Heliotrope Flower Bloom

Heliotrope Flower Bloom




Meet the Heliotrope blooms and plant!



Not sure why I do not give these container plants more attention then I do? These have to be the top fragrant flowers we have? Profuse bloomer of these purple little flowers and the foliage dose not look bad either!

Here in our part of the High Desert of Oregon we grow this in one of our big containers! For us this Heliotrope does not survive our cold winters. Guy claims if we brought it inside it might?

Pollinators - no real pollinators to speak of that I have observed.

The spot for the Heliotrope is a extremely sunny location which is not shared with the public. The soil is my own mix, part low grade cheep house plant soil (found anywhere and everywhere. To me I see this as a filler, like white rice. It does not have to much value however it fills a belly),part peat moss, part high quality soil we have to drive to get, part mushroom, part steer . When I can find good guano I have a tendency to throw that into the mix.... this works for us!

Watering is two times a day with no exceptions ! A big misconception some folks have in our part of Oregon is, you can water one or two times a week and your garden will flourish. This is just not the case! Guy did stick up for folks saying if they keep the water on all day and night two times a week they may get away with some plants? We also disagree with the using the run off from the big farms and ranches. I wont use this water that we pay dearly for. If I can not drink the water, the dogs, cat can not drink that water there must be something nasty about it, right? I am sure it is fine for such things as lawn? Water is a hot topic for me so I will leave this issue or start ranting.....

I highly recommend this flower to grow! Perhaps we should try it in the ground some day??

Thank you for coming by and checking out the photographs of this day of the Heliotrope!

Coneflower Blooms

Coneflower Blooms




Hope your weekend went well! Meet the Coneflower and visitor from the photographs from July 25 2014 I am working on this morning.



As you can see by the end of July the Coneflower are not at their peek. These Coneflower were placed in a spot facing the southern sun in front of the Iris Patch several years ago. The Iris flowers have outgrown the Coneflower and the Coneflower need to be moved for several reasons, or separated planted in other locations.



The Coneflower have grown, bloomed in this south location. However this location gets pretty hot! As you can see from these photographs the blooms just do not like this heat from the southern sun. I say the Coneflowers are easy to grow! The Coneflowers are forgiving.



Forgiving is the Coneflower, however as you can see from these photographs the Coneflowers are compromised. Such plants are vulnerable to pests, and other attacks that we may or may not see under the ground. What we can not see is where all the good stuff really goes on! The flowers are what we see! This is why we all love flowers! The pretty colors, shapes, sizes and fruit that some plants produce. Truly though, all the real action is where we can not see. The roots!

Why these Coneflowers in our garden need moved, or since they are growing in this location separated if can be and moved elsewhere. I am thinking the Coneflowers need more shade. Protection from the triple digit temperatures of the High Desert? As I have said we have had these for oh, three years now? This in no way makes Guy or I experts at growing Coneflowers.



Here in the High Desert we are supposed to be zone 5. Everyone lives in a zone. You have a zone you live in too! However some people can live in more then one zone, like we do! Guy is very good at this zone stuff! Guy really is, and he is my teacher about growing here in the High Desert. Someone down the road can grow a plant that we can not. Though we have found places on our small piece of land that the people just right down the road have issues with. This of course is a topic of conversation with the neighbors and I. "How did you grow that", or "How come the frost killed mine and not yours"? Now this is the fun us gardeners have, figuring out what grows where!

Zones, it is good that you find out what zone you live in. Plant accordingly. This does not mean you can not grow whatever, just is a starting point. I found a zone chart if you want to check it out , United States Zone chart

Keep in mind the zone charts are just a starting point. I doubt to many people are going to guaranty you that nature does not change. Many things goes into determining the zones, weather patterns for what year... moon phases on and on and on!!



Honey Bee's ( Honeybee ), are one insect you will find on the Coneflower Blooms! One of these photographs I took, lets see if I put it up..... does not look like I had. Spider mites like the Coneflower. Nasty little bugs that drain the plant of liquid. Turning the host plant into a dried up, nasty looking mess!! Spider Mites will encase the host into a web for the younger spider mites to feed on. What if you see five spider mites I read where you have a infestation! There are several insect that will eat the Spider Mites, Lady Bugs or Lady Birds is one insect you want in your garden!! If you have to go buy Ladybugs!! Make sure if you feel the need to buy Ladybugs that you buy them from a company that does not ship you dead insects!! Buy locally if you can and keep in mind when you get the Ladybugs home give them a drink!! Spray the area down with a hose before setting the insect free, or soak a cotton ball in water is one way if you are setting them free in a inclosed area. Keep in mind, insects do not drink water as we do!

I personally have not seen aphids , or their caretakers the ants on the Coneflowers of ours.

