tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74852483450067544192013-05-25T02:06:55.899-07:00A journal of the joys gardens provide.HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.comBlogger442125RosesAndOtherGardeningJoyshttp://feedburner.google.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-47402193614475775652013-05-24T05:52:00.000-07:002013-05-24T05:52:37.082-07:002013-05-24T05:52:37.082-07:00

I've got the very first lily bloom of the season. I've got new things blooming every day. I've got roses galore. I've got new plants, old plants, and seedlings popping up. It's something different every day. I've also got weeds to dig, mulch to spread, and lawns to mow.  I've got doctor's appointments, dentist appointments, and other obligations. I've even got a

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-80570647852653278582013-05-22T13:53:00.000-07:002013-05-22T13:53:21.067-07:002013-05-22T13:53:21.067-07:00

You either love it or hate it.  Personally, I love it. I fell in love with David Austin's Charles Darwin rose the first moment I saw its large, full blooms.  I've never seen a rose so packed full of petals.  It was mesmerizing to me.  And the color - yellow, with a touch of apricot - is also beautiful to me.  Romantic is the perfect word for a rose with this form and color. But there

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-4865187862156193172013-05-19T19:34:00.000-07:002013-05-19T19:34:33.491-07:002013-05-19T19:34:33.491-07:00

"Fly me to the Moon" is on my Ipod playlist.  It's an oldie, but a goodie.  I'm not (quite) old enough to remember it when it was originally popular, but I have loved it ever since I heard it several years ago. Another oldie but goodie is the book Mrs. Greenthumbs:  How I turned a Boring Yard into a Glorious Garden and How You Can, Too by Cassandra Danz I first heard about Mrs.

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com41tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-64301452238489542972013-05-15T06:52:00.000-07:002013-05-15T06:52:07.806-07:002013-05-15T06:52:07.806-07:00

Everything's coming up roses! I'm joining Carol at May Dreams Gardens for Garden Bloggers Bloom Day.

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com40tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-53022926759801798132013-05-14T05:53:00.000-07:002013-05-14T05:53:29.706-07:002013-05-14T05:53:29.706-07:00

This is the second and final part of the tour of my main rose garden.  If you missed part 1, click HERE. This garden is built much like an L shape.  The prior post covered the small part of the L.  This garden surrounds an area with a small, inexpensive charcoal grill and a table with chairs for eating.  At one time, I dreamed of having one of those elaborate outdoor kitchen areas with a

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com49tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-90293728934073868502013-05-10T08:11:00.000-07:002013-05-10T08:11:03.826-07:002013-05-10T08:11:03.826-07:00

Walk with me around the area I call the main rose garden.   Belle de Crecy You are first met by Belle de Crecy, a once-blooming rose that I picked up on a whim.  It's coloring doesn't really go with the rest of the roses in this garden, but I love it anyway.   Behind Belle de Crecy is planted Crepuscule.  It is just now starting to bloom.  It is only a few years old, and hasn't grown

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com76tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-39681022541638995212013-05-04T09:48:00.000-07:002013-05-04T09:48:40.651-07:002013-05-04T09:48:40.651-07:00

I loved visiting my grandparents when I was a child.  My father's parents lived out in the country.  My grandmother cooked the best fried chicken.  My cousin always had a knack for talking her into making hot chocolate for us after dinner, even in the hot summertime.  There was no air conditioning, but hot chocolate, made from whole milk, powdered cocoa and sugar, was such a special treat, we

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com74tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-58340451273772968982013-05-03T09:39:00.000-07:002013-05-03T09:39:20.066-07:002013-05-03T09:39:20.066-07:00

"These don't look the same", I thought to myself.  "I don't think they're the same plant!" Last year, I blogged about how my hesperaloe had babies.  (Hesperaloe also goes by the names false yucca, red yucca, or even the combination false red yucca, even though it's not a yucca.)  I was so pleased to have more hesperaloes.  I thought I had gotten two babies from one plant.  I was wrong.  This

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com20tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-6896408700511710812013-04-30T14:17:00.000-07:002013-04-30T14:17:15.712-07:002013-04-30T14:17:15.712-07:00

We are making progress on the spring garden chores.  Of course, I don't think any one thing has been completed, but as I walk around the garden, I see a lot of progress: 1).  Repairing We have repaired the small fish pond.  And the water has been turned on.  So nice to see and hear the splashing of water.  No fish, and no water plants yet.  Still, I'm thrilled that progress has been made.

