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Tuesday 5 January 2010

Bad Bad Gardener Confessions

This post is not for the weak of (gardener's) heart .. my confessions will be despicable .. but I believe in that saying "the truth shall set me free .. or my conscience .. or something like that ?"
The winter sun is so much different from the summer one .. have you noticed that ? or is it just me squinting my eyes up and moaning about canuck winters ?
One day .. Dave and the crew were clear and free of the white stuff .... well, almost .. a little ice at the bottom hardly counts .. unless that problem with cracks flares up again ?
The next they were almost under **it to the tippy top of Dave's hat !
Longs shot for emphasis .. how orderly and neat can snow get all squared up like that ?
OK .. "Top hat and tails" just keeps running amuck in my brain here .. I can't help it !
Some one's wing is stuck out .. I'm surprised that is all, since gargoyles know some fairly HOT language ?
Kathleen girl .. I think the Maypop monster has finally taken "the hit" and will stop GROWING !
For now ??
Ms. Rosemary was hit by freezing rain but adjusted to it .. she was amazing ..
Now .. I just don't know what is going on under the snow .. she still could be ticking though ?
This is a gratuitous shot of the girls .. Sophie brave soul that she is .. well she is fine without the cozy blanket .. but Emma is under hers and won't come out .. go figure she has an amazing Main Coon coat you would think she was warm all the time .. but wait for it .. she will crawl out when the "hot flash" comes sooner or later.
Now for one of the confessions .. I have Apple Blossom amaryllis for Christmas but didn't open it until two days ago when to my GREAT SURPRISE I saw it was struggling to get out of the box !!! I am surprised you all didn't hear me scream when I saw that !!
Oh the GUILT of it all .. so I PLANTED her lightening fast and had the brain flash to think if I turn her away from the light she might just straighten up ?? What do you guys think ??
Have I crippled this poor thing with my bad gardener mojo ??
See ? I think she is straightening herself out twisting to face the light .. I feel so GUILTY : (
As for the other dirty confession .. I did it again .. I swore I wouldn't but I did .. I left my garden clogs and one of my watering cans on the deck bare face to the elements of our harsh winter weather .. I feel awful about it all .. but confession is good for the soul, right ?

Martha .. you might recognize that cute little frog pot you gave me .. I managed to leave that out too .. I'm unforgivable with that one .. I'm going to try and remember to bring it in .. as soon as I write this down .. meanwhile .. I think anyone reading this should go over to Martha's blog and take a look at the most adorable precious pair of furry pals there are .. aside from my girls that is. The "tails of kitty Nacho and ferret Bailey" have to make you smile : )

27 comments:

Lona said...

Minor at best Joy. LOL! I had an amaryllis leaning too and turned it and it straightened right up.
Don't be jumping into those gardening clogs, you hear.

Barry said...

Joy:
Methinks your penance should come in the form of a letter to the poor Amaryllis! Imagine! Shut up in a dark box..... sheesh! I LMAO to be honest. I am currently trying to hide the straight but phallic (or so says Shane) looking stems on mine.... they are dreadful before they bloom! Tools and clogs in the snow..... been there done that! You're in fine company!

Dave@TheHomeGarden said...

Poor Dave, all cold and dark under that snow...much like we will be this week. Although we may get to go sledding and snowman making! Looks like you will have some "cold feet!" Sorry it had to be said! ;)

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello HHG ! .. Phew ;-) minor but seem major at time of guilt attack ! haha I hope I can get another season out of the garden clogs .. I had the best of intentions but that shot right out the winter window ? haha .. So I can fix the lean with the right light !! yahhooo !! haha

Puppy .. this is my first time with amaryllis and I was shocked to see her trying to escape the bloody box ! LOL .. I swear each Autumn that I will get those thngs put away and I still do the same thing .. isn't that the definition of insanity some where ?? ;-)

Dear Dave .. you just had to get that "cold feet" thing in there didn't you ! .. more polite than my mention of the crack issue ?haha
All the best luck with the sledding and snowPEOPLE !! no sexism here Dave ;-)

RURAL said...

Here I was, waiting to find out that you secretly dug up perennials out of neighboring gardens in the dead of night. Or that maybe you snitched Christmas cactus cuttings from your best friend who refused to share....

At least you remembered to check it out before it bloomed. Nothing like playing squish the blossom.

Jen

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Aww Joy, it's not as bad as all that. I've committed much worse gardening sins. You Amaryllis looks good, and the clogs & watering can will be fine. Not sure about the boys though...

Unknown said...

Minor sins indeed, Joy. Been there, done most of them myself. There are things in the greenhouse that need protection but the snow has jammed up the door so I don't know when I"m going to get in and rescue them...and it may be too late by then...

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I've never seen an Amaryllis get to the point of having a bud while still in the box. I guess it was determined to get out on way or the other.
Stay warm!

Aunt Debbi/kurts mom said...

You're doing fine. My water garden is frozen over. I'm sure I was supposed to do something. In my defense, it shouldn't get this cold in Texas.

CiNdEe's GaRdEn said...

