LARKSPUR

LARKSPUR is a fun plant that readily reseeds itself.  I have found that if you have one season of Larkspur and let it go to seed, you'll have Larkspur from then on.  It is sometimes called half-hardy because it is really a cool-weather annual, thriving in coolor conditions.  In zones 4 and north, they can last the entire summer.  In the North, cool weather annuals are sown in late winter or early spring, for blooms in the spring through summer.  You can start them indoors and move them to the garden around the last frost date if you like, but I just let them reseed right where they are, and when the seedlings appear, I can thin them where necessary.  They aren't true to seed, however, but the mix you'll get will be in shades of pink, lavender, purple, and white, and will look good together.  They like full sun, and the seeds need to be covered; they need darkness to germinate.  When transplanting, do so with care, early in the season, with a trowel.  They may need to be staked, as they tend to blow over easily.  I like to use them in arrangements, both fresh and dried.  For dried arrangements, just tie them together and hang them upside-down right when they are in full bloom in a dry, dark area, and they dry very nicely.  They also provide a great backdrop to other flowering plants in your beds, such as daylily, dahlias, and daisies.

ORIENTAL LILIES-POPULAR, SHOWY, LATE BLOOMING HYBRIDS

The lily season ends with a real show when late-blooming ORIENTAL LILIES start to bloom!  They are intensely fragrant flowers, that can often reach up to 10 inches across with usually flat, or recurved blooms.  (Trumpet-shaped Orientals have been introduced fairly recently--called Oriental-Trumpet Orientals.  They have the best qualities of their parents--upward-facing blooms with intense fragrance)! Lilies can range from 2 feet to 8 feet tall; the taller ones usually need to be staked.  Lilies make spectacular cut flowers.  When cutting, make sure that they have at least two buds that are open, indicating  that you aren't cutting them too soon for adequate bloom.  Cut as short a stem as possible, though, to leave as much of the foliage on the plants to feed next year's blooms.  (I like to recut the stems under water when I am making an arrangement to ensure long-life in the vase).  Be careful with their anthers--they can stain skin and fabric.  Sometimes I snip off the anthers in my arrangements, but I think they do add a certain amount of beauty to the bloom.  Lily bulbs are fleshy, don't allow them to dry out; plant them as soon as you get them. Moreover, you can bruise or damage them fairly easily, so be a little careful with them when planting.  What I really like about Oriental Lilies is that you can use them in areas that you don't have a lot of room, because they grow up, not out.  They usually don't increase too much, like an Asiatic lilies do, so even in small, or full gardens, it's pretty easy to make room for them.  You can plant them in fall or spring.  I prefer fall.  (When planting in fall, however, make sure you plant a month before the average first fall frost date. That way the bulbs will have time to root).  Plant the bulbs 6-9" deep, depending on the size of the bulb.  Plant in clumps of three to five for a great effect, and mark them so you won't accidentally dig into them.  Deadhead them when the flowers start to fade--letting the plants go to seed takes energy away from the bulbs (and next year's growth).  In fall, cut the stalks to the ground.  I've had some that are vigorous and long-lived, but I've also had others that didn't come back after a few years.  But, because they are relatively inexpensive, and they are such great, showy flowers, I continue to replace them.  This year I've already ordered about 15 more!  They are one of my favorite flowers!  If you want a good site to order from, I like B&D LILIES, out of Washington.  Now is the time to order for fall shipment.  When you order online, you save 10% right now.  Go to www.lilybulb.com.  I think you'll be pleased with their selection.  The collages show favorite Oriental Lilies in my garden--I especially like BIG ones, and most of these are 7-10" across.  (I've put their names on the pictures if you're interested in what their names are).

COLORFUL CORNER YEAR-ROUND

We have a beautiful corner in our neighborhood that has beauty year-round.  As I come up the hill, I always look forward to see what's blooming in their color-filled corner flower garden.  I took pictures in the spring, then again this summer.  I will take photos in the fall, as well--each has its own personality and theme.  It's fun to see the changes that take place in their garden.  Something that never changes, though, is the many different kinds of flowers there are in this bed, and the loving care Howell's give to it.

PLANTS, PLANTS, PLANTS!

I am a lover of iris, peony, poppy, daylily, Oriental and Asiatic lilies, hellebores, hosta, roses and bush delphinium, having many plants of each. I do have, however, lots of plants that I might just have 2, 3 or 4 of.  Pictured in these collages are some great plants, some of which are one-of-a-kind in the gardens.  They bloom at various times through the year, and all are perennials, with a couple exceptions.  A few have actually been removed and given away, because, as my favorites get bigger, it leaves me with a smaller area for other plants.  As I went through pictures, I've decided to do some major dividing this fall and spring.  Space won't allow them to get any bigger!  Since I have so many different plants, I need to divide every 2-3 years in order to keep the beds orderly and not so crowded.  (It's the price I'm willing to pay to have so many different varieties in the beds).  I've labeled the flowers so that if you're interested in any of them, you will know their name.  I feel that they are all easy to grow, and do well in zone 5.

IS THERE REALLY A WAY TO MINIMIZE DISEASE AND PESTS AMONG PERENNIALS?

YES!  There are several ways to minimize pests and disease:

• When selecting plants, choose ones that are disease resistant in the area where you live
• Make sure that you are giving your plant the very best growing conditions--proper soil drainage, water, fertilizer, air circulation, and light condition
• (This one many people don't know is so important)  Grow a variety of plants.  If your gardens have a wide variety of plants, what bothers one probably won't bother another, and so your beds will be less likely to get a severe infestation of pests or disease
• Immediately take out plants, or parts of plants that are diseased or insect infested
• Fall clean up is important--This helps to remove pests that may over-winter in your beds
• If you see a problem, make sure to treat it IMMEDIATELY!  If you can "nip it in the bud" you'll save yourself a whole lot of grief. 

