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.