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Monday, June 1, 2009

Gazania Mania

Ok...so it will be a little more than Gazanias...sorry...this will be a long one...but I have to cover the entire weekend in one post. Remember the days that we were all trying to figure out what to post about because nothing was going on in the garden....yeh....well those days are over! So lets kick this Monday off.... The Hunter and I went to the Flea Market on Saturday, we got some fruit...watermelon, pineapple, and cantaloupe. I will admit that none of them were all that great. It is a bit early for watermelon...it was ok...but definitely not the best. The pineapple was too ripe, and the cantaloupe wasn't ripe enough....but we ate them up anyway!
We also bought this little gadget there...a water timer. Have ya'll used this before? I tested it yesterday and it is great. You hook it up to your faucet, then hook up the water hose. You set the timer based on how long you want to water, and it shuts itself off after the chosen time. This is great if you need to water and have to go somewhere. I am not blessed enough to have a sprinkler system, so this is as close as I am getting to one.
Here are the various time settings...After the purchase of my $15 sprinkler system...I finally got my garden cart! I have been wanting one of these for THREE years!!! Praise Mother Nature....I finally got one!!!! It will hold up to 700lbs...and no I don't plan on pulling that much...BUT if I want to...I can!!! I have managed to break every plastic cart I get...so it was time for the heavy artillery. I am so glad the dragonflies are out and about...I am addicted to dragonfly photos! They just sit and pose for the camera...they are very photogenic.
Moving on to random flowers photos from the weekend.....................
Hydrangea
Dusty Miller...I love this shot...it looks like some kind of sea coral (or maybe I am just weird)
Hibiscus about to bloom
Now Ginger.....I know you can totally appreciate this ....these spent bloom casings on the hibiscus...what do they remind you of?
I will give you a clue...see....more...
SEYMOUR!!! From Little Shop of Horrors.....does this remind ya'll of Seymour? I was waiting on it to start talking to me, or maybe I was delirious from the heat.
Darla.....look what I have...PLUMBAGO! It was only 3 or 4 limbs blooming...but soon it will be loaded.
my little beauty....gerbera daisy
Pentas
Coneflowers
Petunias in the tea kettle are doing great on the front porch
Now we have reached Gazania Mania.....all of the above was just a preview...
This is the first time I have ever planted Gazanias. I really like them, and will probably plant more next year. I planted these in April. They are full sun perennials and really take to the heat of the South.
The close up in the afternoon and night...which is pretty darn neat to me.
Then they open their pretty little faces during the day
This one is getting ready to close for the night
Mixed in with some verbena
At first when they started curling up...I thought they were dry, but then I realized that it was they do at night, they close. Every morning when I go outside, they are closed and just beginning to open. I just love the colors on them. The pink/purple ones are my favorites.
Well that is about it for my exciting life...didn't do much over the weekend. Just sat and watched flowers open and close...LOL!! No not really!

22 comments:

Betsy Banks Adams said...

Wow DP, you do have alot blooming now... Gorgeous!!!! Love that bright pink gerbera daisy.

Your new little watering system is neat!!!!!

Have a wonderful day.
Hugs,
Betsy

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I can see you have lots to post about! I can't wait til I'm feeling the same way about my garden. The self water timer looks like a great idea and I love the garden cart. I'd love to have a cart myself.
Bilbo will be leaving the country this week. I'll post tomorrow where he's going, he's in for a real treat!!

NatureStop said...

Congrats on the garden cart.Your blooms are beautiful...specially the Hibiscus about to bloom.The dragonfly images are great!!!

Victoria Williams said...

I don't blame you for your Gazania Mania, they are great flowers. Don't know why I didn't grow any this year.
Love your heavy duty cart. Great idea. I'm always making a million trips to our backyard with my arms full of stuff.

Unknown said...

Get out of here!! Your flowers are gorgeous!!! My friend LOVES her water timer, it's like yours. Love the heavy duty cart...Congrats on the Plumbago blooms!!! Great weekend at your place.

