June 29, 2010

Hibiscus Love

I have a confession.  I am mad about hibiscus.  They come in such beautiful colors and the blooms are just so magnificent.  I can imagine myself in a tropical island brimming with them.   Now that would be a dream come true!

I recently had a beautiful coral colored hibiscus that I got from a local nursery.    My daughter Lindsay’s friend Brandi works at a florist/nursery and I popped in to say hello one day.    While chit-chatting I noticed a lonely hibiscus looking withered and worn in a spot under the stairs.    Naturally I asked about it.  “Oh, it’s full of bugs.”  Brandi said.  “So you’re throwing it out?”, I asked.  “Yup.”, she said.  So it was MINE!

I took it home, set it out on my deck and gave it a work over.   I plucked off the dead leaves as well as some of the older ones.  Over the course of last summer the “ugly duckling” grew from about 2 feet tall to about 3 1/2 feet tall and produced lots of beautiful blooms.  Like this…

Hibiscus FLOWER

Then when the seasons began to change, I had to bring it inside to over winter it the best that I could.  I don’t have any sunny rooms in my house so I knew for sure that there would be no more blooms.    So all of it’s energy went to getting taller.

In March, Ms. Brandi popped in for a visit and spotted the ugly duckling.  Her jaw dropped.  “Is that the one from the shop?”, she asked.  Indeed it was.  Now about 4 1/2 feet tall – lush and green but bloom-less.  She offered to take it into the shop to put it in the greenhouse.  I thought it would be a great opportunity to kick-start the blooming season since the proper weather for tropicals in the northeast was at least 2 months away.  Apparently a lot of customers liked it too!  Last month while Brandi was off for the day, one of her co-workers sold it.  For……$65!  C’est la vie I guess.

So I have been hibiscus-less so far this year.  Until yesterday!   I was in my local super-market yesterday and I found this…

HIbiscus BEFORE A variegated hibiscus!  I didn’t know they existed!

Hibiscus 999
It wasn’t in the greatest shape but it was a “Manager’s Special” and for $9.99 who could resist!

HIbiscus tag A pink one at that!

Hibiscus CLOSE
So after some plucking and watering, I’ll leave it alone for a few days.  Don’t want to completely traumatize it!  Then repot.  And pluck again! 

Oh, and I got another one today.    It will be given the royal treatment tomorrow, weather permitting!

June 13, 2010

Roadtrips, Roomies and the Case of the Missing Blogger

I did it again!  I went missing!  I’ve been neglecting my blog but at least I’ve been doing a pretty good job of keeping up with everyone else’s. 

First I took a road trip at the end of May.   I went to Montreal to help my daughter sell off her things and pack up her apartment.  She’s moving back home for a bit so now I have a roomie!   Oh…and she brought her roomie too……

June 7 ElsaMiss Elsa is a 13 month old big, old baby.  She’s adjusting well but the other 4-legged inhabitants are not quite so sure about her.


June 7 Faceoff Face-off in the catnip patch!


June 7 BrugsI posted about these a few weeks ago.  They were mere twigs and I didn’t have high hopes.  That’s the nice thing about going away.  If things manage to survive, the growth is a pleasant surprise!

June 7 Cukes Fingers are crossed!  Please no cucumber beetles this year!  Pretty please?

June 7 Eggplant

June 7 Foxglove 
Almost done!  Unless I am graced with a second bloom!

June 7 Hydrangea
Coming soon!

June 7 Peas
June 7 Zucchini
Coming along….

June 7 Poker Where did this come from? 

June 7 Sundrop June 7 Yellow Loosestrife And what’s with all the yellow?  I don’t even like yellow!
So that’s what’s been going on in my neck of the woods.  I haven’t been out in the garden very much because of the rain but hopefully that will change this week.  I have a few more veggies to throw in the garden and well, with rain comes weeds…..lots of ‘em!