Plant Architecture

73 degrees and a bright sunny start today. The temperature will rise to the eighties and by the time I return home I know it will be time to get the hoses ready for watering. The past couple days have enticed the daylilies to spring forth with abundent bloom. It's worth a trip here to see the daily changes. Our daylilies aren't the most recent releases but instead they represent dependable plants for this zone....plants which will be there every year and will provide good color and numerous scapes. This morning I have noticed the species daylilies catching the morning sun and I'm reminded how very far the world of daylilies has traveled.

I try to make a quick morning walk before leaving for work. I love this time of year because the sun is up enough by 4:30 that I can make a walk and still take a picture if I've missed something the night before. I noticed 'Tin Soldier' this morning and wanted a picture but in haste didn't notice a small slug eating breakfast until I put the picture on the computer screen. I'll try again tonight. This morning 'Tin Soldier' had company from 'Mini Pearl', 'Miss Amelia', 'Antietam', 'Strutters Ball', 'Chorus Line', Double Cutie', 'Carefree Peach', 'Lemon Lollypop', 'Siloam Little Girl', 'Siloam Space Age', 'First Show', 'Yellow Bouquet', 'Susan Elizabeth' and 'Spider Miracle'. There were probably others but these made my list before my coffee cup was empty.

All flowers have a personal architecture and sometimes it's fun to just stop for a minute and study a plant. My eyes settled on a pink cleome this morning. I must like them as I bought a flat of 48 to plant in the front bed this spring. They don't look as well as last year because of all the rain but with a few days of sun and a little fertilizer I think they'll come around. The flowers are amazing and I often think they'd make a great metal sculpture for a place like the art park in from of the Seattle Space Needle. Maybe there's even a place for such a piece here at Vermont Flower Farm....maybe.

Time to scoot. Heading for Newport on the Canadian border. An hour and twenty minutes if the valley fog has cleared and an errant moose doesn't want to chat.

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where the ravens are fighting over some crusts of bread,

Gardening thoughts and greetings,

George Africa
http://vermonflowerfarm.com