Daylilies: Dividing and Lining Out

Sunday, August 26, 2012

A nice looking morning here on the mountain. Just in from a walk with Karl the Wonder Dog who exhibited extreme displeasure by the sound of coyotes along the treeline just out back. It was not one or two but a pack and some of the older ones have voices that make you ask how big they are. I really need to set up the game cameras and get some pictures to show folks what neighbors we have here. The State wildlife folks don't say much about the impact on our deer heard but if you take a closer look at what is going on, the absence of deer is more clear.

I have been busy digging and dividing daylilies every day. The lack of rain has made this a bigger chore than it usually is as our clay based soils are like concrete in places and I have to use all my weight on the shovel point to penetrate the ground and break clumps free. Here is a picture of a very nice purple daylily named Houdini. I dug out two rows of eight plants each.

Once I get the clumps out of the ground I begin cutting them up and pulling off all the spent leaves and scapes. I cut the clump in half with a cheap Wally World buck-a-piece knife and then continue to break up the pieces until I get down to planting size.


When I am finished I have pieces that will fit in a 6 quart plant pot and a bunch of odds and ends to line out in the garden for sales next summer. We like to have a big piece going into every pot so that at sale time there are 3-4-5 scapes on the plants. We always reserve one big plant to put in a 20 gallon pot to serve as display so customers can see what they will have in a three years time. When everything is plantd, in pots or in the ground, I spray with horticultural oil to suffocate any insect eggs or diseases that may be left. It only takes a minute and is very time and cost effective.

Daylilies can be divided at any time of year but this time works for us as sales begin to diminish and we have more uninterrupted time. Yesterday Alex and I went to Burlington until 3:30 and came back to quiet at the nursery. I told Gail to head home and said I'd take care of the planting but before I knew it I had 11 customers wanting daylilies, astilbes, cimicifugas and rudbeckias. I'm heading out in a few minutes to get back to what I was thinking I could do yesterday.

If you want to see how this is done and need your confidence built a bit, stop by and ask me to show you how. It's not difficult, doesn't hurt the plants at all and it makes for better plants on into the future.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where today marks my son Alex's 20th birthday. I am very proud of Alex and the way he and Gail and I have learned about autism over these past years. Twenty years ago autism was hardly mentioned and the incidence was one in 5000 births. Today the incidence differs by country but with boys in America we are at about one in 85 births. Something to think about as every family will someone be touched by this sometime soon.

Heh, I have to get going! Have a nice day and stop by if you're out and about.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens (Like) and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Fire King and Others

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Ever so busy this morning. A beautiful day here on the mountain with fog in the valleys but bright sun rising to the tune of loons calling at Peacham Pond and the Reservoir. The honey bees are noisy but not so happy as I just disrupted their morning thoughts by adding more frames to the the hive. They continue to make honey like I cannot believe and are finding a great supply of goldenrod and Joe Pye weed out and about.

At the flower farm the heat of the summer has made daylilies bloom at odd times. Just the same we have many still blooming and 6 is good shape. The Jury Is Out has just started as have Autumn Daffodil and Autumn Gold. Challenger, now at about 6 feet tall, is half through the bloom cycle and looks great. Fire King is half bloomed too and this is one to grab if you don't have it in your collection yet. I love it! Pictured up top. Butterscotch Harvest is still setting buds and is later.

I have to get going as worker bee Michelle arrives at 8 and she is unlike some workers as she is always ahead of time. Gotta scoot! Come visit.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Chicago Fire

Monday, August 13, 2012

Quiet, clear, 56°, with a heavy dew on everything. Almost 6 AM and Gail just took her turn taking Karl the Wonder Dog for a second walk while I check correspondence and plant orders. It looks like a nice day is shaping up and that's good as this is a busy time for me. As soon as the daylilies finish blooming, one by one I cut them to 4" above the ground, pull out all the dead stems, cut off the scapes as low as I can get them and remove any weeds that may have started. Dandelions within the plants is the biggest problem and it's easier to get them out now than to wait until next year.

Yesterday was a busy day with customers, not so much because of sales but becuse many of the daylilies that gardeners wanted were no longer available in pots and I had to dig them from the fields. It's not difficult work but it does take longer. This meant that I spent more time in the fields yesterday and I really noticed how strange the bloom has been this year. Late bloomers are done, earlier bloomers are starting over, and some didn't bloom well at all. The floods of last summer and almost 18 months in a row of above average temperatures have certainly impacted on the bloom. The roots are extra large and that's excellent but I am already kind of tired telling customers why the lates aren't late and why the bloom is getting sparse in the fields. Fortunately Gail buys some new late bloomers every year and these new additions continue on in pots so there's the appearance that we know what we are doing.

