Soooo good Saturday – the irises are budding

At the historic cemetery, the iris bed is in its second spring. It is looking soooo good! The bed is filling in, and many of the irises are budding. They are doing great!

Inching Closer

It is about this time of year that I start to see the daylily seedlings visibly emerge from the soil. The well-established “parent” plants emerge first. But then, inevitably, I will see something that really jazzes me. A couple weeks ago it was the re-emergence of last year’s Hello Yellow. Hello Yellow was our first seedling that progressed from harvested seed to seedling to bloom, and in record time (year 2). Coincidentally, I find it quite fun that our oldest grandson, who knows nothing of my daylily work, has made it quite clear that his favorite color is yellow. Grandmas notice these things.

In the past couple weeks, my most promising seedlings from 2024 (2023 harvested seed from crosses) emerged. They are what I hope will be “Pink Moon”, an intentional cross that yielded 11 seedlings, and it looks like 7 winter survivors. Potential “Pink Moon” is on watch for bloom this year, but daylily propagation from seed is a long game. It may be a few years yet until bloom. I hope we see “Pink Moon” bloom this year, but it may be longer, or never. For reference, I have a South Seas self-seed that is on year 6 with no bloom. I keep saying if it doesn’t bloom “this year”, it’s going up north to feed the deer, but … I just can’t seem to do it. Maybe this fall, but doubtful. I have my 2, 3, and 4 year seedling beds established, and it is nowhere near where the 6-year-old non-blooming South Seas self-seed plant is located. Maybe it will surprise me. Please surprise me 6 year old South Seas self seed daylily.

Now to 2025. This year’s seedling project is what I hope will be “Mahala”. The Mahala Project is named for a history making pioneer woman for this area. Mahala Felton was the first white woman settler in our area. She and her husband William and one of their sons came to our area when there was no hotel, no railroad, not really any way of getting anything substantial across the Mississippi in our area. She was well respected by native and settler alike as she and her husband ran the first “hotel” (which was a converted, multiple purpose trading post). I began my research as what I thought would be a 15–20 hour endeavor to write a facebook post for our local historical society. But there was so much history that kept unfolding. So much that I went on a discovery that kept me happily busy for a great portion of the deep of winter. The more I discovered, the more questions I had. Eventually though, my project management skills turbo-charged and I realized I was having scope creep. I was amazed and impressed with all I had discovered about Mahala Felton, but it was time to stop the research. I had dozens of resource citations, and what will probably be at least a dozen pages of excerpts when I finally write it all up. We shall see. But along the way, I decided to name a daylily seedling “Mahala Felton” and plant it in the historic cemetery garden. Full transparency, I had entertained the daylily dedication idea previously, but now I had more pieces to the puzzle. Funny how things unfold, all in good timing, if you listen to your gut, and your heart.

This past week I took 25 of the 28 harvested (and now proposed as “Mahala”) daylily seeds and planted them to seedling pots. This is a huge (and probably not to be oft repeated) departure from my normal process of putting all of a type of cross’s seeds in one pot and seeing what comes up. I try to keep things simple, but for this one I decided to give conventional practices one more try before I abandon it all together. I have my doubts as to its efficacy, so, just in case, I kept three of the seeds aside and will plant them with my normal process when it is warm enough to do that. With that process I have a seedling box that protects them from bunnies and squirrels and all those types of dangers, a necessity around here, and I will need to employ that with whatever comes up from the 25 as well. I hope at least a few seeds are successful, as I would like to plant one on each side of the gates, as a nod to the hospitality Mahala shared with all. A “welcome” of sorts. And I would like to plant one in the garden down by their marker.

We shall see how it goes. All 28 seeds could decide not to go to seedling. In that case, I have another cross from last year that produced 60 seeds (yes, 60) and maybe that is destined to be named “Mahala”. You never know. You do the crosses and you see what happens. It’s an adventure.

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.

At the historic cemetery

Tomorrow is our spring equinox. Yahoo! True, that actually means very little regarding the gardens. We could still have a big snowstorm. But it is time to start doing garden cleanup, both here at the townhome, and at the historic cemetery.

