Look What Followed Me Home!

Day 186: Today was "garden shopping day," so it was inevitable that something would follow me home in addition to the things scheduled to be purchased from my list. I've been haunting Watson's for the last month or so, waiting for them to get Osteospermum "Spoonflower" in, and it arrived somewhere between Friday and this morning. Mine was one of the first they'd sold, unlike once in the past when I missed them entirely. Spoonflower is a "must-have" for the pot at the end of the raspberry vines. Otherwise, I was looking for something to put in my hanging baskets. I like to change that up every year, although if nothing else catches my fancy, I default to petunias or Million Bells (a relative). I'd thought maybe I'd use annual fuchsias this year, but as I strolled along the aisles of possibilities, trailing begonias caught my eye. I purchased one with yellow flowers and green foliage for one basket, the other a plant with orange flowers and maroon foliage. I'll still need to get something for filler, but I'm happy with these as the central feature. As for the list, I now have four new pots waiting to be filled by a dwarf mulberry (on order), old gooseberries and new raspberries from one of the Morris dancers. We seem to be doing a raspberry rota this spring. I took another team member some of my Heritage everbearings last week. There are two bags of good soil waiting to fill the pots and five bags of bark mulch ready to spread. Then I'll be done for the year, time to put the shovel away and my feet up, ready to sit back and just watch things grow.

A Spoonful Of Spring

Day 203: I had occasion to be in downtown Puyallup yesterday, so took a swing past Watson's Nursery to pick up some bedding plants and a few things for hanging baskets. As always, I walked through their outdoor racks and was happy to discover that they'd received their stock of "Spoonflower" Osteospermums. I'd already purchased two standard Osteos, and I can't resist Spoons. They were only available in one shade of purple, but any Spoon is better than no Spoon at all. In fact, I've had the greatest success with this hue. With nighttime temperatures projected to stay in the 40s, I felt confident in putting them into their permanent home in the big pot at the end of my sidewalk. If we do get a cold snap, I'll build a bubble-wrap tent to protect them.

Spoon Season

Day 179: It's Spoon Season! I hadn't expected it quite this early, so it was a good thing that I stopped by Watson's Nursery while I was in town a few days ago. The "Spoon Flower" Osteospermums sell out rapidly! I bought two in bud, this medium purple (described as "pink" on the tag) and my favourite dark purple. I had planted three in the "spoon pot" last year and they developed into a mound two feet high by three wide, rather too crowded for the space I allowed. Two should allow for more breathing room.

This blossom is not fully open. When the petals are mature, they will be open only at the ends and thus the common name of "Spoon Flower" is very descriptive. They are an eye-catcher in any garden! I have yet to find them available as seed, but I could easily be tempted to fill my flowerbeds with them.

Spoon Garden

Day 228: You can't have too much of a good thing, not when you're talking about Spoon Flowers. I managed to score all three colours this year, and have planted them together in a 10-gallon pot set at the end of the raspberry row beside the birdbath. I can enjoy them from the living room window there, an advantage over having them in the flower bed closer to the house. I bought them as soon as Watson's set them out, a tricky proposition because I'm in the next Plant Hardiness Zone due to the difference in altitude. They had to be coaxed along indoors for a month before I could start hardening them off on the back porch. Once danger of killing frost had passed, I moved them to the pot. They're thriving in the "Spoon Bowl," gently fertilized by the Evening Grosbeaks and Spotted Towhees as they stand in line for a drink at the birdbath. Now there's a bit of gardening advice you won't find in any book!

Osteospermum Spoon Flower

Day 187: Spoon Flower has become a "must have" annual for my garden. In size and growth habit, this unusual variation of Osteospermum is comparable to a Chrysanthemum, but the unique shape of the petals will make your guests do a double-take. The petals retain their rolled, spoon-tipped shape throughout the blooming cycle and although they benefit from dead-heading, it's not required to keep your plant in bloom. They come in several shades of pinkish purple to deep purple as well as white.

Summer Spoonful

Day 266: Since discovering Osteospermum "Spoon Flower" a few years ago, it has become one of my favourite annuals. It is a prolific bloomer and although it benefits from deadheading, it will still produce dozens of flowers even if you neglect the task. Like other Osteos, it can withstand drier soil than many annuals, although in the 90-degree temperatures we've been experiencing for the last week, I am keeping the garden well-watered.

