Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Planting for spring

On Sunday I started planting for spring. In the water garden by the driveway went in 12 Fondant and 12 Purple Sensation hyacinths. And also 12 Delta Pink Shades pansies.

Pink Shades pansy

On Monday I went shopping and found these beautiful hand tagged Johnny Jump Ups called Orange Duet, never seen these before. The local farm supply had them.

Orange Duet Johnny Jump Ups

Then I stopped at Lowe's (I'm not a big fan of Lowe's, sorry Tom) and got these beautiful purple Pansies, no name on them. They were tagged with the growers name, guess what they were grown locally and on the road I live on, can't beat that for local!

I think this is one of the Delta trademark pansies. Mixed planted 12 of these with the Orange Duets shown above in the garden next to the deck stairs.

Then on to my new favorite garden center Durham Garden Center. I picked up this camellia sasanqua called Kanjiro. I found out this camellia is long known in Australia under the name 'Hiryu". Anyway it is our first sasanqua, for now anyway.

While buying the above camellia I picked up these spring bulbs:

30 Crocus Pickwick they went in the driveway island.
30 Crocus Flower Record they went in the driveway island.
8 Daffodil Tazetta canaliculatus (more than 12 in the package!) Late spring, 8 inches, fragrant. These were planted beside the water garden urn
12 Daffodil Cheerfulness Mid spring, 16-18 inches planted in island
8 Daffodil Triandus hawera Late spring, 10 inches, fragrant (more than 12 in the package!)
12 Daffodil Mount Hood Mid spring, 16-18 inches planted next to driveway beside the water garden.
10 Iris reticulata Harmony Very early spring, 6 inches. Planted beside the rocks in the water garden.
15 Scilla siberica Early Spring 6 inches. Planted in the driveway island.

All the above were planted Yesterday November 09, 2009

Well since Meg interrupted my Durham Garden Center visit yesterday by requesting I pick up cup cakes at Wholefoods ( I hate Whole Foods, they do not sell local produce, mostly from California 2000 miles away and I'm all about reducing my carbon foot print) for a school birthday party. Today I was in town and stopped back at the Durham Garden Center!

The Camellia japonica 'Crimson Candles'. I wanted yesterday was my goal. The foliage and shape of the 3 gallon camellia really got me and the girl in the garden raved on and on about the one in her garden. So I picked it up. Then I saw Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide' in bloom and had to get it too.

Camellia sasanqua 'Yuletide'
The owner of the garden center was so happy I picked out more daffodils an was making a terrible rainy day a bit better she offered me 25 % off all the spring bulbs since she was planning to do it next week anyway. So here is my bulb list( I called Brent and Becky's Bulbs and vastly reduced my bulb order with them that still have not been pulled since I ordered them a week ago Sunday)

16 Daffodil Baby Moon Late Spring, 10 inches and Fragrant
8 Daffodil Barret Browning Mid Spring, 16 inches
8 Daffodil cyclamineus Febuary Gold Early Spring, 10 inches
8 Daffodil cyclamineus Jack Snipe Mid Spring, 10 inches
8 Daffodil cyclamineus Jetfire Early Spring, 12 inches
25 Daffodil cyclamineus Tete Tete Early Spring, 10 inches
16 Daffodil Jonquilla Pipet Very Late Spring, 12 inches
8 Daffodil Jonquilla Quail Mid Spring, 10 inches
8 Daffodil large cupped Pipe Major Mid Spring 16 inches
4 Daffodil large cupped Salome Very Late Spring, 14 inches
16 Daffodil Tazeta canaliculatus Late Spring, 8 inches fragrant
8 Daffodil Tazeta Golden Dawn Mid Spring, 14 inches fragrant
8 Daffodil Tazeta Hawera Late Spring 10 inches and fragrant
8 Daffodil Tazeta Thalia Very Late Spring, 14 inches

Did I go overboard on daffodils? Several of these I planted yesterday, but most of these are for the back yard.
5 Hyacinth Blue jacket Mid Spring, 10 inches fragrant
5 Hyacinth Jan Bos Mid Spring, 10 inches fragrant
10 Iris reticulata Harmony Very Early Spring, 6 inches.

