Kategorie: flowers
Abendhimmel und Blütenmeer
Heute war der Abendhimmel wirklich abgefahren- der Himmel war leuchtend Pink! Auf diesem Bild bekommt man eine Ahnung, aber es war noch intensiver:
Today the evening sky was really weird- it was glowing pink. The image gives a hint but nature was way more intense:
Und hier ein Blick auf die Fensterbank, wo die wie wild wachsenden Petunien nun mehr Platz an den Füßen haben. Die beiden gelben näher zur Tür hin sind neu.
And a view of the windowsill, where the quickly growing petunias got a roomier home now. The two yellow ones closer to the door are new.
Noch mehr Blüten
Hat keine Blüten, aber dafür ist die Fensterbank nun voll mit Südfenster-tauglichen Pflanzen (die Strahlenaralie ist im Schlafzimmer und treibt seit sie dort ist wieder aus!)
Dann habe ich heute Balkonblumen gekauft und eingepflanzt- und wehe da geht nun ein Vogel dran! *g*
Auf der Fensterbank die überlebenden Stiefmütterchen, Husarenknöpfchen und die Grasnelke:
Hier sieht man die intensive Farbe der Stiefmütterchen nochmal toll:
Gelbe Millionbells und eine blaue Hängepetunie für den festen Kasten:
Zaun zwecks Vogelabwehr, man weiß ja nie…
Ein Lavendel darf natürlich auch nicht fehlen:
Mein neuer Blumenkasten mit ebenso neuer Bepflanzung – zwei Geranien Caliente/ Fire (wie unwiderstehlich *g*) mit einer gelben Hängepetunie in der Mitte
Bei Obi muss man in der Pflanzenabteilung gemeinerweise immer an diesem Blütenmeer vorbei- die Orchideen:
Gemeinerweise sind es immer die schönsten, die ich hier aus Klimagründen oder Zeitmangel nicht halten kann. *g*
Hier ein besonders hübsches Exemplar einer Vanda:
Aber ich war nun schon so oft bei Obi und immer brav. *g*
Bei mir zuHause haben die Orchis nun auch mit Blühen weitergemacht:
Phal. Mashimo:
Diese beiden riechen dieses Jahr ganz intensiv:
English Summary:
Above you see my new balcony plantings and some new plants, as well as my South-facing indoor window with now suitable plants for this. Then some outdoor plants-images and when I spot a bird wreaking havoc in there, I will go bananas!
Also, for viewing pleasure, the orchid corner at Obi’s, together with a closeup of a really beautiful Vanda.
And my own orchids at home, who are beginning to flower nicely now.
Frühlingsgefühle
Bei meinen Eltern blüht das Apfelbäumchen:
At my parent’s place the appletree flowers:
Die Weide sieht sehr frühlingshaft aus:
The pasture looks like spring:
Und ist voller Blumen, keine Ahnung was das so alles ist…
Full of flowers, no idea what they are, but they are pretty…
Blüten
Neues vom Balkon:
Und diesen tollen Blumenkasten haben mir meine Eltern heute vorbei gebracht 🙂
(This pretty arrangement I got from my parents today. 🙂 )
Wochenende!
Nach einer langen, aber interessanten Woche (Bibliothekartag 2012 in Hamburg) ist nun das lange Pfingstwochenende da und sogar das Wetter ist wunderbar! Sonnenschein, 26C mit leichtem Wind- wie am Meer.
Ich sitze gerade auf dem Balkon unter meinem neuen Sonnenschirm- so gefällt mir das sommerliche Wetter auch. *g*
Hier ein paar Impressionen:
Mein Sonnenschirm, irgendwie ziemlich retro, aber die anderen waren alle zu groß für meinen Balkon..
