A snake in the grass...poison ivy

I've had a few run-ins with poison ivy. In the third grade, I got it in my eye (it was very cute!) and 2 weeks before my wedding it covered my left hand! One would think I'd be better at identifying it, however I'm not. So, this post is as much for me as for anyone.

This is what poison looks like.

Avoid it at all costs! You've been warned!!!

Killer Combinations

This one left me speechless.


Hot pink wave petunias (a sun annual) in a cobalt blue planter.

"Camellia Bedelia"

My dad owns a local custom home building company, Tall House. Recently, he was working on a project and a camellia was in the way. Luckily, I was the recipient! I also was fortunate the plant still had the original tag on it and a lone bloom.

Its a Frank Brownlee Variegated Camellia Japonica: a late blooming japonica with a double deep red bloom.

Camellias are classic Southern (zone 7) waxy leafed evergreen shrubs that often bloom when little else is. In case you aren't sure of the differences in Camellias, here's the skinny. (There are hundreds of types so the exceptions are many!)

Camellia Japonica

• Bloom time: Winter - Spring
• Color: Red, pink, white, variegated
• Light: Prefers shade (especially in the morning) and needs protection from wind

Camellia Sasanqua (I have a "Setsugekka" sasanqua that has white blooms and has done well.)

• Bloom time: Fall
• Color: Red, white, pinks
• Light: Sun to part shade (more sun tolerant than Japonicas)
• Uses: Often used as an espalier on a wall or trellis, or in pots (as can be seen at North Hills shopping center)

Camellia Photos

This Camellia caught my eye at Sara P. Duke Gardens in Durham last Spring. Its an All American Variegated Japonica. I think of it as the peppermint camellia.


Camellia sansaquas grown on trellis' at my mother's house in Raleigh.


Here are some great Camellia resources, I've found:

• Camelia Japonica Cultivars (NSCU Cooperative Extension Service)
• Camelia Sasanqua Cultivars (NSCU Cooperative Extension Service)
• Mcdonald Garden Center Camelia Book

Weekend Gardener on WPTF

Weekend Gardener is one of my favorite radio shows. The problem is that often I am either in the yard or at the garden center when its broadcast Saturdays from 8:00AM to 10:00AM. The good news is that they now make both hours of the show available on their Website via podcast. Don't worry if you don't have an IPOD: its not required. Anyone can play the recording directly from their computer. So far, I don't see an archive, so be sure to download them weekly.

Weekend Gardener podcasts

In case you don't know Latin...

I never studied Latin and occasionally plant names completely stump me. Other times, I think I have them down completely and realize when I'm describing them to a friend or sales person that I've never actually heard them pronounced before.

Here are some of the funnier ones I've blundered this season:

• Spirea - I was asking a friend's dad for advice on pruning these earlier this year. I had inherited the shrubs and identified them in a book. I pronounced them "SPIR-ea". He corrected me (ever so kindly) that its "Spi-REA".
• Artemesia - I pronounced it with a strong "s-i-a" at the end instead of the "sya" sound.
• Euryops (bush yellow daisy) - I didn't even try pronouncing this one, but I really wanted one so I described it to the sales person instead.

Tonight in Fine Gardening, I found a Latin plant name pronunciation resource that might save some future embarrassment.

Herbs gone wild

My husband is the cook. I used to think I could cook before I met him, but now I'm resolved to other talents. He uses lots of fresh herbs.

I started growing culinary herbs, but my excitement for herbs has grown to include many other types. Herbs are easy to grow because they like the heat, poor soil and little water. Perfect for a busy gardner in drought conditions!

I tend to favor perennial herbs since they come back every year. In our current herb garden, I intentionally layered and placed the herbs balancing perennials and annuals so that it wouldn't look bare or lopsided in the winter.

Here's what I have planted so far (I'm running out of room, so this is probably it for awhile):

Perennials

• Germander
• Oregano (aka "Pot Marjoram")
• St. Johns Wort - This herb has a great pink, green and white color and is about 18" tall and whispy. It also has tiny yellow blooms in mid summer.
• Tansy
• Pineapple Mint - A gift from my friend Susan. This mint doesn't seem to be as invasive as others and the variagated foliage is great.
• Lemon Balm - I love it, but its coming up everwhere!
• Bay - A slow grower, but its evergreen shiny leaves are a nice constrast in the garden.
• Rosemary - A kitchen classic, however mine looks pretty pitiful right now.
• Sage
• Thyme
• Pineapple Sage - This herb has delicate red blooms in the Fall: I can't wait!
• Chives
• Licorice
• Lavender

Annuals

• Basil
• Cilantro (aka "Coriander") - I know it won't last, but I couldn't resist
• Parsley - Actually a biennial that will die after it blooms during its second year.
• Dill

I've got some specific herb recipes that I'll post later, but here are a few I found on the Herb Society of Wake County Web site.

Empty Lakes and Empty Rain Barrels

Just today I reached the bottom of my 3 rain barrels. Hopefully, we'll get some rain soon. I decided others might benefit from the following resources as they try to maintain a lush garden during this drought:

• USGS Rain Fall Amounts (I use the Falls Lake data as a benchmark for rainfall in my neighborhood. Its great for when you aren't at home when it rains or can't remember how long its been.)
• North Carolina Drought Watch
• Neuseworks - A local man who makes composters, rain barrels and chicken coops on the side. We have 3 barrels and a composter and LOVE them!
• Rainwater Pillow - I read about this on a flight recently. Can't vouch for them, but its an interesting concept.
• Self Watering Containers - I've seen these around in a couple of places. Its a pretty clever idea, but I'm too picky about how my pots look to try them. Desperation may change that.

Let me know how you're getting by with the drought.

Stage One Water Restrictions

(from City of Raleigh Water Restrictions Web site)