yikes

CG has noticed several 'way too early' daffodils pushing-up. With some consistent cold weather and an extra layer of protective mulch, all should be well.

Mid December Landscape Notes

1. weather has been very mild with above average rainfall
2. began pruning burning bushes
3. will have a good amount of 'canna mulch' ready for the planting beds
4. still need to transplant the crocus
5. the semi-dormant dallis grass is easier to pull-up this time of year (beginning early Nov.) after a soaking rain
6. azaleas that were moved to the farm bed are doing well
7. did not do any fertilizing this Fall
8. had at least 2 small bag worm infestations in the river birch trees
9. nandina bushes are about 80% filled-in as a naturalized mass planting
10. pondering whether or not to attempt the Calif. poppies from seeds again
    

Yellow is the color of Remembrance

Each year since 2001, over 20,000 New Yorkers volunteer to plant 500,000 daffodils in public areas. The daffodils are donated by a bulb growing company in the Netherlands.

More from the Daffodil Project:
The Daffodil Project was founded in response to the attacks of September 11 as a memorial, which would raise the spirits of New Yorkers and revitalize parks and communities throughout the five boroughs. A joint endeavor between NY4P and the Department of Parks & Recreation, volunteers plant bulbs all over the city each fall, and in the spring communities come together to celebrate their blooming as visible symbols of perseverance and restoration.

more information here

done.

Fall daffodil planting has been completed. Potted daffodils will be planted in the Spring, after they are marked-down. However, it may be challenging to find new areas for planting. In addition to daffodils, about 3 dozen iris have been added. One particular variety of bearded iris still remains on the 'need to find' list -Gingersnap (supposedly it smells like root beer).

((Best daffodil website))

((an informative blog dedicated to daffodils))

Mid November Landscape Notes

1. had a late frost this year
2. finding non-planted areas for daffodils will be a big challenge next year
3. still need to transplant crocus from cut flower bed
4. happy with number/variety of bearded iris plants
5. trying to keep-up with year-round anti-weed campaign
   
6. forsythia bed is still a few years away from maturity
7. need to stake wayward crepe myrtle branches instead of pruning them off (rock island bed)
8. have a good start of ajuga going in the south side bed
9. need to trellis the vine in the farm bed
10. will consider planting butterfly bushes in the cut flower bed, and a natchez-variety crepe myrtle in the back corner bed
    

been busy planting!

CG hasn't had time for taking too many photos lately. He has been busy planting over 300 daffodils. Most are planted in masses of 7 to 29 (think plants enjoy odd numbers). CG believes that one variety he planted will be blooming by the end of February. The forsythia bed was started with daffodil plantings in April '09 (walmart specials -some were 50 cents for a pot of 5!). Now, the bed is probably 90% full (over 200 bulbs). It's not that large of an area, maybe 20' X 12'. Between the yellow forsythia and the 6 different types yellow/yellow daffodils, CG is pleased with the development of the planting area.

Daffodil planting will conclude in the next few weeks. CG plans to purchase about 3 dozen Mount Hood variety (white/white) daffodils to finish-off the cut flower bed. This will amount to about $18...if CG wins the lottery, however, he may consider 3 dozen of these: (would cost over $1000 for 3 dozen bulbs)

See details
'Landewednack Lady' 4 W-W (LM) Per single bulb ID: SKU1321 Desription:'Landewednack Lady' 4 W-W (LM)'Pitchroy' x 'Gay Kybo'; sdlg no.786 A large rounded flower 110 mm wide; perianth and other petaloid segments in four whorls, broadly ovate, white, smooth and of heavy substance, segments are clustered at centre, opening pale yellow, becoming white.
Price per single bulb
Our price: £25.00 (€ 28.29)

sunrise

This morning, CG's wife captured the sunrise that cast everything in a pinkish glow. It lasted less than half an hour.

The high temperature for Friday is expected to be in the 40's.
What happened to Fall weather?