Right now the biggest pests I have in the garden beds are the dreaded GRASSHOPPERS AND EARWIGS!  I can honestly say I don't like grasshoppers or earwigs at all!  They can devour a whole mum (I know from experience) in a matter of days. Earwigs can be baited, but I really don't know a successful way to get rid of grasshoppers (I don't like spraying because I don't want bees or other beneficial insects to be affected). I try to "hand-pick" them and discard them. If anyone has a better way, please let me know!  Between them and the hot, hot summer days, August has never been my favorite time in the gardens.  But, on a brighter note, the dahlias and late Oriental lilies are starting to bloom, and that makes me happy!  

NOW IS THE TIME TO THINK ABOUT ORDERING BULBS FOR FALL PLANTING

If you haven't been receiving your fall catalogs for selection of bulbs, just know that now is the time to order your bulbs for fall shipment.  Getting your order in early ensures that the selections you make will be filled.  If you wait too long, you risk the chance of them being out-of-stock.  Some companies also offer added incentives by taking a percentage off for early ordering.  There are many reputable companies to order from:  But one I wanted to mention  is  BULBS  DIRECT.

What's unique about them is that you pay no shipping and handling--it's always free! It's a strictly online-order-catalog.Their prices are very competitive, although their selection may not be a wide as some (if they have what you need, it doesn't matter if their selection isn't as big as other companies).   You can go to their site at bulbsdirect.com.  They have always been great to work with and everything I've ever received from them was in great condition.  Others I regularly order from are Brecks, Dutch Gardens, Van Bourgondien, and Park Seed). You can look up their information on the internet and request free catalogs.  I enjoy getting the catalogs; I study them all winter long.  When I order something, I cut out the picture in the catalog, with the information about it, and have it with a printout of my order information.  It's a way to keep everything for quick reference, or if an order is wrong, etc.--that way, I have all the information when calling about it.  I fill plastic sheet protectors in 3-ring binders for each year.  I make notes of where I planted it, or any other information that might be important.  (It's easy to forget where you planted something if you have hundreds of plants)--I always think I'll remember, but I have been very glad I made special notes about things when spring arrives!  I've also mentioned in previous posts that I mark the places where I need to plant things in the fall.  The garden changes so much from spring to fall, and if I waited until fall, there would be no way of knowing where I needed to plant the bulbs. I use plastic knives with what I'm planting written on them in grease pencil.  Then I always make a note in my booklet where the markers are--sometimes fall plants cover up the markers and knowing where they are makes it much easier!  So, although it's hot and summer, it pays to plan ahead for your FALL PLANTINGS! 

DAYLILIES--SHOWY, LONG-LIVED, AND EASY-TO-GROW!

DAYLILIES are blooming right now--and they are beautiful!  They are considered one of the top-ten favorite plants in North America--and for several reasons:  They are hardy, heat tolerant, undemanding, pest free, colorful,  long-lived, easy-to-grow plants with abundant blooms that grow in a wide range of soils!  I have about 30 throughout the yard, and I'm always anxious for their colorful blooms start!  Their name depicts their bloom--their blooms last only a day.  They have so many buds, however, that flowering can last as long as 3-4 weeks on a mature plant.  In fact, with a good-sized clump, you could get well over 300 blooms in a single season!   Also, if you get varieties that bloom in early, then mid, and finally late, in the season, you could virtually have blooms up to 3 or 4 months!  When purchasing plants, keep that information in mind, and plan accordingly.  Their flower stalks, called SCAPES, can be as tall as 7 feet in some cultivars!  The cultivars I have are on scapes 2 or 3 feet high.  They like full sun, or least a half-day of sun a day.  They like average to rich soil, evenly moist and well-drained.  Once they are established, they need minimal care.  They need about an inch of water per week, but tolerate drought (they'll bloom less, however).  I  deadhead daily because their faded blooms are quite ugly, and can "stick" to another new bloom.  When all the bloom stalks have bloomed, cut the bloomed-out stalks to the ground.  Daylilies can go 10 or more years without dividing.  But if your plant becomes crowded, the plants start to bloom less, or, like in my case, outgrow their space in the garden, it's time to divide.  Early spring or late fall is the best time to do this.  To divide, first cut back the foliage to about 3-4 inches, then use a pitch fork to carefully dig the clump out by its roots.  You'll be able to see the individual "fans" and you can actually divide the fans by separating them with your fingers or a knife.  Usually 3-4 fans is a good number to divide to.  Replant immediately and water in well.  If you have more than you need, share with neighbors or friends--or move the extras to other areas of the yard.  (If you can't replant immediately, keep the roots moist).  They are perfect for beds, borders, to use as ground covers, or even for places in the center of your bed.   If you have tall ones, they can go in the back of the bed; they are very versatile.  I have purchased from several mail-order catalogs (Brecks, Van Bourgondien's,  G.H. Wilde & Sons, and Dutch Gardens). I highly recommend Diane's Daylilies.  Diane's Daylilies is in Pleasant View, and I have purchased several from her.  You can go to her site at dianedaylilies.com.  and see pictures and information on those she has available.  One thing is for certain--no season would be complete without DAYLILIES!  They have earned their top-ten status!