June 5: Sprayed "Roundup" on thistles in several places, also on a troublesome perennial flwer that seeds itself. This is an irradication effort that started last year. Also sprayed grass among perennials and some weeds acr rd.
June 6: Put 4 dark red, dwarf dahlia tubers with shoots at near end of daylily, etc. planting in main garden. Also, 4 at far end of first SW-NE row of lilies and 3 in other rows. [Tubers were kept over winter in the cellar.]
June 8: Put 13 of the dwarf dahlia tubers in the main/lower border and one among the lilies (see 6/6). Trans-
planted three very small lilies into the 3rd ME-SW row. [Kyle did the 'bending'.]
June 9: After covering lilies w/ cans, buckets, etc., sprayed "Roundup" on the grass/weeds in NE-SW lily bed.
June 11: Seven different shrub roses are in bloom, along with purple and white Siberian irises and the huge yel- low. Also blooming are pink oriental poppies, pink peoney, red astilbe, yellow Hemerocalis 'flava' and others.
June 15: New blooms- Martagon hybrid lily 'Paisley Hybrid,' Alba type rose; Oenothera fruticosa 'Youngi' ("Sundrops"); Hem 'Stella DiOro; Gaillardia 'Goblin;' Chrysanthemum p. [ "Feverfew" (double, button type) ]
June 19: Began bloomg- Hem. fulva (comman daylily); Campanula glomerata (purple) and 2nd L. Martagon hyb.
Be back in ten days or so; hip joint replacement operation takes place 6/21.
Returned home 7/6.
July 13: Started 2002 and 2004 lettuces, very old CGS' Gloriosa Daisies , 1999 commercial dwarf calendulas and CGS' 2004 sunflowers in 6 pacs & small seed trays.["Nothing ventured nothing gained!"] Garden soil wet.
July 14: Started more 1999 dwarf calendulas 'Gem Mixed' in six pacs. Cs resent transplanting, thus the pacs.
July 15: Started 1994 saved seed for the following calendulas: Dwf dbl 'Orange Gem;' tall, orange, sgle; buttercup yellow "special." Also began germination test using ten pumpkin 'Autumn Gold' seeds from 1989.
July 18: Started 2004 birdseed sunflower seeds in 2 seed trays, 6 to a tray. Will have to careful when Tplanting
July 19: Kyle set four sflwr seedlings in the gaps of the row of holihocks below the blueberry patch. (see 7/13)
A few lettuce and Gloriosa Daisy seeds have been germinating slowly the past 2-3 days. (see 7/13)
July 22: Started eight 2004 birdseed sunflower seeds in each of three seed trays; 2004 'Little Gem' lettuce in a four pack, 2-4 seeds per section; and two seed trays of old CGS' Gloriosa Daisy seeds.
July 25: Started 2004 birdseed sunflower seed in two 6-pacs@ 2 seeds per section. Set out 2 tiny sflwr seedlgs
July 28: Started 126 calendula 'Pacific Beauty' seeds in 4-pacs and 6-pacs. Cs are a 'hardy annual,' taking cold down to 26 F. in my experience. Consequently, my favorite annual, for I do not like to be without
flowers after early light frosts. Cs resent transplanting, thus reason for starting in pacs.
July 29: Clematis virginiana on the front stone wall began blooming. Started 33 calendula "PB" in 6-pacs along
with 27 2004 birdseed sunflower seeds. Previously germination of the sflwr seeds has been poor.
Aug. 2: Calendula seeds started 7/28 began to show, along with some sflwrs. Seed trays in backyard on 4x8
trailer. Set out 23 'boughten' red salvia plants in small bed by post light & 7 under dining rm windows.
Aug. 5: Planted 8 sunflower seedlings along the top, front edge of the blueberry planting.
Aug. 8: Planted another 7 sunflower seedlings interspaced with those of the 5th. Weeded, watered & mulched phlox that are located below the main border's rubble rock wall at end near the old apple tree. RAIN NEEDED.
Aug. 10: Started 'Little Gem Cos' 2004 lettuce seeds two to a section in two six pacs. In the afternoon, with 'Murph' and Kyle doing the work, Stella D'Oro hems were lifted from the planting by power pole guy wire anchorage, divided and 11 clumps put along the SE end of the house foundation. Also set out in the bed at that location 66 'boughten' bright red, fibrous begonia plants from six pacs. The bed was barren after the daffodils.
Aug. 15: Added 10 fibrous begonias to end of the house bed. Planted 30 'Pacific Beauty' calendulas that CGS started from seed in 3 rows at the front of the first area across the road, along with 9 Gloriosa Daisy seedlings. Put 14 H. 'Stella D'Oro' divisions from the guy wire anchor plant'g along the top edge of the blueberry planting
Aug. 21: Aster 'Treasurer' beginning to bloom. Hosta 'grandiflora' (?) in full bloom in bed above the rock garden
Aug.23: Added 3 calendulas across the road; set out 30 Gloriosa Daisy seedlgs along front of front wall border
Sep. 25: Sunflowers above the blueberries, see Aug. 5 and 8, began blooming.
Note: Sept. was a very warm and sunny month. See page 47 of the "Weather" section.
Oct. 6: Warm and sunny weather continued thru today, with just a couple mornings in the 30s. No frost yet.
Fall, perennial asters are very colorful, as are the yellow, pon pon mums, late row of sunflowers, 'dwarf', red dahlias that are 4-5' tall in the lower, main border, and the bed of red fibrous begonias at the end of the house.
Oct. 12: First bloom on the calendulas planted August 15th.
Oct. 16: Finally had a day to again work outside, although it was very windy & dark. [From 7th thru 15th there were some 4" of rain!] Planted 100 mixed daffodils and 50 'Grape Hyacinths' across the road in three rows at edge of field running back about 40'. Put 6 Thallia daffys at the end of the house between daylilies- see Aug. 10
Oct. 26: Despite temperature of 32F at dawn and snow covered ground, tender annuals still hanging on!
Oct. 29: First light freeze with six hours below 32F and a low of 30.5F. Sunflowers hurt but OK.
Nov. 2: Planted 23 "Rock Garden Iris" (I. reticulata) 'bulbs/corms' along front edge of top of rock garden. (Kyle
Nov. 11: Low temp of 25 blackened the sunflowers and 'hurt' the calendulas. First real full freeze- very late.
Nov. 19: 19 deg. low did in the calendulas, although plants still green. "Holiday" cacti in bud, with one near open
Dec. All three 'holiday' cacti - white, fuchia and orange - bloomed in the dining room. Severely cut back "Crown of Thorns" that was outside for the summer began limited blooming at points of new growth.