With so many of us seeing very wintery conditions right now, maybe we can lift each other's spirits and warm ourselves from within by sharing just one pic each that represents either the joy of spring or the memories of warm, summer days. They say gardeners are optimistic by nature and we show that by ordering seeds in the midst of winter, preparing for the gardening season we "know" will follow. I think looking through our gardening or summer travel pics is very uplifting at this time of year.
Those of you lucky enough to have flowers at this time of year, either outdoors or in greenhouses, might post a current pic (special thanks to Lynne for all the new pics she just posted) so we can live vicariously through your pics...or like the rest of us, go back and select a favorite from a warmer time of year.
Again, let's make it just ONE favorite pic for now...here's mine, from last August. I'm looking forward to seeing yours!
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
I had a hard time deciding on my "Warmest" pic, but I think Organ Pipe National Monument in June is pretty close to perfect to describe warm. If anyone would like to see my other pictures from my field studies class my photobook address is http://s107.photobucket.com/albums/m311/gardengrove_ac/.
And yes, I did go to the desert in part to work on my tan...lol
I have a porch swing that's covered in MG vines during the summer. It's right outside my kitchen door and I love going out with a cup of coffee and the paper early in the morning before everyone wakes up and starts yelling "Mommy".
What really says summer to me is the beach but I figured I should post a flower pic instead of the kids splashing in the ocean : )
Karyn
This is my favorite place to be in the summer. I spend much of my time in the screenhouse away from the mosquitoes and blackflies.
I think I miss this the most.
Terry, I love your oasis! It must be very pleasant with brugs right outside, along with other flowering plants. Am I seeing some really nice Kong coleus plants, too?
Karyn, your porch swing sounds very inviting too. I grab a lawn chair and move around the yard, according to the time of day & how warm/chilly it is. First thing in the morning, when I'm enjoying my coffee, the location is usually in the middle of a pathway right in the heart of the garden & where I'm likely to see the hummingbirds.
Patrick
Brug Moderator
USDA Zone 8b
Heat Zone 3
Sunset Zone 5
SeaTac, WA...one cool place
These times will come again soon, and I agree, Patrick, both places would make the old heart sing. I always drink my coffee while wandering through my garden. I have tried sitting in the gazebo, but see too much I want to be doing --- guess I am just not much of a "sitter".
I like tropical plants and this is a variety of some that I had three summers ago in the main bed. Last summer and the summer of '05 were bad for me. Hot and dry last year and hot with a broken leg the summer before. So, my last really fun summer had views like this.....
Surely after this terrible winter, we will have a decent growing season this year, and our plants will flourish. This is my plan and I am sticking to it.
I was in Indiana in Aug and we drove past this nursery on a country hwy. It had already closed for the season but it's hanging baskets and towers of Supertunias and Impatients were just stunning. You can see their size in the images I included vehicles for scale.
Oh my gosh, I would love to have something like that, but how in the world did they do it? I'd probably lose track of where the pots were when it was time to water. Those are gorgeous.
They have trays Shirley for the towers. The bottom tray may be 4' square, then each ascending one a little smaller for a total of about 5 trays high, the smallest at the top. These trays are joined and spaced by a central hollow pipe through which flows their solution of water and ( I expect anyway) fertilizers.
The hanging baskets though are about the size of a half barrel and chucked full of Sphagnum moss with once again a central pipe in the middle that dribbles water and fertilizer into the baskets at all times.
They also had Sweet Potato vines in baskets... here is one of those....
They are all just gorgeous. I am going to have to figure this all out and see if Jim can come up with something that will work. It's such a beautiful picture, tho I would hate to have someone wreck their car while craning their neck to look. LOL! Thanks RA.
Wow!!! Those are absolutely beautiful. I've never seen such huge hanging baskets or displays.
Makes my hanging baskets of Petunias that I grow every year look very puny.
