I wish My garden were pretty enough to photograph! I have something growing in a pot (day lily I think) but it has yet to flower. One of my peonies just started sprouting in my other pot so hopefully it will continue to grow and then flower. My ivy is the only thing growing in my actual garden. I am kind of a brown thumb.

Originally Posted by tesi

thought it might be a great place to share photos of our gardens! today's photo of black-eyed susans and purple coneflowers

OH wow, thanks for starting this thread! Did you plant those BES from seeds? I am wanting to start some to attract bees to the garden, bees are really stressed where I live.

Originally Posted by tesi

a personal favorite.....blue hydrangeas. this photo was taken a couple weeks ago.

OMG, this brings back memories! Lovely!

GREAT THREAD!!!

This is lovely!

Originally Posted by Valentin

Love the photos, OP! The hydrangeas are my favorite. My neighbors used to have purple and blue hydrangea bushes and whenever they were in full bloom, I was very tempted to go pluck some flowers ... Fortunately, I remembered the manners my mama taught me. Anyway, thus sprung my love for hydrangeas.

I love the associations with flowers. Hydrangeas and calla lilies will always remind me of my childhood home.

Originally Posted by frick&frack

I'm going to love this thread!!! my beloved beauty berry (native plant that the mocking birds LOVE) http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/s...-berries-4.jpg flower stage of the beauty berry http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/s...uty-berry2.jpg

OK, what is this? i have never heard of it. the color takes my breath away. I love it. I want this in my garden. Where do I have to move to be able to grow this...wait...if I can grow lantana that means I can grow this, right??
Wow. I have a serious case of lust right now! This is stunning!

Originally Posted by frick&frack

here's some of my lantana blooming [IMG]http://i568.photobucket.com/albums/ss124/leahedew/house-garden/lantana-may-2011.jpg [/IMG]

I love lantana. I will post a pic of mine!

OMG.

*dead*


I planted some gorgeous bulbs and then I lost them...they got completely overgrown, i need to hike down and find them and maybe I can dig them up??

These are gorgeous! I love seeing everyones gardens!

Originally Posted by pursecrzy

And more daylillies- I don't collect just handbags! LOL!

Originally Posted by pursecrzy

Um, some more daylillies........

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

OMG. *dead* I planted some gorgeous bulbs and then I lost them...they got completely overgrown, i need to hike down and find them and maybe I can dig them up?? These are gorgeous! I love seeing everyones gardens!

Thanks CB!

A local place hybridizes them. They breed for bud count and strong scapes. The flowers are 5-6". I love going to their open house when you can see fields of them in bloom.

cobalt... the bes started as tiny plants a few years ago, they are perennials and have "colonized" in other areas so i have some messy english gardens just across from the bes patch!
for bees i would recommend purple loosestrife also- they adore it and it is easy-care. however it is invasive.....
night flowering yasmine would do well in warmer climates-also makes bees happy and the smell is divine.

Originally Posted by pursecrzy

Thanks CB! A local place hybridizes them. They breed for bud count and strong scapes. The flowers are 5-6". I love going to their open house when you can see fields of them in bloom.

We have a place here too...i could go nuts picking out bulbs, but never let myself because I felt it pushing the addiction button I picked out 8 bulbs at a plant exchange and though I would be able to keep Nature from overtaking them. I keep meaning to go find them, but you have totally inspired me to put on my big girl garden pants and give it a try!

Originally Posted by tesi

cobalt... the bes started as tiny plants a few years ago, they are perennials and have "colonized" in other areas so i have some messy english gardens just across from the bes patch! for bees i would recommend purple loosestrife also- they adore it and it is easy-care. however it is invasive..... night flowering yasmine would do well in warmer climates-also makes bees happy and the smell is divine.

I have to google loosestrife, that sounds interesting.

my last home was all tropicals, it was like a botanic garden. but I want something different at my new place. I am really focusing on vegetables and herbs and then adding flowering plants as I go, but staying pretty clear of tropicals for now. I have cosmos and BES that I want to start in my pots when I get the next batch of seedlings in the ground.

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

We have a place here too...i could go nuts picking out bulbs, but never let myself because I felt it pushing the addiction button I picked out 8 bulbs at a plant exchange and though I would be able to keep Nature from overtaking them. I keep meaning to go find them, but you have totally inspired me to put on my big girl garden pants and give it a try!

You should see me in January when the catalogue arrives! I could easily spend $$$$. Nothing like snow and ice to make you lust after pretty flowers.

Originally Posted by pursecrzy

You should see me in January when the catalogue arrives! I could easily spend $$$$. Nothing like snow and ice to make you lust after pretty flowers.

