Bits and Pieces

We can't just stop with that last glaring post, now can we? Here are some shots from yesterday (I'm so far behind...):


The first of the peonies, an unknown single, with Dutch iris (above).


Sometimes, foliage is every bit as beautiful as flowers (above)...an emerging Japanese Maple (one of the Full Moon ones...I'll have to check my tags (no label!) for the exact name)...


A very appropriate three blooms on some Wake Robin Trilliums (above).


Freckles viola taking the 'be fruitful and multiply' thing seriously (above). I've decided this is a good thing...a cute viola covering the ground is better than troublesome weeds.


I'll end for now with Dogwood blooms...what's not to like?

What Not To Do: Pink and Orange

The problem is not with your computer. Do not adjust your monitor. Yes, you're not imagining it (although you might wish you were). Feel like covering your eyes, do you?


That's PINK and ORANGE. Right there. Together. I know Nature throws some wild combinations together, but that's Nature....and she clearly knows what she's doing. Nature is not responsible for this...ahem...combination. I must bear that shame. In my defense, the azalea was labeled as being pink (not orange!)...but, alas, I did not take my own advice (some years ago) and buy in bloom. I actually trusted the tag. Silly me. And, here we are, all these years later.

From another perspective, just in case the first wasn't enough:


Each has redeeming qualities. I mean, who doesn't like a pink dogwood? The azalea is fragrant which is a big plus in my garden. Occasionally, they actually manage to not bloom at the same time...occasionally. Not this year. Sigh.

This azalea is blooming in the backyard...it probably would have been a better choice...a few years ago.


Or better yet, my "white" lights azaleas which are really pink....oh well....it's spring!


....and there's so much to see and enjoy, what's a little pink and orange??

Mary Washington House Spring 2008

Today I made it to the Mary Washington House garden. My first visit of the season! Everyone was hard at work when I arrived and it was just great to see our group. There have been some changes since we (you and I) last took a look here.

For starters, a new fence is up thanks to some intrepid Boy Scouts. It looks most lovely behind all these yellow tulips, doesn't it?


Closer:


Those Boy Scouts hand cut each piece of wood which is really in the spirit of the time.

Last year, I missed the blooming of the tree peony. I am determined to see it this year.



This is a rescue by H the Horticulturist and some of the garden gang. It's doing amazingly; one would never know it was moved (I told you they are a talented bunch).

These black tulips against the white wall are pretty stunning.


Closer:



The redbud is striking as well:



You may remember the native columbine (some of these reside in my garden thanks to the MWH garden) from before. Look where this one has placed itself:



As we head out, it's hard not to notice the lilacs in bloom:



This was just a little taste of spring today. It will be a different garden when next we visit.

What Not To Do: Tulips

So, I really do mean it when I say I've had it with plants/bulbs, etc. that are not as promised. Really, I do. And, I'm better...but not totally cured. Last fall I actually got all my bulbs planted in a mostly timely manner/fashion. That alone was record setting (for me).

When I happened upon these tulips


marked down for clearance, I thought to myself, "why not?" After all, every spring I look around and wish I had planted more tulips. Especially pink tulips. I don't know why, but I really like pink tulips (maybe because I have...ahem...a few daffodils around). The tulips I especially like (big ones!) do not return reliably here. The price of these was less than a bunch of fresh tulips. Good deal, yes?

Okay, flower fans...you probably guessed it...Do I have pink tulips???



No, not a single one. Zero. In fact, there's every color BUT pink. (Not really...it's mostly red and yellow...) Would I have bought these if they were correctly labeled as a mix of colors (except pink)? Maybe. But, probably not (I had pink on my mind).

I know, you're probably saying that I only paid a small price for them. True, but I want/expect/demand (ha) that I get what I pay for. At least I intend to. From now on.

Down with vendors/sellers who sell you one thing and provide something totally different. I may have to consider this for the slice blog as I think this problem is epidemic.

If it matters to you (shouldn't it??), make a vow as I am to do your best to only support growers and sellers who provide a true product. It can't be that hard to put the proper label on your bulbs, can it?

Garden Reading: The Garden Primer

If you knew someone to guide you, keep you from making mistakes and just generally mentor you in gardening, I suspect that someone would resemble Barbara Damrosch. At least, I hope she would!



Image courtesy of Workman Publishing.

Newly updated and greener than ever, Barbara Damrosch's The Garden Primer is available and ready to lead you down the garden path. While the beloved original still rests on many a gardener's bookshelf (saw it myself recently at my sister's), this new version brings it right up to date. Armed with the latest information, any one of us could venture out and make magic in the dirt. You know you can...and if you didn't, this is the perfect manual for you.

