First Daylilies

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Just back from a morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. He was feeling poorly last night and this morning he was eating grass during our walk. If you have a dog you know what this means. He's seven years old and what he thinks he can eat and what he should eat are two different things. Kind of like older people.

It's a beautiful morning out there. 40 degrees and motionless. The small birds of the woods are in conversation. As much as I wish I knew these birds I have never had anyone around to teach me their names and calls. Warblers prevail here but they hide well. They must take music lessons from a very good voice instructor at an early age as their songs are so beautiful.

Gail made me laugh last night as she pulled a Vermonter trick and as soon as she got out of the car on return from the nursery she walked straight to the lawn mower, pulled the cord and mowed for a tank and a half. I guess she bored of waiting for me to catch up with the high grass. As I prepared dinner I could see her following the mower through hidden rows within our old flower gardens. It must be a genetic thing as her dad did the same thing at age 80 when Gail's mom instructed him to weed the flower garden and he knew the ground was too far away from his finger tips. Gail said later that she wanted an easy way to go look at the various lupines at the far end of a row.

Up top is a picture of the daylily known to many as 'lemon lily'. I took this picture last July 9th at the nursery with a bleeding heart in the background, still in bloom. Things are much different this year after one of the warmest Mays in history that arrived with snow and presented repetitive storms on Mothers Day weekend and the week before. Despite the snow the month still averaged quite warm. This year the bleeding hearts are about done and other daylilies such as Corky and Jersey Spider are already (oddly) budded out.

Lemon lilies typically are the first to bloom here in New England. They arrive on tall, thin scapes and bloom nocturnally causing fragrant notice to happy gardeners because they open with a light perfume that makes gardeners smile.

During this morning's walk I noticed three different trollius continue to bloom here although only Pritchard's Giant remains in bloom at the nursery. The difference between elevations of 1530 feet (here at house) and 780 feet (at nursery by river) must make the difference. The trollius are a nice companion to lemon lilies and the yellows that some gardeners report being bored of are actually complimentary.

As well as the lemon lilies, lupines and trollius, the gardens are beginning to brighten with Oriental poppies, perennial bachelors buttons, lots of peonies, Siberian iris in shades of blue, purple and yellow, and tall bearded iris in various colors. Some late blooming scilla bulbs continue to bloom on old flower bed borders and the entire area surrounding the house is perfumed with the fragrance of the lilac Miss Kim. I like this lilac a lot, Gail doesn't and neither of us have taken to pruning it back away from the walkway......perhaps a ruthless job for Alex but not until the shrub is past bloom time.

I have to get moving here as I need to get back to my job at the new hosta garden at the nursery. I toiled for 6 hours yesterday putting stay mat down for new garden paths. This is crushed granite and granite dust and even with the tractor it is very heavy. Gail has the Vermont Farm Bureau coming next week to do an article on Vermont Flower Farm and I want to have the old John Deere and plow moved down and on display as it's such a treat. Cannot make the move until I use the brush hog to trim the fields and woods roads here at the house. Boy it's going to be a busy day!

Out an about today? Stop by Vermont Flower Farm and see what's going on. I may not be there but Gail will be for sure.


Writing from the mountian above Peacham Pond where a boisterous loon just flew over the house heading for Osmore Pond. After 20 years I could be a flight director for this bird simply by the direction of their calls.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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Peony Time

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

A wet night here on the mountain with rain pounding on the roof as it drops straight down from the sky. We have been surrounded by hail storms of late but have been spared here. I don't know what is befalling the nursery four miles away but I hope no more than heavy rain is dropping. Nursery sales have been off this season and we are relying on good daylily sales for our "stimulus".

I'm a tired gardener tonight but wanted to get some peony pictures out. These are great plants and a joy to grow. They are a lot of work for a short bloom period but the pictures alone are sufficient reward to keep me growing more and more. This past winter, after two consecutive winters of very deep snow, the Avery labels fell apart so my recall is the only above ground understanding of the names of each peony shown here. Below ground level and located at 3 o'clock as you face each plant, is a secure label with the correct name. Doesn't do any of us any good tonight but it will be helpful when I move these, late summer-early fall. Enjoy the pictures!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm A nice place to visit

Fire Up The Tractor

Saturday, June 7, 2008

Sun begins to break through the fog as my mind races with the list of today's things to do. It has been busy at Vermont Flower Farm as we make the final changes and close out everything at the Peacham Pond location. If you haven't stopped by our new location on Route 2, Marshfield, just a half mile outside the village coming from the west, today couldn't be a better day. If you can't make the journey, our Vermont Flower Farm website is a tad behind but still has a good representation of about 75% of what we have to offer gardeners.

In the gardens, the trollius are in full bloom. We have six varieties for sale this year and they are all special. A lady called them double buttercups yesterday and she was close to correct as they are members of the same family. The poppies are about to pop and today's heat should be sufficient encouragement. Poppies are something people always want until they see what they look like after they complete the flowering process. That's a story of itself but if you know poppies, you know what I mean. The early astilbes are quite early this year and are forming thick buds already. This is encouraging as they are a foundation to many of our gardens and we have one of the largest offerings in New England. Gail and I began planting 30 foot swaths of them in a new garden we are building so people can see them as they travel along Route 2. Next year they will be incredible, this year they will be more than special.