Oh the boys! I imagine they are mighty cold by now!
LOL
The Amaryllis will be just fine(-: They grow in the store that way! I wish I had one blooming about now!
I do have violets. Thank God for those or I would be crazier then a loon!(-:
My shoes are out on the porch as we speak. I wear them everyday. Rain doesn't stop me! Snow...well that probably would!!!(-:
Give Mista G a warm bowl of soup...(-:

Northern Beauty Seeker said...

Joy, I think that rosemary is going to make it through the winter!!

Oh, and the watering can, been there too. Just tell yourself it is a "hardy" watering can! :-)

Kate/High Altitude Gardening said...

Oh, I do love true confessions!

Welcome to Joy's Amaryllis Garden! "Abandon hope all ye who enter here!"

Just teasing you a bit. :D

Ricky Luz said...

You see, My cat, which ironically I called "Mimi" (pronounced "meemee") has been looked after by a couple of friends, since I have been found extremely allergic to fur, and had serious respiratory issue. She is half Siamese, and the other half is Angora. She is such a beautiful baby just like yours!
Now, regarding the pumpkin, yes, I am not very fond of it, not really, and I might consider some extermination before is too late. I have lots of spaces in my huge backyard but as my partner had two big adult dogs, I dont see myself eating anything that had been probably pissed over prior to my harvesting (LOl).

Yet again, I loved the images you publish here! You even name your statues and ornaments, that is so cool! I wish I had a good memory to name them all as well. Fantastic image of the sunset. I can even feel the cold breeze from here. Well done.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Jen girl .. how did you know those were my secret aspirations(snitching plants by hook or by crook from other gardeners .. sadly there are none in my neighborhood that have any I want ? LOL) Squish the bloom ??? OMG !! did that happen to you ???
Tell the story woman !! hahaha

Hey there Rebecca ! So you have more interesting garden sins ? come on then .. confession is a good thing ! wink wink .. The boys are used to to this sort of punishment by our canuck winter gods .. it adds to their character ? haha

Jodi girl .. when it is that bad outside and a door is blocked shut , you have a way better excuse than I do .. I just feel terrible about my very first amaryllis starting off like this ? House plants seem to go downhill on me so FAST !!!

Catherine .. if something like this is going to happen .. well, it will happen to ME ! .. I was completely SHOCKED when I felt it, then SAW it !! poor thing .. if my plants could talk ?? haha

Debbie girl .. you are innocent because no way is it supposed to be THAT cold in Texas is right ! I'm squirming because I should KNOW better ?? LOL

Cindee .. I have to write an e-mail to you asking for advice on the poor violets I have right now .. they NEED some help and I am useless ! Mista G is actually quite positive with his snow experience : ) .. but the freezing rain is not his favorite type of weather .. he is quite chatty once he gets going ? LOL

Ms. S ! I am laughing right now .. "hardy watering can" !! I love that : ) phew ! .. I am so curious about this rosemary and if she is actually going to make it .. when I cut off some small branches the smell was as fresh as in summer .. it was wonderful !!!

Kate you are VERY naughty .. but that saying is so true of my indoor plants .. it confounds me to no end why I have the "un-midus" touch ? with them .. hey .. how many days till Halloween ? 298 ?? LOL

Hello again Rick .. Mimi must be one gorgeous cat, Siamese blood lines mingle in a beautiful way with others .. too bad about the allergy issues.
OMG ... LOL .. I would think the same thing .. growing something that is handy to pets and their toilet habits .. not for any of us really ?!!
Thank you so much : ) I am a sky watcher (yet I have failed to join the proper "Skywatch" group .. a loner ? LOL) I am lucky to be on a some what elevated area in Kingston so I can see some decent patches of sky : )

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I hope your confessions made you feel better. When I post a picture of my poor contorted narcissus you won't feel so bad. At least you have snow to insulate your rosemary. I can't even grow it here. I always dies.

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Hey Joy, not fessing up just yet, although occasionally I'll get fed up with a plant, rip it out and regret it later. And don't ask about what I did to my poor pink potentilla :(.

I snooped your blog for the story of your decrepit lilac, it really is in quite a state. Might recover with cutting to the ground, but since the spot is slated for something new, just hack away.

You have impeccable taste in lilacs! I ADORE Mme Lemoine, I have 2 of them. I am also a big fan of sensation, the white edges are stunning, and it's only a matter of time before I bring one home. You commented some time ago that we share many plants, it continues to be true.

Carrie said...

Oh silly Joy, you have nothing to feel bad about x It is so cold looking there I think you should climb under a blanket too and stay there til it warms up a bit (I am!) I love how the snow makes things look so unusal but I swear that Rosemary is fake, that is one confession I'm still waiting on, hahaha

Rose said...

Joy, if I were to write a post on "bad gardener confessions," it would probably turn into a book:) I always feel sorry for Dave and the poor boys when the snow comes--they are so brave and stoic!

I have to tell you, though, I am so jealous--I waited over a year for one little amaryllis bloom--actually, it's still just a bud, so it may not materialize. And there you are with one ready to pop out of the box! Life isn't fair.

Kathleen said...

