Dead Head'n

Deadheading means different things to different people. Or should I say different things at different periods of their lives. The definition to me is to pinch, pull, trim, cut, smash, or what ever it takes to remove old blooms, old or rangy growth or whatever to increase future bloom set, control lodging in future growth and to prevent seeding. Some people would probably call some of these procedures cutting back. Lets just call it dead head'n , it just sounds cooler. LOL
So before some of you send me correctional emails or comments about what dead heading actually is, this is my interpretation. I'm trying not to be too serious however. Blogging is for fun. Entertainment. Relaxation. Right?
Sooo, staying with my recent theme of relating to the flower child generation I will leave a Deadhead'n song to sing alone with. The new lyrics will follow the video. Sing these with the music while you are deadhead'n.

Prunin', got my clips all in.
Keep prunin', like the du-dah man.
Together, more or less in line, just keep prunin' on.

Limbs of roses and tropical cannas out on main street.
Chicago, New York, Austin and it's all on the same street.
Your typical garden involved in a greendream.
Prune it up and see what tomorrow brings.

Now is this fun or what?? Those of you who are pruning along, you can add more verses if you like when commenting. Now my other meaning to deadhead'n. Back in my heathern days (many moons ago) I could have been called a deadhead. But since then my lifestyle has changed and I have become a evangelical conservative. I still like the old music however. Please enjoy reminiscing.

The original post started out being informative about deadheading/pruning for future growth. Therefore this part of the post is about what plants are being deadhead'n as we sing.
The photo above is a 'Rapsody in Blue' Salvia I just clipped with a hedge trimmer, along with my other herbaceous salvias. Notice the empty trap, ha. Elmer some hunter you are. Wabbits!!!!

Sedum 'Autumn Joy'
Before

After

Aster novae-angliae Alma Potschke
After

Aster laevis 'Bluebird'
After two weeks

Digitalis
Pruned to prevent volunteer seedlings
and create new side blooms

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Lady in Red'  Before

Transplanted this Lady in late winter. It blooms on old wood so I just pruned the dead wood.

The Lady After

Asta la deadhead'n

Memories of the Past

Whats does memorial day mean to you? 

Wikipedia's description is as follows: Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday observed on the last Monday of May (May 30 in 2011). Formerly known as Decoration Day, it commemorates U.S. Service Members who died while in the military service.^[1] First enacted by formerly enslaved African-Americans ^[2] to honor Union soldiers of the American Civil War – it was extended after World War I to honor Americans who have died in all wars.
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These past few days have been inspiring to me. This year the meaning of memorial day has turned into more than just memories of people who are gone, but more importantly about people who are still here. Their stories of the past and people who were a part of it, gave a new meaning to memories.

Cindy and I traveled to Northwest Oklahoma and visited her home town she grew up in. That alone brought up old high school memories and times of teenage bliss. But the best part was how the people of small town America still participate and respect memories of the past and those people who created the memories. Many people from miles around would come to these small rural cemeteries to give respect to their departed. What was special to me was to see our parents generation respect the holiday in such a way as to make it special to the living most of all.

 After listening to stories from this generation, the true story of memories begin to unfold. Memories of what they were doing during memorial weekends past. About how people would show up on Memorial Day to pay respects and these days would turn into reunions of old friends, relatives, classmates, and just general fellowship.
Cindy my wife, tells me of memories going with her grandmother or grandfather and listening to stories about the lives of the people whose names were on the stones. The stories would tell about the life that person lived and how their life had impacted them. To this day when Cindy passes these cemeteries she remembers and respects the memories she received from her grandparents and parents.

Throughout this Memorial Weekend the new memories of old memories have been a glowing inspiration. Tribute should be given to past generations for providing a holiday we can surely remember with fond memories.