Friday I dug up a row of Chicago Fire and even though they were in bloom, I lined some back out after cleaning them up and cutting them back. Gail potted the rest. The Great Chicago Fire was October 10, 1871 and the daylily Chicago Fire was registered in 1973 by James Marsh. Over the years we have collected and sold many Marsh daylilies and have found them all to be excellent growers here in Vermont. If you haven't added this one to your collection, it's pictured up top.

People see us lining out daylilies we have just dug and divided and they often ask if it isn't too late to even plant now. We have a little speech that we rattle off that includes the fact that we plant well into fall until the soil temperature drops to about 50°. In previous years this has been around Columbus Day, October 12th, but with increasing temperatures, it is a little later now. Consider the date and spend a little time in your gardens replanning what needs to be moved and what plants you want to add. There's plenty of time to improve upon what you have and get ready for more special color next growing season. Need ideas? Stop by or email Gail and I'm sure she'll be a big help!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where loons are talking loon speak and Mrs Turkey and only two young kids are eating hay seeds in the lower field. It's a nice morning!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vvtflowerfarm
And always at the nursery where we are happy to help you grow your green thumb!

Nice Bloom Continues

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Dripping wet morning here on the mountain. I am late as usual trying to get out the door to the nursery. Today's excuse is that Karl the Wonder Dog wanted a third walk because the critters of the woods were late in getting out and about because of last night's heavy rains. Karl likes to confront other critters and seeing a deer, moose or bear means nothing to him. Coyotes are another story but this morning, despite his ungracious thank you, we saw nothing.

The daylilies continue to bloom and Gail's work on later blooming plants has been worth the effort. Just the same the repeated days of hot, hot weather have expedited bloom and many daylilies which normally bloom in September are going to be finished in another week.

Yesterday I was at the nursery by myself for the day as Gail was home helping neighbor Liz prepare tons of flowers for a wedding. Rain came and stopped, came and stopped and by 4 PM I was getting bored with drippy clothes and not much else I wanted to do inside the shed. I took a cardboard flat that we use to sell annuals in around springtime and I made a hole in the center big enough to accommodate a daylily flower. The idea worked and the backdrop gave a different emphasis on the flower. Here are a few pictures of daylilies we are selling this weekend. Some are in bloom, others about finished. The daylily up top is Witch Hazel, one of my favorites.

Princeton Silky is a +3 foot tall, strong scaped daylily with loads of blooms that go on and on. Give it some room in the garden as it is a good grower.

Primal Scream is another orange with beautiful petals and a flare that begs "How did you miss me before?" Give it some room too.


August Frost is a big flower, a good 6" across once established. Again it is added to the list of "I want white" which it is not but still it is a beauty on tall scapes. It goes on and on and works with any other perennials.


I cannot remember where I bought Susan Elizabeth many years ago but this one, now about finished, is available in large clumps for $25-$30 each. Did I say large? It has a nice reflection to the petals, much like Patio Parade, and it is a standout in the distance away from your home or garden walkways.


Again I want to thank my many, many blog readers, Facebook friends, and Twitter followers who have stopped by this summer. It is so nice to see faces, shake hands, get warm embraces and an occasional kiss. Mostly I enjoy hearing comments that writing about gardening is something some folks look forward to. Thanks!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the clock says I am late again. Gail will be at a wedding and Steve and I will run the show today with one other worker bee if the morning clears and rains stay away. Drive out and visit us, the state forests, and Cabot Creamery and plan to pick some blueberries at Thistle Hill. At very least, give us a toot as you pass by.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also at George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
And remember, we're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Bird Names

Friday, August 3, ,2012

August mornings are so very different than June mornings. The sun is not timely for me and the sky takes a while to give a clear sign of the type of day to expect. This morning it's an even 60° to start the day and I feel as if I am already late. The list of things to do is long as I am trying to work through a number of important tasks with worker bee Michael as the 7th is his last day. Then he will be heading back to college. He is a dorm counselor at Castleton and an annual orientation is required. He has been a great worker this summer and he will be missed.

Of all our daylilies, I have always enjoyed those from the 70's that were named after birds. Up top is Flycatcher, followed by Ruby Throat and then Mallard. Flycatcher has already gone by but Ruby Throat, like the little hummingbird it is named after, is growing strong with lots of flowers left. Mallard is a shorter flower and scape but a nice front-of-the border beauty.