Every spring, after I reconnect, and fall in love with the gardens all over again, my mind goes all Product Manager. At the historic cemetery, the fence garden is the Product. I have an analysis, and it is time for an action plan. And, frankly, to be the most efficient, I put a plan together so I don’t get over there and go into a dreamy state, which, of course, is the joy of every gardener ~ just looking at what’s going on, right? But there is work to be done so a plan is needed. Dreamy can happen at the end of a work session.

So what is the data telling me?

The ground cover needs to be under observation. I didn’t put it in so I am still learning its features and growth cycles. It does look like quite a bit of winter kill on the ground cover, but hopefully it will revive.

The birds did not do much with the black-eyed Susans I left for seed food. The stems just bent and broke and fell over, and are just laying in the garden. Black-eyed Susans set seed so easily, and although they are definitely a fan fave over there with those who walk by, as the Product Manager (the volunteer help lol) I am the one who has to maintain them, and they are … a lot. Yah, we will just say it that way. So, if the birds want some black eyed Susan seed next winter, it will all be in a pile in our compost area and they are welcome to it. 😂 For now, what I left stand for the winter needs to be cut back right away, and I need to watch for volunteer seedlings (scope creep).

The bunnies seem to have enjoyed most of the sedum I left stand, but there are some tall sedum they didn’t eat, and I need to cut that back to make way for new growth.

The last part of cleanup will be the iris bed, and any other remnants.

Then it will be time for the mulch topper. The mulch bed was GORGEOUS last year, very healthy, and rewarding me with much less weeding. Annual toppings should do it from here on out.

Here are some pics of early greens already popping up

Farther out ~

We do have the old overgrown weedy garden inside the gate to contend with this year. It is possible that garden will be dug up and moved to a historic estate in town. If not, this is the year it goes. It gets pretty nasty with bugs (think tall grass and wood ticks), and even snakes. I don’t mind snakes, they are beneficial, but I prefer not to cultivate an environment where they hide. Come out and sun yourselves, no problem. I will steer clear. But bottom line, maybe younger, more flexible, hiding bug and snake loving volunteers could do it, but this grandma? Nope. There is a better way. Lawn mowers 😂 This is the year it goes. Yeay!

Additionally, last year was the major planting year. The garden is fully planted, with no room left for additions. Another yeay! The space that looks like emptiness right now needs to be there for the new plantings to establish and expand. However … if things die off, new things can be put in, like daylily seedlings from crosses lol. OK, and maybe some carefullly chosen new daylilies. Yah, high probability stuff that dies will give their space to new daylilies. Already have a buying list. Just in case.

So that is the kick off point for the historic cemetery garden this year. There are also other projects there too, like removing a plastic border and putting in bricks, but that will be down the road, maybe in May when the wooded area ground dries out a bit so the bricks can be retrieved, as they are the remains of the vault. But that is another day’s blog. Hint – very little hardscaping gets wasted.

Seed pods galore! And so much more!

Oh goodness!!! What have I done? The Coral Majority x Cedar Waxwing one-time cross experiment succeeded. So, since I have to add on to the “inn” (seedling planter) next spring anyway, I added two more of those today. And then, what the hey! Since we have a 1970s colors theme going on, I crossed Pink Tirza with the red and yellow daylily. Seriously, there are few options now that I haven’t tried, unless I want to totally confuse myself. I have a few more planned crosses if the stars align, but then it is probably done for the season. I am hoping Tender Love blooms while Pink Tirza and Naomi Ruth are still blooming, but that will be tight. I REALLY want a cross between Pink Tirza and Tender Love, so fingers crossed. Bloom wrap up is like bloom start up, kind of hopscotch, skip a day, miss each other. And peak daylily season here is definitely wrapping up.
But, seriously, if every cross that has gone to seed pod makes viable seed, get ready for an “inn” expansion next spring. Our boys bought the last kit for me for a milestone birthday and then put it together and made the bunny and rabbit proof cover. I can ask for a repeat.