Thirty One and Bob Dylan

As a lot of you may know this is Bob Dylan's 70th birthday. I suppose he was/is the poet/songwriter of our generation. I am not sure where one generation starts and another begins, but I like to think he is of my generation. I used to listen to him in junior high school and through my college years. What a gifted songwriter he is-or as he liked to call himself a poet. If you would like to read some of his quotes go here: http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/b/bob_dylan.html

Now what does the 31 mean in the blog title? Well.....my wife and I celebrated our 31st anniversary today and we are more in love today than we were 31 years ago.

Gardening Gone Wild Picture This Photo Contest

I have never entered a photo contest, however it sounds like a fun thing to do. This months subject title is "Lighting a Closer Look" and is aimed at receiving macro or close up photos. If you want to look at entrys go to GGW Picture this Photo Contest Gallery .

Roses are Red, and Roses are Buds

I'm sure this post title has been used a million times but I had to put the word Rose in the title to accentuate the subject mater. I wanted to bring attention to an actual rose post by me. I correspond with quite a few Rose "lovers" out there and give some pretty good kidding on their passion for the most "loved" and written about plant species(I think) in the blogosphere(is that a word?). Anyways I respect all you rosarians out there and the great passion you have. My garden consists of two species of the Genus Rosea. That is about as far as I'm going with any pretentious knowledge of roses. My preferences for purchasing and planting rose species have to do not only with their reproductive elements (flowers) but their foliage as well. Of the many comments that can be made about the aesthetic of most rose blooms, generally the foliage is a lot to be desired. Therefore if you can kill two birds with one stone I base my landscape design elements on the foliage first of all if I'm using that species. The photograph above is a Rosa x 'Noare'-Flower Carpet Rose 'Red'-Class: Cluster Flowered Shrub. Hybridized by Noak in 1995 (that gambit of information is for Professor Roush @ Garden Musings, Masha @ A Rose is a Rose, and Chris @ The Redneck Rosarian ). I guess you could call them my rose buds, pun intended.  I like the real red color of the blooms and the glossy green foliage as seen below.

The thorns are pretty cool too. If thorns can be cool?

Rosa 'merimirrote' Drift Rose Apricot

My next rose in the garden is Rosa 'Meigilli' according to the plant label. Or 'Meimirrote' which I think is probably correct. Introduced by the Knock Out Roses originators Conrad/Pyle in 2010. Here is a link for more information  Drift Rose Apricot . The species is a cross between ground cover type roses and miniature roses.

I guess you could call this one a little 'darling'.

Well I better bring some closure before my dark side (non rose lover) comes back.

Wordless Wabbit Wednesday

Foliage Follow Up May 2011

Thanks Pam @  for being to host for the Foliage Follow up on GBBD. 

You can follow up on other faboulous foliage @ Digging

Cedrus Atlantica -  Atlas Cedar. Bronze Fennel Background.

Atlas Cedar, Bronze Fennel, Garlic and Kennebec Potato

Stachys byzantina - Lamb's Ear

 New Growth on Foneiculum vulgare

Lemon Thyme, Lemon Oregano

Sedum

Picea pumilo, Sambucus nigra 'Ava'

Stipa tenuissima - Mexican feather grass. Festuca - Blue Fesuce

Lets not forget our Mullien.

Garden Bloggers Bloom Day

  Salvia farinacea 'Mealy Blue Sage'

Let the Blooms begin!!! Go to May Dream Gardens to view other fine gardens.

 

Linum lewisii 'Blue Flax'

Heuchera bressingham 'Bressingham Coral Bells'

Achillea 'Moonshine' Moonshine Yarrow and Mealy Blue

Salvia nemerosa 'caradonna'

Digitalis, Foxglove

Achillea 'Moonshine'

The Strip

Sambucus nigra 'Eva' - Black Lace Elderberry with Carex

Wordless Wednesday Mid-May

Osteospermum - African Daisy

Penstemon barbatus - Elfin Pink

Scabiosa 'Butterly Blue'

Rosa - Flower Carpet Red

Salvia 'Rapsody in Blue'
Salvia daghestanica - Dwarf Silver-leaf Sage
Penstemon linarioides 'Coloradoensis'