Journal Notes...Surprise Freeze Warning...

You know what's annoying?  ...to have a surprise freeze warning..only for the weather to get back into the 70's in two days.  I usually do wordless Wednesday but I think I want this journaled. Last night, it was supposed to get to 34 F.  So in a mad frenzy I started populating the greenhouse.  My, those plants got heavy.  I used a dolly for most of them.

For my tender annuals, I watered them.  These coleus are under the house awning so they should fare well.

The Mexican Heather was my concern.  It's too late to dig them up...by this time..I had an hour of daylight & well over 30...more like 50 if you include the babies...  It was too windy to cover...so only choice was to water & hope for the best.

The roses take a harder freeze to kill I think.

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The banana trees will prob burn a bit.

Cassia in the back I believe to do not take freezes.  Last year, I greenhoused but space will be at a premium soon.  I will need to look up what a seedpod looks like.

Camellias are blooming.

Rushing to seal off the greenhouse in new visqueen.

Got most of the larger plants in...time for the smaller ones.

Watered as much as I could

A lot of the heather is exposed, but at worst the tops will burn.

Ran the irrigation system for the roses.

Back perennials are not on the irrigation lines.

Used a hose for the front perennials & annuals

This morning it was definitely cold.  So cold in fact that when I went on the porch with a tshirt, shorts, & barefoot...I ran back in...  My husband laughing at me...I said, "It's cold out there!"  So this picture was taken inside at the window.

What is "Pinching a Plant" Exactly?

I, constantly, read in gardening books and magazines to pinch a plant.  Now, I know how to "pinch" something.  Feeling, I am misunderstanding the article, I look in the glossary.  It promptly tells me how to pinch, in the traditional sense.  I am still lost.  How does this effect a plant?  My sarcastic side thinks, I should blow it a kiss for the insult.  How does pinching a coleus or bougainvillea help?  

I read to pinch coleus.  This is what I found on the web that did clarify it a bit.

What I have determined is that "pinching" is like deadheading, except for removing a flower, you are removing the tips.  It is, at least, my conclusion.

This is what I found on bougainvillea

I did learn that bougainvilleas bloom only on new growth.

And finally, I found this video.  I think my conclusion is pinching, isn't really pinching, it's more like pulling tops off..but that is my take.

Journal Notes..Wiring rose up a pillar, changing sprinkler irrigation to drip, staking zinnia, etc

I had opted to change out the sprinkler heads that I had in place for plain drip

I bought these drip emitters on Ebay which were a lot better than the orbit pack I have.  Oh, but the emitter on the tube BEFORE putting it in to the 1/2 tube.  Also, put the emitter on the side versus the top of the tube

1/4 spaghetti tube

 Today, I needed to change the irrigation to drip.  So I removed the sprinklers and simply stod stapled the tube to a plant.  I punched more holes and more tubes to the individual plant.  I am glad I did this.  It delivers a whole lot more water to the plant directly vs indirectly and I'll stop watering weeds.

These were the sprinkler heads I removed

This is the emitter and tube I replaced it with

This is my dog, Heidi.  I have another doxie but she was adopted and so fat that people ask me if she is a dog.

The Mexican Heather got four drippers

The weeds still do come through the screen.  And they have thorns.  You should see my fingers.

Now I needed to make Climbing Golden Showers climb up this pillar (the one with the curtain).  Not sure how that is going to work yet..but per Nell, and I have seen it in action.  The more horizontal a climber, the more blooms.  So I am going to do relatively tight swirl up the pillar.  There are two climbers going up it.  The only thing that I get concerned about is the lack of circulation causing blackspot.

Stakes for the zinnia and zip ties.  Gloves to pull weeds, and shear when I get lazy.

I used plant wire to guide the climber.  Why?  Two reasons...one, because I had plant wire, and secondly because I have another golden showers climbing up a utility pole.  A storm came in and broke off a lot of the canes because it was unsupported.  What I did was tie the plant wire and the bottom of the cane and swirl up the cane to add support.  Stupid question...will the wire get hot and hurt the plant.  It is also more discrete than other wire.

Golden showers loves afternoon shade an lots of water.  The light bulb on the porch unfortunately attracts bugs.

Wired the inner most canes first.  And I wired them at two levels.

You can barely see the wire...which is a plus.

I am wiring it on this side.  And I have another climber on the other side of this pillar.

With those wired..time for the zinnia.  These things get real, real tall...especially since it is getting water regularly.  This might be an exercise in futility.  You see the drip tubes to each plant...sod stapled in place.  I use to zip tie the tube to the plant...bad idea.  I do zip tie to the stake.  These are annuals.

Wired second climber on the other end.  I want you to note something.  The larger one gets a WHOLE lot more shade then the one you are seeing.  I am getting the impression golden showers likes shade.

See the difference in their sizes.  The larger one BARELY gets sun.  Well...it does now because of it's height.

Finished mulching a section of the rose bed.

The screening and mulching for whatever reason has done wonders.  I think this was a dollar general rescue...Eclipse

The front hydrangea bed is overcome with weeds.  They look like perwinkle.  Not sure because the leaves look exactly the same.  Is perwinkle invasive?  Either way, they have to go.  Last year, I had an issue with blackspot, and these will not help.

Perwinkle leaves that I know are perwinkle.

Weeds...are these perwinkle?

There is this vine that is growing around the Pittosporum.  It has tiny red flowers that are pretty but has to go.  And the most annoying weed of all time.  The ones with briars.

Sorry for the haze.  If your bougainvillea has no leaves...don't worry.  Mine has done that a ton of times.  I replanted this one and it had not one leaf on it..I believe last week?  Watering does wonders.

Pinata on an automatic timer is blooming

The rose bed seems to be recovering

This post is scheduled.  By the time it posts, will be hacking the weeds behind the rose bed and trying to finish this section.

This was SUPPOSED to be climbing Iceberg.  I can't tell if it's mislabeled or I switched roses.  Looks like Granada.

This is the same plant with spent roses.  I don't think it's Dr. Huey.

Tomorrow these boys are going in the ground.  It's been raining daily and I really, really want this done.  I have a young man coming tomorrow to help me.