Here's what went in the Baker's gardens: 2022

 

This photo was taken at the height of summer: There is the hibiscus tree, center rear,
orange lantana in front, marigolds and the like.

    I love to garden and to nurture plants (hence, this blog). Today's effort includes a list of what was purchased  and planted in 2022.

    We finish putting the 13 or so gardens to bed this week. It's a fall ritual but I do better when the annuals are very dead, and more easily removed from the ground. 

    This spell of warmish October weather has been a Godsend.

    By the way, I continue to pull weeds as I see them, but I kind of doubt this practice makes fewer weeds in the springtime. Just saying! There seem to be plenty of weeds at all times of the growing season.

    I also pull weeds with a purpose, and that means I'm on the third self-weeder of the season. Yep, weeders #1 and #2 cracked under pressure as I went after weed roots under the many cobblestones that surround each garden.

    I'm trying to plant more perennials so I will lead the lists with those. I accidentally pulled out a new perennial (lantana) and sent it to the landfill -- mistakes happen!

    Perennials:

    Bee Balm, "Gardenview Scarlet," Leaching Lady orchid, Coneflowers: "PowWow Wild Berry," Sedum, "Plum Dazzled," Blanket Flower, or Galliardia, "Goblin," (two of these plants went into a garden clear at the back of our yard. I'm hoping they spread out nicely.) Lantana, "Blooming Orange." (This is the one that I pulled out accidentally.) Cardinal flower, "Fan Burgundy." (Cardinal flower was a new favorite; it behaved very nicely and was located next to a butterfly house.) Lavendar (which died, unfortunately), and finally: Bellflower, "Rapido Blue."

    Annuals:

    I love tropical flowers, such as hibiscus. I bought a hibiscus tree for the first time in in years and enjoyed every day that it bloomed. Sadly, the darn Japanese Beetles loved to eat it!

    The Hibiscus tree was "Tropical Breeze;" and next to it was a cute yellow sunflower that was about 12 inches high; Salmon-colored Impatiens under the weeping mulberry tree; Begonias, "Portofino Hot Orange" and "Senator IQ Mix;" Carex, an annual grass, "Everillo;" Kalanchoe in various colors; Licorice Plant, "Icicles;" (two of these plants were purchased at a fantastic garden center in Kalona, Iowa); Salvia, "Red Hot Sally;" two Polka-Dot plants, Calibrachoa, "Bumble Bee Orange" and "Superbells Blue;" Gerbera Daisy, "Jaquar Mix;" Diplandenia, "Rio Red" (I buy these at Home Depot; I over-wintered one and it came back this summer, blooming again!); SunPatiens, "Compact Electric Orange;" Vinca, "Titan Really Red;" green spikes and sweet-potato vines for the pots; Petunia, "Phantom" and "Caramel Yellow," Fuchsia, "Gartenmeister;" Geranium, "Black Beauty;" African Marigolds in "Marvel Yellow;" these were paired with Gazania, "Daybreak Mix."

    It was a good mix of plants. Now indoors: A mum, begonia, one of the pots with a Gerbera daisy, a spider plant and a succulent, the enormous Christmas cactus and porch plants -- a huge schefflera, tall snake (sansevieria) plant and yucca tree.

    To 2023, and beyond!

One of the perennial gardens -- with daylilies, hostas and 
Black-eyed Susans, or rudbeckia. There was 
also a couple of milkweeds in the mix.


    

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