I'm Going Dig Up My Flowers This Morning

Discussion in 'Crops & Gardens' started by Babs Hunt, Jun 13, 2017.

  1. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    When we moved from our former Acadiana Cottage in the front with the parking lot view, to our new Acadiana Cottage with the beautiful large yard and oak tree space, I left my flowers I had planted in the flower bed. These lantanas and pentas have kept coming back for 3 years now but no one who has lived in our old Cottage has ever taken care of them in any way or even tried to tend to the flower bed. So this morning I'm going to dig up a couple of my bush lantana's and my red penta and my Honey will pot them for me when he comes home.

    It makes me kind of sad when I see the neglect of that flower bed. When we first moved here and in that front Cottage all that was growing in the flower bed was Elephant Ears and Monkey grass. The Elephant Ears were as high as our porch railing. (I hope I can find the picture and share). At that time I didn't know to much about flower beds and growing things but I hated those Elephant Ears and I was determined to dig them out. I didn't know they were bulb plants and that once I started cutting them down and digging up the roots...there were so many bulbs to dig up too that I almost gave up and just let them take over. But I didn't and when I finished getting every last bulb out the ground that I could find I then mixed the rich soil in that bed and went shopping for flowers I liked to plant in their place. I didn't know much about flowers at that time either so I just picked out colorful ones that I liked and then came home and put them in the ground. And they grew beautifully for the most part. But then the winter came and most of them died. So the next Spring I had to plant new ones...and I picked different ones and put them in the ground and they also bloomed forth...until the Winter came again and once again they died and did not come up again in the Spring. But I was having fun enjoying the different flowers blooming and learning which ones I liked and grew well, etc. So it was a learning experience as well as having colorful flowers to bring my heart joy as they bloomed forth.

    Later, I found that I liked growing lantana and pentas the best and they both came back year after year if you cut them back for the winter. The Butterflies and Bees also like them...and even our Hummingbirds were drawn to the bright red pentas.

    When we moved back here we have more shade in the beds that are next to our porch so I can't grow pentas and lantana there. But with such a big lot we also have lots of sunshine. So I'm going to go this morning and get my flowers that the other tenants didn't appreciate and my Honey will put them in big pots and in sunny spots around us. And once again I will enjoy their beauty and easy mainenance. :)
     
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  2. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    There's the Elephant Ears I had to "conquer" before I could plant my flowers.And there is my first and successful attempt at growing flowers in our flower beds. :)
     
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  3. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Got them. I red penta plant and I multi-colored lantana no longer in the neglected flower bed. :) I trimmed the bad leaves and topped the flower heads that had finished blooming and now all they need is to be "potted" by my Honey...he has the green thumb for pot plants. :)
     
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  4. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
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    It is interesting that you worked so hard to get rid of the Elephant Ears. I love those big plants, and have been nursing mine along and hoping that it will spread. They are so expensive to buy at the store; but a neighbor gave me a start of theirs and it at least keeps coming back each year, even though it doesn't seem to spread much.
    Your garden looks beautiful, and I am glad that you were able to rescue some of the lantanas.
     
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    Last edited: Jun 14, 2017
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  5. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    I don't have anything against Elephant Ears...it's just they grow to big for our small cottage and besides that I wanted flowers in my flower beds. :)
     
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  6. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Mrs. Penta plant is now in her new home. :)
     
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  7. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Mrs. Penta plant loves her new home and has been really spreading out there. :)
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    A friend brought us these and they have really taken off too along with my Honey's potted plants. :)
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    It's been a great year for growing flowers and plants!
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    Last edited: Aug 25, 2017
  8. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Out of curiosity, Babs, do you still wear a baseball cap at times? My wife wears one on our boat and a few other places. I love it, whereas her former husband really didn't and wouldn't let her. Actually, she looks younger than she is when she wears one.
     
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  9. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Well Cody my caps are really not baseball caps although they are shaped like many. I have a Saint's cap, a fishing cap, my gardening cap, a cap my husband's boss gave me from their store, and Nascar caps. :) And I do wear them when I am fishing, watching the Saint's games (along with my Saints shirt), when I'm watching the Nascar races (and also wearing my shirt), when I attend my grandkids sports games, etc. I just pull my ponytail through the back of the cap and I'm shaded from the sun rays and don't have to worry about the wind blowing my hair all over the place. These are a few of my caps... :)

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  10. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    My wife has two Bass Pro caps and another one that is? I have a two Bass Pro, a NASCAR, Titleist (PGA), Navy and one that has the name/ship number and sewn picture of the Destroyer I was on for my first cruise to Vietnam.
    Actually, last Saturday, when we were on our boat, my wife's one Bass Pro cap flew off while we were going down the river. She had me turn the boat around and go get it. We got it!
     
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  11. Hedi Mitchell

    Hedi Mitchell Supreme Member
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    I know some one who recently wore a different cap outside here...amongst the Hispanic people who are working on the property here.
    Nothing like a green cap that says
    Border Patrol...to get things moving:D
     
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  12. Cody Fousnaugh

    Cody Fousnaugh Supreme Member
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    Oh, Gloria..........love it!
     
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  13. Babs Hunt

    Babs Hunt Supreme Member
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    Mrs. Penta is loving her new home. :)
     
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