Not the greatest week thusfar here at the homestead, so as usual, we take refuge in the garden.
I spoke complimentarily of Oakes Daylilies last week or so, regarding their policy of slipping a little something extra into orders. Well, we received our second order from them about a week ago, and when all was said and done, we have over fifty new daylily plants, in 15 different varieties, all for a very reasonable price. So the front bed around the massive crape myrtle is utterly full of daylilies:
I don’t think we’re ever going to be the kind of people who rush to spend $50 for the newest trademarked variety to come out each year (well, not without 100 acres + lottery money), but $10 to $20 per variety (2 to 8 clumps per variety) is a great price. Plus, daylilies multiply each year, which means lots of passalongs every year!
Other things making a splash out front are these spectacularly-colored strawflowers:
This is one of my Addiction plants. When I find a new color I have to snap it up. Echinacea is another example…I’m eagerly awaiting arrival today of FOUR new colors (Fragrant Angel, Tiki Torch, Tomato Soup, and Green Envy) from the ever-delightful Plant Delights folks. That’s in addition to plain old purpurea, Evan Saul and White Swan!
Dominating the show out front are these hollyhocks:
Started from seed last spring they survived the hard freezes of January, are now about eight feet tall, and littered with hand-sized fuschia blooms. Spectacular plants.
Blooms out back include the Don Juan climber that Husband so beautifully shaped a few weeks ago:
As rose afficionados know, roses take a pruning as a challenge, and immediately respond (in the right season, of course) with growth/blooms.
The mustard is blooming:
As are the dill and cilantro:
And most amazingly, the tomatoes that were started at the end of January are growing like mad, and – wait for it – blooming:
That’s the Carbon tomato, which admittedly has been growing at an amazing rate since being potted up:
Yes, I’m measuring my tomato plant’s growth. There are worse vices hobbies.
on 
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 10:44 am
I love Oakes Daylilies too! Your blooms are lovely!
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 12:19 pm
Why do you do this to me???? How much will it cost me to hire you guys for 1 week to whip my yard into shape?
Oooh, more echinacia colors! I have 3 colors out front so far – I must have more!
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
@Caitlin: Thousands and thousands of dollars.
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Just wonderful stuff going on here, what part of FL are you in? I’m in Tallahassee and am driving myself to drink with trying to grow Hollyhocks!! Sun or Shade or what? I have some started from seed. Help me if you find the time. Thank you!!
on Mar 18th, 2009 at 4:38 pm
@Darla:
We’re in central Florida. I have two different hollyhocks…zebrina (which gets about 3′ tall, blooms about 3 inches across) and this monster fuschia thing, the name of which I completely forget. The zebrina is on the east side of the house, gets half shade during the day. The fuschia is in front of the house, gets full sun except in the early morning. Both were started from seed in a pure peat mixture. They were fed every week or so with a very weak high-nitrogen fertilizer solution (since peat has nothing resembling nutrients for the seedlings), and not put out in the landscape until they had at least three pairs of leaves. That’s about it, they’ve been fairly easy. The zebrina did great during the full heat of last summer since it only gets part-sun…the other did fine as well but it was busy growing. I don’t know how it’ll do this year, we’ll have to see.
on Mar 19th, 2009 at 8:29 am
Thank you Stacy, I sowed some directly in the garden and they are up……….hope mine do as well as yours!!
on Mar 22nd, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I have lived here in central FL for abot 8 months now and it still amazes me that in March flowers are blooming and veggies are growing. Back in VT we would not even dream of PLANTING anything outside until memorial day. Your post makes me want to plant something!
In about two weeks we are going to move into a new house and I will be looking to your blog for inspiration. Right now the land scaping at this rental house consists of two frost damaged hybiscus bushes. I am not sure if they are dead, need to be trimmed back, or are just not ready to come back to life yet (my knowledge of southern plant life is lacking). Oh well it will not be my problem in a couple weeks…I am bad!
on Mar 23rd, 2009 at 9:36 am
@amanda: Most hibiscus will recover just fine from frost damage, all the dead growth has to be removed though, the plant will restart from the root ball.