Ginger and begonias.

Yesterday, at the store, we culled the last of the summer annuals for clearance. I was able to pick up 16 quart sized begonias. I pulled the impatiens and plopped the nursery pots into the window boxes. I don't know why this hasn't occurred to me before. It's so much easier than trying to transplant into the small plastic shoeboxes I was using previously.



Two years ago, I found some stray ginger lilies blooming in an abandoned lot here in town. I confiscated a few bulbs late that summer. I wasn't sure they would survive the move as they were blooming at the time. Planted along the back of the house, they didn't receive enough sun to bloom last summer. This past spring, as they started to emerge, I moved them to the perennial bed. One clump is finally blooming. The fragrance is intoxicating.



Yesterday, the Realtor stopped by to measure the house inside and out. She was heading back to the office around 5pm to finalize the listing. Just before 7, she called to schedule an appointment for a showing today. I didn't sleep well. I'm not sure what I'll do if the house sells this soon. I had planned on 6-8 months of spotless living where everything is in place. But it would be awesome to have an offer within a couple days of listing the house. The sign hasn't even been installed in the yard yet. The lockbox was placed on Thursday when the team of Realtors came for a visit.



This morning, it's 66 degrees. It doesn't feel cool outside. The humidity is near the 80% range. Hot and sunny again today. No rain in sight for the rest of the month. I'm continuing to drag the hose, watering only when absolutely necessary.

Potpourri

In the perennial bed, there are two plants blooming that have similar blooms. One's a weed.





Hyacinths. This photo was taken this morning though I noticed them a couple days ago. We haven't even had a frost yet.



I'm still considering potting these begonias to bring in for the winter.



I did pot the last castor bean, the only really dark purple one I got out of the bunch. I also gave the Boston fern a haircut. It'll come into the basement in a couple days.



The castor bean has new growth, so I removed all the large leaves hoping to relieve some of the stress of being yanked from the ground.



Osmanthus fragrans is blooming all over the yard. They really put on quite the olfactory show after it rains.



I have to admit, I told a lie. I thought I had lost all my ginkgo seedlings. Apparently, several seeds germinated over the summer under one of the hostas I planted at the end of the driveway. I've marked them with a stake so I can keep an eye on them next spring.



It's a beautiful day with clear skies and leaves still falling from the oaks in the backyard. It's 55 degrees. The high today should reach the mid 60s.

My plans have been doused.

It rained yesterday. We were supposed to get some scattered thunderstorms in the evening, but it rained. And then it rained some more. Last night, just as I was settling into bed for an hour of tv, it rained again. And again. And again. Needless to say, the leaf mulch and the garden bed is way too wet for tilling today.

I have to work today, but I have a couple hours to get a few things done. First, I want to clean up the mess I left in the driveway. I need to do something with the hoophouse in the basement. I'd like to plant out my wintersown petunias along the edge of the perennial bed. That depends on whether or not the soil is too wet there. A little hole, a spoon sized scoop of seedlings, and some tamping down is all I need to do. Maybe they'll appreciate the extra moisture.

One thing is for sure. My body is not appreciating all this work and gardening today. The only spot that doesn't hurt is the tip of my index finger and the lobe of my left ear. Every other part of my body just aches. Once I get moving, I'll be fine. If I get moving is a better way of putting it. For now, there's a cup of coffee that needs some attention.

It's sunny and 55 degrees. High today will be in the mid 70s again.

10:48am - 61 degrees and sunny. Got some more things done today before work.

Planted 12 begonias, a white brugmansia, a rooted gardenia cutting, and a rooted osmanthus fragrans cutting (the only one to survive the winter) under the dining room window.



18 Carolina Cherry Laurels were transplanted into cups.



20 Cornus florida (flowering dogwood) seedlings were transplanted into cups. Each cup contains 2-3 seedlings.



Potted the two passionvines with a trellis.



Overwintered cutting of a red mandevilla is in a cheap hanging basket by the basement door.



Planted three more white brugs in the back beds.





And I noticed my tomatoes have bloom buds.



I also planted out a pan of mixed zinnias, petunias, rock soapwort, and a few others. Off to work in a bit. Long day. Tomorrow I will spend the day at my parents'.