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Tuck Yourself In



It's only now beginning to get nasty. Before nightfall -heavier rain, more wind, and possibly some lightning. Probably no tornados, although this is the storm that killed 16 people yesterday with tornados and straight line winds. 


I know I said I wouldn't, but on my way out to the cemetery I couldn't resist a few shots of the early bulbs that will get matted by some heavy rains later in the day. Tuck yourself in, enjoy the indoors.

These have a wonderful scent you must stoop over the fence to notice, and much better at night.

 I planted 'Darwin' type tulips because they return, and I prefer them closed.



Love A Rainy Night

ooh ooh.

The plants have been growing like mad this year, rainy nights or not. The beans, this is them two days ago. Today, they're 8 inches tall.

The tomatoes put on another few inches last night. All, but for the orange mystery tomato given to me by a neighbor -those seem to be short and stocky (lower left). Even the borage added a few more inches.

We pulled some old iron pot stands out of storage.

The painting of the house has begun this morning. Turns out, the man with the paint brush told me, that he's only painting one side of the house -the side that faces our side garden. Apparently, the only reason he is painting the building at all is because the landlady has some leftover paint from his painting of her building. So one side will be painted. He seems reluctant to mess with our plants, and I understand that.

Allium sphaerocephalon and some lilies. Alliums should've been staked long ago.

Bees love the borage.

Sidalcea malviflora (yes, the partygirl).

Morning coffee and deadheading.


Picket Fences



It's that kind of year, where I tell everyone who stops how early things are blooming this year. Whether it's really early or not, I do not know -just seems early to me. The Allium sphaerocephalon I remember as July, but then last year it was cool and wet.

Same goes for the Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia. Surely this is blooming early in my garden? Isn't this July/August? Too floppy either way, the New Dawn over hanging it.

Ahh, the picket fence I made out of 7 pieces of scrap wood. Cut those pickets myself don't you know. This is to keep flying garbage pails out of the garden, after a lost lily and broken asters convinced me it was necessary.

Speaking of lilies, the oranges are blooming in every location now, although these are a little larger and less recurved than those on the other side of the front garden.


As I Rush On By



I was rushing from the studio this afternoon to make the last few minutes of the Sharpe Foundation open studios where I knew a few of the artists. As I rushed from the B37's last stop on Court and Livingston, I surprised myself -I was taken aback by the tulips! I rarely stop for a tulip, and certainly not when in a rush.

The masses were really appealing, and they floated in a way like masses of poppies on long stems. Nearby the old Borough Hall there were very long-stemmed whites with very long petals and pointy tips -very sexy tulips. They are all closed for the wet and cloudy weather and that affect is why I found them so appealing, as well as the saturated daubs of color floating above the greens. I might say that never before have I enjoyed simple tulips so much.

If my camera had not been acting up, and had I not been in a rush, more photos you'd find. I'm getting the E18 error -the infamous Canon error code for "something is jammed in your lens and it can't open or close all the way."

My Canon, the A80 I have had since 2004, has served me well, and I might add for two primary reasons: the swivel screen and the 1/1.7 sensor. Most common compacts these days, especially those with more than a 5x optical zoom, have a ccd sensor that is 1/2 as large as that little 1/1.7 sensor in my A80. The 1/2.3 sensor size is part of what allows current cameras to have their extreme zoom.

My A80 has only a 3x optical zoom, in use here. I am blown away by the green of spring every year. I never expect it, and pow! Suddenly I am exiting the subway and the grass is tall, the honeysuckle vine on the fence and the plane trees have leafed out -all is green in the world.


Nice Weekend Ahead

Yay, Spring!

These veronica have been blooming for a month.

March, err, April of the dafs.

These have a subtle, sweet scent.

I have two types of returning tulips. These, which I like closed for their greenish tinged, apricot pink exterior. I cannot remember what kind. Species, Darwin Hybrid, one of those or both?


March of the Crocus



The best and worst thing about crocus is their ephemeral nature. But I don't mind their two week performance, or even their quick-wilt on those too-warm days. It's the corms! Because they are small and close to the surface, the squirrels get to them and with every plant I move in spring or fall, I take a few corms. Chopped up or left on the surface, they don't have much chance to return. So, for the many that I have planted over the years, what comes up year over year are less and less crocus.

These I planted in the side yard last November. I bought C. Tommasinianus, the anti-squirrel crocus, from Scheepers. They don't look all that much like the photo in their catalog. They also don't look much like the other C. T., 'Lilac Beauty,' that I bought from them last fall. I planted both in the side yard, and some in the front- but so far not seeing the qualities I saw in the catalog photos.

The unamed stalwarts, or what's left of them, from my first spring bulb planting, fall 2004.

