Nets + Zinnias + Taro + Dried Snap Peas…

Earlier I tweeted: Are Gurney’s ( @GurneysDeals ) and Henry Field’s are the same company?… because I am getting identical emails from both of them. I got a responce saying: “yep. Same with springhill and michigan bulb”

When I got home from work, I noticed that my Mom set out the net to catch the Plums Folia that are starting to drop.

It's Falling Plum Time Poor Zinnias

My Zinnias grown from seeds have been in their small cell packs for a while. I haven’t had the time to transfer them into better pots until this evening. I planted them in my Solo drinking cups pots, with each color representing a different variety. By the time I got them all potted, it was already dark outside.

Potted Zinnias

My Mom found some of the Taro in our pantry sprouting. She cut of the growing tips, placed in a bowl with a damped towel and covered with a pastic bag to keep it moist. This evening I took the Taro tips and planted them temporarily in a big cell pack with potting soil, so the root will grow and develop.

Taro Sprouting Taro Planted

Finally, I shelled the old Snap Pea Pod that I put out to dry. I’m not really saving these to plant, so we may use them as food somehow.

Dried Snap Peas Shelled Dried Snap Peas

New African Violet Baby + First Coleus Pots…

I finally see a sprout emerging from the African Violet (Variegated) Folia cutting I planted on May 13 (about 29 days ago).

Variegated African Violet Baby

When I got home from work, I made three Coleus Pots:

Coleus Pot #1: Colorblaze Dark Star, Gay’s Delight and Unknown from Sloat (Yellow Scalloped).

Coleus Pot #2: Unknown from Sloat (Red Autumn-like), Wizard Jade, Wizard Coral Sunrise and Wizard Scarlet? (Red Yellow-edge).

Coleus Pot #3: Radical Wonder, Colorblaze Royal Glissade and Rudy Jewels.

New Folia Journal Feature…

I’m introducing a new feature on my blog that will allow you to see the history of a particular plant. When I mention a plant on my blog like my Cerinthe ‘Purple Bells’ Folia, I’ll place a yellow Folia leaf image (like the one above) that will link to the journal page of that particular plant on Folia’s website… so if you are curious about a particular plant or just want to know more about it, you can see that plants journal on Folia.

I’m tracking my garden:
MyFolia.com - Organise, track & share your gardening adventures!

Folia is a free online social garden organiser website that I use to track my plants and gardens.

Father’s Day Gardening…

After having a great Father’s Day with a big BBQ lunch for my brother… then a short nap… I work in the garden a bit.

I’m slowly cleaning up the Square Foot Beds and this evening I started collecting seeds from the dried up volunteer Wild Calendula plants so I can cut them down to make room for new plants. There were quite a few seeds and I’m sure several dropped before I got to collect them… but those will form the plants for next year.

Dried Wild Calendula Wild Calendula Seeds

As I was cutting the Wild Calendula, my Mom started cutting down the bolting Beets Folia in a nearby square. These Beets are actually pretty old–they were planted May 2008… and I don’t have the heart to chop them down completely. I’ll just let them grow and pick off the young leave to use for greens… though I’m debating weather to move them or just let them stay at there current location.

I noticed that the volunteer Cerinthes Folia are already dropping seeds…

First Plum Harvest

I picked my first Plum Folia fruit from the tree next to the sink. It’s not completely ripe but still good… sweet with a little tartness. Yumm!

More Mongero Photos Posted…

I added a few more photos from my visit to Tony Mongero’s garden.
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You can see the complete set in my Flickr set entitled “Mongero Garden

Saturday Gardening…

The Asparagus Pea is growing nicely and is about twice the size I bought it. I see at least four tiny pods. I wonder if Asparagus Pea (Tetragonolobus purpurea) is an annual or perennial here.

First Asparagus Pea Pod...

I made a couple combination pots. I potted a Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ into a existing pot with Dahlia ‘Jack-o-Lantern’ and Sedum ‘Angelina’. (photo below left)

Rudbeckia hirta ‘Prairie Sun’ Combination Pot

In another pot, I planted Salpiglosis ‘Kew Blue’, a volunteer Persicaria ‘Painter’s Palette’ that a found and an unlabeled plant from Annies Annuals. (photo above right)

I also potted up my Sugar Cane plant from a one gallon pot to a five gallon one. I was debating wheather to put the Sugar Cane in the front yard or behind the storage to get more sun. My Mom thought it would be better behind the storage, so that’s where I placed it.

Repotted Sugar Cane

I see one Tricolor Bush Bean sprouting up in the hanging pot I made a few days ago. Hopefully the rest will come up soon.

Refreshed a pot with 3 year old Tweedia caerula by adding compost. Also planted seedlings grown from seeds from this plant into this pot.

I’m glad to see that the Scarlet Chinese and Easter Eggplants from last year survived and have new growth.

Mongero Garden Plant Sale…

About two weeks ago, my Mom and Brother came home and were so excited to tell me about a house near downtown Vallejo that was having a plant sale. “A house” I wondered… I thought it was something like a garage sale with plants, but as they told me more and more about the various plants they seen, I because so curious… After eating lunch, I took my camera and headed there.

This house is owned by Tony Mongero, a local landscaper located on 225 El Dorado Street in Vallejo, California.

Mongero Garden Plant Sale Mongero Garden Front Yard Entrance

He loves to grow plants… and it shows. I was so surprised at all the wonderful plants, many which are not sold at the big chain home improvement stores. I never seens some of the plants except in TV shows and online.

Pitcher Plants Hibiscus? Mongero Garden

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You can see more photo in my Flickr set “Mongero Garden

Tony told me that he has plants sales about once a month and puts up sign around the area (which is how my Brother discovered the place). He also says that people are free to come in anytime he is in the garden and his gate is open. You can also call ahead of time and ask if you can come over. So if you go, tell him you heard of his garden through me :)

Here’s his flyer with more information and contact details.

Vietnamese Coriander + Kangkong + Kalanchoe tubiflora…

I was shopping at 99 Ranch Market and found Rau Ram aka Vietnamese Coriander (Persicaria odorata) (bottom left photo) which I recognized as a Polygonum because of its stem & chevron on the leaf. I bought it, but didn’t intending to eat it, but to plant and add to my Polygonum collection.

Purchased Persicaria odorata Kalanchoe tubiflora in Bloom

I also bought some Kangkong aka Water Spinach (Ipomoea aquatica) to make Adobong Kang Kong and also try to plant/root the stems.

My Kalanchoe tubiflora (Chandelier Plant) (top right photo) grown from tiny plantlets 4 years ago is now blooming. I didn’t even know that these bloomed.