Bulbs, bulbs, bulbs!

Oh how time flies...

Our last bulb shipment finally came in for the park and what do I see?

Snow - whatelse?

Last year we installed a mere 65000 bulbs in the park over a period of two months. If you take into account that I have one co-gardener that is 16250 bulbs each per month.

This is why I'm in shape.

This year we decided that although the display looked amazing last year, there was no good place to put another 65000 annual and perennial bulbs. We knocked it down significantly.. and somehow still ended up ordering 55000 bulbs.

November is going to be stressful.

At least all of our crocus has been taken care of. We tried everything from hot sauce, to deer off, to dried blood. Surprisingly the dried blood almost worked. Most of the squirrels would sniff around and jump back as soon as they sensed the blood. While others... well I guess nothing bothers some squirrels. The biggest problem with this is that dried blood is water soluble and the weather in the northeast here has been wet (or snowy) to say the least. Reapplying it as often as necessary just isn't practical for the amount of area we have. We do cover plantings with netting as well. Netting has worked well for things like tulips and anything else that is fairly large or deeply planted. But with Crocus, the corms are just too small and the depth too shallow, its too easy for the damned rodents to get their little paws through.

In some regards bulbs are the nail in the coffin at the end of the season. An entire summer of planting, pruning and dragging hoses all over the place is nothing compared to putting in a large bulb display. It may seem like the season is over and you don't have to put as much effort into the garden as everything goes into dormancy, but there is nothing worse than fighting the arrival of winter as you try to get all of those bulbs in the ground. There is something to be said about planting something two seasons before it will sprout. There seems to be some sort of shared anxiety throughout the winter as you wonder if those damned tulips are ever going to bloom. They will, they do every time. But the difference is made in not being able to see the bulbs establish themselves until spring.

Sigh.

I complain, but all the hard work will pay off in the spring.

Autumn's here.

Sometimes I wonder if fall may be the best season in our garden.

You want flowers, we've got flowers. We've got Spireas still in full bloom, Day lilies, Russian sage, Montauk daises, Cone flowers, Agastache. Psh, some gardens aren't even that colorful in summer.

(Photo won't rotate right for some reason, you'll have to turn your computer.)

We have Asters (2) that I salvaged from work last year and were devoured by wildlife this year. In generally I really don't like asters, but these were such a clear blue color. We planted some in shade and they really stood out (and never really bloomed right, but that's what shade does.) I wish I could remember the variety off the top of my head... I guess I'll have to check the records and get back on this.

You want berries. We've got berries. The weirdest purple berries you've ever seen on a plant. Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana) is a U.S native. This plant still isn't all that common in the trade. I know the flowers aren't the showiest but there are early defoliating varieties now so I can't see why more people wouldn't want these weird purple things showing up in fall.

How about some color. Fall color, regular color.. whatever....

Ooo..

 

 Aah. Look at the sun shining on that Hibiscus.

 Leucothoe fontanesiana, also known as Fetterbush or Doghobble. I took this cutting in the spring. Hopefully it will be a real shrub soon.

 

While the Spireas may still be flowering, they're also doing fall color change. This one had some nice red patches.


I've wanted to put in some fall blooming bulbs. I put it off for this fall, but with seeing this color display, I don't even think fall bulbs are necessary. But.. then I look at pictures like this and realize that it probably wouldn't hurt to put them in eventually. They're just too stunning.

Magical Mums!

Magical Mums! (As posted here.)

Nothing quite conjures up images of fall like a fresh planting of Chrysanthemums. Geraniums and Begonias might rule the summer garden, but mums remain the queen of fall blooming plants. Chrysanthemums have been culturally significant throughout the United States and Asia for centuries. From ancient emperors to homecoming queens, it seems everyone has held this fall flower in high regards.

Texans in the early 1930’s created a very unique football tradition involving these cushiony beauties. I spent a few months in Allen, Texas during high school, and I was completely flabbergasted when I arrived at my first football game to see hundreds of teenage girls wearing large ribbon flowers glued to their shirts. Now, after noticing that the school mascot was an eagle, I was having serious difficulty figuring out why these fake flowers were so popular. I later found out that these corsages were called football mums and that they can be a sign of social status or team spirit. Guys generally give football mums to their girlfriends, and the girls wear them pinned to their blouse. In return, women are expected to give a garter, which is a smaller version of the football mum that is worn on the arm. Although the modern football mums only vaguely resemble flowers (they’re normally silk and loaded with ribbons, streamers, and the like), traditional football mums were actual flowers. Certain varieties of Chrysanthemum can be very large, and they hold value in the American floral industry for their long life as a cut flower.

