Gizzy in Heaven!

Gizzy in Heaven!
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Thursday, March 24, 2011

Gardening Fever

Hello my friends - I've not forgotten you and feel appropriately guilty for not stopping by more often, but apparently my obsession with gardening is overpowering. (I can get so obsessive at times!)

Anyhow, I wanted to share a few photos from my "garden" that is really just strips of dirt around my apartment, but since I live in a corner unit, I have a bit more than most...I finally got all my Mammoth sunflowers in the ground. They'll grow to be 12' tall.

I planted the rose bushes along the side of my unit when I first moved in here (about 5-6 yrs. ago) because there was nothing but pine straw and weeds..


Last week, I placed some bricks (that a neighbor gave me) on the ground to make a border. I think it looks more manicured and loved. I planted about ten mammoth sunflowers behind the roses. They should look striking towering against that brick wall. When they start to get taller, I will plant my morning glories next to each stem for them to climb up for a lovely contrast.

This morning I scratched my arms bloody when transplanting my potted lemon bush (left) in the place of the paper whites that I dug up. I will relocate them around the Bradford pear tree in the back



I have two potted lilacs and they are producing some small blossoms:


I purchased them about the same time I did the lemon bush and they too would probably do a whole lot better in the ground, but I'm running out of space. My thought was to take them with me when I move, but I'll probably be here for another six years the way time and money slips away.


One of my hanging baskets containing mixed salad greens


Containers on my back porch with leaf lettuce and Kohlrabi (center) - the oblong planter to the left has peas.


The pink azaleas are blooming in the front



I added another oblong planter box containing herbs on the ledge out front.


One of the potted Jade plants keeps blooming and growing like mad so that I'll have to transplant it AGAIN this year. (leaf lettuce in the small, square pot)


On my front porch, I have a rubber tree and a monkey plant that has fuzzy leaves and tiny lavender blossoms when it blooms.


My next big ordeal will be to separate my huge Aloe Vera plant that blooms yellow every year...I'm going to need help because it must weigh about 100 lbs. and I don't want to break it...the other big pot behind the Aloe has evening primrose and tuber roses...


The Amaryllis flowers are popping out everywhere - they grow wild around here and when they are all at once in full bloom it's quite impressive a sight to see!

I recently purchased some passion flower vine seeds (and more herbs) that I will plant in a pot and in the ground next to the pillar on my front porch so that it can twist around that...I have several other flower seeds growing, that I'm going to plant all throughout my available garden space and around some of the trees once the seedlings get bigger. 

The ones I look forward to the most (besides my sunflowers and morning glories) is the snapdragons, bachelor buttons and forget-me-nots....I'm still waiting on my tomato seedlings to grow big enough for me to transplant them. I think maybe next year I'll buy the tomato plants instead or start the seeds earlier.

Poor Gizzy has been coughing a lot lately and on Saturday I called the Vet who suggested Children's Robitussin, but every time Gizzy sees me coming with that stuff, he clamps down like a pit bull, so needless to say he never gets the recommended dosage. He's slowly improving, but if it gets bad again, I'll have to take him back for an allergy injection. The last one he had was back in November and the Vet thinks that is not too much (because you have to be careful with steroids.) Meanwhile, I'll give him a 1/2 Benadryl twice a day and his cough syrup when/if I can manage without upsetting him too much - after all, he's got an enlarged hart and a heart murmur, poor little fella!


To make things even worse for the ole boy, the weather has been quite warm lately (88-90 F) and that cuts significantly into our outdoors time and there's not much to do than sleep:


But, as long as he's sleeping, he's not coughing - so it's all good!



18 comments:

Kristine Mullen said...

I cannot wait for the snow to melt. Spring must be around here somewhere! It will be so nice to get outside again!

Tasha said...

Thats something I couldnt never get right for some reason ive always want to grow flowers and stuff but When i plant them something always happens to them before they ever bloom not sure why. so I cant grow a thing.

glor said...

