Roses

Posted on by capentalc

Recently I planted some really amazing new roses in my garden.   One in particular is called Koko Loco and it changes colors as it aged. It starts out a deep salmon pink color, then to cocoa, eventually fading out to an almost lavender color.  This is not your average rose! I love growing uncommon things.

Another rose that is particularly beautiful to me is the Love Song rose. It has the most perfect purple lavender color ever.

This Sparkle and Shine rose has an amazing yellow color that I like and I don’t usually like yellow flowers. It has good form and reminds me of a hibiscus and peony. It is such a cheerful color in the garden.

Another phenomenal beauty is the Plum Perfect rose, which also has a beautiful, vibrant plum. I love the double flower form of this rose.

Below are a few other favorites from years before. Oklahoma and First Prize are huge flowering roses, in full bloom they are larger than my hand as you can see from one of the pictures. Oklahoma is a deep red, very dramatic.

  • Chicago Peace
  • At Last
  • First Prize
  • Oklahoma

Below are a few other honorable mentions that are not roses I thought you might enjoy.

Geraniums
Hibiscus
Dwarf pomegranate

Calypso Bracelet

Posted on by capentalc

Well, it took me a really long time to complete this bracelet but I finally did it. I started this bracelet about 9 months ago and completed 85% of it. On Saturday I told myself it was time to complete the project and move on to something new.  I was distracted by crocheting and knitting over these past few months.

My weekend plans consist of me being outside in my garden for at least 2 hours in the morning and at least 2-3 hours in the afternoon.  In between those times,  I do indoor projects like knitting,  crocheting, and beading.  

This bracelet I made is from a pattern designed by Jaycee. She makes such  beautiful, intricate designs. I love the romantic, lacy-ness of this bracelet. I also love that the bracelet is thicker rather than a thin band to disguise my bony wrist. My wrist is extremely small and I find that all bracelets sold for women are too big for me.

This band was made with 10 different beads. I didn’t have enough of some of the beads so ended up using a variety of colors. It worked out well. Below is my beading tray filled with mayhem. I had to beg my boys to sort the beads for me once I completed the bracelet.

The hardest thing about beading is picking colors and beads to go with the designs. I have spent hours on choosing colors and beads before I start projects. Sometimes I would have to tear up the project about a quarter of the way in after finding out the colors and size don’t have the desired effect. I want colors that would work well with my wardrobe and beads must already be in my current stash.

This picture below is to show you how small the beads are. My tiny hairlike strand of thread is coming out of a gold 15mm Delica beads. The needles for this project is just as thin and I am still amazed that I am able to thread it without problems, although my eyes have gotten worse since I started beading years ago.

After completing this bracelet I realized I should have used a magnet clasp instead of this difficult-to-maneuver-clasp-with-one-hand thing. Other than that, I am very happy with my bracelet. Hopefully in a few more weeks I will be able to share my new beading project.

But wait…look what’s blooming in my yard!

Fuchsia
Iochroma Princess
Blushing Ballerina Angel’s Trumpet

Bonsai

Posted on by capentalc

I have always been intrigued by bonsai trees but the last couple of years I was blown away by how beautiful a wisteria tree can be as a bonsai.  I’ve always loved wisteria trees but have heard they are vigorous climbers and need a lot of space to grow out.  Since I have a lot of other things growing in my backyard, I didn’t want to worry about an unmanageable wisteria, turning it into a bonsai tree seemed the perfect solution. 

I bought the wisteria about a year and a half ago.  I let it get used to the environment for about a year.  This winter I trimmed its roots and planted it in the bonsai pot below. 

I wasn’t sure if it would make it because it was dormant when I trimmed it down.  The last few months it started sprouting healthy green leaves.  The wisteria below is called the Blue Moon wisteria and this is what it looks like now.  One annoying thing about wisteria is that it takes at least 5-7 years before it flowers! 

Below is another wisteria I am growing, it is the Japanese wisteria.  I transferred it to this bonsai pot while it was dormant a few months ago.  It has not broken out of dormancy yet.  I hope I will have much success with this one too. 

Another pretty tree I want to put in a bonsai pot is this bougainvillea.  The colors in this tree are wonderful, all my favorites!

I left the bougainvillea out in the sun after I stressed it out by trimming and transplanting.  I shouldn’t have done that even with a tough, drought tolerant wonder like this bougainvillea.  I should have left it in the shade for a few days to de-stress, give it plenty of water, and then bring it out in the sun after it acclimated itself.  Below is what it looked like after being left out in the sun.

That was pretty sad to see.  I’ve never seen a droopy bougainvillea before!  I gave it water and put it in partial shade and it recovered. 

I am also trying my hands at weeping willow trees and azaleas too.  I may have some pictures to show for next post. 

As always, below are a collection of new flowers in my garden.

Bearded Iris
Lemonade Cosmos
Rose Bonbon Cosmos

These Champagne ranunculus are so lovely.  Everyday there are different shades of salmon and light/dark pinks. My all time favorite!  I love these.  They look like perfect roses.