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-79195321387812867612013-04-29T12:05:00.000-07:002013-04-29T12:05:14.374-07:002013-04-29T12:05:14.374-07:00

A quest for coreopsis is not a big thing.  Not like Ponce de Leon's quest to find the Fountain of Youth.  Or Magellan's quest to sail around the world.  Or, Don Quixote's quest to return to an era of chivalry.  Coreopsis (tickseed) can be found at almost any garden center.  The quest was not to find them.  The quest was in finding them the second year. I know what you're thinking.  There's

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-67010910740252014412013-04-26T08:25:00.000-07:002013-04-26T08:25:17.301-07:002013-04-26T08:25:17.301-07:00

Occasionally, I see someone on a street corner with a sign that reads "Will work for food".  Sometimes I see a bumper sticker that reads "I'd rather be golfing".  Well, if I had a bumper sticker, it would read "I'd rather be gardening".  Even more accurate would be a sign that read, "Will work for blooms". Spring has finally sprung, and my garden is starting to fill up with blooms.  I run out

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com78tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-28506371388039071092013-04-25T06:43:00.000-07:002013-04-25T06:43:01.904-07:002013-04-25T06:43:01.904-07:00

What's cooking up in my garden?  Well, the roses are finally starting to bloom!  And in my garden, Julia Child has decided to whip up some spring, with a side dish of beauty.  I should have known I could count on Julia to be one of the first roses to bloom in my garden.  She's dependable, sunny, sweet, and smells good. Julia Child rose I have her squeezed in a small space between the

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com64tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-60437227371649281082013-04-23T06:57:00.000-07:002013-04-23T06:57:25.158-07:002013-04-23T06:57:25.158-07:00

My red dianthus has been stunning this year. Last year it was stunning, too.  Even more so, really. Because last year there were Thalia daffodils blooming alongside them.  It was magical.  And I looked forward to seeing that same look again this year. But the daffodils have all bloomed and gone this year.  But not one Thalia bloomed. At first, I thought it was Thalia's fault.  That's

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com58tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-79839442204405570422013-04-19T20:09:00.000-07:002013-04-19T20:09:47.120-07:002013-04-19T20:09:47.120-07:00

Occasionally, even I get tired of reading gardening books.  Can you believe it?  At that time, I read something different, but when I find a book that's different, yet still related to gardening, then I am on Cloud 9.  Such is the case with Rosemary Verey: the life and lessons of a legendary gardener by Barbara Paul Robinson A biography about one of England's most famous gardeners,

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com45tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-70315185928285544732013-04-17T09:28:00.000-07:002013-04-17T09:28:01.555-07:002013-04-17T09:28:01.555-07:00

Ajuga.  Bugleweed.  Carpetweed.  Sounds like a weed!  Certainly doesn't sound hard to grow, does it?  When you read about ajuga, it is usually paired with the words "easy to grow", "naturalizes", and "groundcover".  Grows in zones 3 through 9, with average water needs.  Sun to part shade.  It is even sometimes labeled as invasive! Sounds so easy to grow.  Well, my experience is different.

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com86tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-89346567991586544542013-04-16T08:15:00.000-07:002013-04-16T08:15:28.596-07:002013-04-16T08:15:28.596-07:00

With the late spring we've been having, some of the foliage in my garden is just now emerging. I have one bed filled with hostas.  Some of them have come out, the rest have not.  I am waiting, a bit anxiously, to see if they will emerge.  I suppose the ground is just not yet warm enough for them. This elephant's ear looks like it's going to pop right out of the ground! Also coming up

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com46tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-36331486956980106212013-04-15T07:06:00.000-07:002013-04-15T07:06:34.195-07:002013-04-15T07:06:34.195-07:00

I have been working dawn to dark (well, almost) in my garden lately.   Even though temperatures are still occasionally dipping down to almost freezing, I know Texas, and before you know it, it will be too hot to work outside all day. So what have I been up to?  Of course, regular maintenance like weeding, mulching, transplanting, etc.  And I've been working on repairing the pond.  AND!  I'm also