I have seen as you can see in the photographs Honeybee's really like the Coneflower! Wasps, Carpenter Bees, Bumble Bees and more like the Coneflowers! I can not seam to recall if butterflies like the Coneflowers. I have seen the Hummingbirds near the Coneflowers however we grow several flowers in groups.... The color could attract a pollinator then the said pollinator may not want to work on said colored flower but go to the neighboring flower. This is our philosophy of growing. Not everyone does this! We just choose to.



You can see the Honey Bee doing its thing......



Here the Honeybee is really getting into the center which is rather spiny when you get right in there!



This Honeybee is done and flying off. I for one do not know if I want to speak about the medicinal uses for the Coneflower for I just do not want the responsibility of someone reading something I wrote and putting it into their body......

Thank you for coming by looking at my photography and reading my rambling of the Coneflower Blooms!

Gloriosa Daisy Blooming in September

Gloriosa Daisy Blooming in September




Meet again the Gloriosa Daisy! These flowers were still blooming in late September 2014!



Unlike the Black Eyeed Susan these Gloriosa Daisies have a ring of color, if not color through out the yellow. Nice looking flowers if you ask me!







Gosh does any two Gloriosa Daisies look alike? That is the question?



The Gloriosa Daisy grew most everywhere we sprinkled some seeds at!

Pretty easy to grow!



Thank you for coming by and checking out our Gloriosa Daisy's and my photographs of them!

Blooming Painted Daisy

Meet the Painted Daisy Bloom!



The Painted Daisy comes in many colors!! These were grown in the ground in 2014 and in 2015 I think I will try some in containers and see how they do here in the High Desert?

All the Painted Daisies for us bloomed on the north side of the property. I found it interesting that this plant is used as a natural insecticide.... repelling what we all consider, "bad insects", as well as tasting nasty to the browsing creatures. I of course just think these are lovely flowers!

As for the creatures who eat the garden up... I have yet to see a squirrel in our whole town! Seeing them outside of town on a farm, however this was a couple miles from town. We do have rabbits! At one time someone released pet rabbits!! Those have pretty much disappeared, after all we do have the birds of prey and the coyotes and the pet rabbits stick out with their colors that do not do well for surviving in such a town as ours! Wild bunnies are a whole different story!! They can be little stinkers!

Since we are early risers the deer have also been seen here in town. Though people have done pretty good about running them out of the town. Nothing like having the Mule Deer eating everything in site!! Dose not mean the Mule Deer do not spend the night and leave before sunrise!

I personally had a terrible time there for a couple years with someones pet ducks and chickens! The roosters would be under my window crowing hahahaha! I laugh for I got so mad! Now I can laugh about it ha! These pets ate up everything, so I was continually chasing them off!

The wild birds do nibble, however they really do not do all that much damage. Dogs, dogs do damage!! Why our dogs have their area! I can not do much about the dogs people do not keep at home.... charging our fence which means they have to go through the flower beds is something we just deal with. Also owners allowing their dog to urinating on our flowers is also something we just deal with.



Some flowers do great in the ground, while others do better in a container. Some flowers prefer one over the other here in our area. What you see is just a small part of a plant. The real goings on is under the soil where we can not see! So in 2015 I think I will play around with the soil and the Painted Daisy, time permitting of course!



I like these, they add some real flashy color to the flower beds!

Thank you for coming by and checking out my photographs of my Painted Daisies!

Moss Roses in Bloom

Moss Roses in Bloom




Meet again the Moss Rose!



These Moses Roses were in full boom and photographed on September 04 2014. We grew these in a container, since the Moss Ross seams to do better for us in a container then they grow in the ground here in the High Desert.



The Moss Rose also seeds pretty well!











Thank you for coming by and checking out my Moss Roses! Color , color color!

Marigold Flowers Blooming in Oregon

Marigold Flowers Blooming in Oregon




Meet the Marigold Flower! These photographs were taken on September 3 2014. There are several species of Marigold Flowers in this post.

This photograph above is of a large headed Marigold Flower that the plant itself grows along with the blooms a good three feet high or so. The circumference is somewhat impressive and they do stand out with the big blooms!



These Marigolds are the short plants and smaller blooms. Typically these are the flower folks think of when they think of Marigolds. The frogs will settle themselves into these and wait for dinner to show up!



These above are another type of larger Marigold flowers.

All the Marigold Flower Blooms attract so many small visitors! Good and bad! The smaller Marigold Flowers have a strong scent. A flower bed is just not a flower bed without the Marigold. At least the small variety!

Because of the pollinators they seed real well!! I am speaking with someone in Japan on twitter (@masmish), as I write this haha!



Now the photographs above are two different species of Marigold. First the large headed, tall Marigold. Then we have the smaller , shorter Marigold Flowers.

