Old Florida thought from Oct 2013

Louis Philippe-The Florida Cracker Rose

Boy do I love this flower

I had to find a home for this handsome flower.  The front garden had just been seeded (that is not going so hot just yet).  That means there is no room at the inn for the rose.  So with some brain storming a new additional planting bed was envisioned.  

I know I just said last week I was going to keep it simpler.  But I do have this vegetable garden I keep messing with and this bed will help some of the pollinators find the veggies.  Anyone buying that?

Another thing to consider is the pot that Louis Philippe rose is/was in had a large crack down the side and I was afraid damage would happen to the roots.  Which is why I transplanted a blooming rose.  Everything I have researched about transplanting said that was a bad idea.  Well the rose blooms all year what is a gardener supposed to do.  Trim the buds.  Simple!  General consensus said to give the plant three weeks to get established.  If anyone knows different please let me know.  I don't want to kill it.

Technology is really cool sometimes.  I planned out the new garden bed using BUBBLES! 

*I should have make what size the bed was.  Maybe next time.*

List of plants

1. Louis Philippe (Florida Cracker Rose)

2. Crimson Pirate daylily

3. Rocket city daylily

4. Little missy daylily

5. El Desperado daylily

6. Lavender

7. Chives

8. Basil

9. Onion

10. Blanket flower

11. Red salvia

12. Candytuft

13. Marigold

*Black rectangle is a toad house or a fairy house what every you want to call it.

This bed sits right next to the neighbor's house.  I was careful to make sure the plants on the right side would not be troublesome.  Also I angled the bed so it would not over step bounders.  I used plants or seeds I already had hence the Candytuft, Marigold, and Blanket flower.  Who knows if the seeds will even start they are a few years old.  Basil, Chives, Onion, Lavender are all pest control plants.  From what I have read about the Cracker rose it doesn't get pest.  These are plants we wanted to start anyway and they just have bonus benefits.  

Now for the tricky part.  Garden math!  I marked out 18 inches away from the roots of the plant (of course I probably marked more then that when all was said and done).  This way the roots will not have to compete with anything.  Then I marked out the planting bed itself.  See.  

What a yucky yard!

Told ya I never water my grass or fertilize it.  Looks gross huh?

With much digging and amended soil the plant can go in.  Gardening in a Minute has a few helpful links on soil.  I did what I could.

This is my dirt

All the additional plants where spaced at their recommended distances.  I was very surprised with the daylilies when I planted them.  The package said bulbs.  I expected round bulbs but I found roots.  A big tangled mess of roots.  

Daylily

After amending the soil, planting, watering, and mulching, the gardening bed is complete.  The mulch was a gift from a very nice tree service business by the way.  Hopefully with time everything will grow and blossom.  

It is humorous how one plant turned into so much more.