My goodness Doris, what a green thumb you have. Your gardens are gorgeous. It must be so satisfying seeing the beautiful blooms. Sounds like you've gone directly to summer, very warm temps. Poor little Gizzy, hope he soon feel better. Have a lovely evening.

Faith said...

so inspiring for Norhterner's to see the green and growth...your garden looks great, you have quite the green thumb there kiddo...hoping little Gizzy feels better..my son does the same thing with the robitussin, but it works if you can get them to take it..

Ginny Hartzler said...

What a funny picture of Giz sleeping! It took me the longest time to find his head, I think it's all bent to the side? Ouch! The very first thing I noticed in that picture was the brick flower bed, it is beautiful!!! That must have been a lot of work! How will you ever be able to move with all the work, money, and beauty that you are putting into the yard?? So many beautiful things, I will be enjoying watching them grow with you!!!

Anke said...

Gardening is addictive, isn't it? Now that it's warming up here, I try to spend as much time outside as I possibly can.

Feisty said...

You are SO far ahead of us up north. I'm not planting my tomato seeds until April 1 because they get too big for the house if I do it sooner! But I have elderberries and foxglove to plant and my rhubarb to replant this weekend. Must be something about German ladies and the need to dig in the dirt and plant things?

Ann said...

I wish the weather was right for gardening here. Yours looks great.
Poor Gizzy I do hope he's feeling better soon

Chatty Crone said...

My compliments to the MASTER GARDENER there - I am proud of you doing something so unique. Do you have to bring them in - all of them - to keep animals from eating them?
You are going to have one great feast this summer.
Doris I am coughing too like Gizzy - I feel for him - and I can't take steriods either. I do hope you get some meds down him.
I never did figure where his head was - lol.

Love and hugs,
sandie

♥♥ The OP Pack ♥♥ said...

Everything in your garden looks so healthy and green. I wish I had the time to garden properly AND the know-how.

The pups and I are sending our best wishes and good vibe to Gizzy to feel better soon.

Doris Sturm said...

Thanks everyone! I guess all those years of watching "Victory Garden" paid off - LOL

Annie Jeffries said...

Doris! Please. PLEASE! Come to my house and spread your gardening obsession around. I need it soooo badly.

Beansieleigh said...

Oh my goodness.. Poor little Gizzy. I hope he's feeling better soon!.. All your plants are looking gorgeous, Doris! It looks like we're gonna have downright chilly temps for a while yet. Mid next week, going into that NEXT weekend, the forecasters are offering at least a little hope! (sigh) Patience is a virtue... ~tina

Kathy said...

I HOPE GIZZY IS FEELING BETTER TODAY. I LOVE YOUR GARDEN! I'VE NOT HAD TIME TO DO ANYTHING YET. OUR SON DID TILL UP OUR SMALL GARDEN SPOT THIS WEEK.

AkasaWolfSong said...

Good Morning Dear Sister!
Looks like your green thumb is paying off, :) It won't be long and I will be able to do the very same here...a few more weeks or so. We had a cold snap this past week but this coming week looks to be warming up. I think today is only like 30-32? And the wind is out of the northeast so it makes for a bit of a chill. Nevertheless I'm off to pick up my Grandaughter and have a fun afternoon making bracelets together. She's such a delight!
I pray Gizzy gets some relief from that nasty cough, as always I keep you both in my prayers! Have you tried using an eye-dropper and just drizzling it in the corner of his mouth a few drops at a time? Just a thought my friend...
Take wonderful care of yourselves and give my Gizz a hug from Auntie! I'll try to call this week..I miss ya!
xoxoxo

Signing Out said...

I've got gardening fever, too, Doris. It's nice to see things blooming in your photos. I can almost smell those lilacs!

Here in NE, it's been too cold for anything to bloom, and we are eagerly awaiting the arrival of spring temperatures to help things along.

Thanks for sharing a bit of springtime with me.

Jane

Mindy said...

Wow! Look at you go! That's so great--enjoy it!

- said...

Such nice work you are doing with all of the planting and I hope Gizzy will be okay.