These too.

And this one. Very few of these left, maybe just three.




Spring Cleaning

The warmish weather this weekend got me fired up for cleaning out the garden. I usually leave all the dead perennial branches over the winter, then wait for the first signs of life, usually crocus, to go out and cut them down. In that time, many of the blowing leaves get caught up at the crowns of the shrubs and perennials. Although many argue the points of cleaning up before winter or after, I choose to leave these and have had little problems for it.

Because we can have a late winter cold blast, I take my chances clearing out the leafy protection the new shoots enjoy. That said, those young shoots are pretty hardy and the chances of a prolonged deep freeze are unlikely. My plot here benefits from strong all day sun (equal to October 10th or so), a protective wall to the north and a warmed sidewalk to the south. All the more amazing that my crocus are just up now, where usually they come up somewhere in February.

The only real danger comes in cleaning out too late. I am always eager to get out there as soon as it warms enough to see green shoots popping through the leaves, but life gets in the way sometimes and I get out there later than I would like. If the bulb greens and new leaves of perennials are putting on lots of new growth, I may damage them with my rake (or my hand) as I clear the leaves. I can only avoid this by getting in to clean as soon as possible.

The hardy Aconitum -last to go in fall and first up in spring.


Surprised to see these daylilies coming on strong

I cleaned out two full size trash bags, which is hard to believe. Twigs, stems, leaves and lots of trash. All in all, it was a good 3 hours of work. I left the rose pruning to "some other time." I also got to chat with some neighbors, all of whom I haven't seen since I was last in the garden.



Snow Globe



 
All images courtesy of wunderground.com

A cold high pressure sliding down from the arctic, moisture pulling up from the gulf, a weaker jet stream (than last weekend's storm) that is just north of NYC, and it does seem we are on target for a good snowstorm tonight and tomorrow. People were talking up the last storm, but I usually pay little attention when there's lots of weather hyperbole. This storm, however, should deliver. I won't hazard a guess as to how much NYC will get.  For those who hear at the office or in the warehouse, "global warming, ha - look at all this snow," Meteorologist Jeff Masters has a blog post explaining why we can have more snowstorms with a warming globe.


In the mean time, my plants are saying, "local warming." These growth tips have been up for about a week or so. They are near the building and in the sun, so tend to come up early. I'm pretty sure they are narcissus and am pretty sure they are a harbinger of spring no matter how much snow we get tomorrow.



Come Again




I took this nice weather morning to plant these bulbs that I received, wow, over a month ago. All from Scheepers. In the back, Crocus tommasinanius and Crocus T. 'Lilac Beauty'. Twenty five for $4.75, I think that's a great price for the small pleasures of late winter. Scheepers' website mentions that squirrels don't eat these. Of course, I've had more trouble with my own shovel destroying the crocus, but I think I found evidence of the anti-squirrel qualities of these. I planted them in soil around the stepping stones in the side yard. The next day I went out and saw that the soil was spread all over the stones and what did I see, but one crocus bulb sitting on top, un-gnawed. I think sir squirrel moved on to other more tempting treats.

The front two are species lilies, 'Citronella' and 'Davidii', 5 bulbs each for $9.75 and honestly, I wish I could have given two of each away -no room! The white bulbs on the left are onion, Allium atropurpureum. I really don't like those giant globe allium, so I go for the varieties that have more open habits or the humble umbel forms.


I was planting the bulbs, moving iris and other perennials for the side yard flower garden, come vegetable garden, come again flower garden. Since that corner is kind of messy with the cat feeding and bottle depositing and otherwise garbage-y quality, not to mention the telephone poles that come and go, I put some max sunflowers in the corner to go with the mess. Today, when I am doing this other work, a neighbor says hello and then says 'finally cutting back those flowers, eh.' To which I respond, 'do you not like them?' And so on from there...

I will never cut down a flower in bloom. Just won't, unless, of course, it's for the vase. I certainly wasn't doing what my friendly neighbor was suggesting, and certainly not in November when every day with blooms is an anchorage to warm and temperate times. But I get it, neighbors want plants to stay within their frames- behind the fence, WHAP!! cracks the whip. So I bend, cranking back the poor stems of Helianthus maximilianii with a twine contraption, forcing them into the shade of the Yew tree they so desperately reach from to catch the last bits of low sun, their penchant tropism. Oh ye heliotrope, bend not to your need and will, but to the wants of your animal neighbors! Such as it is, such as it is.

Daffy


The daffs are blooming well. Its been the right kind of spring in NYC as far as plants should be concerned. Rainy days alternating with sunny ones. Never too warm -spending flowers as fast as they come, wilting young leaves, and growing legs.

