tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37242781422649687632012-01-23T12:06:59.081-08:00A conversation among gardeners faced with the challenges of sandy soil and paltry rainfall.Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.comBlogger401100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-4738445086456964642011-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:002011-04-29T11:25:46.638-07:00

Rule No. 1. Don't allow your husband in the front yard with a hedge trimmer unsupervised.The tragedy began when we returned home to find a note on the front door: Meter could not be read.That would be the water meter, which is hidden by a dense hedge beside the driveway. Although the hedge looks to be mostly on our property, our neighbor has kindly trimmed it once or twice a year, a courtesy he

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-1490703511042141852011-04-11T12:16:00.000-07:002011-04-11T12:27:49.626-07:00

My Bonfire Patio Peach is advertised as ornamental but the branches are lined with dozens of baby peaches. Last year, the first year in my garden, it had a few peaches and I tasted one, finding it edible.I guess I'm supposed to cull most of those peach buds off to encourage larger fruit. I remember a plum tree in the backyard of a house we rented in western New York many years ago that blessed us

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-26937313021155539022011-04-06T12:40:00.001-07:002011-04-06T12:47:18.824-07:00

<!--[if gte mso 9]> Normal 0 false false false MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]> <![endif]--><!--[if !mso]> st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } <![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-35955403018652588392011-02-13T11:55:00.000-08:002011-02-13T12:11:54.194-08:00

A beautiful day in the garden! After brunch and a walk on the beach, there was no reason to go inside, so I started a late winter cleanup of the front yard gardens.Cut back last autumn's mammoth mums: new growth starting. Cleaned up the lilies (some already sprouting, others lush with leaves). Trimmed the prostrate juniper away from the sidewalk. Cut back my favorite pony tail grasses. Many

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-10561922163997823342011-02-06T11:46:00.000-08:002011-02-06T11:52:58.140-08:00

After a pleasant walk around the neighborhood this morning, I checked the garden in front of my sunroom and Viola! Daffodils! Many of them, some just leaves, some with buds, popping up near the windows.I call this my reverse garden. It's designed with the smaller plants near the windows and taller shrubs set farther back. The sunroom is floor to ceiling windows, so we can enjoy the flowers

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-72302720245848685362010-10-17T06:19:00.000-07:002010-10-17T06:29:32.226-07:00

I heard from a landscaper that plants will need a thick layer of mulch this winter. Our super hot, super dry summer caused the thin feeder roots to rise close to the surface searching for water and are therefore vulnerable to cold temps this winter.I immediately went out a bought eight bags of cypress blend mulch and bedded down my river birch (planted this spring) and Japanese maple (planted

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-7854839635825489002010-09-25T12:37:00.000-07:002010-09-25T12:50:53.116-07:00

I was planning to purchase more Mexican Bush Sage next spring but just discovered the plant is easy to propagate. Just break off some stalks, stick them in the ground and keep them wet. Not too complicated.I like this plant because it blooms in mid-to-late September when most of my garden is burned out from too much sun and too little rain.The sage blooming gloriously right now is the one I

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-87899733969107247922010-09-25T12:10:00.000-07:002010-09-25T12:31:10.275-07:00

When I purchased my American beauty berry four springs ago at the Wilmington Farmers' Market, it was misshapen but healthy. The first year it remained gangly but in succeeding years grew into a vibrant bush heavy with clustered, grape-hued berries. Easily the favorite shrub in my backyard garden.A little research shows the beauty berry is not just another pretty face. Its berries are relished by

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-14368767270470102642010-09-25T11:47:00.000-07:002010-09-25T12:03:09.922-07:00

Returned from cool Rochester, NY and spent a good seven hours hand watering my Wilmington, NC front and back yard gardens. We're still desperately low on rainfall; down 5 inches for September alone.Yet somehow, two autumn mums have managed to grow to mammoth size. I didn't get out the tape but they easily measure three feet across. I'll post a photo when they bloom. Already they're separating

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-37709504245655404042010-07-07T16:34:00.000-07:002010-07-07T16:54:08.984-07:00

I set up my worm box last April and harvested a hearty amount of worm compost at the end of June. Here's how to do it:1. Tear up strips of old newspaper and cardboard. You'll need a lot. Enough to fill your worm box 2/3 full.2. Soak the torn paper in a tub of water. Wring out very, very well. Can't be soggy.3. Add dry leaves, clippings (I used pampas grass leaves and the sawdusty stuff from an

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-12722246878688539292010-07-07T16:06:00.000-07:002010-07-07T16:13:18.177-07:00

