Daffodil Planting. 9.27.18

Bi-Mart had inexpensive packages of daffodils.  I planted these in rows.

I'm less enthusiastic about daffodils in the front borders.  They are messy far longer than they look nice.  Still, they start growing so early, they give me hope for Spring.  Then the flowers are so cheerful.

So this time, they are in rows at the ends of the vegetable garden.  I can still appreciate them.  When the dry off, I can dig them up and store to plant elsewhere, or leave them in place. 

Daffodils in Bloom. 3.18.18

 Full bloom time for dafodils. Each fall I buy a few bags of bulbs and plant them in random acts of daffodil planting. You never know where they will come up. Planting them is an act of faith, that winter will come and go, and we'll be here to see Spring once again.

Spring Flowers. 3.30.17

Each Fall, I buy some bags of daffodil bulbs and plant them.  Over the years, some persist and multiple, while others fizzle out.  In the long run, that means each year there are more and more blooming in the Spring.  I forget where I plant them, so it's a nice surprise.

Planting a lily. Early signs of spring. 1.17.15

Tiger lily bulbs  1.17.15

Germinating Daffodils  1.17.15

The "Joy of Gardening" bulbs at Fred Meyer are kind of a mixed bag.  Some are mislabeled, and some don't grow.  But most are OK.  I buy them on impulse, anyway.

So bought these lily bulbs, and planted today.

The daffodils start coming up now.  They don't mind frosts or hard freezes or ice or snow.  Still a long way to bloom.  Nice to see something already growing.   These are replants from a big clump of Jetfire I divided last summer.  Then left them sitting out and some were moldy.  Seem to be growing fine anyway.

Planting more bulbs. 10.25.14

Replete Daffodil and Gladiator Allium.

Amaryllis.  I placed it in the sunroom, as an experiment. 

I am pleased that Replete wasn't displayed as a pink daffodil, on the label.  It's more of an apricot color.  I need to plant the rest of the bulbs in a different location.  Now when I dig holes for bulbs, I discover other bulbs, planted earlier.

Final bulb count for new plantings this fall, Battleground:

Red Devon Daffodil / Narcissus = 18 X 2 = 36
Anemone blanda Mix = 20 X 2 packages = 40
Nectaroscordum siculum = 15
Allium gladiator = 2
Replete Daffodil / Narcissus = 12
Allium Ivory Queen = 4
Quamash Cammasia = 8
Tulip Estella Rijnveld = 15 X 2 = 30 in containers
Tulip Purple Pink Mix = 18 in container
Fritillaria rubra "Crown Imperial" = 1
Fritillaria persica = "Persian lily" = 2

If all of these flowers bloom, that will mean 164 flowers from bulbs next Spring.  Plus the bulbs that I moved from Vancouver late summer.  Those I did not do a good job and they sat outside, a few getting moldy, so who knows.  Last Spring, I also moved multiple clumps of Narcissus/Daffodils and Hyacinthoides from Vancouver, wild guess 10 bulbs per clump, 10 clumps  = very roughly another 100 flowers.  Other than the tulips, most are proven deer and rabbit resistant here, and most are varieties that should proliferate once established.

Puttering. Progress Note. 3.25.14

Chinese Chives.  Compare established with 1 year old.

Planted dwarf gladiolus today

 Today "day off" from work.  Mostly homework and rest.  Lot of homework, and needed rest very much.

 I did make "rounds" in the yard and garden.  I planted one type of bulb - really corm.  The Nanus mix is a dwarf type, hardy species of gladiolus.  Some writers describe gladiolus as deer resistant.  Others state deer will eat the flowers.  I'll give them a try.

My success with "Joy of Gardening" brand bulbs from Fred Meyer is mixed.  Their mix of Anenome blanda was all blue, not blue + white + pink as pictured.  They did all grow and they look nice.   Their mix of Hyacinthoides hispanica is growing but not with enthusiasm.  The daffodil variety mix was almost entirely all yellow trumpet, not the various yellow / white / orange cup on the picture.  Still they are interesting to try and I bought on impulse.

The established Chinese chives are much more vigorous compared to the seedlings.  The seedlings are one year old.  The established ones were divisions I planted last year, from plants grown many years ago from seeds.  Division and planting in new soil invigorated them.

Last fall I planted daffodil and hyacinth bulbs in the bearded iris raised beds.  Both are considered deer resistant and toxic to other animals.  They make a cheerful display now, long before irises bloom.  They will be done with the irises bloom.

Iris Bed #1 bulbs blooming

Planting bulbs in Fall is an act of faith, that I'll be around in the Spring.  And I am here so that feels good.

Among the daffodils in my yard, Jetfire is the first to bloom, then Dutch Master, then various.  Minnow is almost blooming.  Triandrus is almost blooming

The raised bed garden is looking green.  The potato wells look like rustic monuments that could have been among the Easter Island figures, or some Mayan tomb.  No potato plants visible yet.

Iris Bed #2 bulbs blooming.

Raised Bed Garden

Iris Bacterial Rot

 A few irises have bacterial rot.  Disappointing.  I've had that happen with a few in the past.  The rhizomes survived but were set back.  This is variety Edith W.  The rain is hard on them.  If a variety dies out, I'll assume natural selection is doing its thing, and not replace that disease susceptible variety.

I have 2 rows of snow peas.  All I needed to do was protect them with chicken wire.

The Quince cuttings have leaves and flowers.  Hardwood cuttings can do that, then die without producing roots.  We'll see.

The quince cuttings border a shallot bed.  There are also plum hardwood cuttings, Hollywood and Shiro.  They are blooming too.  We'll see about them too.

I was about to give up on Four O'clock seedlings.  I see one has germinated.  I brought it home for better light in the CFL light unit.

It feels good to have things growing.

Snow Peas Growing

Quince Cuttings and Shallots.

Four O'clock Germinating Seedling.

Bearded Iris Beds. Progress Report. 3/16/14

Iris bed #1.  

Iris bed #2

Now the irises are growing fast.  Each day they are larger and more sturdy.  I wonder which ones will bloom, and how much.

It might have been a mistake to soak them with neem oil.  The leaves, that were present at the time, look scorched.   On the other hand, there have been frosts since then too.

Otherwise growth is fast.  All survived the winter.  None rotted out.

The additional flowers make the beds more cheerful, before the irises are anywhere near blooming.  The daffodils are Jetfire.  Other varieties lag behind some more.  The first hyacinths, pink ones, are also starting to bloom.