Tag: Garden

Hello Yellow

Hello Yellow, our first seedling from harvested seed to bloom in our garden, is up for the third year. Year one she was a seedling, year two (last year) she bloomed – amazing for year two! And now she is up a third year.

My notes are she successfully crossed with Just Plum Happy to form a seed pod (so as a tetraploid) but then the pod started to fail and then a bunny got it.

Hello Yellow is of unknown parentage. Nevertheless, she has a special place in my heart, and will remain in our garden.

The Sedum

Many years, probably decades ago, we received a few Autumn Joy sedum from my Dad. He overbought and we were the lucky recipients. Those Autumn Joy sedum far outperform all our other sedum, and for almost two decades I have rooted collateral damage, divided them, and used them to fill in for plants that died out. When our Irish Terrier used to attack the bees on them, in the potting soil the broken stems would go to be rooted. When bunnies and squirrels get a little crazy, in the potting soil the broken stems go to be rooted. When I make a weeding or trimming error, in the potting soil the affected stems go to be rooted.

However, when I cut the sedum back in the fall, as much as I try to keep the stems close to the rootball, in the spring it always looks like the picture below. And I, in cleanup mode in the spring, have learned to leave those alone. Because if I don’t, I will have an early spring need to reroot stems, usually when all my dirt is still neatly in bags in the garage.

Not to worry. Soon the new growth will cover them. And in the fall the old stems will be easily removed, when I cut the sedum back again, and create next spring’s cut stems … that I will leave alone 😊

BITA, kinda


It’s that time of year again – Butt (kinda) In The Air, looking really close at the ground – are we there, are we there? I am looking for daylilies.

So far, the Purple D’Oro were up first, then the Tender Love, then the red Daylilies in the sunniest area, and today … dadadadahhh … potential future “Mahala”s parents are now both popping up.  So there is potential for more “Mahala” seeds to be made this year if the seeds from last year germinate.  An encouraging development for this gardener on this cool and windy April day. 

In addition, Pink Tirza, South Seas, Marque Moon, and unidentified Yellow Double freebie are all also popping up (I did look it up last year.  I just don’t remember it.  And I am too lazy to go back and look right now  haha). Unidentified Yellow Freebie Double was, I am certain, an error in freebie-ness.  I don’t buy doubles, or choose them as freebies, and it was not particularly encouraging for crosses, but it is yellow. It can stay.  

So, so far, I know I will be crossing for “Mahala” seeds, and I will be crossing for “Red Tirza” seeds.  They were both great seed makers last year.  Unless I don’t get blooms from the parents (highly unlikely) I will do a repeat.  Probably even if the seeds don’t germinate super well.  But I know they will, I just know they will 😉

South Seas gets to rest this year.  I crossed her hard last year and the bunnies got most of those results.

I am also looking for a cross for our oldest grandson.  He already loves to garden, and if that continues I will be thrilled, and teaching him to do crosses.  Hey, my favorites daylily source comes from three generations of guy daylily gardeners!  

For now, an example of a beautiful sight.

Change – inevitable

On April 1, 2023, we lost our Amur maple due to irreparable damage from a heavy snowstorm. I was sad. But there was no saving it. The tree was removed, and the stump was ground out.
Later that season a small red maple was planted to replace it. I was, admittedly, astonished at how small it was. But it has survived two winters and this morning we realized the cardinals now approve. (The robins must have set the way 😉)

Yes, No, Maybe So

One of the things I am continually assessing for the gardens is what has worked and what I want to change.

A returning topic each spring is what to do with the tulip bulbs that produce greens every year, but by and large do not bloom. My husband has said dig them out and repurpose that space for daylilies I want to add. Very thoughtful. And I seriously considered it. I really wanted to add those daylilies. But the shrubs right there really expand just about the time the daylilies bud out. The daylilies would be hidden.

