Monday, April 7, 2014

Growing Hibiscus in Colorado? You Bet...Authors In Bloom Blog Hop

PRIZE INFO BELOW FOR AUTHORS IN BLOOM BLOG HOP
APRIL 7-16

TISTA RAY won my $20 Amazon Gift Card. 

The hop's grand prize winner is Savannah Miller 
and
Mary Preston won the secondary $25 gift card.

Colorado is tricky for gardeners, I can't tell you how many times I've shed tears over the perfect spring blooms or fall color or summer veggies, when I wake up to snow.  

Fall, Winter and Summer.  
Yes, we've had snow July 4th.

But as with most things in life, hope springs and I think for gardeners and writers alike, we keep trying.

I'm attempting  to create a lush, almost tropical look.  So when I found a cold hardy hibiscus, I thought I'd give them a try.  This bloom was year #2. The first year wasn't as good or as big. The plant is almost 6' tall by the time it blooms.  AND you have to cut it to the ground in the fall.  It emerges late, but grows extremely fast.  

I got my two at Lowe's. Turn of the Century Hibiscus.  Hibiscus moscheutos "Turn of the Century."  At the time I bought them they were $14.00 a piece.  

I'm hooked.  

My Gardening Tip:  Mulch and mulch more. I can't believe what a difference it makes.  In the fall we used shredded leaves which protect from the cold and then when I weed, them composted leaves get turned under.

And I use bark topper for the spring.  Smaller shreds, the big stuff, just gets old and tired looking.  And the smaller pieces compost faster.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

For 10 days, you have a chance to win a grand prize from the hop creator Dianne, of an e-reader along with a gift card to fill it!!


BUT in order to be eligible, you need to visit each author and leave a comment. Dianne is also giving away a second prize of a $25 gift cert for your ereader!! You have plenty of time to visit the sites, do a few every day and enjoy them.

I'm also giving away a $20 Amazon Gift card if you comment, and double chances for you if you sign up for my mailing list (on the side bar.) It's easy and I don't flood your mail boxes. That's a promise.

So COMMENT and leave contact info for a chance at prizes here, and most of the blogs you'll be visiting, as well as the Grand Prize.

Happy Gardening and Happy Reading.

Welcome Spring
~ L.A.


28 comments:

  1. Thanks for the chance to win!
    Froggy
    froggarita@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. I joined your mailing list!

    Thanks for the chance to win!
    Froggy
    froggarita@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. I signed up for your newsletter. When I am "gardening" I like to run my fingernails over a bar of soap so I will not get dirt under them. esseboo@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. I joined your mailing list! I love participating in these blog hops~ I always come away with a longer TBR as well as new bloggers added to my Bloglovin’ feed :)

    ilookfamous at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Awesome tip! Thanks!
    Eallen99@juno.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I have signed up for your mailing list too! Thanks for the giveaway.

    -Tista Ray

    ladyunwritten[AT]gmail[DOT]com

    (The email id here is different from the one with which I have signed up for your newsletter).

    ReplyDelete
  7. Nice tip
    Signed up for mailing list

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pretty flowers. lisalickel@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  9. A huge pine tree fell over in our yard this year from all the ice. My hubby and I collected as many branches as we could and we are going to try and make pine needle mulch... Fingers crossed it works!

    savannahm1987@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  10. I signed up for your news letter
    greeniejoey at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  11. I should use mulch for my garden but that requires me taking in the fall. Maybe I'll just buy mulch.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Hibiscus would be beautiful! Thanks so much for participating...

    vitajex(at)Aol(Dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  13. How pretty! I'm more a veggie than flower gardener, but I'm seeing so many pretty things on this hop, I'm tempted to add something just for looks to my yard.

    dancingcelt at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  14. Your flowers look beautiful! Gardening where I live in MA can be tricky too. Lots of sand in the ground and rocks and just generally crappy soil all around. :-) But some plants are pretty hardy and the daylily is one of them. They do really well in our garden, and grow wild along the roads in many places.
    cchant86 @ yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Thank you for sharing your tip!

    And thank you for the giveaway! I signed up for youe mailing list. =)

    I hope you have a great day! =)

    Brandi
    BLeigh1130 at yahoo dot com

    ReplyDelete
  16. Those are pretty flowers... I bet you have issues with Snow... My mom in WI is hating snow right now. Thank you for being part of the hop.

    j.m.platt83@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. I agree wholeheartedly about the mulch. And--despite your unpredictable weather--your flowers are gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing.
    casey 4 4 6 at hot mail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  18. I joined your mailing list as kkhaas43 at comcast dot net

    Thanks for the giveaway too!

    kareninnc at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Thanks for the amazing giveaway!
    elizabeth @ bookattict . com (SUBSCRIBED)

    ReplyDelete
  20. Thanks for sharing your gardening tip on mulch and thanks for the fantastic giveaway!
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  21. I also signed up for your mailing list.
    bhometchko(at)hotmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  22. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  23. Thanks for the giveaway!

    Alisha Sienkiel
    sienkiel1821@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  24. Having just spent many hours pulling up English ivy, mulch will be my watchword too. I'm going to try wet newspaper covered with cedar bark mulch. Time will tell. Your Scottish Thistle story looks like a fun read.

    Thanks for hopping with us.
    Nancy npi-sunyer@comcast.net

    ReplyDelete
  25. Just Hopping by, thanks .Deb P
    r.d1@myfairpoint.net

    ReplyDelete
  26. Thanks for the gardening tip.
    bituin76 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  27. Hi! Great post! Thank you for sharing! :)
    ​And ​thank you for being apart of this awesome hop!
    shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete