The Thundercloud plum is starting to bloom. Maybe I'll get fruit this year?
The knockouts are really putting out some new growth. I have 5 pink and one yellow.
A salvia started from seed last year is coming back. One out of an entire direct sown pack germinated and thrived. I've done much better this year with wintersowing.
The plants in the hoophouse are doing great on their first day back in the elements. The petunias are about to break loose.
My sad looking potager where I'll plant squash, watermelons, and some beans. Next year it will be better. That's the plan.
The red dogwood in the front yard is budding. Another 2 weeks and it should be in full bloom if last year was any indication.
And finally, for my Northern friends who are still suffering through the cold...
It's not mine. That azalea is across the street. Mine are just starting to put out buds. Only the red ones look like they will bloom this year. I really hope they grow a lot this summer. I want to see that whole bed just packed with azalea blooms in a couple more years.
Now I have to spend a few hours working on the new project.
7 comments:
Wait a minute- Does a thundercloud plum have fruit? I have never seen a single thing other than blooms on mine. I truly thought it was decorative only. Way to go, Heather. Sometimes I swear I have mind "issues".
-Heather
Wow! Those are big, fat buds! Thanks for the azaleas. The weather guys here in Michigan are talking snow for the 8 day forcast.
Your property is going to be beautiful!
None of the azaleas the former owners of my house planted have ever bloomed. I don't know what went wrong! Azaleas thrive all over town! I'll get around to replacing them eventually, but every year I hope for blooms in vain! LOL
Heather, I have read both. Some sites say you should have 1" fruit if pollinated. Others say they do not fruit. In either case, I am growing it for the purple foliage and light pink blossoms. When I bought it, I assumed it was only ornamental. We shall see.
http://hort.ufl.edu/trees/PRUCERC.pdf
I'm sorry Jill. I can't imagine what that must be like. Some of the GardenWeb people have said looking at my posts is pure torture. ;)
Ginger, you might want to try an azalea fertilizer this year. And maybe even a bloom booster in the fall. The buds set in late fall and cold can damage them. I've got plenty that won't bloom this year thanks to 8 degree temperatures.
Also, try a severe pruning. Cut them to about 6" above the ground and let them regrow.
Ok Heather, I just read that in the PNW or wherever spring is wet, the flowers are usually destroyed by fungus. Even though they may look fine, they will not produce fruit. So that may be the case for you in your area. In the south, this tree should reach about 25' and produce fruit in its third year. I planted it last year. It was 12' tall. I pruned it back this winter to make it a fuller specimen and provide a little shade for the perennial bed. There are plenty of areas that will receive full sun on the street side.
Oh, I absolutely love the color on that azalea! I, too, have some vinca/myrtle/periwinkle in bloom! :-P
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