And I remember the year we put the tulip bulbs into the ground there. Our now DIL was newly dating our son. Within 15 min of meeting, we were garden talking. She is directly responsible for my daylily seed harvesting habit 🥰 I remember vividly when she said, “You know you can save those and grow new daylilies! Don’t let them go to waste!” I even have a daylily from seed that we rescued from being trampled on the ground in a seed pod at a local garden store. So many memories. And we planted so many tulips and daffodils and different hyacinth into the ground that fall. Admittedly most don’t bloom any more. That was years and years ago. They now have gardens of their own, and two very active little boys who love to help garden. Who love to play in the dirt like us haha!

So, what to do with those tulip bulbs. Ack! They can stay another year.

Slight pause

First I paused garden work to have a weekend with our oldest grandson. And then this happened.

It built up from there, but thankfully the heavy rains from the day before were not snow. It all melted the next day.

Yesterday we got another snow storm, but today that too has pretty much melted, at least on the street, driveways, and sidewalks. Such is early spring. Go, stop, go, stop. Soon snow will disappear from the forecast, and it will be consistently warm enough to not question if garden season really is here. The tulip bulbs that are popping up greens are sending a hopeful message.

A good week

Spring garden cleanup is done.
At the historic cemetery, everything that needed cutting back and cleaning up is done. There were a lot of oak leaves on the ground cover, and it needed serious trimming, but it is looking very healthy with all of that done.

Instead of bringing the forced daffodils up north, I planted them at the cemetery where it looks like moles are trying to make inroads.


At the townhouse, the linden had shed a lot over the winter. The sticks from the linden that were in the grass are now either to compost or in the rock for the birds to find for nesting.

The rocks that moved out of the trim are back in, the winter lanterns are back in storage, the spring and summer garden decorations are back out,

the bird bath has been filled for the first time,

the forget-me-not foliage has been pulled (and trashed, not composted, so any leftover seeds can’t germinate in unwanted areas),

and I have started to put coffee grounds on the perimeter of the plants (in the rock, to slowly settle in).

This is always such a fun time of year – getting back in the gardens, cleaning them up, getting ready for the season ahead.

Next up is mulch at the cemetery garden. Just a topper.

Compost?

At the historic cemetery, there is a spot where an old shed used to sit. We use that area as our “compost” pile. But truth be told that compost never really does get to be substantially usable compost. The resident deer and turkeys come and poke through it and take what they want. After they are done, there is usually very little left. We have actually been amazed. Within days, it looks like someone came in and scooped that all out. And we definitely know they are still there because not only do we see them from time to time but we also see little clues lol. Turkey scratches, deer hoof prints, and droppings.

Kickoff!

Today was kickoff day for my 2025 gardening season at the historic cemetery. I arrived soooo ready! I pulled up with my new green folding wagon with the telescoping handle, front pivoting wheels, room for a full sized bin to hold trimmings and plucked weeds with room to spare for my trimming tools and my gloves, plus a mesh pouch on the side to hold water bottles and stuff a hat when I start to warm up. I was all set!!! I also gave myself permission to wear a new pair of tennis shoes. Comes a day when worn out, beat up shoes don’t do you any favors. I am at that age.
This is the cleanest these two will ever be, because they are both awesome and will be used like crazy. They made my work so much more pleasant!

My goal for today was to get the black-eyed Susans cut back. Instead, I did all the cutback for the things I left for the birds (and bunnies) – the sedums, black-eyed susans, daylilies that still had seed pods – it all got cut back to make way for 2025 growth. And almost all the ground cover got cleaned up. All except a taller version that needs to be seriously cut back. Underneath is already new growth, but the rest was dead, dead, dead.
This is the new growth on one I trimmed.

I usually put coffee grounds on the townhouse garden as each plant comes up, especially the hostas, so I may do that at the historic cemetery garden to keep the slugs down again this year. But it shouldn’t need a boost like the townhouse plants. The mulch should be far superior.

Tomorrow is sedum cutback day at the townhouse. And then the watching begins.