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-81917372037531164772013-04-11T06:02:00.000-07:002013-04-11T06:02:50.141-07:002013-04-11T06:02:50.141-07:00

I've had it!  And I'm voting for a recall! This past week, temperatures soared to well over 80 degrees (26 C).  Then, we were in danger of getting a freeze!  A freeze!  All I could think about was the freeze we received on March 27th (26 F, -3 C), that damaged all the buds on my roses. And don't give me the old wive's tale of never having a freeze after reaching 80 degrees (26c), because we

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-20545524257731285302013-04-06T08:01:00.000-07:002013-04-06T08:01:31.944-07:002013-04-06T08:01:31.944-07:00

Still. I think that is one of the loveliest words in the English language.  Not lyrical.  It doesn't roll off the tongue in a beautiful way, but the meaning behind it is so very sweet, so romantic, so enduring, so passionate.  Songs have been sung, movies have been made about this one little word. hellebore If I were creative, I would compose a song about the early spring blooms that

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com38tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-54215539131440045732013-04-05T06:52:00.001-07:002013-04-05T06:52:47.454-07:002013-04-05T06:52:47.454-07:00

No more winter vegetables!  I went out of town for a few days and all my broccoli was flowering when I returned.  The lettuce has begun to seed.  And what about those beautiful Brussels sprouts?  After patiently growing Brussels sprouts in my garden, I was so looking forward to preparing and eating them.  But, instead, I was shocked and horrified by what I saw: Mealy cabbage aphids! Yucky,

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com50tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-53495329485038681002013-04-01T16:24:00.001-07:002013-04-01T16:24:24.257-07:002013-04-01T16:24:24.257-07:00

I've been watching the crossvine. It's my hummingbird indicator.  If it's in bloom, it's time to put out the hummingbird feeders.  This year, of course, the blooms were later than usual.  Should I put out the hummingbird feeders anyway?  I wondered.  I hoped the little guys hadn't come through before the crossvine started blooming.  I hadn't seen any, but there were reports of hummingbird

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-5562154233561493082013-03-30T19:52:00.000-07:002013-03-30T19:52:04.797-07:002013-03-30T19:52:04.797-07:00

I turned into the driveway, and looked toward the house.  Suddenly, I stopped the car and took a longer look.  Something was different.  Something was... beautiful. The Corner Bed The corner bed, aka the winter bed, aka the problem bed looked so nice! I smiled.  Then, I began to analyze. Crabapple blooms It must be because of the blooms!  The pink crabapples were still blooming, and

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-38956510167720356392013-03-27T14:06:00.000-07:002013-03-27T14:06:20.685-07:002013-03-27T14:06:20.685-07:00

Purple reigns in my garden right now: But as pretty as these beauties are, there's another purple that's caught my eye.  Well, actually the combination of purple - with yellow.  I posted recently about the combination of my pink creeping phlox and muscari: I thought that was just the perfect combination.  But, the combination of 'Emerald Blue' creeping phlox with yellow tulips is

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com65tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-2929319575018608002013-03-25T08:07:00.002-07:002013-03-25T08:07:56.942-07:002013-03-25T08:07:56.942-07:00

Mr. Holleygarden thinks I change my garden areas often.  I think I change them slowly. Prove it! O.k., Here's my argument: The Walking Garden in October This picture was taken last October.  Look at the bottom right.  The plant there is pavonia: Pavonia This area of my garden has been full of pavonia for several years. I love pavonia (also called rock rose).  It's easy, blooms

HolleyGardenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14892421871044249940noreply@blogger.com56tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7485248345006754419.post-86616793120475561152013-03-23T14:12:00.000-07:002013-03-23T14:12:50.056-07:002013-03-23T14:12:50.056-07:00

When I was younger, my sister and I would race to answer the ringing telephone.  No cell phones back then!  There were several rules regarding telephone usage.  The first person that reached the phone got to answer it.  But we never answered it until the second ring.  We had to answer it "R's residence."  (R being our last name.)  The telephone was mounted on a wall in the kitchen.  It had an

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