Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
6/9/00 - I am planting the last of the seedlings that I raised under lights in the basement last winter. They are mostly impatiens, although I have a few of several varieties left to plant. When I am planting any kind of flower that I grow, I try not to plant all of them, but to leave a few for "fill-ins." Not every seedling that you put into the ground will grow successfully, so that it is a good idea to hold a few of every variety to replace plants that die. When I run out of replacements, I borrow from areas where symmetry isn't important. I am also about to begin transplanting my "volunteers." There are lots of balsam ready to transplant, and celosia, cleome, impatiens, and other self-seeders will soon be ready to move. Balsam is particularly easy to move. Its seedlings are sturdy little fellows that can simply be pulled up, put in a tray with a little water, and replanted where you want them.
This morning (Thursday, the day that I try to put my "Diary" on the Web), I did two unpleasant jobs, which are part of my endless battle against English ivy. First, I trimmed the ivy growing up the side of my garage. It looks good there since it helps to make the garage look less like an intruder in the garden, but, if I don't keep trimming it several times a year, it begins to poke under the rain-gutter and roof shingles. Secondly, I worked on trimming my neighbor's ivy back from the fence that divides our properties. If I don't do this, ivy soon takes over my flower-beds. This afternoon, cutting the lawn and transplanting balsam was a nice change!
Earlier this year a friend brought me a plant that she asked me to identify; someone had told her that it was a weed and should be pulled up. I didn't recognize the stranger from its foliage, but decided to plant it in the Rectangular bed and wait to see what happened. Later, when it bloomed, another friend who came to visit "Gertrude's Flower Garden" recognized the newcomer as Lunaria annua, variously known as Honesty, Moonwart, Moneyplant, Satin Pod, or Satinflower. Taylor tells us that it is an Eurasian herb cultivated for its satiny, parchment-like pods which are used in dried bouquets. The flowers are purplish and fragrant. I am very pleased with my Moneyplant, which is a biannual grown as a hardy annual. The picture below shows it in full bloom some weeks ago. As you can see, one of Lunaria's desirable features is that it blooms early with the tulips when not much else is flowering. Right now, it is making "money" for me, and, while I will probably dry some of the pods, I will save most of its seeds to grow more Moneyplants next year--doesn't that seem a wise investment?
6/2/00 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
6/16/00 - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
Last Year's - Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary
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