I totally understand...

I love everyone's pictures.....F&F, your beauty berry is gorgeous! Such a vibrant color. As a fellow S. Floridian, I've tried many beautiful plants that just don't survive here. These are two of my "staples", and they are so colorful. You can't kill Bougainvillaea, or Plumbago, no matter how much you cut them back, or neglect them.

Originally Posted by pursecrzy

You should see me in January when the catalogue arrives! I could easily spend $$$$. Nothing like snow and ice to make you lust after pretty flowers.

You just reminded me of one of my FAVORITE things as a kid - crocuses poking out through the snow

Jeneen, I love that picture...didn't it used to be your Avatar?

Originally Posted by buzzytoes

I wish My garden were pretty enough to photograph! I have something growing in a pot (day lily I think) but it has yet to flower. One of my peonies just started sprouting in my other pot so hopefully it will continue to grow and then flower. My ivy is the only thing growing in my actual garden. I am kind of a brown thumb.

^keep trying (or in my case, I had to stop trying...overwatered when I was first learning ). have you tried adding the time release fertilizer & those water holding things to your soil? they might help your pots to make it. miracle grow makes what I'm talking about: http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1...atalogId=10053

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

OH wow, thanks for starting this thread! Did you plant those BES from seeds? I am wanting to start some to attract bees to the garden, bees are really stressed where I live. OK, what is this? i have never heard of it. the color takes my breath away. I love it. I want this in my garden. Where do I have to move to be able to grow this...wait...if I can grow lantana that means I can grow this, right?? Wow. I have a serious case of lust right now! This is stunning! I love lantana. I will post a pic of mine!

^I'm not sure if you live in the US, but you can contact your local extension office to give you advice about plants that will attract bees in your area. http://www.csrees.usda.gov/Extension/

I'm not sure what zone you live in, so here's info about the beauty berry bush. I hope you can grow it in your area. not only do the mocking birds love it, but it's beautiful in flower arrangements (I remove the leaves so that it's just the branches & berries)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beautyberry
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/res...id_plant=CAAM2

can't wait to see your lantana. I have 2 varieties...the "original" one that's pictured (yellow, orange, pink) & another one that's only pinks.

Originally Posted by CobaltBlu

I have to google loosestrife, that sounds interesting. my last home was all tropicals, it was like a botanic garden. but I want something different at my new place. I am really focusing on vegetables and herbs and then adding flowering plants as I go, but staying pretty clear of tropicals for now. I have cosmos and BES that I want to start in my pots when I get the next batch of seedlings in the ground.

^I love cosmos! I used to grow it from seed when I lived in NC. the sweetest flower & looks great wild & en masse. loosestrife is also a beauty with flowers near the color of beauty berries.

Originally Posted by tillie46

I love everyone's pictures.....F&F, your beauty berry is gorgeous! Such a vibrant color. As a fellow S. Floridian, I've tried many beautiful plants that just don't survive here. These are two of my "staples", and they are so colorful. You can't kill Bougainvillaea, or Plumbago, no matter how much you cut them back, or neglect them.

^I LOVE YOUR GARDEN (as you well know), & so happy to see you in here. I wish I had a bougainvillea arbor like yours...it's spectacular! I love my plumbago too...especially since blues are so rare in the garden. I'll have to take a pic of mine.

Originally Posted by Jeneen

You just reminded me of one of my FAVORITE things as a kid - crocuses poking out through the snow

^so beautiful!!! I remember pansies coming out of the snow when I lived in VA too.

I took this picture last night because I am convinced I am growing the world's biggest weed. I had peonies, day lilies, and one other plant that I put in these pots. I could have sworn I kept the peonies together and planted the day lilies and the third plant in the other pot. I also could have sworn this was the pot with the day lilies in it. It's a 12" pot so it's good size and the plant is beautiful and green, there just isn't a flower anywhere to be seen!

Originally Posted by buzzytoes

I took this picture last night because I am convinced I am growing the world's biggest weed. I had peonies, day lilies, and one other plant that I put in these pots. I could have sworn I kept the peonies together and planted the day lilies and the third plant in the other pot. I also could have sworn this was the pot with the day lilies in it. It's a 12" pot so it's good size and the plant is beautiful and green, there just isn't a flower anywhere to be seen!

lol!!! I'm not sure what that plant is, but it's definitely not day lilies.

but I have a question: is that a glazed pot (shiny finish)? if so, that might be part of your brown thumb problem. I kill plants in glazed pots because I tend to overwater them (that's why I had to take less care of my pots). water can't seep out of a clay pot, so it sits in there longer (which can cause the plant to rot).