The Marque Moon x Just Plum Happy experiment was a 100% success. I have already mentioned the Purple D’Oro x Naomi Ruth success – multiple seed pods there. Pink Tirzah x Naomi Ruth has also been successful. And I thought the two seed pods from Purple D’Oro x Pink Tirzah were failing but so far, although I have seen those fail in previous years, so good. The Marque Moon x South Seas has good success as well. And I already spilled the beans about Coral Majority x Cedar Waxwing succeeding. Good grief!!! That will be a crazy combo! The doggonedest thing about Coral Majority is I really like the exterior color of the bloom, but the interior color and pattern is a bit much for that garden area. We shall see.
The red daylilies have some self seeding, as well as the Purple D’Oro and the large Just Plum Happy. So lots of seed pods. No idea where I will put them all if the seeds go to seedling, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it.
Yes, I did mention I placed an order for more (new to me varieties) daylilies that will be shipped for fall planting. Yes, about a year ago I said we do not have a cabin up north (just a camper). Sooo, a 1 year later update, we bought an Amish shed and my husband is building it out into a cabin. Yes, I am very concerned about what I will do when I retire. Maybe we need to get a well put in up at the cabin and clear space for a greenhouse and fence in a daylily growing area. I don’t know …. We have done weirder things. I suppose we will take things as they unfold lol
So back to the present haha — true to late July here, the fully spent scapes are starting to grow in number, and the remaining buds yet to bloom are less and less. Today I trimmed all the spent scapes that don’t have seed pods and I did some cleaning up of spent blooms in the rock. The larger Pink Tirza and the largest Just Plum Happy have had so many blooms each day the past couple weeks that they were overlapping. It was pure abundant wonderfulness! But then spent blooms need some cleaning up or everything starts to look like a sink full of dirty dishes lol

While I was cleaning up I noticed the beautiful new yellow self seed seedling is getting squirrel attention ugghhh.

Below: the evidence (bunnies don’t crawl up on the covered seedling planter)

And the hostas that throw short scapes are starting to gain bunny attention. (I have sat and watched them do this in previous years, and taken pics, so I know it is them.) Oh well, their fair share. They are very entertaining. And the scapes were pretty for a day before they got them.

I am surprised they haven’t gone after these yet.

We came home from grocery shopping two days ago to see Bunimous (giant bunny) happily eating away on the front garden. Brazen Bunimous!!! It hops off a bit and just keeps eating.
And at the historic cemetery, LOVE!!! The mulch is sooooo good! I can micro weed one whole side in a little over an hour. Huge difference in the look too! I like to go over for a couple hours, and that gives me time to trim and do some clean-up, so things are not overgrown and going to seed.
Last year there was a LOT of donating going on – things just showing up, planted, in the refurbished garden. This second year those things are much bigger and fuller and soooo pretty, and keeping them well trimmed has helped the overall look quite a bit.
Still to be done there – there is that large overgrown garden that I have been transplanting into the fence garden, but we are approaching “plan full” for the fence garden, and there is talk about selling the surplus from the overgrown garden at some point. TBD. No one has the energy to keep that big garden weeded and in shape, and it is overcrowded and in the wrong sun exposure with the big oak trees providing so much shade. It is just a matter of time until it is fully removed.

Here’s some more pics to enjoy.

Above: Stella D’Oro Haha, I see I missed a couple self seed pods. Next time …

Above: This expanse is planned for daylilies and tall (Autumn Joy) sedum. To be planted in September.

Above: These were donated last year. I came to work on the garden one day and there they were! These are Sedum, but the kind that spread out, not get tall. I have some at the townhouse too. I wish they did not “part” like that in the second half of the season, but they are pretty. I have my thinking cap on for what could be done for the donut hole, of sorts. Like I said, same issue with the ones at the townhouse.

Above: This open area could be for some more iris transplants from the overgrown garden that is being disassembled. Irises need to be divided every 3-5 years, so optimal planting is at ground level, which I have done with the new iris bed on the other side, but this might work for a little iris patch.

Above: The hostas are doing mostly well. Some are sunburning, but for the most part they are doing well. And there are 4 yarrow plants on that side as well. They are mostly done blooming and I am starting to deadhead them.

And then it goes into a Black-eyed Susan’s and hostas and ground cover.

It is really looking so nice, and the other side as well. Just need to transplant a bit more from the overgrown garden, plant a bit more and it will be nice and full, with Spring-Fall color and variety. So fun, and quite a pleasure!!!

So that is my download. Lots going on but all pretty fun. The afternoon is going to be indoors. Too hot!!!

