I am honored to announce that again, Growing with Plants has been
nominated by the editors of Better Homes & Gardens as a Top 10
gardening blog. I think that it's kind-of amazing, but a very flattering
fact, especially given that this is my 10th anniversary of posting. So
now, for the shameless request for votes. Oh, I really don't care all
that much for such things, but of course, it's always a nice thing to
actually win, as well. Hey, I made it this far!
So if you wish, go to the BHG website and vote four your favorite blog
(there is one in each of their lifestyle categories, so you will have to
click through and vote on others). Of course, I should mention that you
can vote once a day ( incase, you have nothing better to do! You can vote here.
All of the nominees this year truly deserve to win (I mean really, Erin
from Floret Farm? Margaret Roach? Come on!). Since most are my
friends, we consider ourselves all winners. Maybe I should note that I
am the only guy. I wonder what that means?
I'm honestly fine with just being nominated. Voting does result in a
'winner' however ( a prize), aSo clearly, I will need to bribe you
(wait, shamelessly?). Oh Hell, I am competitive, who am I fooling! I
may not have the funny cartoons that Margaret has to share, and I come
not even close her excellent prose (but she was the editor of Martha
Stewart Living, after all!). And that gorgeous Erin form Floret Farm?
How could I ever compete with her? OK, maybe I was the first lay claim
to starting the sweet peas craze, she has acres!).
Still, to temp you to take the time to vote (ha - every day between now
an mid-March, mind you!), I feel that I shall need to bribe you.
So here is a photo of Daphne's über-cute, 5 week old puppies.
A darling photo to bribe you to vote!
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Awwwwwwww. |
Back to gardening....
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Is it spring? Or mid-February? It's shirtless time in the greenhouse! |
February Under Glass Means Chrysanthemum Cuttings
I shan't write about the weather, I promise. But it's been a little
crazy around here, with record breaking cold that shattered 100 year old
record, and now spring-like warmth which while not record breaking, is
still 70 degrees warmer than the previous weekend. In the greenhouse it
feels very much like summer, and with nothing more than a t-shirt and
jeans, I began rather summer-like chores under glass, which resulted in
wet muddy jeans from the watering, and even a bee sting from one of the
honey bees that made its way in through the open vents in the ceiling.
Here's an interesting observation - there were plenty of opportunities
to observe examples of certain tasks which I have read about in those
nineteenth century greenhouse and florist books. Take propagation, for
example. I saved many of the exhibition and Japanese chrysanthemum
'stools' under the benches, as advised in most every Victorian gardening
book, which all advised ..."will begin growth as the days grow longer,
requiring one to strike cuttings beginning in February."
On schedule, the once very dead looking chrysanthemum stools, which had
indeed been spending the winter under the benches, began to send out
new, healthy growth. I was so pleased to not only see these plants begin
doing exactly what they were supposed to do, I was able to take over
150 cuttings, with plenty more to come. If there is one thing that I am
struck by in reading these 150 - 200 year old books, is that most of
what I feel is unique or novel in our modern world, isn't really all
that new at all. If anything, we have less choice with much of the plant
material offered today for greenhouse culture, but I can say that what
we can grow in the North under glass, has all been done before. We've
just taken about a 120 year break.
After striking my first round of chrysanthemum cuttings, I divided a few
of the nicer varieties of dahlias which I laid out in vermiculite, sand
and perlite soil, prepared over heating mats, to force some dahlia
cuttings - a practice so common in the old days of greenhouse gardening,
but one which I recently discovered is still practiced by dahlia
enthusiasts who are eager to propagate some of their finer exhibition
varieties. I felt that it was something worth trying, especially as I
start to become more invested in exhibition dahlias (most of mine are
just cut-flower varieties right now, but I need to practice).
Speaking of dahlias, our first meeting of the newly formed New England
Dahlia Society will be held March 5th at our house at noon - if you are
interested in joining, send me a private note, and I'll add you to the
luncheon guest list. I've started ordering some exhibition varieties
this weekend, a little late, I know, but I was able to study the Fab 50
list on the American Dahlia Society website, and finally found some of
the varieties I was interested in from the many smaller nurseries listed
on the ADS source pages, but I fear I will be running out of room,
especially if I still want to raise some vegetables this year! The space
war has begun.
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The beauty of this modern 'Margaret Davis' camellia, is hard to beat. |
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I'm sure that I've shown many images of each of these camellias in the past, but what's wrong with sharing a few more. |
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Rose form camellias are perfectly symmetrical. This one is 'Mrs. Tingley' |
Some other horticultural events happening in the greenhouse
The South African bulbs are starting to bloom, as they are in many greenhouses in the Northern Hemisphere (I just saw a photo of the same plants blooming in the greenhouses at the Denver Botanic Gardens). The show here usually starts with the ROmulea species, followed by the Babiana, backed up with the Lachenalia - one of my favorite genus - and a genus, I should mention which was terribly popular also in the Victorian era, but just try to find any today, aside from the few new hybrids marketed in the past few years under the brand name 'African Beauty' strain.
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Tropaeolum |
Tuberous tropeolum take over the greenhouse.
I know, I can't get enough of these rarer tropeolum, but they are not that difficult, if one can keep them cool (most will sulk and go dormant if daytime temps remain over 65 degrees). These Chilean and Argentinean treasures are lovely, and they are perfect for raising on those little trellises one finds in the gardening decor aisle at discount stores, which typically are useless for most anything else, practically speaking.
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Freesia corms starting to emerge - maybe some fragrant freesias for the Easter Table? |
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