More Daylilies Anyone?

The Stella D'Oro
Picture by Denise

Daylilies are a tough brood. They are one of the easiest bloomers for me to work with while giving back beauty 100 fold. Even though a bloom lasts only one day, a bed of daylilies will give plenty of blooms every day during their blooming season.

Better yet, they multiply very well. They are easy to divide to extend an existing bed or use in another.

The best time to divide is in early Spring or in the Fall after they have ceased blooming. I have divided them at different times of the year but they do best when divided as suggested. Either way, it will take a year for the transplants to become prolific bloomers as they are known to be.

Divide when clumbs start to show signs of becoming over crowded or their blooms are shy (less blooms). I've used different methods of dividing. When the ground is soft, I've used a fork by working around the entire clump to losen the soil from the roots. Then sink the fork under the clump and lift it out. You will loose more roots if you try this when the ground is hard.

The other method is using a spade to encircle the plant to a depth of about eight inches. Bear in mind that the roots extend several inches beyond the foliage. Once circled, shove the spade under the clump and lift out. This method is best if you plan to transfer the entire plant intact to another location. In my opinion, this is not really dividing, you're just moving them.

Dividing the clump can be done one of two ways. If the soil is lose around the clump, you can easily remove the soil by shaking- taking care not to destroy more roots than necessary. If the soil is compact and not wanting to release from the roots, use a water hose to wash away the soil leaving the roots exposed.

Separate the individual fans by gently teasing and tugging to separate their roots. Each new division should consist of a fan with attached roots. This method will produce many more lilies than cutting the clumps into quarters.

Once removed, trim away any dead growth. Replant the new divisions about eight inches apart in well prepared soil tilled to about eight inches deep. Mix in about two inches of organic matter and about two pounds of 10-0-10 fertilizer per 100 square feet of area. Use your favorite organic fertilizer if you are an organic gardener.

There you have it! Nothing to it. Right?

Til next time,

Poppy

For more info click on photo below.

Try Some White

White in the garden catches your eye!

Purples, pinks, yellows and reds in the Spring garden evoke the feeling of freshness and new life this time of the year, but the color guaranteed to catch your eye every time is white. We need to use white more often.
Mother Nature does in the natural environment. Look around in the early spring and you see white glaring at you from the dogwoods, berry vines, pear trees, and more. White reflects the light and makes it perfect for landscape use. The forest is no longer dull, but dancing with brightness- so can your landscape!
Those of us that live in an area that is condusive to azaleas enjoy a special treat. The Southern Indica types like Formosa, Judge Solomon and George Lindley Taber are some of the most popular, but notice a garden late in the afternoon. Those azalea flowers start to fade or drop out of sight but one Southern Indica, the G.G. Gerbing, is still glistening. This is one of the best old-time white azaleas around.
Varieties like Hershey Red or Hino Crimson look spectacular, but add some Delaware Valley White and the garden becomes complete.
The wisteria with it’s fragrant bluish-purple flowers hanging down like grape clusters are beautiful. Add the often overlooked and underused white wisteria- voila, you have a fantastic display. A white wisteria draping a fence or an arbor is a sight to behold.
White generates a feeling of cleanliness and purity. White blooms will lighten up shady areas, bringing brightness to an otherwise overlooked area. They can be used to frame other colors to bring them out. Placed in strategic positions also gives the impression of “that gardener knows what he/she is doing”! Another great feeling- pride in your handy work.
How about your flower garden? Try some white there also. Whites are available not only in dogwoods, azaleas and wisteria but also in old-fashioned Deutzia, the Tazetta class of narcissus and spiraea.
Please don’t overlook the beauty of white roses. They come in varieties of climbers, shrub, and bushy types which open up a multitude of different uses. Consider an arbor covered with white climbing roses to frame an entryway or a special plant you take pride in. Or, once again, to make other colors stand out.
White bedding plants make their contribution as well. Filtered-light areas can be made to stand out when white is incorporated into the planting scheme. Some of the best are impatiens and begonias. These can be combined with other pastels to really liven up those areas and to give them definition.
Trim your areas out in white. White caladiums make an ideal choice for trim. White Christmas, White Queen and Candidum are some of the best. I must admit those white strapped-leaf types are also very showy and usually have more leaves per plant than the fancy-leafed varieties.
So, enough said, don't overlook white bloomers in your landscape plan this year.

To your gardening enjoyment,

Poppy a/k/a Marvin

Hello World

Hello World!

This is my first post to My-Garden-World Blog.
It is my goal to create a blog site that will be a first resource for gardeners. This blog will offer gardeners opportunity to discuss their passion and find solutions to their problems. Every effort will be made by My-Garden-World Blog to establish a community that will foster advancing gardening knowledge in a friendly and helpful environment to the benefit of each and every member.

Any comments or suggestions you may have in helping to reach this goal will be greatly appreciated.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Marvin a/k/a Poppy