Asters

Short post, but I just realized that I never cut my asters in half yet.  Usually I try to do it on or around July 4th.  It keep them from getting leggy and falling over in fall when they are in bloom.  So if you have asters, I would get out there and cut them in half if you haven't already.

A Visit to Solaris Farms

Yesterday I took my first trip of the season out to Solaris Farms in Reedsville, WI.  Solaris Farms is a great nursery that specializes in peony, daylily, and lilium.  It's a little too early for most of their hundreds (possibly thousands) of daylily to be in bloom, but here are some pictures for you to enjoy.

The Official Greeter

Lily Trees

It's almost time for the sweet smell of lilies in the air.  Just the other day my neighbor came over and asked me if I had heard about Lily Trees.  She said there was an article in the local paper, and someone in our town was selling these new things called Lily Trees.  When she went on to describe the article I realized what she was calling a Lily Tree was really just an Orienpet lily.  They are a combination of an Oriental lily and a Trumpet lily.  They smell wonderful, grow to be very tall (usually 6-7 feet in my garden), and have very thick stalks that usually do not require staking.  I grow mine in both full sun and partial shade, and they don't seem to prefer one over the other.  Lily Tree, as stated in the article, is simply a marketing ploy.  Some plant catalog decided to call them Lily Trees in hopes of boosting their sales, but really they have been around for a while.  I hate it when plant companies come up with these ploys, it is usually the companies you want to stay away from (but that is just my opinion).  Another lily not mentioned in this article that also grows to be very tall are L.A. Lilies or longiflorum-asiatic lilies, which are a combination of an Asiatic and an Easter Lily.  L.A. Lilies usually bloom earlier in the summer then the Orienpet lily.  L.A. lilies do have some fragrance, but they are not quite as strong as an Orienpet lily.  Both are quite easy to grow, and would be a great addition to any garden needing a little height.  If you are looking for a local source for these lilies I suggest either Solaris Farms in Reedsville or Rosehill Gardens in Oneida.

Bulb on an Orienpet Lily

Orienpet 'Garden Treasure' getting ready to bloom

The fence is lined with L.A. Lilies which will bloom very soon. 

Wordless Wednesday - Bloom Day

Arisaema heterophyllum - Dancing Crane Cobra Lily

One of my favorite plants in my garden at this moment is Arisaema heterophyllum, otherwise known as Dancing Crane Cobra Lily.  I thought this plant didn't survive the winter, but then in mid June I noticed it making an appearance.  In two weeks time it grew 3 feet with a very thick stalk.  You may notice that it looks a lot like a giant Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and that's because Arisaema is the main genus of the Jack-in-the-Pulpit family.  I LOVE the giant tongue sticking out of the "pulpit".  It prefers light shade.

Seed GROW Project July Update

Well it's July, and I feel I should be hanging my head in shame over my see GROW project. I had been so busy preparing for the garden walk in June, that everything else was kind of put on the back burner.

The "Summer Splash" marigolds are my best performer of the seeds I received. They look as if they may soon be big to bloom sometime soon. I planted them in a few different areas, but ones in this container were the one that grew the fastest. Of the three seeds, the marigolds were the fastest to germinate and grow for me.

The "Italian Cameo" basil could be doing better. I put it in a container with no drain holes, thinking I would just water it as needed. However I went to Oregon for a week, and left it out on my patio table. During that week it rained every single day (and no rain in Oregon), and so I came home to some soggy basil seedlings. It has since dried out, so I am hoping some of the seedlings will forgive me for almost drowning them.

The "Garden Babies" lettuce has been a thorn in my side.  Not because of the seeds themselves, but because of all the critters in my garden. I tried planting it at least three times, and every time they started to sprout some hungry bunnies would munch them down. So right before I left for Oregon I put them in a container, thinking the rabbits couldn't get to them. I returned from Oregon to find they had germinated and were growing well. I thought I had finally won, that was until the chipmunks decided to dig in the container this week. Luckily they didn't dig up everything, so I am looking forward to some cute little baby lettuce heads by this time next month (unless more critters invade).
Here is my June post for the seed GROW project in case you want to check my progress:)
Happy 4th of July everyone!

I'm growing with the SeedGROW project. Thanks to Renees Garden for the seeds.

New Cheesehead Gardening Video for 2011