Und das ist gerade mein Ausblick, sozusagen:
Gestern beim Einkaufen habe ich noch zwei Sofakissen gefunden, die perfekt zu meinen neuen Sesselüberzügen passen:
Life is good! After a long but interesting week (librarian congress 2012), I am now enjoying the long weekend. Surprisingly, even the weather is good, we have 26C, sunshine and a slight breeze that gives you a seaside feeling.
Finally I can try out my new parasol also, which does look slightly retro I suppose, but was the only one there that would fit onto my Balkony size-wise.
The second images shows what I am looking at when I look up now.
And then I really have to show off the nice pillows that I found yesterday, which perfectly match the new covers of my armchairs.
Das Canna-Projekt 4
Die kleinen Cannas sind heute auf den Balkon umgesiedelt, so groß sind sie inzwischen:
The little Canna have moved out to the balcony today, see how „tall“ they are already:
Auf dem Balkon
Grünt und blüht es. Hier sind aktuelle Bilder.
Die Zuckerhut-Fichte wird jedes Jahr breiter:
Der kleine Apfelbaum hat ziemlich große Blätter:
Die Glockenblumen sind richtig buschig geworden:
Die Steinheide wächst und wächst:
Die Grasnelken stehen immer noch in den Startlöchern:
Die Dalien sind wie erwartet nicht alt geworden – ihr Ersatz wird mich aber länger begeistern, Bornholm-Margueriten.
Die Hortensie treibt inzwischen auch kräftig neu:
Und das hier ist meine neueste Errungenschaft, eine Dipladenia (Mandevilla)“Sundaville Red“ – die Kamera fängt das Rot nicht richtig ein, die ist wirklich Dunkelrot.
Die Planze ist nicht frostfest und darf deshalb erst nach den Eisheiligen raus. (Überwintern als Zimmerpflanze, temperiert-warm, also kein Problem)
So- noch eine Pflanze mehr? Nöööö! Zu dieser Pflanze kam es folgendermaßen:
Heute morgen hab ich ganz ganz vorsichtig mal in den Canna-Töpfen nach dem rechten gesehen, weil ich nicht nur neugierig war, sondern auch das unbestimmte Gefühl hatte, das da was nicht stimmt. Gut das ich das gemacht habe.
Das größere Rhizom hat tatsächlich ausgetrieben, aber die Erde oben drauf hat sich verdichtet und der Trieb kam nicht vorwärts und hat schon angefangen im Bogen wieder nach unten zu wachsen. Da habe ich also die Erde gelockert und den Trieb sachte neu ausgerichtet. Der wird dann demnächst rauskommen. *freu*
Im anderen Topf ist gar nichts passiert- naja, bis auf die Tatsache das das zweite Rhizom vor sich hingegammelt hat- es war offensichtlich tot. Ich hatte es also entsorgt und dann den freien Topf rausgeräumt.
Eigentlich wollte ich dafür dann ein paar Petunien kaufen, aber aber als ich am Blumenladen war und diese riesigen roten Blüten gesehen habe, wars um mich geschehen. Immerhin hab ich mich vorher ja noch nach den Kulturbedingungen erkundigt, so dass dieses Prachtstück hier eine realistische Chance hat sich wohlzufühlen.
Da die neue Pflanze gar keinen Frost mag, kann ich sie noch ein paar Wochen drinnen halten und bestaunen, da sie auch als Zimmerpflanze geeignet ist, macht ihr das gar nichts aus.
Die Canna-Ausgrabung hat mal wieder gezeigt, das man immer auf sein Bauchgefühl hören soll, besonders was Pflanzen angeht. Ich hab jedenfalls beschlossen, Kulturanleitungen nur noch als Orientierung zu nehmen und die Pflanzen nach Gefühl zu pflegen- die die ich so behandelt habe, sind alle fit and gut gewachsen. Dagegen habe ich mit Hilfe von klugen Anleitungen aus Büchern, die ich entgegen meiner Ahnung wörtlich befolgte, schon einige Pflänzchen um die Ecke gebracht.
