Bear Morning

Tuesday, July 31, 2012

A noisy morning here on the mountain. Critters of the forest have been driving Karl the Wonder Dog crazy this morning and as a result, sleep that might have lasted a bit longer was cut short. Gail took dog walk duty just before 5. She said that Karl was walking with a mission until they reached the lower log road. He stopped quickly and turned and headed for home. Gail heard a bear in the nearby bushes. She didn't see it but when you live here you don't need a guide to be able to identify the critters by sight, sound and smell.

Daylily season continues despite hot weather and not enough rain at the right time. Nile Crane, Bama Bound, Omomuki, a caste of hundreds of daylilies have already gone by but there are perhaps a hundred left in bloom or still to come in the gardens and in pots. It clearly is less colorful in the fields than a week ago but waterless, windy, hot days do that to fields. The flower size is smaller as a result but there is beauty in this flower and there's always something available that you haven't seen or don't have yet.

Apricot Sparkles is just budding up. Like Elegant Explosion, it is a smaller, later blooming daylily that usually takes your gardens into fall with lots of buds. This year may be different as the 80 degree weather of late March took daylilies out of dormancy and they grew on from there instead of sleeping longer.

Along the Way is lighter than in this picture. It is usually a popular daylily as it has a high bud count and tall scapes. The plants are field dug and look good but it has not been that popular this year.


Catherine Neal pictured above here is actually much darker. It joins Sir Mordred and Ezekial and a couple other very dark daylilies in bloom now. Some are very dark purple while others are almost brown, some verging on black. The deep purples such as Wayside King Royale and Strutters Ball are about done and even Houdini, a giant purple with a yellow center is cashing it in for the season.

Jury's Out is blooming nicely, the tall species type named Challenger is at +5 feet tall and just started, Last Man Standing will be out in a bit and Christmas Ribbons, typically an earlier bloomer, has just begun. Citrina altissima is still blooming with smaller but fragrant yellow flowers on 5 foot scapes.

Daylilies must have built-in timers that tell them when to grow and bloom. Some of the timers need new batteries this year as bloom time is confused and so is this gardener about some of what has, is, or will be blooming between now and mid September. Yes, the weather does change things!

Gail just said lunch is made so I have to pack the truck, unload yesterday's spent flowers at the compost pile and then head for the flower farm. Maybe you can stop by today and say hello. I hope so.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where loons send coded messages and a feral cat taunts Karl by standing in front of the window he looks out each morning. Have a nice day!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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Always here to help you grow your green thumb!