Ms. Damrosch jumps right in with What Plants Need. Of special interest to me was the section on Bulbs (you know how I love my daffodils) where I was reminded that it just might be time to divide some of mine. On page 513, I read, "If a clump is dense and the leaves have started to flop, it's a sign that division is needed." Well, that describes my clump of Mt. Hood exactly. Guess what I'll be doing after the foliage has withered (it will be fun to see exactly how many are in the clump).

I also dug right into the section on Vegetables. You might remember those peas I planted on a whim? Just waiting for me was a load of information on peas (pages 340-345). There I learned that I was right (whew) to have a trellis waiting for them and that I needed to not let them over ripen on the vine, lest they lose their sweetness. I'll have to remember that as they are just now breaking the ground. Also, to pick them right before dinner (unless I'm eating right where they grow) as they start to lose their sweetness upon picking. I also learned they freeze well (hope I have enough to freeze!). You can see I focused on the reward, i.e., the eating (hehe) vs. the actual growing; however, The Garden Primer contains plenty of information on the actual growing.

After each section, there is an extensive glossary with pictures and detailed information on, for example, numerous vegetables. Just liked I looked up peas, you could look up anything you wanted, like tomatoes (pages 373-379), for instance. Of course, trees, perennials, shrubs, herbs, wildflowers, you-name-it are all covered including a section on houseplants. If you can grow it, there's information for you to absorb and learn.

Because I have vegetables on my mind, it was with special delight that I discovered a lovely and very colorful feature on Barbara Damrosch and Eliot Coleman's Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine, in the Spring 2008 edition of Country Gardens magazine. On display were the vegetable gardens (advice put into practice), luscious vegetables themselves and a flower garden in full bloom. A feast for the eyes and so very inspiring! Pictured also was the herb garden, complete with a plan featuring the actual plants used. I immediately turned back to the section on Herbs in the book, eager to learn more. (It's hard to put down; you'll see!)

If you didn't guess or or were unaware, let me be sure you realize we are talking about organic gardening. And, at Four Season Farm, they clearly know what they're doing! If you don't know something or, like me, are always eager to advance your gardening skills and knowledge, then make sure you have a copy of the new and improved The Garden Primer at hand. Our gardens will thank us!

Daffodil Parade and More....

Getting right to it, more daffodil pictures....plus other spring things....and, if you hang on, something at the end that really made my day! Some of these pictures are from yesterday. Others are from today (you'll see the raindrops...yea rain, we need all we can get to fill those reservoirs so that our water restrictions can go away...).


Barrett Browning (above)


Goldflake (above)


Bath's Flame (above)


Fragrant Rose (above)


Pineapple Prince (above)


Changing Colors (above)


Gigantic Star (above)...really huge


Modern Art (above)....doesn't match its picture...we'll follow this one to see if it matures into it or I was simply sent the wrong one...


Seagull (above) newly opening


Seagull as the blooms mature (above)


Trepolo (above) wet


and dry (above)...from yesterday


Flower Record (above)


Martinette (above)


Sweetness (above)...see, more did open



Chromacolor (above)


Minnow and Scilla (above)


Red Devon (above)


Marieke (above) ... a nice yellow, big, but not as big as Gigantic Star


Sugarbush (above)...just starting


Burning Heart...maybe...(above)...I have another area of Burning Heart...we'll compare later...every year this one looks different


Lemon Drops (above)


Hollywood (above)


Toto (above)

Some Unknowns (below):


A beautiful yellow growing with some autumn crocus... (above)


Probably from a Butterfly Mix (above)


Near perfect form, I think, and laughs at the weather...unknown (above)


Backyard unknown...growing under a silver maple...with no love...sigh (above)


Bought as Jenny...it's not...(above)

As promised, there are other things here besides daffodils (and many more of those to come...those pictured are mostly earlier ones)....here we go


A screen of winter hazel blooms...(above)


Grape Hyacinths (above)...gotta have those, right?


My tiny tree peony is up and going (above)


One variety of woodland phlox getting ready to go (above)


Redbuds will be starting very soon...isn't it wild how buds pop out all over (above)


Almost azalea time (above)


Pink Almond about ready to pop (above)


It made it! Helped by our mild winter this year, undoubtedly....my non bridal wreath spirea (above)


Glory of the Snow (above)


Virginia Bluebells (above)


Self seeded foxglove, rose campion and variegated columbine (above)


Self seeded Japanese Iris....hope they bloom...maybe something new, who knows (above)


Earliest of the peonies with buds (above)


Look carefully...the raindrops are glinting off the emerging epimediums....cool...(above)


They'll never go away...big sigh...two eradications...unsuccessful...tiger lilies (above)


Hip hip hooray! This, dear blogworld friends, is....my emerging gas plant! Yes! Three times I've tried to grow this...and finally....it had a rough autumn...broken off...mulch removed by critters, etc...but, here it is! (above)

Okay...if you're still here (gold star to you!)....something really special (I think)...


