John Cabot Roses

 John Cabot: A rose by any other name is not in the budget this year.

With May Day signaling the bright beginning of all things warm, I got online and placed an order with one of my favorite nurseries. It tallied up to $106 ~ for which they demanded $26 for shipping.

Does that seem excessive? Or, am I a cheapskate?

It's not like I was ordering a 10 foot tall Wisteria or anything remotely that grand. These are eensy, teensy seedlings that fit neatly into one, small box.

I heart John Cabot Roses. I've never met such a profuse, low maintenance, kind of water-wise, all-summer bloomer. They look particularly cool if you plant Baby's Breath nearby.

Cranky over the shipping charges, I doubled down on the Cabots and nixed most everything else, tearing flower pictures out of that catalog and adding them to the other shopping list.

That 'other list' being a picture file, of sorts, filled with the perennials I discovered in that catalog, though I'll buy locally because I can get plants twice the size, for about half the price.

Such a hot-cha-cha pink color it's kind of blinding. 

Just one more reason why I love 'em. :)

I suppose that's cheating. But, what's a gal on a budget supposed to do? And, when will online nurseries get with the program? Every other website offers free shipping. (My shoe tree is overflowing ever since I discovered Zappos.) Why can't flower shops do me the same favor??

So, that's my rant. And, here's my rave:

As in rave reviews for the John Cabot Roses who'll show off their stuff in the very last garden I plan to plant. Once this one is done, then I'll be done.

Are you chuckling? Me, too. As if a garden is ever done...

* John Cabot Roses: USDA Zone 3, he's kind of a big bruiser. 4 foot spread by about 6 feet high. 

Quick-Growing Heirloom Veggies

I've had the great fortune of raising a daughter who never needed prompting to eat all of her vegetables.

Other Moms were amazed by this since they spent half the dinner hour coaxing their own children to do the same.

What's the secret? Home grown. I do believe that even the pickiest eaters will enjoy the downright delectable flavor of sun-kissed, vine-ripened, fresh-picked vegetables.

They taste nothing like those veggies you buy at the supermarket.

Time & Sunshine
Recently I've seen all sorts of commercials on what you must do to grow great veggies. Spoiler Alert: If you've been here before you probably know that I'm far too jaded... That said, I wanted to offer up my own how-to advice on growing your own produce.

1) Place seeds in soil. 2) Water. And, there you have it. Give them time and sunshine and they'll take care of the rest. Easy peasy. Oh! And, speaking of peas... they improve the nitrogen in your soil ~ a big help for mountain gardeners.

Not too pretty but the carrots don't care. Storage containers make great, deep planters for veggies. (Add drainage holes in the bottom.)

How much time?
How about fresh lettuce in 4 short weeks? Mountain growing seasons are very short so we mountain gardeners need to get creative. If you've not heard of these goodies you're not alone, but most every vegetable has a quick-growing cousin that reaches harvest in short order and tastes terrific.

Quick-Growing Heirloom Veggies that do well in mountain gardens:

• Bountiful Bush Bean - this easy-growing small vine bean reaches maturity in about 51 days. (Heirloom)
• Bull Nose Sweet Bell Pepper - a crisp, crunchy bell pepper bursting with delicious, earthy flavor. Matures in about 60 days. (Heirloom)
• Red Cored Chantenay Carrots - a sweet, tender variety, ready to harvest in 70 short days. (Heirloom)
• Four Seasons Head Lettuce - as beautiful as it is delicious, with colorful, reddish brown leaves. Matures in 45-55 days. (Heirloom)
• Brandywine Tomato - this yummy Amish heirloom has a neat habit of producing tomatoes that mature at different times, on the same vine, throughout the season. (80 days, Heirloom)
• Cocozelle Bush Zucchini - has a fresh, nutty flavor that is particularly delicious when roasted on the grill. Matures in 55 days. (Heirloom)

Pretty much any deep container is great for growing veggies.

Boring but Helpful:

• When buying seeds, or seedlings, check the 'days to maturity' on the seed packet or planting guide. Harvest days are measured from transplant time. Allow an extra 10-15 days, if planting by seed.
• Heirlooms are available in most vegetable varieties, not just tomatoes. These goodies are easier to grow and infinitely more flavorful than grocery store 'fresh' produce.

Wordless Wednesdays: Tulip Tour

* Locals: Find these beauties at the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival in the Salt Lake Valley.

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Shower and Flowers

Do you grow Primrose? Let me rephrase that. Do you kill Primrose? :) No need to confess to such crimes. I'm just hoping you have a sordid past like me, the notorious Primrose serial killer.

Unable to resist these cute potted plants, I'd bring them home and try to grow them in a hot, sunny window. Where they would quickly curl up and die.

Windflowers

It took me years to figure out that Primrose is not an annual. She's a zone 3 perennial who simply adores the cold, wet weather we've been having.

As do many of the other spring flowers who burst into bloom after our recent rains.

Brunnera

Meet the other 'serial killer.' (Like Mother, like kitty!) It's a wonder young Cat Mint ever makes it to maturity with Buddy prowling around...

Some Daffs weathered the winds better than others.

Every spring I'm again confounded... I know I planted them but I cannot remember who they are:

Such joy. Spring has officially arrived in my mountain gardens.

A Break in the Action

This drenching rain is the perfect opportunity for me to do... 

absolutely nothing.

More Advil, please. These first weeks of outdoor chores are exposing the awful truth. This garden gal was far too sedentary over the long and dreary winter. Which is why I jumped for joy when I woke to a day that demanded I stay indoors.

Indoors, micromini roses have re-bloomed, though I barely had time to notice.

Spent the morning coddling my indoor roses who are bracing themselves for a full season of neglect. The instant that first Crocus bloomed, outside, I turned my back on what was happening inside.

That is, until this rainy day...

It came from outer space... Well, actually, it came from Hawaii but Mars sounds much more exciting. Hard to imagine that soon this ugly duckling will become a drop dead gorgeous Plumeria.

Christmas in April is in full swing. Every year, I lecture the Poinsettia ~ why such a rebel? Why not put on this colorful show in December? If she listens at all, it's in one leaf and out the other...

Crazy Edna, my ancient Christmas Cactus, continues with her marathon performance. She began flowering mid-November and is still going strong. Though I believe I have finally figured out why. I moved her to a high traffic spot in the hallway. Every time I walk past her, I empty out the last of my green tea into her container. Hmmm... do you suppose that's what's making her so happy?

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Outdoors, high winds batter the garden. April showers, in the form of heavy, wet snow ~ a predictable, yet tiresome, necessity.

Remarkable, isn't it? Their happy perseverance? The way they laugh off the nastiest of weather. These dainty darlings could teach me a thing or two...

"Less CNN. More Mozart."

I've felt obligated to post about Earth Day yet I could not think of a single important thing to say about the subject that hasn't been said a bazillion times before. Plus, I'm so very weary of guilt trips and bad news.

Then ~ kismet being what it is ~ I found this thoughtful video while visiting  Symphony.
Bingo. (I said to myself) Isn't this is a lovely mantra? Striving to be major kind.



* And now for another shameless plug to make our gardens work a little bit harder at what they were designed to do in the first place. Let's be 'major kind' to animals, too.

We're here. They're here. Nobody is going anywhere. Rather than shooing them away, perhaps we should invite them to stay? It's scary out there. Your backyard could very well be their saving grace:

Wordless Wildflower Wednesday ~ Pasque

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