Posted on by tonytomeo · 2 Comments

Cutting Back

No, not this sort of cutting back. I will be cutting back on posting to this blog. I realize that I have expressed my intent to do so on several occasions in the past, only to resume my habit of posting daily, but now I am a bit more compelled to comply with these intentions. Although I can technically continue to post daily, some of the writing, which is really what occupies the vast majority of time that is devoted to blogging, will be omitted. My garden column will continue to post in two parts on Mondays and Tuesdays. Old articles from my garden column will likewise continue to post in two parts on Thursdays and Fridays. The garden column articles get written regardless, so may as well appear here like they do in their newspapers. Old articles were already written, so do not necessitate too much effort to recycle them here. Therefore, Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays are the only days that I actually write for. I can continue to write for the Horridculture theme, or actually, any random topic for Wednesdays. I can also continue to participate with the Six on Saturday meme for Saturdays, since it involves more illustration than writing, which, as previously mentioned, is what occupies too much time. However, I will discontinue my second posts for Saturdays at noon, which were not very interesting anyway. This should be the last of them. Also, instead of writing posts for Sunday, I should merely post illustrations, without much text, if any, perhaps similar to the Silent Sunday and Wordless Wednesday themes at the blog of Eliza Waters.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 12 Comments

R & R

Rhody in Skooter’s Garden

Rhody is very proficient with Rest & Relaxation. He has been doing quite a bit of it since we left on vacation at midnight last Monday morning. He rode about eight hundred seventy miles mostly on the rear deck so that others on the road with us could observe him doing so. Since arrival in Western Washington, he has been snuggling with others whom he encounters while also engaging in similar activities. This illustrations demonstrates how expertly he engaged in rest & relaxation in Skooter’s Garden.

Although not as proficient as Rhody is, I also have been engaging in a significant rest & relaxation. This is why I have not written as much as I typically write about horticultural topics during the past several days. Although I am aware that I must compose my gardening column by Wednesday, I have deferred most other writing. If it seems otherwise, it is only because my gardening column posts in two sections on both Mondays and Tuesdays, and old articles are recycled for both Thursdays and Fridays. My negligence is more apparent only on Wednesdays and weekends. I should return from vacation on Thursday or Friday, so might resume more typical blogging before too many notice.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 9 Comments

Resolution

I got so much more than blogging going on.

I am not one to make resolutions for a New Year. Such resolutions can be made at any time. Most should probably be made as they become necessary.

I will say though, that in the future, I should post less frequently to this blog than I have been. I mentioned this a few times since I began posting here a few years ago, but never followed through with doing so.

My weekly gardening column posts in two parts, typically for Mondays and Tuesdays. That is really all that is necessary. Old columns also post in two parts, typically on Thursdays and Fridays. I could continue to recycle them, although, because topics are seasonal, the old articles are often redundant to the new articles that post at about the same time.

All other articles that post on other days are quite unnecessary. Horridculture articles that post on Wednesdays involve too much sniveling. Six on Saturday articles that post on Saturdays are fun for me, but lack substance for readers. Random articles that post on Saturdays at noon and Sundays have become somewhat too random and mundane.

Unfortunately, I can not write well with so much else happening. It is a long story, but what it comes down to is that I really should write less than I have been.

Therefore, for the future, I should commit only to posting my weekly gardening articles, from the gardening column, on Mondays and Tuesdays. I will likely continue to post recycled gardening articles for Thursdays and Fridays, even if redundant, only because they are already written. Although I may continue to post articles for Wednesdays and weekends, I may not. If not, this blog will become merely a compilation of the gardening column articles rather than a real blog. Perhaps less will be better.

Posted on by tonytomeo · 2 Comments

Schedule Bloom For Every Season

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There is bloom for every season.

Early spring bloom is best. That is simply how the schedule of the majority of flowers works. The priority of flowers is pollination. Pollination is necessary for the production of seed. The production of seed and any associated fruit takes time. Seed, whether contained within fruit or not, then disperses before winter. After soaking and chilling through winter, seed germinates for the next spring.

For a variety of reasons, some flowers prefer to bloom earlier, later, or randomly through the year. Some are from climates in which they want to avoid harsh weather of a particular season. Some rely on pollinators who are active for a limited time. Regardless of the reasons for their bloom schedule, early, late and randomly blooming flowers add color to the garden before and after spring.

Many flowers that bloom randomly through the year tend to bloom better and later with a bit of persuasion. Cutting roses regularly seems innocent enough, but actually deprives rose plants of their efforts to produce seed. So does deadheading to remove their developing fruit structures that contain seed. Plants respond by trying to bloom again or more prolifically than they would otherwise.

Lily of the Nile reliably provided much of the color through the middle of summer. Many gardens have some. Some gardens have many. Their color range is limited, but effective. Now that they are done, canna, dahlia and delphinium should continue to bloom until frost. Mexican blue sage that took a break after spring bloom should bloom even better as summer ends, and into early autumn.

The bloom schedule of many flowers of the Compositae (or Asteraceae) family also coincide with late summer. Some have been blooming since spring. Some just started recently. These include but are not limited to cone flower, blanket flower, zinnia, cosmos, coreopsis, sunflower and Japanese anemone. African daisy and euryops daisy often bloom well after the earliest rains of autumn.

Eucalypti that bloom colorfully, such as red flowering gum, Eucalyptus ficifolia, bloom after the warmth of summer, but before cooling autumn weather.