You, yes you, are the first ones to see this! This is a daffodil seedling! Making its first appearance in the world...we'll see how it does...I have nothing like this in all my daffodils...and, you know what else....this is a gift from mother nature! You got it. I didn't do this. Let me show you where it is:


That's it from behind. There's a group of assorted daffodils nearby...you can just see them in the right corner. However, I made this bed...despite the orange builder's clay (time and amending and a never-give-up attitude help)...no daffodils were ever planted there...it seems to be a good area for seedlings...the Japanese Iris ones are nearby and I find daylily seedlings in there as well. Well, we'll have to watch it and see what it does in the future, how well it increases, etc. There's some other smallish daffodil foliage nearby, so maybe there will be other seedlings in the future. I have no idea how long it takes for seeds to make it to this point. The daffodils that it probably came from (although there are lots of others, depending on the time frame) were planted probably in 1999, maybe 2000. I'll have to check the trusty spreadsheet.

So, there you have it! A first!

******
A rare peek at my garden...I'm no landscaper, but spring is just so fun...have a look


Walking to the front door (above)...


Riley enjoying the blooms (above).....yes, I am not into grass...


Korean Spice Viburnun, assorted daffs, and creeping phlox coming into bloom...more things to come, but a nice early show (above)


A little look at one part of my backyard (above)...can't wait for the daylilies...obviously, there's more room for daffodils (hehe)...maybe now you begin to see how I crowd everything in.


I've just run out of time because there is more...tulips, for instance...the early ones are blooming. My "to blog" list grows ever longer...but, never mind...it's spring!

Clematis Armandi Blooms (at last)!

I knew it. Of course, I knew it. My planned escape to South Carolina would come just as the Clematis Armandi would begin to bloom...for the very first time (after three years, I think...maybe four)....and so, I present:




I'm excited! And, yes, fragrance fans, it is deliciously fragrant!

*****

Because they're blooming and because I can't resist taking their pictures:

Sorbet (above)


Amor (above)


Sentinel (above)


Easter Bonnet (above)


Mt. Hood (above)


L'Innocence (above)


Trevithian (above)


Acropolis (above)


Mondragon (above)


Ring of Fire (above)


Curly (above)


Virginia Sunrise (above)

****

More tomorrow....more daffs and more signs of spring around here.

2008 Maymont Flower Show

With expected bad weather on the horizon, I made my way down to Richmond on Thursday, February 21st. This was probably my fourth time to attend the Maymont show. It is a welcomed and anticipated break in winter.


This year, however, brought some changes to the Maymont show. For starters, it was combined with a home show. Visitors were funneled into the home show and had to seek out the garden part (it wasn't obvious). Clearly, the intention was for attendees to take in the home show first. For me, this wasn't so good. I came for the garden part.


Way over on the side were the gardens (not so many, it seemed to me) and the garden vendors. Now, I am usually a happy shopper and so, yes, I did find some things to bring home (never fear). However, I wasn't a happy camper when I discovered that the speakers (only four) were held in two separate venues and overlapped. This meant, it would have been impossible to take in all four. In my years of attending, this was a first. I have enjoyed some of the speakers in the past quite a bit (some, not so much), but the choice was always mine about whether to attend. I did not feel that way this year. One had to choose.

Upon discovering that the second speaker was in that previously mentioned second venue, I scurried over there and arrived a few minutes late. This talk was about cut flowers and the speaker owns a cut flower farm/business. So, it was informative but contained quite a bit of general information...and, of course, featured some of their products they had brought to sell. This was also rather new to me. I mean, there have been authors in the past, but most give a different talk with slides and will also sign their books. Somehow, that doesn't seem quite the same as someone who is at the show (with a booth) to sell you things giving you a lecture that...amazingly...shows you how wonderful their products are. I don't mean to be harsh because it was a fine enough talk. It just wasn't what I had come to expect from Maymont.

Since I had to choose, I decided to attend the fourth speaker, Art Chadwick, of Chadwick & Son Orchids, Inc. Yes, they had a lovely booth (three orchids came home with me!).




(The three orchids that reside here now, pictured above. The very last one is a seedling and the bud had not opened. I chose it based on the reddish stem color, hoping for something pretty much like what I got! They had several greenish ones, but I am one of those rare folks who is not crazy about green flowers.)

However, I can always use orchid information, especially care information. Sadly, this venue provided no screen for slides (a major flaw, in my opinion). He did bring some orchids to show, one I'll show you in just a bit. I found him very hard to hear...he did attempt to adjust his microphone, but apparently it was not fixable.

One of things I most appreciated about Mr. Chadwick's talk was his candidness. He bluntly told us not to bother with Vandas and Cymbidiums. Both are, apparently, very difficult for the home grower to get back in bloom. The Chadwicks, besides providing an amazing array and variety of orchids, also offer a boarding service. For $2 per month, you can board your orchids with them...picking them up to enjoy in bloom. That's pretty neat, I suppose.

