Once again, Aldi has saved my day by selling forced hyacinth bulbs right by the checkout lanes. Whew. That was a close call. You see, what happened was that in the fall I usually grab a bag of hyacinth bulbs from a display rack in the local big box store once they've been marked down a bit. Then I toss them in the back of the refrigerator and let them cool for about 10 weeks until the first week of January. At that point, I take them out, plop them on the hyacinth vases filled with water … [Read more...] about Hyacinths on Vases
flowers
Peonies, in July
It worked! I picked peonies in the bud stage way back in May, stripped off the leaves, wrapped them individually in plastic wrap, then put them in the back of the refrigerator. I peeked at them a few times to make sure they weren't growing mold or anything like that. They just smiled back at me. "We're fine, Carol, please close the refrigerator door, the light is rather bright you know." Then Monday evening, I took them out of the refrigerator, re-cut the stems, and put them in vases of … [Read more...] about Peonies, in July
Fading flowers
Fading sunflowers remind me of Grandma's old summer dresses hanging out to dry on a clothesline, faded by the sun. They have seen a better day. On these late summer days, I walk through the garden deciding which flowers to deadhead and which to let fade to a lovely aged patina, befitting a fall garden. How do I decide what to cut and what to leave alone? At this point, I'm deadheading mostly to keep rampant self-sowers from making a mess for me to weed next spring. Other flowers … [Read more...] about Fading flowers
The Controversial Violet
Viola sp. grown from seed many years ago. Oh, the controversy over violets! There are some people who consider violets of any species to be lawn and garden weeds which should be pulled out, or worse, obliterated with herbicides. There are others, and I am in this group of others, who think violets are the most charming of flowers, which should be allowed to flourish just about any place they decide to do so. A dozen or so years ago, I actually hunted down all kinds of violet … [Read more...] about The Controversial Violet
Ode to Lawn Flowers
Chionodoxa I'm quite pleased with how the Chionodoxa have begun to flower in the lawn just as the Crocus are beginning to fade. I like them so much I finally learned how to pronounce the name Chionodoxa - "key-own-a-dox-ah". Or glory of the snow, if you prefer, but there is no snow around here so it seems to be a rather odd common name. Key-own-a-dox-ah. Most of what I planted last fall are Chionodoxa gigantea, I think. Maybe. I'm already poised to order more to plant this coming … [Read more...] about Ode to Lawn Flowers
The Society for the Promotion of Mums as the Quintessential Fall Flower
Who will buy these? The Society for the Promotion of Mums as the Quintessential Fall Flower* would like to lodge an official protest regarding the disfiguration of poinsettias to modify their colors to allow them to be sold in the fall as an alternative to mums, which are the quintessential fall flower. The Society is concerned that allowing this practice of coloring poinsettias in shades of Autumn will no doubt lead to Santa Claus himself putting on a pilgrim's costume and hitching up a … [Read more...] about The Society for the Promotion of Mums as the Quintessential Fall Flower
