“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit…” ~e.e.cummings.
Ms. Professor and I grew our first patch of these confident little daisies (actually Chrysanthemum carinatum) this year. They’ll definitely be back next year. While they weren’t very prolific, they more than made up for that with color that makes your eyes happy just looking at them–I can’t look at them without smiling. If you could make a quilt, duplicating the color and design of these beauties, you could wrap up in it anytime you needed a little pick-me-up and instantly feel better. Hmmm, million-dollar idea?
Part of the reason for the
ir lack of abundance, I’m sure, was my procrastination getting the seeds started, and then further procrastination getting the seedlings in the ground. It should come as no surprise to you, Dear Reader, that this post should have been written at least a month and half ago. You may start to notice a pattern. Alas, a sense of urgency in the gardening department is not something I’ve been blessed with. Of course, as the father of two busy kids, toiling in the soil sometimes gets pushed to the bottom of the to-do list. At least, that’s how I rationalize it.
Luckily, soon I’ll be blessed with lots of winter days to leisurely peruse seed catalogs and begin to plot next year’s plantings. I’ll go ahead and put a check mark by “Order Painted Daisy Seeds.” There, one task already ticked off the to-do list already…
What’s on your hits and misses list? What did you try this year that will be making an encore next season?
NestOfSquirrels 
Stunning daisies, so full of joy!
Thanks! I’ll miss ’em terribly once the frost comes 😉
Just like sunflowers, these flowers make me smile. I know I wouldn’t mind seeing some posts with flowers during the winter 🙂
Thanks! And me, too! 🙂
I can see why they make you smile, I haven’t decided for next year yet, thats one of those winter great jobs, but I would give these a try.
Thanks! Nothing like a cup of tea and a stack of seed catalogues while the winter winds blow outside 😉
There are Helianthus trees (7-8′ ht.) perennials that I want to try blooming now…sunflower trees covered with 3-4″ golden yellow flowers with yellow centers. Misses this year for me Bronzeleaf Begonias-charcoal broiled in the Florida summer.
Wow, those sunflower trees sound amazing! I grew some Indigo Rose blue tomatoes this year that were beautiful to look at but were almost completely devoid of taste…they probably won’t be back 😉
Growing tasteless vegetables is really frustrating! Blue tomatoes sound cool, though. I am a creature of tomato habit – Sweet 100’s.
Those are gorgeous daisies! You should check out Zinnia ‘Zowie Yellow Flame’. I think the two would complement one another beautifully! Good luck finding time to “leisurely peruse” catalogs this winter!
Thanks! I’ll check out those Zinnias…could be the perfect bed mate for the painted daisies! 🙂 Cheers, Ben
Those daisies are gorgeous, so I’m not surprised that you want more next year. On my list is godetia – well, I’ve still got plenty of seeds and they just flower and flower. I wish I could get poppies to grow but alas….
Thanks! I’ll have to check out godetia,,,and if it’s any consolation, we’ve never had much luck with poppies either 🙂
Maybe they are very particular about soil and growing conditions?!
I am putting these on my list too! The colors are gorgeous and so happy. Looking forward to the days of gardening catalogues! A nice fire, a cup of tea and the imagination goes wild…thanks Benjamin for this cheerful post:)
Thanks! And you’re right, nothing beats a cup of tea and a stack of seed catalogues on a cold winter’s day! Cheers, Ben
These flowers are all smiles.
Thanks so much! They are a cheerful bunch!
Your posts remind me of breakfast conversations on the FOB. Too bad that we did not have a box of those on the front of the old HQ. That and the good coffee would certainly have brightened many a morning. I will add these to my Dixie list of plants.
While I don’t miss being away from home, I do miss those early morning cups o’ joe and conversations! We did make some damn good coffee 😉
You are funny! I do that too .. Procrastinate .. Lovely post, keep up the great work Benjamin.
Thanks, Julie! And right back atcha! Cheers, Ben
Maybe, now that you know how happy these little flowers made you, you’ll get them started sooner next year! I always wish, in the spring, that I’d planted more bulbs in the fall. But then fall comes and I have so much other stuff to do and I forget all about the bulbs.
That reminds me…get more bulbs! 🙂 I’m the same, every spring, I think “should’ve planted more bulbs!” Where does the time go 😉
sweet snap peas are on my encore list for next spring. They grew so well this year, and I adored the little blooms that came with them.
We love those, too! My 5 year old daughter adores them and ate them right from the vine. We’ll have to plant a bunch more next year so at least a few make it into the house for dinner! 😉 Cheers, Ben
Many new things were a success this year Benjamin, those that like you I was a little late planting would include Zinnias – right at the top of my list for next year; I even bought the seed already!
I can’ t resist daisies. These are so pretty, I will give them a try next year. Something else to add to the list.
Thanks! I always seem to add more to the list than I subtract 😉 Cheers, Ben
After this feast for the eye..I am sure you will procrastinate less with these beauties next year. This was my first real summer in the Cincinnati garden and I discovered that mildew is a killer here and strawberries are a treat for squirrels…I want to re-do a complete border that now only show pittyfull mildew invested lilacs. I will investigate all mildew resistant shrubs and plants. Lillies did great and the roses were/still are a deight. Also I am very after my zone 4 garden in canada to welcome Holly again in the garden.one of my favorite! I have planted lots of snowdrops too, have not had in the garden for years! Do you have those in your garden?
What a great little archery target of a bloom! I only tried one new flower this year and unfortunately it was a bust. I grow sunflowers along the public path as a fence against garden “visitors.” Last year they were mammoth tall things that fell over in storms. This year I tried a shorter variety that was a bit too short, kind of spindly and with misshapen flowers. I’m now thinking of just a thick row of zinnias for 2015. Or maybe something else…
I’m always envious when I see other people’s thick stands of sunflowers…like you, I don’t seem to have the magic formula for growing those monsters that can resist anything the weatherman throws at it.
The daisy is my favorite flower – but particularly a classic white and yellow one! It’s fun to see these, though.
I love daisies too! I rhapsodized about them one my blog here: https://nestofsquirrels.com/2014/07/20/daisy-the-poets-darling/ If I had to pick just one flower to grow, daisies would definitely be in the running! 🙂
They are beautifully colored, I like the first one with the white outer petals best.
Thanks! Definitely a cheerful bunch! 🙂
Pretty little flowers.
I agree on the no time excuse. I’m sure the wintertime lull to browse seed catalogs will be fun, but I’m afraid I still have plenty of unplanted seeds I picked up during last year’s lull!
We have a treasure trove of leftover seeds as well, plus ones we have saved from plants but that never seems to dissuade us 😉
Spending time in the garden is a great way for parents to relax…or did I mean escape? Okay, both! 😉 Enjoy your winter catalogs!
Escape, relax… Yeah, that sounds about right! 😉 Happy November!
Now, those look awesome!
Thanks! They’re a new favorite of ours!