Terry
Woodsville,NH
zone 4a
Ruth Ann (Login Tiedjens) Forum Editing Technician
Re: Let's WARM Things Up!
January 18 2007, 10:45 PM
We almost did have a wreck as we were driving by LOL. Then we were waiting for the police to arrive to arrest the 3 snooping ladies who had their heads and hands stuck deep into the hangings and towers trying to see how they did them.
Once again for perspective, here are 2 of those three ladies hoping not to be arrested.....
I had planned on posting this last night, but due to other events, it didn't get done. I want to say something about everything that happened, but if you'll please allow me to finish reading everything and gathering my thoughts first, I'd appreciate it.
In the mean-time, I really did want to respond to this post.
Patrick, wow! The photo of your garden is breath-taking!
Nate, I love the desert photo! It took a second and third look to see you guys up there on top of the rock. The cacti flowers in your album are beautiful and I'm still laughing at the jumping cholla!
Karyn, your porch swing sounds welcoming... and my first thought was the beach as well... nothing says warm like sun, bare feet, and scorching hot sand, lol.
Terry, the screened gazebo looks wonderful, peaceful... able to enjoy being out without the nagging, biting bugs. I think I could sit in a place like that for hours.
Patty, your pond is really, really nice, and what a difference between the two pictures!
Shirley, the diversity and variety of color you have there is beautiful!
Ruth Ann, the baskets and mountains of blooms are awe-inspiring!
This is something that has always made me think of a warm, summer day...
A fresh, vine ripened tomato... don't have any ripe currently, didn't take pictures of the first two, but there are a ton of green ones that should be ripe soon.
Looks as if I missed a lot yesterday by not having internet connection. My,my,my --what beauty you got to see, Ruth Ann, and petunias are one of the loves of my heart. I grow them each year even though I know it will eventually get too hot for them. Oh, hurry up Spring - I am so anxious !!!!!!
heres a pic of my sun showers hibiscus this morning was first time it has flowered since i grafted it last year. this one is defenately a keeper i grafted 4 plants with this to make sure i got at least one and have two grafted to seedlings in a pot and two on already planted plants.
in gardening there are no failures only learning experiances unless of course you give up mikey in fl
I wish I could post a pic of the sun that is shining so brightly here today. You will never know how much this has lifted my spirits --- shucks, I may even get to go outside and get some of my seed started. It is still very wet, and I see puddles of water still standing, but that will be so good to allow it all to soak in. I now have revived hopes for a wonderful Spring --- that is what sunshine can do for me.
Carrie:;; Me too!! As a matter of fact I did put down a pack of seeds and Planted several Queen of night Tulips and Grape Hyiencth bulbs today >
I couldn't help it the sun is shining and it was warm, well warmer that usual lately, and I kept getting this and Hearing "get out side " "get outside" so finally I had to surcome to the feeling of needing to get my hands in some dirt
Carve quiet spaces in your life , and in the silence you will hear Angels
What nice photos, everyone... thanks for sharing. Mid-winter like this - it's nice seeing such beautiful flowers/gardens, and the great places in yard where one can sit and enjoy a Springtime/Summertime Day!
Here's a pic of one of my fav warm-weather plants that always put a smile on my face while out watering our brugs (and all else, of course) around here.
It's called Clerodendron Ugandense. We had 3 of these in our yard last year, the cute lil' butterfly-looking flowers are neat and unusual enough to suit me to a "t" [and put me in mind of wanting a tall glass of ice tea too, come to think of it--which was always enjoyable after a hot morning/afternoon of watering] Snapped this toward the end of season and this one was just about finished blooming, but it sure hung in there pretty good...we were still getting flowers on 2 of them when we dug them up outta the ground to get housed for the winter.
If anyone would like to see my other pictures from my field studies class my photobook address is 
and it was warm, well warmer that usual lately, and I kept getting this 
and Hearing "get out side " "get outside" so finally I had to surcome to the feeling of needing to get my hands in some dirt 
