Just look at this lot. There are blackfoot daisies, dahlberg daisies, blanket flowers and purple skullcaps. In the sunken garden the recent rain brought forth a 'spectacle' of seedlings. That's my new collective noun for describing what would happen if I allowed all these to flower. One year I had bluebonnets packed in so tightly between the pavers that it became impossible to walk in there. I ended up pulling out so many I felt guilty. So I have to make a decision on who will stay and who will go and this is SO hard for me to do. I will say though that I have given the good guys a little breathing room and that is because there was also a 'sneak' of weeds among them which I had no qualms about removing.
This is one of my favorite acquired skills from years in the garden: being able to identify seedlings.
ReplyDeleteYou just *know* which is a weed, which is a desirable that you already have too many of, and which is a welcome addition. I especially love when something shows up that I don't recognize.
This is why every gardener should grow from seed!
That looks familiar, right down to the species! I am just cold-hearted, I guess...if it ruins the design of the area, it is a goner.
ReplyDeleteGood luck!
I have a question for you. I have a very rocky area that I want to plant seeds around and in rock holes. I so admire your sunken garden I want it to look like that with plants popping up everywhere. You have gravel as a mulch. Today I added some garden soil around the rocks and planted my seeds(bluebonnets, coneflowers, poppies,blackeyed daisy and winecup)My question is should I add the gravel now are wait till the plants come up. I am just afraid the gravel would be to heavy for those little seeds since they are suppose to be on the surface. Thank you, Kim
ReplyDeleteAlan- Watching seeds germinate is a sheer joy for me. As you say it is so exciting when a new seed pops up. I had a mallow appear this year. SO thrilling.
ReplyDeleteDesert dweller-I wish I could be more controlling but alas, it just isn't in my personality. As you know David wishes I was a little tidier around the pathways.
Kim- Pea gravel is not going to stop seeds from germinating. In fact it ill really help them because it will shelter them during cool weather and from insects eating the seeds. I have better success from seeds int he gravel than when I just sow them in the soil. Just make sure you give them enough room because 1 bluebonnet will be 3 feet across. I tend to prefer the smaller seeds in the sunken garden. Under the stones is a good layer of decomposed granite which is beneficial for holding a little more moisture. I hope you have success with bluebonnets. If they have not grown there before you may need to add rhizobium to the soil. Good luck.
Times like this I wish I were your neighbor--I could hopefully be the lucky recipient of some of those little babies!
ReplyDelete:)
What is rhizobium? I have never heard of this. (Old gardeners never tire of learning!)
ReplyDeleteJenny, I finally got a chance to check out your blog and am thrilled by your collective nouns -- a spectacle of desirables, a sneak of weeds! Ooh, so perfect.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for the tour of your fabulous garden. It was a joy to meet you. -Evelyn Hadden
Sandy- Rhizobium is the nitrogen fixing bacterium that lives in the nodules of legumes. It may occur naturally in your soil but sometimes it needs to be added. I have plenty over here but then there was good population of bluebonnets on our upper lot before we moved in. Sometimes legume seeds come already inoculated (peas, for instance) It can be purchased at good nurseries.
ReplyDeleteEvelyn-Glad you dropped by the blog Evelyn. It was a delight to show you around my garden.
Sue-Theseseeds only seem to want to live in the places where I don't really want them I would be much happier if they were in the real flower beds.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good problem to have, this overabundance of seedlings. Hope you find good homes for as many as possible.
ReplyDeleteI'm much the same...I'm such a big softy, I always have a hard time just weeding them out. Plus, I just LOVE a little spontaneity in the garden...there's nothing worse than a rigid, completely contrived, controlled garden...a little "wildness" makes everything better! Well...at least for me ;-)
ReplyDeleteOh, I wish I had that problem! We'll get there, that's why your blog is inspiring in so many ways.
ReplyDeleteDecisions! It's never easy, especially after/because of the drought you are having. So hard to decide who stays, who goes. Good luck.
ReplyDeleteThat's called a wonderful problem. I wish your blackfoot daisies would talk to mine. I'd love some of them to produce seedlings.
ReplyDeleteI love your new header! Wow!
David/ :-)
What a nice problem to have.
ReplyDeleteI always learn something here, too.
Never heard of rhizobium. I'll be looking for some of that.
Consider donating the seedlings to the local library to sell them or to an area community help center or food shelf.
ReplyDeleteAnon- You really can't be serious!
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