Do the daffodils get the respect they deserve? Often in mass plantings that highlight their color over their form and twelve inches above the ground, I don't think people get up close to them very often. These below smell wonderful. Get up close.


Small cups, pale yellow-medium cups, slightly deeper yellow

All the following are the same...

But in front of the dwarf spirea, a world of difference


!!Crocus Explosion!!



It just wouldn't be garden blog right if I didn't put my crocus blooming on the web. Its the crocus photos at winter's end that seem like photos of your friends' children at Christmas. I love garden photos, but everyone's dishing these. Here they are:







If You're This Kind of Gardener (I am)

Now, and really for the whole month of November into December, is an excellent time to get deals on bulbs at retail nurseries. I went to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden the other day to check out what they had. Less than last year, but I still picked up some Allium Sphaerocephalon bulbs at 50% off. There are always bulbs left over from the selling season. Intrepid garden shoppers can get out and help clear those bulbs from the shelf for a discount. Yeah, its cold for planting -but not too cold to plant those bulbs.

Sale rack at the BBG

Often available are the stalwarts of the everyday garden -tulips, daffodils, hyacinths overstocked by the retailer. But the BBG had some different Alliums and a species tulip or two. So, if this is your kind of gig, stop by your local nursery and help them unload some of those bulbs. But don't do it unless its at a discount. Planting in the cold is only worth it when its backed up by a solid bargain. The nursery should be eager to let those bulbs go. And as long as your soil isn't frozen, and here in NYC it is not, you can get those bulbs in the ground.

Allium Sphaerocephalon


Two Minutes for Tulips

Well, I did it. Today was balmy by recent days' comparison. We cleaned the house some and still I had twenty minutes before I had to leave for work. That bag of tulips was bothering me and I know they would have gotten moldy and rotted had I left them to next year. So I went out on this cloudy, breeze-less day and planted those tulips. Ground soft as ever, not a lick of freeze in it, and I only chopped a few previously planted bulbs in the effort. So I call it a good gardening day and probably the last of the cold season. But there is one other nagging question, "should I remove those leaves now or later?"...

Some say remove fallen leaves to retard the development of disease in the garden. Some say let the fallen leaves stay to act as winter mulch. Those leaves can protect young shoots coming up during early spring freeze/thaw cycles. Yet the leaves can also retard the growth of some young plants. So which is it?

Well, it is true that I have little need for winter mulch in my garden as the ground hardly freezes. Those leaves will be harder to remove in spring as they will be wet and entangled deep in the plants. I haven't had any serious problem with disease in the garden, so that really doesn't factor in. Okay, I think I found another task to take on before Christmas. Maybe.

Winter at Last

I am not one of those people who absolutely loves winter. Yet I am glad it is here. I am glad that those everblooming roses finally threw in the towel. Its good to see the sun set on those goldenrods, asters and sunflowers (those cousins party together into the wee hours of autumn). Maybe it was a little alarming to see the pineapple sage I wish to overwinter so suddenly turn black after being so brilliant green. But still, come on, it is December. As I remember it, its cold in December and the plants should be long dormant.

Yet how magnificent was it last Sunday as I traveled through Manhattan on my way to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a full blown snow? Fresh, dry snow on golden leaves still not dropped by the Honey Locusts. The two seasons came together quite marvelously on Sunday. The sidewalks near my apartment were still littered with freshly dropped yellow maple leaves as the snow began to fall. It is so unusual to see the snow and leaves together. So it is with pleasure that the winter ushered in and the garden gave out.

Besides, I still have a bag of bulbs to plant. Its not that I was in denial of the passing moment for planting, but with the blooms still going, I simply could not bring myself to start digging around. It seems that anywhere I dig I hit bulbs anyhow- even though I do not have a full spring bulb garden. Simply, I have run out of space, yet couldn't resist a deal on some tulips. I really don't like tulips much, yet there I was seduced by those pictures on the boxes at the nursery. Now the anxiety that a warmish, humid day will not present itself and those bulbs will be passed over for other, seasonal activities -like shopping.

Christmas shopping will send me over to the Brooklyn Botanical Garden next week. I am hoping to bring together my own personal interests with the possibility of finding all those small gifts we need to find at this time of year. The garden has two shops now- garden and gift and it is free to enter BBG during the dormant season weekdays, November 20 through February 28. Check out these leafy Christmas ornaments they are selling. There are Gingko, Oak, Maple, Birch, Aspen and others made of metals that are silver, copper, and gold in color.



Jill at brklynstories asked me about a month ago, "By the way, I've always wondered - what can a gardener do during winter while the ground is frozen?" After giving it some thought, I think I have the answer. Rest.