Asia has a totally different outlook on Chrysanthemums. In China, Chrysanthemums are legendary. As the story goes, an elderly emperor sent twenty-four children on a dangerous journey to a faraway island. It was said that the island contained a rare flower that would provide eternal life if picked by children. When the children arrived at the island, all they found were golden Chrysanthemums. Needless to say, the emperor did not find eternal life, but he did like the flower so much that it became a national symbol of nobility and elegance. Today mums can be found on the 1 yuan coin used throughout China.

Mums reached the shores of Japan in the 8^th century, where it was also adopted as a national symbol.  These flowers were seen as a symbol of longevity and good fortune and are found on the crests of many noble families. In fact, the highest order of knighthood the Emperor could award was the “Supreme order of the Chrysanthemum.” This title was rarely bestowed upon anyone who was not of royal blood. By the 9^th century new types of chrysanthemums were being bred in the imperial gardens. Japan also celebrates National Chrysanthemum Day, also known as the festival of happiness. Mums are referred to as one of the Four Gentlemen plants thoughout Asia. These plants represent the four seasons. Among these are Orchids (spring), Bamboo (summer), Chrysanthemum (autumn), and Plum blossom (winter).

Not everyone sees mums in such a positive light. Europeans consider mums to be the flower of death. European florists use Chrysanthemums in funeral arrangements since they are reliable and long lasting bloomers.  This tradition has led to a negative association with the flower.
If you are tired of seeing Chrysanthemums and want to see them in a totally new light, check out Longwood Gardens this fall as they have the largest Ozukuri Chrysanthemum in North America. The plant is 11 feet wide and has over 990 blooms. Unfortunately this plant is dwarfed by Japans largest Ozukuri Chrysanthemum which has over 2,220 blooms.

Recent Additions (Ceropegia linearis 'Woodii')

Ceropegia linearis 'Woodii'

I feel like I've been searching for one of these for forever. There is no reason why it should have taken me this long to find Rosary Vine. This is one of those classic 70's easy to propagate houseplants. I should be seeing specimens that look like this, all over New York.

So I was about to finally give up and order some cuttings from Glasshouseworks when I just happened to come across it at the Union Square Market.

It's started taking off already. Hopefully I'll have one of those super cool classic specimens that I think all house plant enthusiasts would love.

Just look at those cute little leaves... you know you want one.

Rainy Morning Propagation

I'm a morning person these days. I don't mean that I couldn't function at night if my work schedule would allow for it but these days I'm more accustomed to getting things done early. So there's nothing like waking up a bit later on the weekends (9 will do) and taking a slow morning to eat breakfast and catching up on some things I've been neglecting around the house.

Autumn is coming soon and already the nights are getting cooler here in New York. Spring or late winter are usually better times for propagation but with the hurricane leaking water into my windows a few weeks ago, I already have some Mammalia cuttings that I've tried to rescue off the water logged mother plant. Cactus and succulent cuttings usually fail from root related problems. If you don't let them heal over before watering, or if you water too much (or too little) the plants are prone to disease and dessication.

Cell Packs Galore!

Apartment living is always a hassle when it comes to keeping plants. If you have a sunny window, cacti and succulents are some of the most forgiving plants. They don't require as much care and diligence as many other plants. They'll allow you to escape the city for a week without dropping dead in mid summer too, something that most other plants won't tolerate. However winter can sometimes be an issue. Many of these plants are sensitive to cold and the severity of their cold sensitivity can be made worse by improper watering.

Remember that every plant is an individual and most have their own specific needs. One should research a plant before acquiring one to insure against disappointment when you realize that you cannot provide the conditions needed to keep the plant from looking like its half dead. Generally, when growing cacti and succulents, I try to keep them all in clay pots. Clay is very porous, it allows for both air and water flow which makes it less likely for plants to rot out in the winter. Which for tribes like Stapeliae, rot is always something to keep an eye out for during the winter. I give most of mine the smallest bit of water in the winter to keep the roots from dying and I make sure they're in small pots. Small pots keep the moist media to root ratio in check.

During the summer, many of my plants tend to put on alot of growth or offsets. While I'm always happy to see my plants doing well, sometimes the pots become over crowded and it becomes difficult to water without added attention. It seemed like most of my unidentified plants were subject to rapid growth this year. I got a Gasteria from a friend two years ago, it was just a few plantlets last year but this year the plants crowded in the pot so tightly that I could only water from bellow. I guess that's really the proper way to water, but I generally don't spend enough time watering that way. I have to assume that the plant I have is Gasteria gracilis. A few of the plants have the gold striping typical of 'Variegata' so that's my best guess. My one 4 inch pot filled four 2 inch pots. Hopefully I can pawn them off on some friends.

I also have what I assume is some sort of Echinopsis. I haven't been taking good care of it either. The mother plant was dropped when we moved, it hasn't been getting enough sun and it was just potted up too soon. So I have an irregularly shaped, offset loaded, dented, lime green, golden barrel cactus. Repotting cacti is always a daunting task. I just never look forward to the prospect of messing up and having a hand full of cactus spines. I moved the cactus down to a smaller pot, removed the offsets and put it in a brighter window. Hopefully the plant will be happy for the windows. 

