Flower show continued

Mar9

I always enjoy the individual exhibits of potted flowers, and the range and size of some entries is kinda crazy. This year there was a newly designed “Hamilton Horticourt” display area, a 1 million dollar construction donated by a Mrs. Hamilton (who’s name appeared on many impressive plant entries). There were orchids in colors I don’t normally put with orchids.

Daffodils….. featuring the reliable Ice Follies in front (for you Sue)

And hyacinths and amaryllis! I’ve never saw a pot this full. (the red is Pamela btw)

There were many many more, but I have a bias towards bulbs so sorry if you wanted foliage and cactus and more orchids.

One last display was this pot of yellow clivias. This plant always screams fancy to me, but only because I grew up reading a White Flower Farm catalog which listed it. The cost was somewhere in the area of $900 if I remember correctly, and I always thought of it as a houseplant holy grail. I’m past that (maybe?) but I still think of yellow clivia growers as having some kind of social one up on me.

The shopping area was our last stop. Lots of houseplant goodies, some excellent hardy plant displays and upscale garden knick knacks and the usual jewelry and art. I almost bought a hellebore from the Linden Hill display, but thought twice of lugging the pot around. I guess that will be a field trip for a later date.

So the trip was nice, we ate well at the Reading Terminal across the street, travel went smoothly, and the crowds weren’t too bad (for a Thursday). That said it will be a few years before I want to return. I like the springtime dose of gardening, but many of the show displays were silly fluff and there weren’t a ton of wow moments. Am I being crabby? Yes maybe, but it looks like the show is being geared up to a larger crowd and a broader interest range. It’s working too since I believe they’re expecting somewhere over a quarter million visitors, but still I never like change… unless it was my idea.

So I better get back to gardening now that spring is in the air!

Philadelphia Flower Show Time

Mar9

The signs of spring keep building. A major one from last week was the return of turkey vultures to the skies above the valley. I never really gave it much thought, but they are migratory and they do head back up north when things start to thaw out, so I guess they are a good sign of higher thermometer readings. Them being vultures you can figure out on your own what it is that draws them back, but it’s not just flowers that appear when the snow recedes.
For a different dose of spring, a friend and I made a mid-week road trip down to the flower show. This was the 185th show held by the Pennsylvania Horticulture Society and this year’s theme was “Brilliant” and had a British flair to it.

There was a music video show every hour on the Big Ben screen. It was funky and modern and not what I was expecting, but its been a couple years since I was last to this show. I was also surprised by all the cash bars (there’s one in the front left of the above photo) and snack stands sprinkled throughout the show. Maybe it was geared for the evening visitors, but I saw plenty of afternoon beverages being served. Made me wish for summer garden tours with a favorite beverage in hand, but being on a hard-core tour schedule, we opted out.

Florist displays were popular, table settings galore. I do like a green/white theme.

or a nice flower thicket looming over the dinner table.

This one makes me think late night party with way too much wine.

I think this one was a bronze manufacturer out of England (not a florist). Their display was a “Wonderland” theme. I liked it!

That’s enough table settings, I prefer the little yardscapes much more. Here are a couple I could see inspiring someone to do the same to their own place…. not me of course, I can barely keep up with the weeding and planting.

This is also take home worthy, even though there’s a bit too much “stuff” laying around (crap maybe?)… but to be honest I love having a bunch of interesting crap around!

I wish I could take better pictures, mine just doesn’t do this display justice. View for this display goes through the gate, down a flower lined grass path, and continues through a brick potting shed, and out to another garden. Nice plan and plants!

This one also appealed to me. Probably not much to take home, although I do have a pair of disfunctional wheelbarrows, but I liked it. There’s a nice wall-o-cabbage and other brassicas for a backdrop.

There were other great displays, but I won’t bore you with photos that get a little too far into the out of focus. Last one for the post is a mailbox entry from under the sea. The kids were impressed when they saw this picture, lets hope they don’t expect a mailbox overhaul at our own house.

Now it’s off to the ‘Horticourt” for individual plant entries!

Breaking the back of winter

Feb25

We might be getting close. It’s still winter, but based on the strength of the sun and melting snow, I’m going to call it late winter. To me it matters. If it wasn’t for the low of 17F that’s sitting in the weekly forecast I might even say it’s early early spring…. but not yet.

Winter Aconite (eranthis hyemalis) has joined the ranks of flowers braving the cold.

Yellow winter aconite alongside the first snowdrops

The cyclamen coum are trying to make a go at it, but really get no respect from the kids….. Actually I have to say they are pretty conscientious about being careful, but when it’s 25F and windy and they have to clean up, things get tossed about a bit.

