Have you hugged your clematis today?

Have you hugged fed and pruned your clematis today? Clematis has been called the "Queen of the Climbers." Considering their pure beauty and uniqueness of color and form, that's not surprising.

To have healthy bloomers, keep in mind that clematis are heavy feeders. Compost is great, but I also like to add an extended release 10-10-10 fertilizer. Osmocote makes one and so does Miracle Grow.

And when you're speaking of clematis and springtime, you're also talking pruning. Be sure to look up the pruning class and then place the class number or letter on your plant label so you don't need to look them up again next year.

Below, why I love clematis:

'Rebecca'

 

Early in my gardening years, I did not label my plants. Consequently, I cannot tell you the name of this clematis.

 

'Nelly Moser'

 

Unknown clematis

 

Another unknown purple

 

Name unknown, in a friend's yard

 

'Multi Blue'

 

 'Betty Corning'

 

 'Josephine'

She's my favorite; can you see why?

 

Two unknown clematis share a trelllis.

'Comtesse de Bouchaud'

 

'Multi Blue'

 

 'Piilu'

Relaxing in my summer garden last year

I'm linking to:

Fertilizer Friday

Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day 

Thanks for visiting!

Beth

St. Patrick's Day Tea

It's a St. Paddy's Day Tea for me today! I got out my shamrock placemats and this green, gold, and white china that came from a thrift store.

Here's the backstamp on the china.

I made little shamrock cakes to go with tea today. I got the idea on how to make my little shamrock cakes from Jacqueline at Purple Chocolat Home. Click here to see how she made Valentine's Petit Fours; I used a shamrock instead of a heart. Jacqueline is a fabulous and creative cook. If you head over, be sure to tell her Beth at Beyond The Garden Gate says hi!

A little green tea goes well with the other greens for St. Patrick's Day.

May the luck o' the Irish be with you!

Want to make your own Keep Calm poster?

Click here.

Linking to Tea Time Tuesday at Rose Chintz Cottage

and

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog

and

The 4th Annual St. Patrick's Day Blog Crawl at Cuisine Kathleen.

Thanks for visiting!

Beth

The Beauty of Primulas

I haven't grown many Primula in my garden - yet. But based upon the beauties I've seen on the blogs, I'm giving it strong consideration.

Perennial primula grow mostly in the spring. They are native to the northern hemisphere, south into Ethiopia, Indonesia, and New Guinea and in temperate parts of the southern hemisphere. Many species are adapted to alpine climates.

Below you will see some primula growing in a garden in Iowa. Aren't they beautiful?

If you have any tips on growing primula in Zone 5, I'm all ears!

Primula 'Paragon' 

Primula X Pruhonica

Primula 'Sunshine'

Primula 'Rosetta Red'

Primula 'Cockburniana'

All photos courtesy of An Iowa Garden. Used with permission. 

Linking to Fertilizer Friday today - please go over to see all the beautiful flowers.

Thanks for visiting!

Beth

MAXDOG: A Blogger's Journey

I'm so proud of my blogging friend, Caryl. She's written a fabulous book. It's called MAXDOG, and it's the story of how the love of a dog and the friendship of fellow bloggers provided healing.

I first read about Golden Retriever Max, aka Maxdog,
at her blog, The Adventures of Maxdog in South Africa.

Baby Max

A beautiful boy

Merry Christmas!

Maxdog and Maxmom

Scenes from Max's world tour - a story of support from bloggers across the globe

Maxdog is the story of how Max is Caryl's rock during a difficult time, and how the tables are turned years later when Max is diagnosed with cancer. The show of support from the blogging community helps Caryl to heal, and inspires her to tell the story. It's a great read!

Click here for information on obtaining your copy of Maxdog. I ordered my copy directly from Caryl, and it arrived in under two weeks' time, and was personalized as well.

Photos from Max's blog; used with permission

Buy the book! You will really enjoy it.

Have a great day!

Beth