Sunday, March 27, 2016

March 27, 2016 We have a winner

Welcome to the final week of the picture contest. Do not be concerned. There will be pictures and garden chatter for a while longer. I enjoy this and I understand that you do too. I will find another opportunity for voting next week.

The winner of the 2015-2016 contest is the pink poppy.


The full voting was
Pink Poppy 27
Louisiana Iris 22
Lantana 12

As we close the contest I give you one final look at all 13 finalists. A DVD of all the finalists can be available but I just haven't determined the way to do that. I am actually having difficulty because I was thinking of selling that DVD. All proceeds could go to getting extra fancy little bearded iris, I would otherwise not be able to get. Maybe not. Enjoy the finalists, one last time, all together.



My, there are some great pictures in there. I would find it difficult if I had to choose from the entire group. If I had to pick one I would pick the night blooming cereus. But that to some extent reflects how unexpected the bloom was this late summer.

Bonus time and what to do now.
It is a tiring time. I am almost finished with the raking. I find it interesting how certain parts of the garden get ignored. They seem to be the same parts each year. I am now raking those parts now. Sometimes I think I should just clear out an entire area. Maybe then I would find it more interesting and it would move up the priority list.
Actually I consider that I have about 15 different gardens. There is the white crab apple bed, the pink crab apple bed, the lamppost bed, and so on. I focus on getting one garden ready at a time. The ones in back come first because spring comes to the backyard earlier than the front.
But I am potting things up like crazy at the moment. Saturday I potted up some Louisiana Iris, just like the one in the picture this year. Some of the plants need to move because the dogwood shades them too much. Maybe I can sell a few. If I don't they will be ready to out somewhere else.

So I am going to have a sale 
and open garden.
The command decision is that it will be the next two Saturdays, from 9-11. That will be April 2 and April 9. It will be at our house, which is at 1507 E. College St. in Iowa City.
You can come either time or both or by appointment. Appointments will have to be after April 2 at 9.
One of the Saturdays should have nice weather. I will send you a separate email telling you about the sale. I hope that is not a bother. Please forward that to anyone you know who might be interested. (I do not have a large advertising budget. Sometimes I hang a sign on the Walnut Tree.)
I will have a modest amount of plants potted. There will be bluebells and celendine poppies and even some epimedium. In two weeks I might have some May Apples. Mostly I want you to experience the wonder of the spring garden. In two weeks the bluebells may have started. Certainly there will be daffodils.
I do not think I will have hosta at that time. But if you wait for May you miss early April.
If you want to see May, you can come back.


Here are more pictures.
Many flowers will not open until the sun comes out. That seems especially true when it is cold. I would not want to open then either.
Crocuses sometimes look like little light bulbs or some Dale Chihuly installation.




Here is the pink corydalis. It blooms at the same time as the silla/squill and makes a great combination. Sometimes I like to break the rules. This year I divided the pink corydalis right after it came out of the ground. It was fine. Now I have 4 plants. I do have to mark them with my colored straws so I do not plant something on top of them.


Excitement. This is one of 4 tree peony seedlings I am growing. They are about 4 years old. 2 did not die back to the ground this winter. I think this one might bloom. That could be in two weeks depending on how warm it is.




Nothing needs to be said.



These anemone blandas have made a very nice clump in the front sidewalk bed.


These two blooming hellebore seedlings are with the sale plants. Hellebores will sometimes bloom in their 3rd year.








I love trillium. By the time I remember how great they are, it is sometimes too late to get more.


Here was the first daffodil in my yard this year. It was Saturday March 26.








That's it. I have ideas for next week so you must not go away. If you are in the neighborhood please come by. There are garden tours each year of a garden, with some snapshot point in time, usually in the summer. I sometimes think they should pick a few gardens and let people see them once every two weeks, all year long. Since my garden is on a corner, I sort of do that all year. These next two Saturdays you are particularly welcome.

Philip

3 comments:

Bob S said...

The election was rigged! I demand a recount!

Well done, Philip. You sure know how to help us get through the winter. Many Thanks!

Unknown said...

Thank you so much for this winter's splendid selection of photos!

Anonymous said...

Thank you so much for a fantastic winter contest season!!