[ Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi subsp. flos-cuculi) | Posted on May 27, 2024 ] Ragged Robin (Silene flos-cuculi subsp. flos-cuculi) is found in several counties in the Adirondack Mountains of northern NYS, where it has become naturalized as a wildflower. It can be found along remote roadsides as well as wetter areas, such as some fields / old pastures, and sometimes along banks of streams. Its flowers are found in late spring to early summer. |
[ Garden Onion (Allium cepa 'Early Yellow Globe') | Posted on April 30, 2024 ] When cooking with onions, note that - if you cut the base (root area) from the onion, soak in water for a day or two, it will reroot and can be planted into a pot (or soil), where it will regrow more onions. |
[ Potato (Solanum tuberosum 'Magic Molly') | Posted on April 13, 2024 ] Each year, we plant seed potatoes ... a range of varieties, from fingerlings to early, mid or late season. Being in a cold climate / short summer, late season potato choices are rare. But despite having grown many different varieties, each year we always try several 'new' (to us) to see what happens. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Little Mucha Minto') | Posted on January 27, 2024 ] One of only (2) daylilies I have lost over many years (here in zone 3) that I believe failed to survive due to lack of cold hardiness. Treated it precisely the same as all others coming from a southern garden: planted in spring (about an inch deeper than northern garden suppliers), and mulched it well. It struggled to adapt even over our short, cool summer and did not survive its first winter here. Would not recommend for cold climate gardens. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Yankee Pinstripes') | Posted on January 24, 2024 ] 'Yankee Pinstripes' is noted as blooming early midseason. 2023 was the first year for it in my zone 3 gardens and the FFE was on 24 Jul ... it was still flowering steadily on the 10th of September. That is a minimum of eight weeks of buds and blooms ... not listed as reblooming, but I think it must have sent up rebloom scapes. (?) I will be watching for that in the coming seasons. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Eviction Notice') | Posted on January 23, 2024 ] I have noticed that 'Eviction Notice' has more of a raspberry pink tone earlier in the day than later on. The colour does not 'change' so much as it seems to deepen slightly towards the red end of the spectrum by afternoon, particularly on days with a lot of sun. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Singing in the Wind') | Posted on January 22, 2024 ] 'Singing in the Wind' is registered as very late and I will attest to that, as it blooms well here in mid-September. Although there does not seem to be a category for daylilies whose buds survive frost well, 'Singing in the Wind' will continue to bloom after we begin hitting nights that drop below freezing. For northern gardeners who want to extend the season of blooms, I would recommend this daylily for its beauty and its hardy nature. And, yes - it's fragrant. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Higgledy-Piggledy') | Posted on December 16, 2023 ] 'Higgledy-Piggledy' exhibits the gray-lavender tones I most associate with Trahlyta, as seen clearly in the single form FFE I posted from Aug 2023. Note that it doubles 40%, though the double is striking when seen. This is its first summer in garden, will look forward to next year's flowers. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Merry Morgan') | Posted on November 25, 2023 ] 'Merry Morgan' (Bunting 2008) is noted as being polymerous (99%) and single form. In reality, it doubles in form (nearly 99%), but does not poly with any consistency. I think I have seen two or maybe three poly blooms on it in the five years I have had it. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Emerald Isle') | Posted on November 25, 2023 ] 'Emerald Isle' is a vintage daylily (Fay, 1954) with 40-inch scapes, and with buds and blooms which just won't quit. The flowers are about 5.5 to 6-inches... I have never noticed any fragrance... but they start the early day at almost a pastel, pale butter yellow and by afternoon, light the garden with deep golden-yellow sunshine. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Streaker') | Posted on November 10, 2023 ] When I first planted 'Streaker' in the gardens and it began blooming, I would have described it as more 'pastel' in tones. In 2022, I moved it to a different location. While both locations I would say are in 'full sun' ... it went from more of a 'morning' sun (6 hours or more) to 'afternoon' sun (full sun by late morning and right through the afternoon). And it went from 'pastel' to very 'vividly vibrant' in my gardens. Just an observation, not sure if this would hold true in other gardens or not. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Embellished Pink') | Posted on November 8, 2023 ] Just a note on 'Embellished Pink' ... In zone 3, for some reason, I 'almost never' find proliferations on daylilies here. That's why it was so amazing this year (2023) to find not only 'a' prolif on 'Embellished Pink' but I found (3) of them. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Give Me Eight') | Posted on August 11, 2023 ] 'Give Me Eight' is a fun daylily to have in the gardens... of course, first a plant must be suited to your zone and growing conditions, and should have a consistent bloom and enjoyable appearance. 'Give Me Eight' has all that - and more. I believe I read somewhere that it polys about 70% of the time and I do know that it produces polymerous blooms consistently. But what surprised me this year (its 2nd season in the gardens) is how long those blooms last. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Gaia') | Posted on August 11, 2023 ] I love this daylily! I added 'Gaia' to my gardens last year (2022) and it bloomed the very first year, virtually unheard of for colder climates. Zone 3 winter did not faze it at all, and this year the plant ... while still immature... has been blooming steadily for several weeks. 'Gaia' produces gorgeous flowers, always well-formed and with outstanding colour to go with the watermark. A real eye-catcher in the gardens. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Eye Popper') | Posted on August 11, 2023 ] I've been growing 'Eye Popper' in my zone 3 gardens for four years and have to say: this one just keeps getting better. Daylilies multiply slowly here, but Eye Popper has tripled its fans. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Sharply Focused') | Posted on July 30, 2023 ] While 'Sharply Focused' is noted for hardiness to zone 5, I have been growing it quite well in zone 3. It blooms in early to midseason (then reblooms). It just keeps putting out perfect bloom after perfect bloom, with a lovely multicolour eye and pie crust edge - and does not 'hang up' on opening blooms that are already fully fledged by just after 6 a.m. |
[ Daylily (Hemerocallis 'Before') | Posted on July 7, 2023 ] 'Before' is noted as being nocturnal, opening around midnight ... I generally see it begin to open by late afternoon, early evening... literally, the buds are starting to spread by 5 o'clock in the evening. And very early morning, they are fully open and have begun curling (never the same from bloom to bloom or day to day). |
[ African Violet (Streptocarpus 'Love Struck') | Posted on June 18, 2023 ] 'Love Struck' ... as with a number of modern African Violets (Streptocarpus) is exhibiting a tendency to exhibit blooms in various colours... and all on one plant! This suggests to me that the genetics are 'not' stable and therefore more likely to produce variants or sports. |
[ African Violet (Streptocarpus 'Sleigh Bells') | Posted on June 18, 2023 ] Sleigh Bells off-spring from leaf cuttings are producing not only variations to the variegated foliage itself, but also in the leaf shape and form. Some are heart-shaped with a serrated edge ... and others are showing a much more rounded form ... lacking not only the actual 'heart' shape but also the serrated edge. Both types exhibit a much higher degree of variegation and, unlike the registered description, have variegation distinctly white (not beige). |
[ African Violet (Streptocarpus 'Pink Watercolor') | Posted on June 18, 2023 ] Pink Watercolor (the Russian version being Rozovaya Akvarel or Rozovaia Akvarel) is another currently available AV that seems to have some very interesting genetics... in that they are not 'fixed' or entirely stable. When I obtained leaf cuttings to grow this African violet, I hoped (as I always do) that 'at least one' of the offspring will display the characteristics for which I bought it. |