys, as well as the baby black bear.  I’ll borrow Little Q’s photos and post the rest of the monkey business.