Winter Gardening

We really only have a small hobby greenhouse, and this is our first full winter trying to grow plants. 

At our church bazaar, we found this heater for only $10.  It can be set to maintain a temperature of 42 degrees, which will safeguard our plants when the temperature really goes down.  Its best feature is the oil in the coils, which tends to hold the heat.

 We have some plants we are trying to get started and some others that have to be protected in the winter.  

 But we really would be most pleased if we could grow some winter tomatoes and peppers.  My husband has started the plants, and we are going to try. 

I guess the odds are against us, since we have no experience at this.

A Beautiful Carrion Cactus

I have mentioned the carrion cactus before, but here it is again.  I couldn't resist these pictures my husband took yesterday. 

 Their blooms are running a bit late this year, since the plants were relegated to the basement last winter. 

 I was hoping all the buds would open at the same time, but the cooler weather has slowed them down.

The day wasn't very sunny, and the flies weren't as plentiful as usual.  The rotten meat smell, however, was in full force.  It is surprising that something so beautiful can smell so bad.  Notice the delicate hairs on the petals. 

This is a true passalong plant.  My friend JoAnn gave it to me with a warning about its smell.

I am including a picture from last year that shows the blow flies.

Perennial Ageratums Again

I was going to use this post to point out that I had neglected to pinch back my ageratums by the end of July so they wouldn't get leggy.

We had about five inches of rain over two days, and they were flat of their faces.

But by the time my husband took this picture, they had straightened themselves up decently.

Incidentally, a friend of mine asked for a perennial ageratum at a garden shop, and they told her no such thing existed.  I guess everyone just passes them along.

Angel Trumpets Again

I couldn't resist these angel trumpets.  I have only two colors now--pink and yellow.  The yellow is about eight feet tall and was cut back to about six inches and stayed in the basement in a big pot for the second year.  The big stems will be great cut into foot-long strips and put in a bucket of water to root.  The pink is in a pot for the first year.  They are blooming rather late and will continue till frost. 

Violas

The viola is such a dainty over-looked flower that some would consider it unworthy of comment.

Most years I set out several about this time.  Usually they are on the sale rack at about 25 cents for a six-pack. 

They bloom late into winter and return even prettier in the spring, continuing to bloom until well into the summer.  They have a blooming season similar to pansies and snapdragons.

 The flower book calls them a biennial trying to  be a perennial.    The fall leaves will soon almost cover the litlle row of violas shown below.

                                                     

Fall

The 34-degree temperature about ten days ago helped these native dogwoods really show their colors in the mountains of western North Carolina.  This picture also shows how much I appreciate these passalong chrysanthemums.  I got this one at my mother's, where it has grown for decades.  I have not had one of those beautiful store-bought mums to survive more than one year.  The chocolate vine on the left side of the trellis is growing, but it didn't bloom this year.  It was planted about six months ago.