The smaller species of Marigolds are commonly used as a "partner", flower. Planting Marigolds, shorter variety that have the strong scent next to another type of flower , the philosophy is that the bad bugs will go to the Marigold leaving the other flower alone, or the scent runs off insects. This is a wise tale that has been told for years and years! Does it work? Well, sure dose not hurt!



I recall as a kid stopping to speak to another child we went to school with at his home. Being who I am I am not good at just doing one thing, and his mother had a bed of Marigold Flower so I would top them, take off the dead stuff, spread the seeds around. One day as I was speaking to the son of the house, the mother yelled at me to stop that!! Mind you she just did not know what I was doing and I did as I was told. Some time later she found out what I was doing, and how good her bed of Marigolds were doing haha! She said something to me and I expressed my love of flowers, gardening even at that age I new what made me happy.



Thank you for coming by and checking out the Marigold flower from last September! Keep in mind the hiker chat is going on in twitter today!

Gladiolus Flowers Blooming in the High Desert

Gladiolus Flowers Blooming in the High Desert




Meet the Gladiolus Flowers, or as I will refer to them as the, "Glad flower"!



I added a few colors here for you to see they come in many colors! They are a bulb flower, meaning a hardy bulb is how they grow. I pesonally never had the seeds nor even seen seeds produced from the Glad Flower.



The Glad Flower has grown and bloomed everywhere we have placed the bulbs for some years now. If they come up the next year or not is questionable since frankly Guy is not real impressed with the Glads growing style so he does not take the time to dig up the bulbs. Tell you the truth I forget to dig them up ha!



The Glad Flowers do take extra care. They are top heavy and you have to stake them or tie the flowers up or they will fall over from being so top heavy. If you let them be, or do not tie them, stake them they will fall over.

With that said the Glad flowers are so pretty I want them every year!



Pollinators , like I said I like the beauty of the flower. At this moment I can not think of one pollinator who even comes to the Glad flower! It might be the fact they are top heavy so they fall over easily? Unstable for a pollinator? Though no real bugs attack the Glad flower that I can think of either.......



I am not into cut flowers however for the gardeners that are into cut flower, I would think these would be something a cut grower would have in their garden!

These will again be grown in 2015 and I will be the one who takes care of them. Staking them up, tying them or as I have done before growing  a hardy plant next to the Glad flower to hold the top heavy flower up!

I think the best place we have had these grow is a dryer area we have here in our garden in the High Desert. It is on the south facing side where the sun beats down sometimes to harsh for other flowering plants but the Glad seams to really like this spot! Though the Glad flower has as I have said flowered in every spot we have placed it!



Since I do rely on natural conditions for photography, natural light , natural conditions and do not use fancy computer programs for my photography I really do have to pay attention to the Glad flower. Spent flowers I just do not like to photograph. Instead I like the newly formed flowers, newly "born", flower blooms to photograph. So everyday I walk the small property we have to see what is giving me a new bloom to photograph. Mornings are fabulous! However, I do this several times a day. Typically morning and evening unless we are gone.

Overhead watering is so dangerous with the Glad blooms!! This could put to much weight on them thus falling over. If the Glad was not such a pretty bloom!! I wonder what the unhybrid flowers look like? These Glad Bulbs that you and I have are all hybrids. This is just the way it is!

Soil, since I am not into guessing, I bought yet another soil tester so I can add in the soil properties. We do have our own way of preparing the soil that has came from years and years of Guy and my experience growing flowers..... growing anything is not a scientific thing per say. It is what it is, and we just like doing it and we both are good at it. We do not grow anything if it is going to stress us out! A person can love something so much that they actually kill it just by over loving whatever.

Guy tells a tail about a old women who he ran into while working in the back country putting in roads. She had no electricity, no indoor plumbing and a widow. Guy asked her some advice about her garden. The old women replied that she does not know what she is doing she just does it......

Thank you for coming by and checking out my Gladiolus Flowers. I do have so many more photographs of the Glad however I think these photographs represent a good variety of colors we have grown here in our garden.

Spinach In The Garden

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photographs,photo... | Gather

Spinach In The Garden.
We have a good patch of spinach growing from last years crop we allowed to go to seed.
We have been eating on this new crop now for some time.

Yellow Wildflowers

Yellow Wildflowers. I found these growing and surviving in harsh conditions.

Help me out by clicking on this link to Gather 

Check out my web site!  

Blooming Wildflower

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Blooming Wildflower . Found many of these wildflowers blooming as we were driving up what we found out was a cattle feeding station.

Pink Oxalis Flower

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Pink Oxalis Flower. I brought mine inside the house a long time ago, now it blooms all year around with resting in between.

Canyon Farm

Photo by MrsRoadRunner . : photography... | Gather

Canyon Farm