Spring is right around the corner, and I've been going through photos of the garden bed adjoining our back deck. My, has it grown up--but it also needs tinkering. If you're looking for some flower power to get you through mud season, c'mon over and check this post out. Who knows? Maybe you'll get some ideas for your own spring renovation.
lilies
Rescuing the Madonna Lily: Lilactree Farm Garden Notes, No. 4, 2017
July 31, 2017 – Posted in: Lilactree FarmHave you ever rescued a plant in your garden that had almost died out? Sometimes we can move such a plant and nurse it back to health in a new location. Guest contributor Brian Bixley did just that with the Madonna lily, called by Helen Dillon "the loveliest of all lilies."
Lilactree Farm Garden Notes, No. 2, 2017: Lily Beetles, Weatherland, and A Very Early Spring
May 17, 2017 – Posted in: Book reviews, Lilactree Farm, Pests, Plagues, and Varmints"Most discussions of lily beetles are a little helpful and considerably depressing. Many gardeners have abandoned growing lilies because the battle against the beetles is time- consuming and messy. But may I suggest that if (a) you have lots of free time (as I do) and (b) are willing to get some blood on your hands (as I am) that all is not lost. Many hundreds of lilies grow here so you will understand that we have a major interest in this problem. Here are some suggestions." Tips and a book review from guest contributor Brian Bixley.
Pink and Orange: Garden Bloggers’ Bloom Day August 2014
August 15, 2014 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingGreetings, cold climate gardeners! It's feeling autumnal around here, and starting to look it, too. The mid-August garden is a garden in transition. The early summer plants are looking shabby and the fall garden is just getting going. The beds that used to look so lush now have gaps in them because the Johnny-jump-ups have [...]
Double Oriental Lilies: Do You Love Them Or Hate Them?
August 11, 2014 – Posted in: Plant infoLast year Longfield Gardens sent some double Oriental lilies for me to try. This year they are coming up gangbusters.Double means that instead of a flower having a pistil and stamens, additional petals grow in their place. Some flowers, like peonies, have been double for so long that no one gives it a second thought. [...]
How to Analyze An Area of Your Yard to Improve It: The Parking Pad Bed
March 9, 2014 – Posted in: Design, How-to, New House, New Gardens, Parking Pad BedIn case you are just joining in: About two-and-a-half years ago our family moved from our long-time rural home to a different 19th-century farm house about twenty-five minutes from our previous one. I have been renovating the landscape around the house in a non-systematic frenzy and writing about it as time permits. (Previous posts are [...]
Bountiful Blooms: Garden Bloggers Bloom Day July 2011
July 15, 2011 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingThe plentiful rain and lack of frost that characterized this spring is still bearing fruit. I can't remember ever seeing my daylilies so floriferous. The whole garden has a feeling of lushness that I soak up every chance I get. So it was tough choosing photos for this month's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. For the [...]
Garden Bloggers Bloom Day August 2009
August 15, 2009 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingHere are a few highlights of my August garden. I purchased a twenty-bulb mix of Oriental lilies twelve years ago, and only a few of them remain, but they are very vigorous. I know I got them twelve years ago, because I planted them the same spring my son was born. The same spring my [...]
What happens to plants after an untimely freeze? Part 1
May 27, 2009 – Posted in: FAQ, WeatherPart of what makes my cold climate garden cold is the fact that we live in the bottom of a valley, and cold air flows downhill and settles all around us. So however cold the weatherman predicts it will get, it's usually colder here. Often, ten degrees colder. For example, on May 12th, when a [...]
A Bit of Bragging
August 1, 2003 – Posted in: What's up/bloomingI grew this lily from seed. Really. All by myself. Several years ago, my grandma sent me a letter with some seeds wrapped in wax paper. She had carefully handwritten "Pink Trumpet Lilies" on the piece of tape sealing the little package. She told me another woman in her nature discussion group gave them to [...]
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