Kathy said...

Isnt gardening just wonderful, I love to watch the Gazanias open and close lol, Hibiscus is one of my fave too, we have one that looks really sad with just a few branches but there must be a dozen big bright red flowers about ready to burst open, so funny, I thought it was a gonna. your pink Gerbera is beautiful and I love your heavy duty cart and Seymour lol, happy Monday, Kathy.

Unknown said...

thanks for asking about my chest. Not really supposed to be doing too much just yet......you know how that goes though, right?

Melanie Elissa said...

My husband parents have a second home on Wolf Bay. Turn by Lamberts and go a few miles hang a right and its out there on the bay. We love it, its soo peaceful and quite!!

Prospero said...

Nice red Gerbera. Those Gazanias are nice too. Did you grow them from seed? I put my seed in a plastic envelope, added a touch of water, and put them in the fridge. They all germinated, in darkness, in the fridge!

I'm glad you had such a nice weekend.

SweetAnnee said...

I love your flowers..and the Hibiscus looks so great without opening it's bud..
Smiles, deena

My Mother's Garden said...

Hi! Come visit me...I left a gift on my blog for you. I hope it brings a smile to your face!

Your blooms are exquisite!
~ Karrita

Carol Murdock said...

DP...your flowers are gorgeous!

Lou Cinda @ Tattered Hydrangeas said...

These pictures are gorgeous! I love the hydrangea and the hibiscus bloom! They should be in a magazine! I have to get in my yard this afternoon as we were gone this weekend and it "missed" me!

Thank you for your support on my blog :)

Lou Cinda

Dirt Princess said...

Betsy I cannot wait to use the new water timer on a daily, well maybe not daily, basis

Catherine I am in love with my cart! I CANNOT wait to see where Bilbo is headed this go round...I am on pins and needles waiting to see!!!

Nature Stop glad you enjoyed my dragonfly shots

K&V you need to go get you a cart, especially all that you do around the garden...it is wonderful. The sides all fold down, and the tray comes out for easy cleaning

Darla it was a great weekend, I was SO excited to see those plumbago blooms!

Melanie I know exactly where Wolf Bay is. It is so great down there. I will be at the beach all next week and I can't wait!

Prospero I wish, I bought the gazania. I did take some photos of my zinnia from seeds, but I had enough on this one post so I will show them later.

Deena I think the Hibiscus looks neat that was as well

Karrita I am headed your way!!!!

Carol thanks...I will be around to visit you soon. Mondays are a hard day to catch up on blogs!

Seasonal Wisdom said...

Dirt Princess: Your garden is looking lovely now. I'm a big fan of dragonflies too. There is something magical about them. Enjoyed seeing what's growing in your end of the world. All the best, Teresa

Anonymous said...

You always have such beautiful photos of your lovely garden, and I am so envious. I have wanted a cart like that for a long time too. Now that my yard is so big it would really help out with so many trips back and forth with my old arthritic back. I wish you a wonderful week.

Joanne said...

Lovely lovely lovely. I am so envious of your plumbago and hibiscus

I love your sound effects too. Something for me to do in the winter months perhaps.

Lona said...

Okay, now my mouth is watering for some watermelon:-) Your hydrangea is a beauty. The pentas are so pretty. My seeds I tried to start for them went bust.Next season I am using jiffy starters for everything.

BT said...

What a lovely blog. I adore flower photos and here is heaven! The hydrangea photo is beautiful and oh the gazanias. We have 2 struggling away here in Ireland! Not worthy of photos yet though. I love all your flowers.

Heather said...

Your garden is busy right now! I am loving all the blooms. Very pretty~ Wish mine would hurry up and look that way too:-D

Ginger said...

You are so hilarious! You know what they actually reminded me of? The bad guy's ship from the new star trek movie. Seriously!!!

Free Gazanias said...

Wow, nice pictures. Thanks for Sharing.

Please sign my guest book :)

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