Buckets of Daylilies

Tuesday, May 19, 2015

A rainy morning, limited wind, 54.6°. I'm at the office now doing a million things as Gail is away for most of today. I have a couple orders to get out and then have more daylilies to dig for potting. The picture above is the end of 25 buckets of daylilies that we managed to get through on Sunday with the help of worker bee Gail T from Peacham. They are looking good and today's rain will help them bounce back.

Yesterday Alex and I put up another 90 feet of overhead irrigation using Wooblers that I described on Facebook. I went to order some more last night and found out that they are obviously gaining in popularity as the price went from $1.90 to +$5 a piece in a year's time. Plastic too but a worthwhile investment.  A run of 3/4" pipe with all the fittings and to drop the Wobblers 9" instead of several feet is under $60 for the extra materials. Then just a little time on the ladder. The way I have them set offers a 25 foot diameter spray of 20 gallons per minute but if you drop then 6 feet so they are closer to the ground the diameter is 35 feet.  I buy mine from Grifffin Greenhouse Supply.

Spring flowers, both wild and cultivated continue to emerge and bring joy to our gardens. Take some time to get out and see what's blooming!

Writing from Route 2 where traffic heading to work and working (lots of trucks today) is increasing. The rain continues.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
On other garden related social media

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

When is "Early" really "Early" for Daylilies?

Thursday, May 14, 2015

A bright and beautiful morning here at the flower farm except that the grass is white with a heavy frost, the water is frozen in all the hoses and at the pump and my last Dark Magic coffee cup for the Keurig machine blew up and the cup has grounds floating everywhere when really I wanted a second cup. Things happen!

The past couple weeks have been dry and  beautiful. Some days it was so hot we just gave up by 3 PM as the 85-90 degrees was too much. During those days customers stopped just the same and asked when the daylilies would start blooming. People were clearly tired of the winter and wanted to see garden color. Not yet!

Last summer I took a dry erase board and started on June 1st listing each daylily as it opened. I made it until July 12th when there were so many daylilies opening every day that I didn't have time to keep up. Here's what the board looked like (above pic).

On June 1st a species, Dumortierii opened as did the first daylily ever hybridized and registered. That one is Apricot from 1893. Early on in the season the oranges and yellows are first to bloom because they are either species daylilies or some of the earliest hybrids strong on their use of species. At our place it wasn't until June 21 that the first purple came out--Grape Velvet, with Bela Lugosi, another great purple opening on the 30th of June.

Last year's chart is available at the flower farm and we will do the same thing this year to compare seasons. Ask to see the charts when you stop by.

Writing from the flower farm as Route 2 hums with people heading to work, commercial trucks already on their way to delivery destinations. Today we are planting hydrangeas and daylilies. Stop and say hello if you are in the area.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens.   Like Us!

On Facebook as George Africa

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Not So Dear Deer

 Sunday, April 19, 2015

Up to 48.2° from an earlier 35°. The sun is burning through and today is a day when I have a long list of things to do because the sun will shine unlike the balance of the week when it will rain part of every day. Alex is almost ready to go. We have a few plumbing items to pick up and then it's off to the flower farm.

This is the time of year when we receive phone calls about how to control deer. The deer are coming out of the woods where they have forded up all winter, especially this year when the snow was so deep. In a few days the grass will begin to green up but in the meantime deer eat anything that shows a sign of green and that includes daylilies. 

Years ago I wrote a little page on our website that  discusses deer control.  Try this and see if it helps at all. It all comes from experience. Mine.

http://vermontflowerfarm.com/Deer%20Control%20Ideas.html


I have to scoot. Lots to accomplish today! Be well!!


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens. Like us!
Also on FB as George Africa with lots of garden photos.
On a variety of  social media sharing gardening thoughts & pictures

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Spring Hellebores

 Wednesday, April 15, 2015

As a slice of moon fades away and the sun pushes up from Peacham Pond, the temperature has risen too, from 28.1° to 35.8°. Unlike yesterday morning, the wind is not blowing so I am encouraged to get outside and get going. Normally by now the hellebores would be showing some color but this year, between the extreme cold and all the snow, they are still buried deep. This was the coldest winter in 121 years and the snow came and never left and a "January thaw" was only to be found in poetry, certainly not in reality this year.

Hellebores have long histories but they have never gained in popularity until recent years when they are regularly depicted in gardening magazines and appear in large swaths in famous gardens. They are liked and they are despised but once you learn how easy they are to grow and how early they bloom, you'll convert to the "let's grow some" side.

Hellebores are typically found at the edge of woodlands where they receive some sunlight but they can tolerate considerable shade. As with any plants, the key is an appropriate soil condition. Soil that is highly organic in composition, and neutral to even alkaline makes all the difference in the world. The soil needs to be evenly moist for best results but that never translates  to "wet". If you think that a location "where water puddles in the spring or after a hard rain" is a good place to try, forget that notion right away.

Here at the flower farm I have a spring regime in the lower display garden where I fertilize every plant with Epsom salts, lime and a commercial 5-10-10 type fertilizer. I use this same formula with hellebores and the results are encouraging. 

One of the reasons gardeners sometimes steer clear of hellebores is that come springtime the foliage looks a little ratty. I try to clip out anything that is easy to remove and do that early on as when the flowers bud, they come right along and I don't want to do anything injurious to a good display. As the flowers begin to pass by and go to seed, I let them be but do insure that they receive moisture if rain has not helped out. Although they are a plant that can tolerate dry conditions, similar to hostas they will grow on but they will be much better with supplemental watering. You'll see the difference in seed and leaf production.

