Purples in my Garden...

Today was cool with a breeze blowing. What's up with all this wind we're having? I got my seeds planted today; that was about all the "gardening" that took place... I did make one discovery that frustrated me... I decided to "unpot" the Gloriosa lily tubers I had planted, to put them in a larger heavier pot, after reading on the Internet how they can grow to 6 feet or more, and they need a heavy (terracotta) pot so they are not top heavy. When I carefully brushed away the soil, I found that they had started to mold... I was NOT happy. So, I removed the tubers, gently scrubbed off the mold with a little soapy water and my mushroom brush, and now they are sitting on my kitchen counter to dry well. Tomorrow I will dust them with Bulb Dust before I re-pot them. If anyone has any better ideas of how I should proceed, please let me know!! I returned to the Co-op Farm and Garden Supply Store and bought 2 more packages of them. There are 2 tubers per package. Of the four new ones I got, I'd say only one looks healthy. The other three appear quite dried and wizened up. So - I may not have any luck at all this year. But I'm going to give it a good try... If I have no success, next winter I'll seek them out online and see if I can order them direct from a supplier and maybe they'll be in better shape... This company has a guarantee on the package -

I hope I don't have to see if they'll stand behind it...

Above are a few pics of my Japanese Iris which is just starting to bloom. A few weeks ago I told you about trying to coax them to bloom, after years of seeing foliage only. Well it seems whatever I did, combined with a few applications of fertilizer has worked!! There are lots of buds on all three clumps so I'm happy!!

Also in bloom right now are my giant Alliums. These are relatives of the onion family, and look sort of like giant chive blossoms. They range from 3-4 feet tall... They are always the very first plant to push through the soil in the spring. When I remove the heavy mulch of leaves that I cover all my beds with, they are always pushing up under the heavy wet leaves. Persistence!!

Piece,

Linda

"Like a big mountain, a small garden stimulates, restores, and delights us, just as it poses challenges, promotes mastery, provides exercise and relieves monotony."~ The Power of Place, Winifred Gallagher