Ten minutes in the garden stretches to 90!
I don't know whether it was an effort to shake off a busy work week or merely get a jump on the weekend, but I spent an hour or so in the garden tonight before dinner, mainly doing maintenance. In the process I came across these amaryllis that pop up each year in the south bed. Their size is always amazing. I never quite remember what time of year they bloom either. I have now noted the date in my calendar for future reference, thought.
My work started with trimming the dead parts off the hibiscus, now that I can see where the new growth is occurring. I have been meaning to give them a heavy pruning for a long time to make them bushier and more compact, but I never got around to it. Now this will give me a chance for a fresh start.
I also made a point of removing any of the morea that had cropped back up in the bed. The fortnight lily is a ubiquitous landscaping plant here in Los Angeles, and I frankly hate it. The only plants left are those in places where I can't get anything else to grow. That said, it seeds freely and develops new rhizomes at a quick rate. These plants are leftovers that re-sprouted after I took the majority of it out.
We also have a tecoma vine that tries to take over this bed every year. Since I am getting a jump on it, I took out all the suckers that were reaching into the paths and the front of the bed, leaving only those growing against the fence or in an otherwise empty area. It had pretty flowers, but can really get bushy by the end of the summer. It is deciduous, though, so thankfully it dies back each year.
I took a few dead branches off the Japanese maple and then the overgrown pittosporum caught my eye. This a another project that has been ignored too long. This shrub had gotten so big it was blocking the path and it was starting to suffer some die-back in the center, so I took the time to give it a fairly drastic haircut. Much the my wisteria, I will try to ride herd on it a bit better this year.
That's all for today, though. I think it was the best use of my time and the excellent weather we had today. It was nicely warm, but not so much that you felt too hot. We have to make the most of any day like this.
Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, flowers, exercise, health, flickr, gardener, photoaday, amaryllis, prune
My work started with trimming the dead parts off the hibiscus, now that I can see where the new growth is occurring. I have been meaning to give them a heavy pruning for a long time to make them bushier and more compact, but I never got around to it. Now this will give me a chance for a fresh start.
I also made a point of removing any of the morea that had cropped back up in the bed. The fortnight lily is a ubiquitous landscaping plant here in Los Angeles, and I frankly hate it. The only plants left are those in places where I can't get anything else to grow. That said, it seeds freely and develops new rhizomes at a quick rate. These plants are leftovers that re-sprouted after I took the majority of it out.
We also have a tecoma vine that tries to take over this bed every year. Since I am getting a jump on it, I took out all the suckers that were reaching into the paths and the front of the bed, leaving only those growing against the fence or in an otherwise empty area. It had pretty flowers, but can really get bushy by the end of the summer. It is deciduous, though, so thankfully it dies back each year.
I took a few dead branches off the Japanese maple and then the overgrown pittosporum caught my eye. This a another project that has been ignored too long. This shrub had gotten so big it was blocking the path and it was starting to suffer some die-back in the center, so I took the time to give it a fairly drastic haircut. Much the my wisteria, I will try to ride herd on it a bit better this year.
That's all for today, though. I think it was the best use of my time and the excellent weather we had today. It was nicely warm, but not so much that you felt too hot. We have to make the most of any day like this.
Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, flowers, exercise, health, flickr, gardener, photoaday, amaryllis, prune
posted by Douglas at 5:36 PM
2 Comments:
Gardening has that effect on time, doesn't it? I know I always tell my wife I won't be long and then I find myself being dragged kicking and screaming from the garden a mere 3 hours later.
Nice problem to have with the Amaryllis - not knowing where they've been planted. I am for ever checking mine, watching and impatiently waiting for them to open up.
Great photos BTW.
That sounds like my time in the garden, for sure.
After the first couple of years I did mark the location of each of the AMaryllis with a nice plant marker, but they still surprise me. Odd, I know. (SMILE)
D
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