Whew! June was a sizzler and July is following suite. Thank the rain god (where are you?) I have three rain barrels!The Dragon Lily is starting to bloom. All other lilies have done their dash. Lovely but gone.I dismantled the two-tiered circle in the front yard and my husband carted the landscaping pavers to the back yard and built a patio. Don't know if we'll ever sit there, but it sure looks

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-970216572329892032010-06-05T09:50:00.000-07:002010-06-05T10:15:52.646-07:00

My favorite grass, officially known as Mexican Feathergrass but casually called Pony Tail grass, is spectacular this month. See the photo of it blowin' in the wind. I love how the plants mimic rambunctious horses tossing their palomino manes. I trimmed the plants back in February and the new growth is frisky.I finally took down the two-tiered circle in the front yard (relic from previous owner),

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-56733484381141848942010-04-15T12:25:00.000-07:002010-04-15T12:35:17.680-07:00

I am lovin' spring 2010! Temps are pleasant, maybe a little on the cool side, but this means the lovely ornamental trees and shrubs will entertain us with stunning color a bit longer than if we were baking in 85-degree heat.The Lady Banks rose is absolutely glorious. I've taken several photos from different angles, but can't capture its beauty. The pink azalea is brightening up one stretch of the

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-83148098908849703312010-04-06T06:00:00.000-07:002010-04-06T06:12:55.626-07:00

The Red Bud tree I planted two years ago has finally shown its color. The photo at right was taken a couple days before it really popped. I love this early spring garden, bare as it appears, because the creeping phlox is hot pink and contrasts so nicely with the tender, spring green of the daylily leaves and pony tail grasses.The Lady Banks rose on the arbor is just beginning to flower and should

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-65471680700004439782010-03-27T08:06:00.000-07:002010-03-27T08:12:42.384-07:00

Ordered 1,000 worms from earlybirdworms.com. My 2x4-foot worm box has been readied--marine varnish on the inside; primer and dark green exterior paint on the outside.When the South Carolina red worms arrive I'll soak newspaper strips in water, squeeze out the excess, place them in the box and be ready to go.We eat a lot of fresh fruit and vegetables in our house, so the worms will not go hungry.

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-7818926139945230232010-03-27T07:43:00.000-07:002010-03-27T08:05:03.242-07:00

I hit the Master Gardeners' Sale at the arboretum Thursday morning and walked away with pink, red, purple and white pentas, zinnias, cardinal flower, Mexican petunia, creeping zinnia and a gorgeous varigated lavender/purple dahlia.I put everything but the pentas in the ground and weeded (ugh) the butterfly garden. On a tip from friend Marcia, I loaded up the van with 20 bags of 99-cent per bag

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-52691663764713221772010-03-11T10:50:00.000-08:002010-03-11T11:00:19.148-08:00

With several days of warmer temps, the camellias on the west side of my house are finally achieving their annual glory. I was getting worried.Camellias are natives to Asia and were brought to Europe by a Jesuit missionary named G. J. Camellus. I call them trees, but they're actually shrubs with glossy evergreen leaves and white, pink, red, or variegated roselike flowers.All the camellia in my

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-66159214744312561822010-02-24T07:23:00.000-08:002010-02-24T07:33:08.118-08:00

I returned yesterday from six days up north: Pittsburgh, where streets narrowed by six-foot-high piles of snow made it difficult to pass and find parking spaces. Everyone up there is eager for spring, but not a hint of it is in sight.In contrast, my Bradford Pear here in Wilmington looks ready to POP its leaves. Daffodils are six-inches tall and sporting buds. Daylily leaves are looking greener

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-87264059708713889602010-01-24T10:38:00.000-08:002010-01-24T10:56:05.827-08:00

Here it is the last week in January and I'm lucky enough to be living in a region where daffodils are poking through the ground. Nowhere else have I lived where I was this lucky.Yes, some daffys are just poking, while others are three inches tall. I'm pleasantly surprised to see the hydrangeas with leaf buds ready to pop. This will be the first season for Lemon Daddy. I can't wait for its

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-60934265757607942062010-01-17T12:04:00.000-08:002010-01-17T12:16:15.040-08:00

After a heavy night rain, the sun came out shining. With temps in the high '60s, how could I not go out into my garden?Basically, it was clean-up time but I did revel at the sight of buds on hydrangeas and azaleas. The camellias, I'm afraid, have been stunted by below freezing night temperatures and daytime lows in the 30s. Just not good blooming weather. Only a few flowers are open and the buds,

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-83823739524278996052010-01-06T12:40:00.000-08:002010-01-06T12:48:13.366-08:00

I have six large camellias in my yard. While other varieties have been blooming since December, mine are just starting. Two are outside the family room windows, so when they're loaded with red flowers the sight is stunning.However, these two are not the biggest bloomers. That title goes to the trees/bushes on the west side of the house which in preview years have been covered solid with flowers.

