Monthly Archives: October 2018

First round of bulb planting, part deux

The orders from M&Z and B&B are being delivered after Halloween, but I wanted to plant my containers now.  Off to Roxbury Mills, came back and emptied out the sweet potato vines and geraniums, and on to bulbs and pansies.

 

Kolpakowskiana tulips, apricot passion hyacinths and crocus Snowbunting in the front door pot, plus one other standard tulip that I have already forgotten!

 

Pink Impression, Ivory Floradale and Queen of Night tulips in the two blue pots

 

Texas gold tulips in the green pot

Tulipa Texas Gold

Costa Rica wildlife

If I were maintaining this blog for fame or fortune, I’d be in the gutter by now!  But since it’s just for me (and a few of mine), I will randomly post a list of the birds we saw in Costa Rica back in 2016.

Beth, Bill and I took several lovely walks near their house, which was nestled in the side of a hill and looked out over a thickly wooded ridge (they’ve since moved).  Sitting on the deck, we had a great view of all kinds of birds.  We also walked up to the Cloudbridge Nature Reserve, and took another walk near their previous house, through a small village and through the woods.  However, it was very windy the couple days that I was there, so we didn’t see quite as many birds as we might have.

Here’s a list, along with pictures that are mostly not from me.

Scarlet-thighed dacnisdacnis

and my far less good picture

toucanet (emerald)  – this is such a classic tropical bird that it was very exciting to see it!

emerald-toucanet

lance-billed hummingbird (thanks to the birdcraft website for this one because we were peering and following it but never got this close a look)

sulfur-winged parakeets (thanks, Sherms Photos)

turkey vultures (we all know what they look like)

Baltimore oriole (ditto)

Squirrel cuckoo

And…we’re off!

Fall planting has begun.  After a rainy September, October is promising to be mostly dry, so watering the seedlings will loom large.  So far, I’ve scattered seeds of Nigella ‘Damacena Oxford Blue’  nigellaand ‘Black Ball’ cornflower, centaureaboth a few years old so we’ll see if they do anything.  In the raised bed, some ‘Red Planet’ radishes and ‘Crispy Winter Greens’ from Renee’s Garden.  The rest of the space reserved for tulips.

Crownsville Nursery lured me in with a hosta sale, and I bought five.  Of course, by the time they arrived I’d forgotten where I planned to put them, so I had to make it up.  Three ‘Gold Standard’ went in front of the yews by the front steps.  gold standard(Note that the hosta images are from the Missouri Botanical Garden, so they are realistic rather than perfect.)  This little garden is so neglected, and it’s right up front so I need to step it up.  I’m also planting some ‘tête-à-tête’ daffodils here, to continue the theme under the maple tree and in the other front garden.  Then perhaps some tiarellas to have some interesting foliage. And maybe some Japanese anemones??

The ‘Big Daddy’ hosta went at the edge of the oak tree garden, where it will be visible.  big daddy

It’s said to get up to 71″ wide, so it should have room to stretch out.  Finally, the ‘Krossa Regal,’ which has a more upright habit, replaces one of the ordinary hostas in the narrow bed in front of the shed.  krossa regal

I have only one, so it won’t make this display, but you see how upright it is.

The first bulb order arrives tomorrow, so I will be hard at work getting everything in before leaving for SPAIN.