seeds...

I have some seeds from my garden if anyone is interested.

I have Globe Thistle (light purpleish-blue blooms), Knautia Macedonica (Burgundy blooms) and Columbine (not sure what colors these seed are - you can check out my earlier posts about the Columbine and get an idea of what you might get).

If you would be interested in trying these out, then comment on this post with your name and address and I'll send some to you.

I am not guaranteeing that they will grow. I think that would be up to you. :)

If they DO grow and bloom, please send me a photo.

contractors and plants...

Today I yelled at the contractors. Well, yell is not exactly what it was, it was more like scolded.

Yesterday the cement guy was moving and arranging the boulders. I went out a couple of times to take a look at the progress and reiterated to the general contractor that if any plants need to be moved, to please let me know. He assured me that everything would be fine. And then I left to go to my parents to bring my mother on some errands (it's kinda nice to be laid off).

When I returned in the evening, the first thing I noticed was that a couple of rose bushes were nearly run over. Then I looked at where they moved the boulders and one of my precious Knautia Macidonica's had been yanked out of the ground and was lying on top of the boulder - dead...or dying (you can see it on the top left-most boulder).

Later, as I inspected the yard I noticed that where the faucet is that the contractors have been using for some water, one of the replanted rose bushes (that isn't doing very well) was obviously being moved back and forth as if to eventually pull out. I know that it's not that easy to get to the water faucet, but really, do they have to try to uproot the rose bush???

So, I bitched about it to my husband - who didn't seem to want to hear it.

I was going to send the general contractor an email last night, but instead I waited until today and in front of everyone I went off about how I didn't appreciate what they did. All they needed to do is tell me to move the plant and I would have. And I said - I'm sure that you also have a little shovel somewhere that you could have easily dug up the plant yourself and put it somewhere where it wouldn't have been in the way.

ARGH! This blatant disregard, the fact that we were told that they would clean up every night and the rising bill are some of the things that are getting under our skin. Otherwise, it's been a fine project.

life and death of a knautia bloom...

This is when it turns to seed and if you don't want millions of knautia plants growing everywhere, you'll need to deadhead at this point. It's a nearly everyday task from the moment they start blooming at the beginning of May until almost Thanksgiving.

chateau sun garden...

I am back from France...over a week now.

While visiting a château (Villandry), we came across their sun garden. I couldn't believe the amount of plants that they had in the garden that I also have in my garden.

Of course, they labeled their plants and I noticed that one was named slightly differently than what I thought. The Knautia Macedonia in France was called Knautia Macedonica.

When I got home, I checked it out on-line and it seems that I had it wrong the whole time.

For Dynochick - these are Knautia Macedonica "burgundy wine" (photo from last year).

They are a cottage flower. Please come by and get some...they re-seed themselves and are ALL OVER my garden. I have to do some major clean-up.