Summer is flying by, and I have not done a Natural Pause for some time! I love going out in the garden every morning to see what is blooming or just about ready to. Here is my Giant Hibiscus ready to pop, and I can’t wait until it does! Enjoy.
Month: July 2016
What’s Growing On in My Garden — The Summer Update
As usual, the summer is just flying by! It’s been super hot and humid in Western New York this summer. We are in a severe drought. The grass is brown and brittle. I have had to water my flowers to keep them alive, and I am afraid that doesn’t help the cause. We need a few days of nothing but good ole’ rain.
This year, I have observed some things that I unfortunately don’t have much control over:
- The deer. No matter how much I try, they are desperate for food. They have eaten all of my hostas, even with my egg mixture on them. It is simply too dry and food is scarce. I am not really too worried about this. I am just going with the flow this year.
- I am covering up my tomatoes and and daylilies at night just to deter the deer from devastating my tomato crop, and my lilies. This is the first year I have actually had a great bunch of lilies! They usually eat them before they even bloom!
- The garden is lacking a bit of luster because of the drought, but also, I have worked harder than any other year to keep up on watering. I have to remember that it’s still just the first quarter of summer and things will eventually start blooming more.
- I am also realizing how important the morning dew is for your plants, especially during a drought. What little moisture it brings makes a big difference!
I have added the following to my garden:
- Foxglove — Light orange and different!
- Delphinium — Love the look of these, and got two at the Farmer’s Market.
- Hydrangeas –I purchased four of these, and I plan on buying more. These are perfect for most parts of my partially shaded yard.
- Balloon Flower– I dug up the one I bought last year accidentally!
- White Globe Thistle — My most surprising, unique addition. It grows like crazy and has done well in the drought!
So here are a few things that are blooming in my garden, some new, some old. All make me happy to see them in the morning!
Fiddle Me This: The Fiddle Leaf Fig
Happy July! It has been so hot and dry in my little part of the world, we have been super busy watering flowers. I have to admit, they don’t have the luster and color that they have had in the past, so my next post will be a “What’s in my garden” post. I am giving them a little more time to “pop”.
I hope everyone (in the USA, that is) had a wonderful July 4th! The weather was hot, and we had a great time!
I have been working overtime trying to water everything. I really have to concentrate on my containers, which include my window boxes. I have also been tending to my indoor plants as well. They seem to really be getting drier than usual for this summer. When I am not looking for plants to put in my garden, I am looking for plants to put in every window of my little house!
I have been reading all about this hot new, trendy houseplant called the fiddle leaf fig. Of course, it piqued my curiosity, and I had to buy one. Well, I actually bought two.
What is a fiddle leaf fig?
- It originates from West Africa. It has these beautiful paddle-shaped leaves that really make it a showstopper houseplant.
- It is very easy to maintain. It needs bright, indirect sunlight.
- Water once a week, or when it is dry on the top. Do not over water.
- You can spritz it with water to get the little dirt marks off. As you can see above, mine needs to be cleaned!
My small fiddle leaf that is right at home in a galvanized pail on my enclosed patio.
One thing about them is that they are very hard to come by, and can be very pricey. Because of their beautiful, dramatic, yet elegant look, the world is in love with fiddle leaf figs.
I have read a lot of stuff about them, but when I went to the nursery to get the scoop on these fantastic plants, they told me they were very easy to care for. There are tons of articles out there that painstakingly tell you how complicated they are to care for, but the truth is, so far so good. I heard they were slow growers, but to my surprise, my big fiddle leaf in the dining room is already growing, just two weeks at my house!
So, I highly recommend this plant to your houseplant collection if:
- You have bright, indirect sunlight
- Keep the temps between 65-75 degrees farenheit (18-23 degrees celsius)
- You are able to water it once a week, but never soak it
I love the plants that I got, and you can get them at Home Depot if you don’t want to go to a nursery. I am constantly adding plants around my house, and this decision was one I was very happy I made!
The Bent Trowel 