Black eyed susans are now blooming. My gardenia bushes are loaded; weighted down with flowers. Also blooming are St. John's Wort bushes, cosmos, which reseeded this year, a yucca. The rose of sharon bushes have buds.
I haven't mentioned vegetables much, but I have a tomato plant, a squash, cucumber and cantaloupe. Three small tomatoes right now. I really prefer flowers, but it is fun to have a few veggies.
Zinnias are coming up nicely. I am now trying to note areas in my beds where I need to add plants, so that I can plant perennials in the fall. Here are pictures of the gardenia and St. John's Wort.
4 comments:
I have one Gardenia bush that I planted last season. It came back very fast but only a few blooms so far..any thoughts?
Also- was out all day today cleaning up and mulching..if my muscles stop aching I hope to get some pictures of my own garden up on my blog...and oh yeah ..glad to be your first reader ;)
Beautiful pictures... are you going to write your own gardening book? "Flowers I love in the South"? The pictures and seasonal tips and comments about southern flowers would be nice.
Gardenias are tricky. I had a long conversation with an agricultural extension agent about them, earlier this year.
To bloom they need lots of sunlight. They also want very rich soil, so if the leaves are yellowing, they need nitrogen rich fertilizer.
Gardenias are also much loved by pests, particularly whiteflies and aphids. Mine have had whiteflies. These will leave a sticky residue on the leaves, which will turn into a sooty black powder, called sooty mold. You have to get rid of these to if you want the bushes to thrive.
If all the conditions are right, they should bloom for you.
Munnfamily, is your blog thisplateisfull ?
Yes our little site is "This plate is full"- check it out when you have some time from the gareden. You inspired me and I posted some of my own plants!
Well I dont see any characteristics that you describe in your comment about the Gardenia bush. And it is in full sunlight utill about 4pm...hmmmm maybe I will give it the littlest bit of fertilizer.
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