Murphy's Law?

Know how they say "The best laid plans can go awry"?

Or Murphy's Law about "Anything that can go wrong will"?

My garden is the picture in the dictionary that demonstrates both of these.

It's not always a bad thing...

This is a zinnia that reseeded from last year. Last years were a reseed from the year before. The year befores zinnias were Profusion Apricot. This is not Profusion Apricot.

This is not what I expected. Still, I like it. Maybe the Profusion Apricot is an offspring of Profusion Cherry, as I think that is what this flower color looks like.

Don't count your zinnias before they hatch...um...bloom.

This beautiful snap dragon is white. Right?

Wait...you see a bright salmon flower, too?

Whew, I thought maybe it was just the sunstroke I might be suffering from in the 90F temps we had today. I planted white, which 11 of the plants are (part of the all white plantings this year), the 12th has managed to not be white. 'Tis OK, I like it.

This is a very tender annual, coleus. It hates the cold. Its the first to take a dive in the fall with a light frost. It is a reseed from last year, but who am I to tell it that it shouldn't have come back? I like it. I just wish I remembered what the name of it is? I can't at all remember the name at the moment...Florida SunSpot...maybe?

So...

It's 'Chitweeds Law' in my garden instead...

"What can go wrong will,

the best laid plans will certainly go awry,

but dude... it's all good".

Tropical Parking Lot

This is what you would see if you came to the greenhouse where I work, this week. The parking lot out front is crazy with flowers. The tropical flowers we have out there can take the brutal sun and heat...so...thats where they are.

We sell a lot of tropical plants at the greenhouse. I just love the blooms and the color. While I enjoy them very much, I've finally learned not to buy them for my own home. My deck area which practically screams for plants like these (I think), can't sustain them, because there is no sun.

I have some tropical Jasmine I sneak into some beds out front, and into some planters, other than that I just can't have them.

No purple bougainvillea. (sigh)

No gorgeous Oleander. (arrgghhh)

Perennial Hibiscus.

Yeah, perennial. I might have to start a new garden for this one next year, out front. I've been eyeing them for a few years now. More varieties are available every year. There are lots of colors... from reds, to yellow, to pinks, and plums. There are solid color flowers, and flowers with accented 'eyes'. Some have big fat leaves, and some have lacy delicate leaves. Believe it or nor, this is not a tropical! Sure does look like it would be, yes?

I do not have enough sun near the deck. There may be enough sun near the area where we park our cars. Then, I could have my own tropical looking parking lot.

I Feel a Threat Coming On...or maybe a Prayer

I am having a very hard time waiting for this plant to bloom. It is a Moon Flower Vine. It is part of my only white plantings this year.
While I've not grown this plant in my garden before, I have seen them in other people's gardens, and I sell tons at the market. It gets a huge white bloom about 6"-8" across. It is fragrant. I know it to be a great flower, and I want to experience its greatness.

So far I am not.

I didn't realize it would be this late in the season and it would still be bloomless. Lacking. Scant. Barren. Without. Devoid. Less than endowed. (you get the picture)
I feel a threat coming on...not yet tho...maybe give it another 2 weeks...before I yell at it. In the meantime I will be complimentary of its growth (it is growing everyday). I will continue to train its vines and tendrils along the fence (as I have been doing every other day). I will give it a shot of fertilizer (for a 2nd time). I will say a little prayer to St. Fiacre (the Patron Saint of gardeners) to help along in the quest for some moon flower action. (and my Mom would love the fact that I asked a Saint's help...I love you Mom!)

So let's not waste time...
"Dear Saint Fiacre, Patron Saint of Gardener's (and Taxi's) it's me, Chitweed. Please help my little Moon Flower to get over its blooming issues. (You might take a gander at the variegated Hydrangea while your at it.) Thanx. "

Hey, I'm a good gardener...not-so-good a pray-er...but why not hone both skills?