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-38127043847092073432009-12-05T09:51:00.000-08:002009-12-05T09:57:54.719-08:00

Out went the bedraggled petunias and in came purple and white pansies to the porch windowboxes. They look like Christmas ornaments. Keeping in the holiday theme, the Bradford Pear is a spectacular combination of deep red and green. I love this tree!Everything's getting a good autumn (yes, it's still autumn) drink with all the rain that's fallen and will continue to fall. The retention ponds (and

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-4766367388526528182009-12-03T07:36:00.000-08:002009-12-03T07:43:44.142-08:00

The dollar weed is unrelenting. And the three inches of rain last night are an unexpected December boost. I dug out the Roundup and made the rounds, zapping those nasty round dollars and the centipede weed--or grass--or whatever it is.Back yard is solid Bradford Pear leaves and pine needles. Good mulch!Ah, here it is, December 3, and a great day to walk on the beach!

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-69885102277201543172009-12-01T09:48:00.000-08:002009-12-01T09:56:54.199-08:00

The pink and purple petunias that flowed from windowboxes on my front porch have called it quits. Lasting till Dec. 1--not bad at all. But it's time to clean out the boxes and plant some pansies--or tiny evergreens if I can find them. Or both!Purple sage is still blooming in the front yard. Three plants with tall spikes. The ice plant still offers a few spikey flowers and one valiant Gaillardia

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-63307700399708844562009-11-03T11:52:00.000-08:002009-11-03T12:03:11.374-08:00

Spent several hours this morning cleaning up my backyard garden. Glorious golden autumn sunshine kept me warm and cheerful.I was sitting in the sunroom admiring my space and saw a bird with a blue back fly to the fence. It had a rosy breast and I hoped it was a bluebird. Since I've never, ever seen one in my entire life, I was thrilled.A few seconds later, a smaller bird joined him on the fence

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-71116394721053892772009-10-28T06:40:00.000-07:002009-10-28T06:46:27.778-07:00

Yesterday I transplanted nine daylilies from the two-tiered circle in the front yard to the garden under the redbud tree. I love the colors: deep pumpkin, yellows, maroons. I'm not an orange flower person, but the pumpkin shades are so rich I enjoy them.Then the rains came last night and soaked those plants good! Just what they need.The weeds have calmed down with cooler temps, but the dollar

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-48550095146066356962009-09-16T06:21:00.000-07:002009-09-16T06:33:44.089-07:00

In August, I saw three river birch in my cousin's back yard and was intrigued by their shaggy bark. I know it won't give a tremendous amount of shade, which I desperately need on the west side of my house, but the tree is too lovely to ban from my backyard. So I added one lovely river birch, easily viewed from the sunroom, near the Seiryu Japanese maple. So pretty.

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-53229266691561988642009-07-28T08:58:00.000-07:002009-07-28T09:02:45.987-07:00

I read in Southern Living recently that if I clip the spent flowers off a Chaste tree it might encourage a second blooming. So, out I went and clip, clip the old faded blue spires were gone, into the compost pile.Well, here we are, only a couple weeks later, and my dear Chaste trees are once again boasting beautiful blooms, nearly as many as the first showing. A treat to have such color at the

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-84829856117528369642009-07-19T12:27:00.000-07:002009-07-19T12:40:16.710-07:00

Who knew Dusty Miller could be such a knock-out plant? It over-winters here in Wilmington, at least in my garden. And it flowers! Tight, round yellow flower heads that last a long time--months!I planted three Dusty Millers behind some red carnations and WOW! What a combination! Red and silver. Very nice. I planted some around a clematis because I know the latter likes cool roots and WOW! DM took

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-532451828759311072009-07-07T05:33:00.000-07:002009-07-07T05:39:44.634-07:00

Six and a half inches of blessed wetness fell last night and it's cloudy again today. I hope it stays cloudy and even if more rain doesn't fall our trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals will have a chance to recover from the parching heat and blasting wind that has punished my gardens for several weeks.Everything is standing up straight and tall, their roots stimulated by the cool, soaking

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-1859961501654246722009-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:002009-07-01T07:04:30.623-07:00

