Tuesday, February 23, 2010

I've Got Spring Fever

Petrea Vine in Greenhouse

Oh how I long for real Spring to arrive here in Houston!  The weather keeps teasing us with warm sunny days, and yet snow is in the forecast for tonight.  I keep walking the greenhouses here at work, my mind just spinning with combinations I want to plant in my flower beds.  Even though March 1st is considered Houston's average last frost date, I think we'll see colder temps into the middle of March.  I'm finding it hard to follow my own advice, and not mess with anything in the yard until then.  I'm anxious to see what has really survived this  winter, and what has bit the dust forever.  I can't wait to sink my hands into some soil, plant my seedlings I started this January, and await the arrival of the first butterflies dancing in the sunshine.  I officially have Spring fever!


Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Amazon Dianthus

I am head over heels in LOVE with this plant!  This is one of those plants that needs to be planted in the fall to get a spring bloom here in Houston.  The plant stays green all winter, and slowly works on its root system and puts off flower buds in early January.  In February and March they all start to open up into large heads of flowers that are show stopping gorgeous!  There are three colors offered this spring: Neon Purple, Neon Cherry, and Rose Magic.  Neon Purple and Cherry are often planted together as a mix called Amazon Neon Duo Dianthus (it may be a mouthful, but the combo is GORGEOUS together!)

Neon Purple

Neon Cherry

Rose Magic

The individual plants work great in a container planting, but my favorite displays are planted in mass where the color blankets a bed.  Amazon Dianthus are considered annuals for us in Houston, but with reseeding, they can act like perennials.  They reach 12-18 inches tall and work very well planted in the back of a bed with pansies in front of them for a border.  Plant these gems in a well drained, full sun area and they will not let you down!  As the season progresses, dead heading the spent flowers will encourage even more blooms to open.

These blooms are just starting to open up here at the nursery in our semi-controlled greenhouse environment.  I haven't seen them opening yet around town, but when they do you can be sure you'll see this plant again in my pictures.  These plants made my day!  How 'bout yours?

Monday, February 1, 2010

Currently In February


Current Book(s): Let's see, I finished all 9 of the Sookie Stackhouse series in January...I'm hooked!  Great series and I highly recommend them!  Then I finished the Immortals series.  Great 1st book...second and third, not so much (at least not when targeted for a young adult audience.)  Now I've started reading the Merry Gentry series by Laurell K. Hamilton.  I picked this book up over a year ago and only got 2 or 3 chapters in before picking something else up (not because it was bad, but because something else came out that I really wanted to read first.)  Then I tried it on audio book this fall and got about 7 or 8 chapters in, and I've just never finished the thing which is so not like me...I always finish a book once I start it, even if it's bad.  I'm about half way through Kiss of Shadows now, and I'll continue the series from there for February's reading list.  Oh!  and the next Anita Blake series book, Flirt, comes out tomorrow!  (That will definitely interrupt the Merry series again!)  


Current Playlist: My hubby bought the Avatar soundtrack.  I love it as long as I'm in the mood for instrumental music.  
Current Shame-Inducing Guilty Pleasure: Reading...just can't seem to get my nose out of the pages!
Current Color:  Royal Purple

Current Drink:  Coke...completely failing at my goal of giving it up for breakfast!
Current Food: Napoli's Pizza: Stromboli is De-lish!
Current Favorite Show: I'm gonna go with a movie for this one and say Avatar.

Current Wishlist:  I'd really like a nook eReader!

Current Needs: Same as last month...For the weather to warm up so I can start Spring planting already!
Current Triumphs: I fixed the keyless entry to my suburban!  Yay!
Current Bane(s) of my Existence: Time...or lack thereof!
Current Celebrity Crush: Hmmm... My hubby and I have been watching True Blood, so I'll say Anna Paquin and Stephen Moyer.

Current Indulgence:  Little Debbies Valentine Cakes! mm,mm,mm!

Current #1 Blessing: Lots to be thankful for this month, but #1 is family!
Current Slang or Saying:  No slang this month, but saying goes something like this:  "Don't cut your plants back until March 1st, which is Houston's average last frost date."  "Yes, I know their ugly, but you'll do more harm than good by cutting them back now."  I must say this 50 times a day (or, at least it feels like it!)
Current Outfit: Winter gardener clothing: Brown fleece jacket, teal blue T-Shirt and jeans.
Current Excitement:  Two of my friends had their babies this weekend!

Grace Elaine arrived on Friday and she is just precious!  Congrats to Sarah, Andrew and Katie!


And Lexi Lee arrived last night!  Congrats to Bryan, Misti, Isaiah, and Samuel!



I can't wait to meet both of them in person!

Current Mood: Excited and Hopeful!

Current Link: sleeptalkinman.blogspot.com This couple was on TV earlier this week after a man's fiance started posting things that he said in his sleep.  Even though some of the quotes are foul mouthed, most of them are hilarious! 

Happy February!
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