Gardening!

Getting started!

This past weekend it was wonderful to spend time outdoors- working with plants. On one day the annual plants had been purchased, so the next day it was time to get started.  Potting soil, garden gloves, pots and stones for the bottom of the pots for drainage were found. 

A brightly colored hanging Geranium is a traditional Mother's Day gift for me.  Then, who can resist pairing yellow and orange Marigolds together in one pot?  I sure cannot.  They become my Orange Pineapple Marigolds! Lavendar/Pink flowers of the Geraniums also add so much color to an area. "Mosquito" plants also found their spots in our yard. The Zinnia seeds saved from last year's crop were sown. Click here for Directions for saving Zinnia Seeds.

It's the colorful month of May and it was good to get started!  There is more to be done this week!

Happy Gardening!
Enjoy!

August Flowers

Salmon Daylily

Our gardens have been bursting with so many different colors this summer.  Different perennials blossom at different times.  That was the plan!  We wanted to have rotations of flowers and colors.  The annuals add in color where needed and the plan worked!

Our Salmon Daylilies blossomed for 1 month!  Each blossom lasted for 1 day.  There was always another to pop open on the long stem.  This past Saturday the last flower opened!  It's amazing to view and appreciate a close up of the blossom!

Zinnias planted from previously saved seeds!

 

 

It has been a tradition with me from my childhood to save the Zinnia seeds from the current season's gorgeous flowers.  They are dried and then stored to plant the next spring!  Now, the flowers continue to surprise us each day with new buds opening.  There is a great sense of accomplishment when one views the colorful flowers that were grown from saved seeds!

Purple Phlox

 

 

 

This is another beautiful view- out of our kitchen window.  The small purple flowers form pretty clusters of blossoms on the stems.  More of the Phlox is opening!  It's great to view this perennial every year!

So, while I am preparing Freezer Jams and freezing fresh summer fruit, our gardens are adding beautiful colors to our yard!  Summer in New England is beautiful. 

The 4 seasons we have each year bring different scenes of beauty.  They are all appreciated!

Enjoy!

  

Colors in July

Salmon Daylilies
with Marigolds

For the past 2+ weeks our Salmon Daylilies have blossomed!  Suddenly, each morning there were 36+ blossoms to enjoy.  Every vibrant color of summer flowers are always a welcomed sight!  Some are perennials & a few others are annuals.  The Irises already blossomed, but the graceful green foliage add another shade of green to our lawn.   

Another View

A closer look-

Front Perennial Garden
with Marigolds

The saved Zinnia seeds were planted this spring.  Now, they are beginning to blossom.

Zinnias & Marigolds

Each week the view is a bit different, but always colorful & filled with flowers! 

Enjoy!

Saving Marigold Seeds

2nd Generation Marigolds
(File Photo)

Oh yes!  It's that time of year!  Time to save the Marigold Seeds!

All summer we've enjoyed our vibrant yellow & orange colored Marigolds.  They add a beautiful touch of color to our yard.  The plants with the orange flowers are 3rd generation from a single plant that my wonderful cute grandsons gave me for Mother's Day 2 years ago.  I have every intention of keeping that original plant family going for more years.  It's becoming a FuN tradition!  Saving the seeds to plant again next spring is my plan!  It is easy & does not take much time.

Saving Marigold Seeds

1. Look for the dried blossoms on the Marigold plants (in lower left photo above).
2. Break off the dried pods.
3. Place in an open envelope to continue drying.
4. After a month or so- when completely dry, separate all of the seeds from the pods.
5. Place seeds in another envelope.  Label/ date/ seal envelope.
6. Store until next year!

Marigold Seeds

This year I used a long planter on our deck for my "special crop"!  It's been a hot dry summer, but currently, these orange colorful flowers are overflowing the green planter.   

3rd Generation Marigolds- 2016

Looking forward to the 4th generation Marigolds!  I've started saving the seeds to Enjoy again!

Colors of August

Our Colorful Greeting in Our Front Yard

Those little Zinnia seeds that we planted from saved seeds this Spring have added brilliant colors to our yard this summer.  It's August & those colorful flowers along with the flowering Vinca keep blossoming!

Marigolds, Zinnias & Grasses

The bright Marigolds add a colorful border to the Zinnias in our side perennial garden.

It's definitely August!

Enjoy!

~A Saturday in June~

~Irises~

The annuals were planted last weekend.  Marigold seeds found their new homes in pots.  They have a history with me.  A beautiful potted Marigold on Mother's Day was gift from my little grandsons 2 years ago.  That sturdy plant provided seeds to save the first year.  They were planted last year & blossomed.  Seeds saved again.  It didn't take long for them & the Zinnia seeds to sprout! 

Today, just enjoying the perennial gardens while doing chores.

Enjoy!

Harvesting Marigold Seeds

Saving Marigold Seeds

A year ago in May, I received the cutest little plant!  My 2 adorable little grandsons gave me a potted Marigold for Mother's Day.  Into our front garden it went.  Yes, it was given special treatment- watered every day with our sprinkler system, fertilized and boy did it flourish!  Last Autumn I saved some of the seeds from my very special beautiful Marigold plant.  

This past Spring the seeds were planted in a pot.  Somehow, a few seeds also found a home with the Zinnia seeds in our side garden.  How did that ever happen???  Then, we had a lot of rain.  Oops, not good for germinating seed! Well, one plant did grow in the pot & 3 other Marigolds were lookin' good with the Zinnia plants.  A little transplanting to the pot was in order.  Guess what???

Early this Summer- Marigolds growing from saved seeds!

I've been enjoying my healthy Marigolds from the boys all summer.  My pot has been filled with beautiful bright orange flowers & green buds that will open!   Now, it's time to harvest some of the seeds, so a 3rd generation of Marigolds will grow & flower next summer.  I am so onto this!  Now, I've saved a few of the dried blossoms to harvest my seeds for next year's plants!  Inside the dried blossom pods are next year's crop!

Seeds located in dried blossom's pod

Harvesting the seeds is easy!  Remove the dried pod from the plant outdoors.  Then, separate the seeds inside the dried pod from the dried flower & pod.  I store the seeds in an envelope to continue drying.  See top photo.  A few weeks later, label & seal the envelope.  This is my treasure for next year's beautiful orange colored Marigolds in our yard!  

If you've been enjoying Marigolds all summer, save some of the seeds, too!  Next spring after all danger of frost has left your area, plant the seeds outside.  They can also be planted inside in containers in early Spring, if possible.

I have plans for next year's gardens!!!  It's so cool to grow plants from seed, especially when you've harvested the seeds from the previous year's flowers!

Do you save seeds from flowers in your garden to grow the following year?  

Enjoy!