Gertrude's Flower Garden Weekly Diary

11/24/00 - Last night (19-20 November) the first killing frost of this season came to Gertrude's flower garden, marking the end of the 2000 season. Prior to this, there were a few flowers still blooming: heliotrope, begonias, impatiens, blue salvia, and the sturdy little yellow and white Star zinnias. At the suggestion of my New England daughter, I dug up the root of one of the frost-destroyed heliotropes, potted it, and put it into the glass-room--we'll see what happens. This morning, before I began to rake the beds on the driveway side of the house, I cut down any flowers remaining. I always feel a little sad doing this, but I remind myself that I still have my glass-house garden, and the beginnings of next year's garden in the basement, where I have already planted Wings begonia seeds and expect to plant impatiens seeds before this week is over. News flash! After writing the above, I checked on my begonia seeds and found the first minuscule seedlings peeping up enough to show a green haze on the surface of the planting mixture.
When last writing of the plants in the glass-room, I forgot to mention my experiment with Pink Profusion zinnias. When I was clearing the small circle bed in front of the house so that I could plant the white 'mums and the blue browallia, I noticed quite a number of tiny Pink Profusion zinnia seedlings. One of the mysteries of nature for me is why some annual seeds, from the same plant, germinate immediately while others wisely wait for spring. I can only guess that nature, interested as always in doing everything possible to preserve a species, has found that, if an annual is located in a frost-free zone, it is never too soon to get baby plants started. In any event, I didn't have the heart to dig up all the little seedlings, but, instead, potted some. Now, to reward me, they are in the glass-room covered with blooms and buds.
This week's picture is a photograph of the glass-room taken from the outside looking across the terrace, with the large pots of Wings begonias in the right foreground. I remember that when the workmen were erecting the glass-room they asked why we had not extended it to cover the entire terrace. Well, there were three reasons. First, the expense, which (as any of you know who have one or who have priced one) the size affects very considerably. Second, we wanted to preserve a direct entrance to the back of the house, and, third, at that time we were still burning oak logs in our fireplace, and needed a convenient place to store them. I am, however, still happy with the size we chose. There is room for the glass-top table for two and two side chairs. There is also a lovely wide wooden sill for flower pots all around the room. You can see the bright red blossoms of the geraniums and the orange-red of the kalanchoe plant on the table--I have some interior shots for future "Diaries."

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