Fall Color

a full year of effort for a few weeks of show: burning bushes (Euonymus)
-they are of the slow-growing, non-invasive dwarf variety

(rock on loan from the Back 40 Gardener of Eureka Springs)

sedum- enjoying new home
(gift from CG's sister)

aster plant in bloom
(supposedly keeps bagworms at bay by attracting people friendly mini-wasps that prey on the larvae)

Mid October Landscape Notes

1. going full speed with planting daffodils (150 and counting)
2. was not able to find any $1 specials on daylilys this year
3. will need to start fertilizing soon
4. hoping the avg height of the burning bush bed is at least 5' next Fall
5. sedums and burning bushes are a nice color/texture combination
6. would like to begin installing the planned redbud tree planting area (trees need to be planted before the first frost)
7. forsythia bed is good on numbers now, will need good Spring growth to fill-in
8. all of the crocus in the cut flower bed need to be re-located
9. added some early-blooming daffodils, should extend total time in bloom by 10 to 14 days
10. Louisiana iris need to be divided
    

Fall Iris Planting

Good deals and tolerable weather!

Sam's Club had a limited selection of iris, but no complaints: one pack of 4 iris cost $4.88
(and both types are reblooming!)

CG is always looking for more and different varieties of iris. Fall is the best time of year to plant and divide them, so local stores are thoroughly searched and compared. CG also reviews photos taken during the spring to identify areas that need to be planted, and patches of like-color iris that need to be divided.

The Daffodil Drive

It started Thursday. CG had not seen them in the store prior to that day. The first, fresh stock of the product. A moment of contained celebration. After months of dormant thoughts and memories, daffodils are back! A bag of 6 bulbs was selected after much perusing (of the Ice King variety- they seemed to be last year's favorite).

There's an internal drive within many gardeners; a drive for continual improvement and seasonal renewal. CG believes that daffodils are the best fuel for that drive. With many varieties, daffodils can transform any plain patch of ground into more than six weeks of colorful splendor. And with each passing year, they will multiply, offering continual improvement for zero work. Daffodils are also the most profound signal of the emerging freedom from the grips of winter and the renewal of vibrant energy with the beginning of spring.

CG will begin planting his daffodils from now till mid December. Some are ordered on-line, some are mail-ordered from a catalog, and many are hand-selected after much deliberation. (So far, the best deal on bulk quantities have been found by CG's wife at Sam's Club: 100 bulbs for $15 -a generic yellow/yellow variety).

Throughout the summer, CG was marking patches of existing daffodils, (before the last of their foliage faded) and marking areas primed for adding daffodils. Dozens of 3X5 cards have been consumed by calculating overlapping bloom times, mapping swaths of color, and wish-listing exotic varieties. Catalogs were collected and clipped, digging tools were cleaned and sharpened. All efforts in preparation of this moment.

Now is the time when the confluence of inspired thought, physical work, and the wonderment of nature are tamped into place.

Mid September Landscape Notes

1. nandina bushes did well this summer
2. one of the two honeysuckle bushes lost majority of its leaves too early (maybe still recovering from being moved)
3. white crepe myrtles need to be staked
4. forsythia bed looks thin, but all mature plants have survived
5. weed control in the front yard is a year-round endeavor
6. two burning bushes on the back row are weak/distressed
7. azalea bed looks ok, waiting for them to really fill-out
8. finally, have the right plant combination in the rock island bed
9. had a few weeks of drought, will look at installing a rain collecting barrel before next summer
10. plan to grow at least 40% of annuals from seed next spring
    

End of Summer!

Summer in Arkansas can be a challenge when dealing with a young landscape. Root systems are not fully established, so a short drought of a little more than a week can take its toll. Not much time can be spent taking photos when there's always something that could use some watering.

Many cannas were irreparably damaged early-on, but most still managed to bloom.

The California Poppies enjoyed the harsh summer, but CG was not able to grow as many as he wanted...maybe next year.

Crepe Myrtles and most types of daylilys performed well.

Mid August Landscape Notes

1. missed a few watering opportunities in late June and early July- some plants never fully recovered
2. still fighting dallis grass
3. planted an aster plant close to river birch trees -to fend-off bagworms, and it seems to be working
4. had a lot of rain- heavy rainstorms, no garden-friendly soaking showers
5. will have to move only one azalea bush this fall
6. fall ordering of daffodils and Louisiana iris needs to be done at the end of the month
7. bog bed did well...will consider installing more for next year -they require zero weeding and overall less water than regular landscape beds
8. crepe myrtles provide dependable summer color -but they still need a few more years
9. next year, may consider planting some annuals
10. need to consider trying to keep bird feeders and bird bath full next summer
    

Hallelujah!

Success!

The California poppies are starting to bloom!

It was a long, arduous journey.

