Father Pitt

Tag: Gardening

  • Tomatillos and Tomatoes

    Tomatillo on a backdrop of tomatillos and tomatoes
    Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6.

    A garden harvest in various colors.

  • Shakespeare’s Honeysuckle

    Lonicera periclymenum is the honeysuckle Shakespeare knew and celebrated. A number of cultivars with flowers in different color combinations have been bred; this one is called “Peaches and Cream.” Unlike Japanese Honeysuckle (Lonicera japonica), it does not take over whole counties, so it is a responsible garden flower in our area.

    Samsung Galaxy A15 5G with Open Camera.

  • Zinnias

    Pink Zinnia with more in the background

    There is always room for more zinnias, which give us some of the most outrageously bright colors in the annual garden.

    Red-orange zinnia
    Pale pink zinnia
    Orange zinnia with pink at the base of the petals
    Nearly white zinnia
    Double pink zinnia
    Samsung Galaxy A15 with Open Camera; Kodak EasyShare Z981.

  • Coleus

    Coleus scutellarioides

    Coleus scutellarioides is that plant with the brightly colored leaves you see planted wherever a shady patch needs brightening up. The number and variety of cultivars will make your head spin, but here we present a manageable five from gardens in Shadyside and from Phipps Conservatory.

    Coleus scutellarioides
    Coleus scutellarioides
    Coleus scutellarioides
    Coleus scutellarioides

  • Tasselflowers

    Species of Emilia

    Common weeds in more tropical climes, these flowers are valued here for their hot, bright colors. They resemble our common hawkweeds and were once classified in the same genus, but are now put in the genus Emilia. Sorting out the species is more than poor old Pa Pitt can handle.

    Tasselflower
    Konica Minolta DiMAGE Z6.

  • Zinnias

    Back in the dark ages of “bedding plants,” which is to say the 1970s and 1980s, zinnias were almost forgotten, grown only by those eccentric gardeners who grew their annuals from seed and liked bright Victorian colors. Now zinnias have regained their honored place as staples of the annual garden, and the world is a brighter place.

  • Kale Flowers

    Kale flowers

    Kale is a biennial. If you let some kale overwinter, it will give you cheery yellow mustard flowers in the spring, which will produce the seeds for another crop of kale.

    Closeup of kale flowers
    Kodak EasyShare Z981.

  • Plant Your Scallions

    You buy a bundle of scallions, or green onions, or whatever they call them at your grocery, and you use half of them. What do you do with the other half? You can root them in water, or just stick them in the ground, and they will grow fat stalks with beautiful flowers that last for days in a vase.

  • It’s Daylily Season

    CRW_2861-1 CRW_2858-1 CRW_2867 CRW_1994

    Camera: Canon PowerShot S45.