Your Pride and Joy Of The Season

[vfem]

Every year I try something new... a fail at lot, and some things work out just fine.

This year I did impatients like I always do. They ALWAYS ended up stringy, leaves would yellow and I got just a handful of blooms. This year I tried them from seed, and WOW, my 20" pot was flooded with healthy thick blooms. They've never done so well before. I have to say its by far my best floral achievement of the season.

So what plant blew you away this past season?

 

[me&thegals]

I am so proud of my pumpkins and squash! I did a whole bunch of new varieties and they are looking beautiful and enormous. After all that time spent squash bug picking and squishing, it's thrilling to see the fruit of my labor

 

[DDRanch]

Sunflowers. This year I planted 5 different varieties along my driveway where they had lots of room and full sun. They are spectacular. Joker is my favorite, followed by Red Sun, TeddyBear and Valentine. I even planted a number of the huge ones. So easy to tell visitors, "come up the road, and turn left at the sunflowers". As indoor bouquets, they make a spectacular arrangment.



Anne

 

[me&thegals]

oh--I agree! I had so many volunteer sunflowers, and with many different varieties I didn't want to pull any of them out for fear of eliminating one variety! My gardens turned out to look more like a sunflower farm! I planted Teddy Bear this year for the first time and was so pleased with them. Nothing like a big, huge bouquet of multicolored sunflowers And, I cannot believe the numbers of birds they attract to the garden!

 

[robbobbin]

I have LOTS of volunteers this year-from the bird seed we feed...hehehe
You have me enticed though-I think I'll plant some more varieties-on purpose.

 

[vfem]

I haven't done sunflowers... though I have to say I haven't been interested in them at all, but maybe I should try some on the hill on the back of the property where I want to put a bird house. Perhaps it will make them happy!? :/

I do have one other plant I'm proud of. After numerous attempts at growing a hibiscus I got 1 sprout out of 20+ seeds I planted! Its strong and doing well as I transplanted from its greenhouse (plastic egg carton) to a pot of its own on my window sill. I'm hoping at the end of october to have it in the ground by the pond. Someday it will be 6' tall and covered in pink 12" blooms!!!!

 

[RedClayGardener]

I am proud of my whole vegetable garden this year! It was my first one and it was pretty successful. We did not have to go to the store for vegetables once all summer. This will give me the confidence to work on my flower garden which did not fare as well. Apparently I have been cultivating weeds all summer!

 

[rosehunter8]

I am very proud of a rose I transplanted. This rose was on the fence line between our properties in full shade and not doing very well at all. I dug it up with as much root as possible, replanted in full sun. I kept it watered and covered so the sun wouldn't completely dry it out and kill it. After 2 months it had 2 sets of leaves left on 2 stems. I thought it had died. I went away on a trip for labor day weekend, when I cam back it showed new growth at the very top of one of the leaves. I can't express how excited I was! So, here's to next year and and the hope of a new blooms!

PS The spot I took this rose from actually has 2 new growths shooting up, I must have left more root than I thought.

 

[patandchickens]

My 'Bright Lights' swiss chard looks GORGEOUS, with no care. Unfortunately it is a little strong-flavored for me so we are not actually eating very much but boy it makes the garden look all Martha Stewarty potager-y

My other pride and joy is having had two overmature poplar trees cut down and chipped into a giant pile of mulch that I am happily strewing around all over the place to make future new garden beds. I know that dead dismembered trees are not supposed to be a person's crowning garden achievement, but hey

Pat

 

[poppycat]

My best achievement was fabulous compost. About a month ago I hauled out enough really nice stuff to enrich the whole area that I'm using for my fall garden.