Tall bearded iris are in bloom and for some reason there seems to be more interest in iris than ever before. We don't sell the tall bearded types any more, only the Siberians but we might be coaxed back into them in the future. The colors are incredible and they really aren't all that expensive. Just don't try to plant them in wet or well amended soil as they will disappoint you.

Some daylilies are setting flowers and the peonies are going to be incredible with all this rain. I picked a bouquet of fern leaf peonies the other night for Gail and got a very nice reaction for my time. We have four varieties potted and for sale on Route 2 including a nice double pink I really like named Mrs. Margaret Truman.

Guess I better get going here. The tractor is parked by the compost pile as I need another trailer full to plant hostas with today. I'm doing a little "watch-me-work" talk on hostas today so if you are around, stop and see us on Route 2. The gardens are fun to watch grow!

Good gardening thoughts;

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

From the mountain where red breasted grosbeaks remain at a friend's bird feeder prompting him to leave it up versus a black bear walking another friend's porch, this time looking for a bird feeder and prompting her to take theirs down. Oh yes, saw an Indigo Bunting yesterday too! A blue that cannot be described. Come visit.

Peonies Have Personality

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Already almost 11:30 AM here on the hill but I'm knocking things off today's list one at a time and it looks like I'll be back to my favorite sport, income tax preparation, right after lunch. It's a quiet morning here with few ice fisherman heading for the pond and little traffic since the town plow took 2 inches of fluff off the road at about 5:30. Gail and Alex are geting ready to head for Burlington so Karl the wonder dog and I should have some "wonderful" silence in an hour or so.



With three feet of snow on the ground, more in the woods, freezing rain coming Tuesday and more snow from the west by Thursday night, it's probably difficult for some to think about peonies. I know I am not alone in thinking peony thoughts because another customer wrote yesterday asking if we had three more Top Brass to finish along his stone wall garden in Lyndonville.

We grow peonies and Gail and I continue to have two-person peony wars. I want to move all our peonies to our new site and she doesn't want to see a plant growing there that we don't have available for ready sale. Ever see Danny Divito's 1989 movie TheWar of the Roses with Kathleen Turner? I hope this peony thing does not get that far along!

Peonies have long been a favorite with me. I can't recall why. I remember them as a kid at the old Townsend Farm down the hill from where we lived in Woodstock. I also recall half a dozen varieties that customers gave to my father when he was a house painter. I know as a kid I also tried to figure out the absurd ant-peony relationship which continues today as an exercise in misinformation. Just the same I don't remember where exactly my love for these flowers began.


Spring in Vermont is a ways away but being able to see peonies push through the ground and jump skyward will be a welcome sight. These are Vermont hardy plants which need consideration when they are planted. I've written about them many times before and planting information is readily available on the web if you have forgotten my words. The American Peony Society just did their website over and it's a great place to start looking for information. The


site officers some international links and includes some members who operate retail and wholesale with many doing mail order too. Rick Rogers of Brothers Herbs and Peonies in Sherwood, Oregon has some special peonies for sale, with tree peonies being his favorite. With Alan Rogers (wrote Peonies, by Timber Press 1995, 1996, 1998) his father, you can understand where the genetics of understanding good peonies derived.

Don Hollingsworth grows more-than-great peonies! He has a website and a newsletter catalog with peonies you might not find easily. Reaths Nursery located in Vulcan, Michigan comes to mind too but there are others if you ask around. Here in Vermont we had the luxury of being able to visit one of the world's (that's right!) largest peony collections. Countryman Peonies located in Roxbury, Vermont just south of Northfield was the collection of Bill Countryman. He passed away three summers ago this coming peony season and his family continued the business as of last year. I didn't get a chance to visit so I can't say what the plans are for this summer. They do not have a website.

Over the years Gail buys 2-3-4 new varieties about every year. These are supposed to be a gift to me until she decides they are "hers" or perhaps they should be sold to someone she can't say "no" to. I wanted to move the entire collection to the new location so visitors could see what is out there. Our little peony nursery here at the house is down in the lower field and to get there you have to go through the hosta garden. When they are in bloom it's not the handiest place to get to so many visitors never get to see them. Anyway, The War of the Peonies continues but with peonies such as Peppermint or Crusader (pictured immediately below) you can see why I enjoy them. These flowers have great personality and despite 4 or 5 weeks of bloom, they almost bring tears when the final petals drop on the last one.





If you have a minute today, start with the American Peony Society site and go from there. Our Vermont Flower Farm site has a page about peonies too. With a little bit of reading and a few pictures, you might be hooked like me!



From the mountain above Peacham Pond where the trout must have stopped biting as the early morning fishermen are exiting.


Winter gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Peony Warrior


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