Gardeners often like birds in their gardens, cater to them during the fall and winter seasons and learn about them year round. I am one of those gardeners. Within an hour I will be working in our gardens but right now I have to take Karl the Wonder Dog for a walk. I know I will hear birds of the morning singing to me. Bet you will too.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where it is "road-quiet" for a change, best wishes for a fun day.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Were always here to help you row your green thumb! Come visit!

What to Do With "Wet"

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Mackerel sky, 57°, slight wind as Gail and Karl the Wonder Dog head out the back door for a second walk of the morning and the weatherman on the TV says thunderstorms by mid afternoon. There is a heaviness in the air this morning that confirms that something is on its way. The barometer is at 29.47 but is falling and I know by 3 PM it will be wet outside. We need rain badly and anything will be welcome but when we hope for rain we know that storms this time of summer can also bring wind and lightning. We'll see.

I was working in the lower daylily garden late yesterday afternoon trying to clean up the rows of still blooming daylilies and I noticed a couple walk down the hill and right into the hosta display garden. They looked like they were on a mission and I was too as I wanted to finish the day with the field completely deadheaded. It's cooler in this bottom spot and daylilies including Prairie Wildfire, Yellow Monster, Ruby Spider, Ann Warner, Atlanta Debutante, Tetrinas Daughter, Ruby Throat, Red Volunteer and Rooten Tooten Red continue to bloom. Some have only days left, others about a week and a half but they need to be kept clean as spent blooms only encourages tarnished bugs. I dumped another bucket of blossoms in the truck and headed over to the couple to see if I could help.

The two neophyte gardeners live in Florida but have a New England summer home that they arrive at in June each year. They had a drainage ditch installed between their property and the neighbors and it includes a berm of sorts. They were thinking that hostas would be nice to plant along the berm to provide a variety of contrasting greens, whites and yellows, heights and leaf textures. They saw a number of hostas they really liked and they inquired how we do business.

Gail and I often plan gardens for people but we don't always send folks home with the plants they came to purchase. Our goal is plants that will survive under the conditions but that's the tricky part--asking people to describe the conditions they want to plant in. In this case, the ditch runs water and even during a year like this one, the bottom of the ditch, although sometimes offering the appearance of being dry, is actually very wet. Although hostas thrive when planted under gutterless eaves of a house, they will not live if planted in standing or running water. The couple had recently purchased a single daylily at another garden center and planted it on the berm. In two weeks time the water began to cause overall yellowing, a sign that things were not good and perhaps daylilies were not the way to go.

I worked up a plan of topping the berm with several varieties of ligularia and rodgersia that I thought would provide some contrasting leaves and colors in the 3-5 foot height range with a row of mixed astilbes in front of them and then a row of Siberian irises further down the berm. My goal was to pick plants that by themselves would block the adjacent property including a nearby storage shed and at the same time live happily in a poor setting. The scapes of the bigger plants up top of the berm would bring July-August color after the Siberian iris welcomed the couple back from Florida in June and the astilbes brightened July and early August.

I thought through the planting and then laid out a row of pots in the middle walkway of the long shadehouse so the couple could get the idea. Then I ran the plan by Gail and she concurred that under the conditions of wetness, this would do the trick. Gail jumped in the cart and went to dig the irises as I got the other plants picked and loaded. By 5:30 the car was heading home and we were too.

Understanding your soil and sunlight situation is very important. Sometimes we want plants to grow in an area because we can visualize how nice it will look when mature. In contrast, if conditions are either wrong or cannot be modified to be successful, there's no use starting something that will probably be disappointing. In the end I think this couple understood this and went away with something that will work for them. When the Ligularia przewalskii throw up 5 foot scapes of light yellow flowers to contrast with the Rodgersia Elegans creamy scapes and Othello's vibrant yellow-orange flowers, I think the berm, as wet as it is, will provide a solution of a problem. The plants will be a success and will give the couple a better idea of how much sunlight they actually have and how plants react to the damp-to-wet soil. By next year we'll have better information about the soil and will know what else we might be able to add for color.

As you plan new gardens for yourselves or friends, take a good look at sunlight and soil. Understanding what plants need and what you have or can modify go a long way to better plantings.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the honey bees are flying and the ravens are reviewing this morning's additions to the compost pile. ......and I have to get to work!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!