Flowers, Flowers, and More Flowers

A fantastic 24 hours indeed!
Tuesday I had volunteer time through work to start using up, so I scheduled 2 hours at the start of the day. Hey, calendars determine part of these decisions 😉 Tuesday was predicted sunny a few days before, but it dawned with rain. By 7:30 am it was to a drizzle and I could not stand the wait any longer. I needed my historic cemetery fence gardening fix. Off I went. And as blessings would have it, the drizzle fizzled by the time I pulled up to the cemetery, and stopped within a minute of getting out of the car and starting to work.
This was the first project of the day I wanted to complete – a removable border to keep the mulch in on the new iris bed.

It has to be removable come late fall because the snow plow/blower will suck up even pavers set on end.
Now maybe the perfectionist in some will say, “Why not right on the edge?” Well, at first I had the mulch mounded, and it was going over the top of the border if I placed it right at the edge. But as projects go, I just had to see if I could make it work right on the edge. I smoothed out the mulch, repositioned the border, and called my friend the site manager, who said “Hello crazy lady!” Hahaha! I asked her if she and her husband were coming over because pics weren’t sending and I needed a second set of eyes. You know what she said? “No, because it’s raining.” Now, first of all, in case you think that was not nice, she is my friend, so she was just having fun, but I tell you, the drive is short from our part of town, and it was not even drizzling at the cemetery when I called her. So I was being blessed for sure!!! Here is the pic I was trying to send her.

I made the decision, I liked the border farther back for now. Maybe I will plant ground cover in front. You just never know what I might do in a garden when I set my mind a-going. I might plant more irises in that bed and move the border forward yet this year even. You just never know with me 🙂

So I got done with the border, poured in my last bag of mulch to chock-a-block full top it off, micro-weeded the right side of the garden, took a few more quick pics, and went back home, to my office, and logged in, 7 minutes late. No worries. It was all good. Work knows what a crazy lady I am too, and that they will see me work way more than 7 minutes late cuz, well, you know, I am one of those weird people that like what I do for a paycheck. We are out there, right? 😉

At the end of my work day the dog got extra lovins because I was going to leave him yet again, but only for an hour or so, to go to the historical society meeting at a historic factory turned hotel, condos, pub, and event venue. So fun!!!

Here are pics of the setting. It was an absolutely beautiful night! No rain there!

Still, I couldn’t stop there. I had spotted the first daylily of my gardening season in bloom at the cemetery in the morning. But my phone was in the glove box, all the way at the other end of the fence garden, and you know, I was running late dadeedadeeda …

So I had to, I just had to, get a pic of that first daylily blooming. Yes, it is the overused Stella D’Oro, but … it is the first daylily of the year in the gardens I love and work in.

I returned home a very happy crazy lady! And our dog celebrated with the zoomies.

This morning, I was treated to a fully opened peach Asian lily and the first opened hosta blooms.

I tell ya, it was a wunderbar 24 hours!

And I think the baby bunny must have had fun too.

Dang it! Now I have to start using that cordial glass again!

What’s blooming?

Back from some PTO from work, it it time to catch up.

First, very exciting, I have 11 intentional daylily crosses growing into plants. Crosses that made seed, stratified, sprouted, and are now looking like baby daylilies (because they are lol). Blooms are a few years out, but that is very exciting.

Up north, some grapevine hyacinth that were from a watch ‘em grow garden (forced) a few years ago are blooming away. Very encouraging that the deer are not eating them. I had hoped they would escape being munchies.

Yes, hidden in the woodland foliage, but that is fine for now. I am adding to that area. I just planted some forced daffodils, and they, too, should be deer resistant when they come up next and subsequent years.

At the townhouse, the bluebells clematis wrapped up a couple weeks ago.

They now have their puffs

The tulips, of course, are done blooming. We only had a few this year.

At the historic cemetery the daffodils did well year one.

And the transplanted irises did very well and are continuing to bloom.

Right now at the townhouse the wiegelia is in full bloom.

The first hosta scape is about to bloom.

And the forget-me-nots are starting to bloom.

Lastly, one of the ninebarks is also blooming.

At the historic cemetery, the transplanted daylily won the race to show the first scapes and buds.

More transplanting there to be done this year, for sure – daylilies and irises. The iris bed is coming along nicely. A lot more work to be done there, but little by little. Today it was a bit of border, to keep the mulch from washing out. One more box of 12 sections and that should do it. And then clean up what is on the sidewalk. But more on that later.

Wonderful!

The rock to mulch conversion is complete at the historic cemetery! I lost count at 80 bags of mulch. I think it was in the high 80s.

