Saturday, July 18, 2009

Valued Colors

Saturday, July 18, 2009

Greetings from Wet Marshfield, Vermont


Chorus Line
This is a beautiful flower that some seem to miss in the gardens. Early through mid season bloomer with a high bud count and some more bloom into August.



It's another wet morning here. It rained from late evening until about 4:30 and the air is still and quiet now, save for the dripping tree leaves. Karl the Wonder Dog wanted to go out early. He must have heard the bears go through as his sniffer went into action as soon as we hit the road. He's a funny canine because if he sees a bear, it's one of those tag-wagging, "Hello friend" ordeals but if he only smells their scent, he freezes tight and won't budge because he cannot relate the smell to the animal. By now he should be well versed in bears as he and Gail have seen enough but it hasn't quite connected yet. It still bugs me a little when I want to head down the Peacham Pond Road and he reneges before we really get started. Dog decisions don't always match people decisions.

Chicago Peach Parfait


The daylilies are beautiful this year and we should have a bountiful display today if the sun decides to shine. The colder temperatures as this morning's 51 degrees have delayed bloom times by over a week. The flowers are abundant on more scapes than we have ever seen before but some of the plants have smaller flowers because of the cold.

The rains which started when snow still maintained a patchwork around the nursery have continued so the daylily plants are extra large. I shouldn't, but I laugh on occasion when I see Gail dig one out for a customer and then has trouble figuring out how to get it into a wagon or cart. No customer has said he didn't want such a big plant as most are very good size after just two years in the ground. Were not talking 2-3 fans here but now they are often 5 and up to a dozen.

My plan was always to sell directly from the garden, no longer from pots, and this has worked well. It requires a little more thought and is a bit difficult to keep the production tied to the demand. Some reds such as Spider Man and Ruby Spider (no more for this year) have already been broken down to single fans to regrow for next year. Something as simple as Double Dream has been popular and we have stopped selling it to rebuild stock too. Respighi, Sir Black Stem and Sinbad Sailor have joined the list of "look and wait until next year".

I'm heading to Jericho with Alex in a few minutes as he has a program to attend there this morning. Gail and Austin will work until I return at 1:30 and we are all hoping for a busy day. If the sun shines, I am sure there will be plenty of company.

Here are some more blooms you can see today if you visit. Mail order is available on all these and as I mentioned, the plant size is impressive.



Chicago Arnies Choice
Large flowers on thick, strong scapes. Many concurrent blooms.



Catherine Neal
A little darker purple than this picture



Joylene Nicole
Long a favorite for the front of the garden. Shorter scapes but good quality and easy to match with many companions.



Gordon Biggs
This one blooms all season with lots of blooms and consistent color.


Golden Chimes
Gail and I have come to love this flower. Three feet tall, sturdy, bronze-black scapes, lots of substance. Easy to use in a quick flower arrangement.


Fragrant Treasure
A profusion of blooms so pleasant in the morning when the flowers open and you glance around wondering where the fragrance is coming from.

Good gardening wishes! If you are out and about today, stop by and stroll the gardens. The tall Citrinas, Hesperus, Lady Fingers are out. Spider Miracle may still be in bloom along with Jersey Spider, Amazon Parrot and Bela Lugosi. Thousands to see to complicate your decisions.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm: A website with great pictures to make your choices easier! Call Gail today at 802-426-3505 with questions.

3 comments:

lynn'sgarden said...

Just beautiful, as usual, George :) Come visit if you have a second..I've showcased Catherine Neal on my last post too! The shape of my flower is much rounder though..is this normal..different soil/conditions?

vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com said...

Hello Lynn;

This year the issue is weather. 47 degrees here right now. It will take until 10 AM to get to mid fifties and that makes for a short day, less sun, limited heat. Makes a difference. Plant differences are noticeable this year and visitors are commenting that they are seeing the same thing in their gardens.

Thanks for writing.

George

Anonymous said...

Its really a beautiful flowers,
Thanks for picture....

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Vince
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