Bulb Sale

I can't resist a sale. When a sale has anything to do with gardening, then I REALLY can’t resist a sale.

A Philadelphia Flower Show a vendor had a “12 for $25” bulb sale. I bought 6 Casablanca and 6 Stargazer Lily bulbs dreaming of their sweet summer scent.

Cleverly, I put the bulbs in separate bags so I wouldn’t get them mixed up. Not so cleverly. I didn’t mark the bags. So I didn’t know which was which. Since Casablanca blooms white, I rationalized that the bulbs would be white.
I wanted to plant them with the other Casablanca lilies in my scented garden. I got out the bulb digger which I haven’t used in years. I tried it and then remembered why I haven’t used it in years. The bulb digger makes a tidy hole but gets stuffed with a rock hard pack of soil. I think the theory is that the digging next hole will push the soil out of the top.

After jumping on the digger several times, I gave up. I turned to the trusty shovel and dug holes for the bulbs.

I planted the six tan colored (Stargazer?) bulbs near our deck. We’ll see which bulbs are in all those holes when they bloom in July.

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Weeding and Deadheading

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I’ve been trying to catch up in the garden.

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Mature gardeners running willy-nilly around the garden attacking plants is not a pretty sight. Then it also seems like nothing is ever complete. So this time I’ve made a list. I’m trying to be logical and sane – the cool, organized gardener.

After the vegetables were picked, I started weeding and deadheading.

With 3 inches of rain while we were gone, the weeds are as happy as the plants. I plan to weed one garden area at a time.

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Purslane, creeping woodsorrel, crabgrass need to be pulled before they go to seed. Some of the paths are overgrown. The plants are so pretty I’ll leave them. Cosmos and sweet alyssum took over the path above.

Lilies, calendula, hostas, petunias need to be deadheaded.

I’ll cut about 1/3 off the top of the lily stalk.

I’ll cut the hosta flower stems as low as I can.

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I plan to cut the calendula flowers off with a hedge clipper. There are so many of them I don’t want all those seeds to fall.

I also need to pinch off the seed heads on the petunias. They look a little sad after a week of neglect. I always pinch the flower and seed head. I know some people just pull the spent flower. I think if they’re making seeds, they have less energy to make flowers. What do you do? Does it matter?

That's my immediate list. I wonder how long it will take to go from the cool, organized gardener to a garden maniac?

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(See Virginia Tech Weed Identification Guide for pictures of purslane, creeping woodsorrel and crabgrass. Weeding gives me a lot of time to think. I wonder what weeds are in your garden? What weeds give you fits in the middle of summer?)

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Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day - July 2009

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So many garden writers post beautiful pictures of their garden blooms each month for Carol’s May Dreams Garden bloom day. I challenged myself to pick one favorite bloom from my garden this month. It was tough choice but I picked Lillium ‘American Dream’.

Every year neighbors stop by to see its spectacular bloom.

Dave’s Garden page suggests the height to be 4 to 6 feet. The lily in my garden is 8 ft tall with 50 to 60 blooms. It is extremely fragrant – a delight when we sit on the deck.

I planted one bulb May 2003. It now has 25 growing stems - 8 are flowering.

I feel extremely fortunate to have selected a spot where it continues to thrive. Sometimes a gardener just gets lucky!


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(I will be on vacation until Wednesday, July 29. I’ll keep up with fellow garden bloggers but I won’t be able to post until then. I have some posts in the works from my garden and maybe I’ll have some good stuff to bring back with me.)

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Plants I really NEED for 2009

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Notice I didn’t say “want”.

I’ve been thinking about these plants for several years. I have more plants that I would like to have but these three have moved into the “really must have” category.

Tuberose

Casablanca lily

Daphne (Daphne burkwoodii)

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I’m ready to shop!

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Another Garden Year

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Spring, summer, fall, and winter –

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2008 is almost at an end. It’s been a good year in the garden. I’ll be away until the end of January so I will take a break from blogging. I’ll miss fellow bloggers and friends. Hopefully, I’ll come back with renewed energy.

I look forward to next year’s garden. I hope we will all meet back here at the end of January. Talk to you then.

Have a loving holiday season and a new year filled with joy.

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House Plants

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It’s time to bring in the houseplants for the winter. They seem to adjust better to indoor temperature and humidity if I bring them in when the nights are warm and before the heat is turned on.

The other day I rinsed the Christmas Cacti and the Amaryllis with water then sprayed them with insecticidal soap.

I put the three Christmas cactus in a window in a room that is cool in winter and gets very little artificial light. I probably won’t do anything more, except water. I may give them a weak fish emulsion water once in a while.

The four amaryllis were put in the same cool room but out of the sun under a table. I will let them dry and rest for the winter. I’ll start giving them a little water about 3 months before I want them to bloom. When I see a little green shoot appear in the pot, I’ll move them to a sunny window and water regularly. Then I’ll wait for the spectacular bloom.

I have a few more plants to bring in this week.

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Here is the picture of the lily I thought was a tuberose. I'll plant the bulbs in the garden next spring.

I plan to buy tuberose from Old House Gardens http://www.oldhousegardens.com/bulb.asp?cat=SP&page=2#doubPearl
I am determined to have a blooming tuberose.

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Fragrant Lily

Lilium ‘American Dream’ purchased from White Flower Farm in 2003 grows to nearly 8 feet tall with a mass of blooms and a heady fragrance. I don’t know why this lily grows so tall and has such a terrific show of blooms. It loves the spot where it is planted. Sometimes a gardener gets lucky.