Think I've been feeling guilty about the plants loss when we remodeled and added on here at Paradise. We lost a 12 foot pink flowering dogwood, 6 foot gardenia, a 4 foot sweet pepper bush and 3-4 huge clumps of daffodils. I wonder what happened to the reblooming yellow daylillies, they are hard to kill.

OK so I wanted to show you the project I have been working on the past 10 weeks, it is now finished. Belladumus designed it and I built it.

Notice the huge trellis covered in Carolina Jasmine, that was there already.


This completely custom deck is 14 x 38, it has an under decking called Rain Escape over top the Willy's Jeep, so the jeep stays dry when it rains. There is the sunken hot tub and a 14 x 14 cedar wrapped porch with a 1 x 6 V grove cedar ceiling. Those hand railings are made with copper tubing too!
This is the second biggest deck I have ever built and the most custom porch I have ever done. The largest deck/porch I have built is ours with a deck 16 x 36 and a 16 x 16 screened in porch. Compared to this one just finished ours is pretty plain.

My next project is in the planning department in Chapel Hill. We'll be building a 14 x 30 second story deck with a 14 x 20 screened in porch with two 4ft x 4 ft skylites. her garden makes paradise look awful shameful. But I've been offered some plants from it.

14 comments:

Deborah at Kilbourne Grove said...

You can never plant too many bulbs! What seems like a lot when you are planting them, look like nothing when they are flowering.

Nell Jean said...

They'll be wonderful in bloom, your daffodils and you can decide just which are special enough to buy 100 each next fall.

sweetbay said...

I've been planting bulbs too, mostly daffodils. I'm looking forward to seeing your flowers next spring, and I love the pansies!

Corner Gardener Sue said...

That is a nice looking deck. With all those new plants and bulbs, your place is going to be full of color come spring!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

I can't wait to see pictures of your place in spring. It's going to be beautiful with all those bulbs!
Great job on the deck, it turned out very nicely.

Janet, The Queen of Seaford said...

You have purchased a good deal of plant material my friend...good for you!
I don't have any bulb plans this fall, have lots out front and the back gets too much salt water....lost about 100 daffodils last year.
That deck is really nice, like the copper tubing as the rails.

tina said...

Great camellias! They are so bright and cheery this time of the year. Your custom decks are awesome. I think I like that copper tubing best of all.

Heather said...

Good finds, Randy! I love the deck and love the customer's requests for underneath parking. Not a bad idea for the back of a house!

Susan said...

Planting for spring - that's what you call looking ahead! You should be blessed with some beautiful blossoms. p.s. love those camellias. They are dependable great looking plants.

Cheryl said...

Beautiful deck....a lot of work but a job well done, satisfying I would think.

You can never have too many bulbs....you have a beautiful selection there.....I love planting bulbs, for me, very relaxing.....

I wish I could grow Camelia....they do not like my soil and rabbits love them, so definately not an option.....

Anonymous said...

There is no such thing as too many bulbs, period. The deck and porch are great. Love the idea of the copper tubing too. So doable. I did go and check out the chair you made for Meg. You are a talented fellow! :-)
Frances

D said...

Great job Randy... and I LUV that screened in porch!

Nutty Gnome said...

Gosh, you have been busy!
I thought I'd planted a lot of bulbs, but you've done way more! Mind you, you really can't ever have too many bulbs! :)

Nice decking too - not worth having decking here - it's too wet and the decking would get dangerously slippy...... but I love the idea of it!

Flower Donegal said...

Love the deck and flowers are beautiful.
I am from Ireland and I am really impressed with your excellent gardening blog.

Aanee xxx
Dublin Flowers