Cut flower bed path

March 2005:

March 2009:

Road Trip?

The Daffodil Principle is one of the more widely-circulated 'web-tastic' stories. Fact, fiction, or embellished yarn, it is a powerful reminder that single-handed determination can be continually enhanced and pronounced by the wonder of nature.

CG would like to gas-up the m'cycle and give a first-hand (via 3rd person) account of the story's validity, but then he would miss-out on close to a week of goings-on and chores in his own garden.

First Iris Bloom

It's not one of CG's favorite types of iris, but it's nice to have some bold color in the garden this early. And of course, CG has only good things to say about the flower when he's in close proximity to the plant.

This year, the daffodils and iris are transitioning very well. The 'plain-jane' yellow daffodils were the first to bloom, but after a 'long' arkansas winter, any splash of color is welcomed. The more intricate double daffodils have been last to open-up (even a few more are still budding). So, these 'generic purple' iris are doing a good job over-lapping the daffodil blooms, and are making a strong introduction for what should be an intriguing and showy spring!

Soon-to-be Iris Bloom?

and daffodils are still opening-up too:

'09 Daffodils

Daffodils are undoubtedly CG's favorite spring-time bloom. They are extremely hardy and care-free. Currently, the daffodils in CG's landscape are scattered, seemingly singular plantings. In a few weeks, fill-in daffs from the farm bed will be transplanted to bulk-up some of the plantings in the backyard. More planned plantings of patches in the fall will provide for fuller, longer-lasting blooms in '10.

Nature's perfection.

Even if all the work during the previous fall resulted in this single bloom, CG would deem it well worth his while.

Peakness

The forsythia have reached their peak of blooming, and CG is not too disappointed. They have had a rough existence up to now. Some tlc will be applied this spring and summer, so next year, the forsythia bed will be the strong anchor of the backyard.

Canna Snake

It was a warm, sunny afternoon. CG was enjoying being able to get outside for some long-overdue gardening work. To make room for a solid border of daylilies, some cannas had to be removed. CG usually works with a shovel, but it was hiding somewhere in the garage. So, CG started clawing away at the mulch and soil by hand. Always accustomed to feeling the sensation of a wriggly nightcrawler, CG thought nothing of it at first.

Yeah, the texture of a snake is a little different than a worm. It brought about a delayed reaction from CG that spooked the neighbor dog (who wasn't used to hearing a girl screaming).

The snake was gently placed in the back corner of the garden under a light covering mulch.

Rodents and bare-handed gardeners beware.

The excess cannas were placed in the newly extended corner bed.

Hopefully, the garden has reached its maximum capacity of cannas and snakes.

Preserving natural predators in a landscape is a good (but sometimes scary) way to be green!

Mid March Landscape Notes

1. pleased with the amount of work that was completed over the winter
2. will be focused on 'bulking-up' the forsythia bed this spring
3. need to ID all daffodil patches and mark where new patches need to go
4. (first daffodil bloom of 2009 was 28FEB)
5. finding it difficult to keep-up with hand-pulling newly emerging weeds in the front yard
6. honeysuckle bushes had really greened-up by 09MAR
7. crocus need to be re-located in cut flower bed
8. up to now, the month of March has been frost-free
9. seedlings will need to be transplanted outdoors in a few weeks
10. azalea bushes seem to be prime for nice, full blooming this spring

For the Birds

Along with greenery upgrades to the landscape, CG has invested in habitat enhancing structures for his local avian friends. Two bird feeders were installed on the back fence and stocked with seed. ($4 apiece from wal mart...the feed was more expensive than the feeders)

On rainy and cold days, the birds take-over watch of the plants, and now, they can have a good snack while they fulfill their duties.

Sparrows are welcomed, but it's nice to see different birds as well.

While the birds establish a pecking order on the feeders, the nearby shrubs are becoming more popular for hang-outs. CG's gardening assistant really enjoys watching the backyard stirring with flight and chirping with song.

Forsythia

The forsythia bushes are not as full as CG would like them to be, but at least they are still alive.

CG will be filling-in the bed with an additional 6 to 9 bushes in the next few months. Low branches from mature bushes were covered with mulch last fall, and should produce some healthy offspring ready for transplanting. With a lot of patience, fertilizer, and hard work (amending the clay-heavy soil), the forsythia bed will be a show-stopper next spring.

CG has started planting daffodils in the forsythia bed and likes the added effect. At least 12 more patches are in order.

Landscape Mix

If CG found a syrup that would compliment Landscape Mix, he would eat it for breakfast. It's really good stuff! This particular brand used to be sold at home depot, but now, it seems to be sold exclusively at wal mart. It costs $3.62, and it's a healthy 2 cubic foot size (CG has seen 3 cubic foot products sold in the same size bag). This type of landscape mix consists of finely grated bark, so it breaks-down relatively fast (good for adding organic material to the soil). It's lighter than soil, (especially after watering) so it's ideal to use in pots and planters.

CG has been hand-tilling this product into some heavy clay areas with good results. It is also used in larger beds as a 'filler' between planting areas. Since it's pre-packaged and easy to store for long periods of time, landscape mix can be combined with top soil to 'stretch-out' any limited quantities. Perlite, peat, and landscape mix can make any dirt become top grade potting soil.

Please pass the syrup!

Daffodils & Crocus

With daily temps in the 70's, there's a lot happening in the garden. Daffodils are blooming in full force, and perennials are beginning to green-up. The push to complete all of the gardening projects begins in earnest during these good-weather days!

This is the single crocus blooming, hopefully, there will be many more!

Grass B Gon

CG is not a big fan of using chemicals and fertilizers. But he really dislikes invasive grass. Responsible use of an herbicide can have zero impact on the environment. If the product is not over-applied, the liquid is absorbed by the plant, and there is not any run-off. This particular product is harmless to landscape plants, but kills-off invasive grass (without the remnants of the grass being toxic). The mixture can be harmful while it's in liquid form, so 'Less is More' rings true with this product.

By having grass-free flower beds, more plants are able to bloom and thrive. So in a way, the responsible use of this product can have a positive effect on the environment. It works best when applied at the specified outside temperature (and when it's not likely to rain!).

Lily Inventory

Asiatic lilies:

CG likes the deep green foliage and the large blooms of asiatic lilies. However, he hasn't had that much success growing them. A nice start of red asiatics was started in 2005, but all of them got ravaged by a neighborhood rabbit. A few might have survived, and CG will be on the lookout for any signs of them in a few weeks. He is hesistant about trying any more asiatics, but regular $7 to $11 plants that are on sale for a dollar are difficult to pass-up.

A 2005 planting of about 6 of these has yeilded one very strong plant and 8 to 10 immature plants. They were $1 wal mart specials, and survived heavy canine traffic and digging.