Heirloom Tomatoes "Manitoba" & "Black", Extra-Early "Legend"

LEGEND

MANITOBA

BLACK on the left/ LEGEND on the right

The photographs above are the Tomato seeds that I started at work, they were up in three days. That happens when you give them heat from the bottom and top and cover with a dome. This is the first time I have ever raised Tomato plants from seeds, my Grandparents would be pleased........All three varieties are from Territorial Seed Co. They handle a lot of heirlooms, which are better varieties to raise. The Manitoba and Black are the heirlooms and Legend is an extra-early. I also have a tray of Bell peppers that are up and it took almost two weeks for them to pop up, I was told they would take the longest. Trying to figure out what flower seeds to do for the trough baskets out front of the store. Already have geranium cuttings that I rooted from last fall and I'm going to put them in the big planter in front. Planted a big tub of Dwarf Grey Sugar Peas in the greenhouse. Busy, busy, busy............Looking forward to seeing what Spring will bring us this year.

Hellebore

This open flower is the same Hellebore that I posted on the 22nd of January. The flowers are amazing and beautiful, I will take a group photograph of them when more open up. A nice arrangement is to float several different varieties face up in a shallow bowl of water. I have done this in the past and it is quite beautiful on a table. The reason to float them is to enjoy the colors and patterns since they hold their heads downward in the garden. I do believe that they do not hold up well if cut for stem arrangements. Be sure to get out to the nurseries to see what varieties are out there to purchase and add to your gardens. The big push this year is more of the Winter Jewel group. There were a couple that I saw at the Yard, Garden, & Patio Show this last weekend here in Portland. Should have picked one up, but didn't, my lose.......bought more dwarf conifers instead.

Witch Hazel

Hamamelis
Of Greek descent "hama" meaning together or with and "melis" meaning apple or fruit.
A reference to the fact that the flowers appear with the previous season's fruit capsules or seed pods.


The Witch Hazel is a blooming...........This shrub (tree) is in the front garden and one of the oldest plantings. It is about 15 ft. tall x 8 ft wide now and finally has a lite orange glow about it when it blooms. The flowers on this variety are very small under an inch and you need to get up close to appreciate them. They are an amazing color of orange and raspberry and look very spidery. Of course it was tagged wrong, I was wanting yellow. But I'm one that is it more of a hassle to remove it. So I have left it and it has grown into a huge and perfect shape next to the house.


USDA hardiness zone 3 to zone 8

Propagation for fun

Well I have been successful with most of the plants I have been propagating at work. It's like my own science lab........In the picture there is a tray of begonias in the back, two different sessions of starts. In the front tray there are African Violets and Hoyas. The four Violets on the left are from one leaf planting that I did a couple of months ago. I still have that one leaf in another pot and there are four more new plants around it again. I have never seen it bloom and it was not tagged, no idea as to what color or style of flowers are. The Hoyas are rooted, but so slow growing. I have the feeling that it is going to be awhile before they do anything. I have a past posting on the Hoya Carnosa when it was blooming in the greenhouse here in the store. I also have starts of Spider plants, Sansevieria, Sedums, and a few other plants that I'm not sure what they are. Next I'm going to get some cuttings of the huge goldfish plant that is in the greenhouse to propagate. I started two trays of three different heirloom Tomato seeds yesterday and will see what happens, they should be up in about 10 days. I'll keep you posted.