What began as my (crazy, maybe 😂) brain child soon became an incredible team experience, and there is still more to be done – filling in with transplants and donations – but the rock to mulch conversion is done, and now we can play a bit. And maintain.

The neighbors, to a person, say it is so nice, a huge enhancement, and very enjoyable to walk by. Very rewarding to hear!

I hope you enjoy the view too!

And that is only one side, the shortest side at that! But first, a view of the resident turkeys

And now, the gates and the other side.

Almost there!

Still some more weeding and then fall trimming to be done, but the initial bedrock of mulch is laid, and now we can play.

I hear some more sun loving plants donations are on the way, and also ground plaques for every soldier.

What a treat to work at this site, along with so many others before and during, and Lord willing, to come!

Seedlings, hosta haircuts, the historic garden, and more daylilies bloom

The seedling planter is off the patio. It will soon go back into the garage until next spring. The seedlings are looking more and more like daylilies and are in pots in the “pepper garden” area, with the lavender. Oh yes, and a stray sunflower. Doggone bird seed! 🙂

They will stay there until fall and then find their new home. Their new home will probably not be the seedling garden from last year, as that does not get as much sun as it seems they may need. Hubs got a bigger grill that casts a larger shadow, and I need that area for hostas that are burning – with the tree gone in front and the clematis removed in back. Change, change.

The hostas are also getting love this weekend. I have made the decision not to harvest any hosta seed pods this year, so the ones that are done blooming got a haircut. Here’s an example.

The bees so love the blooms, so I left the few that were still in that category. But soon.

Trimming the hosta scapes as they go to seed will help them preserve energy for the plant. Not sure that is needed – hahaha – as they are getting huge, but just in case. And I may divide a few, if energy allows. We shall see.

The second side of the historic cemetery fence garden also got lots of love this weekend – 32 bags of mulch. Lots of love from way more than me – WAY more!

Removing rock, pulling plastic, laying landscape fabric, sourcing mulch, which is rapidly disappearing. Incredible effort!!! It looks SOOOOO good!!! This picture doesn’t even do it justice. It just goes on and on and on down the hilly slope.

7 more bags of mulch are in storage – in the back of my husband’s truck, which he wants back haha – to go on that side, and then quits for the season there. Mulch is getting harder and harder to find, and $5/bag is not my jam. Hopefully, fingers crossed, the 7 bags will do it.

Next up for the cemetery garden is iris transplanting. But talk is not do, so I will wait to share on that til I have pics of the completed pieces.

I will wrap up with more daylily love. Yesterday the Purple D’Oro had 7 (!) blooms.

Today 3

Today South Seas is also blooming.

Yesterday morning also brought early morning bloom pretties Tirzah and South Seas.

And Just Plum Happy was, well, Just Plum Happy!

The historic cemetery fence garden

The historical cemetery fence garden continues to come along. As you look into the entrance, the right side of the rock to mulch conversion of the fence garden is done – as far as we are going to take it, until fall. That is the longest side, and will eventually also be, at the farthest end, the home of some iris transplants from the shaded garden that is inside the fence. The shaded garden inside the fence is high maintenance due to it’s location – in the grass, with no border, lots of weeding, and very low hanging tree branches.

It would be a fair assessment to say I have pretty much decided that historic cemetery site is where I feel most called as a volunteer. I do so love the historic mansion site as well, but I am so much more drawn to what can be done for the historic cemetery, how the neighborhood is appreciating it, how other volunteers for the historic society are contributing, and the long-term impact and potential for slow, thoughtful preservative, sustainable projects and improvements. I am NOT a high maintenance girl, in any area of my life, and that is how I like to garden too. There is good (reasonably healthy plants, ok view), better (robust plants, clean view), and best (thriving, blooming plants, tidy well cared for view). Any of those is fully achievable long term with the updates being done at the historic cemetery gardens. And people on daily walks are also contributing by weeding. Community! Love!

There has also been no shortage of plant donations for the site. The communication is that if you plant it, you water it. And the fence garden is filling in beautifully!

It will be a week and a half until I can start on the left side, and it will be in more of the heat because it is all day full sun. (The leadership for the site calls that the “field side”.) I envision lots of daylilies there, a particular joy for me to imagine! But first it needs the rock to mulch conversion.