English Summary:
Above you see the progress of all the inhabitants on my balcony, growing everywhere there, too.
The last plant featured there is my newest one, I found it today. It is a Dipladenia(=Mandevilla) „Sundaville Red“ and simply awesome. I barely dared to ask about it, but it is not difficult at all and can even live as a true indoor plant, even if it prefers the summer outdoors. Thanks to that, getting it over the winter is not a problem, because it will not mind the normal room temperature.
So, is that yet another plant? No, it is a replacement.
This morning I felt I really should check inside the Canna-pots if anything was happening and so I very, very carefully dug into them with my fingers, pausing whenever I felt something through the gloves. In one pot, there was growing activity, hooray! But had I not looked, it would have turned into a big fail- the soil on top was too compact and the new shoot was not getting through and attempting a fatal U-turn. I loosend up the soil and gently straightened the shoot and am now very optimistic to see it peek out, soon.
In the other pot, there was nothing alive. The Rhizome in there was obviously dead and even already starting to decompose. I removed it, put the empty pot out and decided that I would plant some Petunias in there. But when I came to the flowershop and saw that table with those red beauties (they had some in white, too), I was totally in „want-take-have“ mode, LOL!! I barely dared asking about how to keep it, sure I would be disappointed, but to my great delight chances are good that it will like it here.
The Canna episode shows, how important it is to listen to your gut-feeling especially when dealing with living things like plants. I have killed plants by following how-tos to the letter and against my personal opinion, while those plants who are in some cases unconventionally kept and spoiled here all grow well. So much for that.
>’nother orchid picture
>..with a bit more light. Such an elegant little plant:
>Indoor plants for a change
>This one, whom I got from morgulz years back, fondly named „the alien“, is now making plans to get away:
Because of the new flowers I found today, one of the old had to move- since it was never overly fond of too much light, I am sure it will not mind. And Monster creates humid air just below, so it might benefit from that, too:
And these are the new ones, orchids! (Better pictures follow on a brighter day)
I found two that were
a) not magenta, pink or any other blinding colour
b) are suitable for beginner’s hands (actually their „how to“ says they need less attention than my other plants demand of me. Probably Mum is right, she says that I am spoiling my plants. *g*)
c) their demands of room temperature and humidity resemble my own
The large one, called „Dancing Flora“, is a „Dendrobium Compactum“
The small one is called „Table Dance Orchid“ and seems to be from the „Phalaenopsis“ family. It is newly bred variation, you can read some about them here: NEON Orchids
I wanted just one, but I could not decide… ^-^
I adore those small, delicate and elegant blossoms that they sport. Their little signs say they bloom up to three months, then you cut the stem and wait for the next.
Now I just hope that they will prove hardier than the other blooming plants that I had indoors before. *looks skyward* On the other hand, my other plants have trained me well in the meantime, I usually notice if they want something.
>Autumn approaches…
>… and on my balcony, too. Today it was sunny but cool weather, ideal to do gardening and maintenance work on the balcony. So I got some plants to replace those who did not survive the tons of rain after the heatperiod. Also my Bornholm Marguerites were no longer truly fit, having spent themselves with their many blossoms.
So on my balcony reside now the following plants:
In the corner with the kitchen window are the heather that now replaces the marguerites and my hydrangea:
Closeup of a blossom of the hydrangea:
All those are winter hardy and should return to life after the oncoming cold season.
Since the marigolds died, I put a flower pot with one Chrysantenum left and right my still lively third flowerbox:
(I had planned to have several of these in the flower boxes, but the first two already died on me…this is not my type of plant. Ironically, it was those I paid full for. The ragged red one that the flower-lady did not want any money for because it looked so desolate has not only survived, but also recovered, LOL!!)
And the other window:
The dalia seems to like it there. The little plants next to it apparently, too.
>Addendum to the previous post..
>… because I forgot a close up of my lovely Million Bells. 