The first of the Cyclamen coum. You wouldn’t think a cyclamen would want to brave our winters…

Witch hazel (Hamamelis pallida)

The witch hazel is still going strong. I bet it could use an evergreen background to show off a little better, but I would first need evergreens for that

The hellebores still have a way to go, I wouldn’t call this a vision of spring just yet, but there’s hope. With March coming maybe I can start cleaning this mess up.

The attractive winter foliage of a Hellebore in Pennsylvania in February.

Color in the Garden

Feb11

Orange gerbera daisies in a cobalt blue pot, surrounded by red gomphrena. Classy.

Too much orange and red? I got it in my head two years ago to put together a red bed and this is the far end where the colors were a bit mellower. Gardeners are supposed to mature over the years as they gain a little experience and their plantings become more sophisticated. I must be developmentally delayed as this hasn’t happened to me in the over 30+ years since I planted my first seed. I still get suckered in by anything with a bright bloom.
Today as more bad weather keeps me inside I’m looking at dahlia websites. A few dahlias have nicer foliage but it’s for the blooms that you grow them. Not exactly a step forward in garden subtlety.

At least I’m not planning on adding more cannas….. yet.

Room for Vegetables

Feb10

I read that this qualifies as companion planting.

This is a part of the vegetable patch….. believe it or not….. if you look closely you can see a few lettuce transplants towards the lower left. In my defense it’s a new part and maybe it’s best to grow flowers until I have a chance to build up the soil.

Planning the Veggie Patch

Feb10

Some parts of the vegetable garden actually contain vegetables.

I just spent a large part of my Saturday afternoon putting together this year’s seed list, mostly for the vegtable patch. It’s not easy leafing through all the catalogs, browsing the websites, and looking up exactly what varieties will be best suited for your own little patch of land. The hours add up and it almost seems like more work than hobby, especially when you realize no one in this household really even likes vegetables.
Heirloom tomatoes, obscure asian greens, european market vegetables…. all sound great, but when you’re a canned corn and frozen spinach (usually only used for making dip) kind of family, a normal person might question the whole process.
The neighbors appreciate it though, and when a tray of eggplant parmesan shows up on our doorstep it’s all good.
As you can see in this photo from last year, flowers tend to dominate the veggies, each year getting a little worse. Annuals are one thing but perennials are a little harder to plant the tomatoes around. It seemed like a good idea in September but devoting four beds to tulips and daffodils (and one bed to hellebore seedlings) might be a problem when it’s time to plant peas.

Cyclamen Coum….. indoors

Feb3

Cyclamen coum in full bloom under the shop lights

In a way it defeats the purpose of growing a hardy cyclamen if you grow it indoors, but on a cold day like today indoors wins. My winter garden consists of a four bulb flourescent shop light hung over a makeshift table, but it seems to do the trick for things like cyclamen, snowdrops and hellebore seedlings. The cool temperatures of the garage are perfect for these winter growers and assuming their caretaker can handle the responsibility of watering, they should make it through the winter just fine.

winter reading

Jan31

I’m trying to get through all these mail order catalogs. Over the years I’m getting better but there are still only a few that I right out throw to the trash. Michigan Bulb and Burgess are two that go on the fast track to recycling…. maybe a reincarnation as toilet paper or anything else more useful than their current state. The rest all stand half a chance on the growing pile of winter reading material.

If you’re considering a first time order from a new-to-you company, always take the time to check out the garden watchdog at Dave’s Garden. I’m not saying their reviews are the final word on any company, but if 90% percent of the posts are complaints…. well at least you’ll know where to find plenty of company when you end up with a bad experience.

My regulars (a mix of lower prices combined with quality offerings) are Pinetree Garden Seeds, Santa Rosa gardens, Jungs(so-so reviews so be careful), Brent and Becky’s Bulbs, and Fedco Seeds. If the budget was bigger I would add Song Sparrow Farms, Forestfarm, Rarefind nursery, the Lily Garden, Oakes…. they are all worth the extra money for the quality of their offerings, but a budget is a budget.

The rain and warmth of yesterday following the near

The first snowdrop (Galanthus elwesii)

zero temperatures of last week are giving us a roller coaster of a winter. The snowdrops are on their own schedule though, and the first one is officially up today. Galanthus elwesii in case you’re wondering.

The inch of snow must have been enough protection for this drop. In another more exposed spot, the plants look more like snow-drips. Hopefully they will live to bloom another year.

Also open for the first time today, but less photogenic, is the “pallida” witch hazel.

Winter blooms on the witch hazel (Hamamelis ‘pallida’)

sorta like suburbia

more than you ever wanted to know about my garden

Category Archives: late winter