A more glorious day would be hard to imagine. Bright, sunny, nearly cloudless skies with high temperatures in the low 70s. Pinch me now, I must be dreaming.
Just when I was about to give up on Spring, Mother Nature sends forth this glorious day. Today was the New England Daylily Society annual plant sale at Essex North Shore Agricultural and Technical School in Danvers, MA. A bit of a travel to get there, but so worth it. As a member of 'NEDS', we spent Wednesday May 8th at Harmon Hill Daylily Farm in Hudson, NH digging daylilies for the sale. Thank you Carl and Marlene for the generous donations. I purchased some new varieties for my garden: Red Skeletons, Sabine Baur, Nick of Time and Huntress. Can't wait to see these beauties blooming; hopefully this July. Happy Dance.
Of late, I've been listening to Slow Flower's Podcast with Debra Prinzing. http://www.debraprinzing.com/c... Debra is so inspiring and her enthusiasm for local, cut flowers is contagious. This year I'm starting my own journey of growing cut flowers for my home and to share with family and friends. I'm also reading the following two books:
Floret Farm's Cut Flower Garden
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1452145768/
And Lisa Mason Ziegler's Vegetables Love Flowers
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760357587/
As I wait for the weather to warm, I've been patiently tending my flower and vegetable seedlings in the greenhouse. This year I'm trying some new flower varieties; one of which is Stock - this is a deliciously, fragrant old-time flower popular in Victorian gardens. I believe it was originally brought to this country by Thomas Jefferson. You may recall this plant from your grandmother's gardens. It's not grown much these days, but I for one am hoping to help change that trend one flower at a time. I purchased the variety, Iron Blue, from Johnny's Seeds in Albion Maine
https://www.amazon.com/dp/0760357587/
While we wait for warmer weather here's some pictures from this past Saturday May 11th
Happy Mother's Day - May 12th to all you mom's out there.
Crabapple Trees blooming
Daffodils
Hosta Emerging
Finally a partly sunny day (more clouds than sun, but at least there's SUN). It's 72F degrees Happy Dance
As we all know, following so much rain and now sun what will we have next: WEEDS. Oh lordy my yard is going to explode with these lil buggers.
Around here (NH), we put down CrabGrass preventer when the Forsythia bloom. Any later, and it's TOO late. We also have to put another application of crabgrass preventer down in June to help with those late germinating seeds. This year, I'm using Jonathan Green's CrabGrass Preventer PLUS New Seeding fertilizer. This is one of the few crabgrass preventers that you can put down new seed at the same time. Typically, with crabgrass preventers, there's a wait period before you can reseed. I'll post an update later in the season.
And now for getting to those weeds. I purchased a 'used' garden tool at last year's local plant sale. It's become my 'go to' tool. The closest I can find to this 'old timie' tool is the Single Tine Cultivator by Hosstools.com. I love my 'new' tool so much, I'm going to break open my piggy bank and purchase the Single Tine Cultivator from HossTools.com. There's a super, duper video on YouTube 'the Two Best tools for Weeding Carrots and Onions' by HossTools. check it out.
Is it possible to have too many tools? nah? Speaking of tools, I have a great way to carry my garden tools with me that costs very little. A 5 gallon plastic bucket with handle (like the kind you can buy at Lowes, Home Depot). I bought one of those 'tool caddy' whatchamacallits and boy oh boy has this helped keep my tools organized and easy to carry. Have I said, I'm always losing tools (and more). Just yesterday, I lost my car keys. Yep, in the garden somewhere. They must have fallen out of my jacket pocket while I was raking leaves. I have two more spares thank goodness. Has anyone priced the cost of replacing those 'smart' car keys these days - oy vey? No thank you.
At this time of year, I encourage everyone to Support your Local Garden Club Plant Sale; now is the time to get out there and get some deals. Tomorrow, I'll be helping dig at one of our member gardens for donations to the club sale. Can't think of a better way to spend a vacation day than digging in the soil. Sitting on a beach sipping Mai Tai? NOPE not for me.
And, on that note, That's All for today.
Cheers
Where is spring? It's 55 degrees as I write; cloudy, drizzle. ugh I soooo need to see the sun.
Yesterday May 4th attended Rose 101 presentation put on at Mahoney's Garden Center Winchester, MA
Excellent presentation; while at the garden center, I purchased Lady In Red climber (Mother's Day present) and Cape Diamond roses.
The Lady in Red will look beautiful on my mother's arbor.
Checked on the bees we installed Tuesday April 30th (carnolians). The queens still had not been released from their cages; don't know
why the bees are taking so long to chew through candy cork. I ended up releasing the queens; it's been 5 days - long enough already.
Poor bees; it's been so cool and rainy. They have sugar syrup and powdered pollen to sustain them at least until weather improves.
Despite the weather, I planted more onions today 200 Yellow Sweet Spanish and 200 Walla Walla. Not much else happening.
Cheers All
The weather has taken a turn back toward winter. We've had cloudy, drizzly, rainy weather the past week.
High 40's; low 50's. Forsythia is blooming which means time to put down crab grass preventer. Well, at least the rain will be good for watering in the
fertilizer and pre-emergent crab grass preventer. Today is May 1st and it's only 50 degrees high today with cloudy, drizzly weather.
In the greenhouse, had to replant peppers due to chipmunk chewing off all the tops of my seedlings. oy vey
It's late to be starting seedlings; we'll have to see how they fare come end of May. Memorial Day weekend is typical planting time for peppers, tomatoes
here in northeast.
On Tuesday April 30th, we picked up two packages of bees (Carnolians). Poor girls are not happy with this cool weather. At least they're in the hive safe n sound.
We'll check on the queen this weekend to insure they've release and accepted her. The packages (Italians) we picked up in March are doing very well. Queens are laying up a storm; good brood pattern. They've even been bringing in pollen; most likely from the maples and poplar trees. Not much else blooming at this time.
Daffodils are blooming, but bees don't seem to care for these too much. Something ate the crocus' I planted last fall; not a one came up. Chipmunks, voles???
Picked up 3 Silkie chicks at the Earth Day Fair (2 buffs and 1 partridge). Happy Dance - I love silkies.
That's all for now folks,
Cheers
We hit a high of 73 F today. wohoo Happy Dance
One of my favorite times of the year -- the April New England Daylily Society meeting. A fantastic program today.
Started with Suzanne Mahler Overseer for the Massachusetts Horticultural Society https://www.suzannemahler.com/
Suzanne presented a fabulous program today -- so inspiring
Time to get those hands in the soil.
Suzanne's presentation was followed by Heidi and Charles Douglas (Browns Ferry Gardens - daylilies) http://www.brownsferrygardens/
They're 2019 introductions are in a word Wow! Heidi and Charles are so entertaining; great presentation.
Continued cleaning garden beds. Started more peppers - Giant Marconi Pepper.
It's late; time for bed. gnite all