The come in many colours and I want some for next year again, so much is already for certain.
The hydrangea looks like this- there are tiny pink sprinkles all over the blossoms that slowly turn greenish. It looks as if someone has sprayed some fruitjuice on it:
Two tiny lavender seedlings which I pulled from between the stones with the roots intact- so I thought, I am trying to cultivate those now. 
(Please ignore the dirty window sill, aheehee…)
>Time for another flower-post
>…it has been a while, hasn’t it? On my balcony, the plants hated the recent downpours of rain- all plants? No, one flowerbox full apparently loves it and really exploded since the weather got cooler and more rainy:
For comparision- they looked like this, when they were new:
>And yet another flower post
>…one day I will have bored you all senseless, muahaha. Um, yeah.
‚Cause I can’t stop taking pics of this one:
(Today I went to the market booth where I got it and thanked the seller for having such excellent plants. He was so very happy indeed.)
And the new plants in the flowerbox where the maguerites were- it is either a bad year for those or they simply don’t like me, LOL!!
It contains „Million Bells“ (a subspecies of petunias, often found in „hanging gardens“)
and one „Verbena“:
Both come in many colours.
And then this one wanted to come, too, LOL!! I know, I have complained about these looking like mutant Equisetum (horse tail/ Schachtelhalm) before and now suddenly have one and then it is even not white but rather urple… I know, I know… But sometimes you can fall in love on second glance with flowers, too. ^==^;;;
>Flowers! Serious Summer Warning!
>So today we still have this wonderful warm weather and I woke up early enough for the market, so I set out to get summery plants for the balcony.
When I was done on the market, my bike looked like this:
All the plants and stuff I bought, making two tours:
The finished balcony, all clean:
Tagetes, why am I suddenly surrounded by so much orange? 
One marguerite which did not fit into the middle flowerbox anymore:
The Bornholm Marguerites, tricked into reopening their blossoms fully (they do that only in full sunlight):
New hortensia, the other died by drying up from within- I suspect a damaged root. 
This one will look like these, when flowering:
http://www.gartenmarkt-koehler.de/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/03-08140054.jpg
To Mum:
My neighbour just got a third flowerbox out there! With more weird Geranien inside…
Her children really must hate me now…
>Flowers and no end, LOL!!
>My parents had another flowerbox to spare and Dad brought it over when we set out for the home tool supplier. I ended up with a screen-version of a flydoor afterall, as the one I wanted was not available currently. And I will save some room with this version as it works like rollo that is pulled sideways. These are not so easy to install, so I will need Dad for this after all, but at least the thingy is here already.
But the flowerbox! Of course having it here on the kitchen window sill did not give me any peace, LOL!!
So I moved the hortensia to a new place (there is a bit more shelter against the weather):
And since the empty box looked so empty and it was still not raining, I made a short excursion to Blume 2000 to see if I could find something nice. And so I did! 
Pocket sunshine, LOL!! Bornholm Margeriten.
If they grow too enthusiastically, I can set some into a big pot, too, but so far, they have enough room. And I have a mini garden now. ==^==^==
>More flowers and lamps
>More flower pics here!
Give them new soil and some attention and plants are happy: my Crown-of-Thorns is having its first blossoms! 
Why rainy days are beautiful- you just have to look closely:
Two lamps- one for outdoors:
..and one for indoors:
>Spring!
>OMG, I can copy huge archives to the hdd, work on a photo, listen to music and have wmplayer make a library all at once while I am online and write here and I never notice a slowdown. O.O Awesome…
Um, but what I wanted was to show that I let spring come to my balcony, too!
New plantses!
A new hortensia:
And pansies/violas (Stiefmütterchen)- I only wanted to fill one box, but they sold only big amounts of them, so I got to run for more soil and set up a second box, too, LOL!!!
I couldn’t resist when I saw them in my most favourite color-variation:
It rains with occasional hail even, which is why these flowers stand on the floor here.