I fed Lady Banks a super-duper rose fertilizer in March and June and she's growing in all directions. Have had to cut side shoots off to keep her growing tall and over the arbor, but I can hardly keep up with her. If only Lady Banks bloomed all season, she'd be the perfect rose. So far she's evergreen and thornless (how remarkable is that!) and her yellow blooms are springtime lovely. Now, will

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-7336475540589335492009-06-28T11:42:00.000-07:002009-06-28T11:56:02.048-07:00

Spent four hours in the backyard edging flower beds. Hard work, but of course they look terrific! The Little Lamb hydrangea has a bouncing white spire at the tip of nearly every branch. Last summer the plant was younger and smaller and had six huge cones weighing down the branches. This year the blooms are more in tune with the catalog description: diminutive, i.e., bouncing little lambs.

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-45168213610606799202009-06-23T06:00:00.000-07:002009-06-23T06:10:43.078-07:00

Each time I drive around the corner to my house, the Chaste tree in my front yard knocks me out. Long, blue flowers covering the tree have been blooming since early June and when the sun shines on them they light up the yard.I have two specimens. One was labeled a Chaste tree, the other a Texas lilac, when I bought them at different nurseries. I've since learned they're the same plant. One was

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-77234230426335616672009-05-21T05:34:00.000-07:002009-05-21T05:42:36.801-07:00

My friend Arlene paid me the nicest compliment yesterday. "You've made an English cottage garden," she said, walking down the stone path through my front yard past yellow daylilies, purple sage, Spanish lavender, and exquisite Praire Sun black-eyed susans. Her pleasure made memories of the back-breaking work of the past two springs fade.I'm having luck with tomatoes this year, finally. Bigger Boy

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-64465933112518425702009-04-30T07:29:00.000-07:002009-04-30T07:33:09.805-07:00

Hi, there,Thanks for taking the time to share your wisdom about gardening along the Carolina coast. I'm especially interested in advice on growing tomatoes and other vegetables. My veggie garden is pitiful at this point. I know we have at least one master coastal gardener in the group who can guide us along. Others have been living and gardening in the south a long time and have the advantage of

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-30754147743383215572009-04-28T08:58:00.000-07:002009-04-28T10:40:48.929-07:00

My quest to eliminate turf in my front yard took a major leap this spring with two large areas moving over to Angelina sedum, purple heart, ponytail grass, sweet broom, orange coneflowers, a Chaste tree, oleander and Texas lilac. And of course mulch.But the big news is the enjoyable and enlightening tour of Raleigh-area gardens a friend and I took last weekend with Carolina Gardener magazine,

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-88705911071948826382009-01-04T10:36:00.000-08:002009-01-04T11:05:53.978-08:00

Now that I've cleared away the Christmas clutter, the unfinished front yard beckons. Bright green weeds and dead gray grass scream for attention. Since I bought a pick ax last fall, received a garden scooter from my kids for Christmas, and enlisted my husband's help for the heavy hacking, and since winter insists on being mercifully mild, there's no excuse not to finish the job.After I tame the

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-55023960786743304722008-10-05T11:39:00.000-07:002008-10-05T12:11:13.167-07:00

A co-worker up north told me years ago that whenever a patch of grass died in her lawn, she planted creeping thyme in its place. So, having a patchwork quilt-like front lawn, I’ve turned a tiny section into a creeping thyme test site, planting a handful of varieties. Four have survived the summer heat (my front yard gets full sun all day long). Even one, tough spreader that makes it through the

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-5844777001899779392008-10-02T08:44:00.000-07:002008-10-02T09:10:25.560-07:00

As I said, the whole xeriscape idea intrigues me.The term is a registered trademark of the Denver, Col., water company so words like water-conserving landscapes, drought-tolerant landscaping, smart scaping and zeroscaping are used sometimes instead.But you get the message: “xeris” is Greek for “dry.”If we can’t water our lawns and gardens due to prolonged drought, than xeriscaping—or landscaping

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3724278142264968763.post-46968811348941575742008-10-01T10:34:00.000-07:002008-10-01T11:03:10.795-07:00

Being brand new to coastal gardening (I moved to Wilmington, NC in September 2006 and immediately began digging out diseased pittosporum), I’m hoping to discover the secrets new friends and neighbors have learned to outsmart inhospitable soil and meager rainfall. Well, rainfall has been generous this summer compared to the drought of 2007. Above normal and it shows in healthy, longer-blooming

Georgia Ann Mullenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08836473877693789664noreply@blogger.com0