A Day In The Garden

Day 225: Since moving into this house 25 years ago, I've gardened in varying degrees. At first, it seemed that the battle against the weeds would never end. The flower beds were overgrown with grass when I took possession of the property, and with the help of a friend, we excavated them to a depth of 18", sifting out weeds and rocks, replacing anything which looked like it might turn into a desirable plant. It took three or four years of diligent weeding to bring any semblance of order to the chaos, and during that time, I planted mostly annuals so I could pull up anything green which sprouted the following spring. Later, I began to add a few perennials to the ones we'd unearthed, and now I've abandoned annuals almost entirely. The garden is at last manageable with a minimum of care.

This year, however, good weather came early, and I went a bit berserk when the grubbing-in-the-dirt mood came over me. I laid new beds, planted shrubs and trees, shifted perennials to better locations and added new ones to fill in the gaps. Finally, I can honestly say that I am enjoying gardening rather than looking upon the activity as something more or less demanded of any homeowner. Now I am seeing the real rewards!

From left to right, top to bottom:

This variety of Osteospermum carries the enchanting name "Spoonflower." Can you see why?

An old-fashioned favourite, this yellow Columbine was one we salvaged.

The Wisteria was one of the first things I planted. It has borne more flowers this year than any time past.

Lily-of-the-Valley was a must-have because as a child, I enjoyed it at my grandmother's home.

Sarracenia "Carolina Yellow Jacket" is my newest carnivore. It stands in a dish of water to keep its feet wet.

The pink Columbines came with the house. Not my favourite color, I am phasing them out gradually.

Spoon Among Mums

Day 359: Each autumn, I am tempted by the displays of chrysanthemums which populate the entryways of all the home-and-garden stores. Occasionally, I break down and buy one, figuring that a few short weeks of fall color is worth a couple of bucks. This year, I got a surprise. My 'mum from last year sprouted from the root and burgeoned into a good-sized plant, even crowding the Osteospermum ("Spoon Flower") adjacent to it. Now that's a good return on your dollar!

A Spoon Full Of Rain

Day 238: Osteospermum "Spoon Flower" has quickly become one of my favourite annuals since I was introduced to it by a friend a couple of years ago. The rolled petals with their spatulate tips are very eye-catching, and the plant sends up dozens of them. Keep the flowers coming by dead-heading faded blooms.

Last year, I bought my Osteos too early and one of the two (four-inch pots) did not survive being treated as a houseplant. This year, I bought a single plant in the gallon size and put it immediately into the garden. No sooner than I'd finished tamping down the dirt, Mother Nature watered it in for me. Thanks for working in tandem with me, Ma!

September Spoonful

Day 342: Of the two "Spoon Flower" Osteospermums I planted last spring, only one survived having been kept as a houseplant for too long. Lesson learned: buy them and put them in the ground immediately, even if you have to protect them from frost. That said, this one was slow to get started but is now presenting a wonderful display of blooms. Hopefully, I'll be able to enjoy it for a few more weeks until Jack Frost comes calling.

Spoons Of Dark Purple

Day 215: By special request and because this morning, the blossom was fully open, here is the darker shade of purple "Spoon Flower" Osteospermum shot in somewhat better light than the lavender one I featured yesterday. "Spoon Flower" is also available in white. The petals unfurl to some extent as the flower matures, but never fully open out flat. Spoon up some summertime fun in your garden with this delightful and unusual Osteo!

Osteospermum Spoon Flower

Day 214: When my friend Patty got a "Spoon Flower" last year, I knew I'd just have to find one for my garden! An Osteospermum, the plant is an annual, but I am given to understand that it reseeds freely. The "spoony" variety comes in medium purple like this one, dark purple and white. I bought a medium and a dark purple. I won't be putting them out in the garden just yet, though. It's not uncommon for us to get a killing frost in late May. I never put tomatoes out until at least the first of June.

And speaking of tomatoes, they've failed to produce for me for the last two years because cold nights came early. Even with a maturation date of 60-65 days, a pair of my favorite Sweet Million cherry tomatoes only produced half a dozen fruits. I am trying a different variety this year (Oregon Spring) in the hopes that it's better adapted to our climate. Oregon Spring matures at 60 days.