Seedy Saturday - Warmer Temperatures, Buds and Blooms

We have gone from record lows, in the low 60's, to now back to regular June weather. Luckily, despite the chill and the rain, the plants are hanging in there nicely.

My Vanda orchid, which I am really surprised I haven't killed already, is actually putting out a new leaf.



Another plant, putting out new growth, is one of my "Montana" hollyhocks.

It is such a delicate pink flower. But the hollyhock is only about 9 inches tall! Normally they are several feet tall. And there are 2 more buds on the plant. But at least I managed to grow it from seed, plant it at the one house, dig it up and move it to this house and have it survive.

Something else 'blooming' is one of my tomatoes!

I think I can safely say 'it's a boy!'

However, one of my dahlia is opening up.

It was leaning (I hadn't staked it) and now it's propped up on the fennel. But it's really beautiful anyway.

I have picked about 2 dozen cherry tomatoes so far and one off the Patio tomato. These are the Park's Whopper tomatoes ripening. Not really 'whoppers' in my book, but they are ripening and I'll gobble them down.

One of the things I love about growing my tomatoes, especially the ones I have which aren't really 'commercial' tomatoes, are some of the odd things you see.

For example, this cluster of buds.

The one large flower in the middle is called a 'marigold' and is often a double flower. And it is surrounded by several regular buds. It will be interesting to watch and see what happens here.

Another thing I am keeping an eye on are some of the buds on my Cherokee Chocolate and a Cherokee cross. The sepals, the green part on the buds, are super long.

Normally, the sepals are about the length of the yellow petals of the flower. In these, they are twice as long (or longer) than the petals. Really interesting and well worth keeping my eye on. 

Of course, I HAD to add to my collection this past week. After much searching, Texter and I came across a Carolina Allspice. This is a shrub/tree I grew up with and was called a Sweet Betsy. My grandfather had the only one I had seen until well into my adulthood. 

I finally found out what it was called and was surprised to find out it is a native plant. It produces small maroon-brown buds which are very fragrant. There was one at a house we rented in Apex years ago. 

The girls and I have wanted one for years now. And we found two at Big Bloomers in Sanford. So they came home with us. Both will be planted for now in large containers. 

I will not mention the two gingers I purchased along with the Popcorn plant and the Sensitive Plant and the Curly Spider plant.