Oh, wow, I still think 'Maypop' has life Joy! It doesn't look like a complete goner to me. I'll stay tuned....
I'm glad you finally busted that amaryllis out of the box. No need to fear ~ it will definitely straighten up ~ I have to turn mine almost daily to keep them ramrod straight! Can't wait to see it bloom.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Lisa girl ! Nothing like a good confession session ? giggle giggle To unload all of our naughty guilt over something ? .. I'll be waiting to see your poor contorted babies ! .. did you try a few different cultivars of rosemary ? You might just get one of them to "stick" !! around ? LOL .. sorry I can't seem to help myself tonight ;-)

Rebecca .. I really do feel guilty about Madame LM .. I love white lilac and she was my very first in my garden .. I messed up with her but swear to keep sensation going (I might even sneak a new LM in some where else !).. what on earth did you do to the potentilla ? I might just have done the same thing ? haha .. Yes, we do share great plants .. alive and not so alive ? LOL

Carrie girl .. I am going to have to mail you a cutting of my rosemary so you know it is real ! .. although, she is now under snow so things could be not so alive any more ? YIKES !!
Fresh white snow does clean up the world a little .. until it becomes Spring slush .. more snow coming so it is time to dig in under the igloo ;-) haha

Rose you are so sweet to Dave and the boys .. I'll have to remind them they have an ardent fan in you ! : )
OMG .. I am still laughing about life's cruelties against you with the amaryllis and mine clamoring to get out of the blessed box at least ? LOL

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Kathleen girl you described it just right ! LOL .. But .. the poor amaryllis "busted" itself out and shocked me good and proper ;-)
I think the last week has really shocked the Maypop but the root should survive for this Spring .. fingers crossed we both have it and it will throw some multiple flowers ? please ?? hahaha

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Gasp. I didn't realize it was a Mme Lemoine, I assumed it was an old standard lilac. White lilacs are wonderful, I hope you can find another spot for one someday.

Anyhow, if you really want to know, I'll tell you about my poor potentilla. First, I have a very good, structured plan for planting and watering in. Plant after dark, water well. Water early the next morning, and again at night. Repeat for 2 days, and water once a day for the next 7 days, then every other day for the next 7. It's VERY hot and dry here, so frequent watering is necessary. Anyhow, I planted the potentilla, watered it PM, AM, and then it started to rain. It was overcast, cool and rainy for days (5-7), and I didn't do any watering. Then I resumed normal watering (ie wandering around the garden with a hose or watering can), but she kept looking worse and worse, unopened buds dried up, and leaves started to look dry and sad. I thought it was just some transplant shock. Continued light watering 2-3x/wk, she continued to deteriorate. Foliage looked passable, but no flowers. I thought I was from not receiving enough sun, it's a pretty shady corner. I found a new sunny spot for her, and when I went to dig her out to move her, the root ball was BONE DRY. I felt sick, and completely incompetant. I soaked, replanted and totally babied. This was late in the season, so not much time to recover. The leaves perked up pretty fast, and a few buds formed, but when they were open, they were WHITE. I thought I had shocked her back to revert to a native form lol. After a week or so, and before the first frost I had a few deep pink flowers. So *I think* she might be ok, we'll see next year. Does that make me a negligent gardener?

You can see her here, right after planting:
http://prefertobeinthegarden.blogspot.com/2009/08/pretty-in-pink-purple.html

Town Mouse said...

Ah well, you're human after all. I'm shocked!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Rebecca I just dropped over to your blog and had a chat ? LOL

Town Mouse ! LOL .. I keep shocking myself too girl !! ;-)

Rebecca @ In The Garden said...

Hey Joy, not sure if I should reply here or there, so I'll try here lol. I'm not familiar with the Korean Lilac, it is suppose to be borderline hardy here, but our soil is VERY alkaline, so perhaps pH is the problem? I'll keep my eyes open though, maybe I just hadn't thought about it before. I just found this post thru blotanical for you: http://sherwoodgreenhouses.squarespace.com/journal/2009/11/2/korean-maple.html

I have a big hole in a little willow from a bad pruning (aka hack) job. I really hope it fills in this year.

I don't know how old your MLeM is, but if you cut it down low and dig it out relatively intact, I'd put it in a pot for the summer, in a relatively sunny spot, water and see what happens. You may be rewarded with new growth, but if not, it was on it's way out anyways. I've done this before, sometimes it works, sometimes not.

I would love to have a Japanese Maple, they sell them in pots here to use as annuals, they are GORGEOUS, but so very expensive. Maybe one day!

It's fun to plan, since it's all we can do when under a blanket of snow!

Anonymous said...

Hi Joy~~ Do we have a true confessions topic on Teza's Forum? I could write a book on garden mistakes, blunders and outright idiocy. Yours don't seem insurmountable. They never are. It all pans out in the end and as my hubby always says, "A hundred years from now, none of this is going to matter."

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Rebecca .. I am going over to your blog to chat girl ! LOL

Grace girl I think that should have been one of the topic conversations .. but then again Teza would have to truly limit us on how long we confessed ? haha .. but your husband is too right .. it will never really matter will it ? ;-)