Wow!
I was walking around my yard admiring the flowers that (shouldn’t but) are blooming in my yard already this spring when I saw a tulip with two flowers on a single stem. I have never seen this before so I had to do some research. And yes, there are some species of tulips that have the capacity to do this. This one is Tulipa humilis ‘Persian Pearl’. None of the other 29 bulbs I planted have exhibited this but this one. I hope like a 4-leaf clover, this is a sign of good luck!
What do these things have in common? Length of Daylight hours! Or is it actually length of darkness?
One of the things I look forward to in March is that we Spring forward on the 2nd Sunday now. Technically this year that will be March 11. On that day, the sun will rise at 7:29am (if you set your clock forward at 2am) and the sun will set at 7:13pm. That means we will have 11 hours and 43 minutes of daylight. Daylight Savings time doesn’t make the day longer, it just feels longer because the sunset is an hour later. For the when, why and history of Daylight Savings Time, there is a great website at http://www.webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/b2.html.
I can’t decide if a purple strawberry sounds appetizing or not? Well, it’s actually deep red.
“Purple Wonder is the 42nd strawberry variety released by the Cornell small-fruits breeding program. Other recent releases include the Herriot strawberry, a high-yielding midseason variety, and the Crimson Giant raspberry, suitable for high tunnel cropping systems and November harvest.”
via Cornell Chronicle: New Purple Wonder strawberry is deep red.
You can still buy tickets at the door for tomorrow’s RCGC Annual Symposium. Time: 9am-3pm. For more info: Annual Spring Symposium
657 East Avenue, Eisenhart Auditorium, Rochester Museum & Science Center
This year’s symposium will feature ‘Perennial Diva’ Stephanie Cohen presenting two lectures, ‘Shrubganza’ and ‘Natives: Sustainable, Colorful and Wonderful’, both drawn from her latest book, The Nonstop Garden: A Step-By-Step Guide to Smart Plant Choices and Four-Season Designs.
The second presenter will be Rochester-based photojournalist Sandra Weber. Her slide-lecture, ‘Seeing Gardens’, will inspire you to expand your vision of the garden – you’ll come away more aware of how to capture the beauty of plants, gardens, and flowers by noticing colors, pattern, shapes, angles, and most importantly, the role of light in producing beautiful garden photographs.
A study of 20 subjects exposed to varying levels of Rosemary aroma showed improved cognitive performance…via The Body Odd – A whiff of rosemary gives your brain a boost.
“At its grandest (the) conclusion might be the development of plant-based drugs that might extend mental capacity into old age through pharmacological challenge to decline,” Moss concludes.
EcoScraps-Organic Compost made from Food Waste.
“EcoScraps collects food waste, which would otherwise be thrown away, and through a completely organic process turns it into high quality soil conditioner. Through our proprietary process we are able to reduce landfill waste and methane emissions.
I like the concept behind this compost company…taking fruit and vegetable scraps and making compost with it. I am most interested in their claims that it contains nutrients. I would like to see on the website the percentage of each nutrient they claim this compost contains.
Compost, although a wonderful soil amendment that improves soil structure and adds beneficial ‘life’ to your soil, usually only contains very small trace amounts of a few nutrients. Compost is not a fertilizer, but a soil amendment. Adding compost to your soil does improve the soils ability retain nutrients and creates an improved ‘living soil’ environment that allows the roots of the plants to take up nutrients more efficiently.
I am tempted to order a 5qt bag. I don’t expect to see this compost available on this side of the country anytime soon unless they expand their operations (UT and AZ). Since they are taking an environmental approach, using fossil fuels to transport this product across the country doesn’t seem green. I hope they plan to set up operations on the east coast! Sounds like a great concept.
Magnolia Plantation & Gardens (Charleston, SC) has added 200 ‘ancient’ Camellias to their collection of approximately 25,000 camellia plants. An ancient camellia is a variety that was propagated prior to 1900. Their goal is to create the world’s largest ancient camellia collection.
I do miss growing camellias. I had three in my Birmingham (AL) Garden. I have had a bonsai camellia as a houseplant for a couple of years now. It is hanging in there but no blooms yet.
A Silene is a genus of plants still in existence today and found mostly as wildflowers in Europe, Asia and the Arctic. There are numerous, numerous species. Most familiar to the home gardener would be the Rose Campion (Silene coronaria).
How about a little inspiration for planning your garden this year from Travelers Press. Gorgeous photos of some of the world’s most amazing gardens.
15 of the World’s Most Amazing Gardens | TravelersPress.
I can’t believe they left out my garden!
I am a big fan of county Soil and Water Conservation Districts. One of their activities I like the most is their annual spring Tree and Shrub Sale. Keep in mind, these a bare root starter trees and shrubs so you have to be a bit patient and be in need of a quantity of usually 10 or so plants. They also have a hodgepodge of other items to offer as well like birdhouses, groundcovers, fertilizer, etc. Here are links for two area sales that are now taking orders.
Monroe CSWD Tree, Shrub and Plant Sale: Orders due by March 18; Pick-up April 19 & 20
New this year: American Cranberry, White Oak. They also have bat houses and a rain barrel kit!
Ontario CSWD Tree and Shrub Sale: Orders due by March 16; Pick-up April 20 & 21
New this year: Pond habitat plant packet. They also have Bluebird houses!