From seed to sprout.

From sprout to first leaf.

From first leaf to plant.

Now in glorious (albeit singular) bloom!

Backyard

not looking too bad for mid-summer

(the other 1/3 of the yard is still grass)

the forsythia bed (foreground) is thin, but they're still establishing good roots

(black pots are marking existing daffodil clumps

some of the asiatic lilys are re-blooming!

Mid July Landscape Notes

1. the past 4 weeks have been extremely dry
2. haven't been able to do anything other than try to keep plants watered
3. river birch trees are tolerating the hot/dry weather well
4. no signs of reblooming iris -yet
5. dallisgrass is very persistent in the front yard
6. tried sowing more Calif. poppies last week
7. will be planting aster perennials close to the river birch trees (in an attempt to control any future bagworm infestations)
8. forsythia bed is doing well (have back-up cuttings ready to replace the ones that transcend during the remainder of the summer)
9. daffodil patches have been marked; will have an idea of 'where, how many, & what type' to purchase locally and order on-line
10. CG will be looking forward to the day when he can go outside after lunch and tend to the planting areas for more than 30 minutes (and not worry about heat stroke)

Wednesday Garden Tour

With over an inch of rain Saturday nite into Sunday morning, things are looking better in the garden.

The St Joan daylilys are still setting blooms.

Cannas are going full force and multiplying

and...

the season's first cucumber!

California Poppy Update

one of 3 that have survived:

CG now understands why these aren't seen too often in Arkansas

(spring weather here seems to be too rainy and prone to late chilly snaps -not to their liking)

the foliage does interest CG, and they are extremely drought resistant

not too sure if they will ever bloom...

July Blooms

July begins with stifling heat and the continuation of a 2+ week-long drought.

For CG, seeing just a single plant blooming under these conditions is a botanical blessing.

Surprisingly, only one newly-planted forsythia off-shoot has transcended.

The next chance for rain is Saturday. CG will be doing all he can to get at least an inch of rainfall:

1. Leaving lawnmower outside of the shed
2. Car windows down (after washing it)
3. Rigging a clothesline in the yard and hanging laundry to dry
4. Preparing breakfast outside with the electric toaster

Cannas

Just one of the many canna plantings.

Cannas are a durable staple of CG's garden.

They can tolerate extreme weather conditions, and don't require being dug-up for winterizing here in zone 7B.

The red ones seem to be the first to bloom; yellow, orange, peach, and speckled red/yellow should be coming soon.

Daylilys

All of the non-stella daylilys seem to be blooming all at the same time.

The deep wine colored ones are a favorite:

This one (mis-labelled at the nursery) is CG's favorite:

Wednesday Garden Tour

The Canna Lilys are just starting to bloom

Daylilys are at their peak

(these were tagged as a Joan Senior daylily -obviously not, but they're keepers)

the stellas are preparing to make another round of blooming

the crepe myrtles are less than a week away from being in full bloom

and finally, the bumper crop of lettuce is looking more and more appetizing

(the cucumbers are doing ok, just not looking too photogenic at the moment)

Mid June Landscape Notes

1. no periods of extended drought, so far
2. attempt to grow orange phlox from bagged rootings hasn't worked
3. California poppies don't like extended and prolonged periods of rainfall (yet 3 have survived)
4. dallis grass continues to be a problem in the front/back yards
5. wine colored Japanese iris were a big success in the front bed
6. need to mark Peruvian daffodils (so they can be dug-up this fall)
7. no annuals were planted this year
8. a few burning bushes are looking weak
9. need to move 1 azalea bush this fall (others are spaced ok)
10. need to make a trellis for the clematis vine in the farm bed

Picasso Canna Lily

Although not a true lily, canna lilys are hardy (Zone 7A), foolproof plants.

The picasso canna is one of CG's favorites.

The variegated leaf with a red edge make it distinguishable from other cannas.

(CG has an over-abundance of these,

and is always looking to trade plants!)

Joan Senior

It's the closest all-white daylily that CG could find.

3 pots were bought last fall.

The plants were divided, and now there are 6 healthy, blooming daylilys.

not solid white, but close enough

The 'all-white' rock island bed is filling-in nicely.

Blooming has transitioned smoothly from the daffodils, candy tuft, and now with the Joan Senior daylilys.

(The white crepe myrtles and white reblooming iris are still to come!)