BBs Blog

I am very excited to see some of the iris and perennial lilies are coming up, and have a very good attitude about growing. Seeing at least some of the many bulbs I planted coming to life makes me hopeful the others soon will. I also have some daffodils I bought at Lowe’s that were marked down for clearance, and already sprouting thick stalks. Though they are getting a very late start, and probably won’t bloom this year, they are so grateful for a chance to grow, they are happily growing around the small frog fountain in the north garden.

All but two of my balloon flowers are happily growing as well. Balloon flowers are easy care, bug resistant, drought tolerant perennials that produce balloon shaped bulbs that open into beautiful pink, white and blue star-shaped flowers. If squeezed, the bulbs make a popping sound similar to bubble wrap. I planted 3 of the nine bare root balloon flower plants near the chair I sit in when I am relaxing in the north garden. So far, only one is in grow mode. I am continuing to water the other two, but have also explained to them if they don’t come up this year, next year they will be replaced by a couple more of their kind with a better attitude.

Although I do sometimes talk to my plants to try and encourage them to grow, as you may have noticed, it’s a tough love type of conversation. I reward the plants that are doing well with praise, and tell them how good they are looking. The ones that aren’t looking so good, get firmly told that if they don’t straighten up, they can be replaced with something that will grow. And when a plant does that, “Well I think I just might die” routine with me, it gets a 3 day grace period to change it’s mind, or it most surely does die when I yank it up, toss it over the fence, and replace it with a bulb, seed, or other plant that really wants to live. I realize that sounds rather harsh, but west Texas is a harsh place that only plants with a strong will to survive make it in. And at my age, I haven’t got time to waste on plants with hothouse suicidal tendencies.

I’ve noticed once they come up, most seedlings have that kind of, “Yeah! I’m going to make it!” attitude I like in a man, and a plant. All but a couple of my nasturtium seedlings are looking good. The couple that aren’t, will get yanked up very soon if they don’t get a better attitude about growing in my garden. All my morning glories really have the right attitude! Those babies are growing just like, you guessed it, weeds. I also have some basil and parsley coming up as well that have the right attitude about surviving in my garden. Although I seem to have a black thumb when it comes to those six pack plants, I am finding my thumb is a little greener when it comes to getting seeds to germinate.

Protecting young seedlings from from the many things that want to eat them can be next to impossible at times. I am experimenting with planting my seeds in thick round clusters now instead of carefully spaced rows. I am hoping this sort of “circling the wagons” approach might result in at least one or two seedling in each cluster surviving long enough to become a healthy plant. Although I was devastated to see something had destroyed all but one seedling in my first cluster trial, I am hoping that lone survivor will continue to make it, and one day become a beautiful plant.