Barbara's Bloggin'

I was just looking at my plants and thought I hadn't posted an update on them lately.

The elephant ears had to be moved to the front porch as they just couldn't take all the sunshine by the little fish(less) pond in the back yard. They were fine for awhile, then one day it was hot and they developed about 4 or 5 crispy dead leaves. So they now get sunshine from about 7 am til 8 am and are in the shade the rest of the day. I understand they're "jungle" plants and don't really like a lot of sunshine. And, because they're on the front porch, more people see them and they've received a lot of nice compliments. They are really pretty I think.

And here's a couple of pictures of the cannas. They have certainly taken hold and grown like crazy! Quite a few are blooming now and the blooms are usually even taller than the 6' privacy fence. Second picture shows that much better.

I had planted 71 cannas bulbs (not all shown here) this past spring. A friend recently told me that if I'd use a post hole digger and plant them 18" deep (below the frost line) that I wouldn't need to dig them up every fall and replant them in the spring. So that's my plan for next spring....in fact, my cousin tells me she has a little bulb-planter-auger-thingee (I think that was even her exact wording!!) that I can borrow.

I had been seriously considering planting bamboo grass along the back fence line. There's a two story house behind me and I thought maybe the bamboo would block the view of the pool. But, with a little reading, I'm not at all sure I want bamboo. Several people tell me and I've read several places, that it's VERY invasive! One reference said to keep it from spreading you can dig a 3' deep trench and fill it with concrete. Helllooooooo? I don't think so! I think I've decided to live by something my dad used to say: If they haven't seen it before, they won't know what it is; and, if they have seen it before, it shouldn't scare 'em! Actually they have a pool also and I think we've all been pretty good about just not paying too much attention to what the other guys are doing!!!
My kind of neighbors!!

Well, with that in mind, I think I hear some 84 degree water calling me. Enough from me for today.....SPLASH!!!