Why do I care? I have no idea. I will have waay too many barrel cacti in 5 years or so. This is another case where I better hope that some of them die off. (Considering I'm also growing two from seed.)

Ooo Dicots...

 Lastly, I had some Agaves to work on. My Agave 'Kissho Kan' did something like this, all around the pot and all of the pups were causing all the water to run off every time I tried watering.

I also have a plant that was labeled as Agave americana (it definitely is mislabeled) and most of the pups on that have died since I couldn't water around them. For that plant I took off all the dead pups and now the mother plant looks fairly nice.

Well, maybe there will be a plant trade soon. =]

Recent Additions (Faded Edition)

I've added a bunch of plants to my collection over the past month. Most have come from annual displays that have been dismembered. Let's see how long I can keep them alive before I kill them or move on to something else.

Pelargonium x hortum cv 'Vancouver Centennial'

Alright, I'd be lying if I said I was really crazy about Pelargoniums. I see their use as annuals in containers and the like but they're normally not something I would take the time to try to overwinter. For those of you who weren't aware, most annual plants labeled "Geranium" are actually Pelargoniums. Geraniums are a different genus of plants entirely. Common names sure do make a nightmare of things.

Honestly, I'm not too crazy about either plants. We have a bunch of true Geraniums in the park and they're pretty happy and bloom like crazy, but for whatever reason, I'm just not that impressed. I do like the smell of the leaves, but it won't be something I'll be planting at home any time soon. As far as Pelargoniums go, when I first got into plants I knew a bunch of people who were very hyped over "scented geraniums." Sure they smell nice, but I think they're just too much of an old lady plant for me. I guess I'm still not seeing what all the fuss is about, there are plenty of other plants that smell nice and are just way more interesting.

Our spring display ended up with more Pelargoniums then we had originally intended. A bunch of pink flowering ones were donated after they were used as center pieces at one of our fundraisers so my fellow gardener massed them in the annual beds around the playground. We often have serious issues with our four annual beds there. It seems those beds get shadier and shadier every day and between squirrels digging up everything we plant, kids pulling on stuff and people just being slobs, those beds are usually in bad shape. Much to our surprise, the Pelargoniums did great. They bloomed all summer, didn't get disease and survived being dug up just about every other day.

I guess I have to give these another chance but for now there are two varieties that I can say I like. Pelargonium x hortorum 'Tricolor' just has awesome variegation and Pelargonium x hortum cv 'Vancouver Centennial' which remind me of maple leaves. Vancouver Centennial ended up in our display urns this season so now that summer is over, its sitting in my bathroom waiting to get potted a placed in a window. Right now the leaves are pretty faded but hopefully the rusty color will come back once fall hits.

Oxalis vulcanicola 'Copper Glow'

As a kid I always knew oxalis as a weed. I still hear its very weedy in many people's yards, containers and the whole nine yards. I've seen plenty of them sold in March as shamrocks. They're not real shamrocks of course... but I can see why people would relate the two. I've had my eye on Oxalis adenophylla for some time now. I might actually order it for spring next year, if I don't go overboard on species tulips again. It's cheap enough, I just don't imagine it'll perennialize in my father's yard.

Either way, we put 'Copper Glow' in our display urns. It did well. The plants were nice and full, but they really don't have the copper color that they're known for. I'm wondering if this is another plant that has summer fade out. I'll keep you posted. 

Cyclamen graecum - Part Two

So for those of you have read my last Cyclamen post  you might be interested to know that I've found a serious infestation of Cyclamen mites on  my Cyclamen graecum. I seriously want access to a photomicroscope right now so I can take pictures of these things. Stenotarsonemus pallidus are tiny brown to clear Arachnids. They're sucking 'insects' so they remove sap and nutrients from the plant. They can cause all sorts of problems for cyclamens, begonias, and african violets. They generally cause curling of leaves, stop flowering and create weak plants. I've seen damage on african violets before, but I hadn't seen serious damage on cyclamens.

I'll be honest. I hate mites. I hate spidermites more specifically. I've gotten to the point with spidermites where I go out of my way not to have plants that are prone to them. ...Well, maybe that is not entirely true I still have a Chamaedorea elegans that I got from one of my floral classes. My Schefflera elegantissima kicked it on my vacation so I should be fairly spider mite free this winter. I just have little hope of getting rid of the things these days. I've sprayed everything under the sun, added kept things more humid, sprayed alcohol etc. Nothing ever seems to do the trick. I just end up throwing the plant out after all the leaves are bleached and the plant is on its last leg.


I'm going to try a repot and soap this time and see where it goes. Else, I'll be down to one cyclamen.

Seeing how it looked before, I'm not entirely sure its going to be salvageable anyway.