Thursday, August 26, 2010
57° here on the mountain. Foggy and wet from a brief shower some time last night. Quiet here on a very important day. Today is my son Alex's 18th birthday. He was born at 8:30 AM by C section under tenuous circumstances and some of his first day on earth will be with him forever. Later this morning we'll head for Hanover and West Lebanon, NH for shopping at the stores he enjoys and then we'll have lunch at a fish house he feels comfortable at. This has become a monthly ritual of sorts and it gives me a chance to complete garden related errands at the same time. Every day I learn something new about the autism spectrum.
Yesterday I cleaned up daylilies all day. A couple customers walked into the field to see me work and they explained that dividing daylilies is difficult for them. They said they thought other gardeners would enjoy a picture summary of how it's done so I'll try to get some pictures soon. One time I found a video on the Internet but it began with the author holding a lilium bulb and it seemed to confuse the issue of what is really being divided. Seems to me there are too many videos out there made by people who want a couple bucks but aren't necessarily experienced gardeners. At Vermont Flower Farm we try to give out good information all the time and if we don't know the correct answers, we say so, look for correct responses, and then get back with the answer.
August may not seem like the time to be thinking about spring bulbs but it is. Late August is a good time to plant bulbs. Gail ordered two bushels of daffodils for delivery next week. We want to plant some in the front gardens at the nursery and pot some up for spring sales. Spring bulbs have become a big business as more and more new varieties are released to the market. Take a look at Bright Smiling Faces that I wrote back in April on this same blog and you'll see some of the opportunities that exist. Even crab spiders, pictured below, like daffodils. Daffodils are a great investment and they return for many years.
Yesterday I cleaned up daylilies all day. A couple customers walked into the field to see me work and they explained that dividing daylilies is difficult for them. They said they thought other gardeners would enjoy a picture summary of how it's done so I'll try to get some pictures soon. One time I found a video on the Internet but it began with the author holding a lilium bulb and it seemed to confuse the issue of what is really being divided. Seems to me there are too many videos out there made by people who want a couple bucks but aren't necessarily experienced gardeners. At Vermont Flower Farm we try to give out good information all the time and if we don't know the correct answers, we say so, look for correct responses, and then get back with the answer.
August may not seem like the time to be thinking about spring bulbs but it is. Late August is a good time to plant bulbs. Gail ordered two bushels of daffodils for delivery next week. We want to plant some in the front gardens at the nursery and pot some up for spring sales. Spring bulbs have become a big business as more and more new varieties are released to the market. Take a look at Bright Smiling Faces that I wrote back in April on this same blog and you'll see some of the opportunities that exist. Even crab spiders, pictured below, like daffodils. Daffodils are a great investment and they return for many years.
Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog is anxious to go out for another walk. I like this time of year too as the opportunities to see big sized wildlife prevail. Moose anyone?
George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