Beginning in July 2015, we will again offer potted hellebores. These will be mixed colors and the pots will not have the colors marked. They are sure to please and will be an efficient way to get started with a New England hardy plant that is sure to please.  Stop by the flower farm early and pick up a pot or two to try. You'll enjoy your new find and your gardening friends will want to know where you shop. 

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun shines brightly, the mourning doves are calling, and about 50 juncos have been under the empty feeder sites for two hours cleaning up spilled seed. Spring feels great today!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
On Facebook as George Africa with gardening information
Across various social media formats that make gardeners smile!

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Spring Garden Curiosity

 Tuesday, April 14, 2015

Just in from my first morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. He was exceptionally late this morning showing interest in going outside but once out he didn't want to return to the house even though my coffee cup was dry. He didn't listen. We walked the pond road until he turned himself  around because the mud and water didn't set well on his feet. The time it took him to figure out how to avoid puddles gave me time to look at the scenery and think through what plants would pop out as soon as the still-deep snow melts. 

Gardens offer an interesting curiosity this time of year. Spring 2015 in Marshfield is even more interesting because the deep snows of winter are only now leaving and it will be another two weeks before anything other than brown sparks attention. Just saying that we lived through the coldest January through March in 121 years says it all.

Gardeners themselves are usually the curious ones in spring as they seek out which plants lived and which did not. Four perennials I'd like to mention as gaining in garden popularity are epimediums, hellebores, primroses and trilliums. None of these have shown widespread  popularity until recently and now each has thousands of fans.

Epimediums have never been popular here at the flower farm because they don't bloom at a time that encourages their interest. They are like tall bearded iris in that respect. They are beautiful flowers that have yet to sync themselves with Vermont gardeners and their gardening schedules. This is apparent during home and flower shows when you rarely (never for me) see one on display. These are mid May through June blooming flowers with annual bloom time impacted by snow and cold. 

I enjoy epimediums because they are slower growing ground covers here in Vermont.  They stay under 18" tall and in time are covered with bazillions of small, spider-like flowers that sometimes bloom again come Labor Day. Their foliage is as much an interest to me as the flowers because the leaves of many are variegated , some mottled in color that intrigues.

As you tour garden centers or hidden nurseries such as our flower farm, stop and take a look at what is available for epimediums. They are not cheap but they do reward the gardener more and more each year with an abundance of flowers, some smaller than a dime, some larger than a quarter. Monetary reward, monetary requirement.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the small birds of the woods are cleaning up leftover bird seed that is becoming more obvious as the snow continues to melt down. Stop feeding the birds now, avoid problems with black bears and prepare to rake the spent seed soon. Clean is good. 

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens, a Like Page.
Also on FB as George Africa, a page full of garden pictures.
Employing social media to spread the word about gardening in VT.

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Thinking About Hosta

Thursday, April 9, 2015

Just back to the house after a couple hours putting things back together at the flower farm. It's a little slower this year because the ground is still covered with snow and in some places it's so wet that it's difficult to walk. Gail is convinced everything will be different in two weeks and I am convinced there is so much frost in the ground this year that the ground will still be cold come May.

Our hosta display garden and all the potted hostas that we carry over remain under an insulating blanket: either a blanket of snow or an actual insulating blanket covering the potted hostas and then snow. Like any hosta enthusiast I wish I could see them in their glory right now but it's just too early to expect anything.  Not only was there lots of snow this winter but there was lots of cold. The winter, January through March, set a record as the coldest in 121 years. That's cold! Many people think that deep cold means that all the bad insects have been killed off and it should be easier on our garden plants as a result. Nice wish but it doesn't happen that way. If anything the beneficials die off and the bad guys continue on.

If we are thinking about hostas and thinking about having great looking plants come mid June, it's important to think about making them as healthy as possible. One thing I learned twenty years ago is to save coffee grounds during winter months and then spread them around each hosta plant come spring. Slugs and snails are often a problem with hostas but the caffeine in coffee kills these troublesome animals and makes for much better looking plants. The research leading to this find came from Hawaii and is well documented. I have to admit that I had my reservations when first hearing about it but the research and the experience has convinced me. I have spread the word and some converts have gone to greater lengths than me to secure spent coffee grounds from restaurants and  gourmet coffee processors.

As I continue to look at weather forecasts for this summer, dry conditions bother me. Sometimes weather folks miss their mark and dry becomes wet. I mention moisture because the absolutely best fertilizer for growing great hostas is water. Do some weather research for yourself and come up with a plan for providing adequate water to your hostas. By the end of June you will be able to see the value of your work if things do turn dry.

Despite whatever we do as gardeners, there are times, conditions and plants that just don't do what we want. I just read a few comments from hosta gardeners on their trouble growing Empress Wu, that giant hosta with Big John heritage. People have had trouble and in some areas they have even lost their plants after a couple years. Those with success have said that proper placement is critical. This hosta requires a couple hours of good sunlight each day and also need consistent moisture. This description reminds me when Great Expectations was released publicly via tissue culture. It was very problematic until gardeners determined that it needed more than average sunlight and like Empress Wu, consistent moisture. Both Empress Wu and modern Great Expectations ask for one thing you will never find on a plant marker: Be patient!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where we are at 33.2° with a three mph wind. Rain is on the way and warmer temperatures will be here into next week. Two deer went through the flower farm fence Tuesday night so maybe I'll get the holes patched up tomorrow. 

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as  Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens. Like us!
On Facebook as George Africa with gardening commentary
On Twitter, Linkedin, and other social media spreading the word of gardening.

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!