Late Colors

Tuesday night already and I am reminded again how much I miss the long evenings when I can get back into the garden after an evening meal. It's foggy now and 63 degrees with a light rain falling. Even in the dimming light I can look out my office window down into the lower daylily nursery. A row of color reminds me that there are many fine daylilies still blooming. Although I haven't learned the names yet, I have about 20-25 daylilies from Olallie's in South Newfane, Vermont. I picked them for their late bloom and I have not been disappointed. Close to that row is one prominent scape that I know so well as Ruby Throat. It's a glorious daylily and it has about ended its show here at Vermont Flower Farm. I would recommend it to anyone because it is a long bloomer that makes it beyond Labor Day.

Ruby Throat is one of many daylilies which are the combined work of Robert Griesbach and Roy Klehm. It fits into what I remember as "the bird series" although I don't know if other folks call this group by that commonality. Together these men named a number of their successes after birds. I've tried to purchase them when I've seen them because I enjoy birds and try to learn as much about them as I can.

Besides Ruby Throat we have Screech Owl which finished blooming last week and Cedar Waxwing which I dug up and split into 38 plants two weeks ago. We have Big Bird, Starling, Mallard, Phoebe and Falcon; also have Scarlet Tanager and Wood Duck. Wood Duck, just like the beautiful wild duck, has great colors. Wood ducks are quick water fowl but the daylily is very slow to multipy here. I think I am missing a couple more that we have but no more come to mind right now--kind of bird-like "memory in flight". Although I'd recommend all of these, we don't have all of them for sale. Check around on other sites and you can probably locate them.

Besides a number of nice daylilies still blooming, the asters, sneezeweed, cimicifugas, ligularias, phlox, and sedums are providing nice balance to the colors of the falling maple and ash leaves. Fall is a great time to plant and the rain that's coming down makes it even better.

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where senescence can be found within the hosta beds and the dictionary.

Gardening wishes and warm rain drops,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com