Garden 2014....

This is an update to all my current garden children.  I will update as I get things in the ground and start putting the ones I have started from seed into their places.  I have lots going on and more still to go.  I have held back on some of my plantings (unlike last year) because of the crazy weather we have had in Alabama.  Cold, hot, cold, hot, and repeat.  I only have so much room in the house to bring stuff in where the dog doesn't pee on it or the one year old doesn't pull it to pieces.  I have approximate 4-5 more plants to set in soil, some of which are very temperamental as I learned last year.  Below is where I am at right now......

I set this on the back porch and I have three containers that look identical to this one.  I

have always been a sucker for merigolds and this year, I added Sutera Cordata to the

mix.  It's Proven Winner branded as Snowstorm Blue Bacopa. It is a trailing variety and

given the chance, these plants should get along nicely, but will appear rather full.

 Here is one from last year.  A hardy perinnial geranium, this plant is a "Purple Haze" variety.

The foilage is supposed to be purple in the Spring but this particular plant didn't set purple

foilage, only certain leaves had irradecent trim.  The flower is very typical of the geranium

and you can see below, it is a very deep purple.  I didn't get a flower last year and waited patiently

for this year, when it really came back strong and put out leaves quickly.

 This is a Cheddar Pink Dianthus.  Usually this dianthus flower 

appears more full, making the full circle rather then five distinct petals.  Both the color

and the actual petal make-up are very distict on this plant.  It didn't flower last year and

was very curious as to what I had this year.  The foilage is frosted green when mature.  It has

been very tempramental and now I know why.  The harder they are to grown, the more

beautiful the flower. 

 Another plant that wintered over, is this Saponaria Ocymoides, a low growing, trailing,

ground cover that I put in a basket.  It has since spilled out of the basket by two feet

and has put on quite the show this spring with TONS of intracate light pink flowers.  I 

have a place in the yard that I will put this and allow it to spead it's legs a little.  I liked

this particular variety because it doesn't spread is easy to control without it taking over.

I bought this rose bush last year and it was fairly slow growing.  It's a climbing rose
and was quite small last year(it's first year) but when it did bloom, it was gorgeous.
Well, this year it has really taken off.  It's blooms are unique in the fact they change
color through it's life cycle from a bright yellow after opening, to an pink with yellow center,
and ending with a white centered, dark pink rimmed 4" flower.  This was labeled as
the Pinata Rose.  Life cycle goes left to right below.

This is the actual rose bush from above.

Who can hate a knockout rose bush?  This is a mature specimen and I
usually cut it way back each year because it almost takes this particular
area over by end of summer.  It's really blooming now though!

I have a few Iris's and this purple version(don't know the name) is a
fairly small variety.  I inherited it from the previous owners.

My tomato garden is coming right along.  I have Farmstand, Jetstar,
Roma, and Ritebite varieties in this raised garden.  I even have some
peppers on the end for good measure.

And last but not least, a wet dog with slobber and everything.