Their business (father and son) has been featured in Southern Living Magazine as well as on Martha Stewart's tv show. Mr. Chadwick took us through most of the common varieties of orchids as well as covering their care. I didn't realize that moth orchids, in their natural habitat, grow sideways (we stand them upright) which keeps water out (and causing their death). Be careful when you water yours not to get water in the leaf joints. I also learned that I have probably been exposing my moth orchids to way too much light (which explains why I decided to toss one). I have remedied this situation (the light one).

Two other care aspects made an impression on me. These are general (for most home orchids) care tips. One is that tap water is okay! Who knew (I thought you were supposed to use distilled or some such). The other is that orchids love to be outside in mild weather. We were told that they will really take off, if you put them outside. Now, don't forget to protect them from the hot sun (shade them) and also secure them (from falling off or blowing about). Wow. I think will have to give that a try this year.

Oh yes. One other thing: misting doesn't really help them. They like humidity which is better achieved with humidity trays (a humidity gage would be helpful). I bought several humidity trays and am going to give those a try as the water in the tray should provide a better atmosphere than I currently have. I do wish I had realized the trays require a stand or a tray to put them in...but, I'm sure I can find something online or somewhere.

Here's a fabulous moth orchid (award winning) that is something like fifteen years old. Check out all the roots (we always wonder if we should repot or not...maybe not!).



I also found these cute things at the Maymont booth.


Special thanks to the Hellebore vendor who not only sold me a double (hopefully, next year I'll find out what color it is!) but most kindly gave me some plastic bags to cover my new orchids as I was parked on the sixth (and open) deck. It was after 6:00 p.m. and quite cold outside. I don't think my orchids would have made it but for her kindness, so thank you very much!

I was happy to find some cut flower preservative and a stainless steel frog (dishwasher safe), both recommended by the first speaker. The preservative was one of the products I bought from her booth. Some seeds jumped into my hands also...and maybe some clippers...



The jury is out on whether I will attend next year. Even if it did disappoint me this year, it's pretty hard to resist seeing flowers in bloom (any flowers) in February.


I'll close with one last picture. Seeing these daffodils brought a smile to my face.

Lettuce and Other Stuff

So, I'm out and about running errands and I see lettuce starts. Of course, I have lettuce seeds at home, but...I confess, I'm interested. The price of a nine pack is less that a package of triple washed lettuce at the grocery. And, I see a Red Sails pack that is ready for picking now...hmmmm (that's what thinking sounds like)...

It just so happens that I actually (a first) have a place I can plant some lettuce. I should back up and say that my yard is hard orange clay. Not exactly soil (soil? How kind of me.) that one can just drop things in. It has taken me years (emphasis required) of work and countless bags of amendments, but there actually are spots now where one can...plant...without backbreaking labor. Amazing. Usually, I would scout out a spot and drag bags around. I either pocket plant or build up. Lately, there's more of the building up as my digging days are behind me (I hope).

I have very little blank space (ask the dogs). It occurs to me that those spots I am saving for tomatoes could host lettuce. Then, when it's too hot for lettuce (Mayish, I'm thinking), out they go, add some more amendments and in go the tomatoes! Sounds like a plan, right? I'm game.




In fact, I'm so motivated that I actually also planted some peas. How many years have I thought about that (but not done it)?? Well, we'll see how they do....their trellises are not exactly the best and who knows if the weather will cooperate, but, hey, sometimes you experiment.

Best of all, I had a little salad...almost home grown (very tasty)...so, no matter what happens, I got my money's worth.



*****

As the early blooms begin to pick up steam, it's hard to keep up...but I try...so, here's a few more things:


I thought this crocus was a bit unusual. Most of mine have stripes (that have stripes, of course) on nearly all the petals...like these:


The Roman Hyacinth (one bulb) has apparently increased! Multiple stems this year! And, with our mild winter, I didn't get the usual frozen one first.


Saucer Magnolia right on schedule (for it)...early...this means a freeze could be in our future (let's hope not):


Look closely and you'll see a bird's nest:


The first of the tulips surrounded by larkspur seedlings:


An early daffodil, an unknown, though I think if I could find a daffodil hunter, it might be identified with that distinctive orange ring:


What's interesting with daffodils is that one day you might have one open....then by late afternoon or surely by the next morning, the whole group bursts into bloom...and they last for a number of days.


Another variety of iris reticulata...this was a little mix...will the yellows make an appearance...who knows.


The very first flowers on one variety of creeping phlox. There's a Korean Spice Viburnum above this one and I noticed the buds swelling on it...won't be long!


And, lastly, Glory of the Snow, thankfully, no snow...

Well, that's all I have time for now....it's a bright and sunny day...I think it's calling me.